The top 5 break out contenders for 2013:
Daniel Hannebery
Entering his fifth season, Hannebery is a prime example of a breakout player. He has played 77 games,
Jack Grimes
After struggling with the extra pressures that come along with the captaincy, adding to a year to forget for the Melbourne football club, Grimes looks set to make a big impact on the AFL scene in 2013. He has long been touted as a rising champion; he is a lovely ball user rebounding from defence, a great reader of the play and has a great set of hands. The 23 year old ended the season in impressive fashion, averaging 106.7 in the final seven rounds including five tons. A likely role through the midfield awaits him and with some extra senior players at the club this year Grimes must be seriously looked at for your defence, with every chance of averaging anywhere from 100-110.
Allen Christiansen
After struggling with niggling injuries throughout 2012, ‘Bundy’ is ready to show his true capabilities in the AFL this year. He will be given every opportunity to cement himself as a permanent midfielder with the likes of Corey, Chapman and Kelly looking to ease their workload and give the next generation of young, talented cats more opportunity. Now into his fourth, he had a great second half of 2012 and is having a stellar pre season thus far. Christensen is a great ball winner and a smart user, he also excels in contested ball, winning 45% of his disposals from a contest while averaging 2.8 clearances and 3.7 tackles per game. He can be selected as both a midfielder and forward, making him a hugely appealing player.
Jack Watts
For so long the whipping boy of the Melbourne football club, 2013 will be the year we finally see Jack show why he was taken at number one. After struggling to make an impact up forward early in the year, Mark Neeld moved Watts to defence, sweeping across the half-back line, which he played to great effect. Watts played this role from rounds 8 to 15 before he injured his ankle. In this time his numbers sky-rocketed, averaging 23.1 disposals, 6.4 marks and 102.3 SC points. His superb ball use and reading of the play will prove extremely valuable to Melbourne and potentially your SuperCoach squad. Neeld has assured us he will settle into this ‘quarterback’ position in 2013, historically a high point scoring role, Watts could be a very unique option, watch his pre-season, this could be his year.
Jack Ziebell
Ziebell has shown glimpses of his enormous talent, in 2011 he racked up 41 touches against the Dogs compiling a huge 151 SC points while in his first game of 2012 against Geelong, he gathered 27 disposals, kicked 4 goals, including the sealer, on his way to 132 SC points in their upset win over the reigning premiers. Although he is yet to find consistency with both his football and body at AFL level thus far, the former top ten draft pick is coming into his fifth season and is now a strong-bodied midfielder ready to make an impact. North Melbourne see Ziebell as a future leader of the club and has all the qualities of a gun SC scorer, he thrives in contested situations, a clearance machine and given a strong pre season his ball winning ability will be the difference that see’s his average of 81, rise to the 100 mark. He is worth keeping a very close eye on over the NAB Cup, 2013 will prove to be the year Ziebell finally arrives on the AFL scene.
Honourable mentions too:
- David Swallow
- Dyson Heppell
- Chris Yarran
The top 5 POD premium midfielders for 2013:
Jobe Watson
The 2012 Brownlow medallist will again have an outstanding season, as the bombers improve as a side along with the arrival of Brendon Goddard, Watson will again average 120+. Surprisingly he has been a fairly unique option in the past and of the sides I’ve seen so far, Watson’s name has name has been MIA, with the majority of sides opting for Ablett, Swan, Pendles, Kennedy etc. In the best form of his career and suits SC to a tea, expect the Bomber captain to be a decent premium POD.
Kieren Jack
If you’re looking for a premium midfielder to give your side that all important POD over your opponent. You can’t go past Kieren Jack; he burst onto the scene in 2010, but then struggled with injury through 2011. In 2012 he not only bounced back to his best but he developed into one of the best SC scorers in the game. After a slow start from round 1-7 where he averaged 89.8, from round 8 onwards he dominated averaging 122.9. A great contested ball winner, lays plenty of tackles and kicks goals, while many will pick Kennedy, make no mistake Jack is a jet.
Luke Shuey
Shuey improved on his break out year in 2012 to average triple figures (103.4), he had an outstanding year playing the majority of the season and polling 11 Brownlow votes, while Daniel Kerr declared him West Coast’s best midfielder. He is a tough young on-baller, who relishes the clearances and contested ball, he knows how to find plenty of the footy and can hit the scoreboard, kicking 49 goals from his 52 matches. Shuey has all the credentials of an elite SuperCoach scorer, at 22 he is coming into his prime. In 2012 he topped the ton ten times while dropping under 80 just three, he is a genuine chance to average around 110-115 in 2013, will be a great POD for your midfield at a slightly cheaper price than most.
Brett Deledio
His sole midfield status will scare many off from the previous defensive lock, but don’t be fooled Deledio had a faultless year and has the game to warrant selection as an outright midfielder. When selecting your SuperCoach side, you look for consistency, durability and high scoring potential, Deledio ticks every box. His 2012 season was about as good as you could ask for; he played every match and scored below 100 just three times (91, 91 and 67) as well as seven scores of 130+. He is as reliable as any, will never see a tag with the tiger’s supreme midfield and undoubtedly will be an extremely unique pick in 2013. In his prime and will average 110+, ‘Lids’ won’t let you down.
Rory Sloane
Sloane cemented himself as one of the brightest future stars of our game in 2012, after a quality 2011 he again stepped it up last year to average 106.1. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Sloane’s game was his consistency, playing 21 matches while never dropping under the 70 mark. He topped the ton 13 times with a massive match against Fremantle where he racked up 33 touches on his way to 178 SC points. With Dangerfield and Thompson leading the crows midfield, young Rory doesn’t even know what a tagger looks like and will again step his game up in 2013, expect to see some elite numbers. Sloane is an ideal SuperCoach player, wins plenty of contested possessions, with 48% on his disposals won from a contest, a strong tackler (4.2 per match) and has huge impact on matches. Will fly under many people’s radar, strongly consider him.
Honourable mentions too:
- Jack Redden
- Andrew Swallow
- Scott Selwood