With round 11 bye behind us the majority of sides came away from last week contempt with their score, with round 13 looming as the potential week of pain. The Eagles' Josh Kennedy did us no favours pulling out just hours before the game with a calf injury, but that’s fantasy football and a pre cursor to the dreaded “general soreness” that will hit the competition in a couple of month’s time. As for this week’s absentees, the likes of Cox, Nic Nat, both Josh Kennedy’s, Tom Mitchell, all the Selwoods, Stevie J and Jimmy Bartel are just some of the notable players that SuperCoaches will have to do without for this week.
As for the top scorer’s from last week, Gary Ablett dominated in the wet with 153 SC points and another three Brownlow votes, Collingwood duo Swan (148) and Shaw (147) had a field day against the Dees. Joel Selwood (137) returned to form albeit against the Giants while Tom Nicholls made himself one of the most popular inclusions for this week racking up 139 SC points backing up his 90 the week before. Could he be a viable second ruckman?
Here are my captain selections for round 12:
Jobe Watson
The Brownlow medallist has had a relatively quiet fortnight by his standards, returning scores of 73 & 79. Watson is one of the elite midfielders in the competition and won’t be kept down for any longer, he will be eager to bounce back on Saturday against a Suns side on a high. In his two meetings with the Gold Coast, Watson has notched up two 120+ scores, expect more of the same.
Cotchin has seemingly slowed his scoring since copping a knee injury against the Dockers, now refreshed after the Tigers bye he will be ready to get back to his best form and have a scintillating second half of the year, just as he did in 2012. The Crows are coming off a thumping loss at the hands of Sydney and we all saw the type numbers the Swans midfielders racked up. Cotchin has scored 132 and 136 from his last two encounters with Adelaide, all these factors add up to a solid captain selection.
Scott Pendlebury
He is the second most productive scorer in the league, averaging more 120 points for the third season in a row. Pendles is simply unstoppable; he scores points at ease and is at the peak of his powers. Many coaches would’ve been sweating as he sat on just ten points at quarter-time against the Dees, only to watch him pump out 122 points for the remainder of the match – Ablett esque. If that wasn’t enough, over his past four meetings with the Dogs, he has averaged 135 SC points! Lock him in.
Luke Hodge
Gone are the days of Hodgey dominating week in week out, he will be managed for the Hawks finals campaign, but one thing that is a guarantee with the Norm Smith medallist, he is a big game player. It’s no coincidence that he hasn’t scored 100 in his last three matches, against the opposition of Melbourne, GWS and Gold Coast. While in contrast his three top scores have been against Sydney (120), Collingwood (122) and Adelaide (137), point in case. Tonight’s match against the Blues promises to be a huge match, with two of Melbourne’s biggest and most successful clubs going head to head in, a stage set for Luke Hodge brilliance.
Ablett watch
Lock him in as always, Ablett is in brilliant form and as the Suns grow in confidence it’s hard to see anyone stopping the little master. Last time he played the Bombers, he stole the show with 45 possessions, two goals, seven tackles and nine inside 50’s on his way to a mammoth 182 points.