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AFL practice matches: The big question marks and players to watch
With AFL clubs returning to play their unofficial practice matches this week, we break down every game’s question marks and talking points ahead of each clash.
Matthew Forrest
Follow
With the unofficial practice matches officially under way, fans will be heading out to football grounds or hitting the couch to watch their favourite teams get ready for the 2024 season.
Melbourne and Richmond kicked off the week of games with a seven-period hit out ahead of their respective official Community Series matches, with spectators packing out Casey Fields on Sunday.
Break down each games’ talking points and players to watch here.
Collingwood v North Melbourne
Wednesday, February 21
AIA Vitality Centre, Melbourne, 10am AEDT
There is plenty to watch for both clubs’ supporters, as well as the neutrals that will undoubtedly tune in. George Wardlaw and Luke Davies-Uniake dominated the club’s intra-club last week, but coming up against the competition’s benchmark will be a different story. Can the pair of Roos stand up against the likes of Nick Daicos, Jordan De Goey and Jack Crisp? Charlie Lazzaro had an huge role in the midfield during the intra-club and looks like a chance to earn some centre bounce attendances over the course of the season, but in a best-22 situation can he get a similar role?
Fin Macrae dominated in the clinches during the club’s intra-club last week, so it will be a watch to see if he can do it again. If the third-year midfielder has another good outing for the Magpies, he should be in pole position to take over Taylor Adams’ midfield role. Ed Allan was another young gun that is fighting for a midfield role and he was impressive as well, but will need a good performance against the Kangaroos and then Richmond to break in and earn a debut. Plus, there are still question marks over who will fill Dan McStay’s spot in the forward line, with Reef McInnes and Ash Johnson both vying for the role.
Sydney v GWS Giants
Thursday, February 22
Tramway Oval, Sydney, 10am AEDT
Young midfielder Angus Sheldrick has been lauded by his teammates for his improvements throughout the pre-season and is a chance to feature early and often for the Swans. But with Taylor Adams coming into the side, will there be space? Skipper Callum Mills will miss the first half of the season as he recovers from his 0ff-season shoulder injury, so there will be the chance to fill that role. Chad Warner will be the main man inside the midfield, and his connection with new ruck Brodie Grundy will be important for any success the Swans are to have. Another question mark will be hanging over the forward line. With Buddy Franklin gone, Logan McDonald, Joel Amartey and Hayden McLean will need to find out who is that main target up forward and how the structure looks.
After falling agonisingly short of a grand final in Adam Kingsley’s first season in charge, all eyes will be on the Giants and how they play their football this year. The ‘Orange Tsunami’ became stuff of legend as Kingsley had waves of players running with the ball carrier. In modern AFL football the forward handball has been major assets in premiership-winning sides, look at Craig McRae’s Magpies of last year. Will Kingsley continue the trend that had the Giants as one of the competition’s most threatening sides in the back half of last year?
Carlton v Geelong
Thursday, February 22
Ikon Park, Melbourne, 11am AEDT
Two very contrasting 2023 campaigns will make this practice match intriguing for differing reasons. Carlton roared home in the back half of the season and were a kick away from a grand final, while Geelong dropped off due to injuries and poor form and failed to defend the club’s 2022 premiership. The Blues will miss Jacob Weitering down back, and with the key defender out for the opening rounds of the season all eyes will be on who replaces the star. Zac Williams is also set to feature heavily as he comes back from his ACL injury. But can the former Giant get his body right? It’s been a long time since he’s strung together a consistent season on the park.
Geelong is not a club that bottoms out, however 2024 looks to be the year of injecting some of its young talent into the mix. Tanner Bruhn had a solid year in his first campaign for the Cats and has been one of their best on track this pre-season, while Max Holmes is due for a big stint inside the centre square. But will the young stars push out the ageing veterans? Pat Dangerfield could spend more time down in the forward line, but Cam Guthrie was sorely missed last year and has come back in great shape. He is a pure midfielder and should be used in the engine room. Where does Jhye Clark fit in, and does Connor O’Sullivan slot into the hole down back after Esava Ratugolea was traded to Port Adelaide?
Brisbane v Gold Coast
Thursday, February 22
Brighton Homes Arena, Gold Coast, 6pm AEDT
The Q-Clash in February will pit a premiership contender against a side that is hoping its new coach can lead them to finals for the first time. Brisbane should be at the top end of the ladder again this year, with no real injuries to speak of and no major departures in the off-season. The watch will be on whether the Lions make any strategic changes, having fallen just four points shy of a premiership. No major overhaul is required, the Lions should be ready to go again.
There will be plenty to watch for in Gold Coast’s first official hit outs. Firstly, who are Damien Hardwick’s new favourites? Sam Flanders exploded in the second half of the 2023 season after Stuart Dew was sacked, will he remain in the midfield mix? Hardwick has referred to Bailey Humphrey as his next Dustin Martin-type player, will he be effective in that role? Who will play in the rebounding defender’s role? Plenty of questions to be answered in this practice match.
Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn
Friday, February 23
Whitten Oval, 11am AEDT
All eyes will be on Jack Macrae’s role in the Bulldogs’ outfit after the star midfielder was forced out of the engine room rotation and then dropped from the leadership group in the past 12 months. If he can regain a footing inside the centre square, he could be one of the competition’s best midfielders again. Sam Darcy has been thrown back and forward, so if he can nail down a consistent position inside Luke Beveridge’s team, he could be one to watch in his third season at the level. In saying that, Beveridge is not one to have players in consistent positions, with players like Caleb Daniel, Bailey Dale and Marcus Bontempelli often moved around the ground in an attempt to change the side’s look.
The Hawks will need to find a replacement for James Blanck, who tore his ACL in the club’s intra-club last week. Whether they look at Sam Frost, who was forced out of the best 22 last season, or move to Ethan Phillips, who signed for the season after the injury, remains to be seen. With Will Day outside of the midfield to start the season, the mix surrounding Jai Newcombe is up in the air, with Cam Mackenzie, Henry Hustwaite and Connor Macdonald all fighting for minutes inside the engine room. With Mabior Chol also landing at the Hawks, and booting three goals in the intraclub, Sam Mitchell will need to make a decision whether to run with Ned Reeves or Lloyd Meek as the sole ruck, and Friday could help make that decision.
With AFL clubs returning to play their unofficial practice matches this week, we break down every game’s question marks and talking points ahead of each clash.
Matthew Forrest
Follow
With the unofficial practice matches officially under way, fans will be heading out to football grounds or hitting the couch to watch their favourite teams get ready for the 2024 season.
Melbourne and Richmond kicked off the week of games with a seven-period hit out ahead of their respective official Community Series matches, with spectators packing out Casey Fields on Sunday.
Break down each games’ talking points and players to watch here.
Collingwood v North Melbourne
Wednesday, February 21
AIA Vitality Centre, Melbourne, 10am AEDT
There is plenty to watch for both clubs’ supporters, as well as the neutrals that will undoubtedly tune in. George Wardlaw and Luke Davies-Uniake dominated the club’s intra-club last week, but coming up against the competition’s benchmark will be a different story. Can the pair of Roos stand up against the likes of Nick Daicos, Jordan De Goey and Jack Crisp? Charlie Lazzaro had an huge role in the midfield during the intra-club and looks like a chance to earn some centre bounce attendances over the course of the season, but in a best-22 situation can he get a similar role?
Fin Macrae dominated in the clinches during the club’s intra-club last week, so it will be a watch to see if he can do it again. If the third-year midfielder has another good outing for the Magpies, he should be in pole position to take over Taylor Adams’ midfield role. Ed Allan was another young gun that is fighting for a midfield role and he was impressive as well, but will need a good performance against the Kangaroos and then Richmond to break in and earn a debut. Plus, there are still question marks over who will fill Dan McStay’s spot in the forward line, with Reef McInnes and Ash Johnson both vying for the role.
Sydney v GWS Giants
Thursday, February 22
Tramway Oval, Sydney, 10am AEDT
Young midfielder Angus Sheldrick has been lauded by his teammates for his improvements throughout the pre-season and is a chance to feature early and often for the Swans. But with Taylor Adams coming into the side, will there be space? Skipper Callum Mills will miss the first half of the season as he recovers from his 0ff-season shoulder injury, so there will be the chance to fill that role. Chad Warner will be the main man inside the midfield, and his connection with new ruck Brodie Grundy will be important for any success the Swans are to have. Another question mark will be hanging over the forward line. With Buddy Franklin gone, Logan McDonald, Joel Amartey and Hayden McLean will need to find out who is that main target up forward and how the structure looks.
After falling agonisingly short of a grand final in Adam Kingsley’s first season in charge, all eyes will be on the Giants and how they play their football this year. The ‘Orange Tsunami’ became stuff of legend as Kingsley had waves of players running with the ball carrier. In modern AFL football the forward handball has been major assets in premiership-winning sides, look at Craig McRae’s Magpies of last year. Will Kingsley continue the trend that had the Giants as one of the competition’s most threatening sides in the back half of last year?
Carlton v Geelong
Thursday, February 22
Ikon Park, Melbourne, 11am AEDT
Two very contrasting 2023 campaigns will make this practice match intriguing for differing reasons. Carlton roared home in the back half of the season and were a kick away from a grand final, while Geelong dropped off due to injuries and poor form and failed to defend the club’s 2022 premiership. The Blues will miss Jacob Weitering down back, and with the key defender out for the opening rounds of the season all eyes will be on who replaces the star. Zac Williams is also set to feature heavily as he comes back from his ACL injury. But can the former Giant get his body right? It’s been a long time since he’s strung together a consistent season on the park.
Geelong is not a club that bottoms out, however 2024 looks to be the year of injecting some of its young talent into the mix. Tanner Bruhn had a solid year in his first campaign for the Cats and has been one of their best on track this pre-season, while Max Holmes is due for a big stint inside the centre square. But will the young stars push out the ageing veterans? Pat Dangerfield could spend more time down in the forward line, but Cam Guthrie was sorely missed last year and has come back in great shape. He is a pure midfielder and should be used in the engine room. Where does Jhye Clark fit in, and does Connor O’Sullivan slot into the hole down back after Esava Ratugolea was traded to Port Adelaide?
Brisbane v Gold Coast
Thursday, February 22
Brighton Homes Arena, Gold Coast, 6pm AEDT
The Q-Clash in February will pit a premiership contender against a side that is hoping its new coach can lead them to finals for the first time. Brisbane should be at the top end of the ladder again this year, with no real injuries to speak of and no major departures in the off-season. The watch will be on whether the Lions make any strategic changes, having fallen just four points shy of a premiership. No major overhaul is required, the Lions should be ready to go again.
There will be plenty to watch for in Gold Coast’s first official hit outs. Firstly, who are Damien Hardwick’s new favourites? Sam Flanders exploded in the second half of the 2023 season after Stuart Dew was sacked, will he remain in the midfield mix? Hardwick has referred to Bailey Humphrey as his next Dustin Martin-type player, will he be effective in that role? Who will play in the rebounding defender’s role? Plenty of questions to be answered in this practice match.
Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn
Friday, February 23
Whitten Oval, 11am AEDT
All eyes will be on Jack Macrae’s role in the Bulldogs’ outfit after the star midfielder was forced out of the engine room rotation and then dropped from the leadership group in the past 12 months. If he can regain a footing inside the centre square, he could be one of the competition’s best midfielders again. Sam Darcy has been thrown back and forward, so if he can nail down a consistent position inside Luke Beveridge’s team, he could be one to watch in his third season at the level. In saying that, Beveridge is not one to have players in consistent positions, with players like Caleb Daniel, Bailey Dale and Marcus Bontempelli often moved around the ground in an attempt to change the side’s look.
The Hawks will need to find a replacement for James Blanck, who tore his ACL in the club’s intra-club last week. Whether they look at Sam Frost, who was forced out of the best 22 last season, or move to Ethan Phillips, who signed for the season after the injury, remains to be seen. With Will Day outside of the midfield to start the season, the mix surrounding Jai Newcombe is up in the air, with Cam Mackenzie, Henry Hustwaite and Connor Macdonald all fighting for minutes inside the engine room. With Mabior Chol also landing at the Hawks, and booting three goals in the intraclub, Sam Mitchell will need to make a decision whether to run with Ned Reeves or Lloyd Meek as the sole ruck, and Friday could help make that decision.
St Kilda v Essendon
Friday, February 23
RSEA Park, 2pm AEDT
All eyes will be on Mattaes Phillipou, with track watchers suggesting the 19-year-old sensation has been training solely in the midfield for Ross Lyon’s Saints. Phillipou is one of Lyon’s favourites at St Kilda, and was drafted as a tall midfielder who can play forward, earning comparisons to Marcus Bontempelli in 2022. He played every game last season as a forward but has increased his fitness and is ready for the mix inside the centre square. The Saints will also need to figure out how to score more in 2024, so the clash against the Bombers will be a good opportunity to try a more aggressive style of football.
The Bombers brought in more ready-made talent than anyone in the league, and with it comes questions about the team’s cohesion. Friday will provide fans to see their new favourite players in action, with Ben McKay, Jade Gresham, Todd Goldstein and Xavier Duursma all expected to feature. McKay’s inclusion into the backline should free up Jordan Ridley to play an intercept role, while fans will be intrigued to see Nic Martin play his new role off half back. Nate Caddy is also knocking on the door of an early-season debut and a strong performance wouldn’t hurt his chances.
Port Adelaide v Adelaide
Friday, February 23
Alberton Oval, 5.30pm AEDT
Another team with a new-look backline, Port Adelaide will debut Esava Ratugolea and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher alongside Aliir Aliir against the Crows. But with the new talent coming in, where does that leave Tom Clurey? He has trialled as a winger this pre-season in an attempt to find him a new position, but he is likely to start the year on the outer. Connor Rozee will also captain the club for the first time, having signed a mammoth deal in the off-season to remain with the Power. How will the captaincy, as well as the eight-year-long commitment, affect the 24 year old’s output on the field?
Adelaide has plenty of question marks in its back half, with Nick Murray still recovering from a torn ACL. Tom Doedee left the club and moved to Brisbane, while Jordon Butts, Josh Worrell, Mark Keane and James Borlase are going to be required to fill the void. Dan Curtin looks likely to debut early in the season, however he was monstered when opposing Taylor Walker in the intra-club and will likely need to play on opposition’s third tall forwards, while Elliott Himmelberg has not shown much in his switch down back.
West Coast v Fremantle
Saturday, February 24
Mineral Resources Park, 7.45pm AEDT
Plenty of questions coming out of West Coast this off-season. Harley Reid has been flagged as a half back in his debut and was impressive despite limited touches in the intra-club, but how much impact can he have at AFL level? He is favourite for the Rising Star and is expected to have a big debut year, but will it be enough to turn around the struggling club? There are a number of injuries to key Eagles already this pre-season, meaning the Eagles will expose some of its depth in the practice match. Keen eyes on some of the club’s new recruits, like Matt Flynn and Tyler Brockman, who both performed well in the intra-club.
The role that Nat Fyfe plays in 2024 seems to be the biggest question coming out of Fremantle’s camp. He has been flagged as a pure midfielder, however has struggled to get, or keep, his body right during the rigours of an AFL season. He has not played double digit games in the past two seasons, and has one 20-game season (2019) in the past six years. He has also never played a full season, and eclipsed 19 matches just three times in his career. A full-time midfield role seems outlandish, however the Dockers faithful suggest he is in the best shape he has been in the past few seasons and won’t be subjected to being Fremantle’s most-important player.
Friday, February 23
RSEA Park, 2pm AEDT
All eyes will be on Mattaes Phillipou, with track watchers suggesting the 19-year-old sensation has been training solely in the midfield for Ross Lyon’s Saints. Phillipou is one of Lyon’s favourites at St Kilda, and was drafted as a tall midfielder who can play forward, earning comparisons to Marcus Bontempelli in 2022. He played every game last season as a forward but has increased his fitness and is ready for the mix inside the centre square. The Saints will also need to figure out how to score more in 2024, so the clash against the Bombers will be a good opportunity to try a more aggressive style of football.
The Bombers brought in more ready-made talent than anyone in the league, and with it comes questions about the team’s cohesion. Friday will provide fans to see their new favourite players in action, with Ben McKay, Jade Gresham, Todd Goldstein and Xavier Duursma all expected to feature. McKay’s inclusion into the backline should free up Jordan Ridley to play an intercept role, while fans will be intrigued to see Nic Martin play his new role off half back. Nate Caddy is also knocking on the door of an early-season debut and a strong performance wouldn’t hurt his chances.
Port Adelaide v Adelaide
Friday, February 23
Alberton Oval, 5.30pm AEDT
Another team with a new-look backline, Port Adelaide will debut Esava Ratugolea and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher alongside Aliir Aliir against the Crows. But with the new talent coming in, where does that leave Tom Clurey? He has trialled as a winger this pre-season in an attempt to find him a new position, but he is likely to start the year on the outer. Connor Rozee will also captain the club for the first time, having signed a mammoth deal in the off-season to remain with the Power. How will the captaincy, as well as the eight-year-long commitment, affect the 24 year old’s output on the field?
Adelaide has plenty of question marks in its back half, with Nick Murray still recovering from a torn ACL. Tom Doedee left the club and moved to Brisbane, while Jordon Butts, Josh Worrell, Mark Keane and James Borlase are going to be required to fill the void. Dan Curtin looks likely to debut early in the season, however he was monstered when opposing Taylor Walker in the intra-club and will likely need to play on opposition’s third tall forwards, while Elliott Himmelberg has not shown much in his switch down back.
West Coast v Fremantle
Saturday, February 24
Mineral Resources Park, 7.45pm AEDT
Plenty of questions coming out of West Coast this off-season. Harley Reid has been flagged as a half back in his debut and was impressive despite limited touches in the intra-club, but how much impact can he have at AFL level? He is favourite for the Rising Star and is expected to have a big debut year, but will it be enough to turn around the struggling club? There are a number of injuries to key Eagles already this pre-season, meaning the Eagles will expose some of its depth in the practice match. Keen eyes on some of the club’s new recruits, like Matt Flynn and Tyler Brockman, who both performed well in the intra-club.
The role that Nat Fyfe plays in 2024 seems to be the biggest question coming out of Fremantle’s camp. He has been flagged as a pure midfielder, however has struggled to get, or keep, his body right during the rigours of an AFL season. He has not played double digit games in the past two seasons, and has one 20-game season (2019) in the past six years. He has also never played a full season, and eclipsed 19 matches just three times in his career. A full-time midfield role seems outlandish, however the Dockers faithful suggest he is in the best shape he has been in the past few seasons and won’t be subjected to being Fremantle’s most-important player.
Behind Gold Coast Sun’s Alex Sexton’s switch to a position he’s never played before
Alex Sexton has never played in defence in his life: not as a junior, not at lower levels - never. He speaks to CALLUM **** about why new coach Damien Hardwick wanted him down back.
After just twelve games in two years Alex Sexton knew his AFL career was on the ropes.
The two-time Gold Coast Suns leading goalkicker had suddenly become a VFL regular; his scattershot AFL appearances often at the mercy of injury, suspension or a selection statement from the coaching staff.
Even six goals in a win over North Melbourne in 2022 was not enough for Sexton to sway the mind of then-coach Stuart Dew.
The Gold Coast product had made a name as an out-and-out goalkicker – a player capable of matchwinning bags in quick bursts. But his defensive pressure was sometimes questioned and in the modern game, pressure is paramount.
The 29-year-old’s career looked at a crossroads with the arrival of Damien Hardwick – one of the coaches who helped pioneer the role of the pressure forward in the AFL.
Instead the triple-premiership coach’s arrival at Carrara may have saved him.
“As soon as (Hardwick) came into the building we had a chat in that first week about where he sees me. It was a lot about strength-based game plan and how he sees me fitting into that system,” Sexton said.
“We had a conversation about half back and I was excited. Obviously I’ve played a lot forward in the past 5-6 years but I just needed that freshen-up in my career. I was all for it and I’ve embraced it ever since that conversation.”
Sexton’s surprise switch to half back – a role he has never played before, even as a junior – has captured the attention of fans, teammates and avid SuperCoach managers.
With regular rebounding defender Lachie Weller not expected back from an ACL injury until halfway through the season, the defensive flanks were immediately an area of focus for Hardwick and backline boss, Josh Drummond.
Three weeks out from Opening Round against Richmond, it appears as though Sexton and Connor Budarick are the frontrunners.
“For me the whole move has been about my strengths,” Sexton said.
“I haven’t played as much footy as I would have liked at the top level the past couple of years, so for me I see this as a fresh start and I’ve taken it with a positive hand.
“A lot of that is on the individual as well. My form wasn’t where I wanted it to be and I found myself on the outer in the VFL last year.
“What comes with that is a fresh start and owning that as well. I understand I am a better player than what I was showing and I’m just excited for the year coming up and I’m ready to put the last couple of years behind me and look forward.”
Sexton may be looking forward, but he says he has already forgotten about his former footy life.
He endeared himself to Suns fans as a silky-skilled medium forward who could clunk marks and kick goals from all angles.
Now his modus operandi is to use pace and precision kicking to set his teammates up to hit the scoreboard.
The proof was in the pudding last week when Sexton shot off the back of the square to take a handball receive before delivering a 60m dart onto the chest of Sam Day deep inside 50.
“I haven’t really thought about any other role since I started at halfback,” he said.
“The only way to move forward with something different is to go all-in with it. So you might laugh, but I haven’t even thought about the forward line this whole pre-season.
“Once I had that conversation (with Hardwick) I walked out knowing he saw me in that position because of my strengths, so for me that was such a positive.”
Alex Sexton has never played in defence in his life: not as a junior, not at lower levels - never. He speaks to CALLUM **** about why new coach Damien Hardwick wanted him down back.
After just twelve games in two years Alex Sexton knew his AFL career was on the ropes.
The two-time Gold Coast Suns leading goalkicker had suddenly become a VFL regular; his scattershot AFL appearances often at the mercy of injury, suspension or a selection statement from the coaching staff.
Even six goals in a win over North Melbourne in 2022 was not enough for Sexton to sway the mind of then-coach Stuart Dew.
The Gold Coast product had made a name as an out-and-out goalkicker – a player capable of matchwinning bags in quick bursts. But his defensive pressure was sometimes questioned and in the modern game, pressure is paramount.
The 29-year-old’s career looked at a crossroads with the arrival of Damien Hardwick – one of the coaches who helped pioneer the role of the pressure forward in the AFL.
Instead the triple-premiership coach’s arrival at Carrara may have saved him.
“As soon as (Hardwick) came into the building we had a chat in that first week about where he sees me. It was a lot about strength-based game plan and how he sees me fitting into that system,” Sexton said.
“We had a conversation about half back and I was excited. Obviously I’ve played a lot forward in the past 5-6 years but I just needed that freshen-up in my career. I was all for it and I’ve embraced it ever since that conversation.”
Sexton’s surprise switch to half back – a role he has never played before, even as a junior – has captured the attention of fans, teammates and avid SuperCoach managers.
With regular rebounding defender Lachie Weller not expected back from an ACL injury until halfway through the season, the defensive flanks were immediately an area of focus for Hardwick and backline boss, Josh Drummond.
Three weeks out from Opening Round against Richmond, it appears as though Sexton and Connor Budarick are the frontrunners.
“For me the whole move has been about my strengths,” Sexton said.
“I haven’t played as much footy as I would have liked at the top level the past couple of years, so for me I see this as a fresh start and I’ve taken it with a positive hand.
“A lot of that is on the individual as well. My form wasn’t where I wanted it to be and I found myself on the outer in the VFL last year.
“What comes with that is a fresh start and owning that as well. I understand I am a better player than what I was showing and I’m just excited for the year coming up and I’m ready to put the last couple of years behind me and look forward.”
Sexton may be looking forward, but he says he has already forgotten about his former footy life.
He endeared himself to Suns fans as a silky-skilled medium forward who could clunk marks and kick goals from all angles.
Now his modus operandi is to use pace and precision kicking to set his teammates up to hit the scoreboard.
The proof was in the pudding last week when Sexton shot off the back of the square to take a handball receive before delivering a 60m dart onto the chest of Sam Day deep inside 50.
“I haven’t really thought about any other role since I started at halfback,” he said.
“The only way to move forward with something different is to go all-in with it. So you might laugh, but I haven’t even thought about the forward line this whole pre-season.
“Once I had that conversation (with Hardwick) I walked out knowing he saw me in that position because of my strengths, so for me that was such a positive.”
SuperCoach AFL 2024: Fantasy experts answer the big selection questions
Can you start without Nick Daicos? Can we afford Marcus Bontempelli? Who are the best rookies? SuperCoach experts have their say on all of those questions and more.
Al Paton
Follow
@al_superfooty
15 min read
February 20, 2024 - 5:37PM
Buckle in for the most exciting, unpredictable year of SuperCoach ever.
The introduction of opening round, extra byes and more trades has thrown up a host of questions about the best way to attack Australia’s biggest fantasy game in 2024.
And that’s on top of the usual selection dilemmas around the biggest stars, traps, bargains and bolters to set us on the path to glory against our mates, and to challenge for the $50,000 grand prize.
Luckily, there is a vibrant community of coaches who dedicate their time to statistics, analysis and strategy to help us all become the best SuperCoaches we can be.
We’ve assembled 10 of those experts to make up the 2024 SuperCoach Jury. See their verdict on this year’s biggest burning questions below – and give them a follow!
1. How many premium prices stars can we start who are playing in Opening Round?
AL PATON: Every player who appears in Opening Round will miss a game in the first six rounds. Best 18 scoring in those bye weeks will allow us to cover for a gun player or two each round, but it would be tempting fate to stack your team with any more than that – especially if one of the missing stars is in the ruck and we don’t get a playing cheapie on the ruck bench.
THE PHANTOM: I’m still not sure. It’s all about balance, so it depends how many value – or mid-price – players from the eight teams you’re starting. Could a Tom Green make up for the early bye with two big scores? Yes. Or could you trade a Tom Green at his bye? Maybe. It is a different year in SuperCoach. But you won’t want to be answering too many of these questions over the first month – unless, of course, you pick the perfect SuperCoach team. I don’t want to be giving up too many early points.
TIM MICHELL: It really depends on the rest of your team. For example, if you’re starting Keidean Coleman and Zac Williams, you’ll already be two players down in round 2 and might want to avoid Sam Walsh until after the Lions-Blues bye. Ultimately, our strategy here will be determined by how most of the options fare in round 0. If Touk Miller, Walsh, Sam Flanders and even Dustin Martin make a flying start, you might just need to be prepared to burn a few trades to help cover premiums during the early byes and start the big guns you know are guaranteed to hold value or make money. It’s not an easy answer, but a maximum of four would be preferred.
DAN BATTEN: I don’t think it necessarily matters how many R0 premiums you have, rather how many you have from each round – particularly the teams with early byes such as Brisbane, Carlton (round 2), GWS and Sydney (round 3). Ideally, you wouldn’t want to have more than two or three premiums from a particular bye round.
SWIZ (SuperCoach Insider): No more than four (one for each bye).
MJ (The Coaches Panel): Anything above two and you’re elevating your team’s risk profile and requiring more midprice/rookie-priced selections to pop a score to keep you in the mix early.
ABDUL YALCIN (SCodfather, fourth place 2022): Four max.
DR (SuperCoach with DR): No more than five. Personally I am looking to start with 3-4.
JORDS (Fantasy Take TV): As few as possible, but I’m comfortable starting bye players who present great value like Gawn, Grundy and Flanders. I’ll likely have three or four, not interested in going high than that.
ADRIAN JOHNSON (Multiple top 200 finisher): Simply put, as few as possible. The benefit of Opening Round is coaches will have an additional week’s sample size to view player positioning, helping us nail the best value picks. Unfortunately, the downside attached is those dreaded byes, and despite it being ‘Best 18’ for those bye rounds, the difference between a premium and a rookie could be 50-100 points per round.
2. Does the increase to 40 trades change how you pick your starting squad?
AL PATON: I’m definitely weighing up some bold moves that I wouldn’t normally consider like trading top-end players in and out over their byes, but this is fraught with danger – what happens when you cop two injuries the week you plan to bring in Nick Daicos? But coaches who can pull it off could get a big edge on the pack. Fortune favours the brave ...
PHANTOM: It makes me feel better about taking a few more early risks – both in starting selections and trades. But 2023 also showed us how quickly the season can unravel.
TIM: Not really. I’d prefer to use them to take a few risks during the season, especially early to make sure I’m getting maximum cash generation in and upgrading quickly. I’ve already earmarked three trades (with a boost) to punt Tigers and Demons and get Nick Daicos in round 6. So I’m essentially playing with 37 for 23 rounds.
DAN: The byes themselves may have more of an impact but it can allow us to be more aggressive. For example, I am seriously considering Tom Green as a short-term play with mouth-watering fixtures against North Melbourne and West Coast in the first two SuperCoach rounds. The extra trades could allow you to trade him out and then back in if needed.
SWIZ: Yes. There’s definitely the ability to take some early risks or trade around the byes.
MJ: It provides me with two things. First, it gives me a greater opportunity to increase my risk profile in my starting squad with the types of players I pick and the structure I create. Second, it creates the opportunity to be even more aggressive early with trades especially early, even if a few injuries or failed starting squad selections arise.
ABDUL: Yes, tactical changes to my starting team.
DR: Not really. I am sticking with my original pre-season plans of locking in a predominantly guns and rookies structure. However, the extra trades have allowed me to lower my risk profile and select an extra high risk/reward player.
JORDS: Not really but I more inclined to pick a player such as Matt Crouch or Jack Steele who can be flipped on their last bye given more trades available.
AJ: One way to ruffle the feathers of coaches is to change the amount of total trade each year. At first glance, 40 trades looks like an awful lot; but having personally used 18 on injuries alone last season, now factoring in the complexity of bye rounds, I am starting to believe the round number of forty might be spot on. I am certainly not subscribing to the strategy of sideways trading premiums over the byes; wasting a trade(s) to navigate a bye(s) screams recipe for disaster to me.
3. How many forwards have you got priced over $400k?
AL PATON: One. Crazy times!
PHANTOM: Two – and that still includes Jack Macrae, pending fitness. But I’m also warming to the idea of starting Luke Jackson.
TIM: None. I’ll start Sam Flanders if he performs well in round 0, but as it stands Zac Fisher is my F1. Or as some are calling him, Zac F1sher. I’m very bullish on the forward rookies and like James Harmes at F2.
DAN: Only one at the moment in Sam Flanders, but Jack Macrae and even Luke Jackson could come into my thinking.
SWIZ: Currently none but definitely considering Flanders.
MJ: Currently, none!
ABDUL: One.
DR: The forward line looks very depressing this year. Only one option above $400K really appeals to me and that is Sam Flanders. My selections at F2-F4 are all priced between $200-$300K. Time for some mid-priced madness up forward!
JORDS: Just one, Sam Flanders.
AJ: At the moment, none. With uncertainty around Luke Jackson’s role, and both Jack Macrae and Dylan Moore injured, I currently have no confidence in any ‘premium’ forwards.
Can you start without Nick Daicos? Can we afford Marcus Bontempelli? Who are the best rookies? SuperCoach experts have their say on all of those questions and more.
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15 min read
February 20, 2024 - 5:37PM
Buckle in for the most exciting, unpredictable year of SuperCoach ever.
The introduction of opening round, extra byes and more trades has thrown up a host of questions about the best way to attack Australia’s biggest fantasy game in 2024.
And that’s on top of the usual selection dilemmas around the biggest stars, traps, bargains and bolters to set us on the path to glory against our mates, and to challenge for the $50,000 grand prize.
Luckily, there is a vibrant community of coaches who dedicate their time to statistics, analysis and strategy to help us all become the best SuperCoaches we can be.
We’ve assembled 10 of those experts to make up the 2024 SuperCoach Jury. See their verdict on this year’s biggest burning questions below – and give them a follow!
1. How many premium prices stars can we start who are playing in Opening Round?
AL PATON: Every player who appears in Opening Round will miss a game in the first six rounds. Best 18 scoring in those bye weeks will allow us to cover for a gun player or two each round, but it would be tempting fate to stack your team with any more than that – especially if one of the missing stars is in the ruck and we don’t get a playing cheapie on the ruck bench.
THE PHANTOM: I’m still not sure. It’s all about balance, so it depends how many value – or mid-price – players from the eight teams you’re starting. Could a Tom Green make up for the early bye with two big scores? Yes. Or could you trade a Tom Green at his bye? Maybe. It is a different year in SuperCoach. But you won’t want to be answering too many of these questions over the first month – unless, of course, you pick the perfect SuperCoach team. I don’t want to be giving up too many early points.
TIM MICHELL: It really depends on the rest of your team. For example, if you’re starting Keidean Coleman and Zac Williams, you’ll already be two players down in round 2 and might want to avoid Sam Walsh until after the Lions-Blues bye. Ultimately, our strategy here will be determined by how most of the options fare in round 0. If Touk Miller, Walsh, Sam Flanders and even Dustin Martin make a flying start, you might just need to be prepared to burn a few trades to help cover premiums during the early byes and start the big guns you know are guaranteed to hold value or make money. It’s not an easy answer, but a maximum of four would be preferred.
DAN BATTEN: I don’t think it necessarily matters how many R0 premiums you have, rather how many you have from each round – particularly the teams with early byes such as Brisbane, Carlton (round 2), GWS and Sydney (round 3). Ideally, you wouldn’t want to have more than two or three premiums from a particular bye round.
SWIZ (SuperCoach Insider): No more than four (one for each bye).
MJ (The Coaches Panel): Anything above two and you’re elevating your team’s risk profile and requiring more midprice/rookie-priced selections to pop a score to keep you in the mix early.
ABDUL YALCIN (SCodfather, fourth place 2022): Four max.
DR (SuperCoach with DR): No more than five. Personally I am looking to start with 3-4.
JORDS (Fantasy Take TV): As few as possible, but I’m comfortable starting bye players who present great value like Gawn, Grundy and Flanders. I’ll likely have three or four, not interested in going high than that.
ADRIAN JOHNSON (Multiple top 200 finisher): Simply put, as few as possible. The benefit of Opening Round is coaches will have an additional week’s sample size to view player positioning, helping us nail the best value picks. Unfortunately, the downside attached is those dreaded byes, and despite it being ‘Best 18’ for those bye rounds, the difference between a premium and a rookie could be 50-100 points per round.
2. Does the increase to 40 trades change how you pick your starting squad?
AL PATON: I’m definitely weighing up some bold moves that I wouldn’t normally consider like trading top-end players in and out over their byes, but this is fraught with danger – what happens when you cop two injuries the week you plan to bring in Nick Daicos? But coaches who can pull it off could get a big edge on the pack. Fortune favours the brave ...
PHANTOM: It makes me feel better about taking a few more early risks – both in starting selections and trades. But 2023 also showed us how quickly the season can unravel.
TIM: Not really. I’d prefer to use them to take a few risks during the season, especially early to make sure I’m getting maximum cash generation in and upgrading quickly. I’ve already earmarked three trades (with a boost) to punt Tigers and Demons and get Nick Daicos in round 6. So I’m essentially playing with 37 for 23 rounds.
DAN: The byes themselves may have more of an impact but it can allow us to be more aggressive. For example, I am seriously considering Tom Green as a short-term play with mouth-watering fixtures against North Melbourne and West Coast in the first two SuperCoach rounds. The extra trades could allow you to trade him out and then back in if needed.
SWIZ: Yes. There’s definitely the ability to take some early risks or trade around the byes.
MJ: It provides me with two things. First, it gives me a greater opportunity to increase my risk profile in my starting squad with the types of players I pick and the structure I create. Second, it creates the opportunity to be even more aggressive early with trades especially early, even if a few injuries or failed starting squad selections arise.
ABDUL: Yes, tactical changes to my starting team.
DR: Not really. I am sticking with my original pre-season plans of locking in a predominantly guns and rookies structure. However, the extra trades have allowed me to lower my risk profile and select an extra high risk/reward player.
JORDS: Not really but I more inclined to pick a player such as Matt Crouch or Jack Steele who can be flipped on their last bye given more trades available.
AJ: One way to ruffle the feathers of coaches is to change the amount of total trade each year. At first glance, 40 trades looks like an awful lot; but having personally used 18 on injuries alone last season, now factoring in the complexity of bye rounds, I am starting to believe the round number of forty might be spot on. I am certainly not subscribing to the strategy of sideways trading premiums over the byes; wasting a trade(s) to navigate a bye(s) screams recipe for disaster to me.
3. How many forwards have you got priced over $400k?
AL PATON: One. Crazy times!
PHANTOM: Two – and that still includes Jack Macrae, pending fitness. But I’m also warming to the idea of starting Luke Jackson.
TIM: None. I’ll start Sam Flanders if he performs well in round 0, but as it stands Zac Fisher is my F1. Or as some are calling him, Zac F1sher. I’m very bullish on the forward rookies and like James Harmes at F2.
DAN: Only one at the moment in Sam Flanders, but Jack Macrae and even Luke Jackson could come into my thinking.
SWIZ: Currently none but definitely considering Flanders.
MJ: Currently, none!
ABDUL: One.
DR: The forward line looks very depressing this year. Only one option above $400K really appeals to me and that is Sam Flanders. My selections at F2-F4 are all priced between $200-$300K. Time for some mid-priced madness up forward!
JORDS: Just one, Sam Flanders.
AJ: At the moment, none. With uncertainty around Luke Jackson’s role, and both Jack Macrae and Dylan Moore injured, I currently have no confidence in any ‘premium’ forwards.
4. Is Grawndy back?
AL PATON: Yes. We’re going back to the future with the starting ruck combo of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy, who are both priced well below their likely output as they each return to the role of being their team’s solo ruckman. I’ve thought about passing on Gawn to get an extra premium score when he has the bye in round 6, but the last time he went solo in the ruck (before Grundy and Luke Jackson joined the Demons) he averaged 139.9 in 2020.
PHANTOM: Yes.
TIM: Yes. Grundy should be in every team and Gawn is an absolute beast when he rucks on his own. And he’s going to have to cover a huge load with his new understudy Tom Fullarton out early in the year. Hopefully we get a few repeats of that 215 against Brisbane last year.
DAN: Overwhelming yes.
SWIZ: Yes. I would like to pick Tim English but Gawn and Grundy present too much value.
MJ: It’s a viable and even popular one-two combo in our rucks. The narrative to prime scoring and financial value for both are easy to make. Before locking it away, consider the other three core starting squad ruck options: Tristan Xerii, Rowan Marshall and Tim English. Also, make sure you’ve got a good balance in your sides during rounds 5 and 6 when Max and Brodie both have a bye, and you’re not weakening your side drastically with other selections from those weeks.
ABDUL: One hundred per cent.
DR: Absolutely! I’ve locked in the Grawndy combo and thrown away the key. Gawn will dominate as the solo ruck and is fit as a fiddle. Grundy represents great value and I’m expecting him to add 20-plus points to his 2023 average.
JORDS: Yes. Though not confident Gawn’s body holds up given his age and the ruck load ahead of him.
AJ: To say Gawndy is back would be a severe understatement. Both ruckmen are back to solo rucking duties at different clubs. They are underpriced versus potential output. I currently own two premiums who feature in opening round: one rhymes with Horn, the other with Bundy.
5. Who are your three must-have rookies, and one we might not know about?
AL PATON: See notes from the rookie experts below but three cheapies I have high hopes for are Josh Gibcus, Jeremy Sharp and Sean Mannagh. The Saints’ top draft pick Darcy Wilson is also getting great pre-season reviews and provides a handy MID-FWD link – if he gets picked.
PHANTOM: Colby McKercher, Ryley Sanders and Harley Reid speak for themselves. But keep Sydney’s Matt Roberts on your pre-season watchlist.
TIM: Colby McKercher will average 95 in the Harry Sheezel role. Finlay Macrae is airborne at Collingwood and looks ready to finally crack the Pies midfield – plus he should be FWD-MID by round 7. Harley Reid is too obvious so I’ll say Josh Gibcus as the third. Considering most of us paid $171k two years ago to start him, $150k looks a bargain. Alex Sexton’s switch to half-back has me intrigued but the rookie bolter seems to be Cooper Simpson at Fremantle. He’s $117k, DPP and word from the west is the Dockers love him.
DAN: Colby McKercher, Harley Reid and Josh Gibcus. If Sean Mannagh is named for round 1, throw him in as well. McKercher was a ball magnet at junior level and his half-back role may see him become the No.1 cash cow of 2024, while Reid has been ready for AFL action for 12 months. Gibcus was a profitable rookie in his debut season and he comes in at a cheaper price after an injury-riddled 2023.
One who is currently on my forward bench is Demon Bailey Laurie. He averaged 96 points at VFL level last season and impressed in Melbourne’s first trial match as a high-half forward. With Melbourne’s forward line injuries, it is his time to shine in his fourth season. Connor O’Sullivan is another that Cats teammates are raving about this pre-season and has the athleticism to play as a tall winger or half-back.
SWIZ: Harley Reid, Colby McKercher and Josh Gibcus. Alex Sexton looks to be playing defence for the Dimma-coached Gold Coast Suns. As a $133k forward needs to be highly considered even with an early bye.
MJ: Colby Mckercher, Harley Reid and Daniel Curtin. The one people might not know about is Giant Darcy Jones. Since returning from his ACL, he’s demonstrated his clean hands and is as quick as any player on the list. The retirement of Daniel Lloyd could mean a spot is available if they want to replace a small forward with another one.
ABDUL: Reid, McKercher and Matt Roberts. And Alex Sexton is a $133,400 FWD who will play half-back.
DR: Every team should be running with the big three – Reid, McKercher and Sanders. If fit, they will play every game this year. He isn’t a household name and he may need to bide his time in the reserves, but young Lion Logan Morris has been very impressive up forward in the pre season. Keep a watch on him.
JORDS: Sanders, McKercher and Reid. If named then I’ll certainty start Matt Roberts. Sydney assistant coach Dean Cox spoke very highly of him recently. I’m comfortable fielding him.
AJ: Three rookies are yet to leave my side and their respective ownerships speak for themselves: Colby McKercher ($202,800 MID), Harley Reid ($207,300 MID-FWD) and Ryley Sanders ($184,800 MID). And keep an eye on Demon Caleb Windsor ($180,300 MID/FWD).
6. Who is one player you would like to pick but probably won’t?
AL PATON: Dusty. More time in the midfield will return the champ to close to the top of this year’s forward pack, but that round 6 bye makes it very difficult.
PHANTOM: Jason Horne-Francis. With a full pre-season under his belt, he could break three figures sooner rather than later.
TIM: Nick Daicos. Any round you don’t have Daicos is a tough watch, but I’ve got to hold my nerve and wait until after the early bye and his date with master stopper Finn Maginness. The other is Christian Petracca, who burned me badly last year but I can’t squeeze in to my midfield.
DAN: Taylor Adams. While he is no spring chicken, he should receive more midfield minutes at the Swans and he is shown in the past he has strong scoring pedigree. One for SuperCoach Draft perhaps.
SWIZ: Jacob Hopper. Everyone is looking at mid-price mids like Guthrie, Wines, Amon and Martin. Hopper is priced at $439k and has averaged in the 90s three times in a stacked Giants midfield. As the clear No.2 at Tigerland, could put together a triple digit season.
MJ: Maybe it’s my Crows bias, but I love Luke Pedlar as a player. I expect him to move into a 50-50 midfield/forward split and give the team that speed and power they lack. I’m expecting a bump, but I’m not sure it’ll be enough to warrant the $311,900 price tag.
ABDUL: Nick Daicos.
DR: James Sicily. When James Blanck went down, so did Sicily’s SuperCoach stocks. He was locked in at D1 for me, but I am worried that he may have to play a more accountable role. This makes him more of an upgrade target during the season.
JORDS: Karl Amon. He almost averaged 110 once he started taking kick-ins last year over his final six games, however I’m unsure of the volume he gets back there sharing with Impey, Weddle and Sicily. Sam Mitchell seems to be embracing flexibility within the team this pre-season, however I’m confident Amon will remain mostly half-back.
AJ: Jai Newcombe ($549,200). An awkwardly priced POD (5 per cent ownership), Newcombe showed glimpses of brilliance last year with a SuperCoach ceiling of 174. With Hawthorn likely to improve, my gut instinct says he will be the one to lead the charge.
AL PATON: Yes. We’re going back to the future with the starting ruck combo of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy, who are both priced well below their likely output as they each return to the role of being their team’s solo ruckman. I’ve thought about passing on Gawn to get an extra premium score when he has the bye in round 6, but the last time he went solo in the ruck (before Grundy and Luke Jackson joined the Demons) he averaged 139.9 in 2020.
PHANTOM: Yes.
TIM: Yes. Grundy should be in every team and Gawn is an absolute beast when he rucks on his own. And he’s going to have to cover a huge load with his new understudy Tom Fullarton out early in the year. Hopefully we get a few repeats of that 215 against Brisbane last year.
DAN: Overwhelming yes.
SWIZ: Yes. I would like to pick Tim English but Gawn and Grundy present too much value.
MJ: It’s a viable and even popular one-two combo in our rucks. The narrative to prime scoring and financial value for both are easy to make. Before locking it away, consider the other three core starting squad ruck options: Tristan Xerii, Rowan Marshall and Tim English. Also, make sure you’ve got a good balance in your sides during rounds 5 and 6 when Max and Brodie both have a bye, and you’re not weakening your side drastically with other selections from those weeks.
ABDUL: One hundred per cent.
DR: Absolutely! I’ve locked in the Grawndy combo and thrown away the key. Gawn will dominate as the solo ruck and is fit as a fiddle. Grundy represents great value and I’m expecting him to add 20-plus points to his 2023 average.
JORDS: Yes. Though not confident Gawn’s body holds up given his age and the ruck load ahead of him.
AJ: To say Gawndy is back would be a severe understatement. Both ruckmen are back to solo rucking duties at different clubs. They are underpriced versus potential output. I currently own two premiums who feature in opening round: one rhymes with Horn, the other with Bundy.
5. Who are your three must-have rookies, and one we might not know about?
AL PATON: See notes from the rookie experts below but three cheapies I have high hopes for are Josh Gibcus, Jeremy Sharp and Sean Mannagh. The Saints’ top draft pick Darcy Wilson is also getting great pre-season reviews and provides a handy MID-FWD link – if he gets picked.
PHANTOM: Colby McKercher, Ryley Sanders and Harley Reid speak for themselves. But keep Sydney’s Matt Roberts on your pre-season watchlist.
TIM: Colby McKercher will average 95 in the Harry Sheezel role. Finlay Macrae is airborne at Collingwood and looks ready to finally crack the Pies midfield – plus he should be FWD-MID by round 7. Harley Reid is too obvious so I’ll say Josh Gibcus as the third. Considering most of us paid $171k two years ago to start him, $150k looks a bargain. Alex Sexton’s switch to half-back has me intrigued but the rookie bolter seems to be Cooper Simpson at Fremantle. He’s $117k, DPP and word from the west is the Dockers love him.
DAN: Colby McKercher, Harley Reid and Josh Gibcus. If Sean Mannagh is named for round 1, throw him in as well. McKercher was a ball magnet at junior level and his half-back role may see him become the No.1 cash cow of 2024, while Reid has been ready for AFL action for 12 months. Gibcus was a profitable rookie in his debut season and he comes in at a cheaper price after an injury-riddled 2023.
One who is currently on my forward bench is Demon Bailey Laurie. He averaged 96 points at VFL level last season and impressed in Melbourne’s first trial match as a high-half forward. With Melbourne’s forward line injuries, it is his time to shine in his fourth season. Connor O’Sullivan is another that Cats teammates are raving about this pre-season and has the athleticism to play as a tall winger or half-back.
SWIZ: Harley Reid, Colby McKercher and Josh Gibcus. Alex Sexton looks to be playing defence for the Dimma-coached Gold Coast Suns. As a $133k forward needs to be highly considered even with an early bye.
MJ: Colby Mckercher, Harley Reid and Daniel Curtin. The one people might not know about is Giant Darcy Jones. Since returning from his ACL, he’s demonstrated his clean hands and is as quick as any player on the list. The retirement of Daniel Lloyd could mean a spot is available if they want to replace a small forward with another one.
ABDUL: Reid, McKercher and Matt Roberts. And Alex Sexton is a $133,400 FWD who will play half-back.
DR: Every team should be running with the big three – Reid, McKercher and Sanders. If fit, they will play every game this year. He isn’t a household name and he may need to bide his time in the reserves, but young Lion Logan Morris has been very impressive up forward in the pre season. Keep a watch on him.
JORDS: Sanders, McKercher and Reid. If named then I’ll certainty start Matt Roberts. Sydney assistant coach Dean Cox spoke very highly of him recently. I’m comfortable fielding him.
AJ: Three rookies are yet to leave my side and their respective ownerships speak for themselves: Colby McKercher ($202,800 MID), Harley Reid ($207,300 MID-FWD) and Ryley Sanders ($184,800 MID). And keep an eye on Demon Caleb Windsor ($180,300 MID/FWD).
6. Who is one player you would like to pick but probably won’t?
AL PATON: Dusty. More time in the midfield will return the champ to close to the top of this year’s forward pack, but that round 6 bye makes it very difficult.
PHANTOM: Jason Horne-Francis. With a full pre-season under his belt, he could break three figures sooner rather than later.
TIM: Nick Daicos. Any round you don’t have Daicos is a tough watch, but I’ve got to hold my nerve and wait until after the early bye and his date with master stopper Finn Maginness. The other is Christian Petracca, who burned me badly last year but I can’t squeeze in to my midfield.
DAN: Taylor Adams. While he is no spring chicken, he should receive more midfield minutes at the Swans and he is shown in the past he has strong scoring pedigree. One for SuperCoach Draft perhaps.
SWIZ: Jacob Hopper. Everyone is looking at mid-price mids like Guthrie, Wines, Amon and Martin. Hopper is priced at $439k and has averaged in the 90s three times in a stacked Giants midfield. As the clear No.2 at Tigerland, could put together a triple digit season.
MJ: Maybe it’s my Crows bias, but I love Luke Pedlar as a player. I expect him to move into a 50-50 midfield/forward split and give the team that speed and power they lack. I’m expecting a bump, but I’m not sure it’ll be enough to warrant the $311,900 price tag.
ABDUL: Nick Daicos.
DR: James Sicily. When James Blanck went down, so did Sicily’s SuperCoach stocks. He was locked in at D1 for me, but I am worried that he may have to play a more accountable role. This makes him more of an upgrade target during the season.
JORDS: Karl Amon. He almost averaged 110 once he started taking kick-ins last year over his final six games, however I’m unsure of the volume he gets back there sharing with Impey, Weddle and Sicily. Sam Mitchell seems to be embracing flexibility within the team this pre-season, however I’m confident Amon will remain mostly half-back.
AJ: Jai Newcombe ($549,200). An awkwardly priced POD (5 per cent ownership), Newcombe showed glimpses of brilliance last year with a SuperCoach ceiling of 174. With Hawthorn likely to improve, my gut instinct says he will be the one to lead the charge.
7. Yes or no – Bontempelli, Daicos, Macrae, Fyfe?
AL PATON: Yes, no (for now), no, yes.
PHANTOM: If he’s underdone, no. No. Yes, if he’s fit. No.
TIM: Bont is a must-have. Daicos – see above. Macrae – no chance after a hamstring setback and Ryley Sanders/Harmes being preferred during pre-season in the middle. Fyfe – maybe after two rounds if he’s going to make bulk cash. But not to start, the risk he’s subbed is too great.
DAN: Bontempelli – yes, Daicos – yes, Macrae – no, Fyfe – yes. Bontempelli and Daicos can seriously hurt you and while Daicos has the early bye in round 5, it only took four games for him to hurt my start to the year in 2023 as a non-owner. I need a bit more clarity on Macrae’s role and fitness before slotting him in, while Fyfe says more about the lack of options than his quality.
SWIZ: Can I say maybe? Currently Bont yes, Daicos no, Macrae no and Fyfe yes.
MJ: No on Bont, Yes to Daicos, No to Macrae and yes to Fyfe!
ABDUL: Bont: Yes. Daicos: No. Macrae: No. Fyfe: Yes.
DR: Bont: locked and loaded at M1. A captain option every week who possesses a massive ceiling and only went under 100 once in 2023! He has the potential to really hurt non owners. Daicos: I’m fading King Nick at this stage. With two byes and a likely Finn Maginness tag, I’m hoping to pick him up at a cheaper price after his first bye. I’m worried that this could come back to bite me, though! Macrae: former SuperCoach royalty, but due to age, potential role and an interrupted pre-season, I won’t be starting him. Fyfe: He is looking like a beast and at this stage he is in. I do expect him to be managed at times, but if he can get through the first 5 weeks playing predominantly in the midfield, he should provide fantastic value.
JORDS: Bont and Daicos yes, Macrae and Fyfe no.
AJ: No, No, Maybe, Yes. I don’t want to be a fence-sitter but when Luke Beveridge is involved, you just never know. Daicos will be my first upgrade target. If Macrae is fit for round 1 and playing a midfield role, lock and load, however, I just cannot see that happening, especially with the Dogs’ off-season additions of James Harmes and Sanders. Nat Fyfe sucked me in last season, and I paid the price with 26 points in round 1. Fast forward 11 months and from all reports, he is playing exclusively midfield. Underpriced, Brownlow medallist, a former midfield bull. The higher the ownership, the less risk involved. Jump on board.
8. Which player are you not buying the pre-season hype on?
AL PATON: Zane Duursma and Nick Watson are two high-priced rookies who have a stack of talent but could struggle to put up good SuperCoach scores on a regular basis playing as small forwards in teams that might not win a lot of games. They remind me of Josh Rachele, who kicked five goals on debut in 2022 but scored under 50 in 10 of his 13 matches that season.
PHANTOM: Elliot Yeo and Nat Fyfe the midfielders. Like, c’mon guys, the issue isn’t with their ability.
TIM: Jack Billings – not even convinced he’s in Melbourne’s best 23. There was talk of a wing role but he’s not getting passed Ed Langdon, Lachie Hunter or Caleb Windsor ... surely?
DAN: Connor Budarick. How can a dour lockdown defender now suddenly be a Jayden Short clone on kick-ins?
SWIZ: Don’t really want to include rookies in here but Zane Duursma and Daniel Curtin. Both are very expensive and don’t see them offering the cash growth compared to the other rookies we have available.
MJ: Sam Flanders. The key to his heavy scoring last year was through a high volume of marks. Under a Damien Hardwick-coached structure, it’s not about ball control through the midfield through marks and possessions; rather, it’s all about speed on the ball and surging the footy forward. Throw in the round 3 bye, and I’d much rather trade into him than start him.
ABDUL: Connor Budarick (I might change my mind after round 0).
DR: Karl Amon. Although he scored well when playing back last year, there are a number of players who could play the same role. If he finds himself on a wing, it could be detrimental to his scoring. I’m not buying the hype just yet.
JORDS: Nat Fyfe. Was flying last pre-season and broke down in season. Given his past 2-3 years his body is not trustworthy enough for me to pick him. He had only one game above 75 in 2023.
AJ: They say holding a grudge is a heavy burden. But it is a burden I am willing to carry when it comes to Jeremy Cameron ($462,700 FWD) and Josh Kelly ($568,800 MID). Neither of those players, irrespective of price, will feature in my team this season.
AL PATON: Yes, no (for now), no, yes.
PHANTOM: If he’s underdone, no. No. Yes, if he’s fit. No.
TIM: Bont is a must-have. Daicos – see above. Macrae – no chance after a hamstring setback and Ryley Sanders/Harmes being preferred during pre-season in the middle. Fyfe – maybe after two rounds if he’s going to make bulk cash. But not to start, the risk he’s subbed is too great.
DAN: Bontempelli – yes, Daicos – yes, Macrae – no, Fyfe – yes. Bontempelli and Daicos can seriously hurt you and while Daicos has the early bye in round 5, it only took four games for him to hurt my start to the year in 2023 as a non-owner. I need a bit more clarity on Macrae’s role and fitness before slotting him in, while Fyfe says more about the lack of options than his quality.
SWIZ: Can I say maybe? Currently Bont yes, Daicos no, Macrae no and Fyfe yes.
MJ: No on Bont, Yes to Daicos, No to Macrae and yes to Fyfe!
ABDUL: Bont: Yes. Daicos: No. Macrae: No. Fyfe: Yes.
DR: Bont: locked and loaded at M1. A captain option every week who possesses a massive ceiling and only went under 100 once in 2023! He has the potential to really hurt non owners. Daicos: I’m fading King Nick at this stage. With two byes and a likely Finn Maginness tag, I’m hoping to pick him up at a cheaper price after his first bye. I’m worried that this could come back to bite me, though! Macrae: former SuperCoach royalty, but due to age, potential role and an interrupted pre-season, I won’t be starting him. Fyfe: He is looking like a beast and at this stage he is in. I do expect him to be managed at times, but if he can get through the first 5 weeks playing predominantly in the midfield, he should provide fantastic value.
JORDS: Bont and Daicos yes, Macrae and Fyfe no.
AJ: No, No, Maybe, Yes. I don’t want to be a fence-sitter but when Luke Beveridge is involved, you just never know. Daicos will be my first upgrade target. If Macrae is fit for round 1 and playing a midfield role, lock and load, however, I just cannot see that happening, especially with the Dogs’ off-season additions of James Harmes and Sanders. Nat Fyfe sucked me in last season, and I paid the price with 26 points in round 1. Fast forward 11 months and from all reports, he is playing exclusively midfield. Underpriced, Brownlow medallist, a former midfield bull. The higher the ownership, the less risk involved. Jump on board.
8. Which player are you not buying the pre-season hype on?
AL PATON: Zane Duursma and Nick Watson are two high-priced rookies who have a stack of talent but could struggle to put up good SuperCoach scores on a regular basis playing as small forwards in teams that might not win a lot of games. They remind me of Josh Rachele, who kicked five goals on debut in 2022 but scored under 50 in 10 of his 13 matches that season.
PHANTOM: Elliot Yeo and Nat Fyfe the midfielders. Like, c’mon guys, the issue isn’t with their ability.
TIM: Jack Billings – not even convinced he’s in Melbourne’s best 23. There was talk of a wing role but he’s not getting passed Ed Langdon, Lachie Hunter or Caleb Windsor ... surely?
DAN: Connor Budarick. How can a dour lockdown defender now suddenly be a Jayden Short clone on kick-ins?
SWIZ: Don’t really want to include rookies in here but Zane Duursma and Daniel Curtin. Both are very expensive and don’t see them offering the cash growth compared to the other rookies we have available.
MJ: Sam Flanders. The key to his heavy scoring last year was through a high volume of marks. Under a Damien Hardwick-coached structure, it’s not about ball control through the midfield through marks and possessions; rather, it’s all about speed on the ball and surging the footy forward. Throw in the round 3 bye, and I’d much rather trade into him than start him.
ABDUL: Connor Budarick (I might change my mind after round 0).
DR: Karl Amon. Although he scored well when playing back last year, there are a number of players who could play the same role. If he finds himself on a wing, it could be detrimental to his scoring. I’m not buying the hype just yet.
JORDS: Nat Fyfe. Was flying last pre-season and broke down in season. Given his past 2-3 years his body is not trustworthy enough for me to pick him. He had only one game above 75 in 2023.
AJ: They say holding a grudge is a heavy burden. But it is a burden I am willing to carry when it comes to Jeremy Cameron ($462,700 FWD) and Josh Kelly ($568,800 MID). Neither of those players, irrespective of price, will feature in my team this season.
AFL SuperCoach 2024: The Phantom’s rookie rankings in every position
A lot of names are thrown around over the pre-season – but who are the SuperCoach rookies you need to pick? The Phantom ranks the best cheapies in the forward line.
The Phantom
11 min read
February 21, 2024 - 9:19AM
The key to success in SuperCoach is nailing your rookie-price selections.
To help you start sorting the good from the bad, I’ve ranked the best forward, midfield an defender cheapies — with scoring potential, job security and price taken into account.
FORWARD
1. Harley Reid
WC, $207,300, Mid
SC Ave: 135 (Coates League)
Harley Reid could play anywhere in his debut season and score well. But with coach Adam Simpson hinting over summer his prized No. 1 pick is likely to spend time behind the ball this year, he might score more than just well. Reid averaged 20 disposals, four intercept marks and 113 SuperCoach points playing in defence for Vic Country at the under-18 carnival as a bottom-ager in 2022. He caught the eye pushing senior teammates around through the midfield in the Eagles’ intra-club, before doing exactly what Simpson had said, mopping up down back.
The Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: Lock. Next.
2. Finlay Macrae
Coll, $152,600
SC Ave: 135 (Coates League)
Taylor Adams out, Fin Macrae in? That’s the dream scenario for SuperCoaches at Collingwood this year. The younger brother of Bulldog Jack, Macrae couldn’t do much more at state league level, averaging 26 disposals, 10 contested possessions, six tackles, six score involvements and 102 SuperCoach points in 2023, following on from a 106-point average in 2022. And that was despite an injury-interrupted pre-season. There have been glimpses at AFL level, too, but his time in the senior side has been severely sub-affected. From what we’ve seen over summer, though, this might finally be his year.
The Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: Another great on-field option if all goes to plan.
3. Alex Sexton
GC, $133,400
Ave: 24 (AFL)
A 30-year-old who averaged 24 SuperCoach points in eight senior games at No. 3, Phantom, really? Yeah, it doesn’t scream pick me – but there’s good reason. Sexton, who booted 39 goals in career-best 2019, started as Gold Coast’s sub in five of those eight matches last year, explaining the three scores of 16 or less. The big factor here, though, is new coach Damien Hardwick turning the two-time club leading goalkicking into a rebounding defender – one who could help fill the void left by Lachie Weller early in 2024. Sexton’s skills and ability to cover the ground have impressed Hardwick during his first pre-season at the club.
The Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: If he can lockdown the role during the practice matches, we might just have to pick him. He doesn’t even need to see a lot of the ball at that price, but he will playing that role.
4. Bailey Laurie
Melb, $125,200
SC Ave: 28 (AFL)
Another whose season – and 2024 SuperCoach starting price – has been affected by the sub’s vest. Laurie, in his third season on the list, was subbed out on debut in round 1 before starting as the sub in three of his four other senior appearances – one of them in the qualifying final loss to Collingwood. But if this pre-season is anything to go by, 2024 might be a different story. The 21-year-old, who averaged 23 disposals, seven score involvements and 96 points in the VFL, has impressed on the track with his skills and footy smarts – two traits recruiters loved in his draft year – and was one of the better performers in the club’s recent intra-club match.
Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: The Dees have injury/suspension issues forward of centre – and that’s where Laurie could have an impact with the ball. Might not need too much of the footy to score well and make cash. High on the watchlist.
5. Caleb Windsor
Melb, $180,300, Mid
SC Ave: 98 (Coates League)
“He’s flying, I’ve told all my mates in SuperCoach to get him.” No, that isn’t me talking, that’s Windsor’s star teammate Christian Petracca, who’s loved what he’s seen from the first-round pick over summer. Broke lines and kicked goals on the outside playing for Eastern Ranges last year, but the classy teenager also has terrific hands and can get himself out of trouble, like he’s shown during Melbourne’s intra-club and in the second half against Richmond on Sunday.
Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: Windsor played on the wing against the Tigers but Lachie Hunter is due back soon. If he does get an early game, his ball use might help make up for what might be an uncontested role early at the top level.
NEXT IN LINE
Zane Duursma
NM, $193,800, Mid
SC Ave: 129 (Coates League)
A SuperCoach star-in-the-making, no doubt, but will a forward-heavy role bring inconsistent scores in 2024? Sure, it could, like it has done for many other talented draftees. But remember many of us overlooked Mattaes Phillipou last year for similar reasons? The young Saint averaged 63 in the opening five rounds and added a quick $100k to his price tag, starting mainly inside-50. And Duursma, who booted 33 goals and averaged 19 disposals and 129 SuperCoach points in 12 Coates League games in 2023, was a better forward as a junior.
Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: The kid’s a jet and he has to be around the mark, despite the looming role, given his talent and midfield capabilities.
THE SMOKY
Cooper Simpson
Freo, $117,300, Mid
SC Ave: 105 (Coates League)
Battled injury in his draft year and slid to Fremantle at pick 35. But the Dockers were happy at the time and word is they’re still happy now, after what Simpson has done at the club so far. The 18-year-old, who can break away and stream forward in the mould of Sydney’s Tom Papley, scored 120 SuperCoach points or more in four of his eight matches last season.
Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: Can he force his way in? I’ll be watching.
A lot of names are thrown around over the pre-season – but who are the SuperCoach rookies you need to pick? The Phantom ranks the best cheapies in the forward line.
The Phantom
11 min read
February 21, 2024 - 9:19AM
The key to success in SuperCoach is nailing your rookie-price selections.
To help you start sorting the good from the bad, I’ve ranked the best forward, midfield an defender cheapies — with scoring potential, job security and price taken into account.
FORWARD
1. Harley Reid
WC, $207,300, Mid
SC Ave: 135 (Coates League)
Harley Reid could play anywhere in his debut season and score well. But with coach Adam Simpson hinting over summer his prized No. 1 pick is likely to spend time behind the ball this year, he might score more than just well. Reid averaged 20 disposals, four intercept marks and 113 SuperCoach points playing in defence for Vic Country at the under-18 carnival as a bottom-ager in 2022. He caught the eye pushing senior teammates around through the midfield in the Eagles’ intra-club, before doing exactly what Simpson had said, mopping up down back.
The Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: Lock. Next.
2. Finlay Macrae
Coll, $152,600
SC Ave: 135 (Coates League)
Taylor Adams out, Fin Macrae in? That’s the dream scenario for SuperCoaches at Collingwood this year. The younger brother of Bulldog Jack, Macrae couldn’t do much more at state league level, averaging 26 disposals, 10 contested possessions, six tackles, six score involvements and 102 SuperCoach points in 2023, following on from a 106-point average in 2022. And that was despite an injury-interrupted pre-season. There have been glimpses at AFL level, too, but his time in the senior side has been severely sub-affected. From what we’ve seen over summer, though, this might finally be his year.
The Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: Another great on-field option if all goes to plan.
3. Alex Sexton
GC, $133,400
Ave: 24 (AFL)
A 30-year-old who averaged 24 SuperCoach points in eight senior games at No. 3, Phantom, really? Yeah, it doesn’t scream pick me – but there’s good reason. Sexton, who booted 39 goals in career-best 2019, started as Gold Coast’s sub in five of those eight matches last year, explaining the three scores of 16 or less. The big factor here, though, is new coach Damien Hardwick turning the two-time club leading goalkicking into a rebounding defender – one who could help fill the void left by Lachie Weller early in 2024. Sexton’s skills and ability to cover the ground have impressed Hardwick during his first pre-season at the club.
The Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: If he can lockdown the role during the practice matches, we might just have to pick him. He doesn’t even need to see a lot of the ball at that price, but he will playing that role.
4. Bailey Laurie
Melb, $125,200
SC Ave: 28 (AFL)
Another whose season – and 2024 SuperCoach starting price – has been affected by the sub’s vest. Laurie, in his third season on the list, was subbed out on debut in round 1 before starting as the sub in three of his four other senior appearances – one of them in the qualifying final loss to Collingwood. But if this pre-season is anything to go by, 2024 might be a different story. The 21-year-old, who averaged 23 disposals, seven score involvements and 96 points in the VFL, has impressed on the track with his skills and footy smarts – two traits recruiters loved in his draft year – and was one of the better performers in the club’s recent intra-club match.
Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: The Dees have injury/suspension issues forward of centre – and that’s where Laurie could have an impact with the ball. Might not need too much of the footy to score well and make cash. High on the watchlist.
5. Caleb Windsor
Melb, $180,300, Mid
SC Ave: 98 (Coates League)
“He’s flying, I’ve told all my mates in SuperCoach to get him.” No, that isn’t me talking, that’s Windsor’s star teammate Christian Petracca, who’s loved what he’s seen from the first-round pick over summer. Broke lines and kicked goals on the outside playing for Eastern Ranges last year, but the classy teenager also has terrific hands and can get himself out of trouble, like he’s shown during Melbourne’s intra-club and in the second half against Richmond on Sunday.
Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: Windsor played on the wing against the Tigers but Lachie Hunter is due back soon. If he does get an early game, his ball use might help make up for what might be an uncontested role early at the top level.
NEXT IN LINE
Zane Duursma
NM, $193,800, Mid
SC Ave: 129 (Coates League)
A SuperCoach star-in-the-making, no doubt, but will a forward-heavy role bring inconsistent scores in 2024? Sure, it could, like it has done for many other talented draftees. But remember many of us overlooked Mattaes Phillipou last year for similar reasons? The young Saint averaged 63 in the opening five rounds and added a quick $100k to his price tag, starting mainly inside-50. And Duursma, who booted 33 goals and averaged 19 disposals and 129 SuperCoach points in 12 Coates League games in 2023, was a better forward as a junior.
Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: The kid’s a jet and he has to be around the mark, despite the looming role, given his talent and midfield capabilities.
THE SMOKY
Cooper Simpson
Freo, $117,300, Mid
SC Ave: 105 (Coates League)
Battled injury in his draft year and slid to Fremantle at pick 35. But the Dockers were happy at the time and word is they’re still happy now, after what Simpson has done at the club so far. The 18-year-old, who can break away and stream forward in the mould of Sydney’s Tom Papley, scored 120 SuperCoach points or more in four of his eight matches last season.
Phantom’s February 21 Verdict: Can he force his way in? I’ll be watching.
AFL Pre-season intel: Key practice match notes and SuperCoach advice
The first round of pre-season games are in the books — with crucial intel for SuperCoaches and tipsters alike. SAM LANDSBERGER breaks down every key talking point.
Sam Landsberger
Follow
@samlandsberger
12 min read
February 25, 2024 - 6:00AM
AFL clubs had their first hit-outs against other teams this week.
Finally, after months of intra-club games, we’ve seen how coaches plan to unleash their squads this year.
We’ve examined every pre-season game to see where the magnets have been swung, who’s in line for an early-season debut and who the SuperCoach smokies and locks are.
MELBOURNE vs RICHMOND
Melbourne 14.10 (94) def by Richmond 18.9 (117) at Casey Fields on Sunday, February 18
Richmond’s Next Generation – Dow, Green, Gibcus, Brown, Banks, Sonsie, Ryan, Young and Campbell – looked crisp at Casey while recruits Sam Naismith (ruck) and Jacob Koschitzke (forward) got their first taste as Tigers. Jack Viney and Christian Petracca helped the Demons fire through the first five goals before their rigid defensive system caved. Summer or spring, it is rare to witness these Dees concede 18 goals, but you could understand if motivation levels were overly high early on a Sunday morning in Cranbourne.
Is this the season Thomson Dow finally cements himself in the centre square for the Tigers? Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.
ROUND 1 BOLTER: Stoppage star THOMSON DOW played just 14 out of 75 games under Damien Hardwick but he will line up against his old coach in Opening Round after working his backside off over summer. SAM NAISMITH is also set to be considered for a fairytale return after toiling at Port Melbourne in the VFL. Tom Sparrow said JACK BILLINGS was “silky smooth on both feet” with the ex-Saint set to make an instant splash in red and blue.
ROLE CHANGE: Swingman NOAH BALTA – who roosted a few from 50m – will co-pilot TOM LYNCH at full-forward when Lynch returns. JOSH SCHACHE and JACOB van ROOYEN served as ruck understudies as the Demons find ways to look after MAX GAWN while KYSAIAH PICKETT might increase his midfield minutes.
INJURY WATCH: CLAYTON OLIVER’S education of the refreshed game plan is being fast-tracked by assistant Andrew McQualter after a turbulent off-season. Forwards PICKETT, JOEL SMITH (suspension), BEN BROWN (knee), TOM FULLARTON (hamstring) and JAKE MELKSHAM (knee) will all be sidelined when the season starts. Tiger DION PRESTIA (hamstring) is a watch but TOM LYNCH won’t play in Opening Round.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: JOSH GIBCUS ($150,700 def) and SHAI BOLTON ($540,700 fwd/mid) are Tiger ticks while GAWN ($583,700) and CHRISTIAN PETRACCA ($667,700) are blue-chip choices.
COLLINGWOOD vs NORTH MELBOURNE
Collingwood 10.8 (68) def by North Melbourne 15.12 (102) at AIA Centre on Wednesday, February 21
‘Northball’ – the nickname for when the Roos turbocharge their transitions – started to sizzle as the Pies pulled their platinum players from the game. The Roos also won two post-game match scenario plays when they were asked to cling to and then claw back seven-point margins. That was encouraging given the Magpies are masters at Houdini heroics. Jordan De Goey was at his destructive best while Pat Lipinski, Charlie Lazarro and Paul Curtis excited their fan bases.
ROUND 1 BOLTER: Pie REEF McINNES played as the deepest forward and after booting bags of goals at training he added another three against North. Will the Magpies swap their ‘Mc’ – out: Dan McStay, in: McInnes? With BILLY FRAMPTON beaten could CHARLIE DEAN come under consideration?
FIN MACRAE’S mighty intra-club performance pushed his magnet into the mix. The Roos will roll out a new-look mix of key defenders as TOBY PINK, BIGOA NYUON and KALLAN DAWSON, who played deepest, tussle to make the team in place of injured duo Aidan Corr and Griffin Logue.
ROLE CHANGE: BEAU McCREERY did not catch fire during his cameo at 13 centre bounces while NICK DAICOS played purely as a midfielder. Like Daicos in year two, fellow Rising Star winner HARRY SHEEZEL looks set to graduate up the grass to play a mix of halfback and onball in 2024. Grand Final player DYLAN STEPHENS has stitched up a wing spot for the Shinboners after switching from Sydney.
INJURY WATCH: CHARLIE COMBEN (foot) was a late withdrawal while Bailey Scott (calf) was also sidelined. Underrated utility WILL HOSKIN-ELLIOTT rolled his ankle but has oodles of time to get it right.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: Roos halfbacks COLBY McKERCHER ($202,800 mid), ZAC FISHER ($378,600 fwd) and SHEEZEL ($556,200) should share the Sherrin while premiership Pies JORDAN DE GOEY ($539,900 mid) and PAT LIPINSKI ($389,700 fwd) are worth pondering.
CARLTON vs GEELONG
Carlton 8.8 (56) def by Geelong 10.13 (73) at IKON Park on Thursday, February 22
For both teams there was something old – Geelong had 35-year-old Tom Hawkins while Carlton had Harry McKay spraying a set-shot from 20m – and something new – the Cats unveiled No. 11 draft choice Connor O’Sullivan, who Gryan Myers thinks might be worthy of a 10-year contract, while the Blues had Elijah and Ollie Hollands blowing up their GPS trackers as running machines. The game started with something bold when captains Tom Stewart and Patrick Cripps played rock, paper scissors in lieu of a coin to toss and there was also something nostalgic for a former Blue (Zach Tuohy returned to Ikon Park for the first time since walking out on Carlton in 2016).
ROUND 1 BOLTER: After a superb summer ex-basketballer OLLIE DEMPSEY slam-dunked his selection shot when he soared over Blake Acres to pull down a screamer. The flashy half-forward is a fantastic athlete while SAM DURDIN is doing everything right to line up on Joe Daniher or Eric Hipwood in Opening Round. SHANNON NEALE might not play round 1, but the 203cm forward who in pink boots moves like a gazelle and can flush them from 50m might just be the heir to Tomahawk’s throne.
ROLE CHANGE: Externally the talk is whether MAX HOLMES will find a new home in 2025. Internally Holmes has been rehomed as a freewheeling halfback who can turn a short kick into a 100m play with his speed and overlap. More of All-Australian halfback SAM DOCHERTY’S outside run will be used onball while courageous wingman OLLIE HOLLANDS will also get a go in the guts.
INJURY WATCH: Ferocious midfielder CAM GUTHRIE (quad) lasted eight seconds before falling over with what appeared a painful injury while GARY ROHAN (back) did not feature and is no certainty to play Round 1. The Blues are sweating on SAM WALSH (back), JACK MARTIN (knee) and ZAC WILLIAMS (knee) and are certain to start their season without JACOB WEITERING (calf), JACK SILVAGNI (knee) and ELIJAH HOLLANDS (suspension).
SUPERCOACH INTEL: ZAC WILLIAMS ($216,100 def) is worth locking in because while he might be held back from Opening Round, scores from that weekend won’t be counted in SuperCoach. PATRICK DANGERFIELD ($490,300 mid) is in 1 per cent of teams but insiders say he has had his best pre-season in years.
The first round of pre-season games are in the books — with crucial intel for SuperCoaches and tipsters alike. SAM LANDSBERGER breaks down every key talking point.
Sam Landsberger
Follow
@samlandsberger
12 min read
February 25, 2024 - 6:00AM
AFL clubs had their first hit-outs against other teams this week.
Finally, after months of intra-club games, we’ve seen how coaches plan to unleash their squads this year.
We’ve examined every pre-season game to see where the magnets have been swung, who’s in line for an early-season debut and who the SuperCoach smokies and locks are.
MELBOURNE vs RICHMOND
Melbourne 14.10 (94) def by Richmond 18.9 (117) at Casey Fields on Sunday, February 18
Richmond’s Next Generation – Dow, Green, Gibcus, Brown, Banks, Sonsie, Ryan, Young and Campbell – looked crisp at Casey while recruits Sam Naismith (ruck) and Jacob Koschitzke (forward) got their first taste as Tigers. Jack Viney and Christian Petracca helped the Demons fire through the first five goals before their rigid defensive system caved. Summer or spring, it is rare to witness these Dees concede 18 goals, but you could understand if motivation levels were overly high early on a Sunday morning in Cranbourne.
Is this the season Thomson Dow finally cements himself in the centre square for the Tigers? Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.
ROUND 1 BOLTER: Stoppage star THOMSON DOW played just 14 out of 75 games under Damien Hardwick but he will line up against his old coach in Opening Round after working his backside off over summer. SAM NAISMITH is also set to be considered for a fairytale return after toiling at Port Melbourne in the VFL. Tom Sparrow said JACK BILLINGS was “silky smooth on both feet” with the ex-Saint set to make an instant splash in red and blue.
ROLE CHANGE: Swingman NOAH BALTA – who roosted a few from 50m – will co-pilot TOM LYNCH at full-forward when Lynch returns. JOSH SCHACHE and JACOB van ROOYEN served as ruck understudies as the Demons find ways to look after MAX GAWN while KYSAIAH PICKETT might increase his midfield minutes.
INJURY WATCH: CLAYTON OLIVER’S education of the refreshed game plan is being fast-tracked by assistant Andrew McQualter after a turbulent off-season. Forwards PICKETT, JOEL SMITH (suspension), BEN BROWN (knee), TOM FULLARTON (hamstring) and JAKE MELKSHAM (knee) will all be sidelined when the season starts. Tiger DION PRESTIA (hamstring) is a watch but TOM LYNCH won’t play in Opening Round.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: JOSH GIBCUS ($150,700 def) and SHAI BOLTON ($540,700 fwd/mid) are Tiger ticks while GAWN ($583,700) and CHRISTIAN PETRACCA ($667,700) are blue-chip choices.
COLLINGWOOD vs NORTH MELBOURNE
Collingwood 10.8 (68) def by North Melbourne 15.12 (102) at AIA Centre on Wednesday, February 21
‘Northball’ – the nickname for when the Roos turbocharge their transitions – started to sizzle as the Pies pulled their platinum players from the game. The Roos also won two post-game match scenario plays when they were asked to cling to and then claw back seven-point margins. That was encouraging given the Magpies are masters at Houdini heroics. Jordan De Goey was at his destructive best while Pat Lipinski, Charlie Lazarro and Paul Curtis excited their fan bases.
ROUND 1 BOLTER: Pie REEF McINNES played as the deepest forward and after booting bags of goals at training he added another three against North. Will the Magpies swap their ‘Mc’ – out: Dan McStay, in: McInnes? With BILLY FRAMPTON beaten could CHARLIE DEAN come under consideration?
FIN MACRAE’S mighty intra-club performance pushed his magnet into the mix. The Roos will roll out a new-look mix of key defenders as TOBY PINK, BIGOA NYUON and KALLAN DAWSON, who played deepest, tussle to make the team in place of injured duo Aidan Corr and Griffin Logue.
ROLE CHANGE: BEAU McCREERY did not catch fire during his cameo at 13 centre bounces while NICK DAICOS played purely as a midfielder. Like Daicos in year two, fellow Rising Star winner HARRY SHEEZEL looks set to graduate up the grass to play a mix of halfback and onball in 2024. Grand Final player DYLAN STEPHENS has stitched up a wing spot for the Shinboners after switching from Sydney.
INJURY WATCH: CHARLIE COMBEN (foot) was a late withdrawal while Bailey Scott (calf) was also sidelined. Underrated utility WILL HOSKIN-ELLIOTT rolled his ankle but has oodles of time to get it right.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: Roos halfbacks COLBY McKERCHER ($202,800 mid), ZAC FISHER ($378,600 fwd) and SHEEZEL ($556,200) should share the Sherrin while premiership Pies JORDAN DE GOEY ($539,900 mid) and PAT LIPINSKI ($389,700 fwd) are worth pondering.
CARLTON vs GEELONG
Carlton 8.8 (56) def by Geelong 10.13 (73) at IKON Park on Thursday, February 22
For both teams there was something old – Geelong had 35-year-old Tom Hawkins while Carlton had Harry McKay spraying a set-shot from 20m – and something new – the Cats unveiled No. 11 draft choice Connor O’Sullivan, who Gryan Myers thinks might be worthy of a 10-year contract, while the Blues had Elijah and Ollie Hollands blowing up their GPS trackers as running machines. The game started with something bold when captains Tom Stewart and Patrick Cripps played rock, paper scissors in lieu of a coin to toss and there was also something nostalgic for a former Blue (Zach Tuohy returned to Ikon Park for the first time since walking out on Carlton in 2016).
ROUND 1 BOLTER: After a superb summer ex-basketballer OLLIE DEMPSEY slam-dunked his selection shot when he soared over Blake Acres to pull down a screamer. The flashy half-forward is a fantastic athlete while SAM DURDIN is doing everything right to line up on Joe Daniher or Eric Hipwood in Opening Round. SHANNON NEALE might not play round 1, but the 203cm forward who in pink boots moves like a gazelle and can flush them from 50m might just be the heir to Tomahawk’s throne.
ROLE CHANGE: Externally the talk is whether MAX HOLMES will find a new home in 2025. Internally Holmes has been rehomed as a freewheeling halfback who can turn a short kick into a 100m play with his speed and overlap. More of All-Australian halfback SAM DOCHERTY’S outside run will be used onball while courageous wingman OLLIE HOLLANDS will also get a go in the guts.
INJURY WATCH: Ferocious midfielder CAM GUTHRIE (quad) lasted eight seconds before falling over with what appeared a painful injury while GARY ROHAN (back) did not feature and is no certainty to play Round 1. The Blues are sweating on SAM WALSH (back), JACK MARTIN (knee) and ZAC WILLIAMS (knee) and are certain to start their season without JACOB WEITERING (calf), JACK SILVAGNI (knee) and ELIJAH HOLLANDS (suspension).
SUPERCOACH INTEL: ZAC WILLIAMS ($216,100 def) is worth locking in because while he might be held back from Opening Round, scores from that weekend won’t be counted in SuperCoach. PATRICK DANGERFIELD ($490,300 mid) is in 1 per cent of teams but insiders say he has had his best pre-season in years.
WESTERN BULLDOGS vs HAWTHORN
Western Bulldogs 16.12 (108) def Hawthorn 12.11 (83) at Whitten Oval on Friday, February 23
Rising Star Ryley or Socks-up Sanders – which headline do you prefer? Either way this simulation was all about Dogs No. 6 draft pick Ryley Sanders, the tough Tasmanian who teammates have privately talked up for matching Tom Liberatore in contested drills at training. When the TV cameras turned on it was Sanders who shone brightest with lightning hands and a driving goal, although it was only when they turned off that the likes of Bontempelli, Treloar and Weightman appeared as the Dogs divvied up their diamonds across the AFL and VFL contests. New Hawk Jack Ginnivan’s smarts have not softened as the premiership Pie slotted two goals for the club he grew up supporting.
ROUND 1 BOLTER: HENRY HUSTWAITE’S hand is officially up. Hustwaite kicked two goals kicked out of the centre square and has been hot all pre-season. Expect either JAI SERONG or late signing ETHAN PHILLIPS to join James Sicily and Sam Frost in a depleted defence while CHARLIE CLARKE is one closing in on a debut for the Dogs as a tackling small forward.
ROLE CHANGE: Similar stars Kysaiah Pickett and Izak Rankine got their tastes onball last season and in 2024 it will be CODY WEIGHTMAN’S turn to explode out of the centre at stages. BLAKE HARDWICK the goalkicker is no gimmick with his strength in the contest set to make defenders nervous. Hardwick led the TAC Cup goalkicking with 56 (16 games) in 2016 before Alastair Clarkson decided he was a defender. But Hardwick only went behind the ball when James Sicily was removed from the game.
INJURY WATCH: WILL DAY (foot) won’t play round 1 while housemate DYLAN MOORE (glandular fever) is also in doubt. JACKSON MACRAE is busy researching the property market as he recovers from a hamstring strain.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: SANDERS ($184,800 mid) is a must while wipe JOSH WEDDLE’S ($373,800 def) had a shaky start to this match sim. This kid tucks the ball under the arm and runs knowing he can turn one touch into two.
ST KILDA vs ESSENDON
St Kilda 16.10 (106) def Essendon 5.10 (40) at RSEA Park on Friday, February 23
Dejected Dons fans will dwell on losing their past three outings by a combined 262 points. Nic Martin conceded they struggled to move the ball out of the defensive 50 and while that is a worry, it is also February. Realistic supporters will take a deep breath and instead delight in JAYDEN DAVEY playing his first game (VFL) in 922 days after dual knee reconstructions and ZACH REID playing the first half alongside Ben McKay. Saint JOSH BATTLE was the premier defender on the ground and used the ball smartly to start several scoring chains. What will the free agent be worth in six months’ time?
ROUND 1 BOLTER: Ross the Boss became Ross the Babysitter last year and draftees HUGO GARCIA (No. 50) and DARCY WILSON (No. 18) must be in the mix. Wilson is a running machine, which Lyon loves, while the Saints traded up to take tackling machine and another elite runner in Garcia. It only took vibrant goalkicker NATE CADDY a couple of training sessions to bolt into the frame for the Bombers.
ROLE CHANGE: MATTAES PHILLIPOU shadowed Darcy Parish and won four clearances after playing 2023 in the forward line. Midfield depth might be St Kilda’s weakness early in the season and so that was a positive sign. The NIC MARTIN to halfback experiment continued despite his established dominance on the wing while a stronger SAM DURHAM is set to secure significant midfield minutes.
INJURY WATCH: MARCUS WINDHAGER broke his hand but should be OK for round 1. JACK SINCLAIR (calf) is expected to return for that match although PADDY DOW and DAN BUTLER are touch and go. PETER WRIGHT, SAM DRAPER and JORDAN RIDLEY could all feature in Essendon’s dress rehearsal in Geelong next week.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: Here’s a smoky for you. RILEY BONNER ($284,500) is in less than 1 per cent of teams, but on Friday he took the kick-outs and was used as a distributor along with star of the future Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. Reckon Bonner had close to 30 touches, but the worry is will a fit Sinclair bounce out Bonner?
BRISBANE LIONS V GOLD COAST
Brisbane 15.12 (102) def Gold Coast 8.7 (55) at Brighton Homes Arena on Thursday, February 22
CAMERON RAYNER was best-afield in one intra-club, close to best-afield in another and clearly best-afield against the Suns. That’s because Rayner the rock star forward has become Rayner the rugged midfielder. It’s no surprise this bloke owns a gym with Darcy Gardiner because he is looking as powerful as ever. The only question is will Rayner remain a midfielder when the likes of Lachie Neale and Jarrod Berry return? Charlie Cameron converted five goals in little more than quarter while as always Touk Miller tried hard for the Suns and won the first two clearances of the contest. But, let’s be honest, Gold Coast’s highlight came the following day when Ben King signed on to stay.
ROUND 1 BOLTER: JAMES TUNSTILL might not get over the line, but he is probably at the top of the list of Brisbane boys trying to burst into a grand final line-up. The WA boy has clean hands and made a 450km round trip from Busselton to play WAFL for East Perth in his last year at school. Sun DARCY MACPHERSON has been reprogrammed as a pressure forward – the position he started his career in – and with James Tsitas suspended for Opening Round he could be in line to take on coach Damien Hardwick’s old mob.
ROLE CHANGE: Lion KAI LOHMANN has levelled up his endurance to the point where he might win a place on the wing. Fullback DARCY GARDINER stopped Charlie Curnow in the preliminary final, but is now is eyeing Jack Gunston’s spot as a third forward. Gardiner kicked a bag in the first intra-club and has trained forward for most of the summer. ALEX SEXTON sits second on Gold Coast’s all-time goalkicking list, but Hardwick has declared the sharpshooter is better off as a rebounding halfback. Werribee boy SAM CLOHESY replaced Brandon Ellis (shin) on a wing for three periods. BAILEY HUMPHREY might just be Dimma’s new Dustin Martin.
INJURY WATCH: LACHIE NEALE (groin surgery) might benefit more from training rather than playing scratch games in his bid to get right for Opening Round while DEV ROBERTSON (wrist) is close to full training while JARROD BERRY (shoulder) is likely to play minutes next week. LACHIE WELLER (knee) is still on the comeback trail while No. 3 draft pick JED WALTER (collarbone) will play when he’s recovered.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: You could argue over the last eight quarters of the 2023 AFL season ‘KIDDY’ COLEMAN ($398,000 def) was the No. 1 player in the AFL. Get the feeling ‘Dimma’ is delighted with SAM FLANDERS ($494,200 mid) and Ben Ainsworth ($426,900 fwd) if you want to be a little bit creative.
PORT ADELAIDE V ADELAIDE
Port Adelaide 14.9 (93) drew Adelaide 14.9 (93) at Alberton Oval on Friday, February 23
Pick No.2 from 2020 (Riley Thilthorpe) and pick No.1 from 2021 (Jason Horne-Francis) have often teased but – based on Friday night – they look ready to tear games apart. Thilthorpe has blossomed mentally as much as physically in the past 12 months while the power of Horne-Francis is reminiscent of Paddy Dangerfield. Recruit Brandon Zerk-Thatcher made a bright start battling Taylor Walker while Ivan Soldo might have shaved Jordon Sweet among Port’s ruck recruits.
ROUND 1 BOLTER: Mark Keane’s concussion – compounded by the absence of Nick Murray (hamstring) and Tom Doedee (Brisbane) – could thrust JAMES BORLASE into the side, particularly if Jordan Butts (hamstring) suffers another setback. JOSH SINN is looking promising but don’t discount JACKSON MEAD from also putting his hand up for round 1.
ROLE CHANGE: IZAK RANKINE got a taste of the midfield last year (attended 11 centre bounces). On Friday night there was clearly an appetite for more as he started in the first handful before being rested in the second half. A tug-of-war for MILES BERGMAN between Port’s line coaches is testament to his terrific summer and he was trialled on a wing against the Crows.
INJURY WATCH: JAKE SOLIGO is nursing a sore ankle and that is a shame because the mail from West Lakes was this bloke – much like his Tigers mate Tyler Sonsie – was buzzing. Soligo is clean below his knees, breaks tackles and once fit it won’t be long until he is rushed in. MARK KEANE must be in doubt for round 1 while SAM POWELL-PEPPER might be sent to the tribunal on Monday. MITCH GEORGIADES will need more conditioning minutes in the SANFL before he is ready to play AFL.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: ZAK BUTTERS ($636,100) is a set-and-forget superstar while could NED McHENRY ($234,700) – who is in less than 1 per cent of teams – be worth a look as a roughie?
Western Bulldogs 16.12 (108) def Hawthorn 12.11 (83) at Whitten Oval on Friday, February 23
Rising Star Ryley or Socks-up Sanders – which headline do you prefer? Either way this simulation was all about Dogs No. 6 draft pick Ryley Sanders, the tough Tasmanian who teammates have privately talked up for matching Tom Liberatore in contested drills at training. When the TV cameras turned on it was Sanders who shone brightest with lightning hands and a driving goal, although it was only when they turned off that the likes of Bontempelli, Treloar and Weightman appeared as the Dogs divvied up their diamonds across the AFL and VFL contests. New Hawk Jack Ginnivan’s smarts have not softened as the premiership Pie slotted two goals for the club he grew up supporting.
ROUND 1 BOLTER: HENRY HUSTWAITE’S hand is officially up. Hustwaite kicked two goals kicked out of the centre square and has been hot all pre-season. Expect either JAI SERONG or late signing ETHAN PHILLIPS to join James Sicily and Sam Frost in a depleted defence while CHARLIE CLARKE is one closing in on a debut for the Dogs as a tackling small forward.
ROLE CHANGE: Similar stars Kysaiah Pickett and Izak Rankine got their tastes onball last season and in 2024 it will be CODY WEIGHTMAN’S turn to explode out of the centre at stages. BLAKE HARDWICK the goalkicker is no gimmick with his strength in the contest set to make defenders nervous. Hardwick led the TAC Cup goalkicking with 56 (16 games) in 2016 before Alastair Clarkson decided he was a defender. But Hardwick only went behind the ball when James Sicily was removed from the game.
INJURY WATCH: WILL DAY (foot) won’t play round 1 while housemate DYLAN MOORE (glandular fever) is also in doubt. JACKSON MACRAE is busy researching the property market as he recovers from a hamstring strain.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: SANDERS ($184,800 mid) is a must while wipe JOSH WEDDLE’S ($373,800 def) had a shaky start to this match sim. This kid tucks the ball under the arm and runs knowing he can turn one touch into two.
ST KILDA vs ESSENDON
St Kilda 16.10 (106) def Essendon 5.10 (40) at RSEA Park on Friday, February 23
Dejected Dons fans will dwell on losing their past three outings by a combined 262 points. Nic Martin conceded they struggled to move the ball out of the defensive 50 and while that is a worry, it is also February. Realistic supporters will take a deep breath and instead delight in JAYDEN DAVEY playing his first game (VFL) in 922 days after dual knee reconstructions and ZACH REID playing the first half alongside Ben McKay. Saint JOSH BATTLE was the premier defender on the ground and used the ball smartly to start several scoring chains. What will the free agent be worth in six months’ time?
ROUND 1 BOLTER: Ross the Boss became Ross the Babysitter last year and draftees HUGO GARCIA (No. 50) and DARCY WILSON (No. 18) must be in the mix. Wilson is a running machine, which Lyon loves, while the Saints traded up to take tackling machine and another elite runner in Garcia. It only took vibrant goalkicker NATE CADDY a couple of training sessions to bolt into the frame for the Bombers.
ROLE CHANGE: MATTAES PHILLIPOU shadowed Darcy Parish and won four clearances after playing 2023 in the forward line. Midfield depth might be St Kilda’s weakness early in the season and so that was a positive sign. The NIC MARTIN to halfback experiment continued despite his established dominance on the wing while a stronger SAM DURHAM is set to secure significant midfield minutes.
INJURY WATCH: MARCUS WINDHAGER broke his hand but should be OK for round 1. JACK SINCLAIR (calf) is expected to return for that match although PADDY DOW and DAN BUTLER are touch and go. PETER WRIGHT, SAM DRAPER and JORDAN RIDLEY could all feature in Essendon’s dress rehearsal in Geelong next week.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: Here’s a smoky for you. RILEY BONNER ($284,500) is in less than 1 per cent of teams, but on Friday he took the kick-outs and was used as a distributor along with star of the future Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. Reckon Bonner had close to 30 touches, but the worry is will a fit Sinclair bounce out Bonner?
BRISBANE LIONS V GOLD COAST
Brisbane 15.12 (102) def Gold Coast 8.7 (55) at Brighton Homes Arena on Thursday, February 22
CAMERON RAYNER was best-afield in one intra-club, close to best-afield in another and clearly best-afield against the Suns. That’s because Rayner the rock star forward has become Rayner the rugged midfielder. It’s no surprise this bloke owns a gym with Darcy Gardiner because he is looking as powerful as ever. The only question is will Rayner remain a midfielder when the likes of Lachie Neale and Jarrod Berry return? Charlie Cameron converted five goals in little more than quarter while as always Touk Miller tried hard for the Suns and won the first two clearances of the contest. But, let’s be honest, Gold Coast’s highlight came the following day when Ben King signed on to stay.
ROUND 1 BOLTER: JAMES TUNSTILL might not get over the line, but he is probably at the top of the list of Brisbane boys trying to burst into a grand final line-up. The WA boy has clean hands and made a 450km round trip from Busselton to play WAFL for East Perth in his last year at school. Sun DARCY MACPHERSON has been reprogrammed as a pressure forward – the position he started his career in – and with James Tsitas suspended for Opening Round he could be in line to take on coach Damien Hardwick’s old mob.
ROLE CHANGE: Lion KAI LOHMANN has levelled up his endurance to the point where he might win a place on the wing. Fullback DARCY GARDINER stopped Charlie Curnow in the preliminary final, but is now is eyeing Jack Gunston’s spot as a third forward. Gardiner kicked a bag in the first intra-club and has trained forward for most of the summer. ALEX SEXTON sits second on Gold Coast’s all-time goalkicking list, but Hardwick has declared the sharpshooter is better off as a rebounding halfback. Werribee boy SAM CLOHESY replaced Brandon Ellis (shin) on a wing for three periods. BAILEY HUMPHREY might just be Dimma’s new Dustin Martin.
INJURY WATCH: LACHIE NEALE (groin surgery) might benefit more from training rather than playing scratch games in his bid to get right for Opening Round while DEV ROBERTSON (wrist) is close to full training while JARROD BERRY (shoulder) is likely to play minutes next week. LACHIE WELLER (knee) is still on the comeback trail while No. 3 draft pick JED WALTER (collarbone) will play when he’s recovered.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: You could argue over the last eight quarters of the 2023 AFL season ‘KIDDY’ COLEMAN ($398,000 def) was the No. 1 player in the AFL. Get the feeling ‘Dimma’ is delighted with SAM FLANDERS ($494,200 mid) and Ben Ainsworth ($426,900 fwd) if you want to be a little bit creative.
PORT ADELAIDE V ADELAIDE
Port Adelaide 14.9 (93) drew Adelaide 14.9 (93) at Alberton Oval on Friday, February 23
Pick No.2 from 2020 (Riley Thilthorpe) and pick No.1 from 2021 (Jason Horne-Francis) have often teased but – based on Friday night – they look ready to tear games apart. Thilthorpe has blossomed mentally as much as physically in the past 12 months while the power of Horne-Francis is reminiscent of Paddy Dangerfield. Recruit Brandon Zerk-Thatcher made a bright start battling Taylor Walker while Ivan Soldo might have shaved Jordon Sweet among Port’s ruck recruits.
ROUND 1 BOLTER: Mark Keane’s concussion – compounded by the absence of Nick Murray (hamstring) and Tom Doedee (Brisbane) – could thrust JAMES BORLASE into the side, particularly if Jordan Butts (hamstring) suffers another setback. JOSH SINN is looking promising but don’t discount JACKSON MEAD from also putting his hand up for round 1.
ROLE CHANGE: IZAK RANKINE got a taste of the midfield last year (attended 11 centre bounces). On Friday night there was clearly an appetite for more as he started in the first handful before being rested in the second half. A tug-of-war for MILES BERGMAN between Port’s line coaches is testament to his terrific summer and he was trialled on a wing against the Crows.
INJURY WATCH: JAKE SOLIGO is nursing a sore ankle and that is a shame because the mail from West Lakes was this bloke – much like his Tigers mate Tyler Sonsie – was buzzing. Soligo is clean below his knees, breaks tackles and once fit it won’t be long until he is rushed in. MARK KEANE must be in doubt for round 1 while SAM POWELL-PEPPER might be sent to the tribunal on Monday. MITCH GEORGIADES will need more conditioning minutes in the SANFL before he is ready to play AFL.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: ZAK BUTTERS ($636,100) is a set-and-forget superstar while could NED McHENRY ($234,700) – who is in less than 1 per cent of teams – be worth a look as a roughie?
SYDNEY SWANS V GWS GIANTS
Sydney 16.16 (112) def GWS 13.8 (86) at Tramway Oval on Thursday, February 22
The Swans were thrilled to create 10 front-half turnovers in the first quarter, but the Giants did kick four on the trot despite the Swans focusing over summer on stifling momentum to limit opposition goal streaks. The Giants bucked the experimentation trend in these games by almost exclusively turning to Tom Green, Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly and Callan Ward in the midfield. Brodie Grundy beat Kieren Briggs in the ruck while there were bags aplenty as Logan McDonald, Aaron Cadman and Jesse Hogan each booted four goals.
ROUND 1 BOLTER: Giants speedster DARCY JONES (pick 22 in 2022) sat out with soreness but is still in the selection mix for an AFL debut and academy product HARVEY THOMAS (pick 59 in 2023) used the hit-out to thrust his name up in lights.
ROLE CHANGE: Giants goalkickers AARON CADMAN and JAKE RICCARDI gave Briggs brief chop-outs in the ruck while silky talent JACOB WEHR showed his run on the wing might be worth running with in the real season. Swans defender ROBBIE FOX played as a defensive forward and MATT ROBERTS went all right at halfback. NICK BLAKEY spent time on Hogan and Riccardi and wondered a very long way forward to also kick a goal.
INJURY WATCH: ISAAC CUMMING (hamstring) and HARRY PERRYMAN (quad) will miss Opening Round. TAYLOR ADAMS was rested but is healthy and the Swans are in markedly good nick, aside from skipper CALLUM MILLS who will miss half the season.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: Is it crazy to consider LOGAN McDONALD ($329,700) in the post-Buddy Franklin era? CHAD WARNER ($560,300) has the tools to become Sydney’s best player while at this price BRODIE GRUNDY ($481,900) picks himself. TOM GREEN ($621,500) is my pick to be the Giants’ first ever Brownlow Medallist … possibly in 2024
Sydney 16.16 (112) def GWS 13.8 (86) at Tramway Oval on Thursday, February 22
The Swans were thrilled to create 10 front-half turnovers in the first quarter, but the Giants did kick four on the trot despite the Swans focusing over summer on stifling momentum to limit opposition goal streaks. The Giants bucked the experimentation trend in these games by almost exclusively turning to Tom Green, Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly and Callan Ward in the midfield. Brodie Grundy beat Kieren Briggs in the ruck while there were bags aplenty as Logan McDonald, Aaron Cadman and Jesse Hogan each booted four goals.
ROUND 1 BOLTER: Giants speedster DARCY JONES (pick 22 in 2022) sat out with soreness but is still in the selection mix for an AFL debut and academy product HARVEY THOMAS (pick 59 in 2023) used the hit-out to thrust his name up in lights.
ROLE CHANGE: Giants goalkickers AARON CADMAN and JAKE RICCARDI gave Briggs brief chop-outs in the ruck while silky talent JACOB WEHR showed his run on the wing might be worth running with in the real season. Swans defender ROBBIE FOX played as a defensive forward and MATT ROBERTS went all right at halfback. NICK BLAKEY spent time on Hogan and Riccardi and wondered a very long way forward to also kick a goal.
INJURY WATCH: ISAAC CUMMING (hamstring) and HARRY PERRYMAN (quad) will miss Opening Round. TAYLOR ADAMS was rested but is healthy and the Swans are in markedly good nick, aside from skipper CALLUM MILLS who will miss half the season.
SUPERCOACH INTEL: Is it crazy to consider LOGAN McDONALD ($329,700) in the post-Buddy Franklin era? CHAD WARNER ($560,300) has the tools to become Sydney’s best player while at this price BRODIE GRUNDY ($481,900) picks himself. TOM GREEN ($621,500) is my pick to be the Giants’ first ever Brownlow Medallist … possibly in 2024
AFL SuperCoach Draft 101: Everything you need to know to start – and win – your own league
Haven’t played SuperCoach AFL Draft before? You’re missing out. From starting out to key strategy, ALEXIE BEOVICH runs you through everything you need to know.Alexie Beovich
4 min read
February 28, 2024 - 12:00PM
SuperCoach Draft is a great way to test out your footy knowledge and prove that you DO know more than the experts.
Well, that last part might not be true, and you probably won’t land an AFL recruiting job off the back of your SuperCoach Draft team, but you will have fun competing with your mates.
SuperCoach draft differs from SuperCoach classic in a few ways, but the key things you need to know are that each player can only be selected once (no more Nick Daicos in every single team in your league) and there is no salary cap.
You draft your squad, it will be completely different from your opponents and you battle it out for the ultimate glory all season long.
Other than relying on your eye for talent, there are some things you can use to your advantage in a SuperCoach Draft League.
A great place to get a leg up on your opponents is by rigorously reviewing your specific league’s rule sets.
Bye Rounds
Are you playing bye rounds? If no, pick whoever your heart desires.
If yes, try and spread out your players between teams, making sure you don’t have too many players who share a bye round.
It will be easier to cover a small amount of 0s across multiple weeks than having a team full of Brisbane, North Melbourne, Sydney and GWS players and guaranteeing a loss in round 12 when they all have a bye.
Another thing to consider when drafting your side should be how many players you select who are playing in Opening Round. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Carlton, Gold Coast, Richmond, GWS and Collingwood all play in Opening Round – which starts on March 7 and doesn’t count in SuperCoach – and as a result their players will miss an extra game at some stage between rounds 2 and 6.
Can you afford to pick many of these players?
Team/League Structure
In SuperCoach Draft, you can customise your squad size and team structures – this will play into the value of players when you’re at the draft table.
Most leagues will choose from a standardised on-field structure, most commonly this will be something like four defenders, five midfielders, one ruckman, four forwards and a bench.
Team structure, combined with how many teams are in the league, will help you identify where the value is in the draft.
If your draft league has one on-field ruckman and only 8 teams, then you can count on getting a good ruckman meaning you’ll spend more time focusing on midfielders, defenders and forwards.
If your league has one on-field ruckman but 20 teams, then you’re not guaranteed a gun in the ruck and may need to grab one early.
Take a look at your league’s specific settings and begin to think about how badly you want a Max Gawn in the ruck or a Jack Macrae in the forward line.
Rolling Lockouts, Loopholes & Captains
By default, your SuperCoach Draft league will have rolling lockouts enabled, but captains disabled – and that’s probably the most fun way to play SuperCoach Draft.
Given we won’t know who is selected as the sub until just before each AFL match in 2024, it’s important that we have rolling lockouts enabled to make those vital last minute changes.
It also allows you to get in your opponents heads and have them asking themselves “why has Bob from accounting got Jordan Dawson on the bench? Does he know something I don’t?”
It might not translate to a win, but it can’t hurt.
Some leagues will have captains turned on – those leagues in my humble opinion, are wrong.
Captains inherently favour SuperCoach teams drafting at the top of the order, having Marcus Bontempelli’s score doubled every single week is a lot safer than having Darcy Parish’s score doubled every week.
However, if your league loves having captains scores on, that’s fine and you can use it to your advantage – through having vice-captains enabled.
Again, this is disabled by default but if you’re having captains on then you might as well have vice-captains on too.
It allows you to cover for a late-withdrawal from a big name or even potentially loophole throughout the round.
Those paying the most attention will get the most out of SuperCoach Draft captaincy.
Waiver Wire
By far the best place to get an advantage over your opponents is the waiver wire, which by default is turned on.
The waiver wire is a list of all the available players in the league who you can pick up for free, just pick a player on your roster to drop and that diamond in the rough you’ve identified is yours.
The waiver wire gives you the freedom to jump on players, who are potentially going to breakout, that SuperCoach Classic doesn’t.
You don’t need to wait three weeks to see if a Kieran Briggs-esque elevation is the real deal, you can jump on him after one big game and reap the rewards.
Pre-Draft Rankings
These are going to be general rules of thumb that I’ve adopted heading into my competitions this year and you are welcome to consider them, but the number one way for you to succeed in your SuperCoach Draft is this.
Use the mock drafts on the SuperCoach website and app.
You’ll very quickly get a sense of where certain players are going in drafts. Where ruckmen start to get taken. How early a forward is picked over a midfielder. How late you can still target decent midfielders etc.
It’s all there, you just need to join a pending mock draft or set one up for yourself.
LEK'S OTHER KEY TIPS
– Set your pre-draft order in your leagues pre-draft lobby, it will save you a lot of panicked scrolling during the actual draft
– If you order the draft pool by ADP (average draft position) rather than 2023 averages you’re less likely to miss out on bargains like Zac Williams
– Total points are more important than highest averages, pick the players who play every week and reward you with the most points
– The most points will generally come from midfielders and defenders, prioitise them early
– A serviceable ruckman is generally available late in the draft, Tristan Xerri, Matt Flyn, Darcy Cameron etc.
– There are very few viable forwards, so try and get players who you think will gain forward DPP later in the year, or just ignore the forward line completely…the method I’m using in both Supercoach Draft and Classic
Haven’t played SuperCoach AFL Draft before? You’re missing out. From starting out to key strategy, ALEXIE BEOVICH runs you through everything you need to know.Alexie Beovich
4 min read
February 28, 2024 - 12:00PM
SuperCoach Draft is a great way to test out your footy knowledge and prove that you DO know more than the experts.
Well, that last part might not be true, and you probably won’t land an AFL recruiting job off the back of your SuperCoach Draft team, but you will have fun competing with your mates.
SuperCoach draft differs from SuperCoach classic in a few ways, but the key things you need to know are that each player can only be selected once (no more Nick Daicos in every single team in your league) and there is no salary cap.
You draft your squad, it will be completely different from your opponents and you battle it out for the ultimate glory all season long.
Other than relying on your eye for talent, there are some things you can use to your advantage in a SuperCoach Draft League.
A great place to get a leg up on your opponents is by rigorously reviewing your specific league’s rule sets.
Bye Rounds
Are you playing bye rounds? If no, pick whoever your heart desires.
If yes, try and spread out your players between teams, making sure you don’t have too many players who share a bye round.
It will be easier to cover a small amount of 0s across multiple weeks than having a team full of Brisbane, North Melbourne, Sydney and GWS players and guaranteeing a loss in round 12 when they all have a bye.
Another thing to consider when drafting your side should be how many players you select who are playing in Opening Round. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Carlton, Gold Coast, Richmond, GWS and Collingwood all play in Opening Round – which starts on March 7 and doesn’t count in SuperCoach – and as a result their players will miss an extra game at some stage between rounds 2 and 6.
Can you afford to pick many of these players?
Team/League Structure
In SuperCoach Draft, you can customise your squad size and team structures – this will play into the value of players when you’re at the draft table.
Most leagues will choose from a standardised on-field structure, most commonly this will be something like four defenders, five midfielders, one ruckman, four forwards and a bench.
Team structure, combined with how many teams are in the league, will help you identify where the value is in the draft.
If your draft league has one on-field ruckman and only 8 teams, then you can count on getting a good ruckman meaning you’ll spend more time focusing on midfielders, defenders and forwards.
If your league has one on-field ruckman but 20 teams, then you’re not guaranteed a gun in the ruck and may need to grab one early.
Take a look at your league’s specific settings and begin to think about how badly you want a Max Gawn in the ruck or a Jack Macrae in the forward line.
Rolling Lockouts, Loopholes & Captains
By default, your SuperCoach Draft league will have rolling lockouts enabled, but captains disabled – and that’s probably the most fun way to play SuperCoach Draft.
Given we won’t know who is selected as the sub until just before each AFL match in 2024, it’s important that we have rolling lockouts enabled to make those vital last minute changes.
It also allows you to get in your opponents heads and have them asking themselves “why has Bob from accounting got Jordan Dawson on the bench? Does he know something I don’t?”
It might not translate to a win, but it can’t hurt.
Some leagues will have captains turned on – those leagues in my humble opinion, are wrong.
Captains inherently favour SuperCoach teams drafting at the top of the order, having Marcus Bontempelli’s score doubled every single week is a lot safer than having Darcy Parish’s score doubled every week.
However, if your league loves having captains scores on, that’s fine and you can use it to your advantage – through having vice-captains enabled.
Again, this is disabled by default but if you’re having captains on then you might as well have vice-captains on too.
It allows you to cover for a late-withdrawal from a big name or even potentially loophole throughout the round.
Those paying the most attention will get the most out of SuperCoach Draft captaincy.
Waiver Wire
By far the best place to get an advantage over your opponents is the waiver wire, which by default is turned on.
The waiver wire is a list of all the available players in the league who you can pick up for free, just pick a player on your roster to drop and that diamond in the rough you’ve identified is yours.
The waiver wire gives you the freedom to jump on players, who are potentially going to breakout, that SuperCoach Classic doesn’t.
You don’t need to wait three weeks to see if a Kieran Briggs-esque elevation is the real deal, you can jump on him after one big game and reap the rewards.
Pre-Draft Rankings
These are going to be general rules of thumb that I’ve adopted heading into my competitions this year and you are welcome to consider them, but the number one way for you to succeed in your SuperCoach Draft is this.
Use the mock drafts on the SuperCoach website and app.
You’ll very quickly get a sense of where certain players are going in drafts. Where ruckmen start to get taken. How early a forward is picked over a midfielder. How late you can still target decent midfielders etc.
It’s all there, you just need to join a pending mock draft or set one up for yourself.
LEK'S OTHER KEY TIPS
– Set your pre-draft order in your leagues pre-draft lobby, it will save you a lot of panicked scrolling during the actual draft
– If you order the draft pool by ADP (average draft position) rather than 2023 averages you’re less likely to miss out on bargains like Zac Williams
– Total points are more important than highest averages, pick the players who play every week and reward you with the most points
– The most points will generally come from midfielders and defenders, prioitise them early
– A serviceable ruckman is generally available late in the draft, Tristan Xerri, Matt Flyn, Darcy Cameron etc.
– There are very few viable forwards, so try and get players who you think will gain forward DPP later in the year, or just ignore the forward line completely…the method I’m using in both Supercoach Draft and Classic
Selection, injury, SuperCoach intel from the AFL 2024 pre-season community series
The pre-season is now officially done and dusted. So who pushed a claim to play for your team, who is nursing an injury and who starred in SuperCoach? Get the latest on every club.
Josh Barnes
Now the real stuff begins.
The season is only days away and after every club has now faced opposition twice, the picture is becoming clearer of how clubs will line up for their first match.
Here is a run down of every game of the community series and what it means for all 18 clubs ahead of the season start.
COLLINGWOOD v RICHMOND
Collingwood 10.16 (76) def Richmond 5.16 (46) on Tuesday at Ikon Park
Despite a slow start, the Pies breezed past an inaccurate and wasteful Tigers. Richmond’s new forward-line set-up battled, with Jordan De Goey and Nick Daicos superb in the middle.
SELECTION INTEL
With Richmond skipper Toby Nankervis battling plantar fasciitis, comeback ruck Sam Naismith boosted his credentials for an opening round club debut. In the Collingwood forward line, Ash Johnson started deep with Reef McInnes only coming on after halftime, but Johnson kicked a solitary behind. Onballer Fin Macrae came on after halftime and had 10 disposals and appears line ball to start the season, as does Charlie Dean, who took eight marks in defence.
NEW FACES
Richmond summer signing Mykelti Lefau saw some minutes late, collecting two disposals. Collingwood recruit Lachie Schultz kicked one goal from 14 touches.
INJURY LATEST
Tiger Jack Graham pinged a quad in the final moments of the game and has been ruled out for up to five weeks. Pies Tom Mitchell (ankle) and Bobby Hill (hamstring) picked up minor injuries but should be fine, while Scott Pendlebury (knee) and Jeremy Howe (corked quad) are good to go for opening round.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Pat Lipinksi ($389,700 FWD) has had two brilliant hitouts and led the Pies with 126 points. De Goey ($539,900 MID) had 111 points, while John Noble ($446,900 DEF) is in zero per cent of teams but snagged 98 points. For Richmond, Jayden Short ($551,200 DEF) led the way with 120, youngster Thomson Dow ($254,800 MID) had 96 and popular bench ruck Naismith ($123,900 RUC) had 87 points.
CARLTON v MELBOURNE
Carlton 10.3 (63) def by Melbourne 15.11 (101) on Wednesday at Ikon Park
Melbourne’s attack sizzled on a steamy night as Carlton severely missed Jacob Weitering in defence, conceding 20 marks inside 50.
SELECTION INTEL
Journeyman Josh Schache looks likely to play as a tall forward and back-up ruck to Max Gawn in Melbourne’s opening round and Jack Billings did enough to be right in the mix. Clayton Oliver played in the VFL game but Melbourne is unsure whether it will play him in the seniors against Sydney. Carlton tall Marc Pittonet played a half as he builds up fitness but looked underdone. Orazio Fantasia did some nice things, while Brodie Kemp got better after halftime. Zac Williams got through a full game in the reserves.
DRAFTEE WATCH
No.7 pick Caleb Windsor is surely set to play in Melbourne’s first game after a superb performance on the wing. Fellow first-round pick Koltyn Tholstrup came on late, as did Kynan Brown. For Carlton, speedster Billy Wilson played some fourth-quarter minutes.
INJURY LATEST
Jesse Motlop jarred his toe in the first quarter and hit the bench but the Blues didn’t see it as serious. Demons recruit Tom Fullarton returned from a hamstring injury in the VFL. Sam Walsh (back) remained sidelined.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Go no further than Gawn ($583,700 RUC), who beasted the game with 185 points. Christian Salem ($420,800 DEF) played as a pure midfielder and starred, while Billings ($243,900 FWD) scored 91. Quiet night for most Blues, with Harry McKay ($398,000 FWD) top scoring on 107 as he played some ruck minutes.
SYDNEY v BRISBANE LIONS
Sydney 8.8 (56) def by Brisbane Lions 12.9 (81) on Thursday at Blacktown
There was a delay due to a snake and then a blackout at Blacktown. It got worse for Sydney with another injury in the midfield as Brisbane kicked clear thanks to a firing forward line.
SELECTION INTEL
Plenty of buzz from the Lions this summer about Kai Lohmann and he looked the goods early at half-forward to stake a claim for opening round. Darcy Gardiner was a bit quieter after some impressive work as a forward this summer. Recruit James Jordon will play for Sydney in opening round and Matt Roberts looks to be right in the ix.
NEW FACES
Joel Hamling saw some action for the first time in Sydney colours as he pushes to be part of John Longmire’s backline, but didn’t have a huge influence against the powerful Lions.
INJURY LATEST
Not good news for Swans recruit Taylor Adams, who copped a mild medial knee injury in a tackle and will miss up to four weeks. Luke Parker (broken arm) is also out for the next month. Deven Robertson (wrist) played in the VFL, while Lachie Neale (groin) played some minutes but felt for his shoulder at one point and Jarrod Berry (shoulder) also played. Tom Papley and Chad Warner were both rested by Sydney but should play in opening round.
SUPERCOACH STARS
An early season favourite, Matt Roberts ($156,800 MID) scored an even 100 and Jordon ($275,500 MID/FWD) had 115. Brodie Grundy will get first crack but Peter Ladhams ($389,400 RUC) had more points than any other ruck with 94. For Brisbane, Hugh McCluggage ($523,800 MID) had a huge 162 and Lohmann ($150,900 FWD) scored 99.
GWS GIANTS v GOLD COAST
GWS Giants 15.15 (105) def Gold Coast 9.7 (61) at Manuka Oval
No sweat for the orange tsunami in Canberra, with the Giants dominating around the ball and looking dangerous up forward. Plenty of work for Damien Hardwick to do.
SELECTION INTEL
Alex Sexton looks locked in at half-back after grabbing 31 disposals in the loss for the Suns. At the other end, Nick Haynes is right back in the mix after an interrupted 2023 and did enough with 17 disposals and eight marks. Xavier O’Halloran has jumped up the pecking order too.
DRAFTEE WATCH
Youngster Harvey Thomas continues to impress for GWS, having gathered 14 touches, including nine contested. No.26 draft pick Will Graham had six disposals for the Suns in limited minutes.
INJURY LATEST
Brandon Ellis (shin) got through the game and should be right for opening round, while Suns draftee Jake Rogers didn’t play despite being rested last week. The Giants will be sweating on Finn Callaghan (shoulder) before the season start.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Still listed as a forward, Sexton ($133,400 FWD) has been heavily watched by coaches and his 125 points was the most on the ground. Touk Miller ($545,500 MID) looks ready for a huge year after scoring 116. In Giants colours, keep an eye on Jake Riccardi ($293,700 FWD) as he looks set for more ruck minutes this year and scored 97.
The pre-season is now officially done and dusted. So who pushed a claim to play for your team, who is nursing an injury and who starred in SuperCoach? Get the latest on every club.
Josh Barnes
Now the real stuff begins.
The season is only days away and after every club has now faced opposition twice, the picture is becoming clearer of how clubs will line up for their first match.
Here is a run down of every game of the community series and what it means for all 18 clubs ahead of the season start.
COLLINGWOOD v RICHMOND
Collingwood 10.16 (76) def Richmond 5.16 (46) on Tuesday at Ikon Park
Despite a slow start, the Pies breezed past an inaccurate and wasteful Tigers. Richmond’s new forward-line set-up battled, with Jordan De Goey and Nick Daicos superb in the middle.
SELECTION INTEL
With Richmond skipper Toby Nankervis battling plantar fasciitis, comeback ruck Sam Naismith boosted his credentials for an opening round club debut. In the Collingwood forward line, Ash Johnson started deep with Reef McInnes only coming on after halftime, but Johnson kicked a solitary behind. Onballer Fin Macrae came on after halftime and had 10 disposals and appears line ball to start the season, as does Charlie Dean, who took eight marks in defence.
NEW FACES
Richmond summer signing Mykelti Lefau saw some minutes late, collecting two disposals. Collingwood recruit Lachie Schultz kicked one goal from 14 touches.
INJURY LATEST
Tiger Jack Graham pinged a quad in the final moments of the game and has been ruled out for up to five weeks. Pies Tom Mitchell (ankle) and Bobby Hill (hamstring) picked up minor injuries but should be fine, while Scott Pendlebury (knee) and Jeremy Howe (corked quad) are good to go for opening round.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Pat Lipinksi ($389,700 FWD) has had two brilliant hitouts and led the Pies with 126 points. De Goey ($539,900 MID) had 111 points, while John Noble ($446,900 DEF) is in zero per cent of teams but snagged 98 points. For Richmond, Jayden Short ($551,200 DEF) led the way with 120, youngster Thomson Dow ($254,800 MID) had 96 and popular bench ruck Naismith ($123,900 RUC) had 87 points.
CARLTON v MELBOURNE
Carlton 10.3 (63) def by Melbourne 15.11 (101) on Wednesday at Ikon Park
Melbourne’s attack sizzled on a steamy night as Carlton severely missed Jacob Weitering in defence, conceding 20 marks inside 50.
SELECTION INTEL
Journeyman Josh Schache looks likely to play as a tall forward and back-up ruck to Max Gawn in Melbourne’s opening round and Jack Billings did enough to be right in the mix. Clayton Oliver played in the VFL game but Melbourne is unsure whether it will play him in the seniors against Sydney. Carlton tall Marc Pittonet played a half as he builds up fitness but looked underdone. Orazio Fantasia did some nice things, while Brodie Kemp got better after halftime. Zac Williams got through a full game in the reserves.
DRAFTEE WATCH
No.7 pick Caleb Windsor is surely set to play in Melbourne’s first game after a superb performance on the wing. Fellow first-round pick Koltyn Tholstrup came on late, as did Kynan Brown. For Carlton, speedster Billy Wilson played some fourth-quarter minutes.
INJURY LATEST
Jesse Motlop jarred his toe in the first quarter and hit the bench but the Blues didn’t see it as serious. Demons recruit Tom Fullarton returned from a hamstring injury in the VFL. Sam Walsh (back) remained sidelined.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Go no further than Gawn ($583,700 RUC), who beasted the game with 185 points. Christian Salem ($420,800 DEF) played as a pure midfielder and starred, while Billings ($243,900 FWD) scored 91. Quiet night for most Blues, with Harry McKay ($398,000 FWD) top scoring on 107 as he played some ruck minutes.
SYDNEY v BRISBANE LIONS
Sydney 8.8 (56) def by Brisbane Lions 12.9 (81) on Thursday at Blacktown
There was a delay due to a snake and then a blackout at Blacktown. It got worse for Sydney with another injury in the midfield as Brisbane kicked clear thanks to a firing forward line.
SELECTION INTEL
Plenty of buzz from the Lions this summer about Kai Lohmann and he looked the goods early at half-forward to stake a claim for opening round. Darcy Gardiner was a bit quieter after some impressive work as a forward this summer. Recruit James Jordon will play for Sydney in opening round and Matt Roberts looks to be right in the ix.
NEW FACES
Joel Hamling saw some action for the first time in Sydney colours as he pushes to be part of John Longmire’s backline, but didn’t have a huge influence against the powerful Lions.
INJURY LATEST
Not good news for Swans recruit Taylor Adams, who copped a mild medial knee injury in a tackle and will miss up to four weeks. Luke Parker (broken arm) is also out for the next month. Deven Robertson (wrist) played in the VFL, while Lachie Neale (groin) played some minutes but felt for his shoulder at one point and Jarrod Berry (shoulder) also played. Tom Papley and Chad Warner were both rested by Sydney but should play in opening round.
SUPERCOACH STARS
An early season favourite, Matt Roberts ($156,800 MID) scored an even 100 and Jordon ($275,500 MID/FWD) had 115. Brodie Grundy will get first crack but Peter Ladhams ($389,400 RUC) had more points than any other ruck with 94. For Brisbane, Hugh McCluggage ($523,800 MID) had a huge 162 and Lohmann ($150,900 FWD) scored 99.
GWS GIANTS v GOLD COAST
GWS Giants 15.15 (105) def Gold Coast 9.7 (61) at Manuka Oval
No sweat for the orange tsunami in Canberra, with the Giants dominating around the ball and looking dangerous up forward. Plenty of work for Damien Hardwick to do.
SELECTION INTEL
Alex Sexton looks locked in at half-back after grabbing 31 disposals in the loss for the Suns. At the other end, Nick Haynes is right back in the mix after an interrupted 2023 and did enough with 17 disposals and eight marks. Xavier O’Halloran has jumped up the pecking order too.
DRAFTEE WATCH
Youngster Harvey Thomas continues to impress for GWS, having gathered 14 touches, including nine contested. No.26 draft pick Will Graham had six disposals for the Suns in limited minutes.
INJURY LATEST
Brandon Ellis (shin) got through the game and should be right for opening round, while Suns draftee Jake Rogers didn’t play despite being rested last week. The Giants will be sweating on Finn Callaghan (shoulder) before the season start.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Still listed as a forward, Sexton ($133,400 FWD) has been heavily watched by coaches and his 125 points was the most on the ground. Touk Miller ($545,500 MID) looks ready for a huge year after scoring 116. In Giants colours, keep an eye on Jake Riccardi ($293,700 FWD) as he looks set for more ruck minutes this year and scored 97.
GEELONG v ESSENDON
Geelong 11.17 (83) def Essendon 10.11 (71) at GMHBA Stadium
A run of five last-quarter goals from the Cats helped them kick clear as Jordan Ridley went down with injury.
SELECTION INTEL
The Cats played Rhys Stanley in the ruck with Toby Conway in the VFL, while Sam Draper played in the VFL for the Bombers and Todd Goldstein in the seniors. Nik Cox played in a key back role. The Cats handed plenty of game time to young tall Shannon Neale, who appears to be a likely round 1 starter.
DRAFTEE WATCH
Shaun Mannagh came on late for Geelong and kicked a nice goal, drawing praise from assistant coach Steven King.
INJURY LATEST
Ridley was the big worry out of the game, with the defender copping a quad injury. The Cats pulled Jake Kolodjashnij out at halftime after a knock to the back, but they see it as precautionary. Gary Rohan is unlikely to play in round 1 but Ollie Henry should be good to go after being rested following an ankle roll.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Cat Max Holmes ($446,000 MID) continues to thrive off half-back and Jhye Clark ($123,900 MID) scored 86 points in just 68 per cent of game time. Darcy Parish ($604,200 MID) racked up the points for the Dons, while backline cheapie Zach Reid ($123,900 DEF) snagged 80.
PORT ADELAIDE v FREMANTLE
Port Adelaide 13.14 (92) def Fremantle 8.5 (53) at Alberton Oval
The Power kicked away after a back-and-forth first half, running out comfortable winners with Connor Rozee dominant.
SELECTION INTEL
Ken Hinkley gave a bit away, with Willem Drew and Miles Bergman on the wings, largely supported by Travis Boak. Ivan Soldo was the clear No.1 ruck but the door isn’t closed to play two big men. Jackson Mead has done everything right to come into the frame for a midfield berth and Francis Evans could be a Sam Powell-Pepper replacement. Jeremy Finlayson was overlooked. For the Dockers, Hayden Young had plenty of onball time. Jeremy Sharp didn’t have much of it but played a role on the wing.
DRAFTEE WATCH
Fremantle might have found one with No.35 pick Cooper Simpson, who kicked a beautiful running goal. Summer signing Patrick Voss also snagged a goal and played 86 per cent game time.
INJURY LATEST
Zak Butters went down with an ankle injury early but Hinkley was supremely confident the bull would play in round 1. Each of Luke Jackson (concussion), Jye Amiss (corked leg), Michael Frederick (hamstring) and Brennan Cox (leg) missed the game for Fremantle but are a good chance to play in the season opener.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Hinkley has promised a return to form for Ollie Wines ($463,600 MID) and he was the top performer on the ground with 130 points. For the Dockers, Young had 115 ($525,100 DEF), while Voss ($123,900 FWD) has to be an option after scoring 75. Nat Fyfe ($283,200 MID/FWD) is back in the midfield and back in SuperCoach calculations after scoring 72.
ADELAIDE v WEST COAST
Adelaide 17.15 (117) def West Coast 7.8 (50) at Richmond Oval
The Crows were far too strong, with Reilly O’Brien dominant, but an injury to Riley Thilthorpe was the big concern.
SELECTION INTEL
A nice bump off Tim Kelly and classy snap highlighted Crow Sam Berry’s case to start in round 1 after just four games last year. Down back, James Borlase could be under the pump from Mark Keane for round 1, while Will Hamill only came on to the field late. With Matt Flynn injured, Bailey Williams did the ruck duties for West Coast but was belted. Harry Barnett came on in the second half and might push Williams for selection.
DRAFTEE WATCH
After being scratchy last week, Harley Reid was much better and grabbed 20 disposals and five clearances, showing glimpses of that enormous potential. Small forward Loch Rawlinson also played some minutes for the Eagles.
INJURY LATEST
Tall CrowRiley Thilthorpe banged his left knee and injured his meniscus. He will miss the start of the season but a timeline on his return is yet to become clear. West Coast is hopeful Oscar Allen (knee), Tyler Brockman (knee) and Reuben Ginbey (concussion) are all available come round 1.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Eagle Jeremy McGovern ($470,700 DEF) is worth keeping an eye on after scoring 107 points. Reid ($207,300 MID/FWD) bagged 88. Reilly O’Brien ($535,300 RUC) dominated with 169 points, while Izak Rankine ($461,600 FWD) had 138 points and Berry ($226,900 MID) 115.
HAWTHORN v WESTERN BULLDOGS
Hawthorn 9.8 (62) def by Western Bulldogs 17.17 (119) at UTAS Stadium
After a wayward first half, the Dogs bagged eight goals in the third quarter and 15 in the second half to power away from the Hawks.
SELECTION INTEL
Ryley Sanders will play in round 1 for the Dogs, more on him later. Rory Lobb was quiet with one goal and just 10 hitouts but the forward line was on fire for the Dogs, with Aaron Naughtonand Jamarra Ugle-Hagan both kicking four majors. Sam Darcy kicked four goals in a VFL games to still be in the frame, while Caleb Daniel may miss round 1 after he only came on in the second half. Harvey Gallagher played plenty of time for the Dogs. For the Hawks, tall defender Ethan Phillips started the game in defence, while Massimo D’Ambrosio was impressive.
DRAFTEE WATCH
After a summer of hype, Sanders bagged 30 disposals and looks a budding star. Summer signing Phillips has to be in the running for Hawthorn’s season opener, while draftee Nick Watson may have kicked just three behinds but he combined with Jack Ginnivan on several occasions.
INJURY LATEST
Jack Macrae (hamstring) played some VFL minutes as he hopes to get fit in time for round 1, while James O’Donnell (ankle) and Bailey Dale (hamstring tightness) both missed the Hawks game. Each of Jack Gunston, Josh Weddle and Harry Morrison were rested by Hawthorn, while Dylan Moore (glandular fever) is hoping to be fit for round 1.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Three goals to Rhylee West ($320,000 MID) saw him perform strongly, while if you don’t have Sanders ($184,800 mid) in your team, what are you doing? Jai Newcombe ($549,200 MID) bagged a nice 37 touches and 125 points. Karl Amon ($483,300 MID) is a popular choice this year given he is expected to play some half-back time and he had 96 points.
ST KILDA v NORTH MELBOURNE
St Kilda 11.18 (84) def North Melbourne 10.5 (65) at RSEA Park
It took all game for the Saints to put the Roos away but the big story was Jimmy Webster’s crude bump on Jy Simpkin.
SELECTION INTEL
SaintJimmy Webster will surely not play for at least the first month of the season after a shocking high bump on Jy Simpkin. Power discard Riley Bonner is surely locked in for a round 1 berth for the Saints and Hugo Garcia again had plenty of game time, if his impact was lower than last week. For the Roos, Will Phillips got a chance when Simpkin went down and both Toby Pink and Bigoa Nyuon played heavy minutes down back.
DRAFTEE WATCH
Somewhat overlooked this summer given the hype on Colby McKercher, Zane Duursma kicked two early goals for the Roos and got into the right spots. Darcy Wilson again played solidly for the Saints and should feature in round 1, while Lance Collard had some action but was quiet.
INJURY LATEST
With defender Webster in trouble, big back Dougal Howard followed next, limping off with what appeared to be a hamstring issue. Mattaes Phillipou had a sore hip but was only sat due to precaution. Simpkin would clear a 12-day concussion protocol by a round 1 meeting with the GWS Giants if everything goes to plan, but the Roos will be cautious with the co-captain. Bailey Scott got through a full game after recent calf issues.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Get on board with Bonner ($284,500 MID) after his game-high score of 127. Youngster Wilson ($130,800 MID/FWD) has to be on your radar after he scored 106. Former Blue Zac Fisher ($378,600 FWD) racked up a score of 132 and cut-price defender Nyuon ($123,900 DEF) has to be worth a look.
Geelong 11.17 (83) def Essendon 10.11 (71) at GMHBA Stadium
A run of five last-quarter goals from the Cats helped them kick clear as Jordan Ridley went down with injury.
SELECTION INTEL
The Cats played Rhys Stanley in the ruck with Toby Conway in the VFL, while Sam Draper played in the VFL for the Bombers and Todd Goldstein in the seniors. Nik Cox played in a key back role. The Cats handed plenty of game time to young tall Shannon Neale, who appears to be a likely round 1 starter.
DRAFTEE WATCH
Shaun Mannagh came on late for Geelong and kicked a nice goal, drawing praise from assistant coach Steven King.
INJURY LATEST
Ridley was the big worry out of the game, with the defender copping a quad injury. The Cats pulled Jake Kolodjashnij out at halftime after a knock to the back, but they see it as precautionary. Gary Rohan is unlikely to play in round 1 but Ollie Henry should be good to go after being rested following an ankle roll.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Cat Max Holmes ($446,000 MID) continues to thrive off half-back and Jhye Clark ($123,900 MID) scored 86 points in just 68 per cent of game time. Darcy Parish ($604,200 MID) racked up the points for the Dons, while backline cheapie Zach Reid ($123,900 DEF) snagged 80.
PORT ADELAIDE v FREMANTLE
Port Adelaide 13.14 (92) def Fremantle 8.5 (53) at Alberton Oval
The Power kicked away after a back-and-forth first half, running out comfortable winners with Connor Rozee dominant.
SELECTION INTEL
Ken Hinkley gave a bit away, with Willem Drew and Miles Bergman on the wings, largely supported by Travis Boak. Ivan Soldo was the clear No.1 ruck but the door isn’t closed to play two big men. Jackson Mead has done everything right to come into the frame for a midfield berth and Francis Evans could be a Sam Powell-Pepper replacement. Jeremy Finlayson was overlooked. For the Dockers, Hayden Young had plenty of onball time. Jeremy Sharp didn’t have much of it but played a role on the wing.
DRAFTEE WATCH
Fremantle might have found one with No.35 pick Cooper Simpson, who kicked a beautiful running goal. Summer signing Patrick Voss also snagged a goal and played 86 per cent game time.
INJURY LATEST
Zak Butters went down with an ankle injury early but Hinkley was supremely confident the bull would play in round 1. Each of Luke Jackson (concussion), Jye Amiss (corked leg), Michael Frederick (hamstring) and Brennan Cox (leg) missed the game for Fremantle but are a good chance to play in the season opener.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Hinkley has promised a return to form for Ollie Wines ($463,600 MID) and he was the top performer on the ground with 130 points. For the Dockers, Young had 115 ($525,100 DEF), while Voss ($123,900 FWD) has to be an option after scoring 75. Nat Fyfe ($283,200 MID/FWD) is back in the midfield and back in SuperCoach calculations after scoring 72.
ADELAIDE v WEST COAST
Adelaide 17.15 (117) def West Coast 7.8 (50) at Richmond Oval
The Crows were far too strong, with Reilly O’Brien dominant, but an injury to Riley Thilthorpe was the big concern.
SELECTION INTEL
A nice bump off Tim Kelly and classy snap highlighted Crow Sam Berry’s case to start in round 1 after just four games last year. Down back, James Borlase could be under the pump from Mark Keane for round 1, while Will Hamill only came on to the field late. With Matt Flynn injured, Bailey Williams did the ruck duties for West Coast but was belted. Harry Barnett came on in the second half and might push Williams for selection.
DRAFTEE WATCH
After being scratchy last week, Harley Reid was much better and grabbed 20 disposals and five clearances, showing glimpses of that enormous potential. Small forward Loch Rawlinson also played some minutes for the Eagles.
INJURY LATEST
Tall CrowRiley Thilthorpe banged his left knee and injured his meniscus. He will miss the start of the season but a timeline on his return is yet to become clear. West Coast is hopeful Oscar Allen (knee), Tyler Brockman (knee) and Reuben Ginbey (concussion) are all available come round 1.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Eagle Jeremy McGovern ($470,700 DEF) is worth keeping an eye on after scoring 107 points. Reid ($207,300 MID/FWD) bagged 88. Reilly O’Brien ($535,300 RUC) dominated with 169 points, while Izak Rankine ($461,600 FWD) had 138 points and Berry ($226,900 MID) 115.
HAWTHORN v WESTERN BULLDOGS
Hawthorn 9.8 (62) def by Western Bulldogs 17.17 (119) at UTAS Stadium
After a wayward first half, the Dogs bagged eight goals in the third quarter and 15 in the second half to power away from the Hawks.
SELECTION INTEL
Ryley Sanders will play in round 1 for the Dogs, more on him later. Rory Lobb was quiet with one goal and just 10 hitouts but the forward line was on fire for the Dogs, with Aaron Naughtonand Jamarra Ugle-Hagan both kicking four majors. Sam Darcy kicked four goals in a VFL games to still be in the frame, while Caleb Daniel may miss round 1 after he only came on in the second half. Harvey Gallagher played plenty of time for the Dogs. For the Hawks, tall defender Ethan Phillips started the game in defence, while Massimo D’Ambrosio was impressive.
DRAFTEE WATCH
After a summer of hype, Sanders bagged 30 disposals and looks a budding star. Summer signing Phillips has to be in the running for Hawthorn’s season opener, while draftee Nick Watson may have kicked just three behinds but he combined with Jack Ginnivan on several occasions.
INJURY LATEST
Jack Macrae (hamstring) played some VFL minutes as he hopes to get fit in time for round 1, while James O’Donnell (ankle) and Bailey Dale (hamstring tightness) both missed the Hawks game. Each of Jack Gunston, Josh Weddle and Harry Morrison were rested by Hawthorn, while Dylan Moore (glandular fever) is hoping to be fit for round 1.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Three goals to Rhylee West ($320,000 MID) saw him perform strongly, while if you don’t have Sanders ($184,800 mid) in your team, what are you doing? Jai Newcombe ($549,200 MID) bagged a nice 37 touches and 125 points. Karl Amon ($483,300 MID) is a popular choice this year given he is expected to play some half-back time and he had 96 points.
ST KILDA v NORTH MELBOURNE
St Kilda 11.18 (84) def North Melbourne 10.5 (65) at RSEA Park
It took all game for the Saints to put the Roos away but the big story was Jimmy Webster’s crude bump on Jy Simpkin.
SELECTION INTEL
SaintJimmy Webster will surely not play for at least the first month of the season after a shocking high bump on Jy Simpkin. Power discard Riley Bonner is surely locked in for a round 1 berth for the Saints and Hugo Garcia again had plenty of game time, if his impact was lower than last week. For the Roos, Will Phillips got a chance when Simpkin went down and both Toby Pink and Bigoa Nyuon played heavy minutes down back.
DRAFTEE WATCH
Somewhat overlooked this summer given the hype on Colby McKercher, Zane Duursma kicked two early goals for the Roos and got into the right spots. Darcy Wilson again played solidly for the Saints and should feature in round 1, while Lance Collard had some action but was quiet.
INJURY LATEST
With defender Webster in trouble, big back Dougal Howard followed next, limping off with what appeared to be a hamstring issue. Mattaes Phillipou had a sore hip but was only sat due to precaution. Simpkin would clear a 12-day concussion protocol by a round 1 meeting with the GWS Giants if everything goes to plan, but the Roos will be cautious with the co-captain. Bailey Scott got through a full game after recent calf issues.
SUPERCOACH STARS
Get on board with Bonner ($284,500 MID) after his game-high score of 127. Youngster Wilson ($130,800 MID/FWD) has to be on your radar after he scored 106. Former Blue Zac Fisher ($378,600 FWD) racked up a score of 132 and cut-price defender Nyuon ($123,900 DEF) has to be worth a look.
SuperCoach AFL 2024: The players to watch in Opening Round
Opening Round is a unique chance to road-test players before SuperCoach teams are locked in. Here are the stars, potential bargains and rookies to follow, and what we need to see this week.
, News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
5 Mar 2024, 6:00:00 am
The first ever Opening Round will change the way we select SuperCoach teams in 2024.
Eight teams will open their AFL seasons this week, but player scores from those four matches will not count in SuperCoach, which begins in round 1 – the first lockout is 7.30pm (AEST) on Thursday March 14 before the Blues take on Richmond.
That means fantasy coaches are in the unique position of being able to look at a host of potential recruits in real home-and-away action before deciding whether to pick them in SuperCoach.
SuperCoach AFL 2024
Those eight teams will each have a bye in the first six rounds of the season, so it could be a recipe for disaster to select too many of them. But rookies and mid-pricers who start well could be almost guaranteed an early price rise (Opening Round scores do factor into price calculations), and many coaches will be tempted to start one or two top-line players from each bye round in the knowledge Best 18 scoring will help provide cover in those weeks.
On the flip side, a poor score or role could provide a reason to avoid a player who would otherwise be part of your starting team.
So who should be on our radar when watching each Opening Round game? Keep this cheat sheet handy!
AFL 2024 FIXTURE
OPENING ROUND
Sydney v Melbourne, Thursday March 7, 7.30pm at SCG
Brisbane Lions v Carlton, Friday March 8, 7.40pm at Gabba
Gold Coast v Richmond, Saturday March 9, 4.20pm at Heritage Bank Stadium
GWS Giants v Collingwood, Saturday March 9, 7.30pm at Giants Stadium
EARLY BYE ROUNDS
Round 2: Brisbane Lions, Carlton
Round 3: GWS Giants, Gold Coast
Round 5: Collingwood, Sydney
Round 6: Melbourne, Richmond
SYDNEY V MELBOURNE
Brodie Grundy $481,900 RUC: The former Magpie and Demon is huge value at his new club, but his last pre-season outing was somewhat underwhelming. Another low score here will tempt SuperCoaches to look for a last-minute alternative, or embark on a desperate scramble to find the extra $234,000 for Tim English.
Max Gawn $583,700 RUC: Gawn and Grundy will be back on the same field, but on opposite teams – great news for SuperCoaches. Gawn’s monster pre-season game has him locked in most teams and something extraordinary would have to happen to budge him.
Caleb Windsor $180,300 MID/FWD: Young wingman gives the Dees plenty of spark and his debut has already been announced. We can watch his first game before committing – with so many cheap options up forward we probably need 70 points or more to lock him in.
Matt Roberts $156,800 MID: Similar story for the young Swan who has been training in a very promising half-back role over summer. He scored 100 last week but that was without Jake Lloyd in the team. If he repeats it he could be another high-priced rookie worth paying up for.
Clayton Oliver $674,100 MID: We couldn’t ... could we? A hugely interrupted pre-season surely rules him out, but if he scores 130 it would make things interesting.
BRISBANE LIONS V CARLTON
Keidean Coleman $398,800 DEF: Were his scores of 127 in the preliminary final and grand final a tease or the sign of a breakout waiting to happen? Round 0 will tell SuperCoaches whether Coleman is a must to start with or whether to wait until after the round 2 bye. A score of 90-plus would just about lock him in.
Zac Williams $216,100 DEF: The Blues have understandably been ultra cautious with Williams during the late stages of his comeback from an ACL injury. There’s a real risk he starts as the sub or is subbed out on managed minutes. Round 0 will tell us plenty about Carlton’s plans.
Lachie Neale $617,000 MID: Groin surgery interrupted the Brownlow Medal winner’s pre-season but he looked like he’d hardly missed a beat with 14 contested possessions, 22 disposals and 114 points against the Swans in pre-season. He’s only in 4 per cent of teams and could be a great POD if he convinces you he’s at full fitness.
Kai Lohmann $150,900 FWD: The 20-year-old has spent most of his Lions career on the fringes of the senior team but looks ready to break in after a stellar pre-season. There’s genuine sub risk with Lohmann and we’ll need to see plenty as there are so many forward rookie options.
Cameron Rayner $385,100 FWD: Is the midfield switch really happening? We’ve heard that before, but this time it feels real. At $385k most coaches would prefer the similarly priced Zac Fisher, but Rayner has a chance to throw another mid-priced spanner into our plans.
GOLD COAST V RICHMOND
Alex Sexton $133,400 FWD: The reborn backman is one of the biggest bargains of the year in his new role behind the ball. Would have to get hurt or return to the forward pocket to be taken out of most teams at this stage.
Sam Flanders $494,200 FWD: The role was there in the community series with Flanders playing as a high half-forward with stints in the midfield. But the scoring wasn’t. Has been taken out of many teams as a result but a big return here could prompt a rethink for a player who could finish as one of the top-scoring forwards.
Jayden Short $551,200 DEF: A return to a full-time defensive role should see Short’s scores spike, possibly by enough to be a top-six defender. Keep a close eye on who takes kick-ins for the Tigers.
Thomson Dow $254,800 MID: Awkward price in the midfield but has enjoyed a stellar pre-season. Is he part of Adem Yze’s starting midfield? If he tons up watch for lots of team structures to be redrawn.
Touk Miller $545,500 MID: A vintage display in the Suns’ final practice match reminded the SuperCoach world of his talent and value this year. Coaches should be able to cover one premium with the round 3 bye, with Miller and Tom Green potentially auditioning for that spot.
GWS GIANTS V COLLINGWOOD
Finlay Macrae $152,600 FWD: Has a strong pre-season really put him in Collingwood’s best 23 or is he still going to be a fringe dweller? And perhaps more importantly, will he be named as the sub. Coaches are cooling on Macrae and he will need a huge performance against the Giants to convince most to jump back on.
Nick Daicos $650,000 DEF/MID: One of the biggest questions of pre-season has been whether to start the Magpies superstar or not. If he scores under 90 in Round 0, that would be an easy call. If he monsters the Giants, Daicos could start as the most popular pick of 2024.
Harvey Thomas $117,300 MID/FWD: The Giants academy prospect has forced himself into the Round 0 reckoning but could still be used as sub. He might be the best get-out option for coaches with limited budget left if the Cats don’t play ball at selection with Shaun Mannagh.
Aaron Cadman $127,600 FWD: The No.1 draft pick looks to have put on size and has been used to provide support for Kieren Briggs in the ruck. After a pre-season score of 43, he’ll need to be prominent in attack and win a few hitouts to convince SuperCoaches to overlook the myriad other forward bargains.
Jacob Wehr $123,900 MID: Yes, this is the same player many of us jumped on two years ago. Wehr has won a spot on the wing and done enough in pre-season to suggest he’s worth a MID bench spot. But we’d love to have that vindicated with a solid Round 0 score which would all but guarantee his cash gen gets rolling after three games.
Tom Green $621,500 MID: If he goes 130-plus against the Magpies with North and West Coast in the next two weeks, we might just have to forget the round 3 bye and start him. The same could be said for Giants skipper Toby Greene, too.
Opening Round is a unique chance to road-test players before SuperCoach teams are locked in. Here are the stars, potential bargains and rookies to follow, and what we need to see this week.
, News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
5 Mar 2024, 6:00:00 am
The first ever Opening Round will change the way we select SuperCoach teams in 2024.
Eight teams will open their AFL seasons this week, but player scores from those four matches will not count in SuperCoach, which begins in round 1 – the first lockout is 7.30pm (AEST) on Thursday March 14 before the Blues take on Richmond.
That means fantasy coaches are in the unique position of being able to look at a host of potential recruits in real home-and-away action before deciding whether to pick them in SuperCoach.
SuperCoach AFL 2024
Those eight teams will each have a bye in the first six rounds of the season, so it could be a recipe for disaster to select too many of them. But rookies and mid-pricers who start well could be almost guaranteed an early price rise (Opening Round scores do factor into price calculations), and many coaches will be tempted to start one or two top-line players from each bye round in the knowledge Best 18 scoring will help provide cover in those weeks.
On the flip side, a poor score or role could provide a reason to avoid a player who would otherwise be part of your starting team.
So who should be on our radar when watching each Opening Round game? Keep this cheat sheet handy!
AFL 2024 FIXTURE
OPENING ROUND
Sydney v Melbourne, Thursday March 7, 7.30pm at SCG
Brisbane Lions v Carlton, Friday March 8, 7.40pm at Gabba
Gold Coast v Richmond, Saturday March 9, 4.20pm at Heritage Bank Stadium
GWS Giants v Collingwood, Saturday March 9, 7.30pm at Giants Stadium
EARLY BYE ROUNDS
Round 2: Brisbane Lions, Carlton
Round 3: GWS Giants, Gold Coast
Round 5: Collingwood, Sydney
Round 6: Melbourne, Richmond
SYDNEY V MELBOURNE
Brodie Grundy $481,900 RUC: The former Magpie and Demon is huge value at his new club, but his last pre-season outing was somewhat underwhelming. Another low score here will tempt SuperCoaches to look for a last-minute alternative, or embark on a desperate scramble to find the extra $234,000 for Tim English.
Max Gawn $583,700 RUC: Gawn and Grundy will be back on the same field, but on opposite teams – great news for SuperCoaches. Gawn’s monster pre-season game has him locked in most teams and something extraordinary would have to happen to budge him.
Caleb Windsor $180,300 MID/FWD: Young wingman gives the Dees plenty of spark and his debut has already been announced. We can watch his first game before committing – with so many cheap options up forward we probably need 70 points or more to lock him in.
Matt Roberts $156,800 MID: Similar story for the young Swan who has been training in a very promising half-back role over summer. He scored 100 last week but that was without Jake Lloyd in the team. If he repeats it he could be another high-priced rookie worth paying up for.
Clayton Oliver $674,100 MID: We couldn’t ... could we? A hugely interrupted pre-season surely rules him out, but if he scores 130 it would make things interesting.
BRISBANE LIONS V CARLTON
Keidean Coleman $398,800 DEF: Were his scores of 127 in the preliminary final and grand final a tease or the sign of a breakout waiting to happen? Round 0 will tell SuperCoaches whether Coleman is a must to start with or whether to wait until after the round 2 bye. A score of 90-plus would just about lock him in.
Zac Williams $216,100 DEF: The Blues have understandably been ultra cautious with Williams during the late stages of his comeback from an ACL injury. There’s a real risk he starts as the sub or is subbed out on managed minutes. Round 0 will tell us plenty about Carlton’s plans.
Lachie Neale $617,000 MID: Groin surgery interrupted the Brownlow Medal winner’s pre-season but he looked like he’d hardly missed a beat with 14 contested possessions, 22 disposals and 114 points against the Swans in pre-season. He’s only in 4 per cent of teams and could be a great POD if he convinces you he’s at full fitness.
Kai Lohmann $150,900 FWD: The 20-year-old has spent most of his Lions career on the fringes of the senior team but looks ready to break in after a stellar pre-season. There’s genuine sub risk with Lohmann and we’ll need to see plenty as there are so many forward rookie options.
Cameron Rayner $385,100 FWD: Is the midfield switch really happening? We’ve heard that before, but this time it feels real. At $385k most coaches would prefer the similarly priced Zac Fisher, but Rayner has a chance to throw another mid-priced spanner into our plans.
GOLD COAST V RICHMOND
Alex Sexton $133,400 FWD: The reborn backman is one of the biggest bargains of the year in his new role behind the ball. Would have to get hurt or return to the forward pocket to be taken out of most teams at this stage.
Sam Flanders $494,200 FWD: The role was there in the community series with Flanders playing as a high half-forward with stints in the midfield. But the scoring wasn’t. Has been taken out of many teams as a result but a big return here could prompt a rethink for a player who could finish as one of the top-scoring forwards.
Jayden Short $551,200 DEF: A return to a full-time defensive role should see Short’s scores spike, possibly by enough to be a top-six defender. Keep a close eye on who takes kick-ins for the Tigers.
Thomson Dow $254,800 MID: Awkward price in the midfield but has enjoyed a stellar pre-season. Is he part of Adem Yze’s starting midfield? If he tons up watch for lots of team structures to be redrawn.
Touk Miller $545,500 MID: A vintage display in the Suns’ final practice match reminded the SuperCoach world of his talent and value this year. Coaches should be able to cover one premium with the round 3 bye, with Miller and Tom Green potentially auditioning for that spot.
GWS GIANTS V COLLINGWOOD
Finlay Macrae $152,600 FWD: Has a strong pre-season really put him in Collingwood’s best 23 or is he still going to be a fringe dweller? And perhaps more importantly, will he be named as the sub. Coaches are cooling on Macrae and he will need a huge performance against the Giants to convince most to jump back on.
Nick Daicos $650,000 DEF/MID: One of the biggest questions of pre-season has been whether to start the Magpies superstar or not. If he scores under 90 in Round 0, that would be an easy call. If he monsters the Giants, Daicos could start as the most popular pick of 2024.
Harvey Thomas $117,300 MID/FWD: The Giants academy prospect has forced himself into the Round 0 reckoning but could still be used as sub. He might be the best get-out option for coaches with limited budget left if the Cats don’t play ball at selection with Shaun Mannagh.
Aaron Cadman $127,600 FWD: The No.1 draft pick looks to have put on size and has been used to provide support for Kieren Briggs in the ruck. After a pre-season score of 43, he’ll need to be prominent in attack and win a few hitouts to convince SuperCoaches to overlook the myriad other forward bargains.
Jacob Wehr $123,900 MID: Yes, this is the same player many of us jumped on two years ago. Wehr has won a spot on the wing and done enough in pre-season to suggest he’s worth a MID bench spot. But we’d love to have that vindicated with a solid Round 0 score which would all but guarantee his cash gen gets rolling after three games.
Tom Green $621,500 MID: If he goes 130-plus against the Magpies with North and West Coast in the next two weeks, we might just have to forget the round 3 bye and start him. The same could be said for Giants skipper Toby Greene, too.
SuperCoach AFL mid-price bible: The 24 best value picks of 2024 ranked
From fallen premiums to breakout rookies, there are a host of great value options in SuperCoach this year. We’ve ranked the best picks in our ultimate mid-price bible.
Tim Michell, News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
5 Mar 2024, 12:08:00 pm
SuperCoach has always been a game of risk and reward.
Take the right calculated risks and you go a long way to setting yourself apart from the pack and on the path to SuperCoach glory.
Every year, there are mid-price gems who emerge as some of the best selections of the season.
They can be players who are underpriced due to an injury the previous season or young guns primed for a premium breakout.
Or, even players who switched clubs during the off-season and are set for the opportunity to stamp themselves on the competition.
There are several standout options who fit these categories in 2024.
We started the pre-season with a list of 40 players but have trimmed it to 24 after the pre-season matches.
We determined a mid-pricer to be a player in the following price brackets:
FORWARDS AND DEFENDERS — $208k ($1k above No. 1 draft pick) to $450k.
MIDFIELDERS AND RUCKS — $208k to $500k
Price, job security, role and likely scoring were the main factors considered when ranking players.
Check out our full 1-24 rankings of this year’s mid-pricers below.
1 Brodie Grundy
Sydney $481,900 RUC (previous rank: unranked)
Not having Grundy on the initial value list was a huge oversight. We're putting it down to considering him as a premium rather than a mid-pricer. The former Magpie and Demon averaged 138 points in games where he was the first-choice ruckman last season and will be relied upon in the middle for 80 per cent or more of matches as a Swan. Don't let a score of 65 in pre-season against Brisbane deter you. This is a proven premium scorer available for less than $500k - and who is only this cheap because he played second fiddle to Max Gawn last season.
2 Zac Williams
Carlton $216,100 DEF (previous rank: 1)
Considering his price and scoring history, it was going to take something, or someone, pretty special to dethrone Williams from the top rank. The Blues defender continues to build on his return from an ACL injury, recently featuring in a VFL practice match against Casey. Williams will be a big watch in opening round after so long out of the game, but unless disaster strikes he will surely be one of the most-popular selections of 2024. It's very rare to get a player with Williams' scoring history for what is just above rookie price.
3 Keidean Coleman
Brisbane Lions $398,800 DEF (previous rank: 4)
Coleman is a special talent who was recently ranked by Mark Robinson among the 40 best players in the AFL. That's some wrap. Recency bias is a very real factor in SuperCoach and it's hard to forget how good Coleman was in both the preliminary and Grand finals last year. With Brisbane's No.1 kickout player Conor McKenna battling a hamstring injury and in doubt for the start of the season, Coleman's stocks have only improved. If it wasn't for a pesky round 3 bye, he might have been No.1 on this list. If you aren't starting him, monitor Coleman's performances in round 0 and 1 and be prepared to jump on before his price changes in round 3. Otherwise you might be missing out on one of the bargains of the year.
4 Zac Fisher
North Melbourne $378,600 FWD (previous rank: 11)
A bolter into the top five after his slashing practice match performance in defence against St Kilda. A hamstring issue about a month ago caused many SuperCoaches to rule a line through Fisher but he has stormed back into calculations after having 36 disposals at 81 per cent against the Saints. Fisher has slotted into the defensive role vacated by the retirements of Aaron Hall and Jack Ziebell which was incredibly profitable for that pair and helped turn them into premium SuperCoach scorers. Some will consider him an awkward price - especially with so many forward options under $300k. But it's going to be hard to overlook a player who averaged 29 disposals and 435 metres gained per 100 minutes in defence last year with Carlton.
5 Jack Billings
Melbourne $243,900 FWD (previous rank: 12)
I was sceptical - at best - about Billings' chances of cracking into Melbourne's team to start 2024 after being stuck on the fringes of the St Kilda side last year. But, after Angus Brayshaw's retirement and a calf injury to Lachie Hunter, it's time to admit I was wrong. Billings has slotted seamlessly into the Melbourne side as a high half-forward, playing as the link man between midfield and attack for a team which has often fallen down in that area. A pre-season score of 93 against Carlton underlined his value.
6 Nat Fyfe
Fremantle $283,200 FWD-MID (previous rank: 20)
After so many coaches were caught on the wrong end of his injury troubles last year, who could have predicted Fyfe would start 2024 as one of the most-popular players in SuperCoach? Fyfe had soared into the top-10 most-popular players by early March after enjoying a (touch wood) faultless pre-season to date. It's worth noting he has been very closely managed, with the Dockers desperate to avoid a repeat of the injury curse which has plagued the dual Brownlow winner in recent years. Fyfe had close to 20 disposals in a half against West Coast as he continues his return to midfield and his scoring and money-making potential is starting to outweigh the obvious injury risk.
7 James Jordon
Sydney $275,500 FWD-MID (previous rank: 15)
Everything is falling into place for the ex-Demon to have a huge impact in his first campaign as a Swan. Jordon has spent most of pre-season on a wing but injuries to Luke Parker (broken arm), Callum Mills (shoulder) and Taylor Adams (knee) have caused Jordon to surge up the centre bounce pecking order. He was one of Sydney's best against grand finalist Brisbane in a pre-season hitout, finishing with 31 disposals and hitting triple figures in SuperCoach. Jordon made almost $300k in his debut season (2021) and has potential to be a serious mid-price money maker this year.
8 James Harmes
Western Bulldogs $258,300 FWD-MID (previous rank: 10)
With doubts over Jack Macrae's fitness and Caleb Daniel reportedly on the outer, Harmes' stocks are on the rise in his first pre-season as a Bulldog. Luke Beveridge seems intent on shaking up the Western Bulldogs' team, with draftee Ryley Sanders being slated for an immediate on-ball role. Harmes also appears set for a return to the middle after being used in several roles by Simon Goodwin during his time as a Demon. In a year where many SuperCoaches are preferring value over the few forward premiums available, Harmes stands out as one of the better options.
9 Elliot Yeo
West Coast $447,100 DEF-MID (previous rank: unranked)
Forgive me if this reads a bit like the Nat Fyfe bio. Almost every training report from the west this off-season has featured an injury update on one of Fyfe and Yeo. It's little wonder considering they are two of the best players for their respective teams but have struggled to get on the park in recent seasons. Like Fyfe, Yeo has succesfully navigated pre-season and is poised to play a major role for the Eagles' engine room in 2024. No one doubts Yeo's scoring ability. From rounds 12-15 last year he scored 125, 113 and 93. His injury history - and awkward price - are the key reasons he didn't make the initial mid-price bible and is ranked below cheaper options such as Fyfe, Harmes and Jordon.
10 Tristan Xerri
North Melbourne $407,400 RUC (previous rank: 7)
The North Melbourne ruckman has shaken off a facial fracture which caused a brief delay to his pre-season and was impressive in the club's recent clash against Collingwood. Xerri is one of the most interesting SuperCoach prospects of the season as he is still largely unproven as a No.1 ruckman but appears to have significant upside. He features in about 60,000 less teams than Grundy, so has the advantage of being a point of difference to SuperCoach's most-popular ruckman. But, different isn't always better. Xerri won't need to average as much as Grundy to make money, starting at about $74k cheaper. Where he has an obvious edge on Grundy is that the Swans have two byes in the first 12 rounds. North Melbourne doesn't have a bye until round 12 so Xerri would give your team an extra player in the early bye rounds (when best 18 scoring applies). Grundy is still the better option of that pair, but Xerri is closing the gap as the start of SuperCoach draws closer.
11 Nic Martin
$492,800 MID (previous rank: 37)
Sound the alarm - we have a pre-season bolter. Martin's eye-catching game against Geelong (he had 28 disposals, 11 marks and kicked two goals) has caused his SuperCoach ownership to skyrocket to about 20 per cent of teams. Martin is the go-to man coming out of defence for the Bombers and the player Brad Scott's team wants kicking the ball inside-50 too. A quad injury to fellow defender Jordan Ridley - another of the distributors from Scott's back six - will only increase Martin's importance early in the season. At 22 years old and with DPP beckoning in round 7, he looks primed to take the next step and become a true SuperCoach premium.
From fallen premiums to breakout rookies, there are a host of great value options in SuperCoach this year. We’ve ranked the best picks in our ultimate mid-price bible.
Tim Michell, News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
5 Mar 2024, 12:08:00 pm
SuperCoach has always been a game of risk and reward.
Take the right calculated risks and you go a long way to setting yourself apart from the pack and on the path to SuperCoach glory.
Every year, there are mid-price gems who emerge as some of the best selections of the season.
They can be players who are underpriced due to an injury the previous season or young guns primed for a premium breakout.
Or, even players who switched clubs during the off-season and are set for the opportunity to stamp themselves on the competition.
There are several standout options who fit these categories in 2024.
We started the pre-season with a list of 40 players but have trimmed it to 24 after the pre-season matches.
We determined a mid-pricer to be a player in the following price brackets:
FORWARDS AND DEFENDERS — $208k ($1k above No. 1 draft pick) to $450k.
MIDFIELDERS AND RUCKS — $208k to $500k
Price, job security, role and likely scoring were the main factors considered when ranking players.
Check out our full 1-24 rankings of this year’s mid-pricers below.
1 Brodie Grundy
Sydney $481,900 RUC (previous rank: unranked)
Not having Grundy on the initial value list was a huge oversight. We're putting it down to considering him as a premium rather than a mid-pricer. The former Magpie and Demon averaged 138 points in games where he was the first-choice ruckman last season and will be relied upon in the middle for 80 per cent or more of matches as a Swan. Don't let a score of 65 in pre-season against Brisbane deter you. This is a proven premium scorer available for less than $500k - and who is only this cheap because he played second fiddle to Max Gawn last season.
2 Zac Williams
Carlton $216,100 DEF (previous rank: 1)
Considering his price and scoring history, it was going to take something, or someone, pretty special to dethrone Williams from the top rank. The Blues defender continues to build on his return from an ACL injury, recently featuring in a VFL practice match against Casey. Williams will be a big watch in opening round after so long out of the game, but unless disaster strikes he will surely be one of the most-popular selections of 2024. It's very rare to get a player with Williams' scoring history for what is just above rookie price.
3 Keidean Coleman
Brisbane Lions $398,800 DEF (previous rank: 4)
Coleman is a special talent who was recently ranked by Mark Robinson among the 40 best players in the AFL. That's some wrap. Recency bias is a very real factor in SuperCoach and it's hard to forget how good Coleman was in both the preliminary and Grand finals last year. With Brisbane's No.1 kickout player Conor McKenna battling a hamstring injury and in doubt for the start of the season, Coleman's stocks have only improved. If it wasn't for a pesky round 3 bye, he might have been No.1 on this list. If you aren't starting him, monitor Coleman's performances in round 0 and 1 and be prepared to jump on before his price changes in round 3. Otherwise you might be missing out on one of the bargains of the year.
4 Zac Fisher
North Melbourne $378,600 FWD (previous rank: 11)
A bolter into the top five after his slashing practice match performance in defence against St Kilda. A hamstring issue about a month ago caused many SuperCoaches to rule a line through Fisher but he has stormed back into calculations after having 36 disposals at 81 per cent against the Saints. Fisher has slotted into the defensive role vacated by the retirements of Aaron Hall and Jack Ziebell which was incredibly profitable for that pair and helped turn them into premium SuperCoach scorers. Some will consider him an awkward price - especially with so many forward options under $300k. But it's going to be hard to overlook a player who averaged 29 disposals and 435 metres gained per 100 minutes in defence last year with Carlton.
5 Jack Billings
Melbourne $243,900 FWD (previous rank: 12)
I was sceptical - at best - about Billings' chances of cracking into Melbourne's team to start 2024 after being stuck on the fringes of the St Kilda side last year. But, after Angus Brayshaw's retirement and a calf injury to Lachie Hunter, it's time to admit I was wrong. Billings has slotted seamlessly into the Melbourne side as a high half-forward, playing as the link man between midfield and attack for a team which has often fallen down in that area. A pre-season score of 93 against Carlton underlined his value.
6 Nat Fyfe
Fremantle $283,200 FWD-MID (previous rank: 20)
After so many coaches were caught on the wrong end of his injury troubles last year, who could have predicted Fyfe would start 2024 as one of the most-popular players in SuperCoach? Fyfe had soared into the top-10 most-popular players by early March after enjoying a (touch wood) faultless pre-season to date. It's worth noting he has been very closely managed, with the Dockers desperate to avoid a repeat of the injury curse which has plagued the dual Brownlow winner in recent years. Fyfe had close to 20 disposals in a half against West Coast as he continues his return to midfield and his scoring and money-making potential is starting to outweigh the obvious injury risk.
7 James Jordon
Sydney $275,500 FWD-MID (previous rank: 15)
Everything is falling into place for the ex-Demon to have a huge impact in his first campaign as a Swan. Jordon has spent most of pre-season on a wing but injuries to Luke Parker (broken arm), Callum Mills (shoulder) and Taylor Adams (knee) have caused Jordon to surge up the centre bounce pecking order. He was one of Sydney's best against grand finalist Brisbane in a pre-season hitout, finishing with 31 disposals and hitting triple figures in SuperCoach. Jordon made almost $300k in his debut season (2021) and has potential to be a serious mid-price money maker this year.
8 James Harmes
Western Bulldogs $258,300 FWD-MID (previous rank: 10)
With doubts over Jack Macrae's fitness and Caleb Daniel reportedly on the outer, Harmes' stocks are on the rise in his first pre-season as a Bulldog. Luke Beveridge seems intent on shaking up the Western Bulldogs' team, with draftee Ryley Sanders being slated for an immediate on-ball role. Harmes also appears set for a return to the middle after being used in several roles by Simon Goodwin during his time as a Demon. In a year where many SuperCoaches are preferring value over the few forward premiums available, Harmes stands out as one of the better options.
9 Elliot Yeo
West Coast $447,100 DEF-MID (previous rank: unranked)
Forgive me if this reads a bit like the Nat Fyfe bio. Almost every training report from the west this off-season has featured an injury update on one of Fyfe and Yeo. It's little wonder considering they are two of the best players for their respective teams but have struggled to get on the park in recent seasons. Like Fyfe, Yeo has succesfully navigated pre-season and is poised to play a major role for the Eagles' engine room in 2024. No one doubts Yeo's scoring ability. From rounds 12-15 last year he scored 125, 113 and 93. His injury history - and awkward price - are the key reasons he didn't make the initial mid-price bible and is ranked below cheaper options such as Fyfe, Harmes and Jordon.
10 Tristan Xerri
North Melbourne $407,400 RUC (previous rank: 7)
The North Melbourne ruckman has shaken off a facial fracture which caused a brief delay to his pre-season and was impressive in the club's recent clash against Collingwood. Xerri is one of the most interesting SuperCoach prospects of the season as he is still largely unproven as a No.1 ruckman but appears to have significant upside. He features in about 60,000 less teams than Grundy, so has the advantage of being a point of difference to SuperCoach's most-popular ruckman. But, different isn't always better. Xerri won't need to average as much as Grundy to make money, starting at about $74k cheaper. Where he has an obvious edge on Grundy is that the Swans have two byes in the first 12 rounds. North Melbourne doesn't have a bye until round 12 so Xerri would give your team an extra player in the early bye rounds (when best 18 scoring applies). Grundy is still the better option of that pair, but Xerri is closing the gap as the start of SuperCoach draws closer.
11 Nic Martin
$492,800 MID (previous rank: 37)
Sound the alarm - we have a pre-season bolter. Martin's eye-catching game against Geelong (he had 28 disposals, 11 marks and kicked two goals) has caused his SuperCoach ownership to skyrocket to about 20 per cent of teams. Martin is the go-to man coming out of defence for the Bombers and the player Brad Scott's team wants kicking the ball inside-50 too. A quad injury to fellow defender Jordan Ridley - another of the distributors from Scott's back six - will only increase Martin's importance early in the season. At 22 years old and with DPP beckoning in round 7, he looks primed to take the next step and become a true SuperCoach premium.
12 Matt Crouch
Adelaide $490,800 MID (previous rank: 5)
Crouch has done nothing wrong to drop from fifth on the value ranks to 12th, but is a victim of cheaper players who have emerged as standout SuperCoach options. His career resurgence has continued in pre-season and he was prominent in the middle against West Coast, recording 23 disposals, six clearances and 16 centre bounce attendances despite only playing 59 per cent game time.
13 George Wardlaw
North Melbourne $365,400 MID (previous rank: 25)
The SuperCoach comparison between Wardlaw and Clayton Oliver heading into their second seasons is eerie. Oliver averaged 70.3 points in his debut season. Wardlaw averaged 65.4. Their points-per-minute were 0.87 (Wardlaw) and 0.86 (Oliver in 2016). Oliver started his second campaign $17k more expensive than Wardlaw is this year, announcing himself as a midfield premium with an average of 111 points. Wardlaw has all the attributes to take a similar scoring leap and is rated as one of the favourites for this year's Rising Star award. He could well be the best value pick of the year, but concerns over his injury troubles and time on ground caused Wardlaw to slide to No.13 behind players who are either cheaper or have less question marks.
14 Thomson Dow
Richmond $254,800 MID (previous rank: 33)
Dow has emerged as a key pillar of new Richmond coach Adem Yze's midfield, attending 11 centre bounces against Collingwood in a pre-season side which featured Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper. It's clear Dow has become a favourite of Yze's, impressing the coach in his first summer in charge at Punt Road. Dow's disposal efficiency (54 per cent by foot during his career) needs some work, but he makes up for that in contested possessions. Dow showcased his SuperCoach potential by averaging 68.6 points and 21.3 disposals in the last three rounds of 2023. He only needs to average 80-85 to be a worthwhile pick and a stepping stone to a fallen premium.
15 Karl Amon
Hawthorn $483,300 MID (previous rank: 14)
Despite the injury carnage at Waverley during the off-season, Sam Mitchell appears to have locked Amon in to the defensive role he made his own in the last month of 2023. Amon averaged 32 disposals, 730 metres gained and 9.6 marks per 100 minutes as a defender last year, scoring 96, 113, 103, 133, 119 and 76 in the last six rounds. Amon has the perfect game style to challenge for a spot as one of the top-eight defenders, taking regular kick-ins and preferring to go by foot rather than handball. In the pre-season match against Western Bulldogs, he had 24 kicks (of which eight were kick-ins) and four handballs. He has twice averaged 92 or more playing on a wing, so is likely at least 10 points underpriced in his new role.
16 Ollie Wines
Port Adelaide $463,600 MID
The Brownlow medallist looks to be back to his bullocking best and is enjoying being thrust back into the engine room by Ken Hinkley. The Port coach said earlier in pre-season Wines would be used on the inside and he has stuck true to that promise, with Wines recording 19 centre bounce attendances in the pre-season clash against Fremantle. Wines has never quite cracked the upper echelon of midfielders in SuperCoach, but averaged 104, 112 and 105 from 2020-2022. After recording his lowest average since his debut campaign last year (83), anything above 100 would ensure Wines is classed as one of the best value picks of 2024. And in the inside mid role, he's certainly capable of that.
17 Max Holmes
Geelong $446,000 MID (previous rank: unranked)
When did halfback switch become the new midfield minutes in SuperCoach? There's a strong argument that moving into defence can be more valuable for SuperCoach scoring than playing midfield, as players such as Jack Ziebell, Aaron Hall and Rory Atkins have shown in recent years. Geelong toyed with the idea of unleashing Holmes from halfback early in pre-season and clearly liked what it saw. He was Geelong's leading possession-getter against the Bombers in pre-season, tallying 29 disposals at 83 per cent in only 65 per cent game time. At 21 and heading into his fourth season, Holmes ticks a lot of the boxes which suggest a premium breakout is imminent.
18 Riley Bonner
St Kilda $284,500 MID (previous rank: unranked)
The former Port dasher's job security as a Saint looks sound after an impressive pre-season and a moment of madness which will likely cost Jimmy Webster the first 6-8 weeks of the campaign. Bonner is a difficult player to assess. He has flaws defensively and has only played more than 12 games in a season three times since debuting in 2016. But the 26-year-old seems to be reborn as a Saint and had 30 disposals and scored 127 points against North Melbourne in pre-season. The main question mark still hanging over Bonner's scoring is he is yet to play in the same side as the injured Jack Sinclair. Maybe Bonner's pre-season will give Ross Lyon greater licence to use Sinclair as a midfielder? Bonner looms as a 6-8 week play. Have a plan to cash him out if he reaches $450k.
19 Massimo D'Ambrosio
Hawthorn $224,900 DEF (previous rank: 31)
The smooth-moving left-footer seems to have won the battle for a wing spot, slotting into the role vacated by Changkuoth Jiath's injury. D'Ambrosio has gone at 73 per cent by foot during his career and is highly-regarded for his penetrating left boot. It might be hard to find a spot for him and Zac Williams in your defence, but both players should be reliable money makers.
20 Sam Flanders
Gold Coast $494,200 FWD-MID (previous rank: 6)
Flanders is one of the biggest sliders on this list after a disappointing pre-season outing against GWS where he scored 65 points. Good SuperCoaches know it's crucial not to overreact to pre-season scores, but it's also wise to weigh up Flanders' value compared to the wealth of forward options available at $400k or less. A few weeks ago when Damien Hardwick spoke of Gold Coast's desire to feed the ball to Flanders, he looked certain to be one of the top-six forwards of 2024. Considering the small premium pool, he might well be. But there are better value options for your forward line than the man who averaged 106 in the last 10 rounds of 2023 when he was injected into Gold Coast's midfield.
21 Connor Budarick
Gold Coast $301,200 DEF (previous rank: 23)
Alex Sexton was the talk of SuperCoach after having 31 disposals and 11 marks against GWS in pre-season, but Budarick didn't do anything to deter coaches who were keen on him either. The man touted as Damien Hardwick's answer to Jayden Short on the Gold Coast had 16 kicks in his 20 disposals, went at 75 per cent disposal efficiency and recorded five intercepts for 63 points. No doubt he is underpriced, but the question is by how much?
22 Harry Himmelberg
GWS Giants $450,400 DEF (previous rank: 9)
Another player who has dropped down the list through little fault of his own. Himmelberg scored 92 points against Gold Coast from 80 per cent time on ground and was the Giants' primary kick-in taker with four. His scoring history as a defender shows Himmelberg has the potential to be a season keeper at $450k. He averaged 80.6 last year but the more important number is the 94.5 points he averaged playing as a defender from round 12 onwards. He could be at least 10-15 points underpriced.
23 Tom Lynch
Richmond $287,300 FWD (previous rank: 2)
Considering he started last year at $519k and peaked at $576k in 2022, Lynch looks a huge bargain this year. The onus will be on him more than ever before to carry the Richmond forward line when he returns from a foot issue that restricted him to four matches last year. The Tigers spearhead has dropped from No.2 to No.23 after it was confirmed he wouldn't be back until round 1. After such a long layoff, it's hard to know exactly how to determine Lynch's value. He could start slowly after so much time in rehab, which would mean his cash generation takes longer than SuperCoaches would hope for. The perfect scenario would be a quick cash grab and jumping off at the round 6 bye.
24 Sam Berry
Adelaide $226,900 MID (previous rank: unranked)
The tough-as-teak Crows on-baller has come from the clouds to make the value list after a pre-season score of 115. Berry looked destined to start the season in the SANFL but is a live chance to make Adelaide's round 1 side after having 22 disposals and 11 centre bounce attendances against West Coast. The obvious knocks are his job security and the risk he is named sub. But it's worth noting Berry averaged 87 points in 2022 when he topped the AFL's tackle chart.
Adelaide $490,800 MID (previous rank: 5)
Crouch has done nothing wrong to drop from fifth on the value ranks to 12th, but is a victim of cheaper players who have emerged as standout SuperCoach options. His career resurgence has continued in pre-season and he was prominent in the middle against West Coast, recording 23 disposals, six clearances and 16 centre bounce attendances despite only playing 59 per cent game time.
13 George Wardlaw
North Melbourne $365,400 MID (previous rank: 25)
The SuperCoach comparison between Wardlaw and Clayton Oliver heading into their second seasons is eerie. Oliver averaged 70.3 points in his debut season. Wardlaw averaged 65.4. Their points-per-minute were 0.87 (Wardlaw) and 0.86 (Oliver in 2016). Oliver started his second campaign $17k more expensive than Wardlaw is this year, announcing himself as a midfield premium with an average of 111 points. Wardlaw has all the attributes to take a similar scoring leap and is rated as one of the favourites for this year's Rising Star award. He could well be the best value pick of the year, but concerns over his injury troubles and time on ground caused Wardlaw to slide to No.13 behind players who are either cheaper or have less question marks.
14 Thomson Dow
Richmond $254,800 MID (previous rank: 33)
Dow has emerged as a key pillar of new Richmond coach Adem Yze's midfield, attending 11 centre bounces against Collingwood in a pre-season side which featured Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper. It's clear Dow has become a favourite of Yze's, impressing the coach in his first summer in charge at Punt Road. Dow's disposal efficiency (54 per cent by foot during his career) needs some work, but he makes up for that in contested possessions. Dow showcased his SuperCoach potential by averaging 68.6 points and 21.3 disposals in the last three rounds of 2023. He only needs to average 80-85 to be a worthwhile pick and a stepping stone to a fallen premium.
15 Karl Amon
Hawthorn $483,300 MID (previous rank: 14)
Despite the injury carnage at Waverley during the off-season, Sam Mitchell appears to have locked Amon in to the defensive role he made his own in the last month of 2023. Amon averaged 32 disposals, 730 metres gained and 9.6 marks per 100 minutes as a defender last year, scoring 96, 113, 103, 133, 119 and 76 in the last six rounds. Amon has the perfect game style to challenge for a spot as one of the top-eight defenders, taking regular kick-ins and preferring to go by foot rather than handball. In the pre-season match against Western Bulldogs, he had 24 kicks (of which eight were kick-ins) and four handballs. He has twice averaged 92 or more playing on a wing, so is likely at least 10 points underpriced in his new role.
16 Ollie Wines
Port Adelaide $463,600 MID
The Brownlow medallist looks to be back to his bullocking best and is enjoying being thrust back into the engine room by Ken Hinkley. The Port coach said earlier in pre-season Wines would be used on the inside and he has stuck true to that promise, with Wines recording 19 centre bounce attendances in the pre-season clash against Fremantle. Wines has never quite cracked the upper echelon of midfielders in SuperCoach, but averaged 104, 112 and 105 from 2020-2022. After recording his lowest average since his debut campaign last year (83), anything above 100 would ensure Wines is classed as one of the best value picks of 2024. And in the inside mid role, he's certainly capable of that.
17 Max Holmes
Geelong $446,000 MID (previous rank: unranked)
When did halfback switch become the new midfield minutes in SuperCoach? There's a strong argument that moving into defence can be more valuable for SuperCoach scoring than playing midfield, as players such as Jack Ziebell, Aaron Hall and Rory Atkins have shown in recent years. Geelong toyed with the idea of unleashing Holmes from halfback early in pre-season and clearly liked what it saw. He was Geelong's leading possession-getter against the Bombers in pre-season, tallying 29 disposals at 83 per cent in only 65 per cent game time. At 21 and heading into his fourth season, Holmes ticks a lot of the boxes which suggest a premium breakout is imminent.
18 Riley Bonner
St Kilda $284,500 MID (previous rank: unranked)
The former Port dasher's job security as a Saint looks sound after an impressive pre-season and a moment of madness which will likely cost Jimmy Webster the first 6-8 weeks of the campaign. Bonner is a difficult player to assess. He has flaws defensively and has only played more than 12 games in a season three times since debuting in 2016. But the 26-year-old seems to be reborn as a Saint and had 30 disposals and scored 127 points against North Melbourne in pre-season. The main question mark still hanging over Bonner's scoring is he is yet to play in the same side as the injured Jack Sinclair. Maybe Bonner's pre-season will give Ross Lyon greater licence to use Sinclair as a midfielder? Bonner looms as a 6-8 week play. Have a plan to cash him out if he reaches $450k.
19 Massimo D'Ambrosio
Hawthorn $224,900 DEF (previous rank: 31)
The smooth-moving left-footer seems to have won the battle for a wing spot, slotting into the role vacated by Changkuoth Jiath's injury. D'Ambrosio has gone at 73 per cent by foot during his career and is highly-regarded for his penetrating left boot. It might be hard to find a spot for him and Zac Williams in your defence, but both players should be reliable money makers.
20 Sam Flanders
Gold Coast $494,200 FWD-MID (previous rank: 6)
Flanders is one of the biggest sliders on this list after a disappointing pre-season outing against GWS where he scored 65 points. Good SuperCoaches know it's crucial not to overreact to pre-season scores, but it's also wise to weigh up Flanders' value compared to the wealth of forward options available at $400k or less. A few weeks ago when Damien Hardwick spoke of Gold Coast's desire to feed the ball to Flanders, he looked certain to be one of the top-six forwards of 2024. Considering the small premium pool, he might well be. But there are better value options for your forward line than the man who averaged 106 in the last 10 rounds of 2023 when he was injected into Gold Coast's midfield.
21 Connor Budarick
Gold Coast $301,200 DEF (previous rank: 23)
Alex Sexton was the talk of SuperCoach after having 31 disposals and 11 marks against GWS in pre-season, but Budarick didn't do anything to deter coaches who were keen on him either. The man touted as Damien Hardwick's answer to Jayden Short on the Gold Coast had 16 kicks in his 20 disposals, went at 75 per cent disposal efficiency and recorded five intercepts for 63 points. No doubt he is underpriced, but the question is by how much?
22 Harry Himmelberg
GWS Giants $450,400 DEF (previous rank: 9)
Another player who has dropped down the list through little fault of his own. Himmelberg scored 92 points against Gold Coast from 80 per cent time on ground and was the Giants' primary kick-in taker with four. His scoring history as a defender shows Himmelberg has the potential to be a season keeper at $450k. He averaged 80.6 last year but the more important number is the 94.5 points he averaged playing as a defender from round 12 onwards. He could be at least 10-15 points underpriced.
23 Tom Lynch
Richmond $287,300 FWD (previous rank: 2)
Considering he started last year at $519k and peaked at $576k in 2022, Lynch looks a huge bargain this year. The onus will be on him more than ever before to carry the Richmond forward line when he returns from a foot issue that restricted him to four matches last year. The Tigers spearhead has dropped from No.2 to No.23 after it was confirmed he wouldn't be back until round 1. After such a long layoff, it's hard to know exactly how to determine Lynch's value. He could start slowly after so much time in rehab, which would mean his cash generation takes longer than SuperCoaches would hope for. The perfect scenario would be a quick cash grab and jumping off at the round 6 bye.
24 Sam Berry
Adelaide $226,900 MID (previous rank: unranked)
The tough-as-teak Crows on-baller has come from the clouds to make the value list after a pre-season score of 115. Berry looked destined to start the season in the SANFL but is a live chance to make Adelaide's round 1 side after having 22 disposals and 11 centre bounce attendances against West Coast. The obvious knocks are his job security and the risk he is named sub. But it's worth noting Berry averaged 87 points in 2022 when he topped the AFL's tackle chart.