The Phantom’s verdict on line-ball SuperCoach selections in the midfield

SCOTT Pendlebury or Adam Treloar? Ablett or Bontempelli, and which Swans midfield gun should we select this year? Here is The Phantom’s midfield head-to-head formguide.

SCOTT Pendlebury or Adam Treloar? Josh P. Kennedy, Dan Hannebery or Luke Parker?

Since we published The Phantom’s verdict on line-ball defensive selections, his Facebook Page has been swamped with head-to-head midfield queries.

RISK TAKERS: THE CASE FOR A BIT OF MID-PRICE MADNESS

So here is The Phantom’s mid-field form guide to help you out with some of the borderline calls which could make or break your SuperCoach season.

Tomorrow, he’ll be comparing like-for-like players in the forwardline, so if you can’t decide between two players, drop him a line at The Phantom SuperCoach on Facebook.

Scott Pendlebury or Adam Treloar?

Scott Pendlebury ($645,700) v Adam Treloar ($605,400)

Pendlebury and Treloar. The master and his apprentice. But maybe not for long.

Treloar led the Magpies — and therefore his skipper Pendlebury — for disposals, clearances, inside 50s, looseball-gets and uncontested possessions in 2016. And while Pendlebury’s SuperCoach average of 119 still eclipsed Treloar’s 111, the gap is closing. Last year, his fifth in the competition, marked the first season the 23-year-old Treloar pushed his average past the 110 mark.

Pendlebury, the Rolls Royce of the AFL, has averaged more than 110 for the past seven seasons but, like Treloar, it took him five seasons to get there.

While Pendlebury is still Collingwood’s SuperCoach king, the end to his reign is in sight. The only question is how soon will it come?

VERDICT: Treloar. Yes, you read that right. The Phantom thinks this is the year Treloar surpasses the future SuperCoach hall-of-famer.

Josh P. Kennedy or Dan Hannebery or Luke Parker?

Josh P. Kennedy ($617,100) v Dan Hannebery ($616,800) v Luke Parker (608,900)

The superstar Swan trio all featured in the top-eight averaging players of 2016, putting the end to the thought that you cannot have too many from the same side in your SuperCoach team.

Of course, the bye round is an issue but the way these three midfielders score together is phenomenal. Kennedy has the most runs on the board, averaging 113, 110, 114, 105 and 120 in the past five seasons, while Hannebery has only averaged more than 110 points twice and Parker just the once. In saying that, expect all three to hit that mark again in 2017.

VERDICT: Kennedy. While Hannebery and Parker have shown they are susceptible to the odd quiet game, Kennedy — the newly appointed skipper — rarely has an off day, as evidence by the fact he has only scored less than 90 points twice in the past 32 games.

Patrick Cripps or Rory Sloane

Patrick Cripps (Carl — $585,500) v Rory Sloane (Adel – $591,000)

Sloane loves the Adelaide Oval. His six scores of 130 or more in 2016 were all at the venue and, with the Crows hosting six non-finalists from last year in their first seven home games, expect a fast start.

While, there is no negative angle on the Rory Sloane selection, he’s just not Patrick Cripps.

Last season, the 21-year-old midfield beast, who averaged 124 SuperCoach points across the final eight rounds, won more clearances than any other player in the competition and averaged the equal-most contested possessions per game.

VERDICT: Cripps. Don’t worry about the limited pre-season, it doesn’t alter the fact that no one can stop him getting the footy.

Gary Ablett or Marcus Bontempelli

Gary Ablett (GC — $620,600) v Marcus Bontempelli (WB — $586,100)

How is The Phantom supposed to choose between the greatest SuperCoach scorer we have ever seen and the young superstar who, as his 140 points from 22 disposals showed in last year’s Grand Final, impacts the game like no one else?

The Phantom wants to see the old Ablett back as much as the rest of the football world but, after playing only 35 of a possible 66 games in the past three years, there is no guarantee that will ever happen.

VERDICT: Bontempelli. The Phantom is playing it safe here. While it would be great to see the little master play all 22 games again, go with the slightly-bigger master Bontempelli, who should push his average past 115 this season.

Dayne Beams or Marc Murphy

Dayne Beams (Bris — $432,500) v Marc Murphy (Carl — $432,500)

At their best, both are prolific SuperCoach scorers.

Beams averaged an enormous 123 points at the Magpies in 2013, while Murphy’s best year resulted in an average of 118 in 2011.

Going by these numbers, Beams and Murphy are both massively underpriced. And, while there is no doubting their scoring ability, both have been plagued by injury in recent years.

Beams has only played two games since August 2015, while Murphy only managed 10 games last season. But before 2016, the 29-year-old Murphy has played more than 19 games in all but one season since his debut year.

VERDICT: Murphy. If injury history was irrelevant, The Phantom would have Beams any day of the week. But it’s not. The Carlton skipper is up and going and should see plenty of JLT Series action.

Jaeger O'Meara or David Swallow?

David Swallow (GC — $280,200) v Jaeger O’Meara (Haw — $318,900)

The former team-mates are as talented as they come but knee issues have held the pair back.

The two are hard to split and, with both on track to return in the JLT Series, the decision becomes even harder.

While O’Meara hasn’t played for more than two years, he averaged 98 SuperCoach points in just his second season.

On the hand, Swallow took four years to average more than 80 but what a breakout season it was. Swallow posted 12 SuperCoach tons to finish 2014 with an average of 103. It comes down to who we can trust more.

VERDICT: Swallow. Just.

Originally published as The Phantom’s verdict on line-ball SuperCoach selections in the midfield