KFC SuperCoach 2022: Experts Tim Michell and Matt Turner reveal their teams, debate big selection calls
Picking your KFC SuperCoach team but don’t know where to start? Two of our experts identify five players every side should be built around.
SuperCoach
Don't miss out on the headlines from SuperCoach. Followed categories will be added to My News.
KFC SuperCoach is back for 2022, and the banter has already started.
Resident experts Tim Michell and the KFC SuperCoach Hipster Matt Turner go head to head on their early seletion calls, reveal their best pre-seasonn mail, make some big predictions and spar on some big calls ... and somehow The Phantom comes out of it the worst.
Scroll down to see their full first draft teams for 2022 – then start picking yours!
Tim Michell: Welcome to another year of KFC SuperCoaching Hipster. But first, let me get something off my chest. Since Josh Dunkley was rubbed out for Covid reasons after visiting a cafe for an oat latte, I have been wondering what one tastes like. As our resident Hipster, can you fill me in?
Matt Turner: I may be left-field when it comes to my SuperCoach tastes, but I can’t confirm anything on the oat latte front – I don’t drink coffee. Caffeine makes me dizzy. I can confirm Dunkley isn’t in my starting team for 2022, though. I notice he’s part of your “Slam Dunklan” forward line with Slam of the Mitch variety. Are you confident Dunkley isn’t going to be a full-forward or back-up ruckman or back pocket, given how many mouths there are to feed on-ball at the Doggies?
SUPERCOACH IS BACK: RULE CHANGES FOR 2022 EXPLAINED
TM: Now there’s the first shock of 2022. I might ask our good mate The Phantom to revoke your Hipster credentials! I guess I’ll just stick to Zinger burgers then. Duncan and Dunkley are hard to look past in the forward line, but there’s so much value this year. Great question about Dunks, who knows with Bevo lotto. I might end up going cheap up forward anyway with Coniglio, Curnow, Gresham and Rayner all under $300k. Mark my words Matty, Charlie Curnow is the Joe Daniher of 2022 in KFC SuperCoach.
MT: I didn’t get on the Daniher wagon last year and regretted it. Don’t mind the logic with Curnow, but I won’t be treading that path. I thought the first shock of 2022 was when I got a glimpse of your team and didn’t see Max Gawn in there. I’m the original Rowan Marshall fan in the SuperCoach world, but were you busy picking your SuperCoach BBL team in September and stopped watching footy, as Gawn scored 159 twice (in Round 23 and the prelim) on his way to Demons legend status?
TM: I’m taking a different approach to things this year, Hipster. I’ve thrown everything I could at a top-1000 finish in the past few years and got close last year but just fell short. This year is all about picking guys I love watching and Rowan Marshall is someone I want to be on. I ran out of trades at the end of last season grabbing Dayne Zorko, although he’s a name I’d rather never mention again. Trust me, it’ll only lead to a long rant. Al Paton knows that all too well. There isn’t much crossover in our teams, but one player from yours I’m really warming to is Will Day from the Hawks. Where are the points going to go back there? Impey, Sicily, Jiath and Day all have claims.
MT: I was a huge Will Day fan in his draft year (2019) here in SA. He’s got Inspector Gadget arms, is a beautiful kick and a better dasher than the reindeer of the same name. There should be plenty of footy down there for the Hawks this year and two hundreds in just five games before his injury showed what he can do. Yes, there are other half-back types – Scrimshaw too – but I think he represents great value at $345,700. Speaking of defenders, are you comfortable with having Caleb Daniel as your best backman? And a guy who was a massive let-down to end last year, Lachie Whitfield, at D2? Feels a little thin.
TM: Comfortable would be stretching it, and the other player I’m considering is Luke Ryan. I think he will get more freedom this year and launch back into triple figures with a few injury-prone talls due back. But we’re going to have to sacrifice somewhere and maybe accepting a few second-tier premos might be it. On that, I’ve already heard KFC SuperCoaches say we’re going to need almost every bench rookie playing due to Covid and the likelihood players will be sidelined. How are you planning for Covid disruptions?
MT: A lot of finger-crossing, black cat avoiding and continuing to go to my triskaidekaphobia meetings. In all seriousness, my Phantom’s Lair podcast buddy The Eradicator has always been big on line-up flexibility. Dual-position players (DPP) are going to be more important than ever this year, and I’d ideally like to have a ruck/forward in my attack. Although I think not having Gawn might be a mistake, I don’t mind your Luke Jackson move for the reason I mentioned above, plus he’s a jet.
TM: All right, now some credit where’s it’s due. You were on Touk Miller long before almost anyone else. There’s no doubt he’s in the elite scoring category now, but how are we going to fit him, Jack Steele, Jack Macrae and Clayton Oliver under the salary cap? They’re all so consistent I doubt any of them will fall to under $600k this season. I can’t decide between Oliver and Steele for M1.
MT: All aboard the Touk train – it’s filling up. Phantom will confirm this, but I also had Oliver long before he was a popular premium, starting with him in his second season in 2017 when he jumped from a 70 average to 111. I love Clarry, but I love Steele, Macrae, Touk, Walsh – who I see you’ve picked – and they’ve all been in my team at some point in the past few years. I’m sticking with Macrae and Touk as my big guns. Would love another. I think there could be a reasonable gap in scoring between those guys and the next level down. I’ve gone Macrae and Touk with a bit of a smoky at M3, Luke Parker. I couldn’t go past Neale at M4, given his price, and I see you’ve got him, too.
TM: Speaking of The Phantom, I’m not getting sucked in by him spending hours each day talking about Will Brodie, but I do think he’s onto something with Caleb Serong. I’m paying up for Andy Brayshaw because he’s one of my favourite players, but Serong is primed to go to the next level. What about Matthew Rowell, do you think he can deliver the same heights this year as he did in those magical first few games?
MT: Tim, he’s not onto something with Caleb Serong. As usual, Phantom is following others and claiming it. Colleague Simeon Thomas-Wilson had him last year and I told Phant post-season I was starting with him this year. And now he’s spruiking him as if he’s just stumbled on him. Que Serong, Serong, I guess. As for Rowell, I’d love to see him fly out of the blocks like 2020, but his quieter 2021 means I will pass. You are loving a bit of mid-price madness, picking seven guys between $260,000 and $400K. Feels risky. I’ve got just three.
TM: OK, short question time. You can only have one of Nick Daicos and Jason Horne-Francis, who do you pick? I’ve gone Daicos.
MT: Horne-Francis. Two standout years of senior SANFL. Competitive beast. I have to go the South Australian. Make a case for your R2 – I’ve gone the Big O, Oscar McInerney, who had eight tons in his final 11 games last season.
TM: Braydon Preuss. Yes, Matt Flynn and Kieren Briggs showed a bit last year, but I’ll be stunned if he doesn’t start as the Giants’ No.1 ruckman in Round 1. He’s too cheap to ignore based on the numbers at Melbourne when Max Gawn didn’t play. Next question, who are your five locks of 2022? For me, it’s Walsh, Brayshaw, Gresham, Greg Clark and Bowey. Yes, Jake Bowey. This kid will be an elite SuperCoach scorer within years and scored 80 in a prelim final. Red-headed Caleb Daniel, as Mr POD Dan Batten likes to say.
MT: Gawn – it’s Max Gawn. Touk – I’m president of the Touk cheer squad in SuperCoach so have to start with him. Jack Crisp – I struggle to fathom why you (not you, specifically, but anyone) wouldn’t start with a bloke who is a DPP, will play midfield and had two 140s in his final five games last season. Macrae – has averaged at least 121 the past four seasons. Tom Stewart – he’s like Jake Gyllenhaal. He won’t win you any Oscars (get you any huge scores) but a stinker is incredibly rare.
TM: Matty, it’s been a pleasure. Last question – does Will Gould debut this season? It’s the time of year where we should all be optimistic, so I’m going to say yes. It’s been a punishing few years for us all but John Longmire could save us at selection in Round 1. There’s a Jordan Dawson-sized hole begging to be filled! Keep The Phantom honest over in SA and please don’t let him talk about Will Brodie anymore. It’s getting to Tom Green levels and I can’t handle another Phant man crush.
MT: Phantom’s been waiting for Will Gould to debut longer than I’ve been waiting for my chai latte at a local cafe I’m at. I think Gould does and I think with the teams we’ve picked, you and I are well placed to outscore Phantom this year. I’m getting dizzy just thinking about it.
TM: If by chai latte you mean Zinger Crunch burger, then I agree.
TIM MICHELL’S TEAM
DEFENCE
Caleb Daniel $510,900
Lachie Whitfield $502,600 DEF/MID
Changkuoth Jiath $459,300
James Sicily $448,100
Jake Bowey $265,600
Garrett McDonagh $117,300
Leek Aleer $144,300
Charlie Dean $102,400
MIDFIELD
Clayton Oliver $672,000
Sam Walsh $637,100
Andrew Brayshaw $584,300
Lachie Neale $543,200
Matt Rowell $342,900
Jade Gresham $299,000 MID/FWD
Jarrod Berry $268,500
Nick Daicos $193,800
Zac Taylor $117,300
Greg Clark $117,300
Charlie Parker $102,400 MID/FWD
RUCK
Rowan Marshall $536,800
Braydon Preuss $204,700
Jack Williams $117,300 RUC/FWD
FORWARDS
Josh Dunkley $558,200 MID/FWD
Mitch Duncan $540,000 FWD/MID
Zak Butters $443,600
Luke Jackson $389,800 RUC/FWD
Cam Rayner $278,600
Stephen Coniglio $261,300 MID/FWD
Elijah Hollands $123,900 FWD/MID
Jesse Motlop $117,300
MATT TURNER’S TEAM
DEFENDERS
Tom Stewart $585,700
Jack Crisp $571,000 DEF/MID
Sam Taylor $475,800
Will Day $345,700
Jacob van Rooyan $126,300 DEF/FWD
Charlie Dean $102,400
Will Gould $123,900
Garrett McDonagh $117,300
MIDFIELDERS
Jack Macrae $699,900
Touk Miller $677,800
Luke Parker $591,600
Lachie Neale $543,200
Caleb Serong $451,000
Jason Horne-Francis $207,300
Neil Erasmus $166,800
Matty Roberts $117,300
Josh Sinn $157,800 DEF/MID
Josh Goater $117,300
Greg Clark $117,300
RUCK
Max Gawn $657,400
Oscar McInerney $509,600
Jack Williams $117,300
FORWARDS
Mitch Duncan $540,000 MID/FWD
Tarryn Thomas $459,300 FWD/MID
Zak Butters $443,600
Cam Rayner $278,600
Stephen Coniglio $261,300 MID/FWD
Josh Rachele $184,800 MID/FWD
Elijah Hollands $123,900 FWD/MID
Jesse Motlop $117,300
More Coverage
Originally published as KFC SuperCoach 2022: Experts Tim Michell and Matt Turner reveal their teams, debate big selection calls
Five moves that won me $50,000 in SuperCoach
The 20-year-old winner of SuperCoach AFL 2024 reveals the tactics that led him to the game’s top prize, beating out more than 180,000 players across the country.
SuperCoach wrap: Norm-worthy stars and grand final flops
Who stood up on the biggest SuperCoach stage and who disappointed when it counted most? Check out round 24’s heroes and villains – and some hot tips for 2025.