Patch’s February team reveal 2025: Why I’m returning to old fashioned guns and rookies set-up
Patch used to be with it – then they changed what “it” was. Now, midpriced madness seems weird and scary to him. He’s gone back to the glory days to ask if Guns and Rookies can net him $50k.
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I used to be with it. It might not seem like it – Patch? The guy who says crackalakin unironically? That guy was once with it?
I was.
But then they changed what it was. Now, what I’m with isn’t it, and what it is seems weird and scary to me. And the worst part? It’ll happen to you.
Guns and rookies used to be it. Guns and rookies were all the rage. When I was knee high to a grasshopper, You couldn’t walk down the street without someone offering you some guns and/or rookies.
Now, it’s the era of the midpricer. I’m getting ads for Matty Roberts on my phone. I keep hearing the name Adam Cerra whispered from dark alleyways, from a man in a trench coat saying “hey kid, want some value”? I’m seeing James Peatling flying in through an open window in the moonlight in my sleep.
And I’ve decided I’m not having it.
Back in my day there were two types of SuperCoach player: premium and rookie. Everyone in the middle – who wasn’t someone coming back from injury – could get in the bin.
And this year we’ve been blessed with – well, at this point in early February, what seems like – an abundance of very good rookies. They’ve all obviously got asterisks next to their name, and are likely to change, but they’re good – and I want to shove as many of them into my side as possible.
Most of the good ones are expensive, which hurts, but in trying to maximise how many of them are in my side, I found I had the cash to go up to the big guns – and if I have the choice between James Peatling and Zach Merrett, in what world am I picking Peatling?
I’ve played around with squeezing mid-pricers in and nothing felt quite as nice as what I’ve ended up with. Am I too resistent to change? Do I need to broaden my horizons to keep up with the young kids with their 36 trades and boosts and flexes and whizzbangs?
No, it’s the children who are wrong.
So, like an onion tied to my belt, I’m bringing guns and rookies back … mostly.
DEFENDERS
Jack Sinclair (StK) $592,200 Mid
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (StK) $543,700
Max Holmes (GEE) $533,900 Mid
Tobie Travaglia (StK) $172,000 Mid
Bo Allan (WCE) $136,00 Mid
James Leake (GWS) 119,900
Saad El-Hawli (ESS) $119,900 Mid
Ben Jepson (GCS) $99,100
Say it with me folks, guns and rookies! Luke Ryan will score 250 in Round 1 but Harry Sheezel is the better long-term play – it doesn’t matter where he lines up, he’ll score points.
Jack Sinclair has been a gun for some time and I love St Kilda’s draw and bye, and with more midfielders being added to the side he should suit up at half-back alongside Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, who I had knocks on earlier in his career but am now fully behind as a rolled-gold premo. How much Arie Schoenmaker and Jack Sinclair pinch from his pie could force a pivot to Max Holmes, though.
MIDFIELD
Marcus Bontempelli (WBD) $681,000
Zak Butters (PTA) $648,900
Zach Merrett (ESS) $621,100
Tom Green (GWS) $574,200
Clayton Oliver (MEL) $451,600
Jagga Smith (CAR) $194,600
Ed Allan (COLL) $194,000
Josh Smillie (RICH) $176,500
Elijah Tsatas (ESS) $191,200
Neil Erasmus (FRE) $119,900 FWD
Kynan Brown (MEL) $119,900
Say it with me folks, guns and rookies! And what big guns they are, too. The Bont speaks for himself, and Zak Butters and the Powers’ start to the year is nothing short of scintillating – look at their opening two months – while he also has a brilliant bye.
It’s enough to make me consider a very cheap Connor Rozee next to him, but have Tom Green as an option for now. I just think he’s neat – and also has a game built for SuperCoach.
Zach Merrett plays plenty of Thursday and Friday games so is a lock on VC potential alone, as well as also maybe possibly being my favourite player but I can assure you that has nothing to do with it.
Clayton Oliver might look like a midpricer, but don’t be fooled – I’m putting him down as an injury bounce-back. What was the injury, you ask? And didn’t he play 21 games last yea—? Shhhhhhh. SHHHHHH.
I need this technicality to make the premise of this team work and by gum I’ll do the mental gymnastics required.
I can’t see myself starting the season with less than three on-field midfield premium rookies – and if required Tom Green could well become Lachie Whitfield or Dan Houston or even Max Holmes, who I’ve had in and out of the side.
FLEX
Sid Draper (ADE) $190,000
Say it with me folks, rookies!
The rookies are good and if he’s body’s right Sid could be the best of the lot. I’m certainly not putting a mid pricer here, goodness me. Can’t be having that. I’m ponying up for at least four expensive midfield ones and one of them is likely to start in the flex. Draper, Jagga, Ed Allan, Levi Ashcroft, Josh Smillie, Elijah Tsatas, Nathan O’Driscoll, Leo Lombard are at the top of my watchlist and every chance I’m forced into a reshuffle to fit more in. Huge watch and see there.
RUCKS
Tristan Xerri (NTH) $645,900
Tom De Koning (CAR) $547,100
Harry Boyd (StK) $99,100
Say it with me folks, guns and rookie! Tristan Xerri is the frontrunner to be the No. 1 ruck for the season in the absence of any other options. I can’t fit in both Gawn and Xerri with their price points, so it’s Tom De Koning to pair with him.
FORWARDS
Jason Horne-Francis (PTA) $537,000 (Mid)
Jack Macrae (StK) $392,200
Bailey Smith (GEE) $389,200 (Mid)
Caleb Daniel (NTH) $269,100 (Mid)
Joe Berry (PTA) $140,500
Jobe Shanahan (WCE) $113,500
Isaac Kako (ESS) $149,500 (Mid)
Ashton Moir (CAR) $119,900
Say it with me, gun and rookies (and a bunch of midpricers maybe, oops)!
I’ll be real folks, I can’t be bothered trying to justify why each of them isn’t a midpricer and will just talk about their merits – JHF has an incredible run early and barring injury will be a top three forward, lock it in.
Macrae at under 400k and will outperform that price point even if he plays only a little more midfield time than he did last season, so I’m pretty comfortable picking him.
Bailey Smith and his incredible hair are incredible value and could prove a keeper – as much as I wanted to pick Mattaes Philippou ahead of him – while Caleb Daniel may be the biggest lock in SuperCoach history.
The rookies will hopefully firm up as we approach Round 1.
So that’s where we’ve landed … for now. I’ve done very little tinkering through December and January – SuperCoach NBL has kept me busy alongside cricket and tennis – but now footy is firing up and you bet I’ll be devouring every tidbit coming my way.
And the beauty of it is – it’s February! Nothing matters! We’ve got weeks left of intra-clubs before we turn our attention to pre-season matches proper and all of this goes out the window. Which may include this guns and rookies-shaped onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time.
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Originally published as Patch’s February team reveal 2025: Why I’m returning to old fashioned guns and rookies set-up
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