SuperCoach AFL 2017: Best player picks, team tips and risks for the season ahead

• Geelong 2017 SuperCoach: premium selections and who to avoid
• SuperCoach 2017: Collingwood must-haves, risks and rookies to watch
• SuperCoach 2017: Banned Essendon players available at bargain prices
• Dangerfield announces he and wife Mardi expecting baby in July

SuperCoach is back for 2017 and with it comes the chance to shoot for the $50,000 first prize and bragging rights over your mates.

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With stars set to return, new recruits ready to debut and bargains to be had, there are some big questions to consider going into the new season.

For Geelong Cats fans, we’ve broken down the lock, the cheapie, the risk, the rookie and the newbie worth considering for your side.

We’ve also answered the other burning questions hovering over key performers, banned Bombers, last year’s disappointments, and the tips to winning big this season.

THE LOCK: Patrick Dangerfield

Our King Patty is priced as a $716,900 midfielder, making him the priciest player of SuperCoach 2017.

That’s a lot of money out of your budget for one guy, but there’s no denying Dangerfield’s standing as the best midfielder in the AFL.

We’ve gone through this plenty of times when Gary Ablett was in his prime and the answer was always the same — yes, he is worth the money.

Dangerfield offers you an unbelievable captain option considering he scored 18 tons in 2016 alone. He averaged 131 points per game.

Plus, at his current price you will have to burn a lot of trades to get him in your squad later in the year.

THE CHEAPIE: Jackson Thurlow

The young defender will set you back just $267,600, but his potential is so much greater than that.

Thurlow is on the way back from a knee injury which he suffered almost 12 months ago, and he was ripping it up on the track leading into that pre-season clash with Essendon.

If he brings that form back after having the year off then Thurlow looms as an unbelievably good buy for your team.

He will settle in Geelong’s backline comfortably and his ability to break lines and win the footy will get you points.

THE RISK: Steven Motlop

If the great Motlop shows up then his current price tag of $463,700 is great value for a forward.

On his day Motlop can do everything, when it’s not his day he will leave you frustrated.

But he is already showing good signs on the track, coming back injury-free and significantly fitter than this time last year.

Losing Josh Caddy might have even opened up more midfield time for Motlop too.

Keep an eye on him pre-season and if he does see time in the guts then jump on the Motlop train ASAP. Toot toot.

THE NEWBIE: Aaron Black

Will Black play? We aren’t too sure yet, but the Cats haven’t brought him in to sit on the ground and pick grass.

Priced as a $137,100 forward, Black has shown he is a handy SuperCoach player when given a sustained run of senior football.

There isn’t Shane Kersten, Nathan Vardy and Mitch Clark competing for spots in Geelong’s forward line this year, so if the Cats want a second genuine key forward option then Black is the man.

If he looks good in the pre-season then he could well be a good pick to have in your team come Round 1.

THE ROOKIE: Brandan Parfitt

Geelong’s top selection in the national draft looms as an interesting one.

Priced at just $117,000, Parfitt has been catching the eye of senior Cats on the track.

But is he ready for senior football early in the season? Maybe not.

It means you will have to keep a very close eye on how he goes during the pre-season competition.

There are positions up for grabs in Geelong’s team for a player with the skills Parfitt brings, it’s more a question of whether Round 1 will come up too soon.

SO that’s the Cats covered, but we all know club loyalty can go out the window when SuperCoach is concerned.

What are the big questions facing the rest of the competition?

IS NAT FYFE A LOCK IN YOUR MIDFIELD?

He hasn’t been seen since Round 5 last year but surely no one has forgotten just how special Nat Fyfe is. The Brownlow Medallist dominated the SuperCoach landscape prior to his injury, averaging over 120 points in 2014 and 2015. He was on track to top that last year, posting two massive scores over 140 in the opening month breaking his leg. From all reports out of Perth, Fyfe has been training well and is ready for a Round 1 return. Following his lay-off, Fyfe’s price is set at a very affordable $573,500, almost $100,000 cheaper than this time last year.

CAN YOU FIND A CASH-COW?

Seeing one of your players score a big number is always a great feeling. But when that player cost you next to nothing, it is even better. At just $213,300, Collingwood recruit Will Hoskin-Elliott fits the bill. Starved of opportunity at GWS, Hoskin-Elliott just needs a chance. Shai Bolton is another who will be in the mix early. Drafted to Richmond, Bolton’s ability to win his own ball makes him an exciting prospect and at $117,300, the worst case is he sits on your bench for a little while. Other potential cash-cows include Fremantle’s Luke Ryan ($117,300), Essendon’s David Myers ($133,700) and Brisbane’s Jarrod Berry ($139,800).

HOW MANY BANNED BOMBERS CAN YOU TAKE?

It is great to see the likes of Jobe Watson, Dyson Heppell and Cale Hooker back at Essendon. However, their return creates some tough questions for SuperCoaches. Having all missed 12 months of football, how many banned Bombers can you have in your side? Luckily the returning players will be cheap, well cheaper. Midfield star Heppell is the most expensive of the group at $513,300 and you can pick up Watson for $453,300, Hooker for $444,900 and Michael Hurley for $464,200. These guys were stars before their bans and if they can find that level of football again, everybody is a winner.

WHO WERE LAST YEAR’S BIG IMPROVERS?

This one may surprise some SuperCoaches out there. For all the talk of injuries during the pre-season and niggles during the home-and-away rounds, Daniel Wells was clearly the most improved scorer last year. Wells lifted his weekly average from 56.5 in 2015 to 100.6 in 2016. That’s a whopping 44.1-point difference for the veteran. However, since he arrived at Collingwood in the off-season there has once again been plenty of talk about his body. The other big improvers were Adelaide’s Daniel Talia, whose average score jumped 29.3 points and Carlton’s Bryce Gibbs who enjoyed a 23-point jump.

WHO WERE LAST YEAR’S BIG DISAPPOINTMENTS?

The 2016 season was a forgettable one for West Coast’s Jack Redden. Having moved from the Lions at the end of 2015, the midfielder would have been keen to make a big impression at West Coast. However, Redden’s average weekly points dropped from 95.6 to 64.0. That was the biggest drop of any player in the AFL. Marley Williams was the second biggest, with his average dropping 28.7 points while Marc Murphy rounded out the top three, dropping 23.3 points. All three of these players have something to prove in 2017 but will you give them a second chance?

CAN SAM MITCHELL GET EVEN BETTER?

It is rare that a 34-year-old recruit creates this much buzz. But Sam Mitchell is no ordinary signing. Having played for one of the most dominant sides of the modern era, the potential is there for Mitchell to get even better in 2017. How you might ask? Because he loves playing at his new home ground, Subiaco. Mitchell averages 119 in his 11 games at the ground. Now, instead of playing there once or twice a year, he gets a minimum of 12 games in the west.

WHAT’S THE KEY TO WINNING?

It’s the big question facing every serious SuperCoach player. How much time do I need to spend on my side? Well, last year’s winner has the answer. Perth based guru Graeme Fawell says he would spend two or three hours a week on his team but made sure he was up to date with all the football news. The strategy worked, with Fawell jumping from sixth to first in the final round of the season to take out the $50,000 prize. “I’m not too obsessive compared to most,” Fawell said. “I’d say on average I’d spend two or three hours a week on it. I’m a bit of a football fanatic so I’m constantly following all the news and I have a pretty good idea about what’s going on with teams, players and form.”

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