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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]The Suns continued to improve in 2013 winning 8 games for
the season and improving their points scored. The gap between them and their
opposition closed considerably with the Suns failing to lose a game by over 10
goals. They picked up 2 victories against good teams (Collingwood and North
Melbourne) and it was good to see certain players perform beyond expectations.
One of the highlights of the year was Dion Prestia picking up 42 possessions
against Adelaide.
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri;][span style='font-size: 16px;]Moving onto 2014, the Suns are finals contenders in my
mind. They will continue to improve under Guy McKenna and their spine, for the
first time, is looking quite strong. At one end, you have Rory Thompson playing
with either Murphy/Warnock and May/Day as 3rd[span style='font-size: 16px;] talls. At the other
end, you have a mixture of Lynch, Dixon and again, one of May/Day. Of course,
the midfield is the best part of the Suns with a huge number of players able to
roll through quite easily. There will be good players missing out on games of
footy with the Suns' depth at a high. From a SuperCoach perspective, the list
looks great. Let's take a look at some major players for this year.
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;]<em style='mso-bidi-font-style: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Consider[/b]
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Gary Ablett
$695,000 - MID (2013 avg; 128.86)[/b]
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Don't need to write much here. Ablett is a star and
always scores brilliantly. It's a high price tag but his influence on games is
still a major feature of his game. Will always score well wherever he plays, so
make sure you have him in your team.
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Dion Prestia
$525,900 - MID (2013 avg; 97.50)[/b]
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Prestia was the surprise packet of last season. His
numbers improved significantly, averaging 25.5 disposals a game as well as four
inside 50's, four clearances and four tackles. He drew free kicks as well,
which adds to the points tally. The best thing about Prestia is that teams won't
pay much attention to him. The strength of the Gold Coast midfield means some
players will play without any extra pressure of a tagger. Prestia is a left
field choice, but can increase that average to 105.
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Tom Nicholls
$494,200 - RUC (2013 avg; 91.63)[/b]
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<p style='margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -36pt;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Big Tom is
certainly a risky choice however he was extremely impressive last season when
taking on [span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]the number
one ruck role. Taking out his last game where he was subbed off injured, he
averaged [span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]99.57 for
the season. He is extremely smart with his ruckwork which benefits the Suns
midfield [span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]and those damaging
hitouts will add more points to his score. When Zac Smith is fully fit, it'll
be [span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]interesting
to see how they go about their selections. Nicholls is good around the ground
and can [span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]play forward.
Could they play both, plus big Dixon? I believe Nicholls is ahead at this
stage. Pick him [span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]if you
want a good point of difference in this difficult ruck line.
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<p style='margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -36pt;]<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Trent McKenzie $477,700 - DEF (2013 avg;
88.56)[/b]
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]This guy is a jet. McKenzie loves to kick and doesn't
need many disposals to score well, highlighted by his 14 possesssion, 93SC
performance against Adelaide in round 14. He is damaging with ball in hand and
while he may turn the ball over with his risky game style, when he plays well,
he scores big. I liken him to a Hibberd and 2014 could be the year where
McKenzie matches the consistency of the Bomber. The only problem I have is that
TMac pushes forward but is inaccurate in front of goals from the 50-55 metre
mark. You'd be hoping a guy that can kick the ball 65 metres who isn't afraid
to have a shot at goal was more accurate. Should he improve this, a 100 ppg
average is not out of the question here. Again, a POD worth considering.
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;]<em style='mso-bidi-font-style: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Ignore[/b]
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;]<em style='mso-bidi-font-style: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;][/b]
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Zac Smith $414,000
- RUC (2013 avg; 76.75)[/b]
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Smith is coming off an injury in 2014 and is in doubt for
the start of the season. Many view him as the number 1 ruck but as discussed
above, Nicholls may have taken this position. Zac is pretty cheap and has the
ability to score big (140SC vs Melbourne in round 7), but can also score really
poorly (35SC vs Sydney in round 2). His best season so far was his first where
he averaged 78.2 where he was again inconsistent. Sure, there is upside to
selecting him when he is fit. The uncertainty of his role and fitness though
makes him a poor option this season.
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Greg Broughton
$388,400 - DEF (2013 avg; 72)[/b]
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Broughton's career averages in SC as follows: 98.7, 98.6,
92.6, 82.6 and 72. Notice a pattern? He hasn't even cemented his spot in the Suns
line-up. Of course, he is a proven scorer. He started his career off as a lock
and has since disappointed coaches all over the country. He has been given
defensive roles in recent times and has lost his dash off half back. In 17
games last season, he got 100+ twice and a staggering ten games under 70.
Terrible strike rate. His NAB challenge performances were 57SC and 34SC. Enough
said. Don't bother.
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Nathan Bock
$196,900 - FWD (2013 avg; 36.50)[/b]
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Bock is extremely cheap for someone that has scored very
well in the past. The ultimate swingman, Bock can play wherever the Suns need
him to play and have a real impact. The reason I've asked you to ignore him however,
is the injuries. Being the price of an expensive rookie may appeal to some, but
if you are serious about SC, it's too much to be paying for someone who may not
stay on the park. He hasn't played in the NAB challenge either, which suggests
he won't be ready for round 1. Even if he somehow gets named, he will take a
while to warm into the season. I'd consider him this year if he started playing
mid-year and became a downgrade option, but definitely don't start with him.
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;]<em style='mso-bidi-font-style: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Breakout Contenders[/b]
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]David Swallow
$429,400 - DEF/MID (2013 avg; 79.61)[/b]
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]There is a lot of talk about the former no1 draft pick
breaking out this season and I tend to agree. He played almost exclusively off
half-back last season which probably limited his output. He has been averaging
around 79 over his 3 seasons at AFL level which suggests he hasn't really
dropped off, or been really good. This season is where he should enter the
upper class of midfielders. His last 3 matches in 2013 were quite good with
scores of 94, 135 and 85 to finish the season. He tackled hard, put the ball
inside 50 and impacted the scoreboard. With more time in the midfield, these
are the numbers we should expect. At just $429k, he is a really good option as
your D3 or D4 and could potentially stay in your team all season. I expect an
average of 87-90 this season.
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Tom J. Lynch
$360,000 - FWD (2013 avg; 66.75)[/b]
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri;][span style='font-size: 16px;]I love a left field selection, as you can tell from some
of the above choices. Lynch is now a leader at the Suns and this role really
tells me he is a highly rated player within the team. He has bulked up now,
measuring in at 199cm and 101kg. His 4th[span style='font-size: 16px;] season could finally be the
one where we see the former first round draft pick make his mark on the
competition. Dixon and Lynch will be a powerful and scary duo to match up on.
They will rotate between CHF and FF. Lynch increased his contested mark output
last season as well as his contested possession numbers. His new size will make
him stronger in 1v1 contests and he should benefit from the new rules giving
key forward more leeway in marking situations. He could be very similar to
someone at a similar price in Tom Hawkins. Huge risk, but could really pay off.
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;][/b]
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Brandon Matera
$320,900 - FWD (2013 avg; 59.50)[/b]
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Matera's season ended abruptly when he hurt his ankle in
Round 10. Before this, he was pushing through the midfield a little bit, while
continuing to play as a small forward. He has always been groomed to play a
midfield role with the ability to play as a crumber. We saw glimpses of his SC
potential in 2013 against two good teams in Port Adelaide (96SC) and Hawthorn
(82SC). So far in his career, he has been slightly better in AFL DT than in SC,
but expect this change quickly. He adds a different type of x-factor to the
midfield for the Suns and with more exposure in this area, we will see his
class shine through. Accuracy is an issue for him in front of goal which hurts
his scoring output however I am sure he has worked on this during the
off-season. I can see him turning into a Luke Breust type of player this
season. Watch him.
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;][/b]
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<strong style='mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;][span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Jack Martin
$222,300 - MID (2013 avg; N/A)[/b]
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]The talk about this kid is unbelievable. Better than
Jaegar? Really? I find that hard to believe. Martin is a different type of
player to O'Meara. Martin can play as a high half-forward, half-back flanker or
through the midfield. He has a strong pair of hands and loves the hard stuff.
In the NEAFL last season, 61.5% of his possessions were contested and he averaged
6 clearances and 6 tackles. This is very interesting considering he is still,
quite skinny. From what I've seen in the NAB challenge, he has shown glimpses
of being an outstanding player straight away, but his numbers haven't been
anything too special. He's one to really think about. Are you willing to pay
this much for a rookie?
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]This is a special football team and one that will
dominate the AFL in years to come. They have so many good players and will have
quality playing in the reserves. As the team enters the frame for finals, their
SuperCoach output will increase. Gary Ablett type numbers won't be rare when
you see players like Bennell, Prestia, Swallow etc get 140+ at times. This
young team is finally maturing and Metricon stadium will be feared for years to
come. The Suns are one of the more relevant SC teams in the competition this
season.
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]If you have any other points, agreements or
disagreements, feel free to post it in the section below. We will try and get
as many previews done as we can and if you want to do one for a club (I've
spoken to a few of you), send me a message
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]Cheers,
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[span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;]TTT
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