Discussion 2025: AFL SuperCoach Discussion - OPEN

[Ironhawk]

Be nice if they put out prices as well.

That list is for AFL Fantasy, not SC, so the prices wouldn't help a lot due to the different scoring. The positions should be the same for SC though, which is actually very handy to know for planning.

You could probably work out prices quite accurately based on starting prices from recent years (assuming they keep a similar structure), but I expect they may change the format a bit this year by adding a flex/sub/utility player similar to AFL Fantasy and BBL SC. This would probably reduce the starting prices for all players by about 3-4% if they keep the same salary cap (due to having to select an extra player), but I'm just guessing.

I'm guessing someone will put together a starting price list soon (if they haven't already) that may not be exact, but will be a good guide now team lists are relatively complete. There's a lot of dedicated SC fans online.

 

[Ben's Beasts]

Harry Sharp a nice addition. Does he get a spot on MID rotation. Any news which line he is training with.?

I think he only started training this week.

I'm expecting him to be wing/half fwd but no guarantee he's in the best 23 to begin with.

 

[Vicwood]

I think he only started training this week.

I'm expecting him to be wing/half fwd but no guarantee he's in the best 23 to begin with.

Thanks.

 

[Manikato1]

Hawthorn going to do an Australian version of the NFL "Hard Knocks" for 2025 season. Going to call it Full Sweat. Not sure Full Sweat is an awe inspiring name but will be interesting to see their expectations pre season verses what might happen in the actual season.

 

[Zagbag]

Will be role dependent.

Zero interest if he’s solely a forward. Interested if he gets midfield minutes and/or is around stoppages regularly.

Gut feel is the role won’t be there for sufficient SC scoring.

Think the view from inside the Swans camp is that Parker is just too slow to be playing midfield now. Another year older is unlikely to change that.

 

[TBG]

When does Supercoach gold team picker normally open? I'm getting itchy fingers to pick my team for next season😩😩😩

 

[Russty_]

When does Supercoach gold team picker normally open? I'm getting itchy fingers to pick my team for next season😩😩😩

Think it was about Dec 20th or 21st last season.

 

[Ironhawk]

Yep, team picker has generally been around a week or so prior to Christmas, with entries opening for real around Australia Day.

Must admit I don't have much enthusiasm for SC next season right now, but I also know my boss will expect me to join his league again, so I will have to create a team anyway.

 

[TBG]

Think it was about Dec 20th or 21st last season.

Nice early XMas present👍

 

[Russty_]

Yep, team picker has generally been around a week or so prior to Christmas, with entries opening for real around Australia Day.

Must admit I don't have much enthusiasm for SC next season right now, but I also know my boss will expect me to join his league again, so I will have to create a team anyway.

I found that a bit exhausting last season too with opening round and all the byes etc, I mean I ended up ok on about 5500k or so after a horrific start but it didn't feel all that fun to get there, felt like a marathon in 35 degree heat when your shoes are falling apart and you have a severe rash in your crotch area LOL

 

[MC's Mix]

10 years ago, Supercoach players who put in time and effort into researching and unearthing breakout players or key rookies were more heavily (or at least consistently) rewarded. Now unfortunately, the Herald Sun releases the 'cheat sheet' every year which means my 3 year old daughter could feasibly be in the top 1000 early in the season without the ability to read...
I understand that it takes a lot more than that to actually win it, but it is a bit exhausting to be so far behind the pack if you stuff up a ruckman for example.

 

[Chumpion]

10 years ago, Supercoach players who put in time and effort into researching and unearthing breakout players or key rookies were more heavily (or at least consistently) rewarded. Now unfortunately, the Herald Sun releases the 'cheat sheet' every year which means my 3 year old daughter could feasibly be in the top 1000 early in the season without the ability to read...
I understand that it takes a lot more than that to actually win it, but it is a bit exhausting to be so far behind the pack if you stuff up a ruckman for example.

Counter point.. why isn't everyone from SCS in the top 1000 each year? I think the HS articles are a bit oversold.. they point out a few obvious must haves, but outside of that they generally cast a very wide and generic net. They'll often have a huge list of premiums to start, so getting them right is still a challenge. I also think there is something to be said for the skill of blocking out the noise or "group think" and being able to back yourself in.

 

[MC's Mix]

Counter point.. why isn't everyone from SCS in the top 1000 each year? I think the HS articles are a bit oversold.. they point out a few obvious must haves, but outside of that they generally cast a very wide and generic net. They'll often have a huge list of premiums to start, so getting them right is still a challenge. I also think there is something to be said for the skill of blocking out the noise or "group think" and being able to back yourself in.

Oh I agree re: HS and group-think, but again, 10+ years ago FanFooty or SCS would have had a fair chunk of the top-end covered. As you said, the teams are very generic, but unlike it was, people are getting far more punished for not having a certain 'must-have' player.
Could be the rose-coloured glasses from a purple patch of form for myself, but I believe that many others would have had a similar feeling to me.
Perhaps as well there are far less 'casuals' now and more people do a quick scroll and throw together a decent starting team. This is all anecdotal of course, not sure if there is any data to support what I'm suggesting.

 

[Connoisseur]

Counter point.. why isn't everyone from SCS in the top 1000 each year? I think the HS articles are a bit oversold.. they point out a few obvious must haves, but outside of that they generally cast a very wide and generic net. They'll often have a huge list of premiums to start, so getting them right is still a challenge. I also think there is something to be said for the skill of blocking out the noise or "group think" and being able to back yourself in.

Oh I agree re: HS and group-think, but again, 10+ years ago FanFooty or SCS would have had a fair chunk of the top-end covered. As you said, the teams are very generic, but unlike it was, people are getting far more punished for not having a certain 'must-have' player.
Could be the rose-coloured glasses from a purple patch of form for myself, but I believe that many others would have had a similar feeling to me.
Perhaps as well there are far less 'casuals' now and more people do a quick scroll and throw together a decent starting team. This is all anecdotal of course, not sure if there is any data to support what I'm suggesting.

Consideration of the increasing avenues of consumption need to be factored in as well. More podcasts, forums, articles, etc in conjunction with perhaps a greater presence in the space from HS further educating those newcomers or “casuals” which in turn reduces the knowledge gap.

It seems to also be that those that enjoyed success in yesteryears are still struggling to adapt to the changes in strategies and trading and thus left behind early on if they do not pivot from poor starting selections, play a bit more aggressively with trades, corrections or do not adjust their risk profile/appetite, etc.

 

[Darkie]

Some good points made above.

I think it makes sense that as standards improve, there is downside risk for groups (let’s say fantasy forum members) who dominated before the extra help was available. There is still only one winner, only 1000 spots in the top 1000, and so on.

I think @Connoisseur makes a good point too. Some people naturally adapt better to new situations than others. Some like the strategic challenge that new rules create. And some may have had great success with an approach that was “optimized” for the way SC used to be played - but, particularly if they have ranked really highly with that approach, it can be hard to accept that the rules have changed, so the optimized approach is likely to have changed too.

I used to get annoyed when the rules changed, because I’m a creature of habit … but I do like the strategic aspect of the changes, so now I try to view it as an opportunity.

 

[Locky27]

Finishing top 1000 is definitely harder than it was 10 years ago. However, I imagine for each individual player the top 1000 strike rate is higher for those on this forum than it is for the average player who gets fed info from the Herald Sun.

 

[donnybuang]

I find it harder now with all the loops. I miss too many opportunities compared to top players with captains, injuries, rookies, late subs etc, because I'm not glued to my phone on the weekend.

 

[Manikato1]

I think the game has changed greatly since many of us started playing. Guns n Rookies is in terminal decline and the once maligned mid price madness has become a much more legitimate strategy.

An increase in trades and an increase in podcasts/websites offering stats and game insights means that the old days where a person doing their own research could gain an advantage are disappearing into the past.

Trading has always been critical but I think never more so now as the mid range players and how they leveraged into high scoring keepers is key.

The “casual” player is probably further than ever behind. We have always had “serious” casual players but now I think there are a lot more uber players that are willing to spend serious time watching every game replay and watching game review podcasts. It is a bit more than a part time hobby for fun.

This year 183,000 played SC (which is down a lot from what it once was) and you only need .5% of these players to be in the “uber serious” category to see them occupy many of the top 1000 spots at season end.

Finally, I know the AFL is running the game and they don’t care about fantasy football. But the result is the more complicated the season becomes with Rd Zero, games spread across 4 or 5 nights, and multiple byes the harder it is to enjoy SC.

For the record this is just my 2 cents worth and certainly not gospel.

 

[Ironhawk]

This article is for AFL Fantasy draft, but might have a few interesting things in it:

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1255613/fantasy-draft-full-rebuild-new-settings-greater-flexibility

It says this format will launch in February. I'm not sure if regular AFL Fantasy will also launch then, but that is usually available earlier than SC. Does anyone who may be more familiar with the draft format know if it generally releases at the same time as Fantasy?

Never been interested in the Fantasy drafts after trialling it once, due to the layout and scoring mainly, but looks like they may be addressing both. I'm interested to know more about the "Impact" scoring system, which is hopefully a bit closer to SC scoring. The new layout (similar to Sleeper I understand) does look good for the draft part at least.

 

[benderiffic]

This article is for AFL Fantasy draft, but might have a few interesting things in it:

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1255613/fantasy-draft-full-rebuild-new-settings-greater-flexibility

It says this format will launch in February. I'm not sure if regular AFL Fantasy will also launch then, but that is usually available earlier than SC. Does anyone who may be more familiar with the draft format know if it generally releases at the same time as Fantasy?

Never been interested in the Fantasy drafts after trialling it once, due to the layout and scoring mainly, but looks like they may be addressing both. I'm interested to know more about the "Impact" scoring system, which is hopefully a bit closer to SC scoring. The new layout (similar to Sleeper I understand) does look good for the draft part at least.

Played SC draft since it started back in maybe 2011?? It has always opened on the same day as SC classic so with all the talk about the revamp being on fantasy, I feel that SC draft will be the same again in 2025.
It's definitely not a bad platform and you can get your draft fix from it, but it is still very bare bones compared to others