Where does Sydney’s SuperCoach debut stack up?Tim Michell,
Herald Sun
April 8, 2019 Sydney Stack’s eye-catching Richmond debut ranked among the best recorded by Champion Data in recent years.
Stack, a $102,400 SuperCoach rookie, went at 82.4 per cent from 17 disposals and had eight marks in the Tigers’ 49-point loss to GWS on Saturday.
The 18-year-old rookie’s performance equated to 108 ranking points and earned praise from coach Damien Hardwick.
“He was terrific. We have always known that this kid could play and we probably picked him tonight on a little bit of a speculative buy,” Hardwick said.
“The reality was he was fantastic. Some of the things that he did, he is very clean with the ball in hand (and) makes terrific decisions.
“He’s powerful and strong. We have got a player who has got to understand that he has got to continue to work hard and continue to work on his craft, but we think we have found a player.”
Stack’s 108 points was 45 less than the debut record, which is held by former Richmond and St Kilda player Dean Polo.
Polo, who played 77 games during a seven-year AFL career, had 28 disposals (11 kicks, 17 handballs) and booted three goals when he debuted in Round 6, 2006, against Essendon.
Polo’s first game for the Tigers was worth 153 ranking points, which highest recorded 13 years later.
He averaged 68.3 from 17 games in his maiden season and enjoyed a career-best campaign in 2009, averaging 79.7.
Stack’s 108-point game ranks 35th on the overall list.
Stack was added to the Richmond list as a supplementary rookie in February after he was overlooked in last year’s national and rookie drafts despite being selected as an All-Australian and gaining senior experience in the WAFL.
SuperCoaches will have another week to assess whether to add Stack to their midfield before his price jumps.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/supercoach-news/sydney-stacks-108point-supercoach-debut-ranks-35th-on-champion-datas-list-of-best-first-games/news-story/e034234b71702dde598ef153697f7976
