Weekly wrap: Round 22 studs & duds

I’m not going to lie, it’s getting harder and harder to pump out this article each and every week.

The SC Bandit tore my last little bit of hope to shreds on the weekend, coming out victorious in our SC Playbook contributors head-to-head prelim final.

My rise and fall in the 2023 season can be attributed to dumb luck, a bit of actual dumbness, then even more dumb luck, and then even more actual dumbness.

I don’t like to harp on about the “what could have been’s” of AFL SuperCoach, because living in a world of hindsight and make-believe just to excuse poor decision making is nothing short of regressive.

You have to own your mistakes, as equally as you have to own your successes.

BUT…

Haha, nah I’m joking.

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Obviously bringing in the likes of Nic Martin who, yes tonned up this weekend, but also averaged 65 since entering my team certainly doesn’t help in anyone’s push to claim SuperCoach bragging rights.

Trades like that, however, don’t negate the fact that my bye planning was – for lack of a better term – non-existent.

So, when it is time to fully reflect on the 2023 season, my rapid descent from 1216^th in Round 10 to 4921^st won’t be rebutted with exaggerated 50/50 trade decisions or captain calls (no matter how much I want to), but will instead be put down to me being slightly lazier than the average SuperCoacher.

Plan. For. The. Byes.

Lesson learnt…

Onto the wrap!

Collingwood v Geelong

• Josh Daicos (138) thrived without brother Nick
• Tom Mitchell (103) played just his second full game in the last five weeks. He’s just $400k and plays the Lions this week, a team he has a career average of 130 against…
• Darcy Cameron (68) was a brute force in the ruck with 43 hitouts, however, he failed to record a single mark and went at just 33% DE from his six touches
• I have no doubt that Patrick Dangerfield (125) will go on an absolute tear in these last two weeks. He’s one of those players that will stop at literally nothing to get his team over the line, and the Cats are going to need him now more than they ever have before
• A few months ago when I said Jeremy Cameron (114) was going to be near impossible to ignore at just over $300k, this is what I meant. Like Dangerfield, you can pencil him in for some monster scores over the next fortnight
• Tom Stewart (69) had a quiet night. Perhaps it coincided with Mitch Duncan (75) racking up disposals for fun off half back? Who knows

North Melbourne v Essendon

• Harry Sheezel (107) is ending the season with the same impact on SuperCoach teams that Nick Daicos had last year. His five-round average of 107 has him ranked as the sixth most in-form forward in the game
• Luke Davies-Uniacke (125) has a low score of just 94 in his last eight games
• In his final game, Ben Cunnington (95) did he all could to try and get the Roos over the line with 24 disposals and two goals
• George Wardlaw (87) dominated in just 55% TOG
• Nicholas Martin (137) tonned up for the first time since Round 17. The only stain on this performance was that I traded him out in AFL Fantasy last week…
• Darcy Parish (122) capitalised on Zach Merrett (96) being tagged
• Mason Redman (95) owners (like myself) would be pleased with this score
• Elijah Tsatas (77) is on the bubble this week

Sydney v Gold Coast

• Jake Lloyd (98) could potentially cop a tag from Ben Keays this week
• Luke Parker’s (96) poor end to the season continues, tonning up just once in his last six games
• Chad Warner (90) and Errol Gulden (90) had an ok day in the middle
• Is Callum Mills (80) on everyone else’s ‘never again’ lists or just mine??
• Matt Roberts (34) returned to the team but provided little for us coaches
• Matthew Rowell (119) had a game-high 18 contested possessions and nine clearances
• Jarrod Witts (87) could have been on for a monster score but racked up nine clangers
• Touk Miller (82) had a tagging role on Errol in the first quarter but was able to get his on footy after that. Should be pretty cheap next year!

Brisbane v Adelaide

• Hugh McCluggage (133) is loving life without Will Ashcroft
• Lachie Neale (88) and Josh Dunkley (62) were both uncharacteristically quiet  
• Jaspa Fletcher (21) came on as the sub
• Matt Crouch’s (122) redemption arc continues, putting the comp on notice with a three-round average of 126
• Rory Laird (121) had a game-high 34 touches
• Jordan Dawson (111) bounced back from last week’s 89

Carlton v Melbourne

• George Hewett (142) took home the three votes with 33 disposals, 23 of which were contested
• Adam Saad (132) tonned up for just the second time since Round 4
• Nic Newman (118) has a three-round average of 133
• Patrick Cripps (116) had 29 touches and a goal
• Sam Docherty (92) was subbed off in the last quarter with a calf complaint but should be good to go for this week’s clash against the Suns

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• Angus Brayshaw (131) wasn’t erred by the long-awaited return of Clayton Oliver (128)
• Just touching on Clarry, he’s the out and out best trade-in option from this point on
• Christian Petracca (107) had 24 touches and kicked two snags
• Max Gawn (84) failed to ton up for the first time in four weeks and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the return of Brodie Grundy (39) played a huge part in that

West Coast v Fremantle

• Alex Witherden (133) SZN is almost upon us! Pencil him into your 2024 teams now
• As for Luke Jackson (124), you can just about pencil him in as well
• Andrew Brayshaw (103) managed to shrug off a tag
• Luke Ryan (83) couldn’t crack the ton for the second week in a row
• Karl Worner (56) is on the bubble this week

Hawthorn v Bulldogs

• I’ll preface this next statement by re-iterating I am in fact a die-hard Hawthorn supporter… BUT, I do genuinely think that the Hawks will be challenging for a flag in the next five years and when they do, Jai Newcombe (174) will be walking out onto the MCG in September with a Brownlow Medal back at home
• Alongside him on that final Saturday in September will be his midfield counterparts, James Worpel (113) and Will Day (98), who are all starting to put their name in lights as one of the best young midfield groups in the comp
• James Sicily (96) couldn’t ton up, but his impact on this Hawthorn team seriously can’t be understated

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• Chad Wingard (0) had been in a purple patch up until this point, but a ruptured Achilles will likely see his career come to an abrupt end
• Tim English (143) bucked the trend of Hawthorn being a restrictive opposition for ruckmen
• Marcus Bontempelli (115) did his usual thing
• Jack Macrae (57) failed to record 20+ disposals for the first time in 70 consecutive games – the longest streak in AFL history
• Tom Liberatore (20) was subbed out in the second quarter with concussion. A cruel blow for owners and even crueller blow for those who had the captaincy on him

St Kilda v Richmond

• Rowan Marshall (146) had 23 disposals and a goal to go with his 20 hitouts
• Jack Sinclair (115) didn’t lay a tackle but still put up a great score
• Jack Steele (81) owners will be hoping he can bounce back in the last two games of the season
• Tim Taranto (95) still only has one ton in his last seven games… Ridiculous

Port Adelaide v GWS

• Zak Butters (139) and Connor Rozee (130) put on a clinic in the middle. Both are very good chances to finish in the top-5 in this year’s Brownlow
• Miles Bergman (116) got off to a flyer, kicking three goals in the first quarter
• Even with a 61 last week, Dan Houston’s (128) five-round average is 121
• Tom Green (129) has a low score of just 126 since returning from injury
• Kieren Briggs (115) continues to bully opposition ruckmen
• Josh Kelly (82) was tagged by Willem Drew (78)
• Stephen Coniglio (70) had his typical stinker that we’ve slowly become so accustomed to