The Tagging Game

Eagle Luke Shuey had a tough time shaking Dockers tagger Ryan Crowley

Tagging is a phenomenon that exists in the AFL and whether you like it or not it’s here to stay. Most sides these days have a designated tagger or a defensive stopper who is sent purely to curb the influence of the opposition’s most damaging midfielder. There have been many successful taggers in the past and one cannot forget the likes of a Steven Baker or a Cameron Ling. The elite taggers like Ling are able to win their own share of the football as well.

In 2013 there are several players known for their effective tagging abilities. Andrew Raines, Clint Jones, Ryan Crowley and Scott Selwood are some who have been very successful at shutting down the opposition’s best midfielder. Although it’s a good tactic to shut down players, it’s often not good for our Supercoach teams. The elite midfielders in the AFL are usually the first players picked in our Supercoach sides. Guys like Gary Ablett, Scott Pendlebury and Trent Cotchin. We rely on these gun players to provide our Supercoach midfield with premium scores week in - week out. If they don’t score well it can put an end to your Supercoach aspirations. That’s why no matter how good a player is, if they can’t break a tag then you don’t want them in your Supercoach team.

This past week we have already seen two players effectively tagged out of the game, Luke Shuey and Patrick Dangerfield. Dangerfield scored a deplorable 63 Supercoach points as a result of being shut down by Essendon tagger Heath Hocking. The Bombers figured out early that Dangerfield was the man to stop so they switched Hocking from Scott Thompson to Dangerfield and the rest is history. Others teams will do the same, making Dangerfield a marked man this year. If Dangerfield can’t adjust and doesn’t get help from his teammates, it could be disastrous for a lot of Supercoach coaches, including me. We will know pretty soon as Raines will tag Dangerfield when the Crows play the Lions in round 2. I’m prediciting Dangerfield can work through it, if not I will seriously consider trading him out before his price plummets after round 3.      

Luke Shuey also struggled to shake the tag of Docker Ryan Crowley, finishing with a disappointing 56 Supercoach points. Big things are expected of Shuey this year after his rapid improvement in 2012. However he has yet to prove he can cope with the attention he received from Crowley last weekend. As long as Daniel Kerr remains sidelined, Shuey will continue to cop the number one tag and struggle to have an impact. This is what happened to Brent Stanton last season. Stanton was flying last year in Supercoach with an average of 137 points per game after round 8. At that point he was equal leader in the Brownlow with teammate Jobe Watson. However, unlike Watson, Stanton couldn’t cope with a tag. Opposition teams soon realised this and Stanton had no impact for the rest of the season. As a result Stanton becomes a risky selection for your Supercoach team. Although the addition of Brendon Goddard means Stanton may be less likely to get the number one tag, I still wouldn’t pick him.   

This season there are several players on the rise who I believe might be prone to getting tagged. These include players such as Daniel Rich, Jack Watts, Dustin Martin and Hamish Hartlett. Hartlett is an outstanding young talent who could have a breakout year if he stays injury free. Opposition teams know this as shown by the Eagles during their NAB Cup game against Port. Hartlett was damaging early, as was Boak, but the Eagles sent Scott Selwood to Hartlett instead and he shut him down after half-time. Jack Watts is another guy who has tremendous upside playing the loose man role across half-back. Opposition sides are aware of this and once the real stuff begins they are likely to send a defensive forward tagger to Watts who, at times, has shown he is susceptible to being tagged out of games. Dustin Martin has also had trouble with tags in the past but has simply not been good enough in recent times to get tagged. If Martin bounces back this year he is likely to get some attention, but most of the focus will go to the likes of Cotchin and Deledio so he may be a safer bet than Watts. Daniel Rich’s fast start to the season will mean he’ll cop a lot of attention and it will be interesting to see if he can cope with the added fan fare from opposition taggers. I’m not convinced Rich can cope, but I’m happy to be proven wrong. Rich also has Nick Lower first up, which will be a good test after Lower’s job on Trent Cotchin. Cotchin showed that even he was prone when he wore a heavy tag from Lower all day in the NAB practice match against the Bulldogs. Although he had some important touches late Cotchin had his colours lowered on the day. 

On the other hand look at Gary Ablett. Every week he cops the opposition's best tagger and you know he doesn't enjoy it as evidenced by the Crowley fiasco on twitter last year. Yet Ablett is still able to have an influence and score well despite the tag. Last year only two players had more than 20 disposals against tagger Clint Jones. Ablett was one of them with 35 possessions. Ablett was also one of three players to win more than 20 possessions against Raines and he did it on two occasions. That's why he's first picked in my team every year. 

Remember no matter how good a player is, if they can’t break a tag then you don’t want them in your Supercoach team. 

Keep calm and don’t trade

Patrick Dangerfield scored a meagre 63 Supercoach points against the Bombers

If you are worried about some of your Supercoach selections after the weekend you’re probably not alone. Take solace in the fact that many coaches have Patrick Dangerfield, Brendon Goddard, and Dyson Heppell in their teams. It’s always easy in hindsight to rue the decisions you’ve made. ‘Why did I pick Dangerfield over Watson’ or ‘I should have gone with Mundy over Fyfe’. If these words ring true for you remind yourself that you picked these players for a reason and now’s not the time to jump off the bandwagon. Back your judgement, keep calm and don’t push the trade but just yet.

Over the past weekend there were some very ordinary performances. Many of our Supercoach stars were well down on their expected outputs and Patrick Dangerfield was one of the biggest. After a massive year in 2012, Dangerfield had shown signs he would become one of the premier midfielders in the competition. He started on fire against the Bombers on Friday night until they sent Heath Hocking to quell his influence. It worked and Dangerfield finished with a meagre 63 Supercoach points for the game. Then there’s the rising stars Dyson Heppell and Luke Shuey. Shuey was another victim of the tag, scoring only 56 Supercoach points after he was blanketed by Ryan Crowley for the entire game. Heppell like Dangerfield started well in the midfield, as expected, only to slow down in the second half to finish with 73 Supercoach points. All were well down on their projected scores. Others like Patrick Ryder (54 SC points), Paul Duffield (80 SC points) and Brendon Goddard (86 SC points) failed to produce. Even Nat Fyfe’s 96 points seemed disappointing if you chose him ahead of David Mundy (126 SC points) and Michael Barlow (144 SC points).

So what do we do now? Do we react to these disappointing scores and trade out our under-performing stars? That sounds like an easy solution. Trade out Dangerfield and bring in Watson. But what if Dangerfield comes out and scores 150 Supercoach points against the Lions next round? It wouldn’t be the first time a star like Dangerfield responded like this. In fact it happens quite a lot. The Crows also have an easier draw playing teams like the Western Bulldogs, Port Adelaide and Gold Coast early. Although sides will try and tag Dangerfield each week they won’t have the same success that Hocking did on Friday night. The better solution is to keep Dangerfield and see how he plays next week. If he scores another 60 points then maybe consider a trade if he’s going to drop in price dramatically. Last year’s winner did this after round 2 when he traded Montagna out for Sam Mitchell. A bold move that paid off in the end, but initially it looked like it would backfire when Mitchell scored an 83 and a 55 in two of his next three games. I suppose this is the type of move that enabled him to win the overall competition. However, the norm is if you pick a premium it’s best to stick with them as they usually come good given time. It also saves a trade which comes in handy down the track.

This same line of thought goes for the other stars as well. Stick with Goddard, Heppell, and Ryder for now. Although it could be tempting with 30 trades this year, see how they respond next round before pulling the trigger and trading them out. Otherwise it’s likely to leave you with egg on your face. If they perform badly again then it gets a bit more complicated. It comes down to who the player is firstly, their scoring history in past years, and a judgement call by you. For example if Luke Shuey had another bad game I would consider trading him out. Shuey isn’t yet a proven star who has delivered premium scores consistently, although we were hoping for this to happen after a breakout season in 2012. Therefore it would make sense to jump off Shuey at $553K and jump on a Barlow ($509K) or Mundy ($477K) who are both cheaper options that look like delivering premium numbers this year. On the other hand I wouldn’t consider trading out Goddard. He is an elite Supercoach performer who has consistently delivered premium numbers. Goddard also had limited touches for his 86 Supercoach points. He’s a damaging player and when he gets more touches (which he will) his scoring output will increase dramatically.

Another mistake would be to make wholesale changes to your side this week in reaction to some of your selections not paying off. Although it’s possible it could work, it’s more likely to backfire. The players you change are likely to have big games as you initially thought. Besides some slight tweaking, trust your original judgements and stick with the players you’ve chosen.

When it comes to making trades after round 1 the only trades I would consider are forced trades due to injured players. Mark LeCras is a perfect example. He was just starting to look dangerous when he broke his arm and is now out for 4 weeks. A possible trade for LeCras would be his teammate Josh Kennedy. Kennedy was impressive in his return on the weekend kicking 2 goals on his way to 109 SC points. At $299K he would also give you another $69K in the bank to use elsewhere. Even so I would wait until round one is completed so you have a better idea of how everyone performs as you never know what can happen in the game of Supercoach.    

Ideally, I believe the best outcome is not to trade until the end of round two. One game doesn’t make a season and from experience this is especially true in Supercoach. Last year’s winner was ranked in the 60,000’s after the first two rounds yet went on to win as a result of making the right trades at the right time. Now is not the right time. Keep calm and don’t trade...not yet anyway.  

The 'Rookie-Cutter' Team

Ollie Wines has been a standout midfield rookie in the NAB Cup

When you make your initial Supercoach team it’s important to have a strategy. The ‘guns and rookies’ and ‘midpricer’ strategies are two popular approaches that have worked well for coaches in past years. However, within each approach there is usually a common thread in every team. This can be called the ‘cookie-cutter’ team. Whether it is in the backline, midfield or forward line you always find certain players locked into every side. These are players like Brendan Goddard, Gary Ablett and Buddy Franklin. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing I’d like to propose a different approach when it comes to building your side in 2013. I call it the ‘rookie-cutter’ team approach. In this approach you let the quantity and quality of rookies available on each line dictate the structure of your side. I will explain how this strategy works by looking at the process of selecting each line of your Supercoach team.

Defence

This year you will find you’re not lacking options for rookie choices in defence. There is good quantity and quality to choose from. These include mature age players such as Brett Goodes ($128K), Lewis Steveson ($115K), Dean Terlich ($109K), and Jasper Pittard ($128K). You also have first year players Sam Colquhuon ($109K), Sam Docherty ($115K) and Nick Vlastuin ($159K). The mature age guys will definitely play and score well and the first year rookies will get game time at some stage, especially Vlastuin. Therefore I believe it is possible to structure your defence around 4-5 rookies. That will mean starting with at least 3 premiums and 5 rookies, 4 premiums and 4 rookies or 3 premiums, 1 midpricer and 4 rookies. Either way you are getting value for money and it would make no sense to stack your backline with extra premiums. Personally I like the 3 premium, 5 rookie approach as it frees up cash to spend elsewhere. You can then spend that extra money on a premium midfielder who will average more than your premium defender. The extra cash will also come in handy for your forward line with a lack of good forward rookie options.

Midfield

When it comes to rookies in the midfield we are spoilt for choice. We have the likes of Jack Viney ($109K), Brad Crouch ($115K), and Jaegar O’meara ($115K). O’Meara and Crouch have been impressive in the NAB Cup and we know Viney can play senior football. Then there is Ollie Wines ($169K) whose size and contested game style will mean he plays and scores well. A must have for your side. We also have some mature age guys to choose from like Matt Jones ($109K), Kane Mitchell ($126K) and Koby Stevens ($176K). If that isn’t enough I could go on with names such as Toumpas, Whitfield, Kent and Kommer. Like I said we are spoilt for choice. We have quality rookies capable of scoring highly and making you considerable cash to upgrade your team. As a result, I believe you should build your midfield structure around 4-5 rookies. That means starting with at least two rookies on the field, possibly three. This year I believe it is possible to do this due to the quality and quantity of midfield rookies available. We also have 10 midfield spots to fill (8 starting), so it will be difficult to have an adequate team elsewhere if we stack our midfield full of premiums. I will be looking at adopting a 5 rookie, 5 premium structure. However, at least one of my premiums will be a possible breakout player. The extra trades gives you room to take some risks. There is also room to have a midpricer within the structure, depending on your strategy.   

Ruck

Although the rucks continue to cause headaches this year, there are still enough rookies to fill our benches. This year Dan Currie ($115K) has stepped up as a legitimate mature age ruck option. A lot depends, however, on whether or not he can win the starting role from Goldstein. It seems unlikely at this stage and North won’t play both. Then there’s Majak Daw ($109K) and Sam Rowe ($115K) who could both see playing time, with Rowe being the more likely. Rowe also has dual status as a ruck/fwd so he could be crucial to have that link even if he doesn’t play. Mark Blicavs ($115K) is also an option. He's recently been made available as a ruckman and is a likely round one starter, but once Geelong's ruck stocks return there are no guarantees he will continue to play. There are other rookies like Jarrod Witts at Collingwood but they are unlikely to see enough action. Therefore I believe you should build your ruck structure around 2 rookies. That means starting with 2 premium rucks or 1 premium ruck and a midpriced ruck if you want to save cash. Your 2 premium rucks can also be on the cheaper side ($450-500K) as we have some potentially underpriced ruckmen in this price range (e.g. Kreuzer, Giles, Mumford, Goldstein, Bellchambers, etc). Having 3 rookies and starting Currie seems too risky at this stage.      

Forward

One of the biggest challenges for all coaches this year is finding quality rookie forwards. There are simply not many options. The main two options are Brent MaCaffer ($128K) and Jake Neade ($115K). Although Neade is small, he’s got speed and has been lively in the NAB Cup. However, if he plays he won’t score high and should be a bench option. Macaffer is in a similar boat. He will definitely play but is unlikely to average over 60-70 pts per game. There are others like Tom Lee ($115K) and Spangher ($128K) who could get a game, but no standouts. As a result I believe we need to build our forward line structure around midpriced players in 2013. We have an abundance of midpricers this year such as LeCras ($369K), Monfries ($356K), Kennedy ($299K), Varcoe ($268K), Karnezis ($262K), Knights ($248K) and Byrnes ($230K). Some of these guys are fully capable of scoring 80-90 points per game, which will help generate enough cash for premium upgrades. It will also keep you competitive in the overall competition until you are able to upgrade. It’s even possible one of them could produce premium like numbers and become a keeper. However, to be able to afford these midpriced players you will need to have ample rookies in the midfield and defence to free up enough cash. If you do this you will be able to have a structure of 3-4 premiums in your forward line, with 2-3 midpricers and 2 rookies on the bench.

So this year when you come to selecting your side think carefully about your strategy and team structure. Rather than using a default 'guns and rookies' or 'midpricer' approach, I recommend you take advantage of the number of good rookies available in the defence and midfield and spend the extra cash where you need it most.

Breakout Kings

Who will breakout and join the Supercoach elite in 2013?

Daniel Rich has had an outstanding NAB Cup campaign and looks ready to breakout

Every year there is a few standout players who make the jump from Supercoach obscurity to Supercoach elite. This is what we call a breakout player and they are not easy to find.  We can all pick the guns and it’s not overly hard to find the right rookies, especially with all the help on the internet these days. However it’s extremely tough to find those players in the middle range who will increase their point average from 70-90 to 110 plus. This takes a lot of hard work, skill and some good fortune from the Supercoach gods.  

When it comes to breakout players, Patrick Dangerfield is a prime example. Dangerfield was selected at pick 10 in the 2007 draft. He was drafted with big expectations and had been considered as a breakout contender by Supercoach experts in 2010 and 2011 with no success. You may have had Dangerfield in your team expecting him to deliver. I know I did. Yet each year he failed to deliver. At the beginning of the 2012 season Dangerfield was priced at $435,500 with an average of 80.3. He was now entering his fifth season and many had written him off. They had been burnt one too many times. However those who stuck with him were rewarded handsomely. Dangerfield finally delivered on his potential averaging 118.9 points per game. In one season he went from breakout contender to breakout king. He is now priced at $636,000 going into the 2013 season and currently a popular selection in many Supercoach sides. As with Dangerfield, most high draft picks become elite at some stage in their career. The challenge is working out when that will happen. It’s all about timing. As hard as it might seem, there are some indicators that can help pinpoint the right timing for these breakout kings.

Firstly, they are usually players you know quite well. They are not big secrets and you know they have the potential to produce career best numbers. Secondly, they are normally high draft picks who haven’t lived up to the expectations placed on them. Thirdly, they are often players who are in their third, fourth or fifth seasons, but not always. Dangerfield is a perfect example who fits these three categories. He was in his fifth season, we all knew about him and had him in our teams expecting a breakout. He was also a top draft pick who hadn’t lived up to the hype surrounding him. Other indicators to look out for are a change in roles or clubs. A common example of this is a player moving from a forward position to a prominent midfield role (Dangerfield did exactly this last year). The same can happen when a player changes clubs and has more opportunities in his new team (Brad Ebert last season). Also look for a player who is finally healthy after several injury setbacks. Sometimes this can be the key factor holding them back from a breakout year. Finally, look for signs in the preseason competition that they could be about to breakout. How they play in the NAB Cup may indicate they are about to take that next step.

Based on these indicators I have listed eight possible breakout contenders for 2013.

Jack Watts        

$460,100, avg: 86.0, pick 1 2008, 5th season

Jack Watts finally seems to have found a home playing across half back for the Dees. Watts was moved into defence in round 8 last year after returning from injury and he was an instant success. Often playing as the loose man, he was outstanding at reading the play and ranked elite for intercept possessions and marks. Through rounds 8-15 Watts ranked first in the AFL for intercept possessions, averaging 102 Supercoach points per game before being injured. Watts has continued to play this role throughout the 2013 NAB Cup with promising signs. He exploded in Melbourne's last game against the Suns amassing 165 Supercoach points. All indicators point to a breakout season in 2013.   

Daniel Rich

$485,500, avg: 90.8, pick 7 2009, 4th season

Rich is ticking all the boxes for a breakout season and continued to impress with 25 disposals, one goal and 131 SuperCoach points against the Pies in round three of the NAB Cup. He was also impressive in the NAB Cup openers with 21 touches over the two shortened games. Topped it off with a best on ground performance in the NAB Cup final. Rich took steps in the right direction last season rating above-average in clearances and averaging one goal per game. This trend should continue as I expect Rich to become an elite midfielder after taking his fitness base to the next level. With Brisbane on the rise, there’s every indication it will happen this year.     

Dustin Martin

$473,500 avg: 88.5, pick 3 2009, 4th season 
Richmond coach Damian Hardwick says Dustin Martin is a must have for your Supercoach team. Martin, who has had his fair share of troubles off the field, is entering his fourth year fitter, more settled and ready to play the sort of football he's always looked capable of according to Hardwick. The coach also believes the recent stability in his life and close relationship with Mark Williams will be the making of him as a player. Was best a field in only half a game in the Tigers close win over the Bombers. Has burnt many coaches over the last few years but, like Dangerfield in 2012, this could be the year Martin finally has a breakout season.

Hamish Hartlett

$489,000, avg: 91.4, pick 4 2008, 5th season 
The only thing holding Hartlett back from becoming elite are his injuries. Before being injured last season, Hartlett was ranked first at his club for contested possessions. Has had a full preseason and looks to be finally over his injury woes. Shown he is ready to take the next step with an impressive NAB Cup campaign. Hartlett was super against Melbourne with 23 possessions, three goals and 135 Supercoach points. Now in his 5th season, Hartlett is fully capable of increasing his average from 91 points to 100 plus in 2013. Plays primarily in the midfield yet he can be chosen as a defender. An outstanding talent who has tremendous upside.

Dan Hannebery

$439,700, avg: 77.2, pick 30 2008, 5th season

Not a top ten pick but there’s been big wraps on Hannebery for a while now and he showed us what he can do in last year’s Finals series. Hannebery averaged 30 disposals, 12 contested, and five tackles per game throughout the 2012 finals, signs he is coming of age. Now in his fifth season, Hannebery is ready to take the next step. Was impressive with 114 and 97 Supercoach points in rounds two and three of the NAB Cup racking up contested possessions. A unique pick who is on the verge of breaking out and he comes cheap.  

Dyson Heppell

$450,000, avg: 84.1, pick 7 2010, 3rd season

Heppell has become a consistent performer for the Bombers since entering the league in 2011, averaging 83 and 84 pts per game over the last two years playing off half back. However this year the Bombers have earmarked him for a move into the midfield. Throughout the NAB Cup Heppell has been impressive playing predominantly in the midfield. Scored 97 Supercoach points in just over half a game against the Giants before being subbed off. Look for Heppell to increase his average considerably and take big steps playing as a midfielder in season 2013. Lock him in your defence as this will be the last year he will be available as a backman.    

Travis Boak

$481,500, avg: 90.0, pick 5, 2006, 7th season

Boak is a high draft pick who’s been on the cusp of becoming an elite midfielder for three seasons. Last year he recorded above-average numbers for disposals with 24 per game. Has shown he’s capable of producing high scores with games of 119, 138, 128 and 134 in 2012, but needs to do it more consistently if he’s going to take the next step. Boak scored 115 Supercoach points in his NAB Cup game against the Eagles, collecting 24 possessions (12 contested), 5 clearances, 8 inside 50’s and 4 tackles. He backed this up with 135 Supercoach points against the reigning premiers, finishing with 29 disposals (14 contested), 6 tackles, 5 clearances and 3 goals. Seems more settled now he’s made the decision to stay at Port Adelaide and looks ready to lead from the front as Port's skipper. In his 7th year so the time is now for Boak to breakout! 

Who do you think is ready to take that next step and become a breakout king?