The Phantom’s verdict on line-ball SuperCoach selection dilemmas in defence

SAM Docherty or Heath Shaw? Taylor Adams or Rory Laird? Here’s The Phantom defender form guide to help with the borderline decisions which could make or break your SuperCoach season.

SAM Docherty or Heath Shaw? Taylor Adams or Rory Laird?

The Phantom’s Facebook page has been swamped with requests for advice from SuperCoaches who need to make a decision between two players of similar cost.

With that in mind, here is The Phantom’s defender form guide to help with some of the borderline calls which could make or break your SuperCoach season.

Tomorrow, we’ll be looking at the tough decisions facing all SuperCoaches in the midfield. If you can’t decide between two players, drop The Phantom a line on his Facebook page and he’ll try to help you out.

But for now, here’s the Phantom’s call on four key defensive selections:

Docherty or Shaw?

Sam Docherty (CARL — $591,600) v Heath Shaw (GWS — $576,500)

Let’s be honest, you can’t go wrong with either but, with plenty of value around in defence this year and their high price tag, it has to be one or the other.

With Shaw’s average dropping from 112 to 103 last season, Docherty, the Carlton playmaker, surged past the Giant veteran to finish the year as the No. 1 SuperCoach defender.

But with his run and precision kicking so damaging, how long will opposition coaches let him run free? Yes, the great players find a way to deal with attention but we are yet to see just how a forward tagger will affect Docherty’s output. The 23-year-old is smart and efficient so it’s unlikely to have a dramatic effect but, at this point, it’s still an unknown.

Docherty’s breakout 2016 was the first year he averaged more than 90, whereas Shaw has done it in 11 of his 12 seasons in the game. And it’s going to be hard to stop the Giants this year.

VERDICT: You’ll want — and should end up with — both during the year but, to start, be Shaw with Heath.

Adams or Laird

Taylor Adams (Coll — $527,800) v Rory Laird (Adel – $526,800)

This is the ultimate play-it-safe or take-a-risk dilemma.

If you were to ask who, out of the two, is more likely to play all 22 home-and-away games, most would answer Laird, without hesitation. And this would appear correct, given Laird has played 12 more games than Adams in the past four seasons.

But if you were to ask who is more likely to challenge Docherty and Shaw for the top-defender ranking, the answer is Adams. In the past two years, the ball-winning Collingwood midfielder — who is becoming more damaging with the footy — has scored more than 100 in 16 of his 32 games (50 per cent), while Laird has only broken the 100-point barrier in 32 per cent of his past 38 games.

Laird is as consistent as they come, scoring more than 80 points 31 times in those 38 games, but The Phantom has little doubt Adams — who averaged 1.05 points per minute, compared to Laird’s 0.93 in 2016 — can average at least 105 if his body can stay sound for an entire season.

VERDICT: The Phantom is a big Laird fan but, on this one, it has to Adams. You don’t win by playing it safe.

Hibberd or Murphy

Michael Hibberd (MELB — $402,200) v Bob Murphy (WB — $392,300)

It was a big year for these two in 2013. Hibberd, then at the Bombers, exploded onto the SuperCoach scene, scoring more than 85 points in 17 of his 22 games, to finish with an average 96. But Murphy had him covered, putting together the best SuperCoach season of his career, posting eight scores of 100 or more to average 99.

Fast forward to 2017 and the pair have played three AFL games between them since September 2015, making it hard to get a read on both.

But a closer look at each player’s last 20 games begins to paint a clearer picture. Hibberd, who will slot straight into Melbourne’s side across half-back, could only manage two scores of more than 100, whereas the Bulldog veteran broke the 100-point barrier on 10 occasions.

It’s only a small sample but Murphy’s pre-injury form is hard to ignore.

VERDICT: Murphy. With a JLT Series return on the cards, it has to be everyone’s favourite Bulldog.

Scharenberg v Thurlow

Matt Scharenberg (COLL — $164,000) v Jackson Thurlow (Geel — $267,700)

Go with Thurlow or save the cash and stick with Scharenberg? That is a question put to The Phantom and, if both are ready to line up in round one, among a number of similarities, the answer is simple. Both are returning from injury, both should command a spot in their side’s best 22 and both have plenty of talent. Scharenberg just has more.

VERDICT: Scharenberg, The smart decision-maker, with great skills, should be a lock in every SuperCoach team if he’s ready to go.

Originally published as The Phantom’s verdict on line-ball SuperCoach selection dilemmas in defence