Fritsch and Bastinac were the two left on my list if I had had another pick. Both should be solid choices.
Who are Melbourne’s top SuperCoach picks, cash cows and high risk, high reward options? Ben Higgins and Anthony Hack, Herald Sun February 12, 2018 1:34pm Subscriber only MELBOURNE was rolling at times last year with an especially strong run of eight games between Round 6 and Round 14 which sparked talk of an unlikely premiership. However, a terrible loss in the last round to 13th-placed Collingwood ended their finals dream. Looking back, the Dees only won four games against top-eight sides all season, three of which came during that mid-season run. Melbourne won more than 10 games for the first time in over a decade and most pundits have them heading north this year with a bullet. But how are they looking for SuperCoach? Read on for some players to consider for your team. PREMIUMS Clayton Oliver ($612,800 MID) Oliver didn’t waste anytime announcing himself as a SuperCoach stud, averaging 70 in his debut season in 2016 and then an outstanding 111 in his second year. Oliver’s strength is getting his hands on the ball in traffic and dishing it out to teammates, which translates to big SuperCoach points. He’s also reliable, dropping below 90 just once in his 22 games. Don’t expect his output to drop this year, but can it go up again? For more than $600k, it’s a big call. Michael Hibberd ($545,200 DEF) A No. 1 defender candidate in 2018. Hibberd missed the opening four games last year but quickly became a must-have as he averaged 99 with a high score of 140. His role in the Melbourne team is conducive to strong SuperCoach scores with high disposal totals and lots of interceptions. Like most halfbacks he can be up and down, scoring 10 centuries but three 60s as well. Max Gawn ($503,700 RUCK) While he’s the cheapest he’s been since 2015, Gawn is still in the premium category. Injury and form issues limited the star ruckman a 91-point average in 2017 but expect that to change this year. Gawn looks super fit and has even backed himself to return to his highs of 2016 when he averaged 118 and was the No. 3 overall scorer. He has a huge ceiling and is as close to a must-have as there is this season. MID-PRICE RISKS Christian Salem (Def, $437,100) Is this the year Salem breaks out as a SuperCoach star? We’ve been waiting a few years so it would be a brave call but all the ingredients are there — a former high draft pick (No. 9) who plays as an attacking defender in an improving team. Christian Petracca (Mid-Fwd, $433,300) Another Demon right in the “breakout window” entering his fourth year in the system. Made gains in most areas last year including increased exposure in the midfield — if that trend continues expect his scores to spike in 2018. Angus Brayshaw (Def-Mid, $316,700) Brayshaw starts with a discounted price after averaging 72 last season from only five games, missing most of the season with multiple concussions. He played the final three AFL games of the season, mostly in defence, and he has been given DPP status for 2018. He showed great promise in his rookie season and is still young at just 22 years old. We wish him all the best with his health and if he can stay on the park he could be a good smoky choice. ROOKIES Charlie Spargo ($117,300 MID/FWD) Spargo was a SuperCoach pointscoring fiend in juniors over the last few years, but also missed most of last season with injury and is still training with the rehab guys. Definitely keep an eye out for him because if he breaks into the senior team he could be a natural scorer. Joel Smith ($152,500 DEF/MID) Smith started in Round 1 in 2017 and could be a chance to do so again this season. He has struggled with injuries for much of his short career, but despite this he is now in his third year on the list and is a chance to secure a regular spot in the senior team. Oskar Baker ($117,300 FWD) A mature-age recruit from Aspley in the NEAFL, Baker is training with the midfield group, but is listed as a forward for SuperCoach. He has great attributes such as his speed, kicking and goal sense that could see him perform well early in his AFL career. NO-GO ZONE Cam Pedersen ($471,700 RUCK/FWD) Pedersen appears to be one of the better ruck/forward DPPs this season and is coming off an outstanding 2017 season when he filled in really well in Gawn’s absence and then continued his top form with Gawn back in the team later in the season. However, don’t be lured in by the DPP status as it will be difficult for him to back up last year’s form and there are better options elsewhere at his price point. Bernie Vince ($407,100 DEF) At age 32, Vince will be playing what is likely to be his final season in the AFL. His game dropped off dramatically in 2017, only scoring 90-plus four times from 19 games after averaging over 92 the previous three seasons. With several of his younger teammates improving naturally around him, including Jake Melksham performing well as a tagger — a role Vince has previously excelled in — he will likely only be a fringe senior player in 2018. PREDICTED 22 B: Jayden Hunt, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Christian Salem, Jack Lever, Michael Hibberd C: Dom Tyson, Clayton Oliver, Jordan Lewis HF: Christian Petracca, Tom McDonald, Mitch Hannan F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Cam Pedersen Fall: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Jake Melksham, Bernie Vince, Alex Neal-Bullen Get more SuperCoach tips on Twitter from @ben_higgins84 and @ant_hak
Ta.... did have a look but my eyes were clearly not working... have to adjust the vodka intake... not sure if up or down yet
Whilst we are doing random thoughts, I hate being in a timezone where everyone else is on when I'm not and vise versa