Captainancy Candidates – Round 17

Round 16 delivered exactly what we were hoping for, with the premiums putting on a show.

Nick Daicos (154), Harry Sheezel (175), Zac Butters (155), Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (144), Max Gawn (140) and Luke Jackson (119) all rewarded owners who trusted them with the VC or captaincy.

Personally, I took Nick Daicos’ 154 as my VC and happily locked it away. Sometimes the obvious choice really is the right one.

Now that we’re well into the season, most teams are close to full premium and are starting to look very similar. That makes the VC and captaincy decisions more important than ever. Picking the right captain can be the difference between climbing a few thousand places overall or dropping back, and it can often decide those tight league matchups.

With all 18 teams back this week, we’ve almost got too many options. There are quality VC and captain choices right across the fixture, so this week it’s just as important to look at who not to pick as it is who to back.

And don’t forget to check your loophole players now that the byes are over!

Vice-Captain Rankings

1. Jordan Dawson (Friday Night vs West Coast) – West Coast will probably send attention his way, but he’s simply too good to ignore. His last three against the Eagles are 158, 146 and 138, and he looks primed to bounce back.

2. Luke Jackson (Saturday vs GWS) – Coming off a three-round average of 141 and carrying Fremantle at the moment. Briggs and Madden don’t look like the combination to slow him down.

3. Isaac Heeney (Friday Night vs Western Bulldogs) – Back at the SCG where he loves playing. If Sydney get on top, Heeney usually isn’t far away from the action.

4. Noah Anderson (Saturday vs Collingwood) – The Suns become a different side at home. Anderson’s form has been excellent and this feels like another big opportunity.

5. Bailey Dale (Friday Night vs Sydney) – Quietly back to his All-Australian best. If Sydney dominate territory as expected, Dale should have plenty of opportunities to intercept, rack up marks and take kick-ins. A genuine POD VC option.

Captain Rankings

1. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (Sunday vs Essendon) – With Sinclair unavailable, expect Nas to be everywhere. Midfield minutes, kick-ins and plenty of uncontested ball make him my favourite captain this week.

2. Zac Butters (Sunday vs North Melbourne) – Adelaide Oval, home crowd and an outstanding record in this matchup. He found another gear against North last year with 162.

3. Harry Sheezel (Sunday vs Port Adelaide) – Scores of 143, 153 and 175 in his past three weeks tell the story. Add scores of 134 and 135 in his last two against Port and he’s impossible to overlook.

4. Patrick Cripps (Saturday Night vs Richmond) – Richmond continue to give up points to opposition midfielders and Cripps has feasted on them for years. His last six against the Tigers are 114, 120, 135, 144, 121 and 132.

5. Nick Daicos (Saturday vs Gold Coast) – The Suns don’t tag and Daicos is coming off another massive score. Never a bad option if you need a late fallback captain.

Thursday Night – Geelong vs Brisbane

The round starts with an absolute cracker.

Whenever Geelong play we immediately think of Max Holmes and Bailey Smith. Fresh off the bye and back at GMHBA Stadium, both shape as premium VC options if you own them. I’ll give Holmes the slight nod this week. Bailey Smith was ill before the bye and hasn’t played for three weeks, while Holmes should hit the ground running after the break.

Whoever Brisbane send through the midfield has another problem to worry about. Connor Mullin. The obvious target is Lachie Neale, but Will Ashcroft’s recent form has been outstanding and Geelong may decide he’s the bigger threat. They could even swap the tag during the game.

Between the Mullin factor and Geelong’s outstanding record at home, I’m finding it difficult to recommend Brisbane midfielders with much confidence.

If the Cats win, I can easily see Holmes producing another huge score.

Friday Night – Sydney vs Western Bulldogs

Friday night gives us another blockbuster, and I actually think Sydney will be too strong at the SCG. If that’s the case, it makes the Bulldogs premiums a little harder to trust.

Marcus Bontempelli and Ed Richards have both been solid rather than spectacular in recent weeks, and neither fills me with confidence as a VC option this week.

Bailey Dale, however, is a different story. He’s quietly put together another elite season and has become one of the most reliable defenders in SuperCoach. His score of 113 against the Swans back in Round 7 was the beginning of his return to premium form, and this matchup could suit him nicely. If Sydney dominate territory like I expect, Dale could spend plenty of time mopping up across half-back. Throw in a few kick-ins and a handful of intercept marks and another 120-plus score wouldn’t surprise.

At the other end of the ground, Brodie Grundy is the player everyone will be watching. The SCG has become his happy place, with a career average of 126 at the ground. It was only a month ago that he casually knocked out a 203 against Collingwood there.

How does he go against Tim English? Interestingly, English missed the Round 7 meeting when Grundy made light work of the Bulldogs’ undersized rucks and scored 151. Go back another year to the last time they faced each other at the SCG, and Grundy posted 179 against English.

The only concern is form. Grundy has only managed two 100-plus scores in his past six games and, more importantly, Peter Ladhams shared the ruck duties with him last week. If Ladhams is named again, I’d be very cautious. Those are flashing red lights for anyone considering the VC.

If Grundy is named as the solo ruck, though, I’m right back on board.

Isaac Heeney is another premium who deserves a mention. He’s averaging 124 this season, which is outstanding, but when you dig a little deeper his biggest scores have come against some of the easier matchups. He posted 196 against Gold Coast, 173 against Richmond and 156 against West Coast. Take those three scores away and his average drops to around 108.

Does that mean you shouldn’t pick him? Not at all. I think Sydney win comfortably, and if they do, Heeney should still produce a very handy VC score.

Friday Night – West Coast vs Adelaide

Our second Friday night game takes us to Perth, where West Coast host Adelaide.

The first question we normally ask is: Who rucks against West Coast?

This week the answer is Lachlan McAndrew.

He’s been one of the rookie stories of the season, but with most coaches having already traded him out, I don’t think anyone is seriously considering throwing the VC on him. If you are… you’re a braver coach than I am.

The Eagles have also shown a willingness to tag in recent weeks, so Jordan Dawson will almost certainly receive some attention. The problem for West Coast is that Dawson is a very special player. His last three scores against the Eagles are 158, 146 and 138, and those numbers are simply too good to ignore. Even if he gets a hard tag, he’s shown over the years that he can still find a way to impact games.

After last week’s relatively quiet 124 by his lofty standards, I’m expecting a big response in Perth.

Isaac Rankine would normally be right in the conversation as well, but with the injury cloud hanging over him it’s difficult to recommend him until we know he’s fully fit.

Outside of Dawson, there aren’t too many obvious VC candidates from Adelaide.

Saturday – Hawthorn vs Melbourne

Saturday kicks off in Tasmania, where Hawthorn host Melbourne at UTAS Stadium.

Tasmania has become one of the toughest road trips in football. Hawthorn have won around 70% of their games there over the past decade.

As a Hawthorn supporter, I’ll admit I might be a little biased, but Will Day is starting to look very, very good. Scores of 103 and 137 since returning from injury have come despite managed time on ground. He’s moving well, looks confident and is spending plenty of time around the contest.

If he gets through the rest of this season unscathed and has a full pre-season, he’ll be one of the first names in my SuperCoach side next year.

I still wouldn’t risk the VC on him just yet, but he’s certainly trending in the right direction.

From Melbourne, the obvious discussion starts and ends with Max Gawn.

Normally, seeing Max against almost any ruck division is enough to put the VC straight on him. The only hesitation this week is Hawthorn’s dual-ruck setup. Lloyd Meek and Ned Reeves have made life difficult for opposition rucks all season. In fact, Gawn’s 118 against the Hawks earlier this year is the second-highest score any opposition ruckman has managed against Hawthorn this season.

He still remains a perfectly good VC option if you’re looking for something a little different.

Saturday – GWS vs Fremantle

This is one of the games of the round.

Fremantle are the form team of the competition, riding a huge winning streak, and a big reason for that has been Luke Jackson.

Jackson comes into this game with a three-round average of 141, and he looks like the player we’ve all been waiting for over the past few seasons. He’s dominating in the ruck, drifting forward, gathering possessions around the ground and simply looking impossible to stop.

The last time he played GWS he scored 143, and I don’t see Kieren Briggs and Nick Madden being the combination that slows him down this week.

If you own Luke Jackson, I wouldn’t be overthinking this game.

At his feet are Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw, Hayden Young and Murphy Reid, all having terrific seasons. The problem is there are simply too many mouths to feed. Every week it seems to be someone different who ends up with the 130-plus score.

Trying to predict which Dockers midfielder goes biggest each week is like trying to pick which child will ask “Are we there yet?” first on a family road trip. You know it’s coming… you just don’t know who it’ll be.

For GWS, the conversation starts with Lachie Whitfield and Lachie Ash. Both have had solid seasons, but from a SuperCoach captaincy perspective they’ve probably been a little disappointing. Whitfield’s highest score this year is 133 and Ash’s is 130. Those are good scores, but not the 160-plus explosions we’re looking for from a VC or captain.

It feels like GWS are sharing the points around a little too much.

Finn Callaghan has been in the same boat. He’s producing consistent football without giving owners those monster scores that win rounds.


Saturday Afternoon – Gold Coast vs Collingwood

Every time Gold Coast play at home we say the same thing: They’re a different team on the Gold Coast.

The Suns play with more confidence, move the ball better and generally take the game on. If they’re going to trouble Collingwood, it will be through the midfield.

That brings us to Noah Anderson. After a brief quiet patch, Anderson is back playing some outstanding football and this shapes as the perfect bounce-back opportunity for the Suns after last week’s disappointing performance. If Gold Coast can get first use through the middle, Anderson could easily push into the 130-plus range.

Matt Rowell is another interesting one. He’s still working his way back to his best after the hand injury and, while we know the ceiling is there, I’m just waiting for that trademark Rowell game where he lays 10 tackles and reminds everyone why he was the best midfielder in SuperCoach a couple of years ago.

On the Collingwood side, it all starts with Nick Daicos.

The Suns don’t tag, which is always a positive when considering Daicos. He reminded everyone last week why he’s arguably the best SuperCoach player in the competition with a brilliant 154, and there’s no reason he can’t back it up.

The question isn’t whether he’ll get plenty of the footy. The question is how well he’ll use it.

Gold Coast’s pressure can force turnovers and rushed disposals, but if Collingwood control possession, Daicos has the ability to rack up points in a hurry.

He’s not quite my favourite captain this week simply because there are some exceptional Sunday options, but if you decide to put the VC or captaincy on him, you certainly won’t get any argument from me.

Sometimes the best strategy is simply backing the best player in the competition.

Saturday Night – Richmond vs Carlton

Saturday night gives us Richmond against Carlton.

Luckily I’ve got other plans, so I won’t be forced to watch it.

If you’re a Carlton supporter, however, there is one player who immediately jumps off the page, Sir Patrick Cripps.

If you own him, this is the week you’ve probably been waiting for. His last six scores against Richmond are 114, 120, 135, 144, 121 and 132.

Richmond continue to give up plenty of points to opposition midfielders and Cripps’ contested style of football has always suited this matchup. When Carlton get on top around stoppages, he’s usually right in the thick of it.

Sam Walsh and George Hewett should also find plenty of the football, but neither has the proven history against Richmond that Cripps does.

If you’re chasing a slightly unique VC option, Cripps is one of the better PODs of the weekend.

Sunday – St Kilda vs Essendon

Sunday starts with St Kilda hosting Essendon, and this is where my favourite captain option of the week comes into play.

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. With Jack Sinclair unavailable, we should see Nas take on even more responsibility. Expect plenty of kick-ins, plenty of midfield minutes and plenty of opportunities to get the ball in his hands.

Over the past month he’s reminded everyone why he is one of the most exciting young players in the competition. His composure with ball in hand is elite, he uses it beautifully and, from a SuperCoach perspective, he does everything we love, marks, kicks, intercept possessions and gets involved around stoppages. This has all the ingredients of another massive score.

On the Essendon side, Zach Merrett is always worthy of discussion.

He remains one of the safest premiums in the game and with Archie Roberts sidelined, we may see Merrett spend even more time across half-back where his SuperCoach scoring has traditionally been very strong. It is well known that defenders against the Saints do very well. This might be a perfect match.

If you’re after safety, Merrett is your man. If you’re chasing a genuine match-winning score, I’m backing Wanganeen-Milera.

Sunday – Port Adelaide vs North Melbourne

The final game of the round brings together some of the biggest SuperCoach names in the competition. Zac Butters, Harry Sheezel and Tristan Xerri.

If you’re still looking for a captain on Sunday afternoon, this is the game to target.

WARNING: this game starts before the Saint Kilda vs Essendon game finishes.

The good news for Xerri owners is that he’s expected to return after being cleared from injury. That immediately puts him back into the captaincy discussion. Port Adelaide haven’t been an easy matchup for opposition rucks this season, Sweet is similar to Xerri in how he plays, he isn’t a big ‘jumper’. His work around stoppages, clearances and follow-up efforts give him one of the highest floors in SuperCoach.

Harry Sheezel’s last 3 scores have been 143, 153 and 175, and he’s carrying North Melbourne through the midfield. Add scores of 134 and 135 in his last two meetings with Port Adelaide, and he’s impossible to ignore.

The question is whether North can win enough of the football. If Xerri returns at full fitness, that certainly improves Sheezel’s chances.

Luke Davies-Uniacke is another player capable of a huge score if North can match Port around the contest, but his form has been patchy over the past month and he’s just outside the captaincy conversation for me.

Then there’s Zac Butters. He returns to Adelaide Oval where he always seems to find another gear. Port will be desperate to bounce back and their skipper has built a reputation for standing up in the big moments.

His last meeting with North produced 162, and he has only dipped below 100 a handful of times all season. When Port are playing well, Butters is almost always leading the way.

Most people have Butter and Sheezel, so how do you split them? If I had to split the premium options, I’d still lean slightly towards Butters because of the home-ground advantage and Port’s strength at Adelaide Oval.

Final Thoughts

This is one of the toughest captaincy rounds we’ve had all season, and that’s a good thing. There are genuine premium options right across the fixture, with very few obvious fade candidates.

For me, the standout VC options are Jordan Dawson, Luke Jackson and Isaac Heeney, while I’m looking to Sunday for the captaincy, led by Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Zac Butters and Harry Sheezel. I would have liked to VC Nas and put the C on Butters, but the games cross over.

As always, don’t get too caught up chasing the perfect score. At this stage of the season, when most teams are full premium, banking a strong VC score can often be the smarter play than rolling the dice. Good luck this week, and hopefully your captain is the one everyone is talking about on Monday morning, for the right reasons.

thanks fellas