Discussion 2025: AFL SuperCoach Discussion - OPEN

[Darkie]

My understanding is that the prices are adjusted proportionately for the increased squad size, ie by 3% (as Mike suggested) because squads expand from 30 to 31.

To me this suggests that the incremental player is effectively a player of average value (c. 330k in the “old money”), ie a mid pricer.

Realistically some people will pick an extra mid pricer, while others will pick an extra rookie and redistribute the remaining spare cash elsewhere … but to get up to a premium (eg a third ruck) will require an incremental compromise on another line. It might be the right call, but the budget increase doesn’t allow a full extra premo to fill that 31st spot.

 

[TBG]

Any word of when the team picker will be open for Supercoach gold subscribers?

 

[Vicwood]

Will the flex position still count for bye rounds. Or is it best 18 scores on field

 

[Darkie]

For anyone who hasn’t had a crack, BBL SC is a lot of fun, and a good way to scratch the fantasy itch over summer!

SCS dominates BBL - I’ve been fortunate to be in the #1 league three times - so there are plenty of people able to give you a steer if you need it 🙂

There’s some key info in the first couple of posts here if you are interested, and the strategy chat will no doubt be ongoing until first lockout on Sunday evening!

https://supercoachscores.com/threads/bbl-14-preseason-discussion-open.5387/

 

[Manikato1]

As I understand it you also could miss out on a C score (albeit a bad one) with the best 22 of 23. Eg You have Bont as C and at half time he is on 50 and is injured and does not play the rest of the game. Last season you would have got 100 which is a bad result but still points. If that 50 becomes your lowest score it drops out. You do not get the VC score. Your rookie who scored say 60 is your 22nd score which is a difference of 40 points.

Would be rare to happen and has always been a situation in previous years bye rounds but now you have that scenario possible every week.

 

[Singapore Flyers]

As I understand it you also could miss out on a C score (albeit a bad one) with the best 22 of 23. Eg You have Bont as C and at half time he is on 50 and is injured and does not play the rest of the game. Last season you would have got 100 which is a bad result but still points. If that 50 becomes your lowest score it drops out. You do not get the VC score. Your rookie who scored say 60 is your 22nd score which is a difference of 40 points.

Would be rare to happen and has always been a situation in previous years bye rounds but now you have that scenario possible every week.

I thought it would be that the C is always doubled first. If the doubled score is the 23rd score, then it would drop out. I guess we won’t know until we get some formal guidance, but that would be my uneducated guess

 

[Serj]

As I understand it you also could miss out on a C score (albeit a bad one) with the best 22 of 23. Eg You have Bont as C and at half time he is on 50 and is injured and does not play the rest of the game. Last season you would have got 100 which is a bad result but still points. If that 50 becomes your lowest score it drops out. You do not get the VC score. Your rookie who scored say 60 is your 22nd score which is a difference of 40 points.

Would be rare to happen and has always been a situation in previous years bye rounds but now you have that scenario possible every week.

I don't believe that's how it will work with flex, nor how it worked previously in best 18 rounds. The captain score is doubled first. In your example bont would have to score 29 (×2=58) or less to drop out. A 50 (x2=100) will be counted based on the modified captain score, not the raw score.

 

[Manikato1]

I don't believe that's how it will work with flex, nor how it worked previously in best 18 rounds. The captain score is doubled first. In your example bont would have to score 29 (×2=58) or less to drop out. A 50 (x2=100) will be counted based on the modified captain score, not the raw score.

I may have it wrong given that you are the second person to make that comment and happy to be corrected. I took it on the raw score but in hindsight it makes more sense on the doubled score. I wonder if anyone here has had that unfortunate experience in previous years bye rounds and can confirm either way?

 

[Serj]

I may have it wrong given that you are the second person to make that comment and happy to be corrected. I took it on the raw score but in hindsight it makes more sense on the doubled score. I wonder if anyone here has had that unfortunate experience in previous years bye rounds and can confirm either way?

No need, it's in the SC FAQ's for bye rounds:

 

[Leroy]

Lot's of good chat about the flex position

I think there's two phases to it though... post-bye when you are fully upgraded you want the highest scoring player you can't fit on another line: probably 9th mid or maybe 3rd ruck.

Pre-bye, flex is effectively your 22nd/23rd on-field player, which will be a rookie. When we pick starting premiums you ideally want to pay the least amount of money for premiums that will finish at the top of their line. In 2024 this meant guys like Heeney, Flanders, Xerri and Sheezel were the 'best' starting picks.

If your analysis of the best 12-13 starting premiums across all lines throws up three rucks then rejoice (!), you can now pick them all .

But that seems to be kind of the only case where it would make sense to go that way isn't it?

 

[Manikato1]

No need, it's in the SC FAQ's for bye rounds:

View attachment 81200

Good pick up. Thanks for that @Serj I stand corrected.

 

[Singapore Flyers]

Lot's of good chat about the flex position

I think there's two phases to it though... post-bye when you are fully upgraded you want the highest scoring player you can't fit on another line: probably 9th mid or maybe 3rd ruck.

Pre-bye, flex is effectively your 22nd/23rd on-field player, which will be a rookie. When we pick starting premiums you ideally want to pay the least amount of money for premiums that will finish at the top of their line. In 2024 this meant guys like Heeney, Flanders, Xerri and Sheezel were the 'best' starting picks.

If your analysis of the best 12-13 starting premiums across all lines throws up three rucks then rejoice (!), you can now pick them all .

But that seems to be kind of the only case where it would make sense to go that way isn't it?

If the starting dearth of premium scorers in the forward line remains around the bye period, I suspect we will be getting that premo flex before we fill F6 or even F5. It might even be a consideration before we fill D5 or D6. Regardless, it looks like it will add an interesting element of strategy to putting a team together. And after a year where all teams ended up looking the same, and the key to rank being when you got certain must haves in your team- this feels welcome.
One aspect of the new position that has been touched on by a few is the change in prices. I am looking forward to some stat geniuses like Rowsus for an opinion on what it means for cash generation. Is it now a bigger gap from rookie to premium that requires more trades? Will it mean that high price premiums will decrease in price slower, so there might be less bargain based premiums available in upgrade season? If there are these sort of connotations (plus many more that this community can think of) what does it mean for strategy? Is it a strengthening of guns and rookies or does it favor mid price madness?
Will be an interesting preseason. Bring it on!

 

[Ironhawk]

Depends how bold you want to be but it could make the likes of Curnow or Cameron tempting if you want to go that way.

Saw on the news tonight (Ch. 9) that Curnow is having knee surgery next week. Even if it is minor, that's too much of a red flag for me. For info for anyone who may be considering him.

Not sure if the flex spot is the best spot to be used for players with a larger scoring range, probably better looping them if possible, especially with the amount of bye rounds in AFL now. Guess we'll get an idea of what may be the best strategy from BBL having a flex spot this year.

 

[Serj]

Saw on the news tonight (Ch. 9) that Curnow is having knee surgery next week. Even if it is minor, that's too much of a red flag for me. For info for anyone who may be considering him.

Not sure if the flex spot is the best spot to be used for players with a larger scoring range, probably better looping them if possible, especially with the amount of bye rounds in AFL now. Guess we'll get an idea of what may be the best strategy from BBL having a flex spot this year.

On your second point, I think the idea was that someone like Curnow who has hot and cold peaky scoring is now more viable to pick because flex exists and the 22/23 structure could kill some of the low scores. Rather than that the hot and cold player should be the flex themselves.

 

[Ironhawk]

On your second point, I think the idea was that someone like Curnow who has hot and cold peaky scoring is now more viable to pick because flex exists and the 22/23 structure could kill some of the low scores. Rather than that the hot and cold player should be the flex themselves.

Fair enough then, that makes a lot more sense. Yes, it probably would make them a bit less risky selection that way, more so later in a season when you have a mostly premium team to cover any low score.

 

[donnybuang]

What happens if your flex scores zero? Covered by E score?

 

[GrainFedBeef]

What happens if your flex scores zero? Covered by E score?

emergency is for each particular line, expect the flex does not have cover.

 

[GrainFedBeef]

If the starting dearth of premium scorers in the forward line remains around the bye period, I suspect we will be getting that premo flex before we fill F6 or even F5. It might even be a consideration before we fill D5 or D6. Regardless, it looks like it will add an interesting element of strategy to putting a team together. And after a year where all teams ended up looking the same, and the key to rank being when you got certain must haves in your team- this feels welcome.
One aspect of the new position that has been touched on by a few is the change in prices. I am looking forward to some stat geniuses like Rowsus for an opinion on what it means for cash generation. Is it now a bigger gap from rookie to premium that requires more trades? Will it mean that high price premiums will decrease in price slower, so there might be less bargain based premiums available in upgrade season? If there are these sort of connotations (plus many more that this community can think of) what does it mean for strategy? Is it a strengthening of guns and rookies or does it favor mid price madness?
Will be an interesting preseason. Bring it on!

MN comes down to accomodate extra player in squad. $600k player is now $580k and a $102k rookie is $99k. Gap is less.

Extra rookie in squad so cash gen better.

decay rate on magic number is the same ( not that it is uniform year to year) based on above info. However, MN should decay more this year if depth of rookies player from 2024 super draft plays out. MN is influenced most by new players scoring above their intrinsic value, diluting the overall pool of 3400 points per game that is distributed.

potn helps G&R the most

 

[Singapore Flyers]

MN comes down to accomodate extra player in squad. $600k player is now $580k and a $102k rookie is $99k. Gap is less.

Extra rookie in squad so cash gen better.

decay rate on magic number is the same ( not that it is uniform year to year) based on above info. However, MN should decay more this year if depth of rookies player from 2024 super draft plays out. MN is influenced most by new players scoring above their intrinsic value, diluting the overall pool of 3400 points per game that is distributed.

potn helps G&R the most

Excellent analysis and advice. Thank you

 

[ChaosAllStars]

Long time reader, first post.

Liking the introduction of Flex. Surely a scoring ruck like TDK is the way to go? With a DPP R/F still as bench ruck? That way if a ruck misses a game (including byes) you can swing the Flex ruck to cover, have the non-playing ruck at R3, swing DPP R/F to Fwd bench and then have a Fwd at flex? You’ll always want to have 23 on field players? And whoever you have at Flex needs to be the player least likely to miss out ie not a rookie, as we have no cover at flex.

Hoping the Team picker opens tomorrow so we can test out some theories.