AFL SuperCoach 2024: The Phantom’s burning questions and round 3 trade advice

Hayden Young is being kicked to the kerb by thousands of SuperCoach teams, but is it really that simple? The Phantom makes the case for holding plus all this week’s burning questions.

I’m not getting involved in the Kane Cornes v Trent Cotchin spat, but Kane, please, it wasn’t the right clip for a deadpan analysis impersonation.

There is nothing at all boring about Hawthorn kicking the ball around in the backline without any real purpose.

More of it, I say.

Hawks skipper James Sicily had 20 kicks, 13 marks and 123 points as a result.

Just quietly, with a breakeven of 195, keep an eye on his price over the next month.

But the real story, for the second week running at the MCG on a Saturday afternoon, was Massimo D’Ambrosio.

The former Bomber backed up his 122-point performance in round 1 with 23 disposals, eight marks, seven contested possessions, five intercepts and 87 SuperCoach points against the Demons.

As a result, the $224k defender is set to skyrocket in price on the back of a competition-low -82 breakeven.

Even a score of 65 will see D’Ambrosio push the $300k mark this weekend, so you’d get on for the cash injection alone, even if you weren’t totally convinced about his scoring going forward.

But, at that price, I’m not sure what else you need to be convinced about.

It’s time to trade Massimo D'Ambrosio into your SuperCoach team. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

Hayden Young to Massimo then, Phantom? Convince me otherwise …

Straight into it, hey? Fair.

As one of Young’s biggest supporters, yes, I feel your pain. The first two weeks have been very hard to watch.

I mean, 19 clangers. C’mon.

Yes, one of Fremantle’s most skilful players has been hit with a -4 on 19 different occasions – through direct turnovers, dropped marks and free kicks against – in the first two games of the season.

For context, he had only 23 in the final nine rounds of last year.

Can he be that bad again?

The role is there, with Young attending 72 per cent of centre bounces against the Roos – only Caleb Serong and Luke Jackson were at the restart of play more.

And he’s still tackling like he did in the run home in 2023, recording 14 tackles in the past two weeks.

Let it go, I’m not giving him a third chance…

And I wouldn’t blame you.

With a breakeven of 165, Young’s price is set to plummet.

If Young to D’Ambrosio gives you the money to make a significant upgrade elsewhere, then you’re unlikely to lose by trading.

You probably not going to lose by trading Young to teammate Luke Ryan, either.

Every one of his disposal hit the target on Saturday and he’s averaging 20 points more than any other defender.

And the Dockers play the Crows on Good Friday, the same Crows that gave up a record-equalling 10 intercept marks to Tom Stewart on Friday night.

Sure, Stewart doesn’t need much help to mark the ball off opposition kicks, but Adelaide made it easy for him.

Luke Ryan is averaging 146 SuperCoach points after two games. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos

What’s the but?

But, with Young every chance of bouncing back this week, is it really the best use of your trades?

Sure, if you are already on all the right money trains, and don’t have any other major issues, then do it.

But ask yourself this question...

Is Hayden Young and Tom Powell a better combination than Luke Ryan and Sam Berry?

Yes, this is the question I am currently asking myself, but you get the point.

Tom Powell breakout? Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Who’s Tom Powell?

I am glad you asked.

By the numbers, over the first two rounds, he’s North Melbourne’s second-choice centre bounce midfielder.

Only Luke Davies-Uniacke has attended more centre bounces than Powell so far this year.

The 22-year-old’s CBA’s even went up – from 75 per cent to 93 per cent – with Jy Simpkin back in the side in round 2.

Powell has spent 100 per cent of game-time in the midfield this year, a stark contrast to his first three years on the list.

And the resulting numbers are convincing.

Against the Dockers on Saturday, Powell tallied 28 disposals, nine contested possessions, eight clearances, two goals and a team-high 129 points.

In arguably his most impressive stat, the South Australian recorded zero clangers.

He had two in round 1.

And, if you’ve followed Powell’s career at all, you would know …

Don’t reference his junior numbers, Phantom…

You got it. You would know Powell was a SuperCoach star as a junior.

In his draft year, the ball magnet posted two SuperCoach double tons on his way to a 154-point average for Sturt in the SANFL under-18s.

Playing as, you guessed it, a centre bounce midfielder.

You would also know he scored 119 points in just third AFL game in 2021.

At $312k, with a breakeven of -47 – the seventh-lowest of any player on the bubble this week – he doesn’t even need to maintain these numbers for long to be deemed a successful trade.

Even one more big score could see Powell surge close to the $450k mark over the next month.

Jack Carroll is on the bubble this week. Picture: David Crosling

I prefer to make my cash off the rookies. Who do I need?

Money is money, but, still, a good question.

Geelong’s Ollie Dempsey ($148k FWD, BE -71) and Blue Jack Carroll ($123k MID, BE -69) are second and third on the breakevens list, behind D’Ambrosio.

Dempsey has been impressive but his 96-point performance in round was on the back of three goals. He’ll still make plenty of money and is unlikely to leave the Geelong side anytime soon, but at $25k less, I’d back Carroll in Carlton’s midfield.

Until we hear more about Sam Walsh, he appears to have a role in there.

Save a spot for Bulldogs big man Sam Darcy ($123k FWD), who scored 109 in his first game for the season, next week.

Another solid score in round 3 – and it could be more than solid, with the Dogs hosting the Eagles at Marvel – and an on-the-bubble Darcy means you don’t need to consider the impressive Aaron Cadman, whose price has already increased by $66k.

Toby Pink ($123k DEF, BE -32) is your man in the defence, if you need to replace Nick Coffield or Josh Gibcus.

So Pink is a must as cover?

I wouldn’t say a must, but apart from Tiger Tom Brown, who tallied 13 disposals, seven contested possessions and 63 points against the Power, there aren’t many options on the horizon back there.

Don’t forget about your injured bench defenders, because they might come back to bite you, but best-18 scoring again means you could still prioritise your top end.

Like trading out Jordan Dawson?

You’re not the only person to have asked me this.

The answer is no.

🗣️ PODCAST QUESTIONS

Recording The Lair tomorrow, what you got for us?

Questions, trades, banter, complaints. Have at it below 👇#SuperCoach

— The Phantom (@ThePhantomSC) March 25, 2024

Like trading in Caleb Serong then?

Can’t say no, given his opening two weeks but, again, is spending all that money to go up from, say, Ollie Wines or Nic Martin, the best value option?

You’re not going to lose on the trade in isolation, but just weigh up whether your team is better as whole for it. These best-18 bye rounds aren’t going to be around for long.

There’s, arguably, more value in St Kilda skipper Jack Steele at $529k, too.

But, then again, I’d rather make sure I have all the right cash cows, and hop aboard all the right money trades, before I’m sideways trading premiums after two matches.

Boring…

Sorry, Kane.

Originally published as AFL SuperCoach 2024: The Phantom’s burning questions and round 3 trade advice