James Sicily’s three-game suspension and delayed appeal has caused SuperCoach chaos. It’s hard to know whether to hold or trade, so we’ve weighed up the best picks if you take the latter path, plus looked at some mid-pricers this round.
Mid-pricer debates
A lot of cheaper mid-pricers are being considered as great value picks coming into the back end of the season, but is there more that we should consider before picking them up?
Harry Himmelberg (SC $375k Def/Fwd)
For those following at home, Harry Himmelberg has moved back to a half-back role in which he managed to average 112 last season so we were all excited to see him return there for the past two games. Unfortunately, he’s served up some alright scores in 103 and 88 which does bode the question, is he a worthwhile pick up especially when he’s this cheap? The role seems to be identical to the one he played last season minus the kick-ins as he’s sharing that role with Whitfield. In normal circumstances, this would be a very much no-brainer selection given his history and value. My only concern with him would be that the Giants have a few defenders to squeeze back in for the run back home with Isaac Cumming and Sam Taylor being named as tests this week and should return to their normal back six role. If Himmelberg manages to play in the backline as a third sweeping tall then for sure pick him up after his bye round. They always have the opportunity to push players like Ash or Whitfield up to a wing to fill that role specifically.
Elliot Yeo (SC $400k Def)
Yeo was one of the most popular picks at the start of the year until the Eagles announced he suffered a setback with a calf strain in the preseason. However, since his most recent return, he’s managed to score 73, 125 and 113. What makes Yeo a solid pick (for next week of course) is the fact that he managed to score well in 2 different roles. We imagined Yeo was going to play as a midfielder mostly with some time behind the ball as a spare/ lose defender but with recent injuries, it has meant he’s either playing all midfield minutes or playing in the backline for the whole match. A positive note for Yeo was that when he did play in the backline he was taking most of the kick-ins. However coming at the back end of the year and trades running a bit thin, you are running the risk of him reinjuring himself again as he’s not getting any younger. Tread carefully if you are going to pick him.
Tarryn Thomas (SC $296k Mid/Fwd)
The cheapest of the bunch, but the one with the most questionable role. Thomas was labelled as a breakout star last year but found himself on the wrong side of off-field controversy which saw him drop off significantly. After being sent away from the team and forced to play in the reserves. Thomas returned in Round 11 and scored a very decent 89 followed by a 112 last week. While quite a few are bringing him in, what concerns me is that there isn’t a set role for him just yet. In Round 11 he was playing as a wing before being pushed into the centre to cover the injuries to Simpkin and Greenwood, whereas in Round 12 he was playing as a high half-forward with some on-ball minutes. With Simpkin and Greenwood available for selection this week, and LDU close, it does put a big question mark on what his role will be in the team. But at $290k it is a steal given what he can produce, like Yeo if you have trades up your sleeve then it could be a worthwhile pickup but be prepared to trade him again if things don’t go your way.
Sicily Replacements
With news that the tribunal has suspended Sicily for three weeks, there is some debate over whether to trade him this week. (At the time of writing this was before Hawthorn lodged an appeal but given that we’ll only know next week if he gets off you can still make a valid argument to trade especially if you’re looking to maximise the number of players you want).
Tom Stewart (SC $594k Def)
This one is the obvious pick here as he’s the next-highest-averaging defender after injuring his knee in Round 1. Stewart has shown remarkable consistency scoring below 100 only 3 times whilst producing 3 scores of 130+ already. If you take out that score of 18, he would be the number 1 ranked defender which is remarkable. He’s already had his bye which is an added bonus for those who are struggling for Round 15 players. In saying that the only downside would be that you don’t bank that much cash to use for upgrades elsewhere which is why some of the other options below may be better for you depending on the scenario.
Jack Sinclair (SC $553k Def)
If you could bank $100k as well as produce similar types of scoring as Stewart, you’d probably take that every day of the week. Sinclair hasn’t produced the heights that he showed last season however he’s still been pretty good. In the few games where he’s been off, generally, he’s been targeted by opposition defensive forwards. With that being said when he’s let off the leash he’s managed scores of 124, 125 and 160. With Richmond upcoming it could be a perfect time to bring him in as Richmond does leak points to opposing stars.
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (SC $462k Def/Mid)
NWA was a POD selection at the start of the year because there were glimpses of him breaking out. It is only been the last 3 weeks that he’s really put together a great string of games coming off the halfback line. For the last few weeks, NWM has been the primary kick-in taker for the Saints, overtaking Sinclair. Whether he can keep this good form up though is another question. A 100 average from now maybe an overperformance but you could definitely squeeze out 90+ from him as a D6/7. Nice to also bank cash for an upgrade elsewhere.
Mitch Duncan (SC $425k Def)
If you want a rogue pick then Duncan could be one that might interest you coming off an injury. He previously has been a consistent midfielder for our super coach sides with consistent 100+ averages from him. A shift to the half-back flank has let him float around and take plenty of marks and kicks. Unfortunately, he’s been held back due to injury but the ceiling is there on display with scores of 116, 92 and 95. An extremely risky pick for sure given his recent injury history but if Geelong start finding form with all their stars back, it could be a great value pick
Jake Lloyd (SC $512k Def)
A lot of people jumped on Lloyd last week which just happened to be the same week where Longmire decided to experiment with a role change by pushing Lloyd up to a wing role. This turned out terrible as he didn’t get any of the ball. However, a change to his favourite back-pocket role in the last quarter showed why he was known as the seagull in his prime. I’ll back him to bounce back and play his best role in the coming weeks, but you can decide to tread water carefully given that a wing role seems to be a negative role for him. If Blakey also is absent then Lloyd might be afforded more freedom to distribute the ball from the backline.
Best bye trade-ins
Bit of a shorter segment as only two teams had the bye this week, so I’ll only go over a few players who are ripe for the picking coming off their bye.
Jeremy Cameron (SC $447k Fwd)
Coming out of the bye, Geelong is set to regain Duncan, Dangerfield and Holmes from injuries for a crucial game against the Power. This is good news for people wanting to pick him Geelong players, especially for someone like Jeremey Cameron. In the first 7 games while Danger was fit and healthy. Cameron went and averaged 110.7 but after the game against the Crows, he dropped off to 77.8 in the last 4 since Danger was missing. Is there a direct correlation? Potentially, but Geelong should be a better team with all their superstars playing is what I’m thinking. We already know Cameron is a match-winner and is considered one of the best in the game. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if he returns to his best against the Power.
Tom Hawkins (SC $447k Fwd)
This one is more of a matchup-based recommendation rather than using the argument above but Hawkins loves playing the Power. In fact, the last 4 scores against them have resulted in 141, 85, 110 and 204. Just a neat stat to consider for anyone who wants a really cheap pod forward coming off the bye.
Noah Anderson (SC $558k Def)
Many jumped on Anderson after his huge games in Rounds 7 and 8 which we thought was due to him stepping up in Touk Miller’s absence. However, it seemed to be a bit of a false dawn and instead the plaudits went to Anderson’s best mate Rowell who did deserve that praise. Against the Crows, he was arguably best on the ground and coming in at a discounted price of $558k he could be worth a look into given that he does have an extremely high ceiling with 3 scores of 130+ already this season.
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