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[Professor]

Good luck to Collingwood this week after reading this.

John Longmire throws down gauntlet to players with season on the line against Collingwood
Ben Horne, The Daily Telegraph
36 minutes ago
Subscriber only
JOHN Longmire has declared Sydney’s freefalling season boils down to a simple choice his embattled playing group must make this Saturday night at the SCG.
Either they want it. Or they don’t.
Longmire wiped any semblance of possible excuses completely off the table as the coach levelled his direct challenge to the playing group, designed to cut straight to the core.
SUPERLADDER: WILL SWANS WIN ANOTHER GAME?
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PODCAST: IF BUDDY IS AA THIS YEAR, I’LL SPEW
The Swans are expecting to get influential leaders Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack back for the crunch clash against third-placed Collingwood, but Longmire warned not even that may make a difference.
He refused to buy into talk of Lance Franklin’s busted body or the fact several members of his young forward line have also been unable to train in key sessions over the past few weeks due to concerns over their workloads.
Longmire said the Swans might have 99 problems, but the only one they need to focus on fixing is rolling their sleeves up and getting dirty.

John Longmire addresses his players during the loss to Essendon.
Whether the Swans play finals football this year or don’t, it will be a choice the players have made.
“Two weeks ago we were in the ring. Today we find ourselves out of it. Do we want to jump back into it or not? They’re the simple questions,” said Longmire.
“Everything is a choice in this game and we’ve got a choice in front of us right now.
“We’ve got a choice whether we want to get back into the ring and stand up, or not.
“We have a choice as a playing group to play hard, fierce football and that’s the choice we have to make.”
Longmire was blunt in his assessment the Swans had few good players last week against Essendon and is sick of veterans like McVeigh being forced to shoulder all the responsibility.


























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“We need all players to lift. The load has been left to too few over the last two weeks,” he said.
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“It’s not acceptable and we’ve got to do something about it.
“(Jack and McVeigh) have been training well and both a real chance.
“(McVeigh is a key) but we’ve also got to share that load and keep evolving that load. He’s a very smart player and he drives high standards on and off the field but that load needs to be shared not just with Jarrad but throughout the whole group.”
Longmire said calls out of Melbourne for the Swans to revamp their style are off the mark.
The coach firmly believes a simplistic approach is the only one that will work in a potential crisis like this with the Swans’ final four games against teams all currently sitting in the top eight.

Disappointed Swans players walk off Etihad Stadium. Picture: Michael Klein
If the Swans make the finals they’ll either be finals ready or worn out already but Longmire wants to find out what his players are made of.
There’s only one thing he wants fixed against Collingwood.
“Let’s just get our pressure on the opposition up to a level that’s required at AFL level instead of trying to fix everything,” he said.
“If you try to fix everything sometimes nothing gets fixed.
“We need to play a fierce brand of football. We need to put enormous pressure on the opposition.
“We need to make sure that anyone who plays for the Swans plays with a certain brand of football and ultimately it’s about applying enormous pressure on the opposition.”
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Originally published as Longmire’s ultimatum: you either want it, or you don’t

 

[Professor]

The Phantom’s Trade Talk: Burning questions ahead of SuperCoach finals
The Phantom, The Advertiser
9 minutes ago
Subscriber only
AS there is every week, there are plenty of issues to deal with. Here are The Phantom’s answers to 10 burning questions ahead of the first week of SuperCoach finals.
IF you’ve got Buddy, limited cash and can only use one trade
THEN Toby Greene is your man. The Giants play the Blues this week and the match-winning forward now has three games under his belt after a three-month layoff.
BUT if you’ve got Paul Ahern
THEN make him emergency and see how he scores on Saturday afternoon. If he can go close to reproducing his 124-point performance against the Eagles, just bench Buddy.

IF you’ve got Buddy and can afford to make two trades
THEN consider Chad Wingard in the Showdown. The Power star has posted SuperCoach tons in six of his past eight matches.
BUT what about Tom Hawkins?
Although Hawkins is averaging 16 more points per game than any other forward in the past five rounds, he’ll have Alex Rance to deal with on Friday night.
IF you want to go unique in the forward line
THEN Jade Gresham, Luke Breust, Brett Deledio and Josh Dunkley are The Phantom’s top left-field picks this week.

Kangaroos head coach Brad Scott talks with midfielder Shaun Higgins. Picture: Getty Images
IF you’ve got injured North Melbourne star Shaun Higgins or just have the trades to move on an underperforming midfielder

THEN it has to be Josh Kelly or Jack Macrae.
IF you’re frustrated with Docker Luke Ryan, who has posted scores of 74 and a season-low 47 points in the past two weeks
THEN a move to Heath Shaw is worth some thought.
OR IF Jeremy Howe doesn’t up this week
THEN it’s a straight swap
IF you’ve held onto Saint Jimmy Webster
THEN you can breathe a sigh of relief with the rebounding defender set to return this week.
IF you’re in a sudden-death elimination final
THEN don’t be afraid to make a Hail Mary trade mid-round to make up ground. Consider players from the Giants and Demons, who tackle the Blues and Suns respectively on Sunday.
IF you’ve got another question for The Phantom
THEN join in the live SuperCoach Q&A from 12.30pm (CST)
Originally published as SuperCoach finals: The Phantom is here to help

 

[Professor]

SuperCoach Investor: Trade, selection advice for week one of league finals
Daniel Begala, Herald Sun
39 minutes ago
Subscriber only
WE’VE navigated the treachery that is the home-and-away season, now ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the final act.
Welcome to the business end of the SuperCoach season and a month of football that will once and for all separate the contenders from the pretenders.
Whether your pursuit is rankings-based or driven by league aspirations, it’s time to buckle down and focus your attention on the final four weeks of the SuperCoach season.
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EXPERT TIPS: ULTIMATE FINALS TRADE GUIDE

Our resident expert, Daniel Begala, casts his eyes across the impending finals series and the watertight strategies for leapfrogging your league and rankings foes.
FINALS FOOTY
We may be entrenched in a typical Melbourne winter, but for the SuperCoach folk, all we can smell are the rich aromas of freshly-mown grass.
It’s the smell of spring and the challenge that is finals football.
If you’ve managed to secure a top-eight spot, pat yourself on the back and dream big.
Yes, it’s beneficial to finish in the top four, but anything and everything can happen in SuperCoach.
On many an occasion, The Begala Brigade has savoured the delicious nectar of victory from as far back as eighth place.
Don’t be afraid the pull the trigger on trades, take the punt on an in-form rookie (like Paul Ahern) or deploy your captaincy responsibilities on an exotic selection.
Every man and his dog will plant the C on Max Gawn and Tom Mitchell, but if they unexpectedly fail to perform, you’ll be in the box seat for a famous victory.
Study your opponents. Watch their every move. This is the SuperCoach finals.

THE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
If you’re one of those SuperCoach “hoarders” still holding 3-4 trades, well you, sir or madam, are in luck.
He’s slipped under the radar, but for those looking for an almighty point-of-difference in their midfield let me draw you attention to the heavily discounted Bulldog, Jack Macrae ($549,700K).
This phenomenon is fondly referred to in the SuperCoach world as “arbitrage”.
At the peak of powers before his recent injury, Macrae was priced well in excess of $700k.

He’s returned from injury in stellar nick, produced a scintillating dividend (147 points) in his visit to Mars and remains the fourth-highest averaging players for all of season 2018.
Yes, he’s fourth overall with an average of 125 per game. Let’s compute that.
As a midfielder, he’s behind Tom Mitchell (Ave: 131, $702K) and ahead of Patrick Cripps (Ave: 121, $633K) and you don’t have to be an astute investor to realise the unrivalled trade opportunity that presents.
He’s been a great servant of our teams, but maybe it’s time to trade Stephen Coniglio ($510K) to the scoring machine that is Jack Macrae.
Every year, there’s a heartbreak story. This year — if you’ve got trades — it’s Stephen.
It would take a bold coach, but if the planets do align, it could go down in folklore as a coaching masterstroke.

Jack Macrae is back from injury, and back in form.FALTERING FORWARDS
There’s nothing worse than heading into a SuperCoach finals series relying on wayward forwards that are bereft of scoring confidence.
It’s crisis stations at The Begala Brigade with an underdone Buddy Franklin (52), Robbie Gray (65) and perennial tease Michael Walters (62) causing selection headaches.
Minutes before the bounce of Essendon vs Sydney, John Longmire revealed the full extent of Buddy’s injury (yes, just a lazy 19 rounds into the season), stating that he’d failed to train for greater than 20 minutes at any stage this season.
Wait, what?
Buddy now poses the greatest conundrum to coaches and should — where possible — be loopholed into finals action if flexibility permits.
Enter: Paul Ahern (124 SC, MID/FWD).
The bullocking midfielder has been cruelled by injury, but for the 38 per cent of teams that hold him, it’s time to reap the spoils of his labour.
He has finals football written all over him, so don’t hesitate to omit the “big names” such as Franklin at the expense of Ahern, who should thrive this week in the absence of Shaun Higgins.

 

[Professor]

Round 3 SuperCoach trade guide: What to do with Dustin Martin, Isaac Heeney, top targets before price changes

Tim Michell, Herald Sun

April 2, 2019 7:00am

Subscriber only

Few weeks will define your SuperCoach season quite like this one.

Prices will change for the first time after Round 3 and you will need to ensure you have the right rookies to generate enough money before the must-have picks skyrocket.

Underperforming premium choices such as Dustin Martin and Isaac Heeney will be on the chopping block, although history suggests holding players of this ilk will pay off in the long run.

If you’re keen on mid-price stars such as Tom Rockliff, Dom Sheed or Darcy Moore, it’s now or never.

Here are the top 15 trade targets and five players under pressure heading into Round 3:

Rory Sloane has led the way for Adelaide early in the campaign. Picture: Sarah Reed.TOP TARGETS

Tom Rockliff $405,900 MID Avg: 127 Breakeven: -19 Projected price change: +$51,200

When even Ken Hinkley declares, ‘the pig is back’, it’s time to take notice. After he had 41 disposals in JLT2, Rockliff has backed up with 44 and 37 possessions in the opening two games of 2019. Can he be a premium midfielder at season’s end? Hard to say no on the evidence so far.

Dom Sheed $394,100 MID Avg: 122 BE: -15 PPC: +$41,200

The Eagles grand final hero has been in sparkling form, having 38 and 28 disposals against the Lions and Giants. He’s not gaining as much attention as Rockliff but has been almost as impressive. The only question mark is where he fits when Andrew Gaff returns but all the stats suggest he will continue to flourish.

Rory Sloane $524,300 MID Avg: 130 BE: 44 PPC: +$40,100

Underpriced considering he’s one of the premier AFL midfielders, Sloane has already displayed the variety in his game with two hundreds. His Round 2 score of 105 was encouraging considering it only came from 23 disposals. If you’re looking to go sideways from Dustin Martin or Isaac Heeney he needs to be considered.

Travis Boak $478,000 FWD-MID Avg: 121 BE: 35 PPC: +$29,100

Reintroduced to a prominent midfield role at the Power, Boak has delivered scores of 119 and 123 to be the second-ranked forward behind Patrick Dangerfield after two rounds. The question is how much midfield time he gets when Ollie Wines returns, but Hinkley would be brave to move Boak considering his output.

Darcy Moore is set for a hefty price rise after Round 3. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images.

Darcy Moore $239,400 DEF-FWD Avg: 85 BE: -31 PPC: +$47,900

Moore is shaping as one of the keys to Collingwood’s premiership tilt and his intercept-marking ability has helped his SuperCoach scoring. He’s a much better player than his starting price indicates and he’ll be a stepping stone to a premium in defence or attack barring injury. It’s a huge bonus he’s playing on regularly from kick outs too. If you’re keen on him you have to pounce this week.

Tom Liberatore $300,400 MID Avg: 101.5 BE: -29 PPC: +$32,800

After 28 possessions yielded only 75 points in Round 1, Libba was one of the Western Bulldogs matchwinners against Hawthorn on Sunday. Tenacious in the clinches, the left-footer scored 128 from 28 disposals and seven tackles. His price is predicted to jump by more than $30,000.

Lachie Whitfield $542,100 DEF Avg: 114 BE: 86 PPC: +$8800

Shaping as a certain top-six defender come season’s end. His ownership is still below 30 per cent, somewhat surprisingly when you consider he’s more than $40,000 cheaper than Rory Laird and $60,000 less than Jake Lloyd. His price shouldn’t climb too drastically this round but make sure he’s on your radar.

Jake Lloyd $608,200 DEF Avg: 127.5 BE: 98 PPC: +$7300

Despite Sydney’s struggles, Lloyd has continued his SuperCoach dominance with scores of 131 and 124. Because of his high price tag, one low score will likely result in him falling below $600,000. The debate has to be whether you can wait long enough and how many points you miss out on while doing so.

Lachie Neale $607,300 MID Avg: 133.5 BE: 85 PPC: +$18,300

We shouldn’t be surprised Neale has fitted so seamlessly into the exciting Brisbane Lions team. The ex-Docker has averaged 109 or better in the past four seasons, but it seems he’s only just getting the attention his brilliance deserves. Understated by gaining popularity fast, with good reason.

Tim Kelly is shaping as one of the top SuperCoach forwards of the season. Picture: Alison Wynd

Tim Kelly $505,800 FWD-MID Avg: 108.5 BE: 76 PPC: +$12,000

The obvious sideways trade from Isaac Heeney. It’s pure luck Kelly is available as a forward this year and in hindsight the 80% of coaches who overlooked him would love to have started Kelly alongside teammate Patrick Dangerfield. He oozes class and wins the footy with little fuss. Any average about 100 should make him a top forward.

James Worpel $395,700 FWD-MID Avg: 101 BE: 28 PPC: +$25,500

With such a low breakeven, you’ll need to jump on the new Hawks midfield hero before Round 3 if you want him. The question to ask yourself before you do is whether you see Worpel being a top-six or top-eight forward at the end of 2019. Make the move if you do.

Brodie Smith $332,500 DEF Avg: 89 BE: 15 PPC: +$24,900

What a start to 2019 by the mid-pricers. Smith has joined the likes of Rockliff, Sheed and Worpel as mid-pricers who will make valuable money in the first half of this season. He’s more than holding his own with an average of 89 dashing off the half-back line for Adelaide.

Nic Newman $394,100 DEF Avg: 108 BE: 13 PPC: +$33,600

Newman scored a monster 134 on debut for Carlton and a respectable 82 in Round 2. As is the case with many mid-pricers, this has to be the week you bring him in if he’s in your sights. You’ll need premium numbers from Newman if you’re going to invest anything above $400,000.

Luke Dahlhaus $418,300 FWD-MID Avg: 103.5 PPC: +$20,500

Dahlhaus was one of the first-picked SuperCoach forwards a few years ago and seems to be relishing his new surrounds in Geelong. He’s only in 7% of teams, with many coaches wary after his performances in recent seasons. But on the early evidence we’ve seen from him this year, Dahlhaus should be an option, especially at his price. Scores of 102 and 105 have been a very encouraging start.

Brad Crouch $418,000 MID Avg: 97.5 PPC: +$16,400

Similarly to Dahlhaus, if you didn’t start Crouch but like what you have seen in the first two rounds, get on board this week. You’d want to be confident he can average above 100 for a full season to add him at the top-end of the mid-price scale.

 

[Professor]

CHOPPING BLOCK

Isaac Heeney $529,200 FWD-MID Avg: 76 BE: 155 PPC: -$31,200

John Longmire conceded Heeney was carrying an ankle concern after he struggled through the first two rounds. The widely-held expectation was he would spend more time in midfield this year but the injury has consigned him to the forward 50 for much of games against Western Bulldogs and Adelaide. He’s testing our patience but should still be a top-six forward.

Dustin Martin $563,800 MID Avg: 87.5 BE: 152 PPC: -$22,500

Martin spent more than half of Thursday’s loss to Collingwood in attack and his forward role could increase in the next month with Jack Riewoldt ruled out due to injury. Dusty has been below his best so far and although he’ll bounce back, trading him seems a logical move before his price falls. He’s projected to lose $22,500.

Devon Smith $531,300 FWD-MID Avg: 77.5 BE: 153 PPC: -$29,900

Don’t sideways trade. You’ll hear that advice plenty of times this year, but there will always be exceptions to the SuperCoach rules. When you can catch Tim Kelly on the way up and dump Devon Smith before he burns money, it has to be weighed up. Much like his side, Smith has been below his best in the first two rounds.

Elliot Yeo $585,500 MID Avg: 77.5 BE: 185 PPC: -$41,800

Hardly the return we wanted from one of the most expensive midfielders this year, posting 83 and 72 so far. He should be available for about $500,000 in a month when you’d be tempted to jump on if he showed signs of a form reversal. The 8000 teams who started Yeo as a point of difference has a tough call to make.

Callum Mills $428,900 DEF Avg: 64 BE: 121 PPC: -$20,600

Scores of 79 and 49 have Mills firmly on the chopping block this week before he risks dropping below $400,000. This could be your best chance to upgrade him directly to a premium defender before he starts leaking money. You can make almost $100,000 by downgrading Mills to Brodie Smith or $34,000 by turning him into Nic Newman.

Devon Smith has had a slow start to the season with Essendon. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images.

MUST-HAVE ROOKIES

DEF

Jordan Clark BE: -51

Xavier Duursma BE: -69

Jack Scrimshaw BE: -48

MID

Zak Butters BE: -63

Charlie Constable BE: -97

RUCK

None

FWD

Matt Parker BE: -108

Willem Drew BE: -121

Will Setterfield BE: -35

 

[Professor]

Fantasy Freako’s Round 3 SuperCoach formguide

Fantasy Freako, Herald Sun

April 4, 2019 7:00am

Subscriber only

It’s easy to get carried away and jump on the highest scorers after two rounds. Why not if they have the scores on the board? But we need to be measured.

The most important question we need to ask ourselves as SuperCoaches is: Are the numbers sustainable? Chasing points often ends in disaster, as it did last round for SuperCoaches who played Bailey Scott on the field ahead of Zak Butters or Charlie Constable.

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With a host of premiums struggling to maintain their 2018 average, there are several big names on the chopping including Dustin Martin (60,510 owners), Isaac Heeney (91,209) and David Mundy (4303). There are strong cases for dumping one or even two of that group. In saying that, if we punt every premium that fails, we may run out of trades by Round 10.

Martin is causing plenty grief for SuperCoaches. The one thing he has on his side though is a strong scoring history against this week’s opponent GWS, returning 138, 135, 144 and 110 points respectively in his past four games at Giants Stadium.

But despite these numbers his poor form cannot be overlooked. Martin has failed to apply a tackle or kick a goal in the opening two rounds for the first time in his career; he ranked equal 35th on the ground for SuperCoach points after quarter-time against Collingwood.

Dustin Martin has a great scoring history against the Giants.

Heeney, meanwhile, has been hampered by an ankle complaint which he picked up in the final JLT Series match, attending just five centre bounces last round against the Crows. The Swans have an eight-day break before a clash against Carlton and John Longmire has declared that Heeney should benefit from the extra break.

If you’re in the market to dump an underachiever, then the table below highlights players that are currently in career-best form. There are several standouts, with Dom Sheed, Christian Salem and Travis Boak all worthy inclusions from a value point of view.

Flying starts

PlayerClubPriceAvg2018 DiffDom SheedWC$394,100122+49.4Scott LycettPort$441,200118+36.7Nic NewmanCarl$394,100108+35.4Caleb DanielWB$418,500112+34.9Tom StewartGeel$463,000107.5+22.2Christian SalemMelb$445,400107+24.7Daniel RichBris$428,200112+33.1Lachie NealeBris$607,300133.5+21.6Jeremy McGovernWC$482,100110.5+21.5Tim KellyGeel$505,800108.5+15.3Rory SloaneAdel$524,300130+33.4Travis BoakPort$478,000121+33.0Jack SteeleStK$512,600107.5+13.1Lachie WhitfieldGWS$542,100114+14.1

One player that doesn’t feature in the above table is Tom Rockliff as he averaged 132 points for the Lions in 2014. At $405,900, he’s tremendous value and has to be considered as a trade-in target ahead of his first match back at his old stomping ground.

Travis Boak is reaping the rewards of a move back to the midfield. Picture: Sarah ReedROOKIE RADAR

This is the week to pounce on rookies we have missed. The likes of Willem Drew (-121 points Break Even), Matthew Parker (-108), Charlie Constable (-97), Xavier Duursma (-69) and Zak Butters (-62) are all set for massive price rises after their next match. Ensuring you have most of these cash cows is paramount to cash generation, but if you are in an inviable position of owning all five — then you have set yourself up extremely well.

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Drew has been the standout rookie across the opening two rounds, scoring 103 and 90 points respectively. Playing as a midfielder has helped, spending 91 per cent of game time in the middle — the second-highest percentage of any Power midfielder behind Tom Rockliff. But that could all change in Round 3 as Ken Hinkley is poised to recall inside bull Ollie Wines from a shoulder injury. The return of Wines is likely to have a ripple effect in the Power midfield, with Drew, Rockliff, Travis Boak and Sam Powell-Pepper all likely to be affected in some way. Drew could consider himself stiff if we were to make way for Wines, but injuries to Karl Amon and Jack Watts could just see a reshuffle instead. That’s good news for SuperCoaches.

Elsewhere, Luke Davis-Uniacke is also set for a price boom — should he keep his place in the North Melbourne side. With Paul Ahern and Jed Anderson both pushing for a recall, Davies-Uniacke and teammate Bailey Scott could find themselves on the chopping block after back-to-back Kangaroos losses.

As always, playing the correct rookies on the ground is paramount — so make sure you set your team up accordingly!

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Adelaide v Geelong

Rory Sloane had 27 disposals, eight clearances and 127 points when these sides last met in Round 17 last season. Patrick Dangerfield averages more points against his former side than any other team in the league (135).

Melbourne v Essendon

Clayton Oliver bounced back last round with 44 disposals, 25 contested possessions and 143 points in a loss to the Cats. Dylan Shiel was one of several winners for the Bombers, collecting 27 disposals and 117 points.

Carlton vs Sydney

Patrick Cripps struggled with the attention of George Hewett in Round 11 last season – posting a season-low score of 54 points. Josh Kennedy had 26 disposals, 12 contested possessions and 102 points in that game.

Patrick Cripps prepares for a likely George Hewett tag this weekend.

GWS Giants vs Richmond

Lachie Whitfield leads the Giants for points scored after two rounds, amassing 105 and 123 points respectively. Toby Nankervis has scored 30 more points than any other Tiger, collecting 127 and 78 points.

Brisbane Lions v Port Adelaide

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Daniel Rich is in career-best form, averaging 25 disposals (82 per cent disposal efficiency) and 112 points per game – ranked second at the Lions. Travis Boak has also reached new heights, averaging 34 disposals and 121 points.

Collingwood v West Coast

Brodie Grundy has averaged 112 points per game in wins at the MCG since 2017 – ranked No.1 at Collingwood. Luke Shuey has led the way for West Coast in wins over the same period at the venue with a return of 133 points per match.

Western Bulldogs v Gold Coast

Josh Dunkley has dropped off in second halves this season, averaging 37 points compared to 50 points in the first half. Jarrod Harbrow leads the Suns for points scored after halftime with 65 points per match.

Hawthorn vs North Melbourne

James Cousins is on the verge of a huge price rise after his third match, scoring 72 and 92 points across the opening two rounds. Luke Davies-Uniacke has the fourth-lowest break even of any player in the AFL with scores of 80 and 118 points.

Fremantle v St Kilda

Nat Fyfe has reached three figures just once against St Kilda in Perth – finishing with 36 disposals and 126 points in Round 8 last season. Jack Steven has averaged 23 disposals and 93 points from his four matches against Fremantle in Perth.

This week's key SuperCoach numbers from Champion Data

 

[Plo Koon]

https://bit.ly/2UsaHzO can someone please post this article?

 

[Professor]

Spreading his wings: Jack Billings has finally found his niche on the wing for St Kilda

Jon Ralph, Herald Sun

20 minutes ago

Subscriber only

Dirty Harry Callahan told us that a man’s got to know his limitations.

Jack Billings might never be able to hit the side of a barn with a football when in range of goal but he can find the football like few AFL wingmen.

This year Jade Gresham’s spectacular midfield play has drawn the plaudits as he rewards Alan Richardson’s licence to thrill.

Yet Billings’ positioning as a pure wingman rather than misfiring half-forward is reaping just as many rewards.

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The player so often unfavourably compared to draft alumni Marcus Bontempelli has played 84 per cent of game time as a pure wingman and led St Kilda’s possession tallies in both games.

His pair of 28-possession games in wins over Gold Coast and Essendon have included a pair of shots at goal.

Yep, the man who kicked 14.19 from 40 shots last year (the second-worst accuracy in the comp) missed them both.

Jack Billings dashes past Gold Coast Suns midfielder Wil Powell in Round 1. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos.

What he can do is relentlessly find the ball, with Champion Data ranking him third in possessions for AFL wingmen and third for score assists (seven per game).

St Kilda has urged him to not only hunt the ball but increase his physicality and split contests with his speed and aggression.

Right now the midfield is going so well top-10 pick Hunter Clark can’t find a way in, with Jack Steele following up last year’s breakout season and high-profile recruit Dan Hannebery barely missed.

St Kilda champion Danny Frawley, who worked at the Saints as a part-time coach as recently as last year, says Richardson is getting reward from some tough love with Billings.

“He had a really good year in 2017 but his accuracy was letting him down,” he told the Herald Sun.

“All credit to Richo, I am sure his patience would have been waning when he was compared to contemporaries going well around that draft pick number.

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Jack Billings came in for criticism last year for his woes in front of goal. Picture: Michael Klein.

“Richo has made him earn it and rightly so. He dropped him last year and would feel justified that he didn’t hand a game to him on a platter.

“He has turned into an elite trainer, I know “Sammy” Hamill did a lot of work with him on the workrate side of things and he is reaping the benefits of playing on a wing.”

Billings’ contract talks are on delay right now, with the sixth-year Saint keen to remain but only after he has built a strong body of work.

Keep it up and not only will he get that lucrative pay rise but a coach maximising his players’ talents will find himself safe as houses as well.

 

[Professor]

https://bit.ly/2UsaHzO can someone please post this article?

As requested

Is your AFL SuperCoach team in your state’s Top 50 ‘Battle of the Postcodes’ ladder

The Phantom, The Advertiser

April 4, 2019 12:52pm

Subscriber only

SuperCoach team Jimmy’s Juggernauts from Victoria holds a 21-point lead in Supercoach Local: Battle of the Postcodes where every player is ranked by where competitors live.

Jimmy’s Juggernauts, coached by James from the Lara postcode region 3212, tops the ladder on 4699 points after Round 2 of the AFL season, while Alice Springs-based player Daniel and his team Band of Brothers from postcode 0870 is in second place on 4678 points.

See if your team made the cut in the national Top 50 postcode ladder or the state ladders for Victoria, South Australia, NSW and Queensland below.

SuperCoach Battle of the Postcodes: National ladderJIMMY’SJUGGERNAUTS (3212): 4699

Band of brothers (0870): 4678

The Paddies (3116): 4649

MtDoom (4615): 4647

Talcy Down Under (): 4634

Neede Moore Wines (5023): 4629

I Neade A Win (3156): 4628

Albys guns (5049): 4627

SWIMMING ******(3192): 4627

Bananas (3226): 4625

Mcconkeyhawks (3156): 4625

Go The Sledge (2641): 4622

Bunoss Badboyz (3754): 4621

BrodShungs Brutes (3806): 4617

2p1s (5114): 4617

The Elite (5556): 4616

Go Pies (3038): 4616

Ghilli (3030): 4614

BBTF2019 (4567): 4612

Daddy Cool (3041): 4609

DON FLANO (0812): 4607

12 Years a Hawk (5608): 4607

Born to Schimma (3041): 4603

Eaglemont Roos (3084): 4602

Rays Outdoors (5044): 4601

RatPack (5044): 4600

Maeda Beans (): 4597

Pampas men (6566): 4597

Blood or Cripps (3199): 4594

The Hound (3057): 4593

Golden Child (3220): 4593

Classy Crawf (3340): 4593

SPP Pride (5125): 4590

The Pear (5290): 4590

Bloody Yank (invalid): 4589

Goose FC (5085): 4589

RIP King Kayle (2914): 4588

CoachMarvellous (5260): 4587

The Reverse Kangas (3150): 4586

Eddie B (3216): 4586

Honey Bobo (3550): 4585

Mummy’s Slugs (): 4585

True Blue (5107): 4584

McGovernment (3070): 4583

P711 (6009): 4582

Got the blues (2827): 4582

Keeyappa (3934): 4582

Tornato’s (3029): 4581

Corzas curse (3030): 4581

Sneed’s Feed&Seed (3984): 4581

SuperCoach Battle of the Postcodes: Victoria ladderJIMMY’SJUGGERNAUTS (3212): 4699

The Paddies (3116): 4649

I Neade A Win (3156): 4628

SWIMMING ****** (3192): 4627

Bananas (3226): 4625

Mcconkeyhawks (3156): 4625

Bunoss Badboyz (3754): 4621

BrodShungs Brutes (3806): 4617

Go Pies (3038): 4616

Ghilli (3030): 4614

Daddy Cool (3041): 4609

Born to Schimma (3041): 4603

Eaglemont Roos (3084): 4602

Blood or Cripps (3199): 4594

Golden Child (3220): 4593

Classy Crawf (3340): 4593

The Hound (3057): 4593

The Reverse Kangas (3150): 4586

Eddie B (3216): 4586

Honey Bobo (3550): 4585

McGovernment (3070): 4583

Keeyappa (3934): 4582

Tornato’s (3029): 4581

Corzas curse (3030): 4581

Sneed’s Feed&Seed (3984): 4581

Wax on Westhoff (3038): 4577

Cattilac (3977): 4576

Goat eater (3810): 4574

Clown Punchers (3584): 4573

Efforfred (3805): 4572

Sainters (3214): 4572

Mr Bintang (3390): 4571

Connells kitchen (3658): 4570

Crocs and socks (3429): 4570

The Orthodox Joes (3922): 4568

Noostas Nuts (3216): 4567

Pickleheads (3148): 4567

Sneako95 (3140): 4566

Bunkers Boys (3088): 4566

Mr. Dependlebury (3172): 4566

Paganin (3052): 4566

Fyfe Lyfe (3165): 4565

Mad Snakes (3136): 4565

trogger FC (3160): 4564

Gawnski (3141): 4564

caseyscrew (3737): 4563

Yearofthecat (3058): 4563

Book Of Dust (3072): 4563

Bannaz06 (3031): 4563

Weagles (3114): 4562

SuperCoach Battle of the Postcodes: SA ladderNEEDE MOORE WINES (5023): 4629

Albys guns (5049): 4627

2p1s (5114): 4617

The Elite (5556): 4616

12 Years a Hawk (5608): 4607

Rays Outdoors (5044): 4601

RatPack (5044): 4600

The Pear (5290): 4590

SPP Pride (5125): 4590

Goose FC (5085): 4589

CoachMarvellous (5260): 4587

True Blue (5107): 4584

Black skulls (5159): 4579

Things look Rozee (5049): 4579

Stacey Power (5162): 4578

Pear (5086): 4573

The stud stable (5086): 4566

MoontaMarauders (5558): 4566

Big eared Roo (5211): 4565

MOIST (5290): 4562

Yesterday heroes (5204): 4560

TheNew22 (5096): 4558

Mid Pricers Dream (5214): 4553

Go You Good Thing (5074): 4546

The Mac Attacks (5038): 4543

Shogars (5118): 4542

Trophy Collector (5023): 4541

Y.P (5115): 4538

Adelaide Crows (5115): 4538

PowerRanger04 (5108): 4538

Maccas Men (5016): 4534

Pt Spagalaide (5086): 4533

Game Of Sloanes (5255): 4533

K.I.L.S. (5127): 4532

The Cherries (5051): 4531

Swamp Donkeys (5070): 4530

Flying Majakly (5113): 4530

Matty Clarke (5161): 4526

bananarama (5022): 4526

Snowy River Riders (5132): 4526

Titans (5031): 4524

Eat My Footy (5491): 4523

Vietnam Buffalos (5453): 4523

G2 (5069): 4519

Spicy... Ooh (5088): 4518

Alberton United (5014): 4518

Sidlets (5023): 4517

Touching my Crouch (5085): 4517

It’s Our Year (5125): 4517

United Power (5023): 4517

SuperCoach Battle of the Postcodes: Tasmania ladderSAINTSORSINNERS (7250): 4576

Laura’s Lads (7248): 4559

Press O to Crouch (7008): 4557

Ginga Ninjas (7050): 4547

FLYERS (7253): 4546

Red Yellow & Blues (7030): 4546

?wHos-wHo? (7017): 4545

Tasmaniac (7253): 4541

Ted’s six pointers (7052): 4538

Hawks08 (7249): 4536

wipe outs (7253): 4536

BlueBagger31 (7018): 4530

Dangers Game (7253): 4526

Kneemonia (7050): 4526

DomSheeeeeeeeeed!! (7253): 4520

cougars team (7253): 4519

Greyschamps (7018): 4514

Harryhawks (7250): 4514

Armos winners (7011): 4506

LilliDylan (7015): 4506

Mystic journey (7249): 4506

No Tux Given (7310): 4504

umps curse (7253): 4503

Nightmare (7018): 4503

Nightmare (7018): 4503

NAME AND NUMBER (7253): 4499

Snafu (7020): 4498

I Scott no Idea (7008): 4492

Cripps 2 Gucci (7216): 4490

Ultimate Underdogs (7290): 4489

Piece of Cake (7253): 4487

Gangoolie (7010): 4485

Tamar River Hawks (7253): 4484

Aussie’s Legends (7112): 4483

The pinchers (7253): 4480

Kings Pride (7315): 4476

Knightys Boys (7050): 4476

Snowball (7011): 4472

Rainmen (7018): 4472

Robyns Ratbags (7321): 4472

Bufferzone (7009): 4469

Jims dog wash (7018): 4468

Fitzroy Ferrets (7316): 4465

Look out! (7050): 4465

PaddyWhacked (7173): 4463

ass-kickers (7140): 4463

Burges Roughies (7315): 4463

Bellow & Yak (7249): 4461

VMEN (7050): 4461

Mirra Meara (7250): 4458

SuperCoach Battle of the Postcodes: NSW ladderGO THE SLEDGE (2641): 4622

RIP King Kayle (2914): 4588

Got the blues (2827): 4582

Blue Stompers (2904): 4569

Figjam (2712): 4568

Corbusier’s Crouch (2089): 4557

Lurkin With Intent (2029): 4550

Maggets (2460): 4541

Captain Cripps (2234): 4531

TDFC (2444): 4528

Alunie1 (2570): 4523

TheBigLangTheory (2615): 4517

Dang6rous D66s (2640): 4516

TwoGoals6 (2607): 4505

The Indoor Kites (2601): 4505

THREE FEET (2486): 4504

Dillon Panthers (2576): 4504

H (2707): 4500

AzAttack (2207): 4499

Roaring Cubs (2486): 4498

Dustin Martinis (2705): 4496

Flossys Bandits (2100): 4496

West’s Champions (2130): 4494

Munmorah Maulers (2263): 4493

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Kbar’s Killers (2170): 4484

Smitts Sloths (2567): 4484

UDL 2 give U the L (2260): 4483

The Honey Badgers (2615): 4483

Antarctic Mermaids (2643): 4482

Average Joe (2650): 4482

Cech Yo Self (2603): 4481

Grumpystallions (2154): 4480

Pressure Hooker (2010): 4479

Pete’s Pistols (2646): 4479

Bondi Billionaires (2234): 4478

Simos Swans (2480): 4477

Riverina rats (2650): 4475

Lilly’s_Hawks (2015): 4475

South Side Six (2230): 4474

***** (2749): 4474

Bondi Banchongs (2026): 4474

The Welsh Dragons (2010): 4472

mooses marvels (2731): 4472

PoorBUDDYmitchell (2880): 4471

Barrel It (2756): 4471

Bloodbath (2261): 4469

OneHungLow (2260): 4468

Tigers Roar (2906): 4468

The Dingbats (2010): 4468

Sauce’s Soldiers (2650): 4466

SuperCoach Battle of the Postcodes: QLD ladderMTDOOM (4615): 4647

BBTF2019 (4567): 4612

Headhunters (4214): 4550

The Winners (4830): 4547

Cool Runnings (4212): 4536

Bobs Boys (4350): 4534

Copes (4165): 4534

True Believer (4034): 4533

Bobcats Bastards (4817): 4529

ReadyToDustyYouUp (4170): 4527

WatermelonKreuzers (4064): 4526

Copperheads (4285): 4523

Miggel (4152): 4523

RIcko’s Rebels (4151): 4519

Stix’s All Stars (4035): 4515

The dragons (4870): 4513

Ryder2Gray (4068): 4512

Fred’sFootyFreaks (4870): 4511

The Fuzzy Kitties (4053): 4511

BangersandMash (4211): 4510

RODGERS RU*** (4305): 4509

Hayden’s Team (4066): 4508

MichaelsDriveBys (4226): 4506

Maxys magic (4740): 4503

Wantoks (4113): 4501

Cheezo’s Champions (4882): 4500

Beaten Favourites (4007): 4499

Kings Men (4112): 4498

Heroes and Champs (4101): 4496

RocketsRockets (4551): 4495

Patty’s Ship (4223): 4493

Pork-****** (4680): 4493

Washed up Hawks (4870): 4490

q (4380): 4489

SnoiL@SCT (4701): 4489

Hip Hops (4054): 4488

Denibok Allstars (4116): 4487

young piston rich (4881): 4485

six&out (4380): 4483

Players of Rohan (4075): 4483

COOMY2004 (4113): 4481

CrowEater FC (4870): 4480

Wenins Romes (4011): 4479

************ (4207): 4477

************ (4551): 4475

Patzoalzac (4551): 4474

Cassius Clay (4153): 4473

Rough Nuts (4215): 4472

Headless Zombie (4510): 4472

Kellyville cowboys (4178): 4471

Originally published as Your state’s Top 50 ‘Battle of the Postcodes’ ladder

 

[Professor]

AFL SuperCoach: Ultimate guide to the top Round 4 trade targets, Dustin Martin and Elliot Yeo on chopping block

Tim Michell, Herald Sun

37 minutes ago

Subscriber only

SuperCoach prices have changed for the first time, but some of the top mid-price picks are still within reach despite surging toward premium status after Round 3.

Tom Liberatore experienced one of the biggest price rises, while popular West Coast on-baller Dom Sheed jumped to almost $450,000.

AFL SUPERCOACH: WHO SHOULD YOU TRADE DUSTIN MARTIN FOR?

PART 1: HOW SYDNEY LANDED LANCE FRANKLIN DEAL

AFLW: WESTERN BULLDOGS STAR KATIE BRENNAN JOINS RIVAL

If you’ve had this pair in your sights, now is the time to jump on otherwise you have officially missed out.

There’s concern over the form of some premium starting picks, most notably Dustin Martin.

Should he be rubbed out at the tribunal, it will be an easy call for the 40,000 coaches who stuck by Dusty to move him on.

Rory Laird and Josh Dunkley are two other players who started the season with high price tags who have failed to reach the scoring heights expected of them so far, but history tells us sticking by the top players pays off in the long run.

Monitor Nathan Fyfe and Tom Rockliff (concussion) in the lead up to their respective matches this week, while Tim Kelly (ankle) is also under a cloud but should be held regardless of whether he plays in Round 4 or not.

Tom Liberatore $379,600 Mid Avg: 117.7 BE: -55

Any doubts about the sustainability of Libba’s elite scoring are surely gone after he scored 150 in a loss against Gold Coast. He’s back to his best, racking up contested ball at will and already jumping by almost $80,000. If you miss out this week, it will be too late as his negative break even will result in another hefty price jump.

Grey skies are clearing if you have Lachie Whitfield in your SuperCoach team. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images.

Lachie Whitfield $569,600 Def Avg: 126.7 BE: 60

All signs point to Whitfield being a top defender at the end of the season. His numbers so far put him close to Jake Lloyd, who is the No. 1 defender after three rounds. Great signs for his owners when Josh Kelly returned on the weekend yet Whitfield’s scoring increased. He might be above $600,000 in two weeks.

Dom Sheed $449,500 Mid Avg: 118.3 BE: 53

The greatest question about Sheed’s selection was answered on Saturday when he excelled in the grand final rematch despite Andrew Gaff’s return. He spent more time forward than in the opening two rounds but still had a huge impact with 24 disposals and three goals. He’s the real deal.

Nathan Fyfe $604,900 Mid Avg: 111.3 BE: 169

Fyfe was headed for another triple-figure score before he clashed heads with St Kilda’s Josh Battle and was knocked out on Sunday with his total on 63. He might miss the western derby this weekend but don’t waste a trade moving him on. He was the No. 1 midfielder after two rounds.

Rory Laird has made a slow start to the season but is worth holding on to. Picture: Sarah Reed.

Rory Laird $555,900 Def Avg: 91.7 BE: 154

The most reliable defender of recent years is giving coaches headaches for the first time. Laird is set to lose value again this weekend after scores of 102, 89 and 84. Those numbers are hardly cause for alarm but some of his points from previous seasons are being taken by Brodie Smith and Wayne Milera. You picked Laird to hold him for the season so don’t stray from that plan.

Josh Dunkley $494,000 Fwd-Mid Avg: 84.7 BE: 135

Another premium player who has been underwhelming to date. Luke Beveridge has used Dunkley in a variety of roles this year, spending most of his time as a midfielder in Round 2 before playing deeper forward for large periods against Gold Coast. The temptation to trade him to Tim Kelly is growing but you want more depth in your forward line, not less. Don’t go trading out premium forwards yet.

Gryan Miers $176,100 Fwd Avg: 63 BE: -48

Miers appears one of the standout forward rookies after kicking three goals in Geelong’s victory over Adelaide. His break-even is so low it could be worth a sideways trade from a lower scoring rookie such as Carlton’s Will Setterfield.

Gryan Miers is outperforming most of the SuperCoach forward rookies. Picture: Mike Dugdale.

Travis Boak $521,600 Fwd Avg: 126 BE: 48

Boak went to another level with Ollie Wines back in the Port Adelaide team, scoring 136 against Brisbane Lions. His lowest total so far is 119 and if he can average 105 or better for the campaign he’ll be a topscoring forward. The Power has a Round 12 bye, avoiding most of the popular premium picks.

Luke Dahlhaus $448,000 Fwd-Mid Avg: 104 BE: 53

The premium forward who was a top pick from 2014 to 2017 is back. Dahlhaus has three straight hundreds as a Cat and looks to have rediscovered the hunger which was lacking in his final years at Western Bulldogs. It’s tempting to wait for a bigger sample but that will also mean potentially paying above $500,000.

Ben Cunnington $550,100 Mid Avg: 122.7 BE: 46

Contested beast Cunnington backed up his 159 from Round 2 with 118 against Hawthorn. He’s a real POD pick, but a word of caution — Cunnington has never averaged more than 96.3.

Tom Rockliff $429,000 Mid Avg: 96.7 BE: 100

Rockliff’s pending price spike was derailed when he was knocked out upon his return to Brisbane with his score on 36. His break even is back to 100, which he’s shown is achievable. If you have him, don’t trade him based on an injury-affected score. He could be a trade target again if he fires in coming weeks.

Are you willing to take a punt on Gold Coast defender Pearce Hanley? Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt.

Zach Merrett $533,400 Mid Avg: 98.3 BE: 86

Merrett was always likely to make a slow start after his pre-season was affected by injury. After 67 in Round 1, he’s cranked out 108 and 120. Merrett has twice averaged 109 and has delivered three successive seasons above 100. He’s strongly worth consideration if your midfield is lacking depth.

Pearce Hanley $313,800 Def Avg: 71 BE: 18

Hanley’s time on Gold Coast has been riddled with injury and he was less than $300,000 and the start of 2019 as a result. He’s been warming into the year, building from 46 in Round 1 to 96 against the Bulldogs on Sunday. Hanley comes with a fair bit of risk but his price is rising fast.

Shane Mumford $320,200 Ruck Avg: 91 BE: 6 (one game)

Wait another week before you consider Mumford. A score of 91 on his return to the GWS side was encouraging and he could present a quick cash grab if you have an underperforming ruckman. If you’re holding a player such as Justin Westhoff, a downgrade to Mumford makes sense.

Tom Papley $398,100 Fwd Avg: 86 BE: 66

One from left field. Papley averaged 82 two seasons ago when playing predominantly as a small forward and has been deployed further afield this year. Papley already has two scores above 90. He’ll throw in the odd low score but could be one of the breakout forwards of 2019.

It’s hard to mount a case for holding Dustin Martin through his suspension. Picture: AAP Image/James Ross.

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CHOPPING BLOCK

Dustin Martin $520,400 Mid Avg: 78.3 BE: 180

Facing two weeks on the sidelines due to suspension and Martin’s slow start means he’s only going to burn cash when he returns. He might be a good target when his price bottoms out but you would want to see his form turn sharply before then.

Elliot Yeo $538,600 Mid Avg: 80 BE: 160

Yeo has struggled to match his 2018 output in the early rounds, tagged by Matt De Boer in Round 2 and plummeting in price this week. He was a POD pick for those who started him and it hasn’t paid off. He could be worth a look if he drops below $500,000.

Justin Westhoff $509,900 Fwd-Ruc Avg: 78.3 BE: 214

Westhoff was one of the top performers of Round 1 with 149 but has followed up with scores of 47 and 39. Swing him to Tim Kelly, Shane Mumford or either Brodie Grundy or Max Gawn.

Justin Westhoff has failed to fire since being one of the top scorers of Round 1. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz.

Stefan Martin $546,100 Ruck Avg: 92 BE: 127

A bit unlucky to be on this list, but an average of 92 won’t make Martin a top ruckman. Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy won’t lose much more value so if you’re planning to upgrade from Martin to the premier rucks, this could be the week.

Forward rookies

Will Setterfield, Willem Drew, Matt Parker, Jack Petrucelle, Chris Burgess, Jack Lukosius, Noah Balta.

Petruccelle was the best scorer of this bunch in Round 3 with 58. Start making plans to punt your forward rookies quickly as the depth at our disposal in midfield and defence just isn’t available in attack this year. The best strategy would be finding enough money to upgrade these players.

 

[Professor]

AFL SuperCoach: Will Nathan Fyfe recover for the western derby? Plus news on Tom Rockliff, Tim Kelly and the rookie ruckman gunning for Zac Clarke’s spot

Tim Michell, Herald Sun

32 minutes ago

Subscriber only

The fitness of Nathan Fyfe, Tim Kelly and Tom Rockliff has dominated the SuperCoach headlines this week, although there’s a positive outlook for at least two of the popular trio ahead of Round 4.

Fyfe was heavily concussed against St Kilda and Rockliff suffered the same fate against Brisbane, while Kelly injured his ankle late in Geelong’s victory over Adelaide.

Here’s the Round 4 SuperCoach whispers you need to know:

Fyfe in serious doubt for western derby

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said on Tuesday captain Nathan Fyfe “needs to be symptom free” to feature in this weekend’s western derby. Fyfe was knocked out in a sickening head clash with St Kilda’s Josh Battle on Sunday and his availability was still unclear when Lyon and opposing coach Adam Simpson fronted the media. “Fyfe texted me today to say g’day and he’s progressing well,” Lyon said. “There’s clear mandated processes to go through. He’s in good spirits, he slept well but he needs to be symptom free. We have genuine care for Nathan and all of our players but I’m no expert (on if he’ll play).”

Tom Rockliff was concussed in Port Adelaide’s loss to his former side Brisbane Lions. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz.

Rockliff, Gray show positive signs

The early prognosis from Port Adelaide this week regarding Tom Rockliff (concussion) and Robbie Gray (shoulder) was positive. Assistant coach Brett Montgomery said on Monday the key Power pair were both on track to face Richmond in Round 4. “At this point in time … they are both on track and they both pulled up OK,” he said. “It’s early obviously and there’s a lot they will have to get through, which is no different to any other week. But I think, as good as it can be for both at this stage.” Rockliff only scored 36 before he was knocked out on his return to Brisbane. Power football manager Chris Davies also told The Advertiser: “Rocky was obviously concussed but he felt fine after the game. There was an incident during the game which the doctor wanted to be cautious with and we’ll have a look at him during the week.”

Tim Kelly faces a fitness test before featuring for Geelong against GWS in Round 4. Picture: Alison Wynd

Cats star Kelly to face fitness test

Cats star Tim Kelly — one of the topscoring SuperCoach forwards to Round 3 — will face a fitness test later this week after scans confirmed he suffered a low-grade sprain to his ankle in the Geelong’s win over Adelaide. The Cats said on Tuesday they were happy with Kelly’s progress and he was walking without pain. “He’s walking pain-free and he will be a test later in the week, we’re happy with how he’s progressing,” Geelong football manager Simon Lloyd told the Geelong Advertiser. “Getting off the plane (last Friday) you could see him limping, but he walked past my office several hours ago and he’s moving freely.”

AFL SUPERCOACH: THE ULTIMATE ROUND 4 TRADE GUIDE

AFL SUPERCOACH: WHO SHOULD YOU TRADE DUSTIN MARTIN TO?

AFL 2019: THE INSIDE STORY BEHIND BUDDY’S MOVE TO SYDNEY

Young gun Ross pushing for Tigers chance

Opportunities are opening up at an alarming rate at Richmond and 2018 draftee Jack Ross is mounting a strong case to debut. Ross was a standout during the club’s VFL pre-season and had 21 disposals and 10 tackles in their Round 1 state league victory over Geelong. A $117,300 midfielder, Ross was drafted from Oakleigh Chargers with pick No. 43 in last year’s national draft. Shai Bolton, Patrick Naish and Jacob Townsend were others named in the Tigers’ best.

Jackson Hately (right) is pressing for a senior debut with GWS Giants. Picture: AAP Image/James Ross.

Giants draftee best afield in opening NEAFL game

No. 14 draft pick Jackson Hately is pushing for an early-season GWS debut after being named the Giants’ best in their NEAFL loss to Sydney. Hately was mooted as a possible Round 1 debutant but has been made to bide his time before earning a berth in the star-studded GWS midfield. Hately, a $148,800 SuperCoach midfielder, had 27 disposals, three marks and four tackles in the NEAFL.

Smith makes instant impact in wing role


Listed as a $247,000 defender in SuperCoach, Roarke Smith showed his wares in the attacking half for Footscray VFL at the weekend. Smith has only been a moderate SuperCoach scorer playing predominantly from half back, averaging 45.5 in 10 games last season. He had 21 disposals and kicked four goals as the Bulldogs defeated Sandringham and looms as a wildcard in attack or playing from a wing for Luke Beveridge to trial. “He seems like he’s in a really good space at the moment. We’re playing him up on a wing. He’s been outstanding. I love his defensive stuff,” Footscray coach Daniel Giansiracusa said.

Do Hawks hold the answer to forward rookie woes?

Hawthorn’s victory over North Melbourne likely means a swag of chances are unlikely to open up in Round 4, but jot down the names of two potential forward rookies who could help alleviate some of the cash generation issues SuperCoaches are having in attack. Box Hill Hawks — Hawthorn’s VFL affiliate — enjoyed a 62-point win over Casey Demons on Sunday. Jackson Ross ($123,900, Fwd) and Mitch Lewis ($149,000, Fwd) combined for nine goals. Ross, a 193cm mid/forward, was taken at pick No. 71 in the 2017 national draft. He told the Hawks’ website he had been modelling his game on Jack Gunston. “I’ve just been trying to take in as much as I can from him,” he said. “But then hopefully one day kick him out of the team.”

Rookie ruckman Sam Draper takes front spot in a ruck contest during a VFL match against Geelong. Picture: AAP/ Chris Eastman.

Is another Dons ruckman in the mix to partner Bellchambers?

Zac Clarke’s 39,779 owners would have been thrilled when he was named to debut against Melbourne in Round 3. If you paid up for Clarke instead of a non-playing rookie, cash generation what you were chasing. But the former Docker might come under pressure for his spot in coming rounds if 203cm ruckman Sam Draper maintains his hot start in the VFL. Draper tallied 22 disposals, five tackles, 39 hit outs and kicked two goals as Essendon monstered Frankston in Round 1. He’ll cost $123,900 should he sneak into the Bombers line-up. Bombers VFL coach Dan Jordan praised Draper’s game as “outstanding”.

 

[Professor]

Supercoach Investor: Why Travis Boak and Lachie Whitfield should be the top trade targets for suspended Richmond star Dustin Martin

Daniel Begala, Herald Sun

9 minutes ago

Subscriber only

Strap yourselves in.

It’s only early, but we’re in the throes of a raging bull SuperCoach market that has seen most coaches delivering staggering dividends in excess of 2,200 points per week.

To the analysts, it’s unprecedented.

Scoring was meant to be challenging, volatile and sometimes underwhelming in the early days. Wrong.

It’s time to take heed, reposition our sides and rectify any glaring errors we face on the verge of Round 4.

Travis Boak’s return to midfield has resulted in a surge in his SuperCoach scoring. Picture: Tom Huntley.THE DUSTY DILEMMA

The SuperCoach Investor’s decision to ‘short’ (sell) Dustin Martin ticked the boxes for many coaches last week and has all the hallmarks of a shrewd investment move.

It’s backfired for The Begala Brigade in the short-term with his replacement, Tom Rockliff, registering only 36 points following an inopportune concussion against his old side Brisbane.

Coaches — don’t despair — as the ‘long/short’ methodology had all the attributes of a sound decision.

He was scoring like a maniac. He granted us an immediate cash injection. He’s as tough as nails. Rocky will be back.

But what do we do with the falling star, Dustin Martin?

If you’re one of the 20 per cent of sides still holding the services of the Brownlow medallist, it’s time to cut ties. Immediately.

His one-week suspension is the catalyst and it’s time to rip-off the Band-Aid.

You can go up. You can do down. You can go forward. You can go back.

The world is your oyster, so trade wisely.

The SuperCoach Investor — despite the allure of Tom Liberatore, Dom Sheed and Brad Crouch — suggests careful manipulation of your side’s dual-position eligibility to acquire Lachie Whitfield ($570K, BE 60) or Travis Boak ($522K, BE 40).

The reason?

Both of these stars are entrenched at the pointy end of their positions, Whitefield sitting No. 2 in defence and Boak positioned as the No. 2 forward. There’s daylight between them and the next-best scoring candidate.

Lloyd, Whitfield. Dangerfield, Boak. That’s a SuperCoach combo made in heaven.

They’re still significantly underpriced, but won’t be for much longer, so focus your investment attention onto Lachie Whitfield before you consider a like-for-like midfield replacement.

There is one standout in the middle, Lachie Neale ($646K, BE 63), but outside of the little maestro you could throw a blanket over the remaining midfield stocks.

Whitfield and Boak are distinct “outliers”, so prioritise their acquisition at all costs.

The SuperCoach Investor says Lachie Whitfield should be in your defence ‘at all costs’. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts.

THE LIBBA LOVE IS BACK

The numbers don’t lie.

He’s back in a big way.

Liberatore has always been the heart-and-soul of Whitten Oval, but when he plays, he enables the likes of Jack Macrae and Marcus Bontempelli to walk taller.

Given he now frequents almost a third of sides (36 per cent), it’s time to pay heed to his services.

If he continues his merry ways and scoring trajectory, it will spell significant downside for all non-owners.

He’ll trump all rookie options you’ve got at your disposal, but could — if the planets align — develop into a bona fide premium midfielder.

I’m ultimately ‘bearish’ on this forecast, but Libba, please prove me wrong!

It’s probably too early to consider punting the likes of Zak Butters, but Libba could serve as an almighty “downgrade” for Dustin Martin.

Both tatted up. Both scoring bad boys.

Elliot Yeo will be a fallen premium target when his SuperCoach price bottoms out. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Wainwright.

AFL SUPERCOACH: THE ULTIMATE ROUND 4 TRADE GUIDE

DOCTOR SUPERCOACH: HOW A ROLE CHANGE HAS HURT DUSTY’S SCORING

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AFL SUPERCOACH: THE TOP DUSTIN MARTIN TRADE OPTIONS

BUDGETS, FORECASTS & ARBITRAGE

It wouldn’t be a one-stop shop for investment advice without some reference to forecasts and SuperCoach budgeting.

We’re on the verge of Round 4, but it’s time to fire up the spreadsheets and build your pipeline for underpriced stars destined to join your side in the weeks preceding the byes.

SuperCoach is a trading race, so get the stars in and get them in fast.

Keep your eyes on the likes of Justin Westhoff (Breakeven 214), Stephen Coniglio (BE 182), Elliot Yeo (BE 160) and Rory Laird (BE 155) as prospective upgrades to your side when they finally turn the screws on their underwhelming scoring.

They’ll all do it. They’re seasoned scorers and previous SuperCoach kings.

So get ready to strike while the iron (and price) is hot.

For the SuperCoach Investor, I’m fixated on the slow-starting Elliot Yeo who has failed to trouble the scoreboard throughout rounds 1-3 (averaging 80), but has an unrivalled scoring capacity when he’s up and going.

It may be wishful thinking, but I’m hoping to swoop on his services when he eventually flicks the switch for a price well-below $500K.

Stay tuned for SuperCoach arbitrage.

 

[Professor]

Champion Data form guide: The fallen SuperCoach premiums who should be on your trade radar

Champion Data, Herald Sun

24 minutes ago

Subscriber only

Identifying fallen premiums is a tactic that most successful SuperCoaches adopt.
They are usually players that have made a slow start, whether its through injury or a close tag, or even just underperforming.

One prime example from 2018 was Zach Merrett.

He was concussed in Round 1 and only scored 17 points.

He was then tagged by the Bulldogs in Round 3 and managed 53 points.

The result was a massive price drop. He clicked into gear in Round 4 against the Power and then ranked sixth in the AFL for points scored by midfielders for the remainder of the season.

The 2019 version of Merrett could be Dustin Martin.

His early-season struggles have been well-documented and after he serves his one-game suspension, he’ll have a massive breakeven of 180 points to reach.

AFL SUPERCOACH: THE WHISPERS TO KNOW BEFORE ROUND 4

AFL SUPERCOACH: THE PLAYERS ON THE TRADE CHOPPING BLOCK

IS LACHIE NEALE THE MAN TO REPLACE DUSTIN MARTIN?

He has already dropped by $43,400 and will fall even further. He’s definitely one to monitor over the coming rounds if he shows any signs of getting back to his best.

Stephen Coniglio is another player to keep an eye on.

He was held to 53 points by Mark Hutchings in Round 2 and now has a huge breakeven of 182 points ahead a clash against the high-flying Cats.

Stephen Coniglio’s price has fallen after lean games in rounds two and three. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts.

Another poor score could be on the cards as he averages just 78 points at Geelong from four career games. The end result could be another hefty price drop.

Rory Laird is a player that has underperformed in the opening rounds, needing a score of 154 this week just to keep his price.

The return of Brodie Smith and the emergence of Wayne Milera as a defender has impacted his numbers, averaging 25 disposals — well down from the 38 he averaged in the opening three rounds of 2018. He has also been targeted by the opposition with both George Hewett and Tom Atkins spending time on him this year.

The list below should be used as a reference guide over the coming rounds as prices are set to tumble across the board.

Players on slide

PlayerPositionPriceAverageBreakevenJustin WesthoffFwd-Ruc$509,90078214Stephen ConiglioMid$571,500103182Dustin MartinMid$520,40078180Kade SimpsonDef$517,10072170Nat FyfeMid$604,900111169Elliot YeoMid$538,60080160Joel SelwoodMid$532,90084159Rory LairdDef$555,90092154Seb RossMid$520,50081148Lance FranklinFwd$486,60064148

Harris Andrews (BE 144), James Sicily (BE 144), Toby McLean (BE 144), Max Gawn (BE 144) and David Mundy (BE 142) are other starting premiums whose price should continue falling.

Justin Westhoff has the highest break even of any player heading into Round 4. Picture: Simon Cross.

Rookies

It was payday for our rookies last round as they enjoyed their first of what will be hopefully be many price rises.

Charlie Constable boomed by $87,700 which was the biggest rise of any player in the league.

Connor Rozee (+$70,500), Willem Drew (+$70,100) and Matthew Parker (+$69,200) weren’t too far behind.

Looking ahead, we need to keep a close eye on breakevens.

As soon as that figure creeps up to their season average — then a decision has to be made about moving them on.

Unfortunately, that day has come a little too soon for both Tom Atkins (-1 BE) and Michael Gibbons (0 BE).

Their days of making SuperCoaches money are definitely numbered, especially in the case of Gibbons where he could only manage a game-low 17 points against the Swans.

He leads the Blues for forward half pressure points in his debut season, but that doesn’t equate to any SuperCoach points. A 36-point season average is also well below what we expected.

Tom Atkins’ average is trending closer to his break even. Picture: Glenn FergusonMichael Gibbons could be moved on in coming weeks to bring in Sydney Srtack. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images.

Round 3 debutant Sydney Stack is the player earmarked to come straight into our sides after his next match.

Despite being a midfielder in SuperCoach, his AFL journey began in defence.

He starred against the Giants, winning a team-high 10 intercepts to go with 17 disposals and a disposal efficiency of 82%.

Some SuperCoaches may look to make a move for him ahead of Round 4, but we do need to be mindful that he could do a ‘Joshua Glenn’, that is, score 100+ on debut and then follow that up with a 36 the next week.

In terms of bubble boys, there are several to choose from — should they all hold their place in the side.

The mature-age Jay Lockhart was a lot more involved in his second match, scoring 57 points. He also offers DPP flexibility.

Teammates Corey Wagner and Tom Sparrow are other players to consider should you have a non-playing midfielder.

ROUND 4PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sydney Swans vs Melbourne

Isaac Heeney bounced back last round with four goals and a game-high 137 points in the win over Carlton. Angus Brayshaw was one of few winners against Essendon, having 34 disposals and 108 points.

Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs

Darcy Moore had the highest price rise (+$48,600) of any Collingwood player last round after scoring 79 points. Tom Liberatore’s price boomed by $79,200 after piling on 150 points against Gold Coast.

Geelong Cats vs Greater Western Sydney

Mitch Duncan had 26 disposals, 18 uncontested possessions and 105 points at GMHBA Stadium in Round 2. Stephen Coniglio has struggled at the venue across his career, averaging 78 points from four games.

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Essendon vs Brisbane Lions

Dyson Heppell led the Bombers to their first win of the season with a season-high 27 disposals and 125 points. Lachie Neale’s blistering start to the season continued after racking up 43 disposals and a round-high 177 points.

Port Adelaide vs Richmond

A five-goal haul for Connor Rozee led to a massive price spike of $70,500 after scoring 116 points against Brisbane. Dion Prestia was industrious against the Giants — managing 33 disposals and 92 points.

North Melbourne vs Adelaide Crows

Todd Goldstein suffered an $18,100 price drop despite scoring 114 points from a season-high 15 hit-outs-to-advantage in the loss to Hawthorn. Rory Laird’s price tumbled by $31,700 after scoring 102, 89 and 84 points respectively.

West Coast Eagles vs Fremantle

Andrew Gaff scored 123 points from 33 disposals in last year’s infamous Round 20 Derby against the Dockers. Michael Walters finished with 22 disposals, two goals and 99 points of his own.

Gold Coast Suns vs Carlton

Brayden Fiorini is the leading ball winner at the Suns this season — averaging a career-high 107 points. Michael Gibbons has struggled to find the ball as the result of a forward role, scoring a game-low 17 points against the Swans.

St Kilda vs Hawthorn

Jack Billings had a team-high 32 disposals in the loss to the Dockers, scoring 108 points. Jaeger O’Meara dropped below 100 points for the first time this season against the Kangaroos — finishing with 32 disposals, 12 tackles and 89 points.

 

[Professor]

AFL SuperCoach: Ultimate guide to the top Round 4 trade targets, Dustin Martin and Elliot Yeo on chopping block

Tim Michell, Herald Sun

April 11, 2019 12:07pm

Subscriber only

SuperCoach prices have changed for the first time, but some of the top mid-price picks are still within reach despite surging toward premium status after Round 3.

Tom Liberatore experienced one of the biggest price rises, while popular West Coast on-baller Dom Sheed jumped to almost $450,000.

AFL SUPERCOACH: WHO SHOULD YOU TRADE DUSTIN MARTIN FOR?

PART 1: HOW SYDNEY LANDED LANCE FRANKLIN DEAL

AFLW: WESTERN BULLDOGS STAR KATIE BRENNAN JOINS RIVAL

If you’ve had this pair in your sights, now is the time to jump on otherwise you have officially missed out.

There’s concern over the form of some premium starting picks, most notably Dustin Martin.

Should he be rubbed out at the tribunal, it will be an easy call for the 40,000 coaches who stuck by Dusty to move him on.

Rory Laird and Josh Dunkley are two other players who started the season with high price tags who have failed to reach the scoring heights expected of them so far, but history tells us sticking by the top players pays off in the long run.

Monitor Nathan Fyfe and Tom Rockliff (concussion) in the lead up to their respective matches this week, while Tim Kelly (ankle) is also under a cloud but should be held regardless of whether he plays in Round 4 or not.

Tom Liberatore $379,600 Mid Avg: 117.7 BE: -55

Any doubts about the sustainability of Libba’s elite scoring are surely gone after he scored 150 in a loss against Gold Coast. He’s back to his best, racking up contested ball at will and already jumping by almost $80,000. If you miss out this week, it will be too late as his negative break even will result in another hefty price jump.

Grey skies are clearing if you have Lachie Whitfield in your SuperCoach team. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images.

Lachie Whitfield $569,600 Def Avg: 126.7 BE: 60

All signs point to Whitfield being a top defender at the end of the season. His numbers so far put him close to Jake Lloyd, who is the No. 1 defender after three rounds. Great signs for his owners when Josh Kelly returned on the weekend yet Whitfield’s scoring increased. He might be above $600,000 in two weeks.

Dom Sheed $449,500 Mid Avg: 118.3 BE: 53

The greatest question about Sheed’s selection was answered on Saturday when he excelled in the grand final rematch despite Andrew Gaff’s return. He spent more time forward than in the opening two rounds but still had a huge impact with 24 disposals and three goals. He’s the real deal.

Nathan Fyfe $604,900 Mid Avg: 111.3 BE: 169

Fyfe was headed for another triple-figure score before he clashed heads with St Kilda’s Josh Battle and was knocked out on Sunday with his total on 63. He might miss the western derby this weekend but don’t waste a trade moving him on. He was the No. 1 midfielder after two rounds.

Rory Laird has made a slow start to the season but is worth holding on to. Picture: Sarah Reed.

Rory Laird $555,900 Def Avg: 91.7 BE: 154

The most reliable defender of recent years is giving coaches headaches for the first time. Laird is set to lose value again this weekend after scores of 102, 89 and 84. Those numbers are hardly cause for alarm but some of his points from previous seasons are being taken by Brodie Smith and Wayne Milera. You picked Laird to hold him for the season so don’t stray from that plan.

Josh Dunkley $494,000 Fwd-Mid Avg: 84.7 BE: 135

Another premium player who has been underwhelming to date. Luke Beveridge has used Dunkley in a variety of roles this year, spending most of his time as a midfielder in Round 2 before playing deeper forward for large periods against Gold Coast. The temptation to trade him to Tim Kelly is growing but you want more depth in your forward line, not less. Don’t go trading out premium forwards yet.

Gryan Miers $176,100 Fwd Avg: 63 BE: -48

Miers appears one of the standout forward rookies after kicking three goals in Geelong’s victory over Adelaide. His break-even is so low it could be worth a sideways trade from a lower scoring rookie such as Carlton’s Will Setterfield.

Gryan Miers is outperforming most of the SuperCoach forward rookies. Picture: Mike Dugdale.

Travis Boak $521,600 Fwd Avg: 126 BE: 48

Boak went to another level with Ollie Wines back in the Port Adelaide team, scoring 136 against Brisbane Lions. His lowest total so far is 119 and if he can average 105 or better for the campaign he’ll be a topscoring forward. The Power has a Round 12 bye, avoiding most of the popular premium picks.

Luke Dahlhaus $448,000 Fwd-Mid Avg: 104 BE: 53

The premium forward who was a top pick from 2014 to 2017 is back. Dahlhaus has three straight hundreds as a Cat and looks to have rediscovered the hunger which was lacking in his final years at Western Bulldogs. It’s tempting to wait for a bigger sample but that will also mean potentially paying above $500,000.

Ben Cunnington $550,100 Mid Avg: 122.7 BE: 46

Contested beast Cunnington backed up his 159 from Round 2 with 118 against Hawthorn. He’s a real POD pick, but a word of caution — Cunnington has never averaged more than 96.3.

Tom Rockliff $429,000 Mid Avg: 96.7 BE: 100

Rockliff’s pending price spike was derailed when he was knocked out upon his return to Brisbane with his score on 36. His break even is back to 100, which he’s shown is achievable. If you have him, don’t trade him based on an injury-affected score. He could be a trade target again if he fires in coming weeks.

Are you willing to take a punt on Gold Coast defender Pearce Hanley? Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt.

Zach Merrett $533,400 Mid Avg: 98.3 BE: 86

Merrett was always likely to make a slow start after his pre-season was affected by injury. After 67 in Round 1, he’s cranked out 108 and 120. Merrett has twice averaged 109 and has delivered three successive seasons above 100. He’s strongly worth consideration if your midfield is lacking depth.

Pearce Hanley $313,800 Def Avg: 71 BE: 18

Hanley’s time on Gold Coast has been riddled with injury and he was less than $300,000 and the start of 2019 as a result. He’s been warming into the year, building from 46 in Round 1 to 96 against the Bulldogs on Sunday. Hanley comes with a fair bit of risk but his price is rising fast.

Shane Mumford $320,200 Ruck Avg: 91 BE: 6 (one game)

Wait another week before you consider Mumford. A score of 91 on his return to the GWS side was encouraging and he could present a quick cash grab if you have an underperforming ruckman. If you’re holding a player such as Justin Westhoff, a downgrade to Mumford makes sense.

Tom Papley $398,100 Fwd Avg: 86 BE: 66

One from left field. Papley averaged 82 two seasons ago when playing predominantly as a small forward and has been deployed further afield this year. Papley already has two scores above 90. He’ll throw in the odd low score but could be one of the breakout forwards of 2019.

It’s hard to mount a case for holding Dustin Martin through his suspension. Picture: AAP Image/James Ross.

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CHOPPING BLOCK

Dustin Martin $520,400 Mid Avg: 78.3 BE: 180

Facing two weeks on the sidelines due to suspension and Martin’s slow start means he’s only going to burn cash when he returns. He might be a good target when his price bottoms out but you would want to see his form turn sharply before then.

Elliot Yeo $538,600 Mid Avg: 80 BE: 160

Yeo has struggled to match his 2018 output in the early rounds, tagged by Matt De Boer in Round 2 and plummeting in price this week. He was a POD pick for those who started him and it hasn’t paid off. He could be worth a look if he drops below $500,000.

Justin Westhoff $509,900 Fwd-Ruc Avg: 78.3 BE: 214

Westhoff was one of the top performers of Round 1 with 149 but has followed up with scores of 47 and 39. Swing him to Tim Kelly, Shane Mumford or either Brodie Grundy or Max Gawn.

Justin Westhoff has failed to fire since being one of the top scorers of Round 1. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz.

Stefan Martin $546,100 Ruck Avg: 92 BE: 127

A bit unlucky to be on this list, but an average of 92 won’t make Martin a top ruckman. Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy won’t lose much more value so if you’re planning to upgrade from Martin to the premier rucks, this could be the week.

Forward rookies

Will Setterfield, Willem Drew, Matt Parker, Jack Petrucelle, Chris Burgess, Jack Lukosius, Noah Balta.

Petruccelle was the best scorer of this bunch in Round 3 with 58. Start making plans to punt your forward rookies quickly as the depth at our disposal in midfield and defence just isn’t available in attack this year. The best strategy would be finding enough money to upgrade these players.

 

[Professor]

SuperCoach: Late mail, team news and scores from every Round 4 match

Dan Batten, Herald Sun

April 12, 2019 10:05am

Subscriber only

While it was Melbourne who broke their 2019 deadlock, it was Isaac Heeney who stole the show for the second straight week in SuperCoach. The blond bombshell finished with an equal game-high 130 SuperCoach points — his second score of 130 points or more in the past fortnight.

Heeney tallied 23 disposals, 13 contested possessions and eight tackles playing in all positions on the ground. Over 22,000 SuperCoaches traded Heeney out after his disappointing first two rounds, and they will be absolutely kicking themselves.

ROUND 4 TIPS: OUR EXPERTS THOUGHTS ON EVERY GAME

TRADE OR HOLD? WHAT TO DO WITH NAT FYFE IN SUPERCOACH

SUPERCOACH PODS: THE SAINT WHO CAN LIFT YOUR FORWARD LINE

Utility Harry Cunningham (130 points) appeared to be one of the beneficiaries of Jarrad McVeigh’s absence from the backline, while young gun Ollie Florent (127) posted the highest SuperCoach total of his career.

Isaac Heeney starred for the second straight week for the Swans. Picture: Getty Images)

SuperCoach ruck star Max Gawn (113) was largely unaffected by Braydon Preuss’ inclusion. The bearded giant smashed opponent Callum Sinclair in the ruck, winning a whopping 55 hit-outs, 19 touches and six clearances.

However 17 of his hit-outs went to Sydney on-ballers — with each sharked hitout taking a point off his score.

Preuss, Tom McDonald and Sam Weideman all spent time in the ruck, but the doubts surrounding Gawn’s influence with Preuss in the side were unsubstantiated, with Preuss spending most of his time forward.

Jake Lloyd (108) was left to do as he pleased for the fourth straight week across halfback, but two costly clangers when the game was in the balance hindered his score. Just four of Lloyd’s 34 disposals were won contested, with his 26 kicks getting him most of his points.

Defence POD Christian Salem (98) posted another solid return taking the bulk of Melbourne’s kick-ins out of defence.

Ruckman Max Gawn dominated Callum Sinclair in the ruck on Friday night. Picture: Getty Images

Popular selection Clayton Oliver (86) was strong in the second half but it failed to culminate in a strong score. The 21-year-old finished with 33 disposals, 20 contested possessions and seven clearances despite some close checking at stoppages from George Hewett, but his eight clangers didn’t do his score any favours.

Fellow midfielder Angus Brayshaw (89) collected just 19 disposals for the match, while Callum Sinclair (35) had his colours lowered by Gawn. Callum Mills (66) started well but finished with another poor score.

On the rookie front, cash cow Marty Hore (86) impressed in defence with 20 touches. Hore was a late-in for the injured Neville Jetta, but Friday night’s performance should buy him at least a couple more weeks in the Demons side.

This comes as welcome news to those who stuck with the mature-age defender after he was axed before Round 2. SuperCoaches without Hore should strongly consider trading him in — or even trading him back in.

Cash cow Marty Hore repaid the faith to SuperCoaches.

On the bubble cash cow Corey Wagner (59) was solid in his third game for the Dees and should rise around $50k in price. Forward rookie Nick Blakey (31) was quiet with five disposals, while debutant Justin McInerney (21) was virtually unsighted. The youngster registered two tackles and just one disposal which failed to hit the target, but was on the park for only 56 per cent of the match.

See who starred with every SuperCoach score listed below:

Check back here for the latest SuperCoach scores and late mail throughout Round 4

SYDNEY V MELBOURNE

Heroes: Max Gawn (113) wasn’t quite at his 2018 heights but the Dees star dominated around the stoppages and finished strongly. Isaac Heeney, traded by thousands a week ago, followed up his big day against the Blues with a match-high 130. Jake Lloyd (109) and Luke Parker (100) were solid. Late inclusion Marty Hore (86), on the bench of thousands of SuperCoach teams, showed better things might lie ahead with a respectable first outing.

Villains: The Dees won the day but many of their highly-fancied stars didn’t have their usual impact. Angus Brayshaw (89) and Clayton Oliver (87) played well but didn’t rack up their usual scores, while Swans Callum Mills (66), Callum Sinclair (35) and rookie hope Nick Blakey (31) had largely forgettable nights.

Isaac Heeney got the Swans going early. Pic: Getty Images

SWANS

Isaac Heeney 130

Harry Cunningham 130

Oliver Florent 127

Jake Lloyd 109

Luke Parker 100

Dane Rampe 98

Josh P. Kennedy 95

Kieren Jack 93

Aliir Aliir 89

Jordan Dawson 87

Zak Jones 80

Lance Franklin 80

Sam Reid 77

Tom Papley 70

Callum Mills 66

Jackson Thurlow 59

George Hewett 55

Tom McCartin 43

Ben Ronke 37

Callum Sinclair 35

Nick Blakey 31

Justin McInerney 21

DEMONS

Max Gawn 113

Jayden Hunt 110

Christian Salem 98

Christian Petracca 98

Angus Brayshaw 89

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Clayton Oliver 87

Marty Hore 86

Nathan Jones 85

James Harmes 83

Tom McDonald 80

Braydon Preuss 76

Bayley Fritsch 75

Sam Weideman 75

Jack Viney 69

Josh Wagner 65

Jake Melksham 61

Corey Wagner 59

Michael Hibberd 42

Billy Stretch 42

Sam Frost 33

Charlie Spargo 31

Oscar McDonald 29

 

[Professor]

SuperCoach rage trades: Who’s on the block after Round 4?

Paul Dunn, Herald Sun

8 minutes ago

Subscriber only

We have started to see some trends forming now and we can make some educated decisions on players, but we also like to rage trade early in the week!

There’s no denying the cathartic effect of making an early trade to send a bit of a message to some of our players that they are on notice. Just remember to reverse trades before the first game of the round if you don’t intend to go through with it.

THE PHANTOM: TIME TO LOCK IN THIS GIANT

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PITFALLS: CONFESSIONS OF A SUPERCOACH ROOKIE

Here are some players we could be rage trading today.

BOOT HIM

Callum Mills $411,100 DEF

After a big score last week, Mills dropped back again. His 15 touches for 66 points is nowhere near enough If you took the punt on him at the start of the season it is definitely time to punt him from your side as things don’t seem to be turning around.

Josh Dunkley $467,100 MID/FWD

He has tested our patience now for a few weeks and this may be the straw that breaks the back of owners. Dunkley’s 73 against Collingwood was his lowest score of the season and he is simply not doing enough for the price and he will continue to drop in value with scores like this — he lost $13,100 this round and has a break even of 120 next week. If you want to trade him do it sooner rather than later.

Bulldog Josh Dunkley isn’t getting as much midfield time as we hoped. Picture: Michael Klein

Sam Menegola $495,400 MID/FWD

Sam has had two good games but he has also had a 79 and now a 51. He is a premium priced forward and for what you paid for him you can’t accept these drops in scoring. Last year we had similar issues from him and he will keep dropping in price with this score in his cycle for a couple more weeks.

Devon Smith $480,200 MID/FWD

Devon has had a poor start to the season and hasn’t been able to recapture the form from last season that saw him one of the best forward scorers. He has only been over 80 on one occasion from four games thus far. It is time to cut ties with him if he can’t manage to get to a score of 90-plus each week.

Justin Westhoff $436,500 RUCK/FWD

There are 15 per cent of coaches that have Westhoff in their line-up and over the past three weeks he hasn’t been able to deliver them a score over 50, losing more than $100,000 on his starting price (his 149 in Round 1 is a distant memory). If you are one of those coaches there are plenty of better options out there and you should be trading him out. With Scott Lycett and Patrick Ryder now permanent fixtures in the Port Adelaide side Westhoff is going to rely on kicking a bag of goals to get his points.

Justin Westhoff booted five goals in Round 1 but hasn’t kicked one since.Devon Smith’s numbers are down on last season. Picture: Michael Klein

BUY HIM

Brodie Grundy $692,200 RUCK

Grundy is in less than half of all sides and if you are one of those coaches you need to be getting Grundy into your side ASAP. He hasn’t been under 130 since Round 2 and is averaging 143 over the last three weeks. He is a captain option every week and a must have for your team. He dropped almost $30,000 after Round 3 but is now on his way back towards $700,000.

Tom Stewart $516,400 DEF

Stewart has had a great start to the year with three scores over 100 now, and he was the best scorer for the Cats this week. He has a SuperCoach-friendly game at the moment — 23 of 26 touches against the Giants were kicks, which score more for us. He could be a great unique player in your squad.

Tim Taranto $497,500 MID

Taranto has had two scores of 112 and one of 113 in his four games. Many touted this to be a great season for him and he is delivering at his price. He is still cheaper than most of the top-line midfielders and if he can maintain scoring of at least 110 each week he could be a value pick.

Zach Merrett $565,400 MID

Merrett showed us what he can do with a great game against Brisbane (155), easily his best for the season. After a poor Round 1 he has had a great few weeks and hopefully he can continue this form. His price is back near where he started the season so you could still pick him up at a good price.

Lachie Neale $681,900 MID

Many coaches ae waiting for Lachie to drop in price after his massive 177 last week, but this week he went on to have another 140 as he continues his fantastic season. If we want to get him in our sides there isn’t going to be a good time. You just need to find the cash to get him in and do it.

Michael Walters $473,700 FWD/MID

We always suggest extreme caution when looking at Walters, but three scores over 100 now means he must be in our sights. If his other score wasn’t a 50 then we would almost certainly be looking at him as a forward upgrade. But if he keeps this form up then we may just have to take the risk one more time. But if he gets suspended or puts in a 40 don’t be surprised. He is the ultimate risk/reward player.

Michael Walters is in 3 per cent of SuperCoach teams.

Shannon Hurn $536,700 DEF

Hurn hasn’t put a foot wrong all season and was great this week, amassing 32 touches (26 kicks). He has only been under 100 on one occasion and that was only just (89). He is not one of the more talked about picks and is in just under 10 per cent of teams. He should certainly be an option in your defence.

Patrick Cripps $682,500 MID

Cripps has had a brilliant start to the season and this was his second game over 150 in a row, which tells us that he is a must have in every SuperCoach team. He is dominating in a team that hasn’t won a game — if they start winning then watch out.

James Sicily $533,400 DEF

Sicily has had two over 100 so far and this was his best (119). He seems to be set in defence at the Hawks and his role is a very SuperCoach-friendly one. He has had his issues in the past but this season we are seeing a different Sicily and he looks to be one of the top defenders.

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.

Clayton Oliver $584,600 MID

He has now put in three scores under 100 out of his four and if it wasn’t for a 140-plus score in Round 2 he would have been traded out of a lot of teams already. He was billed as one of the elite midfielders in the pre-season but he isn’t showing us that at the moment.

Adam Treloar $565,900 MID

Since the return of Taylor Adams to the side two weeks ago Treloar hasn’t scored over 90. We need to have a good look at him in coming weeks. He is a great player but his scoring is a little down on what we want.

Robbie Gray $501,300 FWD/MID

Gray needed two goals to get to his 72 this week. He has had some good scores in recent weeks but this one wasn’t great. He also spent a lot more time forward than on the ball, which didn’t help. If his role is now more forward with Ollie Wines back it may be time to sell.

Seb Ross $514,500 MID

Ross has had a slow start to the season and despite his good score this week he failed to reach his break even, meaning he has dropped further in value. If he has indeed turned the corner and is now the Seb we were expecting, we may be able to get him cheaply after next week. You could get him this week but let’s wait and see if this is a real change in form or just a one-off.

TOP SCORERS OF THE ROUND

How many did you have in your side?

1. Patrick Cripps 169

2. Brody Grundy 160

3. Zach Merrett 155

4. David Mundy 151

5. Jack Redden 145

Patrick Cripps was immense again this week.CAPTAINS SCORECARD

Here we grade the players that would have been in consideration for your captain role this week. So this isn’t necessarily the highest scorers of the round, but those who are in contention for the top job.

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A++: Patrick Cripps 169, Brody Grundy 160, Zach Merrett 155

A+: Lachie Neale 140, Tom Rockliff 140, Lachie Whitfield 137, Isaac Heeney 130, Marcus Bontempelli 127

A: Josh Kelly 114

B: Jack Macrae 110, Jake Lloyd 108

C: Matt Crouch 90

F: Patrick Dangerfield 66, Dom Sheed 65

ROOKIE WATCH

Rookies that have reached their peak.

These are the guys that where they either missed their BE this week or they are very close to it and should be looked at as trade outs as they have either maxed out their value or may start dropping in value now.

Noah Balta $119,700 FWD (-$4200)

Break even: 24, R4 score: 14

Chayce Jones $180,900 MID (-$7100)

Break even: 56, R4 score: 9

START HIM

The rookies we should have had on field in Round 4

Sam Walsh 123, Callum Wilkie 110, Jack Scrimshaw 101, Josh Rotham 98, Jack Ross 87, Sam Collins 87, Marty Hore 86, Reilly O’Brien 84, Bailey Smith 75, Xavier Duursma 73, Jordan Ridley 73, Tom Atkins 68, Joshua Wagner 65, Gryan Miers 65, Willem Drew 61, Luke Davies-Uniake 60, Charlie Constable 60, Corey Wagner 59, Michael Gibbons 54, Will Setterfieldd 54, Jordan Clark 53, Connor Rozee 53

SIT HIM

Tarryn Thomas 41, Sydney Stack 40, Jack Petruccelle 36, Lachlan Schulz 36, Chris Burgess 30, Matthew Parker 31 (injury affected), Jack Lukosius 29, Zak Butters 23, Justin McInerney 21, Noah Balta 14, Chayce Jones 9 (injury affected).

Follow Dunny on Twitter @pkd73

 

[Professor]

Similar article to the above.

SuperCoach Round 5 trade guide: Every bubble boy and upgrade option assessed, plus players on the chopping block

Tim Michell, Herald Sun

April 16, 2019 7:00am

Subscriber only

The first round of bubble boys have come and gone and four rounds into the season the first crop of fallen premiums are starting to emerge.

Richmond rookie Sydney Stack will be one of the most popular trade-ins ahead of Round 5 after scores of 108 and 40, while West Coast’s two-game defender Josh Rotham stated his case with 98 after he was a late call-up for the western derby.

CAN RICHMOND SOLVE OUR SUPERCOACH ROOKIE ISSUES?

THE TACKLE: MARK ROBINSON’S LIKES AND DISLIKES FROM ROUND 4

RAGE TRADES: HAS TIME COME TO PUNT JOSH DUNKLEY?

While not a traditional bubble boy, this will be the last chance to bring in GWS comeback kid Shane Mumford before his price starts to climb from $320,200.

On current form, Mumford could be one of the topscoring ruckmen of the year.

Two other ruckmen are on the bubble in Adelaide’s Reilly O’Brien and Essendon’s Zac Clarke, although their job security is a concern.

The price of premium starting picks such as Joel Selwood, Justin Westhoff and Josh Dunkley has plummeted in the past two weeks, presenting their owners with an issue.

Do you accept their stocks have dropped and jump off at a low point, or cross your fingers and hope for a resurgence? The latter is generally the option which pays off.

Zach Merrett has rocketed back into form in the past three games. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images.

TRADE TARGETS

Rowan Marshall $406,100 Fwd, Avg 114.7 BE: 7

Marshall has claimed St Kilda’s No. 1 ruck role and pumped out scores of 111, 114 and 119 in the opening three rounds. You’ll have to pay $65,000 more than his starting price but early signs suggest he’ll be worth it. Only Travis Boak has a better average of the SuperCoach forwards.

Zach Merrett $565,400 Mid, Avg 112.5 BE: 56

After an injury-interrupted pre-season, Merrett has hit his straps in the past three weeks. Scores of 108, 120 and 155 are more like the Merrett we know as opposed to the player who was limited to 67 in Round 1.

Travis Boak $561,300 Fwd, Avg 128, BE: 58

The No. 1 forward after four rounds, Boak shows no signs of slowing down. Either Boak or Tom Rockliff will likely come under close watch from Mark Hutchings this week, but with such a low breakeven you can’t lose bringing Boak in now. He’ll be a set and forget forward for the rest of 2019.

Shannon Hurn $536,700 Def, Avg 111.3 BE: 66

Three hundreds in four rounds for the ever-reliable Eagles captain and a low score of 89. Phil Davis said on Sunday Hurn was getting better with age and it’s hard to disagree with the GWS co-captain. His consistency suggests he’ll be a top-six defender come season’s end.

Tim Taranto $497,500 Mid, Avg 103.8 BE: 66

The absence of co-captain Callan Ward for the rest of the year presents a golden opportunity for Taranto and Jacob Hopper to take the next step. Taranto has two scores of 112 and managed 113 against Geelong, numbers which would have him in contention to be a premium midfielder by the end of 2019. A breakout season looms and he’s still in less than five per cent of teams.

Tim Taranto is set for a prominent midfield role with the Giants. Picture: Toby Zerna.

Tom Rockliff $447,500 Mid, Avg 107.5 BE: 86

Due to his concussion against Brisbane Lions, Rockliff is still underpriced for his scoring ability. As with Boak, he could run into the Mark Hutchings trade this week. He has three scores of 116 or better already and is too cheap to keep ignoring.

Tom Stewart $516,400 Def, Avg 111.8 BE: 70

A product of Geelong’s VFL system, Stewart has emerged as a legitimate SuperCoach option in the early rounds. His average of 85 last year put him at the top end of the mid-price range but he’s gone to another level in 2019. The Cats gun is only in 4.3% of sides.

Dylan Shiel $511,700 Mid, Avg 106, BE: 92

If you’re strapped for cash but desperate to upgrade, Shiel could be the man to help you make that leap. His break even isn’t ideal, But he’s averaging 106 and has scored 115 and 116 already this year. You can afford to wait another week if you’re keen on the new Bomber as he’ll need a monster score to surge in price.

Joel Selwood has made a slow start to the year for Geelong. Picture: Tim Carrafa.

CHOPPING BLOCK

Joel Selwood $496,100 Mid, Avg 82, BE: 168

The Cats captain has not averaged below 100 since 2008, but his points in the opening month this season have been chewed up by rising teammates such as Tim Kelly. He’ll be available for about $450,000 in a few weeks’ time but even then it’d take a brave coach to consider him, especially when he shares a bye with so many other top picks.

Justin Westhoff $436,500 Fwd-Ruc, Avg 71, BE 167

Westhoff was the best player of Round 1 but has fallen off the perch since. He started with 149 but hasn’t scored above 50 since, managing 47, 39 and 49 in the past three rounds. He’s also fallen $113,000 from his starting price and will tumble further. He’s playing a bit-parts role with the Power which doesn’t translate well to SuperCoach.

Jordan Ridley $265,900 Def, Avg 69.7, BE: 17

Stiff to be on this list and you could get away with holding him for another few weeks. But if you want to make the jump to a premium player soon, players with value need to be sacrificed.

James Cousins $297,200 Mid, Avg 75.3, BE: 37

Cousins’ average will meet his break even in the next two weeks as it’s time to start assessing which top midfielders you can turn the Hawks rookie into. We can’t afford to be carrying a player averaging below 80 for too long as you’ll be missing out on at least 20 midfield points other coaches are banking.

Josh Dunkley’s owners have a big call to make this week on whether to back the Bulldog in. Picture: Michael Klein.

Zac Butters $242,400 Mid, Avg 62.3, BE: 48

After such a promising start, Butters crashed back to earth with 23 against Richmond. His 48 break even is a worry and he could be axed if Ken Hinkley swings the axe after struggling to make an impact against the Tigers. Port Adelaide playing on Good Friday means he won’t be much use as a midfield loophole either.

Josh Dunkley $467,100 Fwd-Mid, Avg 81.8 BE: 120

Coaches desperate for Luke Beveridge to inject Dunkley back into the midfield were left tearing their hair out when he barely featured in the middle against Collingwood. Much like Westhoff, he’s being thrown around the ground and his scoring is suffering as a result. An average of 80 is serviceable but hardly what you wanted from a player you parted with more than $500,000 to start. Jump off this week or be prepared to back him in to rebound.

HOLD

Will Setterfield $193,600 Fwd-Mid Avg 52.5 BE: 22

Willem Drew $227,100 Fwd-Mid, Avg 72.5 BE: 36

Jordan Clark $227,300 Def, Avg 63.3, BE: 15

Tim Kelly $497,100 Fwd-Mid, Avg 90.8, BE: 145

Dom Sheed $455,500, Mid, Avg 105, BE: 90

Nat Fyfe $604,900 Mid, Avg 111.3, BE: 167

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Clayton Oliver $584,600 Mid, Avg 98.5, BE: 160

— Willem Drew and Jordan Clark will meet their break evens in Round 5, while Tim Kelly won’t score less than he did against GWS again this year. Sheed has only had one bad game in four, while Fyfe is a chance to return from concussion and Oliver will burn you if you trade him at some stage. Setterfield has been rubbed out for two weeks for a sling tackle on Gold Coast’s Wil Powell, but use his absence to loophole a forward rookie and have two shots at a better score.

Marty Hore is set for a price spike this week after winning a recall at Melbourne Picture: AAP Image/Daniel Pockett.BUBBLE BOYS

Sydney Stack $102,400 Mid, Avg 74, BE: -88

Marty Hore $117,300 Def, Avg 72 BE: -75

Riley O’Brien $136,800 Ruc, Avg 84.5 BE: -89

Josh Rotham $123,900 Def, Avg 77 BE: -82

Zac Clarke $142,600 Ruc, Avg 56.5 BE: -30

Jay Lockhart $102,400 Def-Mid, Avg 44.5 BE: -29

Shane Mumford $320,200 Ruc, Avg 101 BE: -15

— Mumford clearly has the highest ceiling of the two-game players but he also costs an extra $200,000. More than 40 per cent of coaches started Marty Hore and are sitting pretty ahead of his price rise this week, while Stack was already in 21,000 teams after his triple-figure debut. Rotham scored brilliantly as a late inclusion against Fremantle but his job security is a worry.

WAIT ANOTHER WEEK

Jack Ross $117,300 Mid, Avg 87 BE: -105

Darragh Joyce $123,900 Def, Avg 67 BE: -62

Braydon Preuss $239,900 Ruc, Avg 76 BE: -12

— There will always be temptation to jump on a player like Ross after is stellar debut against the Power, but the last thing you want to do is be left with a player who is dropped after two games. Joyce has only featured once despite being in St Kilda’s extended squad most weeks. There’s better rookie options than Preuss if you want to downgrade in your ruck stocks.

 

[Professor]

SuperCoach Round 5 gossip: Nat Fyfe passes concussion test, Darcy Moore could be rested

Tim Michell, Herald Sun

5 minutes ago

Subscriber only

Suspensions, injuries and rookie omissions are causing havoc for SuperCoaches and it has never been more important to know all the gossip which could impact your team.

Nathan Fyfe, Dayne Beams and Jordan Lewis feature in this week’s talking points, while there’s news from state leagues around Australia which could help solve some of our rookie dilemmas.

TOP TARGETS: ULTIMATE ROUND 5 TRADE GUIDE

EXPERT TIPS: POWER MOVES TO SAVE YOUR SEASON

THE PHANTOM: WHY YOU NEED THIS GWS STAR

Meanwhile, a popular loophole ruckman will miss three weeks after receiving a suspension while playing in the VFL.

Nathan Fyfe is set to return from concussion this weekend. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images.HERE’S ALL THE GOSSIP YOU NEED TO KNOW AHEAD OF ROUND 5:

FYFE WILL BE ON PLANE TO SYDNEY

Ross Lyon has delivered the news thousands of SuperCoach players were waiting to here: Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe will play against GWS. “100 per cent yes (he will be playing),” Lyon said on Seven News in Perth last night. “He passed his cog-state yesterday, he trained fully today. Really vibrant, in a sense freshened, so we’re quite excited by his return.” Fyfe missed the western derby after a sickening clash of heads with St Kilda’s Josh Battle. Meanwhile, there could be another inclusion for Freo with young midfielder Tom North pushign his case for selection. The 19-year-old midfielder has made a flying start to the WAFL season and had 28 disposals for Peel Thunder at the weekend. North is a $123,900 SuperCoach midfielder who was drafted from Eastern Ranges in 2017.

WHEN WILL MOORE BE RESTED?

SuperCoach alert! Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has flagged managing Darcy Moore and Jamie Elliott this season. Moore has proved an astute SuperCoach selection for more than 85,000 coaches while Elliott is in 21,000 teams. “How we manage our players and the loads that you get early in the year are quite high, given the freshness of the players to begin the season and the intensity the games are played at,” Buckley said. “I think the shorter breaks that are thrown in for those games have an impact, we’re always having discussions about how we can best manage the squad. We will plan to pre-emptive rotate our players and freshen them up at times… (around byes and longer breaks already built into the season) if we feel like we have someone that can come up and we’re not dropping too much, and we can still maintain the balance of the side, we’ll look to do that.” Buckley confirmed Dayne Beams will return to the side this week after missing the win against the Bulldogs following a migraine. His absence didn’t faze the winning SuperCoach team from Round 4 who moved the Magpie to the bench and still pocketed the weekly prize.

Jon Ralph

✔@RalphyHeraldSun

Dayne Beams good to go against his old mob. Had battled migraines last week, hadn’t done much prep so didn’t play but at the club yesterday, will train tomorrow and play Thursday @superfooty

111

6:00 PM - Apr 15, 2019

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HIND ENJOYS DAY OUT FOR ZEBRAS

While St Kilda’s side is difficult to crack after a 3-1 start, mature-age recruit Nick Hind did his chances no harm when he had 39 disposals in Sandringham’s VFL loss to Box Hill Hawks. Plucked from Essendon’s VFL team in last year’s draft, $117,300 Mid Hind was a popular pre-season pick before he missed Round 1 selection. Hind had 21 of his possessions in the opening half to mount a strong case to Saints coach Alan Richardson. His numbers weren’t huge during the JLT Series but he’s worth considering as a downgrade target.

Nick Hind had 39 disposals in a standout game for Sandringham. Picture: Michael Klein

IS BOMBER CLARKE ON BORROWED TIME?

Zac Clarke is on the bubble this week, but don’t rush into getting the Essendon big man into your SuperCoach side. Clarke is likely to make way when Joe Daniher returns, either this week or on Anzac Day. “At the moment he (Daniher) is fit to play full game time. That’s a real great sign,” Bombers coach John Worsfold said. “Whether he plays AFL this week or not, there’s a lot of factors to take into account ... The fixtures play a part overall in how we manage Joe throughout the next month.” Daniher could be a cheap SuperCoach option in his own right, priced at just $277,800, but we definitely want to get a good look at him before making a call.

ROOKIE RUCK SWEET SET FOR STINT ON SIDELINES

Coaches using the ruck loophole via Western Bulldogs big man Jordon Sweet will have three weeks without any concern of him receiving an AFL call-up. Sweet has copped a three-week ban from the VFL tribunal after an incident in Footscray’s emphatic Round 2 victory against Collingwood’s VFL team. There was some concern for coaches when Sweet made the extended squad in recent weeks, although he was left out of the Dogs’ final side. Meanwhile, Ben Cavarra is still listed as being 3-5 weeks away with a rib injury.

Paul Amy@PaulAmy375

There’s a hit for young Western Bulldogs ruckman Jordon Sweet. Accepts a three-match suspension for striking Magpie Jack Madgen in the VFL last Friday night.

7

3:53 PM - Apr 15, 2019

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LEWIS NOT FAR AWAY FOR DEES

Coaches jumping on Melbourne’s bubble boy Marty Hore this week will need to be mindful of Jordan Lewis’s impending return to the Demons team. Melbourne last week said Lewis would likely have played against Sydney had the game been on a Saturday and not a Thursday. Hore made the most of his opportunity as a late inclusion after Jay Lockhart and Neville Jetta were ruled out, scoring 86 points. But with Lewis and Jetta to come back into defence, the squeeze will be on for spots.

Marty Hore’s owners will be hopeful he maintains the same role when Jordan Lewis returns. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

YOUNG BLUE STOCKER PUSHING FOR FIRST GAME

Liam Stocker is getting closer to making his AFL debut after starting the VFL campaign as a small defender for Northern Blues. The No.19 draft pick, who the Blues selected after a trade with Adelaide during the national draft, was trusted with a job on Mason Wood when Carlton met North Melbourne’s VFL team earlier this month. Stocker is available as a $126,300 midfielder in SuperCoach and was listed as an emergency for Carlton’s clash against Gold Coast on Sunday.

HATELY, GREENE COULD COME INTO GIANTS SIDE

Callan Ward’s ACL injury could open the door for GWS’s first-round draftee Jackson Hately to make his debut after two best-on-ground performances in the NEAFL. The Giants declared on their Twitter account that Hately was “banging down the door” after he had 30 disposals, seven marks and four tackles despite GWS being hammered by the Brisbane Lions. Hately is a $148,800 SuperCoach midfielder. Meanwhile, Toby Greene could further bolster the Giants team after being sidelined since Round 1.

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Jon Ralph

✔@RalphyHeraldSun

Confirmed ACL for GWS star Cal Ward. Jackson Hately best on in the NEAFL, Toby Greene a chance v Freo

23

3:13 PM - Apr 14, 2019

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TAGGERS BACK IN VOGUE

While predicting coaches’ move is fraught, we have enough evidence after four rounds to start planning for the possibility certain players will be tagged. Matt De Boer and Mark Hutchings are proving the nemesis of many SuperCoaches and you need to factor their presence in when making trade moves. Hutchings did a number on Stephen Coniglio earlier this season, while De Boer limited the influence of both Tim Kelly and Patrick Dangerfield on Saturday after clamping Dustin Martin the week before The Giants tackle Fremantle in Round 5, while West Coast takes on Port Adelaide. Watch out Nat Fyfe and Tom Rockliff!

Factor in taggers such as GWS Giant Matt De Boer before making your SuperCoach trades. Picture. Phil Hillyard.

CORBETT SHOWING PROMISE WITH SUNS

One of the greatest SuperCoach issues of the season has been forward rookies, but we could be closer to a solution to at least one spot in attack. Gold Coast forward Josh Corbett had a delayed start to the season due to injury after he was recruited from VFL club Werribee. He kicked three goals and was named in the Suns’ best players in their Round 2 NEAFL clash against Sydney. Watch this space as a $123,900 forward rookie might emerge in coming weeks.

DON’T GIVE UP ON McKAY

North Melbourne defender Ben McKay ($137,400 DEF) is sitting on the bench of almost 10,000 SuperCoach teams after being dropped last week. There was more bad news when he suffered what looked like a serious foot injury in the VFL, but Kangaroos coach Brad Scott says the injury is not as bad as first feared, and McKay will play this weekend “if he can tolerate the pain”. Scott said that could be at AFL or VFL level.

 

[Professor]

From HS Live Feed

Will mates O'Meara and Coniglio reunite?

Alistair Paton

Hawthorn star Jaeger O'Meara says he will talk to good friend Stephen Coniglio "as a mate" about his footy future.

Gun GWS midfielder Coniglio is out of contract at the end of the season and is in the sights of a number of Melbourne clubs.

Hawthorn could have the inside running after luring Tom Scully from the Giants last year, and with one of his best friends in O'Meara at the club. But the newly re-signed Hawthorn jet said he wouldn't try to influence Coniglio's decision.

"I'm good mates with him, we are two WA boys, we played junior footy together, we have been good mates for a while. We haven't had that conversation," he said on SEN radio this morning.

"He's playing some good bloody footy at the moment, but whatever decision he makes is up to him and his family.

"I'm sure I'll have those chats with him as a mate but it won't be anything to do with Hawthorn – there's rules around that and he is contracted to GWS. He will talk to his family and his mates, he just needs to stick to what he's doing at the moment it's working for him."

O'Meara, who signed a four-year contract extension yesterday, said he "would have signed for 10 years if it was on offer" and added he was a "genuine chance" to return this week after he was a late withdrawal against St Kilda with a hip injury.

He also admitted the Hawks were still getting used to the new rules and interpretations.

"It is a little bit like that (flying blind). We are 18th in the comp for free kicks and 50m penalties. It's different but everyone has to get used to it, it isn't going to change any time soon. It's a little confusing but in a few more weeks we will get it."

 

[Professor]

Field Marshall: Ultra-cautious coaches are behind the AFL’s big go-slow

SAM EDMUND, Herald Sun

an hour ago

Subscriber only

The snooze fest strangling the AFL is being orchestrated by coaches paranoid about coughing up possession.

The game is in the grip of a scoring crisis, with the average score per game after Round 4 plummeting to 80.1 — the lowest since 1967.

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But forget the rule changes as a factor. The ingredients in footy’s sleeping pill instead have their genesis in ultra-cautious ball movement designed to protect the turnover.

As Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said on Sunday night: “They are strange games at the minute.”

So strange, history is being made in the defensive half of the ground.

Teams are playing on the least they have in the back half, breaking into space from a mark only 28.8 per cent of the time.

Clubs are still packing out their defensive 50, causing congestion. Picture: Michael Klein

We are seeing the most uncontested marks in games since 2008, at 52.8 per contest.

Sides are increasingly reluctant to risk a handball in this area of the field and the highest kick-to-handball ratio since 2006 has ensued.

Basically, the thrilling, slingshot counter attack is now seen as the equivalent of a wildebeest running into a lion pride — no one wants to get munched.

“At the moment I’m noticing a few teams controlling the ball a fair bit,” North Melbourne coach Brad Scott told AFL360.

“Uncontested marks are going up, so when there’s ball control naturally there’s less scoring because sides are trying to hold onto the ball rather than the ballistic backline to forward line, full-length of the ground transition.”

Brad Scott says AFL clubs are focused on ball control. Picture: Michael Klein.

The AFL is a follow-the-leader industry and it’s no surprise West Coast are the highest kicking team in the competition.

But the Eagles are still positive with their possession game. What’s the old saying? Beware of imitations?

Ours was a game based on the turnover — force the opposition into committing them and then score from them — particularly in the forward half.

But the go-slow approach has seen scores from turnovers plummet from 54 points per game last year to 46.7 this season — the lowest after Round 4 since 2002.

It means teams are getting it inside 50. In fact, your average match is producing the most inside 50s since 2000 at 53.8.

That’s the good.

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The glaring problem is that by the time it gets inside the forward arc, London’s population is in there too.

That’s the bad.

Hence the lowest score per inside 50 ratio — 42 per cent — since Champion Data started recording the stat in 1999.

Such is the copycat nature of the competition, it’s not a stretch to say that if Dom Sheed had missed that boundary line shot on Grand Final day that we may have a very different looking game.

As Scott said: “It will just change to whatever is winning at the time.”

Had Dom Sheed missed this Grand Final-winning goal, footy could be very different in 2019. Picture: Nicole Garmston