SuperCoach Shout: Dan Batten joins Tim Michell at the bar to dissect the talking points of the week

Tim Michell and Dan Batten head to the bar for our first SuperCoach Shout column. Enjoy plenty of team banter, their thoughts on picking new Demon Harley Bennell and whether to start injured ruckman Max Gawn.

Tim Michell and Dan Batten head to the bar for the first edition of our new column, the SuperCoach Shout.

It’s been a bumper week of SuperCoach relevant news, from Max Gawn’s knee injury to Jack Steven’s calf and Harley Bennell joining Melbourne.

Tim and Dan dissect all the talking points and don’t miss when it comes to team banter.

Fair to say Richmond supporter Dan doesn’t rate Tim’s logic for leaving out Dustin Martin!

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Read on as Tim tries to justify leaving Dustin Martin out to a Richmond supporter.

Tim Michell: All right Dan, let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first. I’m sure you want to know why I haven’t picked your boy Dustin Martin …

Dan Batten: Remember Tim — in SuperCoach you don’t have to avoid the obvious pick just for the sake of being different (or clickbait as you were accused of from your article this week). Why are you leaving out the dual Norm Smith medallist?

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Tim Michell’s KFC SuperCoach 2.0 team reveal: Why I’ve reconsidered starting Dustin Martin

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Harley Bennell has joined Melbourne on a one-year deal.

TM: I’m going to have some fun up forward this year. Lachie Whitfield and Izak Rankine are locks, but beyond that it’s a lottery. Martin will be a top-four forward at the end of the year but I am going to take a few calculated risks then upgrade to him mid-year. At least that’s the plan for now! On to the big news of the week, Harley Bennell has been added to SuperCoach! Does the new Demon interest you?

DB: Given Dusty’s poor start last year, you could be onto a winner, but you will be kicking yourself when amasses 150 points in Round 1 against your Blues. You almost have to go with Bennell if he’s in, don’t you? $123,900 is cheap as chips for a player who has averaged 90+ before. But trading him in after he has played two games might be the smart option, though, given his volatile injury history. Will you be slotting him in?

TM: If he plays Round 1, he’ll be in my side. A player who has averaged 85+ before at that price is too cheap to pass up. I don’t think you can afford to have a look at him for two games and then bring him in, as you would most rookies. What happens if his calf trouble returns a week later? You don’t want to be burning two trades on a rookie in two weeks. What’s your view on Max Gawn’s knee injury? Should it be enough for coaches to look elsewhere?

DB: Agreed on Bennell, but that is a big if. Max Gawn has been in and out of my side, but from what Melbourne has said, he will be right for Round 1. In that case, he will be too hard to resist for mine — far and away the best option behind Grundy, as your recent article pointed out. NicNat is also worth considering. What is your ruck set up? And speaking of SuperCoach beasts, what’s your take on Tom Mitchell?

Tom Mitchell is back on the track for Hawthorn and comes with a 10 per cent discount on his starting price from last year.

TM: I thought you’d know by now I am a set and forget guy. As soon as Melbourne said Gawn was likely to play at least one practice match it confirmed my ruck set-up. My cousin Tom isn’t in my side at the moment but if he shows any signs of being back to the SuperCoach magnet he was two years ago I don’t think you have much choice but to start him. If only the discount was a bit greater. I wrote about mid-pricers this week. There were a few that worked out last year like James Worpel, but just as many flops. What’s your view on this year’s best mid-pricers?

DB: If only you shared your cousin’s work ethic in the office. It’s hard to pass up a guy who averaged nearly 130 in his last full season, but he’ll probably be a player I decide to trade in rather than start coming back from that injury. I had Worpel for the whole year and let me tell you, it only worked out from about Round 12 onwards. I tend to steer clear of mid-pricers as a general rule, but fallen premiums Devon Smith and Jack Steven are locked in. Plenty of upside there with both set to get midfield time. I would love to pick Bulldog Patrick Lipinski as a POD if I had the cojones. Will you be going with Smith and Steven?

Returning Bomber Devon Smith is one of the popular players Tim is happy to lock in.

TM: Smith hasn’t left my side from its first incarnation. Steven went out after news of calf trouble dropped, although he’s back in. There’s definitely not as many appealing mid-pricers as last year but he’s one if he features in the opening round for the Cats. OK mate, time for some team insight. Most coaches like keeping their cards close to their chest, but give us one nugget from your current side you think will help the punters.

DB: My nugget isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel, but I’ve seen a stack of sides putting Stephen Hill in defence. Why not swing him forward? I had a close look at the relevant rookies this week and there appears to be a lack of quality forward cheapies outside Nakia Cockatoo and Izak Rankine. In defence, there are some names popping up and as experienced SuperCoaches would know, forward rookies tend to be as inconsistent scorers as they come. I know you’ve been busy working away at your SuperCoach BBL side, but what’s an early gem from you, Tim?

Tim and Dan are split on whether to start injured Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn.

TM: Don’t pick the same side as everyone else. Just because a player is popular, doesn’t mean you have to have them. OK mate, time to switch focus for one last round of SuperCoach BBL in Saturday’s final. Although hopefully our teams are looking better than Sydney’s weather.

DB: Don’t have to be Einstein to work out you’re talking about Dusty there …

But you are 100 per cent right, you aren’t winning the $50,000 with all the most popular players. Fingers crossed your ranking doesn’t drop any further in SuperCoach BBL. I’m going to take your advice and take a punt on some PODS — Steve O’Keefe five-for incoming!

Originally published as SuperCoach Shout: Dan Batten joins Tim Michell at the bar to dissect the talking points of the week