DARWIN, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 22: Zach Merrett of the Bombers kicks the ball during the round 13 AFL match between the Essendon Bombers and the Richmond Tigers at TIO Stadium on August 22, 2020 in Darwin, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)
The Supercoach season is upon us, and it's time to look into the players that Supercoach owners seem to be overlooking, and why picking some of these players could be the difference between having an average team and a quality one.
Of course there are popular picks across each position that should be locks for your team, including Jake Lloyd down back, midfielders Jack Macrae and Jack Steele, Max Gawn in the ruck, and forwards such as Josh Dunkley and Stephen Coniglio.
Although most owners will have these players who will consistently perform each week, it's the players that have low ownership whilst still scoring strongly who could have an even bigger impact on your team, and more importantly against your opponents.
Check out below to see some of the 'point of difference' players that owners should consider heading into the 2022 season.
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Luke Ryan ($540,300) - 6% ownership
The skilled Fremantle defender is one of the best and most underrated defenders in the competition, and he scores very well in Supercoach.
Ryan has averaged over 90 for the past four seasons now, including 107.3 in 2020 in his All-Australian year, but is currently in only 6% of teams at the moment.
Excelling in Fremantle's AAMI Community Series win over West Coast on the weekend with 24 disposals and 13 marks - equating to 111 Supercoach points - Ryan could be in for a big 2022.
The 26-year old's input slightly dropped to an average of 99.3 last season which is still an impressive average over his 19 games, but with a Fremantle team that is expected to take some big steps in 2022, and with Ryan being the main defender to take the kick-ins, don't be surprised if the slick defender pops back over the 100 point average in 2022.
Dyson Heppell ($541,000) - 1% ownership
Heppell is the definition of consistent in terms of strong on-field performances which equate to strong Supercoach scores.
The Essendon skipper made a move to defence from the midfield last season, which saw him average 24.7 disposals and a career-high 6.9 marks per game.
His ball-winning abilities even in the backline make him an enticing selection, but has been completely overlooked by Supercoach owners with only 1% ownership, with owners opting for another skilled Bombers defender in Jordan Ridley, who has 20% ownership.
Despite an injury riddled 2020, Heppell has averaged between 24-26 disposals in his past seven seasons whilst averaging between 95-105 Supercoach points during that span.
Averaged 99.4 Supercoach points per game across 18 games last season, and despite only collecting 13 disposals in their pre-season clash against St Kilda on the weekend, Heppell is expected to have another consistent season in a side that is striving for a finals campaign.
Didn't drop below 80 points for all of last season, and had nine scores of over 100.
A selection that is reliable if you're willing to differentiate yourself from the pack.
Caleb Daniel ($510,900) - 8% ownership
The slick defender from the Western Bulldogs is one of the best ball users in the competition, which inevitably leads to good Supercoach scores along the way.
Daniel has become one of the best half-backs in the competition in the past three years, highlighted by his All-Australian selection and Supercoach average of 101.5 points per game in 2020.
The 25-year old had a slight dip in scoring in 2021, averaging 93.9 points per game, but averaged 110 points over the last five games, before having a strong finals series highlighted by a 37-disposal performance in the Grand Final.
Had a solid 21 disposal performance against Brisbane in their pre-season clash on Friday night and could be in for another strong season for the premiership aspiring Bulldogs.
Don't be surprised if Daniel's Supercoach ownership increases as the season goes on.
Zach Merrett ($625,700) - 3% ownership
There is a plethora of elite midfielders to choose from in Supercoach, so it's understandable if some midfielders don't have a high ownership to start the season off.
However, Zach Merrett is at a staggeringly low 3% ownership despite averaging 115 points last season.
The ball magnet from the Bombers is one of the top midfielders in the competition, but is often one that is overlooked in Supercoach.
Merrett has averaged over 100 in the past six seasons, with three of those averaging over 110, highlighting his consistency.
At a price range similar to that of popular selections such as Sam Walsh and Christian Petracca, Merrett is a perfect point of difference in this situation.
The 26-year old finished off 2021 strong, averaging 129.5 Supercoach points per game in his last four games and has had a strong pre-season and is looming for another big campaign in 2022.
If Supercoach owners are looking for a reliable premium midfield option, then Merrett is your man.
Ollie Wines ($612,600) - 4% ownership
The reigning Brownlow medallist is currently at a seriously low 4% ownership on Supercoach, despite a 2021 campaign that saw him average 112.5 which included 16 scores over 100 in his 22 games.
It is surprising that the tough Port Adelaide midfielder's ownership is so low given his impressive season last year, but Supercoach owners have opted for other options around the 600k mark including Tom Mitchell and Darcy Parish.
This leaves the door open for Supercoach owners to pounce on Wines whilst not many others have him in their side.
The bull midfielder had 37 disposals against Adelaide on Saturday, which equated to 118 Supercoach points, which is a great performance in the lead up to the season.
The 27-year old has only been Supercoach relevant in the past couple of seasons, but Wines is well and truly in the prime of his career, so he is a reliable pick for those willing to spend the cash to get a one-up on their opponents to start the 2022 Supercoach season.
Matt Crouch ($482,000) - 4% ownership
The ball-winning Adelaide midfielder has been forgotten about due to injuries that have kept him out since the 2020 season.
However, at $482k, Crouch is an absolute steal at that price.
Supercoach owners should remember that Crouch has averaged over 100 in the past four seasons he has played, including two seasons averaging over 110, so his scoring capacity is much higher than any other player around that price.
The 26-year old averaged over 32 disposals for an astonishing three-season span between 2017-2019 that saw him acquire an All-Australian blazer in 2017.
Crouch has had a clean bill of health this pre-season and had 31 disposals in the Crows' pre-season clash against Port Adelaide, which is a perfect tune-up for the ball magnet as he looks to make his long-awaited return to footy in Round 1.
SuperCoach owners will not find him at a cheaper price, so hop on now, especially with his low ownership.
Nic Naitanui ($627,400) - 4% ownership
Most Supercoach owners have opted for either Max Gawn, Brodie Grundy or Sean Darcy for their ruck lineup in 2022 and with good reason, but a point of difference in this case would be Nic Naitanui.
The Eagles ruckmen is a dominant force, but is only in 4% of teams at the moment.
Nic Nat averaged 115.3 points per game last season across 22 games, and had over 100 points in 19 of the 22 games, he is as consistent and as dominant as any ruckman in the game.
His influence is noticeable in games, and he'll need to step up with all the injuries that the Eagles have suffered in the pre-season, which is even more reason to select him in your side.
The 31-year old has had his best two seasons in the past two years, and has had a clean run of health, which is something that has been his downfall and a key reason as to why he has such low ownership.
If Nic Nat can stay healthy, then he looks firms as a dangerous and left-field target for your ruck combo in 2022.
Rowan Marshall ($536,800) - 7% ownership
The Saints ruckman is another option that comes with risk due to his injury history, but his scoring potential is as good as anyone.
Marshall's ability to obtain disposals, tackles and hitouts makes him a dangerous option if he can stay healthy.
In 2019, Marshall averaged 110 Supercoach points per game which saw him collect 17.7 disposals, 3.5 tackles and 28.4 hitouts per game, so it is easy to see how good he can be in the competition.
Marshall has had a couple of injury-interrupted seasons despite averaging 100 and 98 in the respective 2020 and 2021 seasons, so even when he has a frustrating run with injury, he can still better.
At only 7% ownership, this is a great selection that could see Marshall's price skyrocket into the $600k range in no time.
Zac Bailey ($459,900) - 8% ownership
Zac Bailey has developed into a very versatile player for the Lions with his ability to go into the midfield and collect disposals but he's even more dangerous inside the forward 50 and kicking goals as a medium-sized forward.
Bailey had a career-best year in 2021, with a career-high 18.3 disposals per game to go along with 31 goals for the season, which equated to 84.5 Supercoach points per game.
At just 22 years of age, the dangerous forward continues to get better and would be one of the lead contenders to have another breakout season, and at $459k, is great value if you're looking to pair someone with Josh Dunkley or Dustin Martin.
Jordan De Goey ($463,500) - 9% ownership
De Goey had a tumultuous summer that he would like to put behind him, and if his 2021 form was anything to go by, then he would be a nice choice to differentiate your forward line from most other owners.
Halfway through 2021, the Collingwood hybrid made the switch from forward to more time in the midfield, and it paid off, with De Goey averaging 110 Supercoach points across his last nine games of the season.
The 25-year old is set to still more midfield minutes in 2022 due to Collingwood's young list and De Goey's 2021 form being too strong to ignore.
If De Goey plays majority in the midfield in 2022, then tag along with the 9% of SuperCoach owners and get him in your team.