Position Defender Discussion
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https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/su...e/news-story/05d0c1876265656d5b5607c7e68924e3
Key Forward Conundrum: Are key defenders really worthwhile drafting in SuperCoach? If so, just where should you take one?
When we think key position players, we generally think of them as tall, slow and not great for our SuperCoach teams. We’ve already seen that there’s value to be had with forwards, but what about at the other end of the park? If we take a closer look at the behemoths of our game there are some players who are worth a spot on our rosters.
While the key position player is generally frowned upon when it comes to drafting a team, they can be good scorers but remember they will score you a 120 one week and then score a 45 the next.
Throughout this article I’m going to look at some key position defenders and when to get them in your draft.
Defining a key defender in this day in age is a bit blurred. What was once a defender who played one-on-one with the forwards has now changed. With the evolution of rebounding and intercepting defender they can now be placed under the definition of key defender.
In the early rounds of your draft a key defender such as James Sicily will still be on the board for you to pick. Sicily has been maligned throughout his career. When he first joined the Hawks, he was thrown in as a forward and wasn’t a viable draft option. It wasn’t until halfway through 2017 where Alistair Clarkson threw Sicily down back where he proved to be a valuable intercept defender and SuperCoach scorer where he averaged 93.9 in 2019 and 105.1 in 2018.
The only risk to drafting Sicily is that sometimes Clarkson likes to play him as a forward, destroying any consistent scoring we might see from Sicily. Sicily builds his score on kicks and marks in which he averaged 7.2 a game in 2019. Sicily’s scores are also helped by his disposal efficiency in which he has averaged at 81% the last three years.
In the middle rounds of your draft and you’re looking for a solid D3 to balance out your defence, then look no further than Harris Andrews or Michael Hurley.
Andrews, who averaged 82.7 in 2019 is as solid a D3 as they come. Ranked 18th for intercepts and contested marks and at 200cm there aren’t many opponents who can out mark him which is why he is a solid pick. Also, he has a decent floor, so if he does have an off game, it still a reasonable score that won’t hurt you too much.
Hurley coming into 2020 is an interesting one. In the past we have seen him average 90+ and be in the D1/D2 range. In 2019 he fell away a little bit, partly to a role change and injury. Instead of playing his intercept game he was forced to play as a lockdown defender which dropped his average to 79.7.
If you used an early draft pick on him, the value wasn’t returned, and you could say he was a bust. This year I’m more interested in him because he would have left a sour taste in people’s mouths and his average is down from previous years. Last year Hurley dropped two possessions a game. If he can pick those two possessions up again or lay an extra tackle a game, we could see Hurley return to his scoring ways, and you would have picked him up for a bargain in your draft.
At the end of draft and your looking at your tiers as too what’s available, it can be pretty grim. That’s why picks at the end aren’t so important as the ones at the beginning of your draft. Here is where you can roll the dice on a speculative pick that you’ve had your eye on and it’s not going to bite you.
If you need a defender to fill out your D5 / bench spot, I would be looking at Darcy Moore. When this guy is on the park he can score. He was marking and intercepting everything that came in the defensive 50 last year. He only averaged the 74.7, but if he can raise his average marks per game to 6.0-6.5 a game (4.7 in 2019) and raise his average possessions per game to 18-19 (14.8 in 2019), then he could average 83-87 which would make him a viable D3 in which you used a speculative pick on to better your team.
Key Forward Conundrum: Are key defenders really worthwhile drafting in SuperCoach? If so, just where should you take one?
When we think key position players, we generally think of them as tall, slow and not great for our SuperCoach teams. We’ve already seen that there’s value to be had with forwards, but what about at the other end of the park? If we take a closer look at the behemoths of our game there are some players who are worth a spot on our rosters.
While the key position player is generally frowned upon when it comes to drafting a team, they can be good scorers but remember they will score you a 120 one week and then score a 45 the next.
Throughout this article I’m going to look at some key position defenders and when to get them in your draft.
Defining a key defender in this day in age is a bit blurred. What was once a defender who played one-on-one with the forwards has now changed. With the evolution of rebounding and intercepting defender they can now be placed under the definition of key defender.
In the early rounds of your draft a key defender such as James Sicily will still be on the board for you to pick. Sicily has been maligned throughout his career. When he first joined the Hawks, he was thrown in as a forward and wasn’t a viable draft option. It wasn’t until halfway through 2017 where Alistair Clarkson threw Sicily down back where he proved to be a valuable intercept defender and SuperCoach scorer where he averaged 93.9 in 2019 and 105.1 in 2018.
The only risk to drafting Sicily is that sometimes Clarkson likes to play him as a forward, destroying any consistent scoring we might see from Sicily. Sicily builds his score on kicks and marks in which he averaged 7.2 a game in 2019. Sicily’s scores are also helped by his disposal efficiency in which he has averaged at 81% the last three years.
In the middle rounds of your draft and you’re looking for a solid D3 to balance out your defence, then look no further than Harris Andrews or Michael Hurley.
Andrews, who averaged 82.7 in 2019 is as solid a D3 as they come. Ranked 18th for intercepts and contested marks and at 200cm there aren’t many opponents who can out mark him which is why he is a solid pick. Also, he has a decent floor, so if he does have an off game, it still a reasonable score that won’t hurt you too much.
Hurley coming into 2020 is an interesting one. In the past we have seen him average 90+ and be in the D1/D2 range. In 2019 he fell away a little bit, partly to a role change and injury. Instead of playing his intercept game he was forced to play as a lockdown defender which dropped his average to 79.7.
If you used an early draft pick on him, the value wasn’t returned, and you could say he was a bust. This year I’m more interested in him because he would have left a sour taste in people’s mouths and his average is down from previous years. Last year Hurley dropped two possessions a game. If he can pick those two possessions up again or lay an extra tackle a game, we could see Hurley return to his scoring ways, and you would have picked him up for a bargain in your draft.
At the end of draft and your looking at your tiers as too what’s available, it can be pretty grim. That’s why picks at the end aren’t so important as the ones at the beginning of your draft. Here is where you can roll the dice on a speculative pick that you’ve had your eye on and it’s not going to bite you.
If you need a defender to fill out your D5 / bench spot, I would be looking at Darcy Moore. When this guy is on the park he can score. He was marking and intercepting everything that came in the defensive 50 last year. He only averaged the 74.7, but if he can raise his average marks per game to 6.0-6.5 a game (4.7 in 2019) and raise his average possessions per game to 18-19 (14.8 in 2019), then he could average 83-87 which would make him a viable D3 in which you used a speculative pick on to better your team.
On the Houston discussion. I can't believe you guys have such faith that things will turn out as per your plan. I am assuming every bit of my planning is out the window by the byes. I obviously keep an eye on it, but there's every chance I've made 15 trades by then, and my team will be unrecognisable from what it is now. I might be full fake premo in defence by then, and have no concerns whatsoever, or i might have lost every starting mid to injury.
Planning is good, and understanding potential inplications, but to suggest that the bye is going to be a loss due to having Houston involves a lot of assumptions that may be proven to be false by then.
Planning is good, and understanding potential inplications, but to suggest that the bye is going to be a loss due to having Houston involves a lot of assumptions that may be proven to be false by then.
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I agree but disagree at the same time.
It's important to plan for the bye but it's important for it not to take over completely as like you say, even the best plans in SC go pear shaped quickly. But there a big difference come bye time when trying to deal with one or two potential donuts compared to 3 or more. Byes for me have always been an area i target to make ground so I plan my starting team around it, I'll be honest. And by that I just mean I keep a close eye out for any gross favouring of each week. I've got plenty of players I like to balance the squad up, much easier now these last few years with the 'view bye rounds' buttons.
It's important to plan for the bye but it's important for it not to take over completely as like you say, even the best plans in SC go pear shaped quickly. But there a big difference come bye time when trying to deal with one or two potential donuts compared to 3 or more. Byes for me have always been an area i target to make ground so I plan my starting team around it, I'll be honest. And by that I just mean I keep a close eye out for any gross favouring of each week. I've got plenty of players I like to balance the squad up, much easier now these last few years with the 'view bye rounds' buttons.
And this for me was the reason why I felt having one or two players from Port/Saint (not on the same line obviously) would actually make fielding full teams through the byes slightly easier. Every year I have planned for the byes but due to having non playing players along with those with the bye its been a scramble to do so.
That said, you guys have convinced me to go all in so Houston is off the table for now....
That said, you guys have convinced me to go all in so Houston is off the table for now....
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This is true and it certainly will help but the problem now is the week before when PA and Saints take their byes and we still need to field 22 players. Losing 2 from defence before even playing 10 or so rounds just increases the risk. It's another risk/reward, if Houston comes out and averages 105 and Roberton 90 and you have no issues in defence and your rookies covering their byes score well you're up, but how many times has this hapenned? My rookies only score well when they're benched.
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At this stage I have Roberton over Houston only because he gives me more options. If Roberton can return to a 90 average (for the record I doubt he will) then I can bench him during his round and carry him through the MBR', if he increases and makes some coin then I have the option to trade as needed. Houston if I start him really needs to stay barring being a disaster. I need to think this through a little more though.
I agree that finding an alternative to Houston is not easy at least for me. The easiest switchover is Crisp and I don't hate the selection but on the other hand I wasn't going to select him and so I don't love it. Dropping down to a rookie is an option and just run Roberton D3 IF rookies come up. But that said we have to fill that line with premiums eventually so we'll have to make a choice eventually why not just make it now.
Dawson is the other option at the price point but then you are getting into the "hopeful premium" area I'd rather see how he goes than commit up front. crisp feels that bit more proven.
Dawson is the other option at the price point but then you are getting into the "hopeful premium" area I'd rather see how he goes than commit up front. crisp feels that bit more proven.