Michael Firrito top-ranked SuperCoach coach in Round 12

[Jroo]

IT'S tough at the top of SuperCoach rankings but North Melbourne defender Michael Firrito is basking in the glory, even if it's just for the week.

Firrito's team, Woogie Simmonds, scored a whopping 2,624 points on the back of standout performances from Jarryd Roughead (184), Todd Goldstein (166) and Aaron Sandilands (154).

"I'm the no. 1 SuperCoach in Australia at the moment so I'm walking pretty tall ... in the world I tell a few people because we're the only people that do it," Firrito said.

Firrito, ranked 1929th overall, went into Round 12 unchanged - with 13 trades up his sleeve - and a star-studded midfield including Gary Ablett (captain), Scott Pendlebury, Dayne Beams, Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield.

Even Luke Parker and Luke Hodge were named on the ground for added "flexibility".

But it was up forward where Firrito cashed in, Richmond star Dustin Martin's 108 his lowest scorer behind the likes of Roughead, Robbie Gray (140), Matthew Pavlich (117) and Jarman Impey (117).

"I was going to sack Jarman a few weeks ago and I stuck within him and he looked after me."

While rapt with Impey's points explosion, Firrito is very glad Martin, who he lined up on in the second half, scored just 18 points after the main break.

"I was actually fortunate that he didn't kick on because if he had have got 160-170 and I did win it (SuperCoach $1000 weekly prize) it would have come out and been pretty embarrassing for me," he said.

"I probably cost myself a few supers because I did play on him."

SuperCoach is serious business at Arden St so it didn't take long for the Kangaroos to work out Firrito was on the verge fantasy immortality.

"I was out for dinner with friends and I was starting to get a few messages, I thought the boys were taking the mickey out of me," he said.

"I told my wife (Bonnie) who obviously she's not really into footy or SuperCoach, she thinks it's a bit of a waste of time but when she heard about that money all of a sudden she was interested."

But Firrito's rise has come at a personal cost with Kangaroos young gun Luke McDonald "flat" about his teammate's list management.

Firrito was poised to "sack" McDonald recently but held back and instead put him on the bench.

"I told him (I was going to sack him) and he said 'stick with me' I'm starting to build, I'm starting to get a bit of confidence," Firrito said.

"I stuck with Lukey but he's just a role player in my team and he just comes on when I need him - a bit of back up."

Goldstein is another who Firrito has had to mend bridges with.

"I actually delisted Goldy and then traded him back because of the break even so I wasted a couple of trades on him but he's just paid dividends for me."

Not wanting to give away too many secrets, especially after "touching up" Kangaroos' self-confessed SuperCoach guru Nathan Grima to the tune of 400-500 points in their league match this week, Firrito said he treats the game like a business.

"A bit of break even and a bit of gut feel so that's what I run with," he said.

"Cameron Joyce is our list manager here so he might be a bit nervous, I could slip straight into that role."

WOOGIE SIMMONDS

DEFENCE

Andrew Swallow (GC) 59

Jarrad McVeigh (Syd) 109

Jimmy Bartel (Geel) 80

Grant Birchall (Haw) 82

Matt Suckling (Haw) 77

Tom Langdon (Coll) 74

-

Luke McDonald (NM) 60

Alexis Georgiou (Melb) 0

MIDFIELD

Gary Ablett (GC) 298 (c)

Scott Pendlebury (Coll) 112

Dayne Beams (Coll) 106

Joel Selwood (Geel) 122

Tom Liberatore (WB) 112

Patrick Dangerfield (Adel) 72

Luke Parker (Syd) 102

Luke Hodge (Haw) 123

-

Cam Shenton (StK) 63

Sam Gray (PA) 80

RUCK

Aaron Sandilands (Frem) 154

Todd Goldstein (NM) 166

-

Daniel Currie (NM) 0

Fraser Thurlow (Ess) 0

FORWARDS

Robbie Gray (PA) 140

Dustin Martin (Rich) 108

Dayne Zorko (BL) 110

Matthew Pavlich (Frem) 117

Jarryd Roughead (Haw) 184

Jarman Impey (PA) 117

-

Ben Lennon (Rich) 13

Charlie Cameron (Adel) 78

His team isn't too bad, he's ranked in the top 2000.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/north-melbourne-defender-michael-firrito-topranked-supercoach-player-in-the-world/story-fni5f3gz-1226949671157?from=herald+sun_rss