Captain’s Corner: Round 2, skippers to target and avoid

Last week was a pretty straightforward VC/C week for many SuperCoaches on the captaincy front, with many taking Jack Macrae’s 133 from the opening game of the season against Melbourne.

Gawn and Oliver VC-ers would have been slight disappointed with both players giving away more than a handful of free kicks against the Dogs which no doubt held their scoring back.

It was a similar story with Jack Steele, who had nine clangers from his 28 disposals which produced his lowest SC score since Round 11, 2020.

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Brodie Grundy started the season well and most coaches would have been pleased with his efforts as he scored 124 against St Kilda on Friday night.

Those who opted to put the C on Touk Miller (137 SC points) or Lachie Neale (140 SC points) were well rewarded as both players dominated their respective matches.

Patrick Cripps was also a left-field option for a handful of coaches, the Carlton superstar collecting 132 SC points from his 30-disposal, three-goal game against the Tigers.

PLAYER	MOST POPULAR VC	PLAYER	MOST POPULAR C
Jack Macrae	21.8%	Jack Macrae	19.0%
Max Gawn	14.9%	Jack Steele	11.3%
Clayton Oliver	8.2%	Touk Miller	10.4%
Jack Steele	7.7%	Clayton Oliver	8.4%
Brodie Grundy	4.7%	Lachie Neale	7.7%
Marcus Bontempelli	3.7%	Max Gawn	6.4%
Touk Miller	3.7%	Brodie Grundy	5.0%
Lachie Neale	3.5%	Christian Petracca	4.0%
Patrick Cripps	2.5%	Marcus Bontempelli	2.2%
Christian Petracca	2.4%	Patrick Cripps	1.6%

Let’s take a look at the VC/C options for Round 2…

Jack Macrae

Looks the obvious VC choice again in the first game of the round on Thursday night. Racked up disposals at will against Melbourne, I can’t see that changing against Carlton this week and he should score well despite a moderate record against the Blues in recent times.

Last 3 vs CARL: 106, 138, 97

Patrick Dangerfield

Dangerfield looked back to somewhere near his dominant best against a hapless Bombers midfield, collecting 13 touches and kicking a goal in the first term on his way to 155 SC points for the day. His record against the Swans reads very well in recent times and if you happen to be an owner then he could set you apart from the crowd as a VC or C option.

Last 3 vs SYD: 170, 130, 99

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Brodie Grundy

The Pies big man looked in great form last week against the Saints as he and Rowan Marshall locked horns across the course of the match. He’ll face quality opposition again this week in the form of Reilly O’Brien from the Crows, but his record suggests that won’t be an issue and he looks like a safe captaincy option.

Last 3 vs ADEL: 100, 123, 141

Lachie Neale

After being weighed down by injury last year, Neale looked back to somewhere near his best against Port Adelaide collecting 31 disposals and also having the most CBAs of any Lions player. Remember when Chris Fagan said he would be spending more time forward this year? Looks to be a great pick as captain this week with an outstanding recent run against the Bombers.

Last 3 vs ESS: 157, 157, 140

Clayton Oliver

Gave away a stack of free kicks last week which was very uncharacteristic for Oliver, but I think he’ll bounce back and have no such issues this week. The Dees gun has loved playing against the Suns in recent times (averaging 149 from his last 3 games against them) and he could well continue that trend this weekend. Looks like a safe C choice.

Last 3 vs GCS: 166, 106, 175

Max Gawn

Another Demon with an excellent record against Gold Coast, in the eight times he’s played the Suns, he’s only posted one sub-100-point score. I think Gawn will strongly respond this week after falling foul of the umpires last week.

Last 3 vs GCS: 138, 153, 109

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Christian Petracca

Dominated proceedings in Round 1 and it looks like the 2021 Norm Smith Medallist could be in for a massive season. He also tore the Suns apart last year with a 32-disposal, three Brownlow vote performance and could be a nice POD option if you’re an owner.

Last 3 vs GCS: 148, 104, 92

Touk Miller

The Gold Coast skipper was instrumental in his side’s win over a decimated West Coast outfit in Round 1, racking up 29 disposals and kicking a goal to net 137 SC points. He’s loved playing Melbourne in recent times, and I don’t see the Dees putting a hard tag on him this time around either. No reason to jump off the Touk Train if you were on last week.

Last 3 vs MELB: 142, 142, 65

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SC BANDIT’S RECOMMENDATIONS

VICE-CAPTAIN – Jack Macrae / Brodie Grundy

CAPTAIN – Lachie Neale / Clayton Oliver