The Phantom’s head-to-head SuperCoach ruck choices

Max Gawn or Todd Goldstein? Brodie Grundy or Stefan Martin? Here’s The Phantom’s ruck form guide to help with some of the borderline calls which could make or break your SuperCoach season.

• The Phantom’s forward match-ups
• The Phantom’s midfield match-ups
• The Phantom’s defence match-ups

Max Gawn or Todd Goldstein? Brodie Grundy or Stefan Martin?

Here’s The Phantom’s ruck form guide to help with some of the borderline calls which could make or break your SuperCoach season.

Gawn or Goldy?

Max Gawn (Melb. – $645,000) v Todd Goldstein (NM, $588,400)

Over the past few years, the two best big men in the game have opened up a gap between themselves and the chasing pack of SuperCoach ruckmen.

But, with the set-and-forget combination costing you more than $1.2m — 12 per cent of your entire salary cap — it is not easy to afford both. Just make sure you have at least one of them.

Gawn went past Goldstein as the dominant SuperCoach ruckman last season as the North Melbourne giant seemingly battle injury as the year wore on.

The development of Majak Daw also worked against Goldstein’s output but Gawn’s average of 118 still doesn’t get close to Goldstein’s record-breaking season in 2015, which saw him average an enormous 128.

Given these numbers, the ownership percentage of both is intriguing. Gawn finds himself in 46 per cent of teams, while only 14 per cent of sides currently feature Goldstein.

The implementation of the third-man up rule will make stopping either even more difficult but will Gawn become the first ruckman since Dean Cox in 2007 to improve his average the year after ranking No. 1?

VERDICT: Goldstein. Don’t worry about injury, Goldstein is on track to play in the Kangaroos’ second JLT Series game and, at his best — something he didn’t get close to last season — has shown he is the superior scorer. Save the $57k and go unique.

Grundy or Martin?

Brodie Grundy (Coll, $520,500) v Stefan Martin (Bris, $488,000)

While they are not as influential with their tap work as Goldstein and Gawn, Grundy and Martin impact the game as extra midfielders.

Grundy, who scored more than 100 in eight of the final 10 games of 2016, led the all ruckmen in the competition for pre-clearance disposals and contested possessions.

After averaging more than 110 SuperCoach points and 22 disposals in 2014 and 2015, Martin struggled for consistency last year failing to score more than 75 in eight games.

VERDICT: Grundy. Martin is hugely underpriced for someone with his scoring potential but this could be the season Grundy arrives as a dominant force.

Jarrod Witts

Jarrod Witts (GC — $217,600) — Yes or No?

We all love a cheap, starting ruckman — remember Jon Giles?

And, if he can hold off Dan Currie and Tom Nicholls — who is working his way back from injury — that’s just what Witts will be.

And, don’t kid yourself, you’ve thought about Witts at R2, just as much as The Phantom has.

The former Magpie has been a pre-season standout at his new club and this could finally be his time to shine.

Witts was always played second fiddle behind Brodie Grundy at Collingwood but we’ve seen glimpses of his scoring potential in the past — especially when Grundy was missing.

In rounds 14 and 15 of 2014, Grundy was absent and Witts showed the SuperCoach world what he was capable of.

The 209cm giant registered 12 disposals, 25 hit-outs, two goals and 81 points against the Hawks, before dominating against the Blues with 17 disposals, 26 hit-outs and 135 points a week later.

VERDICT: Yes. Call me crazy but, at this stage, until he’s in the twos or playing second fiddle to Nicholls in round one, Witts is in. The extra money to spend elsewhere is too hard to refuse.

Originally published as The Phantom’s head-to-head SuperCoach ruck choices