It's that time of year again. SuperCoach is back, and it's bigger than ever.
SuperCoach can be the highlight and lowlight of the season for many pundits. The peaks and troughs happen so often you roll with the punches.
With Round 1 a month away, the biggest question is how can you build your team to win the ultimate prize.
In every friendship group, there's a handful of mates who reckon their team can go the distance. That false hope often comes around pre-season and disappears when the bye round hits like a nuclear bomb.
We at Zero Hanger have delved into the MUST HAVE's and POD (Point of Difference) players for your Defenders, Midfielders, Rucks, and Forwards.
Strategically, you want to build your side around premiums and rookies, let's look below and see who are the names you should be considering.ย
MIDFIELDERS
MUST HAVE PREMIUMS:
Clayton Oliver (MEL)
$672,000 (37%)
2021 Average: 123.5.
Clayton Oliver offers everything you want from a premium midfielder. He has the potential to go humungous (205 against Adelaide in Round 10), his scores barely deviate from his average of 123.5, and he also averages 20.65 games per season, proving you can back him in every to make a score, as well as putting the C on him and forgetting.
Jackson Macrae (WB)
$699,900 (43%)
2021 Average: 128.6.
The highest-priced player for 2022, and rightly so, Jackson Macrae could find the Sherrin in the Sahara desert. Up there with the great Gary Ablett Jr as the most consistent premium midfielder, Macrae averaged a whopping 128.6 in 2022. The ball magnet dropped below 100 once in 26 games and passed 130 on 14 occasions!
I guarantee the 43% of SuperCoaches who selected Macrae will leave the captaincy on him for the entire season.
Jack Steele (SK)
$685,800 (46%)
2021 Average: 126.
Jack Steele was one of four players who scored 80 or more in every game for 2021. Steele's finish to 2021 will leave many Supercoaches salivating. Steele averaged a ridiculous 137.58 during the last half of the year, with the Saints captain moving into Brownlow contention. If an average of 137.58 is anything to go by, I'm expecting Steele to carry his form across to 2022.ย
MUST HAVE ROOKIES:
Nick Daicos (CW)
$193,800 (63%)ย
If Nick Daicos' NAB League average of 159 was anything to go by, this young star could be breaking new territory in his first season in 2022. With 35.9 disposals a game and two goals, I expect Daicos to float around the midfield and half-forward for 2022 and will generate enough cash to stay in your side for a while.ย
Nathan O'Driscoll (FR)
$123,900 (25%)
Second-year midfielder Nathan O'Driscoll has impressed in the midfield over the summer for Fremantle and could fill the role of Adam Cerra, who made his way to Carlton. In a similar mould to captain Nat Fyfe, O'Driscoll hits the ball hard and loves the contest. I'll lock him in for a couple of handy scores of 60 over the season.
James Tsitas (GC)
$102,400 (18%)
This mature-aged recruit could be the biggest cash-cow of the lot, at a base price of $102,400; Magarey Medallist James Tsitas has averaged 118 and 121 respectively in his last two seasons with Woodville-West Torrens.
In his last 12 matches in the SANFL, Tsitas averaged 130.66 points a game. With young stars like Daicos and Horne-Francis pushing $190,000, this 26-year-old could be a fantastic rookie selection.
PODs:
Jarryd Lyons (BL)
$640,000 (2%)
2021 Average: 117.6
Alongside Jackson Macrae and Jack Steele, Lions Midfielder Jarryd Lyons didn't drop below 80 for the entirety of the 2021 SuperCoach season, yet is still only in 2% of sides for 2022. 11 of Lyons' 19 SuperCoach tons were above 120, which means when the Lions are playing well, this tough-nut is at the forefront. Surprisingly, Lyons scored more points than Sam Walsh and Tom Mitchell.
Darcy Parish (ES)
$621,300 (5%)
2021 Average: 114.1
Darcy Parish had a year for the ages in 2021, famously winning three medals but not the Brownlow. With a reasonable price of $621,3000 and a 5% ownership, Parish was in scintillating form between Rounds 6 through 16, averaging 127.09 points; I expect another sizzling run from the Bombers midfielder in 2022.
Ollie Wines (PA)
$612,600 (3%)
2021 Average: 112.5
Underestimate the 2021 Brownlow Medallist at your own peril. In a record-breaking medal season, Wines transcended his 2020 form had passed the SuperCoach ton 16 times in his last 17 games. A known ball winner, Wines is never too far away from the Sherrin, averaging 32 for the season, proving he can be a valuable POD option.
