KFC SuperCoach round 10 trade guide: Best rookies and targets for your team
Keen not to burn through trades before the byes, The Phantom is eyeing a surprise Luke Davies-Uniacke trade. See what our experts are planning here and our round 10 trade tips.
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It’s an important week in KFC SuperCoach as teams take the first steps to prepare for the coming bye rounds.
Our KFC SuperCoach experts have put too much thought into what they will do and whether to punt on Blake Drury after a score of 17 last week.
Here’s what they have come up with.
THE PHANTOM
I am still weighing up a last-minute Luke Davies-Uniacke to Jordan De Goey move, but only because it will be one trade. It might all depend on how my players go on Friday night. Otherwise, I’m sticking to the longer-term plan that I put together earlier this week. See it here.
TIM MICHELL
No trades...or: Harry Rowston and Matt Roberts to Harry Sharp and Bailey Humphrey
I’m a bit concerned about burning two sideways trades that I don’t really have to spare on rookies. But these moves would give me valuable cash generation and cover through the toughest bye rounds. I thought I was really well placed for rounds 14 and 15 but then checked my team and surprise, surprise, I am not. Sharp (Brisbane) has the bye in round 12 and although there are question marks over how long he stays in the side, coach Chris Fagan spoke positively about him this week. Humphrey only needs to stay in the team until round 15, make $150k and then his value could be used for a premium coming off the last of the byes. Then again, I might not trade at all if Sam Simpson scores OK against Freo. I’ve got a bit to weigh up but will pass on Blake Drury — I don’t need anyone else who isn’t playing round 15.
AL PATON
Out - Conor McKenna, Kade Chandler, Jacob Hopper
In - Zach Merrett, Blake Drury, Harry Sharp
Inspired by The Phantom, I have drawn up a plan on how my team will take shape over the byes, and hopefully make some ground on the overall leaders in KFC SuperCoach (and Tim and Dan). I’ve played conservatively until now and still have some bench rookies with cash attached, and now is the time to move them on with McKenna and Chandler both carrying high Break Evens in round 10. Hopper’s injury is a complication but with two boosts left I’m using one to grab some rookies while they’re on the table - as bad as this week’s offerings look, the next few weeks could be even grimmer. Merrett has a dream fixture - and a great record against Richmond - and these moves will leave enough cash in the bank to turn my last bench stalwart Oskar Baker into another premo next week.
FANTASY FREAKO’S GUIDE ON ROOKIES TO BUY AND SELL
The time has come to offload Kade Chandler.
After peaking with 104 points in round 7 he has scored 57 and 42 points since and now has a Break Even of 105 ahead of Melbourne’s trip to Adelaide to face the Power. Take the money and run!
Will Ashcroft (BE 85), however, shouldn’t be going anywhere. A number of SuperCoaches offloaded him last week and he bounced back from 37 points a week earlier to tally 97 against the Bombers. His numbers at the Gabba are excellent – averaging 28 disposals, five clearances and 95 points. Ashcroft faces the Suns this Saturday night at the Gabba.
Likewise, Esava Ratugolea can stay another week (BE 29). He has scored 88 and 77 in his past two games, taking a combined eight intercept marks in those games. Even with Jack Henry’s pending return this week, Henry should play at the other end of the ground as a direct replacement for his brother Ollie.
In terms of rookie targets, Harry Sharp looms as one of best with a BE of -37. He has forced his way into the Lions side, and he would be stiff to get dropped after scoring 68 from 17 disposals and six marks on the weekend.
Blake Drury would be high on everyone’s agenda but a score of just 17 points in round 9 may have turned a few away. He had just seven disposals and one contested possession.
Thomas Berry (BE-34) is an option up forward after two games for the Suns as a pressure forward. He is yet to hit the scoreboard and has recorded 10 disposals in each game.
His teammate Bailey Humphrey (BE -59) scored -3 only a few weeks ago but he has followed that up with 64 and 117 points. He ticked a lot of boxes last week, recording 20 disposals, 10 contested possessions, five inside-50s, five tackles and a goal. He also attended five centre bounces. But there is a caveat to his big score – it was against West Coast.
You also must pay up for Humphrey, but that is offset by a favourable round 13 bye.
ANDY ANSWER TO INJURY CRISIS
It was a brutal round for SuperCoaches as injuries hit across the board in round 9.
Personally speaking, I was on the receiving end of two injuries and one sub out, with Jacob Hopper and Jack Steele succumbing to ailments while Rory Laird was subbed out as after suffering a heavy knock during the game.
The worst of the lot was Callum Mills, who lasted only five minutes before injuring his calf. He was hot property ahead of round 9 and plenty jumped on – and all new owners got was a measly four points and $51,700 price fall. Brutal!
Luke Davies-Uniacke suffered a hamstring injury, but, unlike Mills, he had already rewarded his owners with 122 points – his highest score since round 2. The blow is softened by a score like that, but he’ll need to be replaced this week.
Jacob Hopper was another popular asset that went down, with close to 70,000 SuperCoaches owning the Tiger. He didn’t have a major impact against the Cats and was the 34th ranked player on the ground when he was subbed out with a calf injury, falling in price by $16,000 along the way.
Steele was reportedly only managed in the final term as a precaution – but where there is smoke there will always be fire. He is doubtful to play against GWS on Sunday. Even if he is named, there is a chance he’s a late out – so be prepared.
Darcy Parish didn’t even make it to round 9 after he suffered a calf injury at training – an injury that will keep him out until the bye rounds, if not longer.
If you own all five of the above injured players then you can count yourself to be extremely unlucky. Except for Laird – who should be fit to play this weekend – and Steele, the rest are all long-term, and with byes around the corner you can’t afford to carry any of them on your bench.
Shrewd SuperCoaches will already have one eye on the bye rounds, and when it comes to brining players in over the next few weeks the team itself and not the player will dictate what moves are made. Make sure you look at your current bye structure and see where you stand.
If we take the byes out of the equation, the one player I would target this week is Andrew Brayshaw (BE 74). He played a season-high 111 minutes last week, and has played over 100 minutes for three weeks in a row for the first time this season. If he was carrying an injury niggle earlier in the year he looks to be over it now.
Brayshaw has reached 30 disposals in each of his past three matches, with his errant kicking (44 per cent kicking efficiency) one of the main reasons his score was well below 100 in round 9.
Brayshaw is currently the 23rd highest priced midfielder in the game and has fallen in price by $69,600. That presents value.
Zach Merrett (BE 120) is another player who should be high on the radar, especially with Parish sidelined. Merrett scored just 95 on the weekend, but he scored 91, 111, 147, 136, 133, and 140 in the six games Parish missed last year.
If you wanted to wait another week then Lachie Neale (BE 155) will be ripe for picking ahead of round 11. His price has already fallen by $101,500 and should dip even more.
Happy trading and best of luck for round 10!
Trade guide: Rookies, stars to target for round 10
– Tim Michell, Al Paton and Dan Batten
So much for being on cloud nine.
Round 9 was supposed to be the week when Kade Chandler took another step toward an easy premium upgrade, Blake Drury provided an easy rookie trade and Jacob Hopper confirmed he was a safe midfield pick until Richmond’s bye for thousands of sides, if not beyond.
If there’s one thing we know about KFC SuperCoach, especially this year, it doesn’t work that way.
Chandler scored just on his 42 Break Even, Drury scored 17 and Hopper was subbed with a calf injury on 43.
Then none of the three most-popular captaincy picks – Clayton Oliver, Marcus Bontempelli and Jordan Dawson – reached 120 points.
Oliver’s 119 looked more like 150 when Dawson scored 89 against St Kilda, leaving about 8 per cent of coaches tearing their hair out.
Best #SuperCoach rookie buy this week?
— Tim Michell (@tim_michell) May 15, 2023
Then there was Jack Steele icing his knee in the last quarter against Adelaide, Rory Laird subbed after being crunched, Callum Mills injured on 4 and Noah Anderson given the Ryan Crowley treatment by Xavier O’Neill.
Round 9 was a shocker for many, but now you can find a silver lining by maximising your trades of Hopper, Chandler and other rookies who have peaked in the next two weeks before the byes.
Yes, if you thought this weekend was full of carnage, the byes are just around the corner.
But honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way in KFC SuperCoach.
Here are our top trade targets for round 10:
Darcy Cameron $494,000 RUC-FWD
The Collingwood ruckman is due to return from a knee injury this week and has a break even of 53. Cameron was one of the best-performed forward options in KFC SuperCoach in the opening three rounds with scores of 103, 137 and 89. This will be the last week for a while you’re likely to be able to buy him for under $500k, but it might be worth paying a little more to see how much ruck time he plays on his return in case he’s eased back. That will also give you a chance to weigh up how many up how many of the new round 12 DPP forward additions you want and whether you can squeeze them and Cameron into your forward line. Max Gawn, Sam Walsh and Christian Petracca are bigger priorities if they get DPP.
Sam Walsh $610,400 MID
The ever-reliable Carlton star could be a FWD-MID this time next week which would be a game changer in KFC SuperCoach. Walsh has five consecutive tons since returning from off-season back surgery and is averaging 114.2 after scoring 117 in Saturday night’s loss to Western Bulldogs. He will be a must-have if he gains forward status but is a great option for your KFC SuperCoach team regardless as a MID only. Even with the Blues struggling he has kept his run of 25+ disposal games going and as long as he’s racking up plenty of ball, Walsh is likely to score well. You could potentially trade Kade Chandler and Jacob Hopper to Walsh and a rookie this week.
Lachie Neale $574,700 MID
The Lions co-captain hasn’t been as dominant as past seasons in KFC SuperCoach yet is still averaging 107 points after nine matches this year. His price has dropped by about $100k since the start of the season, making Neale a very attractive option as a fallen premium. He’s only averaging 92.3 points in the past month, so you might want to hold off until after Brisbane’s round 12 bye and hope he’s still on the right side of $600k. He’s got Gold Coast and Adelaide before the bye who he posted 123 and 115 against last year respectively.
Zach Merrett $564,100 MID
The Bombers skipper looked set for a huge score at halftime against Brisbane on Saturday night but only had eight disposals after the main break. Merrett surprisingly spent time at half forward despite Darcy Parish’s injury, only attending 13 centre bounces (less than Jye Caldwell). That means Merrett’s price has dropped again from $582k ahead of a very attractive run of fixtures before the bye. Essendon takes on Richmond, West Coast and North Melbourne in its next three matches, teams Merrett scored 150, 111 and 140 against last year. Just be mindful if you’re trading him in due to that run, he’s likely to get Xavier O’Neill for company when Essendon takes on the Eagles.
James Sicily $546,100 DEF
It can a serious rollercoaster having the Hawks captain in your KFC SuperCoach but the good weeks are seriously good. Sicily was huge in a team obliterated by Melbourne, scoring a season-high 134 points to beat his break even of 113 and send his price back up from $537k. He had 27 disposals, 10 intercepts and reeled in eight marks. His break even will be high again this week but Hawthorn takes on West Coast and you sense Sicily could have a field day - especially if Jack Darling is out injured. The battling Eagles have been leaking KFC SuperCoach points all year and Sicily posted 114 points when they last met in round 18 last season. Before you commit to Sicily, check how you’re placed for round 14. It’s looming as the toughest of the bye rounds for KFC SuperCoach with a host of popular premiums having a week off.
Matt Rowell $542,500 MID
Eating grass pre-match might seem odd but who’s to argue when it produces performances like this? Rowell was incredible against the Eagles, scoring 165 points from 29 disposals and an insane 17 tackles. And it wasn’t the first time he has gone big against West Coast. He doesn’t get to play them again this season but on recent form there could be more big scores coming – Rowell now averages 118 from his past five games with four of those scores over 100. Is this the coming of age we’ve been hoping for since Rowell’s brilliant start to his KFC SuperCoach career, when he averaged 126.5 in his first four games? If it is, he’s a steal at his round 10 price. And as an added bonus he has the Suns’ very friendly round 13 bye.
Luke Parker $520,800 MID
Parker has been a reliable pick in KFC SuperCoach for about as long as we can remember, but this year his ownership sits at just 1 per cent. Those owners have enjoyed his recent form, scoring 100-plus in four consecutive games despite Sydney’s worries, helping himself to 97 disposals in the past three rounds. The highest of those scores is 116 but if you need a premium midfielder for close to $500,000 you could do a lot worse than a guy who has averaged more than 99 points a game for the last eight seasons.
Jordan De Goey $501,000 MID
The star Magpie scored his fifth hundred in eight games this year against GWS, racking up 31 disposals, kicking a goal and tallying 128 KFC SuperCoach points. Scores of 67 and 76 in rounds 7 and 8 have resulted in De Goey’s price heading back toward $500k despite him enjoying his best start to a KFC SuperCoach season ever. De Goey’s average has lifted to 103.8 after his heroics on Sunday and with games against Carlton, North Melbourne and West Coast coming up, he could be set for a monster run before the bye. De Goey might be the best value premium midfielder if you want to find money for a higher-priced rookie such as Bailey Humphrey this week.
Max Gawn $518,300 RUC
For those currently rolling with one premium ruckman (or a ruck you need an excuse to trade out), going early on Gawn is the POD play that can give you a massive edge over the rest. The rumours are true, Gawn is nearing FWD status, but the reason for going early centres on his round 10 opponent: Brynn Teakle. Todd Goldstein, 35 in July, gave the inexperienced Port ruckman a touch up for the ages at Blundstone Arena on Saturday, amassing 55 hit-outs, 24 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 11 clearances and 171 points. We know Gawn is sharing the duties with Brodie Grundy, but considering the Power ran with Sam Powell-Pepper (187cm) at times as Teakle’s deputy, a monster score looms for the bearded giant. He proved he doesn’t need to have big hitout numbers to score well with the ruck split, posting 130 points against the Suns a fortnight ago from 15 disposals, 17 hit-outs and two goals.
Matt Kennedy $347,300 MID
Not every coach will be keen (or able) to go one up, one down this week if they’re moving on the likes of Chandler and Hopper. That means looking for value around the same price and after a few weeks as sub, Kennedy stands out. He was back in Carlton’s best 22 on Saturday night, scoring 89 points (well short of his 152 break even). Kennedy scored 96, 110, 41 and 80 in the opening four rounds before managing 25 points and 36 in 32 minutes as the sub in rounds 7 and 8. After he started the year at $532k, you can now get Kennedy for about $200k less than that, which is why bargain hunters are eyeing him off. He’s unlikely to be in your finished team, but maybe he’ll make 100-150k and get you to one of your last midfielders. He’s by no means a perfect option but there’s no doubt he’s underpriced after averaging 96.7 last year.
Bailey Humphrey $213,400 FWD-MID
It may have been against the lowly Eagles, but Humphrey showed why Melbourne came with a godfather offer in its attempt to secure him in last year’s draft. Humphrey high-impact per possession game was on full display, with his 20 disposals, five tackles and a goal yielding 117 points. But he remains just $28.6k above his starting price after a sub affected game where he scored a dismal -3 points. However since being promoted to the starting line-up in the past two weeks, he has produced scores of 64 and 117, and even featured at five centre bounces against the Eagles. He has the lowest Break Even in the competition this week (-59) and looks to have the best job security of any bubble boy this week. Humphrey could prove to be handy cover during the byes with the Suns part of a two-team bye round and shapes as an attractive proposition with that ton in his price cycle for the next fortnight — especially for those that didn’t pay up for Rory Atkins last week.
Tom Berry $123,900 FWD
Playing as a small pressure forward for Gold Coast isn’t a role that gets KFC SuperCoach players excited, but hopefully it’s one that Stuart Dew appreciates. Berry, who was traded to the Suns last October, logged 10 disposals, five tackles and two score involvements against the Eagles for a handy 48 KFC SuperCoach points. That followed 57 points from almost identical statistics on debut against the Demons a week earlier. Ben Ainsworth and Nick Holman are close to returns from injury so Berry could be on shaky ground, but if he can hold his spot for game three he could be the best option we have to downgrade a forward like Kade Chandler or Jacob van Rooyen.
Harry Sharp $123,900 MID
Some KFC SuperCoaches (including one contributor to this column) will remember Sharp from 2021 when they picked him in their starting team, played the first two rounds then wasn’t seen again for the rest of the season. At least this year we’ll get to see if he’s selected for his third match before selecting him. And his prospects look a lot stronger after collecting 13 touches and a goal against Carlton, then backing it up with 17 touches and 68 KFC SuperCoach points against Essendon. Sharp played four matches in 2022 but averaged only 17 points so don’t expect huge scores, but at least he’s available at rookie price.
Jack Bytel $116,300 MID
One of the only benefits of the sub rule change for KFC SuperCoach has been players used as the sub dropping in price. Just look at Nat Fyfe. After two games as the sub he has dropped to $267k with a break even of 101 against Geelong this round. On current projections he will be under $200k by round 14 - but enough about him. This week Bytel is the player you should be considering who has succumbed to the same sub fate after being used in that role in rounds 4 (10 points in nine minutes), 5 (14 points in 14 minutes), 8 (8 points in 23 minutes) and 9 (16 points in 38 minutes). Bytel started the season at almost $160k yet can be purchased this week for less than the price most rookies started at. Plus, he has a break even of 42, so he could be even cheaper next week if he’s sub again. Bytel averaged 122 ranking points a game last year in the VFL and rookie guru Dan Batten described him as a “forgotten man” in this year’s rookie bible. In two VFL matches this year he has had 35 and 39 disposals. Bytel’s job security is the obvious issue, but he’s next in line if Jack Steele doesn’t come up after spending the last 20 minutes of Sunday’s match against Adelaide icing his knee. Bytel scored 71 points in his only full game this year in round 1 against Fremantle when he had 16 disposals and seven tackles. He’s not a perfect solution to the current rookie issues by any means, but he probably has the best scoring potential of any rookie in the mix this round if he can crack the Saints’ best 22.
Blake Drury $102,400 FWD-MID
It’s rare for a rookie to score 17 in a 70-point loss and hold their spot, but the diminutive Drury might be the exception to the rule this week with the Kangaroos looking at five forced changes due to injury and suspension. More than 30,000 KFC SuperCoaches broke the age old rule and traded him in after his promising first game, where the young Roo managed 51 points. But despite dropping a stinker against the Power, he remains an option if you are desperate to save the extra $20k to grab a premium. You would have to wait team lists are out to be sure whether he holds his spot, and he would certainly be a pick you could bank on job security wise, but it could prove to be worth it if the premium you grab explodes and Drury can remain in Alastair Clarkson’s side. However, this is a massive if.
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Originally published as KFC SuperCoach round 10 trade guide: Best rookies and targets for your team
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