SuperCoach Herald Sun's advice review - Western Bulldogs

Every year the Herald Sun releases the little black book giving advice on who to buy and who to avoid. I will point out some of the ones they overlooked and errors they made while also offering my own suggestions. Of course I will praise the decisions that I agree with and why I agree with them.


Western Bulldogs

Last season Western Bulldogs were earmarked to push to the grand final and potentially secure their second premiership. It ended in utter disappointment when the Bulldogs failed to make the eight and gave their coach Rodney Eade the flick putting in relative unknown Brendan McCartney in charge for 2012. This season should be one of rebuilding for the Bulldogs who hope to put more games into their youngsters. From a SuperCoach perspective this is a positive since we can fill our benches with young players but it means they will not be as high scoring as previous years.

The Superstar
Matthew Boyd - Became an elite player last season averaging 120 ppg. Expect more of the same from Boyd and with the good bye draw (minimal clashing) is one you should definitely consider starting with. To top that off due to other popular picks such as Swan and Ablett he will be relatively unique which could make an excellent point of difference come season's end.

Bank 'Em
Daniel Cross - Suffered a drop off from the previous season but that is more than likely an aberration  with the way Eade coached at the end of this tenure. Should be good to see if he bounces back but there is a good chance that he can. If he does bounce back then he presents massive value. Strongly consider for a M3 through to M5 spot if you think he can go back to 2010 scoring patterns.

Ryan Griffen - A very good chance of jumping up another level to that 120+ average. Has flown under the radar compared to players such as Judd, Swan and Ablett which like Boyd means that he will be a very unique pick. Unfortunately he won't play round 1 but if you had McDonald or Kennedy on your bench as an emergency you can use the loophole to your advantage. Will be unique and should become a 120+ ppg player.
   
Buy 'Em 
Matthew Panos - With Barry Hall retiring at the end of the season it left a gaping hole in the Bulldogs. Fortunately that hole can be filled by Matthew Panos, a rookie priced player who looks set to get games. Being touted an an accurate goal kicker means that if he gets the ball he will kick a goal and as such translates to points. Very big potential to be a cash cow. Jump on.

Brian Lake - Looks like he is back and should be strongly considered for your starting squad. Showed a lot of glimpses of what he is capable of this season. Consider that before last season he has averaged over or close to 100 over the previous four seasons. And to get an idea of his ceiling he scored 196 in 2010 against North Melbourne with 40 touches. So he does know how to find the ball.

Bury 'Em
Shaun Higgens - Adding to the list of blokes that have burned everyone it is Higgins. There is no doubt he can play and play quite well. If he plays out the season expect him to be a dominant midfielder but like others who are injury prone it is hard to pick him with anything that can be resembled as confidence. If you are gutsy go for it but there are safer and stress free options out there.


Tom Williams - Very hard to put an injured player on the bury list although obviously you should not pick him.

Suggested Player
Adam Cooney - Former brownlow medalist is now battling injury to play the season. Sadly with his bad knees he will never reach the highs he did in his brownlow year of '08. Expect him to play a similar role to Shaun Burgoyne which as we have seen has made Burgoyne not as fantasy relevant as he use to be. This will happen to Cooney.

SuperCoach Herald Sun's advice review - West Coast

Every year the Herald Sun releases the little black book giving advice on who to buy and who to avoid. I will point out some of the ones they overlooked and errors they made while also offering my own suggestions. Of course I will praise the decisions that I agree with and why I agree with them.


West Coast

The wooden-spooners for 2011 became a top 4 team in 2012 and needless to say it was a massive turn around. Kerr played more games than he missed, Cox bounced back, Priddis became an elite midfielder and youngsters like Shuey stepped up to another level. To help with that they had a dream injury run last season and a great fixture. This season it is a little different already losing Mark LeCras and having a tougher draw, they should be able to maintain their position or at least stay within touching distance of the top 4. Exciting times ahead for the Eagles compared to this time last season.

The Superstar
Dean Cox - The competitions premier ruckman and looking at this season one of the few ruckman guaranteed to average in excess of 110 points. Expect him to continue in his high scoring ways especially playing as an extension of the midfield due to his freakish running capacity.

Bank 'Em

Matthew Priddis - Became an elite midfielder last season with his in and under work for West Coast and one of the leading reasons for the West Coast rise into the top 4. Expect a similar output from him this season as well as more support from players such as Gaff, Masten and Kerr (assuming he is fit).

Nic Naitanui - The most exciting player in the AFL will improve again. Like Dean Cox he can play as part of the extended midfield. Last season he was an elite contested ball winner averaging close to 14 a game. Expect him to jump up to 100+ average this season and is an extremely good choice for the R2 spot even if you have Cox (although it is quite dangerous).

   
Buy 'Em 

Koby Stevens - Not playing round 1 but will play during the season. This means that he will be a downgrade target. The Eagles have likened him to Luke Shuey and have persisted with him through all the injuries he has had. He made it through the pre-season unscathed and will play for the Eagles at some point. Jump on when he gets a game.

Luke Shuey - The most likely player that is averaging 100 to jump up to 115+. This kid is a freak and tough as nails. Loves the contested ball and has a reliable disposal which equates to high Supercoach points. If you are looking for a cheap M4/M5 I think he is the number 1 pick for that spot and shouldn’t let you down.

Bury 'Em

Daniel Kerr - We have all been sucked in by Daniel Kerr at one point or another but sadly should never seriously factor into your team calculations. Plenty of potential but he gets injured, tagged out of games or suspended, which drags his average and durability down. Will be a key player for the Eagles but should not be considered for Supercoach.

 

Quinton Lynch - A key forward always puts him behind the 8 ball from a Supercoach perspective but even worse for him is the emergence of Jack Darling. Hard to see where he slots in and if he does get a game he will most likely not score well consistently due to the high variability of key forwards.

One more player I would like to mention

Suggested Player

Darren Glass - Champion. That is what Darren Glass is but sadly from a Supercoach perspective he is useless. Every year people believe they must pick a traditional side and Glass winds up in there. Simply put he is the type of player you want to avoid for your fantasy sides. Champion player, brilliant defender and if he lines up on your forward you may want to cry but do not pick him in your side.