Team reveal: Maxy Bryden drops first SC BBL14 squad

It’s not quite Christmas Day, but gee it’s close. 



Doesn’t it feel great that BBL SuperCoach is now open for the BBL14 season. 



Like most of you, I immediately lost half a day to pull together the first ‘draft team’ of the year.&nbsp;



Yes there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge between now and the start of the season on 15 December, but what will not change are the fundamentals which come together in order to make a winning BBL SuperCoach side. 



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So I wanted to share the first draft of my BBL Team with rationale to help those who may want a template team to kick-off their own. Here’s some of the fundamentals we play by:



<ol>
<li>Maximise the double game week players. It’s crucial to get as many ‘scoring involvements’ as possible, which is easiest done by loading up on guys who play twice in the round. In Round 1 that is the Stars and the Renegades.</li>



<li>Get bowlers into your batters slots. Finding allrounders is key as they can have more ‘scoring involvements’ per match if they’re both bowling and getting a chance to bat. Additionally, loading up your batters spots with these people helps you score more consistently.</li>



<li>Death bowlers and top order batters are best. Role is key and we know these two roles are consistently the highest scoring in the game.</li>



<li>Early doors, value and money making is key. So of course you need to start with as many people as you can who you think are undervalued based on their pedigree or a role change. This will help you quickly build team value.</li>
</ol>



These are just a couple of the commandments of BBL SuperCoach and we will have a lot more on these as we get into the preseason work on the website and podcast. So here’s the side I picked and why.



<a href="https://scplaybook.com.au/blog/2024/10/10/big-bash-14-predicted-teams-supercoach-bbl14-analysis" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="VIEW OUR FULL PREDICTED BEXT XI FOR EACH CLUB">VIEW OUR FULL PREDICTED BEXT XI FOR EACH CLUB</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="714" height="897" src="https://blog.scplaybook.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/image.png" alt="" class="wp-image-2399215" srcset="https://blog.scplaybook.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/image.png 714w, https://blog.scplaybook.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/image-239x300.png 239w, https://blog.scplaybook.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/image-640x804.png 640w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 98vw, (max-width: 1199px) 64vw, 714px" /></figure>



Wicketkeepers



Josh Inglis &#8211; Perth Scorchers &#8211; $140,600



Arguably the best wicketkeeper in the country, and reasonably affordable to start the year. I don’t love the look of any of the ‘keepers with the Round 1 double but Perth have one in Round 2, so stashing him gives me the next best thing.



Jake Doran &#8211; Hobart Hurricanes &#8211; $39,500



SuperCoaches have been crying out for a bottom-dollar ‘keeper for eternity and our prayers have been answered this year with Doran. I don’t expect him to play this year so he becomes the ultimate loop option. It’s risky in Round 1 given Hobart play the final match of the Round, but his value unlocks a lot of other benefits for my squad.



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Batters



Matt Short &#8211; Adelaide Strikers &#8211; $304,200



The most expensive player in the game and with good reason. Short has been the highest scorer in SuperCoach for the last three seasons and you wouldn’t back against him to do it again this year. A round 2 double means you need him now or later &#8211; I am going early.



Glenn Maxwell &#8211; Melbourne Stars &#8211; $247,400



The scariest player in SuperCoach. Will he bowl much this season? Who knows. But few possess his ability to hurt you if you do not own. A round 1 double means he will be a hugely popular VC choice.



Tom Curran &#8211; Melbourne Stars &#8211; $152,000



A death bowler who can score runs? Curran is near the top of the list for best roles in the game and being able to fit him into a batters slot makes him a perfect choice for how I like to play the game. Hopefully he’s fit and available for Round 1 where he becomes a great POD VC option.



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Will Sutherland &#8211; Melbourne Renegades &#8211; $132,600



I am still far from convinced on Chief&#8217;s credentials as a T20 player, but with Jacob Bethell seeminly out for Round 1 on International duties, the Renegades should have a predictable bowling lineup where his four overs are locked in. I don&#8217;t love this pick but am willing to give Chief a spot for now.



Tom Rogers &#8211; Melbourne Stars &#8211; $87,700



Not normally the type who I like in SuperCoach, but a guy I&#8217;m willing to take on given the new flex rule. With a round 1 double and a plumb role opening the batting, it&#8217;s calculated, albeit I&#8217;ll gladly shift him to Marcus Stoinis if we get word he&#8217;s bowling this year.



Jack Edwards &#8211; Sydney Sixers &#8211; $136,500



Jed was a revelation last year and could become one of the best players in SuperCoach if he’s consistently bowling death overs for the men in magenta. At his price, dual position, and a Round 3 double, I am excited to own.



Will Salzmann &#8211; Sydney Thunder &#8211; $39,500



A bottom dollar allrounder who won’t regularly be in the plans for the Thunder makes Salzmann a great NPR who I can use for looping. His dual position is super handy and will allow me to flip him up and down.



<a href="https://scplaybook.com.au/blog/2024/09/26/supercoach-bbl14-the-draft-picks-that-matter" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="VIEW OUR BREAKDOWN OF THE BBL DRAFT AND RELEVANT OVERSEAS PLAYERS">VIEW OUR BREAKDOWN OF THE BBL DRAFT AND RELEVANT OVERSEAS PLAYERS</a>



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Bowlers



Tom Rogers &#8211; Melbourne Renegades &#8211; $117,500



Round 1 double, death bowler and cheaper than what he’s capable of producing. Straight forward choice and a player who could stay in my team through the end of round 4 pending performance.



Henry Thornton &#8211; Adelaide Strikers &#8211; $98,100



It’s hard to imagine King Henry not having an increased role this season. Aside from Jamie Overton there’s no proven BBL calibre fast bowlers in the side. At his starting price he should make money, and the Round 2 double is the kicker.



Kane Richardson &#8211; Melbourne Renegades &#8211; $97,900



Same analysis as Tom Rogers, albeit his returns have diminished in the last couple of seasons with age.



Adam Zampa &#8211; Melbourne Renegades &#8211; $80,100



He’s never been a superstar, but finding 8 overs of spin bowling for $80k for Round 1 feels like too good an offer to pass up.



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Mark Steketee &#8211; Melbourne Stars &#8211; $79,100



Once a real undercover gem of SuperCoach, Steketee had a forgettable first season in Melbourne and comes in at a gorgeous Round 1 starting price. Should bowl the death overs alongside Curran, albeit I’d prefer if Scott Boland was unavailable due to Test Squad selection so will continue to monitor.



Hamish McKenzie &#8211; Melbourne Stars &#8211; $69,400



They didn’t bring McKenzie over from Perth to ride the pine. And while there’s always a risk that the Stars multitude of allrounders means he might not bowl his full allotment, the expected absence of Usama Mir to start the season means he’s the best frontline spin option for their Round 1 double.



Jordan Buckingham &#8211; Adelaide Strikers &#8211; $39,500



There’s not much depth in the Strikers pace stocks and Buckingham is well loved for his work for South Australia in the red ball format. I see it coming down to a shoot out between him and Doggett for the final spot in the XI and have Buck ahead. Could be rookie of the year.



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Flex



Jhye Richardson &#8211; Perth Scorchers &#8211; $130,000



On pedigree, this is insane value for Jhye. And with a Round 2 DGW, he’s an obvious guy to fit into the side.



Other players of interest:



<ul>
<li>Max Bryant; could shift back to opener at the Heat and only costs $102k</li>



<li>Sean Abbott; could easily shift into my starting side and will be a must for the Round 3 DGW.</li>



<li>Fergus O’Neil; close watch on the ‘Gades rookie who should start for them this season but likely splits overs with Will Sutherland and Jacob Bethell</li>



<li>Hayden Kerr; cheap at $105k for what he can produce, but has missed a lot of cricket in the last 18 months through injury.</li>



<li>Marcus Stoinis; sucks me in every year, but unless he’s opening or confirmed to bowl I’ll pass. Please keep me accountable to this.</li>



<li>Nic Maddinson; cheap for what he could do but job security is worsening by the day with the form of Matt Gilkes for NSW.</li>



<li>Matt Gilkes; cheap and could unlock a proper keeper loop for me. But not convinced he has job security.</li>
</ul>

Team reveal: Maxy Bryden drops first SC BBL14 squad

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