The best bargain buys of KFC SuperCoach 2020
Everyone loves a bargain, especially in SuperCoach. And this year we are blessed with a long shopping list of star player available at discount prices. How many can you fit in your squad?
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Everyone loves a bargain, especially in KFC SuperCoach.
When trying to pack 30 top-scoring guns into your squad the key is finding players who can deliver value for money.
Look no further.
Due to injuries, time off or a late start to their AFL career, these players have received a discount - in some cases a very big one - from the SuperCoach bankers who assign starting prices for the 2020 season.
Who are you picking?
Sam Docherty (Carl) $436,100 DEF
The Blues co-captain was the first picked player in plenty of SuperCoach teams last year before suffering another knee injury in the pre-season. He will ease his way into full training after Christmas following a trip to the US, but he’s on track for Round 1. It’s two years since his breakout 2016-17 seasons when he emerged as one of the top defenders in the game, averaging 109 and 115 points. But at that price, he’s a risk worth taking.
Marlion Pickett (Rich) $123,900 MID
Richmond’s one-game wonder will be one of the most popular players in SuperCoach after scoring 96 points in his only AFL game, which also happened to be a Grand Final. Luckily for us, finals don't come into SuperCoach price calculations. The 28-year-old is cheaper than some teenage draftees.
Devon Smith (Ess) $335,800 FWD/MID
Ask any Essendon fan how much they missed Smith last season. He was one of the top SuperCoach forwards in 2018 (98 average) after crossing to the Bombers, but he was clearly not right in his seven games last year before sitting out the rest of the season with a knee injury. Latest reports from the track say he's absolutely flying.
Mitchell Hibberd (Ess) $114,400 MID
Could be the hard midfielder Essendon needs if he can grasp his AFL lifeline. Hibberd was delisted by North Melbourne at the end of 2018 but had a great season for Williamstown, making the VFL team of the year and starring in the grand final before the Bombers pounced in the rookie draft. “I’ve still got a lot of AFL football left in me and I plan on proving everyone wrong,” the 23-year-old said. Also cheap as chips.
Jack Steven (Geel) $361,700 FWD/MID
Will a move home refresh the four-time Saints best-and-fairest winner? The early signs are good. At his best Steven is a SuperCoach dynamo — he scored 154 as recently as Round 23, 2018 and averaged 90-plus for the three seasons before 2019 — but his seven matches last year included a 32 and two scores in the 60s. Dual-position status a big plus.
Izak Rankine (GC) $123,900 FWD
One of the most hyped draftees going into last year but the No. 3 pick didn’t play a game after suffering a hamstring injury in the pre-season comp. The No. 1-ranked player at the 2018 under-18 championships (where he averaged 120 SuperCoach points a game) is $75,000 cheaper than he was 12 months ago.
Tom Doedee (Adel) $273,700 DEF
The young Crows defender was a revelation in 2018 when he averaged 82 points as a rookie, but he managed just one quarter in 2019 before rupturing his ACL. If he’s fully fit an intercepting role is his for the taking with Alex Keath now at the Western Bulldogs.
Nic Naitanui (WC) $457,800 RUCK
Nic Nat played three games mid-season last year — scoring 99, 84 and 94 — then returned for the finals, scoring 68 and 90. His knees are always a worry but the big selling point is picking him instead of Brodie Grundy or Max Gawn frees up almost $250,000 to spend elsewhere. If you’re feeling really brave, Sam Jacobs is just $348,400.
Callan Ward (GWS) $511,400 MID
Forgotten man who played just one game last season, scoring four points before wrecking his knee. A model of consistency before that, he played at least 20 games every season from 2011-18 (including 95 in a row) and averaging 89, 107, 97, 113, 106, 106, 100 and 105 in that time. A safe bet.
Tom McDonald (Melb) $387,000 FWD
After a nightmare first half of last season he found form after the bye — scoring 135, 62 and 139 in successive weeks — before a knee injury ended his year. Priced at a 71 average, can he produce numbers more like his 2018 season when he averaged 97.6 points a game? If the Demons bounce back hard he’s a chance.
Stephen Hill (Frem) $190,600 DEF/FWD
Freo wingman is a huge steal after missing most of last season with quad and calf injuries. Not a noted SuperCoach scorer but at that price he only needs to score 50 or more to jump in value (he averaged in the mid-90s in 2015-16 and in the 80s in his most recent full seasons). We know his body is fragile but you can’t ignore him if he’s on the park.
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Harley Bennell
Not on an AFL list yet so we don’t have a price but expect him to be under $130,000 if Melbourne gives him a start. Has barely played for four years but he could be a superstar — he averaged 98, 97, 96 and 102 from 2012-15 — and if he’s playing in Round 1 everyone will take the risk.
Originally published as The best bargain buys of KFC SuperCoach 2020