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[Professor]

SuperCoach Round 12 rage trades: Time to punt Adelaide defender Brodie Smith

He features in more than 85,000 teams, but after a score of 48 on Saturday, Brodie Smith’s ownership is set to plummet. Who should you rage trade this week?

Paul Dunn, Herald Sun

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June 10, 2019 8:02am

FOXSPORTS0:39

Yet another Betts special from the pocket

AFL: Eddie Betts has kicked a stunning goal to seal victory for Adelaide over the GWS Giants. H...

The first of the bye rounds has been highlighted by some great scores from our premiums and even some top scores from our rookies — right when we needed them.

We also had a great debut on Friday night from Richmond’s Patrick Naish (78) which could provide another downgrade option in weeks to come.

Hopefully you have planned your trades for the next few rounds and you have been improving your team.

When you are looking at booting players ahead of Round 13, the ideal plan will be to trade in those coming off their byes (Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs etc.).

Brodie Smith will be subject to a rage trade this week after scoring 48 against GWS. Picture: AAP Image/Sam Wundke.BOOT HIM

Matthew Kreuzer

Unfortunately he has dropped back into the 70s after a nice 121 last week. This now makes it three scores in the 70s in the past four weeks for the Carlton ruckman, which we can’t accept. You may want to hold him this week, but then after Round 13 when Gawn and Grundy return, look at upgrading him to one of the top dogs.

Brodie Smith

During the season coaches wondered whether Smith could be a keeper or a stepping stone to a premium. After this performance, most will see him as a stepping stone. He managed just 48 points — his lowest of the year — and he had a BE of 99. If you have had him in your trade plans then this week would be the one to pull the trigger, unless you are desperate for cover ahead of his Round 14 bye. Just be prepared his value will drop further.

Jordan Clark

This is the prime time to move rookies on and with his bye this week he should be a priority trade. He has been good for us, but he has just about reached his peak. If he didn’t have the bye this week you could hold, but he’s not worth it.

Noah Balta

Another rookie that it is time to trade. He has been great cover for us but his time is up either, this week or next, when he has the Round 14 bye. His 29 was a nasty flashback for owners to what he posted in the opening rounds of the season. He has been great for those that held, but we all knew it wouldn’t last forever.

Alex Witherden

We have given Witherden way too many chances and the more than 12,000 coaches that have him in their side can’t be happy. After a reasonable start to the season he hasn’t been over 60 in his last three weeks. Look to trade him to someone that had the Round 12 bye, such as Luke Ryan or James Sicily.

Reilly O’Brien

If you were one of the many coaches that brought O’Brien in to make some cash, he has certainly done that for you. He beat his break even this week, which was a great effort as he went over 100. But Sam Jacobs has had two good games in the SANFL as he had 15 touches, 30 hit-outs, 4 marks and booted a goal this week. We expect he will come in either this week or after the bye.

Round 14 bye. Premium scoring. There’s little reason not to get Patrick Cripps this week. Picture: AAP Image/James Ross.BUY HIM

Patrick Cripps

We all know that you don’t buy someone before they have their bye, but with a 194 Cripps has a great BE heading into Round 13. He will still be on the rise (assuming no disaster this week) after his bye, but if he reproduces a great game like Saturday it would be hard to watch if you are a non-owner. Either way, he needs to be in your side when the byes are finished.

Jack Ziebell

Another guy that still has his bye to come and you must consider the North Melbourne captain for your side. The last two weeks he has been played in what we consider his right position and that is in the middle. Keep him on your radar and if he fits your bye plans you could trade him in. Definitely have him on your list for after Round 14.

BUY AFTER HIS BYE

Patrick Dangerfield

If you dumped Paddy when he was injured, then once he returns from his bye you need to jump back on board. He was back to his very best this week and just couldn’t stop finding the footy. His 149 was his second best score of the year and a very welcome one on the back of 130 last round.

Lachie Neale was on track for a huge score before being tagged by Ed Curnow on Saturday. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Wainwright.PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR ANOTHER WEEK

These guys aren’t buys or boots just yet, but they are ones that we should just keep a close eye on.

Lachie Neale

While Lachie was the top scorer for the Lions this week we saw something that really worried us. He was absolutely dominating the first half but then had Curnow moved onto him in the second half and he had just 6 possessions after halftime. This sort of susceptibility to a tag is a massive concern and it may put some doubt into the minds of those that are looking at him as a trade in target. He will, however, be under $600,000 come Round 14 after having his bye.

Stephen Coniglio

Did you jump on after his huge score? We are always worried about chasing scores and Coniglio provided a prime example as to why. He had a great BE of just 22 so he did go up in value. But conceding three free kicks and producing a game-high eight clangers put a huge dent in his score. He has the bye in Round 14 so if you do want him you can wait.

TOP SCORERS OF THE ROUND

How many did you have in your side?

1. 194 — Patrick Cripps

2. 149 — Patrick Dangerfield

3. 148 — Dane Rampe

4. 142 — Jarrod Harbrow

5. 141 — Sam Walsh

CAPTAIN SCORECARD

A few different names in this section over the byes as we search for a skipper with our regular go to guys not playing every week.

A++: Patrick Cripps 194, Patrick Dangerfield 149

A+: Jack Ziebell 133, Matt Crouch 123, Tim Kelly 121

A: Josh Kelly 107, Lachie Neale 106, Rory Sloane 103

B: Dusty Martin 97, Rory Laird 81

F: Stephen Coniglio 64

Noah Balta can be safely traded this week after a score of 29. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images.ROOKIE WATCH

TRADE

Noah Balta. BE 65. Scored 29. Balta’s scoring has been decreasing and the Tigers were soundly beaten on Friday night. He dropped in value this week but his new BE is also higher again so he will more than likely drop in value. He has done his job. Trade him now or after next week, if you need him for numbers, at the latest.

Joshua Corbett BE 52. Scored 10. I had to double check my scoring had updated, but yes, he had just 10 points. That was a huge disappointment for owners that needed him this week as he managed just five touches and three marks. He is a must trade this week now as his BE will jump.

Jordan Clark BE 13 scored 24. This score sends his BE skyrocketing after his previous two were over 70.

WATCH

Ben King BE 40 scored 43. If you did bring him in then you may want to hold him to recoup your cash, but even if he does he doesn’t look like a big earner for you.

START HIM

You should be using all rookies need to be played during this part of the season.

But, we will still split them to show who helped you and who didn’t.

Sam Walsh 141, Michael Gibbons 109, Tarryn Thomas 109, Reilly O’Brien 104, Gryan Miers 85, Patrick Naish 78, Chris Burgess 72, Sydney Stack 70, Tom Atkins 70, Will Setterfield 67,

SIT HIM

Jack Lukosius 59, Luke Davies-Uniacke 54, Nick Larkey 54, Liam Baker 50, Ben King 43, Isaac Cumming 36, Noah Answerth 33, Noah Balta 29, Jordan Clark 24, Josh Corbett 10

 

[Professor]

Doctor’s Orders: Best rookies to trade in during the bye rounds

Nat Fyfe, Jack Macrae and Travis Boak are all on the SuperCoach shopping list this week, but how do we afford them? The expert crew at Doctor SuperCoach have found the answer.

Doctor SuperCoach, Herald Sun

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June 11, 2019 1:01pm

FOXSPORTS1:28

Tigers not making excuses

AFL: Richmond coach Damian Hardwick says the club's long injury list won't make for an excuse f...

The first bye round is over and we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

However, there is still plenty of planning that is necessary if you want to successfully navigate through the remainder of the bye rounds.

Upgrading your SuperCoach sides during the byes is a necessity to maintain overall rank and momentum heading towards SuperCoach Finals, but money doesn’t just grow on trees! The expert team at Doctor SuperCoachanalyse the best playing cash cows heading into Round 12 to consider for your sides.

RYAN GARDNER $102,400 FWD/DEF – 1 GAME PLAYED

The sixth pick in the mid-season draftwas thrown straight into the Bulldogs forward line before their bye. His final tally of just 41 SuperCoach points doesn’t jump off the page, but Gardner managed a 17 point first quarter when the Dogs were competitive; with the scoreline blowing out, the ball was hardly seen in the Western Bulldog forward line thereafter.

At bargain basement price and with dual-position status, Gardner makes for an enticing downgrade option. Given Gardner was thrown straight into the Bulldogs side, his job security in the short-term should be acceptable, with the added bonus that if he is dropped, the Bulldogs are one of the best loophole options in the second half of the season, with most of their matches on Sundays.

HOT TIPS: ROUND 13 TRADE GUIDE

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HUGE: GAWN SETTLES RUCK DEBATE

PHANTOM: ROUND 12 REVIEW

His scoring potential will remain limited, however, it only takes few goals for him to put up a reasonable score and make some cash.

BRETT BEWLEY $117,300 MID – 2 GAMES PLAYED

Bewley was selected at Pick 59 in the 2018 national draft after playing for Williamstown in the VFL for the past five seasons. Averaging 25 disposals in the past two VFL seasons, Bewley was selected as a mature age recruit for the Dockers and has managed 21 touches per game in the WAFL this season, playing as a midfielder.

Ryan Gardner looks safe in the Bulldogs’ line-up.Brett Bewley will play his third game this weekend.

In the AFL side, Bewley has been playing a half-forward flank role, with modest returns so far – 11 and 13 disposals which have led to just 49 and 47 SuperCoach points respectively. While Bewley certainly has the ability to score well, it is reliant on him getting more midfield time at AFL level. With the return of Stephen Hill imminent, it will be difficult for Bewley to hold his spot, let alone shift into the midfield rotations.

Probably on the cusp of selection each week, Bewley is a risky SuperCoach downgrade option going forward. However, if you need someone that will play in Round 13 and then are happy with him to sit on your bench for the rest of the season, he could fit this particular bill.

Don’t forget about the possible return of Harley Bennell ($167k MID) either, as he could also displace Bewley from the starting Fremantle side.

PATRICK NAISH $123,900 DEF – 1 GAME PLAYED

The Richmond father-son pick in 2017 took a season to find his feet at VFL level, before jumping to an average of 24 touches and a goal a game in 2019. In his past five VFL matches, Naish averaged 26.8 disposals and 1.4 goals a game, which led to him practically forcing himself into the Richmond side given the Tigers’ injury woes.

He produced similar numbers in his AFL debut with 20 disposals and a goal. These are great numbers and promising signs from a rookie midfielder — and Naish has the added advantage of being listed as a defender in SuperCoach.

Patrick Naish made an impressive debut for the Tigers. Picture: Michael Klein

With Brandon Ellis out due to a groin injury, Jayden Short still missing and expected back after the bye and Nathan Broad dropped due to form, there is a spot in the Richmond side for the next few weeks for Naish, as long as he keeps performing.

Damien Hardwick has been kind to SuperCoach Richmond rookies this season, with Noah Balta, Liam Baker and Sydney Stack all playing large amounts of football this season, so expect Naish to get his fair run at it as well.

Given the other rookie choices available, having a defender rookie with this scoring potential pop-up during the bye times is a godsend.

DYLAN CLARKE $147,700 MID – 1 GAME PLAYED

At a slightly inflated price, Clarke needs to have more scoring potential than other rookies to be a worthwhile cash cow – and with a score of 99 in his first match of 2019, he showed it.

Clarke averaged 27 touches and 8 tackles in the VFL last season, playing as a ball-winning midfielder. However, when he managed to crack into the Essendon side, he was primarily used as a pressure forward pocket, not allowing him to accumulate touches at will. In 2019 though, it was different. Clarke came in to replace Dylan Shiel and slotted straight into the midfield in a tagging position, where he played on Patrick Cripps and restricted him to just the 11 possessions, while gathering 23 of his own. It is yet to be seen if Clarke will maintain his tagging role in the Essendon side, which would be SuperCoach gold. Given Shiel and most likely Myers will be expecting to return into the Dons first choice midfield, Clarke could find himself back into a less SuperCoach friendly role or even worse, back into the VFL. The knock has always been on Clarke’s kicking efficiency, however, if he is to be used as a permanent tagger going forward, his shaky job security will become much more stable. Watch him this week to judge his role with Shiel back in the side before jumping on.

Get more expert advice from the Doctor SuperCoach team here.

 

[Professor]

SuperCoach trade guide Round 13: Travis Boak, James Sicily and Jack Macrae top targets in week flush with upgrade options

Luke Ryan or James Sicily? Marcus Bontempelli or Jack Macrae? Travis Boak or Caleb Daniel? With a host of stars coming off Round 12 byes, SuperCoaches have several tough calls to make.

Tim Michell, Herald Sun

Subscriber only

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June 11, 2019 7:40am

FOXSPORTS1:12

Buddy bags his fifth on the siren

AFL: Sydney superstar Lance Franklin has delivered the perfect finale to a dominant Swans victo...

Your SuperCoach trade plan should become a lot clearer from this week.

With six teams coming off the bye, premium options including Jack Macrae, Nat Fyfe and Zach Merrett will be available for the rest of the year.

If you’ve planned accordingly, you should be able to target players who had the Round 12 bye to bolster your team this week.

After a week where many coaches were rewarded for taking a punt on debutant Patrick Naish (78 points), the bubble boys and rookie options are more obvious for Round 13.

Patrick Cripps’ nemesis Dylan Clarke returns after scoring 99 in his first game of the year, while Fremantle’s Brett Bewley (break even -26) will rise in price should he play his third game.

Western Bulldogs mid-season draftee Ryan Gardner ($102,400, Def-Fwd) is back after debuting against West Coast, while Jackson Hately ($148,800, Mid) was the leading possession winner for GWS in the NEAFL … again.

Trade in a player such as Bewley and use your remaining two swaps for upgrades this week to push your team closer to full premium status.

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SUPER LADDER: WHY BLUES MUST SELL VISION TO RECRUITS

THE TACKLE: ARE CATS DUO THE AFL’S BEST DOUBLE ACT?

Travis Boak is shaping as a top SuperCoach forward this year and had a Round 12 bye. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos.

TOP TARGETS

Jack Macrae $573,900, Mid, Avg: 113.2 Break even: 153

His last two scores were 105 and 84, but Macrae will be hard to resist at his current price. Although he plays Carlton in Round 13, you’re likely to get him even cheaper than this heading into Round 14 if you can hold off. Macrae has scored below 100 three times in his last seven games, but he’s still looming as a top-10 midfielder come the end of the season. He’s second on the upgrade priority list this week in midfield behind Nat Fyfe.

Marcus Bontempelli $543,000, Mid, Avg: 112.5, BE: 133

Only two hundreds for Bontempelli in his last six games after he started the campaign with three scores above 120 in the opening month. He has a ceiling as high as any player in the game, but the consistency of his scoring has always been a worry. He has, however, only gone below 95 once this year — which was last round against West Coast. If 95 is otherwise going to be his low point, you need to consider him.

Daniel v Boak

PlayerAveragePriceHigh scoreLow scoreTravis Boak111.9$518,20013677Caleb Daniel101.3$484,70012477

Travis Boak $518,200, Fwd, Avg: 111.9, BE: 101

Boak is vying with Tim Kelly and Patrick Dangerfield to finish the year as the No. 1 SuperCoach forward. It was only a month ago coaches paid $580,100 for Boak and he’s available for $60,000 less than that this week. It’s a tough call whether to prioritise Boak or the ever-consistent Caleb Daniel, but the resurgent Power midfielder gets the nod for his high ceiling. He has five scores above 120 in 11 rounds this year, whereas Daniel has two.

Nat Fyfe $606,100, Mid, Avg: 120.1, BE: 90

You surely don’t need to be convinced of the merits of picking the Fremantle skipper? Fyfe is on a run of seven consecutive hundreds, six of which have been scores of 110 or better. He’s a reliable captaincy option each week and had the third-best average of any midfielder this year heading into Round 11 behind Lachie Neale and Josh Kelly. He also averages a combined 107.5 against his next two opponents Port Adelaide and Melbourne.

Zach Merrett has a tough draw coming up, but represents a POD SuperCoach pick in midfield. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images.

Zach Merrett $565,200, Mid, Avg: 109.7, BE: 148

Merrett comes with a word of warning as tags from Mark Hutchings (Round 14) and Matt De Boer (Round 15) loom large. Still in only 7.2 per cent of teams, the Bomber is the point of difference of the premium midfielders this week. Don’t overlook Fyfe or Macrae for him, but it’s a toss of the coin between Merrett and Bontempelli.

Luke Ryan $523,100, Def, Avg: 104.5, BE: 86

The intercept-possession star has rocketed into SuperCoach calculations this year with scores of 145 and 156 displaying his potential. The biggest difference between Ryan this year and last has been his floor. He scored below 70 five times in 2018, but hasn’t been below 78 this season. If he keeps that up, he’s a good chance to finish the year in a coveted top-six defensive slot.

Ryan v Sicily

PlayerAveragePriceHigh scoreLow scoreLuke Ryan104.5$523,10015678James Sicily99.8$491,60012775

Caleb Daniel $484,700, Fwd, Avg: 101.3, BE: 59

Speaking of consistency, Caleb Daniel will go down as one of the most reliable SuperCoach players of 2019. Reformed as a running halfback for the Western Bulldogs, Daniel has nine scores of 93 or better in 11 games, with his two low points a 77 and 79. You can make a real case for adding both Boak and Daniel to your forward line, however the Power star wins out if you can only choose one. It is worth noting Daniel is in 17 per cent less teams than Boak.

James Sicily $491,600, Def, Avg: 99.8, BE: 94

Available for almost an $80,000 discount on his starting price, Sicily is clearly one of the standout trade options this week. Even when he’s been asked to play on a direct opponent as opposed to his rebounding role this year in defence, he has scored well. His best run was between rounds 4 and 6 when he scored 117-127 in consecutive weeks. If he reproduces that type of form you won’t want to miss out.

 

[Professor]

Continued

Dylan Clarke $147,700, Mid, Avg: 99, BE: -110 (one game)

Essendon midfielder Clarke returns from a bye this week after his heroic tagging job on Patrick Cripps. Bombers fans had been crying out for his inclusion based on his VFL numbers and he made the most of his chance against the Blues. The golden rule of SuperCoach is not to jump on players after one game, but his scoring potential is better than two-gamer Brett Bewley.

Brett Bewley $117,300, Mid, Avg: 48, BE: -26

After two games for scores of 49 and 47, mature-age draftee Bewley is set for a price rise if he holds his spot. He doesn’t appear to be a prolific ball winner, but has done some nice things in the first two games of his AFL career. Don’t expect big numbers, but he will provide cover through the byes and from your midfield bench from Round 15 onwards.

Robbie Gray $405,900, Fwd-Mid, Avg: 83.8, BE: 31

The bargain pick of Round 12. Whether Gray reprises the predominant midfield role of the past two weeks after his bye is one of the great mysteries confronting SuperCoaches. Ken Hinkley has let Gray loose in the middle in the past two weeks and the result has been scores of 89 and 122. With Ollie Wines and Tom Rockliff to come back over the next few weeks, be wary. But if you plan on using Gray as a M9-F7 swing thanks to dual-position eligibility, it could be a great move.

Sam Walsh’s 141 against Brisbane Lions will make it difficult to trade him out when Carlton has a bye in Round 14. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

HOLD

Sam Walsh ($441,200, Mid)

Tom Liberatore ($423,800, Mid)

Xavier Duursma ($362,100, Def-Mid)

Reilly O’Brien ($402,300, Ruc)

Michael Gibbons ($290,500, Mid)

Sydney Stack ($367,500, Mid)

Marty Hore ($418,300, Def)

Walsh, O’Brien, Stack and Gibbons don’t have the bye until Round 14, while Liberatore and Duursma are coming off their rest. Round 13 is shaping as a tough enough week without punting players who will be available. Walsh (141) and Gibbons (109) have given coaches plenty to ponder after their starring roles against Brisbane. Their price will almost certainly still be rising heading into Round 14 and it will be tough to cull them when the Blues have the week off. O’Brien will provide perfect ruck cover for Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy before you move him on in Round 14, while Duursma has a low break even of 16. He’ll have at least a few more weeks before you need to consider upgrading him.

A score of 33 on Saturday will make Noah Answerth a prime trade option this week. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Waugh.

CHOPPING BLOCK

Jordan Clark ($291,800, Def)

Noah Answerth ($237,000, Def-Mid)

Tom Atkins ($329,000, Mid)

Brodie Smith ($413,400, Def)

Matt Parker ($240,200, Fwd)

Noah Balta ($310,900, Fwd)

Jack Petruccelle ($244,100, Fwd)

Prioritise the players with Round 13 byes. Answerth (33) and Clark (24) are top of the list after their disappointing Round 12 scores. Parker is due to return from a bye this week and has a break even of 23, so you can afford to hold him if you will otherwise miss out on fielding 18 players. Jack Petruccelle only managed 36 against Sydney and hasn’t scored 50 for three weeks. Balta has scored 49 and 27 in the past two rounds but does have a Round 14 bye. Try to hold Atkins as midfield cover, although you might need his value to upgrade the weaker defensive and forward lines. I’d hold Brodie Smith until his Round 14 bye, but if you’re frustrated after his 48 against GWS then use his value to upgrade to a defensive keeper. I initially had Marty Hore on this list, but I would have him pegged as a finishing D7 if he was in my team.

BARGAIN BIN

Under 500k

Rory Laird ($498,900, Def)

Tom Stewart ($496,800, Def).

Matt Crouch ($496,500, Mid)

Michael Walters ($494,400, Fwd-Mid)

James Sicily ($491,600, Def)

Zac Williams ($488,100, Def)

Caleb Daniel ($484,700, Fwd)

Jeremy Cameron ($477,500, Fwd)

Jack Ziebell ($474,000, Fwd)

Rowan Marshall ($462,000, Fwd)

Connor Blakely ($455,700, Def)

Under 450k

Jack Crisp ($449,000, Def)

Isaac Heeney ($447,600, Fwd-Mid)

James Worpel ($444,800, Fwd-Mid)

Jack Billings ($439,000, Fwd)

Jack Gunston ($437,500, Fwd)

Angus Brayshaw ($423,000, Mid)

Robbie Gray ($405,900, Fwd-Mid)

Jade Gresham ($397,500, Fwd)

 

[Professor]

SuperCoach Round 12 rage trades: Time to move on Darcy Moore, Brodie Smith

Darcy Moore has made us money and, more importantly, he’s made it to the byes. Now it’s time to trade him for a superstar. Who should you buy and who else should you rage trade this week?

Paul Dunn, Herald Sun

Subscriber only

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June 10, 2019 7:33pm

FOXSPORTS0:39

Yet another Betts special from the pocket

AFL: Eddie Betts has kicked a stunning goal to seal victory for Adelaide over the GWS Giants. H...

The first of the bye rounds has been highlighted by some great scores from our premiums and even some top scores from our rookies — right when we needed them.

We also had a great debut on Friday night from Richmond’s Patrick Naish (78), which could provide another downgrade option in weeks to come.

Hopefully you have planned your trades for the next few rounds and you have been improving your team.

When you are looking at booting players ahead of Round 13, the ideal plan will be to trade in those coming off their byes (Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs etc.).

Here’s a short list of boot and buy candidates after the first bye round.

SUPERCOACH: GAWN SETTLES RUCK DEBATE

BOOT HIM

Darcy Moore

Moore has had a fantastic start to the season and has been scoring well, and his 78 points against Melbourne was’t too bad at all. He has made some great money for us this season, but the time has come to move him on. He missed his break even this week and given his price he is in a great position to be upgraded to a premium before Collingwood’s bye in either your forward line or backline

Matthew Kreuzer

Unfortunately he has dropped back into the 70s after a nice 121 last week. This now makes it three scores in the 70s in the past four weeks for the Carlton ruckman, which we can’t accept. You may want to hold him this week, but then after Round 13 when Gawn and Grundy return, look at upgrading him to one of the top dogs.

Brodie Smith

During the season coaches wondered whether Smith could be a keeper or a stepping stone to a premium. After this performance, most will see him as a stepping stone. He managed just 48 points — his lowest of the year — and he had a BE of 99. If you have had him in your trade plans then this week would be the one to pull the trigger, unless you are desperate for cover ahead of his Round 14 bye. Just be prepared his value will drop further.

Brodie Smith will be subject to a rage trade this week after scoring 48 against GWS.

Jordan Clark

This is the prime time to move rookies on and with his bye this week he should be a priority trade. He has been good for us, but he has just about reached his peak. If he didn’t have the bye this week you could hold, but he’s not worth it.

Noah Balta

Another rookie that it is time to trade. He has been great cover for us but his time is up either, this week or next, when he has the Round 14 bye. His 29 was a nasty flashback for owners to what he posted in the opening rounds of the season. He has been great for those that held, but we all knew it wouldn’t last forever.

Alex Witherden

We have given Witherden way too many chances and the more than 12,000 coaches that have him in their side can’t be happy. After a reasonable start to the season he hasn’t been over 60 in his last three weeks. Look to trade him to someone that had the Round 12 bye, such as Luke Ryan or James Sicily.

Reilly O’Brien

If you were one of the many coaches that brought O’Brien in to make some cash, he has certainly done that for you. He beat his break even this week, which was a great effort as he went over 100. But Sam Jacobs has had two good games in the SANFL as he had 15 touches, 30 hit-outs, 4 marks and booted a goal this week. We expect he will come in either this week or after the bye.

BUY HIM

Patrick Cripps

We all know that you don’t buy someone before they have their bye, but with a 194 Cripps has a great BE heading into Round 13. He will still be on the rise (assuming no disaster this week) after his bye, but if he reproduces a great game like Saturday it would be hard to watch if you are a non-owner. Either way, he needs to be in your side when the byes are finished.

Jack Ziebell

Another guy that still has his bye to come and you must consider the North Melbourne captain for your side. The last two weeks he has been played in what we consider his right position and that is in the middle. Keep him on your radar and if he fits your bye plans you could trade him in. Definitely have him on your list for after Round 14.

BUY AFTER HIS BYE

Patrick Dangerfield

If you dumped Paddy when he was injured, then once he returns from his bye you need to jump back on board. He was back to his very best this week and just couldn’t stop finding the footy. His 149 was his second best score of the year and a very welcome one on the back of 130 last round.

Lachie Neale was on track for a huge score before being tagged by Ed Curnow on Saturday. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Wainwright.PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR ANOTHER WEEK

These guys aren’t buys or boots just yet, but they are ones that we should just keep a close eye on.

Lachie Neale

While Lachie was the top scorer for the Lions this week we saw something that really worried us. He was absolutely dominating the first half but then had Curnow moved onto him in the second half and he had just 6 possessions after halftime. This sort of susceptibility to a tag is a massive concern and it may put some doubt into the minds of those that are looking at him as a trade in target. He will, however, be under $600,000 come Round 14 after having his bye.

Stephen Coniglio

Did you jump on after his huge score? We are always worried about chasing scores and Coniglio provided a prime example as to why. He had a great BE of just 22 so he did go up in value. But conceding three free kicks and producing a game-high eight clangers put a huge dent in his score. He has the bye in Round 14 so if you do want him you can wait.

Brayden Sier

First game for the season for Sier and he didn’t disappoint. With Beams seemingly out for the remainder of the season then it looks to be Sier that will take his spot in the high-scoring Magpie midfield. If he can replicate this sort of form again next week then he could be a very handy pickup for those without much cash to use as an upgrade after his Round 14 bye.

Angus Brayshaw

This was more like the sort of game and score that we have been waiting for from Brayshaw. He had plenty of contested ball and looked like he did back in the latter parts of 2018. If we can see more of this sort of game from him then he could be a great cheap pick-up later in the year.

TOP SCORERS OF THE ROUND

How many did you have in your side?

1. 194 — Patrick Cripps

2. 153 — Max Gawn

3. 149 — Patrick Dangerfield

4. 148 — Dane Rampe

5. 142 — Jarrod Harbrow

CAPTAIN SCORECARD

A few different names in this section over the byes as we search for a skipper with our regular go to guys not playing every week.

A+++: Patrick Cripps 194

A++: Patrick Dangerfield 149

A+: Jack Ziebell 133, Matt Crouch 123, Tim Kelly 121

A: Josh Kelly 107, Lachie Neale 106, Rory Sloane 103

B: Dusty Martin 97, Brodie Grundy 84, Rory Laird 81

F: Stephen Coniglio 64

Noah Balta can be safely traded this week after a score of 29. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images.ROOKIE WATCH

TRADE

Noah Balta. BE 65. Scored 29. Balta’s scoring has been decreasing and the Tigers were soundly beaten on Friday night. He dropped in value this week but his new BE is also higher again so he will more than likely drop in value. He has done his job. Trade him now or after next week, if you need him for numbers, at the latest.

Joshua Corbett BE 52. Scored 10. I had to double check my scoring had updated, but yes, he had just 10 points. That was a huge disappointment for owners that needed him this week as he managed just five touches and three marks. He is a must trade this week now as his BE will jump.

Jordan Clark BE 13 scored 24. This score sends his BE skyrocketing after his previous two were over 70.

WATCH

Ben King BE 40 scored 43. If you did bring him in then you may want to hold him to recoup your cash, but even if he does he doesn’t look like a big earner for you.

START HIM

You should be using all rookies need to be played during this part of the season.

But, we will still split them to show who helped you and who didn’t.

Sam Walsh 141, Michael Gibbons 109, Tarryn Thomas 109, Reilly O’Brien 104, Marty Hore 94, Gryan Miers 85, Patrick Naish 78, Chris Burgess 72, Sydney Stack 70, Tom Atkins 70, Will Setterfield 67,

SIT HIM

Jack Lukosius 59, Luke Davies-Uniacke 54, Nick Larkey 54, Oskar Baker 50, Liam Baker 50, Ben King 43, Isaac Cumming 36, Noah Answerth 33, Noah Balta 29, Jordan Clark 24, Josh Corbett 10

 

[Professor]

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has predicted a contested-ball revival against Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night, buoyed by Dustin Martin’s availability and strong remedial work on the training track.
The Tigers’ pressure brand has taken a battering in the past fortnight, losing the contested possession count by a collective 55 against North Melbourne and Geelong.

Hardwick said he knew the reasons behind the drop off — and they weren’t only manpower issues — and he believed a solution would be found in the coming weeks, starting against the Crows.


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“To be beaten in the contested manner again ... was disappointing and to be fair, we are working on some things,” Hardwick said.

“We understand what the problem is, we’re just continuing to work through that part of our game to get a better result from that.

“That hopefully will take not as long as we’d think, if that makes sense, because it does take a bit of lag to catch up. We’re understanding why the issues are occurring, we just need to continue working on a solution, which will take a little bit of time.

“We’re hoping it bounces back on Thursday night.”

Dusty gives a big don't argue to Tom Hawkins last week. Pic: Michael Klein

Damien Hardwick 1st quarter. Pic: Michael Klein
Martin copped a knock in the club’s uncharacteristic loss to Geelong, but seemed to be ready to play, according to the coach.

“He’s fine,” Hardwick said of Martin. “Our indication is that he will play ... no problems.”

He backed defender Ryan Garthwaite ahead of a likely duel against Taylor Walker or Josh Jenkins, following Tom Hawkins’ dominance on the young Tiger last week.

“’Garthy’ ... is playing against some of the best forwards in the competition, and you don’t often get to do that at the age of 20 in a side like ours,” Hardwick said.

“We’re really confident he’s learning some things, he played better again ... and he’s certainly taken his game to a higher level every time he takes to the park.

Patrick Naish was a bright light for the Tigers on a dark night against the Cats. Pic: Michael Klein
“We look at it now in isolation, we sit there and go, ‘he’s probably getting beaten at stages,’ but the reality is, it’s only going to help in the long term, and it’ll certainly help us in the long term as well.”

Hardwick said Nick Vlastuin (hip) and Brandon Ellis were likely to play, but he ruled a line through David Astbury (hamstring).

 

[Professor]

The Phantom’s Trade Talk: The one stat that separates top SuperCoach defenders James Sicily and Luke Ryan
The Phantom, The Advertiser
19 minutes ago
Subscriber only

• Round 12 review: The Blue SuperCoaches must be thankful for
• Is it time to say bye, bye to Brodie?
• Trade guide: AFL SuperCoach Round 13

CHAT LIVE WITH THE PHANTOM IN THE COMMENTS BELOW FROM 12.30PM (CST)
James Sicily and Luke Ryan: By average, both are top-seven SuperCoach defenders.
They are well-priced at less than $525k.
And both are coming off the bye and will be there to help over the next two weeks.
But it’s unlikely you will be trading both in to your team ahead of Round 13.
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With so many similarities, the decision isn’t an easy one.
Sicily has posted six SuperCoach tons this year and Ryan four.
But making up for this deficit is the Docker defender’s three scores of 130 or more — Sicily’s highest score for the year is 127.

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Highlighting their consistency, Ryan (78) and Sicily (75) have recorded only one score of less than 80.
Sicily has taken 29 intercept marks in 2019, Ryan has 28.
For total intercept possessions, Ryan, who averages more than any other player in the game, has tallied 103.
Coming in at No. 6 in the competition, Sicily has won possession from an opposition disposal 95 times.
And the similarities don’t end at how they are winning the ball with Ryan and Sicily equally as effective by foot.

Both average 23 disposals per game and rank inside the AFL’s top 10 for effective kicks with Sicily’s 156 just ahead of Ryan’s 150.
While Sicily averages three more rebound 50s, given he pushes further up the ground, Ryan has made 16 less clangers.
But there’s one statistic which should help SuperCoaches make their decision.
While Sicily does play-on when he gets the chance, at Hawthorn, Blake Hardwick is the No. 1 kick-in man this season.
On the other hand, Ryan has taken the fourth-most kick-ins of any player in the competition, let alone at Fremantle, and only Jake Lloyd, Shannon Hurn, Tom Stewart and Caleb Daniel have played on more.
His 71 for the season is 38 more than Sicily’s 2019 tally.
“I think they will both average similar points but the one thing that possibly gives Ryan the advantage is kick-in duties,” Champion Data’s Fantasy Freako told The Phantom’s Lair Podcast.

PLAYER James Sicily Luke Ryan Disposals258251Effective disposals208210Effective kicks156150Intercept possessions95103Intercept marks2928Rebound 50s9259Kick-ins3371
If the opposition is precise with its ball movement going forward, the effect of the intercepting defender will be limited.
And if that does happen on occasion to both sides in the back-half of the season, Ryan will still have the kick-ins to bump up his tally.
Despite the extra $30k — and that will be a big issue for some SuperCoach during the bye-rounds, that’s why, along with his very high ceiling, The Phantom will be going with Ryan.

 

[Professor]

SuperCoach Investor: How to survive the dreaded Round 13 bye

We’ve been dreading it all season, and now Round 13 is here. It’s not too late to navigate the most damaging bye round and come out on top — if you have a plan.

Dan Begala, Herald Sun

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June 12, 2019 2:47pm

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Saint Steven back on track

AFL: Jack Steven's return to the AFL reached a significant milestone on Tuesday as the Saint re...

It’s time to catch your breath, collect your thoughts and gear yourself up for what looms as the most challenging week of the byes.

There’s an enormous list of absentees this week, so don’t be alarmed if your side is awash with flashing blue dots and non-scoring players.

We’re all in the same boat, after all, and there’s still time to reinforce your side with much-needed cavalry for the remaining byes.

Our resident expert, Daniel Begala, shares his strategies for safely navigating the upcoming fortnight and trying to finish your team with 22 top-scoring players once the siren sounds on Round 14.

STEP 1: ROUND 13

Pat yourself on the back if you’ve survived the first week of the dreaded byes.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, but it was child’s play in comparison to what investment analysts are expecting for Round 13.

They’re forecasting economic (and scoring) conditions comparable to the Global Financial Crisis such is the dearth of players available for selection this weekend.

It’s not the end of the world, but I suspect there will be a significant gap between the best and worst performing portfolios in Round 13 with Collingwood, Melbourne, Sydney, West Coast, Geelong and Brisbane all notable absentees.

In preparation for this week’s carnage, I executed three pre-emptive acquisitions (Luke Ryan, James Sicily and Brett Bewley) to ensure my team, the Begala Brigade, could field at least 18 scoring players.

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None of them suited up last week, but they’ll be pivotal to my performance in Round 13.

I am extremely conservative and “bearish” on the likes of St Kilda’s Robbie Young being selected, so at this stage, I have 15 players available to play.

To address this shortfall, however, I’ve proposed the following trades to my Investment Committee ahead of team selection on Thursday night:

OUT: Jordan Clark ($292K), IN: Patrick Naish ($124K)

OUT: Jack Petruccelle ($244K), IN:Ryan Gardner ($102K)

OUT: Will Hayes ($203K), IN: Robbie Gray ($406K)

It’s hard to go past the emphatic SuperCoach “arbitrage” that Gray presents this week, so he’ll most likely join my side as a floating M9/F7.

Robbie Gray is too cheap to ignore.

Your priority this week should be stockpiling your side with premiums, underpriced stars and rookies who have served the Round 12 bye.

Naish, unfortunately, doesn’t meet that criteria but I am more than happy to take a calculated plunge on him to ensure I have 18 players available this week.

If you’re looking to beef your side up with some bona fide “blue chip” assets then Travis Boak ($518K, FWD), Nat Fyfe ($606K, MID), Jack Macrae ($574K, MID) and Marcus Bontempelli ($543K, MID) must be top of your wish list.

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STEP 2: ROUND 14

It’s taken almost half the season, but I cannot wait to welcome the services of Lachie Neale ($578K) as the cherry on top of my completed engine room.

As a non-Neale owner, it’s been excruciating watching his performances across the first 12 rounds, but I have no doubt he’ll be the most popular trade-in option on the verge of Round 14.

How will I get there? I’ll have a heavy heart, no doubt, but it’s a no-brainer trade decision with pocket change (about $120K) all that is required to upgrade Carlton rookie sensation Sam Walsh to Neale.

Walsh will be a SuperCoach stalwart for years to come, so it’s not the end, it’s simply farewell for now.

Sam Walsh is about to play his farewell match for the Begala Brigade.

It’s still early days, but I’m planning the following manoeuvres for Round 14:

OUT: Sam Walsh (~$459K), IN: Lachie Neale ($578K)

OUT: Michael Gibbons (~$323K), INylan Clarke ($148K)

Other than Marty Hore (D5) and Xavier Duursma (D6) my side will be bursting with premium stars on all lines as the curtain draws on the byes.

When the time arises, I will most likely transition Duursma to Lachie Whitfield (again) and Hore to Shannon Hurn when the price is right.

There’s plenty of water (and luck) to go under the bridge, but I am looking forward to finalising my squad by Round 15 or 16 in preparation for the most important time of the year: SuperCoach finals.

 

[Professor]

Richmond needs to fix three things if it’s to return to winning ways, writes Dermott Brereton

Richmond might be struggling with injury but some issues aren’t related to personnel. Dermott Brereton has identified where the Tigers need to lift to resurrect their season.

Dermott Brereton, Herald Sun

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an hour ago

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Tigers not making excuses

AFL: Richmond coach Damian Hardwick says the club's long injury list won't make for an excuse f...

“We understand what the problem is — we’ve just got to continue to work through that part of our game” — Richmond coach Damien Hardwick

I love hearing a coach talk with honesty about his team and its inability to win in the past two weeks.

It seems Richmond has three problemsto work through — and each of those problems feed into the next.

Much will be left to youngsters like Sydney Stack when the injury-hit Tigers face Adelaide. Pic: Getty ImagesCONTESTED POSSESSION

The Tigers have never been dominant in this area, but there is a point when the dam wall bursts and the flow is difficult to hold back.

Just like the great Hawthorn teams four to six years ago, the Tigers have survived when not getting anywhere near a break-even tally in the contested possession count.

Richmond’s ability to intercept the opposition’s errant kicks, because of the pressure it applies and its set up down back, systematically returned the ball back to the Tigers more often than not. Plus, Alex Rance was on patrol.

In the past eight weeks the Tigers have lost every contested possession count bar one, the win against Hawthorn.

But what is alarming is the losing possession tallies in the past three matches — those being -33, -22 and -28.

They survived against an undermanned and dysfunctional Essendon even though the Bombers were coming at the Tigers late in the game.

But they found the weight of numbers against them in the North Melbourne and Geelong matches too much to bear and eventually slipped to 37-point and 67-point losses.

Richmond’s pressure was superb against the Cats in the opening quarter last week. Pic: Michael KleinFORWARD PRESSURE

The Tigers were awesome in the opening quarter against Geelong.

The Cats were harassed and hurried every time they got their hands on the ball in their defensive half.

Richmond should have capitalised better on the scoreboard with that forward pressure, which gave them field dominance. But they didn’t.

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When the Tigers couldn’t properly hit the scoreboard they eventually started to turn the ball over themselves and the smaller ground level pressure players fell away.

It meant the Cats could carry the ball further and kick with better accuracy kick to their teammates upfield.

The Tigers’ zippy ground-level pressure players need to stay “amped up” for longer.

It is a simple request and also a must do.

And this feeds into another major problem.

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DEFENSIVE CRACKS

Injuries have forced the Tigers to play inexperienced youngsters as key backmen.

Although it is hard not admire the courage and dash 20-year-old Ryan Garthwaite and 19-year-old Noah Balta show, they are still learning the game at this level.

The experienced Dylan Grimes tries to give them both coverage and at times has had his hands very full.

Same with the brilliant interceptor Nick Vlaustin. He has been pushed into the midfield for periods to lend a bigger body to the losing cause of contested possessions.

This disrupts the unity of what was once a brilliant backline that was unbelievably in synch.

But with Rance out for the long term, David Astbury on the side lines, Nathan Broad in the VFL because of bad form and Vlaustin in the midfield, the back line has lost its first selected members and its cohesion.

This has resulted in the big problem — and most opposition key forwards have been able to cash in.

In the first 12 rounds, the list of key forwards who have kicked a bag are:

Collingwood’s Jordie DeGoey with five in Round 2, GWS’s Jeremy Cameron seven in Round 3, Western Bulldogs’s Aaron Naughton five in Round 7 and North Melbourne’s Ben Brown five in Round 11.

Big forwards like Cat Tom Hawkins have gotten hold of the Tigers. Pic: Michael Klein

Sydney’s Lance Franklin, Collingwood’s Mason Wood and Geelong’s Tom Hawkins all scored four.

Of all those players, only Buddy was on the losing side.

As long as there are senior players around Garthwaite and Balta to give them assurances and confidence to continue in face of adversity — especially Garthwaite, who seems to keep getting the job on the monsters — they will be much better for the experience and eventually thrive.

The issue is: how much punishment can the brave Tigers take before they are out of contention.

Few would have thought that the young Tigers could knock over Nathan Fyfe’s Fremantle in Round 8, but they did.

A win against Adelaide tonight will be perhaps an even bigger achievement after witnessing the Crows seemingly turn the corner and get back into good form recently.

 

[Professor]

Trade ratings: Expert verdict on 10 most popular SuperCoach moves for Round 12

Which top-scoring stars should we target this week and which rookies have to go? SuperCoach experts Tim Michell and Al Paton give their verdict on this week’s 10 most popular moves.

Tim Michell and Al Paton, Herald Sun

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Tigers not making excuses

AFL: Richmond coach Damian Hardwick says the club's long injury list won't make for an excuse f...

With one bye round completed, we finally have players from six teams who will play every week for the rest of the season.

That makes the likes of Travis Boak, Nat Fyfe, Jack Macrae, Josh Dunkley, James Sicily and Luke Ryan prime SuperCoach targets this week.

But you can’t get them all — and we also have to cash in some rookies to generate the cash for the above trades.

SuperCoach experts Al Paton and Tim Michell give their verdict on this week’s 10 most popular trades.

1. JORDAN CLARK TO TRAVIS BOAK

TIM: You’d be making this trade via a DPP swing but on paper I still love it. Boak is great value at $518,200 and will vie with Patrick Dangerfield and Tim Kelly to be the No.1 forward this year. Clark will have a BE of 77 next time he plays which he’s projected as a 0 per cent chance to hit.

AL: The No.1 trade-out option and arguably the No.1 trade-in target of the week. If the planets align and you can make it happen, it's SuperCoach trading 101.

2. JACK PETRUCCELLE TO RYAN GARDNER

TIM: I see Petruccelle and Clark as the two priority trade-outs this week. Whether you use Petruccelle to get to Boak or Caleb Daniel or as a downgrade to build your bank depends solely on how your team is placed. Gardner’s Def-Fwd swing and low price makes him appealing but don’t expect big points from a key-position rookie. Plan for him to be your finishing D8 or F8.

AL: Gardiner is the No.1 downgrade option this week, ahead of popular Docker Brett Bewley due to his basement price, dual-position status and apparent job security at he Dogs. The only issue is whether you trade him into your backline for Clark or for a forward like Petruccelle. The answer to that depends on your larger plans but this is a tick from me.

Bulldogs mid-season draftee Ryan Gardner.3. JORDAN CLARK TO PATRICK NAISH

TIM: Barring a shock at the selection table from an injury-hit Richmond, Naish is the top downgrade target of the round. He scored 78 on debut and that sort of form should give him an extended run in the Tigers side. He was posting monster VFL numbers before getting a call-up. Just be mindful of his Round 14 bye.

AL: With question marks over other rookies and yet more injuries at Punt Rd, Naish is rocketing into calculations for my team. Has been in good form all year in the VFL and looked at home in his AFL debut. Just beware while he might offer immediate relief he won’t be available when the Tigers have the bye next week.

4. NOAH BALTA TO PATRICK NAISH

TIM: Another trade you would need to use a DPP swing to pull off. If Balta is going to be spending less time in the ruck, which appears certain, his scoring will suffer. He has handsomely rewarded those who stuck fat after a slow start to his AFL career and has made $187,000 from his starting price.

AL: Noah has been a bit of a favourite this year, roaring to life after a pretty terrible start to the season to jump over $300,000 in value. That might be short-lived, however, with a projected $20k price drop this week thanks to a sky-high break even of 109. Not ideal considering he’s actually playing this week but make the move if you can.

5. NOAH BALTA TO RYAN GARDNER

TIM: A rookie with a high break even and a bye next week becomes a rookie coming off the bye with money to make. Bank that $208,500 and bolster your team elsewhere.

AL: See above, and this trade actually makes more sense as a straight downgrade to pocket more than $200k profit. If someone had told you that when he was averaging 28 after six rounds you would have been pretty happy.

Noah Balta is being forced to play as a key defender due to Richmond’s injuries.6. JORDAN CLARK TO LUKE RYAN

T IM: Of the two potential defensive upgrades this week, I prefer James Sicily. Ryan is a great option due to the number of kickouts he takes and his high ceiling. But for pure consistency and a slight bank saving I prefer the Hawk over the Docker. Either way, punting Clark is the right move.

AL: Ticks all the boxes, trading out a rookie on his bye for a premo who has already had his. Ryan isn’t as consistent as some others but few can match his scoring ceiling (two scores over 145 so far this year). Shame his hair puts me off.

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TOP TARGETS: SUPERCOACH TRADE GUIDE

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PHANTOM: WHO IS BEST DEFENSIVE PICK?

7. NOAH ANSWERTH TO TRAVIS BOAK

TIM: I’d cull Clark before Answerth, but if you only have the young Lion of those two then a trade makes sense. Answerth was thrown in a 26 and a 33 in the past month but also scored 64 and 71. With a break even of 37 he still has the potential to make more money.

AL: Interesting one. Aside from Jordan Clark and Jack Petruccelle (and Darcy Moore — why isn’t he on this list anywhere?) there aren’t many rookies in our sides with the Round 13 bye so if you want to trade out a player who is unavailable for someone who is, Answerth is next on the chopping block. His break even is 37 and based on the past fortnight he could struggle to get that in his next match, but he also has the potential to put up an 80 and jump up in value.

8. NOAH ANSWERTH TO PATRICK NAISH

TIM: See above for my thoughts on each of these two players. This trade nets only $123,100 but if it gets you closer to fielding 18 this week you might have no choice.

AL: See comments above on Answerth. The warning here is you are trading out a player with the Round 13 bye for a player with the Round 14 bye, so you could find yourself in exactly the same situation next week. When you need that trade later in the season you might look back and wish you’d passed on Naish’s 50-odd points this week.

Brisbane defender Noah Answerth has hit a form slump.9. JACK PETRUCCELLE TO PATRICK NAISH

TIM: Four consecutive scores of 52 or below for Petruccelle and his last three have been below 50. He hit his peak price in Round 10 of $276,100 and with a break even of 61 could be on the way down again when West Coast next plays in Round 14.

AL: No issue with punting Petruccelle if you need numbers this week, but if you don’t have to make the trade he isn’t going to lose a lot of money if you hold him. Remember to assess the byes as a three-week block — a desperate move one week could cause havoc the next.

10. NOAH ANSWERTH TO LUKE RYAN

TIM: You’ll need close to $300,000 in the bank to make this happen in one trade. Ryan has only two hundreds in his past six but they were 145 and 131. He’s also only gone below 80 once and has a season low of 78. He’s a great defensive option.

AL: I’m a bit worried about how thin my bench is going to look after the byes and Answerth could be one who provides decent cover, and might have some value in a trade in a month or so. Having said that, the name of the game is to swap rookies for premiums and Ryan is one of those, although I picked James Sicily ahead of him due to his cheaper price and bigger upside.

 

[Professor]

Brett Montgomery says Paddy Ryder and Scott Lycett are Power trumpcards against Dockers
Richard Earle, The Advertiser
15 minutes ago
Subscriber only

• Hartlett pumped to return — and lead
• Port supports Broadbent as Hartlett returns
• Cornes: Ryder crucial for Power’s season

Port Adelaide arrives at Optus Stadium believing Scott Lycett and Paddy Ryder can exploit a ruck advantage within an engine room that doesn’t get the kudos it should.
Travis Boak and injured Tom Rockliff have gone up 10 Champion Data rankings points this year in a midfield that has missed co-skipper Ollie Wines and Brad Ebert for a chunk of the season.
Boak, Sam Powell-Pepper, Robbie Gray and Xavier Duursma represent more than a match for
2015 Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe, Brad Hill and David Mundy.
“We come up against midfields like that every week. I don’t think ours gets enough credit,” noted Port Adelaide assistant coach Brett Montgomery.
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“It is young, evolving, flexible and a different look most weeks as we have had some injuries. This week is no different.
“Collingwood had a really strong midfield and they touched us up a little bit and we have made some changes since then.
“We have a lot of guys go through there we have a lot of trust in. We have a system based defence that has worked pretty well for us all year.”
Port’s high possession game will contrast with Fremantle’s shut down tactics that sunk Brisbane and Collingwood before its bye.
Port is ranked No. 1 for clearance differential and No. 2 for disposals this season with Boak averaging an elite 31.9 per game.

Travis Boak of the Power is tackled by Jack Steele of the Saints during the round 11 match at Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)
The Dockers must prevent Lycett and Ryder giving their on-ballers free rein. Rory Lobb and Aaron Sandilands are sidelined leaving 17-game ruckman Sean Darcy to carry the load on return from an ankle strain.
“It has been a strong partnership that we have had a reliance on all year and they haven’t had too many off days to be fair,” said Montgomery of West Coast 2018 premiership ruckman and Lycett and off-sider Ryder.
“They cover for each other well and are adequate forwards.”
Montgomery welcomed the return of half-back Hamish Hartlett for his first game in 15 months following a knee reconstruction and hamstring strain.
Hartlett is Port’s vice-captain “for a reason” and a motivational spark.
“You talk about important things in your season and this is one of those. It can’t be understated the amount of work he has done,” said 2004 premiership half-back Montgomery.

“He has led the group really well from a position of not being able to perform on weekends which is pretty difficult to do.
“We can’t wait to see what he has got.”
Port’s Round 5 upset win against West Coast means it returns to Optus Stadium full of confidence.
Conquering a rival that shares a 6-5 win-loss record will have Port’s purring entering the business end of the season.
“It is a good time for us to bounce into the last eleven games,” said Montgomery.
“I think most guys when they walk into the venue will relive some of those great memories they took away from the West Coast game. It is important grounds like Optus hold no fears for a young group.”
Every game of every round of the 2019 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. SIGN UP NOW!

 

[Professor]

AFL SuperCoach: Why Lachie Neale and Dylan Clarke are too good to pass up ahead of Round 14

Thousands of coaches jumped at the chance to trade in Lachie Neale and Dylan Clarke when SuperCoach lockout lifted on Sunday. It’s a common strategy, but one you should follow.

Tim Michell, Herald Sun

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June 17, 2019 11:05am

FOXSPORTS0:41

Sun somersaults into crowd!

AFL: Young Sun Darcy Macpherson forward flips into the crowd at Townsville’s Riverway Stadium d...

Don’t be concerned about following the SuperCoach pack this week.

As appealing as it is to chance your arm by targeting point of difference players to give your team an edge, this isn’t the round to be different.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SUPERFOOTY PODCAST

The two most popular trade ins ahead of this weekend will be midfielders Lachie Neale and Dylan Clarke — with good reason.

As of 8am Monday, about 12 hours after lockout lifted, Neale featured in more than 3500 trades and Clarke more than 5000.

Neale has the best average of any midfielder this year (123.8), yet is available for $578,300 — a $29,000 discount on his starting price.

If you have waited patiently to get Lachie Neale at his base price, this is the week to pounce. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Wainwright.

The only possible deterrent to bringing in the Brownlow Medal fancy is the likelihood of a Matt De Boer tag in Round 16.

De Boer restricted Ben Cunnington, who had a season low of 91 before Sunday, to 59 points.

Neale takes on an injury-hit St Kilda and Melbourne before the Lions tackle GWS.

Don’t let the possibility of a heavy tag in three weeks deter you from one of the best trades of the season.

RAGE TRADES: THANKS AND GOODBYE TO NO. 1 DRAFT PICK WALSH

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Essendon tagger Clarke is on the bubble this week after scores of 99 and 76.

The prolific VFL on-baller has shut down Patrick Cripps and Jaeger O’Meara in his two games this year but also won 23 disposals in both matches.

Dylan Clarke has been a revelation since being called up by Essendon as a tagger. Picture: AAP Image/Daniel Pockett.

His price of $147,700 isn’t ideal, but with a break even of -87 and solid scoring Clarke is the perfect Round 14 downgrade.

If you can use a player who has reached their price peak such as Noah Balta or Liam Baker to bring in Clarke and then upgrade to Neale, both trades will be of significant benefit to your team.

The Bombers take on West Coast, GWS, Sydney and North Melbourne in the next month, all games where John Worsfold is likely to call on Clarke’s tagging prowess.

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Fremantle defender Griffin Logue scored 93 in his first game of the year on Saturday. Picture: Will Russell/AFL Media/Getty Images.TOP TARGETS

Griffin Logue $164,300, Def, Average: 93, Break even: -88 (one game)

Logue has great job security after returning to Fremantle’s side in the place of injured key defender Alex Pearce, who will miss the remainder of the season. Logue had 24 disposals and eight marks in the Dockers’ victory over Port Adelaide and is a great option in defence despite his elevated price. Jump on this week or next before his price rises.

Dylan Clarke $147,700, Mid, Avg: 87.5, BE: -87

The Essendon tagger wasn’t guaranteed his spot last week by coach John Worsfold but surely is a certainty to play his third game on Thursday after shutting down Jaeger O’Meara. Clarke has had 23 disposals in both of his games this year and is proving an adept ball winner as well as a disciplined shut down player. He’ll be popular this week before his price rise.

Patrick Naish $123,900, Def, Avg: 72.5, BE: -71

The young Tiger has a bye this round, so only trade him in if you already have Logue and need a defensive downgrade. Naish has made a promising start to his AFL career, producing scores of 78 and 69 in his first two games. You would hate to bring him in this week and have him miss in Round 15, but his efforts against Adelaide should earn him at least one more game before several senior Richmond players are due to return.

Rowan Marshall $489,800, Ruc, Avg: 102.1, BE: 31

One of the SuperCoach revelations of the year, Marshall is one of the few players available for less than $500,000 with an average above 100. The young Saint has scored 139 and 122 in his past two games, impressing with his work around the ground. He also trumped Gold Coast co-captain Jarrod Witts in the hit outs on Saturday. Marshall has six hundreds this season from 10 games and has only scored less than 80 twice. He needs to be considered if you have a vacancy in your forward line.

Michael Walters $539,500, Fwd-Mid, Avg: 104.2, BE: 36

Walters might finally have shed his status as a SuperCoach burn man. The star Docker has amassed 110, 127 and 158 in his past three games, taking his average for the year to 104.2. Importantly, he’s only dropped below 70 once, a trend which has cost him a higher average in previous years. He won’t play many games like he did against Port Adelaide again, but Walters is capable of maintaining his triple-figure average for the rest of 2019.

Travis Boak $527,400, Fwd, Avg: 112.7, BE: 62

Boak regained his mantle as the No. 1 forward of the year on Saturday when he scored 121 against Fremantle. He was a popular trade option last week when he was available for less than $520,000 but should be considered again. He’s still only in 34.5 per cent of teams, somewhat surprising considering he was the value pick of Round 13.

Clayton Oliver is in less than 25 per cent of teams despite averaging 107. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images.

Josh Dunkley $596,800, Fwd-Mid, Avg: 107.9, BE: 63

If you’ve got money in the bank, start planning how to bring in Dunkley. Since returning to midfield he has posted five scores of 119 or higher in six games and four above 130. His break even crashed to 63 as a result of his 173 against Carlton and you will have to pay more than $600,000 if you want him in coming weeks. Dunkley was electric against the Blues, compiling 41 disposals and laying 10 tackles.

Rory Sloane $511,000, Mid, Avg: 108.7, BE: 76

Sloane is one to note for next week. A player with an average of 109 should not be available for $511,000. The Crows star will be too cheap to ignore when his team returns from the bye in Round 15. Four of his past six scores have been 124 or better and he still managed 103 when blanketed by Matt De Boer.

Clayton Oliver $539,300, Mid, Avg: 106.8, BE: 85

Is Clayton Oliver back to his best? Despite an underwhelming year by his lofty standards, Oliver has averaged 106.8 to keep himself in the premium midfielder discussion. He’s only gone above 120 three times, but still has seven hundreds from 12 games. He’s in less than 25 per cent of teams, a bonus considering his scoring potential.

Nat Fyfe $623,600, Mid, Avg: 120.9, BE: 97

Fyfe’s statistics don’t need much selling. With six scores of 124+ in his past seven games he is a reliable captaincy option every week. If you’ve already got Lachie Neale and have money to spend, get the Fremantle skipper this week. He’ll vie with Neale and Josh Kelly to be the No. 1 midfielder for the rest of the year.


Lachie Neale $578,300, Mid, Avg: 123.8, BE: 124

The No. 1 scorer of the year available for less than $600,000? Don’t hesitate to jump on Neale this round, regardless of whether he’ll have Matt De Boer for company in a few weeks’ time. There’s every chance he’s learned from Ed Curnow’s shut down job and he’ll have a point to prove when the Giants stopper goes to him.

Rowan Marshall has assumed the No. 1 ruck mantle at St Kilda and averaged 102 points this year. Picture: AAP Image/James Ross.

 

[Professor]

Continued

CHOPPING BLOCK

Michael Gibbons $304,000, Mid, Avg: 55.7, BE: 38

Sam Walsh $439,100, Mid, Avg: 89.8, BE: 70

Tom Liberatore $410,700, Mid, Avg: 88.1, BE: 131

Noah Balta $284,900, Fwd, Avg: 49.6, BE: 90

Will Setterfield $265,600, Fwd-Mid, Avg: 55.4, BE: 29

Brodie Smith $400,800, Def, Avg: 85.2, BE: 117

Liam Baker $363,700, Fwd, Avg: 77.9, BE: 100

Prioritise trading the players who have byes this week (Walsh, Gibbons, Liberatore, Balta, Setterfield, Smith and Baker). If you still have Liberatore and Walsh, you might be forced to hold onto the No. 1 draft pick for a few more weeks as a result of the Western Bulldogs midfielder’s knee injury. A refreshed Walsh should be capable of meeting his break even of 70 when Carlton next plays in Round 15, so trade Liberatore should he be ruled out for an extended period.

Mature-age recruit Gibbons has served his purpose as a bargain-basement rookie, making more than $200,000 from his starting price of $102,400. Cashing him in to Dylan Clarke will make a $156,300 profit. Richmond rookies Balta and Baker have high break evens and could also be traded directly to Clarke if you can use the dual-position swing.

Brodie Smith is an intriguing player. The rebounding Crows defender’s scoring has dropped off in recent weeks, only managing 48 and 74 in the past two weeks. His numbers before then suggested he would be capable of being a defensive keeper but the 83,389 coaches with Smith in their sides have a tough call to make on whether he lasts past Adelaide’s Round 14 bye.

HOLD

Reilly O’Brien $446,000, Ruc, Avg: 95.6, BE: -20

The plan for most coaches was to hold O’Brien as cover for Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy in Round 13 and then trade him during his bye. The only issue with that is the Crows ruckman has a break even of -20 after his monster score of 181 against Richmond and is about to jump in price again. If you’re prepared to be patient, you could trade O’Brien in Round 15 or Round 16 directly to a premium in any position when his price surges above $500,000. His job security isn’t the concern we expected with Sam Jacobs stuck in the SANFL.

Sam Walsh has a bye this week and will be a popular trade to reach Lachie Neale Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

BARGAIN BIN

Under 500k

Tom Stewart $496,800

Jacob Hopper $495,100

Jack Ziebell $492,300

Rowan Marshall $489,800

James Sicily $488,600

Jason Johannisen $488,000

Matt Crouch $488,200

Daniel Rich $476,500

Lachie Weller $473,500

Jack Billings $455,500

Jeremy Cameron $454,600

Under 450k

Isaac Heeney $447,600

Robbie Gray $436,600

Jade Gresham $428,600

Angus Brayshaw $423,000

Tom Papley $386,200

Kade Simpson $371,900

Lance Franklin $370,000

Marc Murphy $368,400

 

[Professor]

He's back!!

West Coast star Nic Naitanui ready for WAFL return
John TownsendPerthNow
June 17, 2019 6:00PM
TOPICS
West Coast Eagles
West Coast star Nic Naitanui is set to play his first WAFL match in a decade on Saturday after 11 months recovering from his second knee reconstruction.
The game is expected to draw a massive television audience after successful negotiations between Channel 7 and East Fremantle.
The Sharks will host West Coast at New Choice Homes Park at 11.40am after the game was brought forward to allow Channel 7 to broadcast Naitanui’s comeback.
West Coast premiership defender Tom Barrass is also a chance to play for the club’s WAFL team after recovering from foot surgery two months ago.
Read the full story at thewest.com.au.

 

[Professor]

While the dollar-per-point ratio highlights the value of Lachie Neale and Rory Sloane, it also shows how much of a bargain Angus Brayshaw might be
The Phantom, The Advertiser
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Do you have the Tom Liberatore injury to deal with but don’t want to use your warchest of money that you had saved to execute the rest of your bye-round trade plan?
Or are you trying to improve your midfield but just don’t have the funds?
Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw could be the answer.
Of all midfielders in the competition worth more than $400k, who have played five or matches, Brayshaw has the fourth-best dollar-per-point ratio.
It’s a stat which simply highlights how much you are paying for each SuperCoach point your player scores.
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Will Angus Brayshaw’s midfield role continue in the second half of the season?
Based on his price tag of $423k and average of 90, Brayshaw’s ratio is $4722 per point.
While it further highlights the 23-year-old bargain price, it doesn’t even take into consideration the potential scoring spike with a midfield role change in the second half of the year.
After overcoming a number of concussion issues and being made to wait in the VFL, Brayshaw returned to the Melbourne side in Round 4 last year.
The tough right-footer posted three SuperCoach tons and averaged 86 points per game prior to Melbourne’s Round 13 bye.
But then he exploded in the back-half of the season, producing form which led to a third-place finish in the Brownlow Medal.

Partnering Clayton Oliver on the inside for the Demons, Brayshaw averaged 28 disposals and 106 SuperCoach points in the final 10 home-and-away matches of the season.
It was form he was unable to carry through into 2019, however, with coach Simon Goodwin preferring to use him on the wing, forward and even behind-the-ball at times, rather than as an inside-midfielder.
But in the past two matches, Brayshaw was back in the middle.
Against the Magpies in the Demons’ last game before the bye, Brayshaw attended 15 centre bounces — the fourth-most for his side on the day.
And the role change was reflected in his numbers, with Brayshaw finishing with 32 disposals, 116 SuperCoach points — his highest tallies since Round 3 — eight tackles and 12 contested possessions.

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It followed a 91-point performance, on the back of 23 disposals, 12 contested possessions, five clearances and a season-high 22 centre bounce attendances against the Crows.
It’s hard to be certain — given the fluctuation this year — the role will continue but what Melbourne was doing before the bye wasn’t working.
And the potential reward could very well be worth the risk.
In the four games he’s played as a permanent midfielder this season, he’s averaged 105 points.

Crow Rory Sloane will be great buying after the Crows’ Round 14 bye.
The other two names who stand out on the dollar-per-point table are Lion Lachie Neale and Crow Rory Sloane.
Despite only playing 12 games, Neale has scored the fourth-most points in the competition but he’s the 13th-most expensive.
At $578k, he’s a bargain you can’t miss out on coming off the bye.
And the disparity with Sloane is even more astounding.
The Adelaide co-captain’s 109-points per game — given he’s played 13 matches, we’ll use his average — is the 18th-best in the competition, yet his price-tag ranks him as the 42nd-most expensive.
And if you take out the injury-affected 35 points against the Demons — the reason for his current price — Sloane is averaging 115 points per game — an average which would rank him sixth of all midfielders.
Save a spot for Sloane after this week’s bye.
DOLLAR-PER-POINT
$400k+ Midfielders (min 5 games)

Average Dollar-per-point Tom Liberatore $410,700)88.1$4662.6Lachie Neale ($578,300)123.8$4670Rory Sloane ($511,000)108.7$4701.4Angus Brayshaw ($423,000)89.6$4721.9Matt Crouch ($484,200)102$4747.1Marucs Bontempelli ($534,000)112.4$4750.2Adam Treloar ($507,900)104.9$4841Lachie Hunter ($464,200)95.5$4860.7Patrick Cripps ($584,400)119.8$4879.4Hugh McCluggage ($449,900)92$4890.2
ANGUS BRAYSHAW’S POSITION SPLIT
2018 — Rounds 14-23: 92% mid/ 8% fwd
2019 — Rounds 1-10: 37% wing/ 45% mid
2019 — Rounds 11-12: 86% mid/ 14% fwd

 

[Professor]

Sydney co-captain Josh Kennedy, speedster Zak Jones, veteran Kieren Jack and young gun Will Hayward are in the mix to return from injury in Friday night's clash against Hawthorn.

Swans coach John Longmire is likely to have some painful selection headaches following the club's mid-season bye that came after they toppled reigning premiers West Coast by 45 points, despite having only one fit man on the bench during the second half.

Former skipper Jarrad McVeigh, who will miss several weeks with a minor hamstring strain, is a confirmed omission but defenders Jackson Thurlow and Colin O'Riordan have both recovered from the concussions they suffered in round 12.

Kennedy, who hurt his knee on May 24, is expected to face his former side at the SCG while Jones (hamstring), Jack (hip) and Hayward (calf) could also tackle the Hawks.

"That group did what they had to do on Saturday. They'll be training again tomorrow," Longmire said on Monday.

"They're progressing really well.

"They're good players for a reason, it'd be good to have them back and add a little bit to our depth.

"But we feel as though we've been able to handle some challenges this year – with different players out of the team, especially experienced players – reasonably well."

Jones and Jack have both been sidelined for a month, while Hayward has missed only one game.

Injuries have been – and continue to be – a constant source of angst for Longmire in 2019.

Harry Cunningham has suffered a setback in his recovery from a torn adductor.

McVeigh, who has played five games this season and only returned from a calf injury in round 11 against Geelong, faces another stint on the sidelines during his 17th season.

"It was a separate injury (unrelated to the previous calf problem)," Longmire said.

"He probably won't play next week but he won't be far after that .. it could have been a lot worse.

"While it's disappointing for him and another soft-tissue setback he's had this year, it's not a bad one.

"He's a pretty resilient character. He gets on with business."

Longmire wouldn't be drawn on the future of small defender Nick Smith, who could be forced to retire because of a chronic hamstring injury that requires yet more surgery.

"It's really disappointing ... his season is done," he said. "When that operation is done, at the appropriate time we'll sit down and have a chat (about his future)."

The Swans are now 4-8, having suffered competitive losses to premiership contenders Collingwood and Geelong prior to their confidence-boosting win over the Eagles.

 

[Professor]

Doctor’s Orders: Four overlooked SuperCoach trade targets

None of them are in this week’s top 10 trade targets, but they should be. The experts at Doctor SuperCoach name four underrated fantasy guns who can power your team in the run home.

Doctor SuperCoach, Herald Sun

Subscriber only

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June 18, 2019 2:05pm

HERALDSUN23:48

Tackle TV Footy is a game for everyone

Mark Robinson answers your questions in the big issues of Round 13

The final bye round is here and now is the time when you should be finalising your last upgrades.

The expert team at Doctor SuperCoachhave put together a list of the finest premium upgrade targets coming off the bye, across the midfield, forward and defence, that aren’t already in everyone else’s team!

TOM STEWART $496,800 DEF | AVG: 101.3 | BREAK EVEN: 102

Stewart is quietly establishing himself as one of the premier defenders in our game. After being plucked at pick 40 in the 2016 draft, he has shown vast improvement each year, not only as a player, but in SuperCoach as well.

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The attacking flair that Stewart has added to his game in 2019 has been the main catalyst in his rise to premium status. His game is of the Shannon Hurn mould and he is ranked as elite in eight different categories by Champion Data. Key stats include averages of 24 disposals, 7.4 marks and 515 metres gained — all at a disposal efficiency of 80% per game.

This reliable Cat sits in just 11 per cent of teams despite averaging over 100 points per game and being one of the more consistent options across the league. He has dipped below 88 points just once in 2019, with behind kick-ins increasing his bottom-line scoring.

Tom Stewart is an underrated star. Picture: Peter RistevskiAndrew Gaff is ultra-consistent. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Considering Geelong’s favourable draw for the second half of the year, where the Cats play just two current top eight sides, Stewart firms as one of the best defensive upgrades for the week – and at a cheap price tag to boot!

ANDREW GAFF $564,600 MID | AVG: 108.7 | BE: 108

Many of us thought Gaff would be somewhat of a one-hit wonder (no pun intended) after a stellar SuperCoach year in 2018, but he is once again dishing out premium calibre numbers. Although his 2018 season was cut short through suspension, the All-Australian midfielder averaged a career high 108 SuperCoach points, which just happens to be his current average in 2019 as well.

Gaff ranks as elite in five different disposal categories and scores purely by racking up massive numbers. His ball use is questionable at times, but he has managed to ton up in 80 per cent of games this season, including his past six, which is the consistency that we crave.

The main concern with Gaff is that although he is remarkably consistent, he doesn’t tend to produce exceptionally large scores. Of his 10 games, only two of these have produced scores greater than 110. If you want a reliable, cheaper midfielder coming off the Round 13 bye, then Gaff is certainly an option. The bonus is he currently sits in just 3 per cent of teams.

CLAYTON OLIVER $539,300 MID | AVG: 106.8 | BE: 85

Much like his team, Oliver has been one of the biggest disappointments of the year to date. The usually ultra-consistent midfielder began the season priced at $622,600 but hasn’t lived up to the hype, despite his numbers remaining very similar to last year.

The main reason for this downfall comes down to a rapid decline in his ball use and efficiency numbers. When comparing his 2019 season with his career averages, Oliver is now registering 2.5 more clangers per game and his overall disposal efficiency has dropped below 70 per cent.

Clayton Oliver has returned to his best form in recent weeks. Picture: Michael Klein

Despite the negatives, the 21-year-old has turned it around over the past five games, averaging 115 points during this time. Thankfully, Oliver won’t come up against master tagger Matt De Boer again, but it is slightly concerning that he still has the likes of Ed Curnow and Mark Hutchings to contend with. With saying this, given his scoring history and very low price tag, Oliver could be a handy player to round out your midfield.

TOM HAWKINS $511,500 | AVG: 97.8 | BE: 115

As a general rule of SuperCoach, you never pick a key forward unless their name is Buddy Franklin. Well, in the past two years, Hawkins has torn this rule to shreds and is a now a bona fide premium option. It’s quite remarkable just how good Hawkins has become in the latter stage of his career and he is averaging a healthy 97.8 SuperCoach points in 2019, after a season where he had just averaged 101.8.

Hawkins is more than just a stay at home target for the Cats. He is above average for his position when it comes to disposals, kicking efficiency, tackles and total clearances. What is most extraordinary about his game though is his scoring statistics — he ranks as elite in five separate categories; the key SuperCoach contributors being 2.9 goals, 1.4 goal assists and a whopping 8.3 score involvements per game.

Tomahawk has been very consistent in 2019 and with an easier fixture for Geelong in the second half of the year, get ready for this big Cat to explode. He sits in just 3 per cent of teams and firms as an amazing point of difference to round out the year.

Get more expert tips from the Doctor SuperCoach team here and listen to their latest podcast below.

 

[Professor]

How Mark Brumley’s plan to dodge Round 13 bye players paid off with SuperCoach success

With Patrick Cripps and Ben Cunnington on the bench and 13 hundreds in his score, the Round 13 SuperCoach winner’s tactics to target the dreaded bye weekend paid handsome dividends.

Tim Michell, Herald Sun

June 17, 2019 3:35pm

FOXSPORTS2:35

Stringer a 'slight chance'

AFL: Essendon coach John Worsfold says star forward Jake Stringer is a slight chance to line up...

First-time SuperCoach Mark Brumley devised a plan in pre-season.

The relief dairy farmer from Wooreen, about two hours southeast of Melbourne, avoided players with the Round 13 bye when he picked his initial SuperCoach team.

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It meant overlooking some of the most popular players in the game and several premium scorers, including Patrick Dangerfield, Lachie Neale, Tim Kelly, Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn.

It was a bold strategy which Brumley knew would cost him any chance of overall glory.

But it paid handsome dividends on Sunday when the 23-year-old’s team — saintsforever — scored 2454 points to finish 36 points clear as the Round 13 winner and claim the $1000 weekly prize.

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“We didn’t take any of the superstars like Dangerfield, Grundy or any of the players that everybody knew it would be sensible to have,” he said.

“Our tactic was to aggressively trade, so we got the team to $13 million in salary cap. We reckoned that was going to give us an advantage against anybody who just submitted a team for the round.”

Zach Merrett scored 138 SuperCoach points as captain for this week’s winning team. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

Brumley’s round could not have started better when Reilly O’Brien monstered Richmond’s rookie ruckmen on Thursday, amassing 181 points.

O’Brien was the first of an incredible 13 hundreds in his 18 bye-round players, with his lowest score from James Sicily (87).

While many coaches scraped by with 15 or 16 players in Round 13, Brumley had 25 available.

It meant popular captaincy pick Patrick Cripps (78), Brodie Smith (74), Heath Shaw (69), Bachar Houli (68) and Ben Cunnington (59) were non-scoring players.

“I had superstars across all lines and a couple of emergencies I was waiting to see how they went,” he said.

“One of them was Reilly O’Brien. Everything just came together.”

Tim Michell

✔@tim_michell

The top #supercoach team this weekend is ranked 62,697 overall and scored 2454.

13 scores 114+ and 8 130+.

Bonkers.

31

7:27 PM - Jun 16, 2019

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Opting for Zac Merrett (138) as captain was a masterstroke, but the St Kilda supporter’s decisive call came two weeks ago when he resisted calls from his brother-in-laws Keegan and Grady to trade Jack Billings.

Not trading Jack Billings helped Mark Brumley win this week’s SuperCoach prize. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Billings scored 169 points against Gold Coast after racking up 33 disposals, 11 marks and booting two goals.

Brumley, whose team is ranked 62,697th overall, knows his success will be short-lived.

He has only three trades left with 10 rounds remaining and at least 14 players missing this week.

“The team is going to go downhill really quickly now. But it paid off,” he said.

He plans to split the prize with Keegan and Grady, who helped hone his bye-round winning strategy.

MARK’S WINNING ROUND 13 TEAM

DEFENDERS

James Sicily 87

Zac Williams 143

Rory Laird 121

Luke Ryan 88

MIDFIELDERS

Matt Crouch 91

Brad Crouch 129

Zach Merrett C 276

Stephen Coniglio 130

Jack Macrae 150

Nat Fyfe 129

RUCKS

Reilly O’Brien 181

Todd Goldstein 97

FORWARDS

James Worpel 97

Jack Billings 169

Caleb Daniel 114

Travis Boak 121

Michael Walters 158

Josh Dunkley 173

BENCH

Patrick Cripps 78

Brodie Smith 74

Heath Shaw 69

Bachar Houli 68

Will Setterfield 62

Ben Cunnington 59

Ryan Gardner 22

 

[Professor]

SuperCoach Round 14 whispers: Zach Merrett, Lachie Neale, Travis Boak set to avoid injured GWS tagger

Matt De Boer has developed a reputation as the AFL’s premier tagger this season, limiting the impact of some of the game’s best midfielders. His absence due to injury will present an opportunity for SuperCoaches to strike.

Tim Michell, Herald Sun

Subscriber only

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38 minutes ago

FOXSPORTS1:18

Hannebery ready to return

AFL: St. Kilda's Dan Hannebery has made two successful appearances in the VFL for Sandringham a...

Zach Merrett owners, breathe a sigh of relief.

Matt De Boer’s broken shoulder — set to sideline the GWS tagger for two months — will give some of the top SuperCoach scorers free rein in coming weeks.

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While Leon Cameron could well deploy another shutdown player in De Boer’s role, the discipline with which the ex-Docker has restricted some of the AFL’s premier midfielders will be tough to replicate.

On Sunday, he kept North Melbourne milestone man Ben Cunnington — who had a season low of 91 — to only 59 SuperCoach points.

GWS takes on Essendon in Round 15, when De Boer was almost certain to run with Merrett.

The Bombers star has scored four hundreds and has three scores above 120 in his past five games.

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Merrett has a promising record against GWS — scores of 89,118 and 108 in his past three games against the Giants — but has previously been susceptible to a hard tag.

The 23-year-old is the point of difference pick of this year’s top midfielders, still only in eight per cent of teams.

He could run into Mark Hutchings and George Hewett in the next three rounds, but Merrett will be hard to resist with an average of 112.1.

De Boer’s injury also clears the path for the No. 1 trade target this week — Lachie Neale.

The Giants and Lions face off in Round 16, however a repeat of Ed Curnow’s shutdown job on Neale is unlikely with De Boer sidelined.

Matt De Boer’s prowess as a tagger has caused pain for SuperCoaches this year. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts.

Dustin Martin (Round 17), Travis Boak (Round 19) and Marcus Bontempelli (Round 22) could be others to benefit from De Boer’s long-term injury.

The other factor to consider, especially before trading in Dylan Clarke this round, is whether the door opens for Jackson Hately to have an extended run in the GWS senior team.

We won’t know until next week whether he replaces De Boer due to GWS bye, but at $148,800 he would be perfect bench cover in the second half of the season after scores of 95 and 85 in his first two games.

CAN YOU AFFORD TO HOLD ROCKY AGAIN?

Tom Rockliff’s unfortunate reputation as a SuperCoach burn man will continue into next season with the Port Adelaide midfielder set to miss a third game due a hamstring injury.

Rockliff owners held out hope in Round 11 when he travelled to China with the Power despite straining his hamstring the previous week against Hawthorn.

Port Adelaide had been optimistic the prolific ball winner would recover to feature in Shanghai, yet he has now missed games against St Kilda and Fremantle and been ruled out of Saturday’s match against Geelong.

It leaves coaches still holding Rockliff with a tough call to persist with him or cash in now.

At $477,400, an upgrade from Rockliff to teammate Travis Boak ($527,400) would cost $50,000.

Ranked sixth for points scored, Rory Sloane ($511,000) is only a $33,600 jump but has the bye in Round 14.

Tom Rockliff will miss a third game this week due to a hamstring injury. Picture: Sarah Reed.

Marcus Bontempelli ($56,600) is the other top midfielder close to Rockliff in price, while a straight upgrade to top scorer Lachie Neale would cost $100,900.

If you have held Rockliff through the byes, keeping him for another week in the hope he returns in Round 15 could be a POD move.

His ownership has dropped to 19.2 per cent — or 39,191 teams — and he still has an average of 97.5 despite a low score of the year of 36.

SUNS MID-SEASON DRAFTEE IMPRESSING

Mid-season rookie Mitch Riordan made an instant impression in his first NEAFL outing for Gold Coast on Saturday. Riordan laid 12 tackles during a 15-point win over Southport in a performance which drew praise from Suns coach Nick Malceski. “To do that, especially against men, was terrific. It was the first time he had played against men,” Malceski told theGold Coast Bulletin. “It was a good experience for him and he didn’t shy away from the contest which I love as a coach.” Riordan also had 17 disposals and four clearances, racking up 90 ranking points.

Brodie Grundy is under a slight injury cloud ahead of Sunday’s game against Western Bulldogs. Picture: Michael Klein.

GRUNDY STILL ON INJURY LIST

While unlikely he will miss, Brodie Grundy owners will need to monitor the star Collingwood ruckman’s fitness in the lead-up to Sunday’s game against Western Bulldogs. Grundy had a sore neck before the Magpies’ Queen’s Birthday victory over Melbourne. “It wasn’t his ankle. He had a really sore neck and … for a long part of the week he might not have played,” coach Nathan Buckley told reporters post-match. Only Patrick Cripps and Max Gawn have scored more points than Grundy this year and he amassed 152 in Round 10 last season against the Bulldogs. He trained without issue on Wednesday.

Tim Michell

✔@tim_michell

Would expect Brodie Grundy will be fine for Sunday. Moving well at Collingwood training today #supercoach @superfooty

46

11:16 AM - Jun 19, 2019

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MENEGOLA CLOSE TO CATS RETURN

Forgotten premium forward Sam Menegola is close to returning from a knee injury for Geelong. Menegola, who has averaged 100.4 and 100 in the past two seasons, could be a bargain mid-season trade at only $419,400. He started the campaign as one of the most expensive forwards at $543,100 but has dropped $123,700 in value due to an average of 81.9. However he did score three tons in seven matches, including 101 in his last game before being sidelined by knee surgery. Coach Chris Scott said on Wednesday Menegola wouldn’t play this weekend but was close to a comeback.

A Ben Cavarra debut would provide a handy downgrade for coaches in the forward line. Picture: AAP Image/James Ross.

CAVARRA BOOTS TWO IN VFL RETURN

SuperCoach forward rookies have been tough to come by this year but one of the most popular pre-season picks is finally back playing. Former Williamstown VFL star Ben Cavarra has endured an injury-interrupted first year at the Western Bulldogs but totalled 76 ranking points in his first game since Round 5 against Northern Blues. Cavarra managed 11 possessions and booted 2.1, also taking three marks and laying two tackles. He could be the perfect late downgrade to help complete your team. Taylor Duryea looms as the likely replacement for Tom Liberatore after having 24 disposals and booting a goal in the VFL.

HURN, YEO SET TO RETURN IN EAGLES BOOST

Captain Shannon Hurn is expected to return from a hamstring injury against Essendon on Thursday in a timely boost for West Coast and SuperCoaches. Hurn missed the club’s Round 12 loss to Sydney but the Eagles this week said he came close to facing the Swans. “We’re hoping he gets through the last of our training before the game and (if so) he’ll be available,” Eagles general manager of football Craig Vozzo said. Jake Lloyd and Rory Laird are the only SuperCoach defenders who have scored more points than Hurn this year. Midfielder Elliot Yeo will need to pass a fitness test to feature. “He’s got a little bit more testing to do prior to the game, all being well he’ll get through that and be available to play,” Vozzo said. Meanwhile, Jarrod Cameron ($117,300, Mid-Fwd) will debut this round. Cameron has averaged 54 ranking points per game in the WAFL.

Dan Hannebery is expected to make his St Kilda debut after playing two games for the club’s VFL affiliate Sandringham. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images.

DOES HANNEBERY LOOM AS A SUPERCOACH SMOKY?

Could Dan Hannebery be the risk-reward trade which defines your SuperCoach season? The former Sydney midfielder is expected to make his St Kilda debut this round against Brisbane Lions after being hampered by calf and hamstring issues in his first season with the Saints. Hannebery only averaged 60 points from 14 games in his last year at the Swans but averaged 113.4 points per match as recently as 2016. He is available for $326,100 and has totalled 91 and 73 ranking points in two VFL games for Sandringham.

 

[Professor]

SuperCoach Round 14 whispers: Zach Merrett, Lachie Neale, Travis Boak set to avoid injured GWS tagger

He’s battled injuries already this year and now superstar Patrick Dangerfield could miss a game for a very different reason — the birth of his second child. Plus a Port star faces the axe.

Tim Michell, Herald Sun

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FOXSPORTS1:18

Hannebery ready to return

AFL: St. Kilda's Dan Hannebery has made two successful appearances in the VFL for Sandringham a...

Zach Merrett owners, breathe a sigh of relief.

Matt De Boer’s broken shoulder — set to sideline the GWS tagger for two months — will give some of the top SuperCoach scorers free rein in coming weeks.

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While Leon Cameron could well deploy another shutdown player in De Boer’s role, the discipline with which the ex-Docker has restricted some of the AFL’s premier midfielders will be tough to replicate.

On Sunday, he kept North Melbourne milestone man Ben Cunnington — who had a season low of 91 — to only 59 SuperCoach points.

GWS takes on Essendon in Round 15, when De Boer was almost certain to run with Merrett.

The Bombers star has scored four hundreds and has three scores above 120 in his past five games.

TRADE GUIDE: WHO SHOULD YOU OFFLOAD TO GET LACHIE NEALE?

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Merrett has a promising record against GWS — scores of 89,118 and 108 in his past three games against the Giants — but has previously been susceptible to a hard tag.

The 23-year-old is the point of difference pick of this year’s top midfielders, still only in eight per cent of teams.

He could run into Mark Hutchings and George Hewett in the next three rounds, but Merrett will be hard to resist with an average of 112.1.

De Boer’s injury also clears the path for the No. 1 trade target this week — Lachie Neale.

The Giants and Lions face off in Round 16, however a repeat of Ed Curnow’s shutdown job on Neale is unlikely with De Boer sidelined.

Matt De Boer’s prowess as a tagger has caused pain for SuperCoaches this year.

Dustin Martin (Round 17), Travis Boak (Round 19) and Marcus Bontempelli (Round 22) could be others to benefit from De Boer’s long-term injury.

The other factor to consider, especially before trading in Dylan Clarke this round, is whether the door opens for Jackson Hately to have an extended run in the GWS senior team.

We won’t know until next week whether he replaces De Boer due to GWS bye, but at $148,800 he would be perfect bench cover in the second half of the season after scores of 95 and 85 in his first two games.

WESTHOFF ALERT!

Remember that grand plan to use Justin Westhoff as ruck cover for Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn? Ken Hinkley has other ideas. According to several reports, Westhoff will be axed for Port Adelaide’s Round 14 game against Geelong, along with fellow big man Paddy Ryder. Westhoff started the year at $549,500 and scored 149 in Round 1 but has since posted six scores below 70 to crash to $373,600. His score of 90 was his best since Round 7 but Hinkley appears to have run out of patience with the veteran, who is in 17,820 teams.

BIRTH COULD RULE OUT DANGER

The pending birth of Patrick Dangerfield’s second child could mean the Geelong star misses a game in coming weeks. Danger says he is “on baby watch” with his wife Mardi due to give birth in the next two weeks. “I think we’ve probably got another week to go which probably keeps us safe this week against Port Adelaide,” he said on SEN. “I’ll make this very clear. I don’t have a say whether I play or not, that is purely my wife,’’ he said. Geelong plays Adelaide at home in Round 15.

CAN YOU AFFORD TO HOLD ROCKY AGAIN?

Tom Rockliff’s unfortunate reputation as a SuperCoach burn man will continue into next season with the Port Adelaide midfielder set to miss a third game due a hamstring injury.

Rockliff owners held out hope in Round 11 when he travelled to China with the Power despite straining his hamstring the previous week against Hawthorn.

Port Adelaide had been optimistic the prolific ball winner would recover to feature in Shanghai, yet he has now missed games against St Kilda and Fremantle and been ruled out of Saturday’s match against Geelong.

It leaves coaches still holding Rockliff with a tough call to persist with him or cash in now.

At $477,400, an upgrade from Rockliff to teammate Travis Boak ($527,400) would cost $50,000.

Ranked sixth for points scored, Rory Sloane ($511,000) is only a $33,600 jump but has the bye in Round 14.

Tom Rockliff will miss a third game this week due to a hamstring injury. Picture: Sarah Reed.

Marcus Bontempelli ($56,600) is the other top midfielder close to Rockliff in price, while a straight upgrade to top scorer Lachie Neale would cost $100,900.

If you have held Rockliff through the byes, keeping him for another week in the hope he returns in Round 15 could be a POD move.

His ownership has dropped to 19.2 per cent — or 39,191 teams — and he still has an average of 97.5 despite a low score of the year of 36.

SUNS MID-SEASON DRAFTEE IMPRESSING

Mid-season rookie Mitch Riordan made an instant impression in his first NEAFL outing for Gold Coast on Saturday. Riordan laid 12 tackles during a 15-point win over Southport in a performance which drew praise from Suns coach Nick Malceski. “To do that, especially against men, was terrific. It was the first time he had played against men,” Malceski told theGold Coast Bulletin. “It was a good experience for him and he didn’t shy away from the contest which I love as a coach.” Riordan also had 17 disposals and four clearances, racking up 90 ranking points.

Brodie Grundy is under a slight injury cloud ahead of Sunday’s game against Western Bulldogs. Picture: Michael Klein.

GRUNDY STILL ON INJURY LIST

While unlikely he will miss, Brodie Grundy owners will need to monitor the star Collingwood ruckman’s fitness in the lead-up to Sunday’s game against Western Bulldogs. Grundy had a sore neck before the Magpies’ Queen’s Birthday victory over Melbourne. “It wasn’t his ankle. He had a really sore neck and … for a long part of the week he might not have played,” coach Nathan Buckley told reporters post-match. Only Patrick Cripps and Max Gawn have scored more points than Grundy this year and he amassed 152 in Round 10 last season against the Bulldogs. He trained without issue on Wednesday.

Tim Michell

✔@tim_michell

Would expect Brodie Grundy will be fine for Sunday. Moving well at Collingwood training today #supercoach @superfooty

65

11:16 AM - Jun 19, 2019

Twitter Ads info and privacy

See Tim Michell's other Tweets

MENEGOLA CLOSE TO CATS RETURN

Forgotten premium forward Sam Menegola is close to returning from a knee injury for Geelong. Menegola, who has averaged 100.4 and 100 in the past two seasons, could be a bargain mid-season trade at only $419,400. He started the campaign as one of the most expensive forwards at $543,100 but has dropped $123,700 in value due to an average of 81.9. However he did score three tons in seven matches, including 101 in his last game before being sidelined by knee surgery. Coach Chris Scott said on Wednesday Menegola wouldn’t play this weekend but was close to a comeback.

A Ben Cavarra debut would provide a handy downgrade for coaches in the forward line. Picture: AAP Image/James Ross.

CAVARRA BOOTS TWO IN VFL RETURN

SuperCoach forward rookies have been tough to come by this year but one of the most popular pre-season picks is finally back playing. Former Williamstown VFL star Ben Cavarra has endured an injury-interrupted first year at the Western Bulldogs but totalled 76 ranking points in his first game since Round 5 against Northern Blues. Cavarra managed 11 possessions and booted 2.1, also taking three marks and laying two tackles. He could be the perfect late downgrade to help complete your team. Taylor Duryea looms as the likely replacement for Tom Liberatore after having 24 disposals and booting a goal in the VFL.

HURN, YEO SET TO RETURN IN EAGLES BOOST

Captain Shannon Hurn is expected to return from a hamstring injury against Essendon on Thursday in a timely boost for West Coast and SuperCoaches. Hurn missed the club’s Round 12 loss to Sydney but the Eagles this week said he came close to facing the Swans. “We’re hoping he gets through the last of our training before the game and (if so) he’ll be available,” Eagles general manager of football Craig Vozzo said. Jake Lloyd and Rory Laird are the only SuperCoach defenders who have scored more points than Hurn this year. Midfielder Elliot Yeo will need to pass a fitness test to feature. “He’s got a little bit more testing to do prior to the game, all being well he’ll get through that and be available to play,” Vozzo said. Meanwhile, Jarrod Cameron ($117,300, Mid-Fwd) will debut this round. Cameron has averaged 54 ranking points per game in the WAFL.

Dan Hannebery is expected to make his St Kilda debut after playing two games for the club’s VFL affiliate Sandringham. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images.

DOES HANNEBERY LOOM AS A SUPERCOACH SMOKY?

Could Dan Hannebery be the risk-reward trade which defines your SuperCoach season? The former Sydney midfielder is expected to make his St Kilda debut this round against Brisbane Lions after being hampered by calf and hamstring issues in his first season with the Saints. Hannebery only averaged 60 points from 14 games in his last year at the Swans but averaged 113.4 points per match as recently as 2016. He is available for $326,100 and has totalled 91 and 73 ranking points in two VFL games for Sandringham.