Captaincy Candidates – Round 23

Written by Gunboat Diplomacy on August 19 2021

Here we are: the last Captaincy Candidates for 2021. It’s my second year running the captains and just wanted to say thank you to those who check in each Thursday at midday. Always get great traffic in this space and the comments affirm selections, generate alternatives and keep us all sharp – thank you.

I’ve had one of my worst seasons to date this year, currently sitting 8600 OA after 3 consecutive seasons of Top 2k finishes. The only thing that’s kept me afloat in a season as f*cked as this has been my captaincy selections – and I suppose they of course should given it’s what I’m tasked with at SCT! So, to put my money where my mouth is, here have been my captains from Rounds 1 – 22:

  • Round 1: Gawn (93)
  • Round 2: Macrae (137)
  • Round 3: Grundy (162)
  • Round 4: Macrae (137)
  • Round 5: Macrae (146)
  • Round 6: Gawn (147)
  • Round 7: Grundy (144)
  • Round 8: Merrett (131)
  • Round 9: Gawn (117)
  • Round 10: Grundy (138)
  • Round 11: Macrae (145)
  • Round 12: Laird (144)
  • Round 13: Gawn (123)
  • Round 14: Neale (156)
  • Round 15: Bontempelli (156)
  • Round 16: Miller (153)
  • Round 17: Merrett (143)
  • Round 18: Miller (120)
  • Round 19: Macrae (146)
  • Round 20: Macrae (131)
  • Round 21: Miller (155)
  • Round 22: Macrae (136)

*didn’t own Steele or Walsh and no loop for Satan’s annual 200

Now, down to business:

Vice-Captaincy Candidates

MACRAE v Port

  • L3 v Port: 115, 113, 142 (123 av.)
  • L3 @ MRVL: 154, 116, 138 (136 av.)

Port usually not ideal to VC into but Macrae has just had a capital season. Career best 129 av., comfortably M1 and a reliable captain each week. Good for another 130. Given the stakes of the Friday night clash, Bont might also be viable.

MITCHELL v Tigers

  • L3 v Tigers: 109, 96, 149 (118 av.)
  • L3 @ MCG: 150, 171, 118 (146 av.)

All of a sudden the Hawks are playing like a top four side and Titch has snuck into the Top 8. At the MCG and against an Tigers side leaking more MID points than ever, Titch to bring it home with 145.

LYONS v Eagles

  • L3 v Eagles: 114, 92, 84 (97 av.)
  • L3 @ G: 152, 100, 119 (124 av.)

Named Lyons last week and went to town on the Pies as expected. Will do the same to my Eagles for 150 – who knows what we’re doing. Zorko also serviceable here.

Captaincy Candidates

SATAN v Cats

  • L3 v Cats: 130, 111, 141 (127 av.)
  • L3 @ GMHBA: 141, 127 (134 av.)

How dare he not double ton against the Crows. Good CP numbers (15/28) but shocking use (53% DE; 5 clangers) and rotating attention held him back last week. Got a solid history v Cats and can score down in Geelong, so solid for 125+.

DANGERFIELD v Demons

  • L3 v Demons: 140, 154, 126 (140 av.)
  • L3 @ GMHBA: 169, 21*, 184 (125 av.)

Been going large down at Kardinia (had the throat injury) and the Demons have let off large MID scores all year. Will safely go 125+ and both he and Satan with the upside to go huge.

PARISH v Pies

  • L3 v Pies: 162, 62, 74 (99 av.)
  • L3 @ MCG: 108, 121, 107 (112 av.)

Pies been great to VC/C into this season and an in form Dons side will relish picking them apart. Parish a lock for 135 and Zerrett also a rock solid fall back for us non-Parish owning peasants.

Steer Clear

WALSH v Giants

  • L3 v Giants: 71, 132, 80 (94 av.)
  • L3 @ MRVL: 86, 141, 81 (103 av.)

GWS back to tagging, Walsh maybe taking it easy on that ankle, Blues with nothing to play for. Low-ton maybe. See you in 2022, Sammy.

Smoky Pick

LAIRD v Roos

  • L3 v Roos: 105, 93, 106 (101 av.)
  • L3 @ AO: 119, 104, 129 (117 av.)

Will want to see the season out strongly and at home v the Roos is a perfect stage. 130+ if he doesn’t send the ball into orbit and kicks straight.

KELLY v Blues

  • L3 v Blues: 101, 131, 205 (146 av.)
  • L3 @ MRVL: 148, 94, 132 (125 av.)

CT and bAps were right on the money with Jelly last week. No signs of a lingering injury, played like an $8 million dollar man. Giants slicing teams up, Blues are a meme and Jelly with great match up stats. Solid for 140.

Verdict

If you’ve got Titch, Jelly or Danger, they’ve got to figure in your calculations this week. For me it’ll be Satan into Zerrett, with Bont on a Friday night and Laird late on Sunday waiting in the wings if I decide to spice things up.

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46 thoughts on “Captaincy Candidates – Round 23”

  1. Great work all year GD, your captaincy picks back up all the hard work you put in. I wish I would have followed your picks a bit closer.
    Macrae into Titch for me this week

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    1. Cheers, Alza. Literally the only thing I’ve done right this season lol.

      Yep, Macrae into Titch rock solid.

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    1. Didn’t have great match up stats. Playing in Tassie and Freo used Banfield as a tagger last week, figure if they went after one of our [West Coast] battered MIDs then surely they give Steele a look?

      Now that I’ve said that, watch him go 160 lol.

      Here are his stats anyway:

      STEELE v Dockers

      L3 v Dockers: 87, 85, 54 (75 av.)
      L3 @ BA: 108 (108 av.)

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  2. Thanks GD. Great read as usual and congrats on nailing basically every captain pick this year. For me, I’ll be trading in Goldy for the underperforming Grundy and sticking the C on him. No Vc needed. Cheers mate

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  3. Gut feel is Bont over Macrae this week, big game player and has the better record on opposition.

    Probably Danger C if I need it, dont see how he isn’t 120+ at GMHBA with a stacked forward line keeping him in the guts in the form he is in right now.

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  4. Just out of interest, I know he only had 9 second half possessions last week, but can anyone explain why Steele didn’t score after half time ??

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    1. Think it was a combination of poor DE and not stepping up when the game was on the line. Went missing for long patches in the 2nd half too which we know CD scores poorly especially if the scoreline is tight at a certain stage of the game.

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      1. Yep, completely vanished in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line. Dangerfield claimed most of his points

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  5. T/U: VC Macrae
    T/D: VC Lyons

    Merrett or Laird will most likely be my C as I need to make up points on my grand final league opponent.

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  6. Thanks GD, can’t argue with that track record! I’ve just checked my efforts this year – and in 2022, I think I’m just going to do whatever you say…

    Titch into Laird this week.

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    1. Aha. Cheers, Chillo.

      Titch and Laird both at home against leaky opponents, there’ll be a 150 between them np.

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  7. My captain scores:
    Round 1 Gawn 93
    Round 2 Oliver 133
    Round 3 Grundy 162
    Round 4 Ridley 124
    Round 5 Ridley 31
    Round 6 Ziebell 169
    Round 7 Grundy 144
    Round 8 Ziebell 111
    Round 9 Merrett 64
    Round 10 Oliver 204
    Round 11 Steele 154
    Round 12 Laird 144
    Round 13 Steele 126
    Round 14 Kelly 101
    Round 15 Steele 132
    Round 16 Oliver 87
    Round 17 Merrett 143
    Round 18 Steele 145
    Round 19 Steele 109
    Round 20 Steele 158
    Round 21 Steele 155
    Round 22 Oliver 93
    Round 23 ? ?
    Overall some high scores and some low scores.
    (Sorry about the big writing)

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  8. Just to add to all the comments above GD, absolutely superb work all year on the Captaincy articles.

    Have said it before but absolutely a must read article every week. Also a huge shout out to you for responding to so many comments on here throughout the day.

    Thanks for everything in 2021 & Hope to see you back next year!

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    1. Cheers, Jam. Right back atcha.

      Always appreciate the interactions.

      Good luck in finals, think the Dons are set to carve it up.

      Take care.

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  9. Thanks again for the awesome articles all season, GD. I’ve followed your wisdom most weeks and benefited every time (and regretted it when I got creative).

    Just a weird, and possibly meaningless, stat about Dangerfield. He has gone bananas in the final match of the regular season since 2016. Scores: 155 (2016), 163, 187, 156, 170 (2020).

    Let’s see if that mozzes him!

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    1. Thanks, Thommo.

      On Danger, wow. Even more reason to consider him.

      Gonna be some high octane, tight contest matches this weekend. Expecting some big ol’ scores to roll through.

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  10. Thanks GD.

    What a year we have had !

    You have had a very high strike rate in picking the best Captains every week.

    The level of research and the self depreciating banter , also make this a must read every week. Even when your SC team went to Sh#t, you still find the time to help others out. Now that’s the sign of a good man. Thanks legend !

    This week I’m going Bont into Danger or Hall. This is mainly due to my GF match up. My Opponent has neither Bont or Hall so I’m looking for a POD Captain.

    Reading Dangers last round stats above, I will be hard pressed not to give him the big C if Bont fails to deliver tonight. Danger saved my ass last week as Captain !

    Once again thanks for all your input to this great site. I’m already looking forward to planning for next year.

    PS you heard it here first , I’m planning on starting Marshall and English at R1-2 in 2022. The plan being to move them forward when Darcy / Grundy hit their low price for the year.

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    1. Too kind, FT. Thank you.

      Yep, loving the logic on Bont, Danger and Hall.

      Bont been down on form lately on account of heavy shoulder strapping, but could absolutely see him popping off tonight. Huge game.

      Danger’s match stats say enough.

      Hall, now with no Ziebell, also very enticing. Crows one of the poorest teams going I50.

      Best of luck!

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  11. Would love any hot tips on a captaincy/vc dilemma for my league GF

    Options are Laird, Bont, MacRae, Steele, Satan, Miller, Lyons, Merrett and Danger

    My PODs are Bont and Miller and I have Ziebell on field so can have any loop.

    Thinking MacRae or Lyons into Miller or danger

    Thanks guys

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    1. Hey, Abs. Good to see you around again.

      Yep, Macrae in Zerrett really solid.

      Best of luck this weekend and remind me to get you, Jam and Amir into Gun’s Regulars next year!

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  12. Just wanted to say thanks for the past year GD. I’ve enjoyed reading your stats and advice week-in and week-out. For this week I’m going Macrae into Danger. Goodluck to everyone in their respected finals.

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    1. Thanks, LG.

      Seen you carve up Gun’s Regulars #2 all year. Congrats on the rank, great stuff!

      Yep, Macrae into Danger deadly.

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  13. Yep thanks GD another year of great help.
    I’m in GF for all my groups this year.

    I’m thinking:
    Tu )Macrae into Lyons or
    Rd) Lyons into laird

    I believe Merritt/parish will be a huge C but if Freo or west coast don’t win our game v Collingwood is a dead rubber so a risky wait.

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    1. Cheers, Bomber.

      Nice work making GFs on all counts and best of luck to your Dons, they’re looking sharp rn.

      Of those options, I’d go Lyons into Laird (he’s a great failsafe this week) just to guarantee Lyons’ score v my woeful Eagles. Although most are VC’ing Macrae, so you could look to shield against that? Wouldn’t forget about Parish/Zerrett either. Pies leaking MID points, one of them cruises to 150~ irregardless of the stakes.

      Maybe Lyons into Parish then?

      Roll with your gut, good luck!

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      1. Yep GD,

        If Bombers need a win Zeritt/Parishgets the C.
        By Sunday for my Sc team I would be hoping for a Freo win, but in reality NOT!

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  14. Thank you, GD.
    Another stellar year of prognostications for selecting the all important VC and especially the Captain.

    Well done, not only skilful but devoting so much time to research and for endlessly replying to questions from the community.

    A very valuable part of the SCT community.

    We salute you. Legend.

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    1. Bah! Stop it, CT! Too generous ahaha!

      Right back the f*ck at you, brother. What you do for the site is unparalleled.

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