KFC SuperCoach 2023: Experts reveal round 3 trades, The Phantom answers the burning questions
Heath Shaw is making a big move in KFC SuperCoach this week. See his trade and who all our experts are bringing in for round 3 plus The Phantom’s burning questions.
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This is the week to set up your team for the rest of the KFC SuperCoach season.
Made a mistake in your starting squad? You’re not alone. We now have two weeks of real evidence to decide on players we need to move out and get in before prices start moving – and the real fun begins.
Here’s what our experts are doing this week.
HEATH SHAW
Out: Christian Petracca, Sam Flanders
In: Luke Davies-Uniacke, Jack Ziebell
In Clarko we trust. My mates who know a thing or two about KFC SuperCoach call this correction trade week. Petracca has to score 157 this week to break even and Davies-Uniacke is scoring plenty of points and making money. That move frees up cash to move on Flanders, who I was hot on all pre-season but just doesn’t look like he’s going to make the money we were hoping for. I need to replace him with a forward and Ziebell is the best option down there even though he’s playing down back. I have $81k left over and could move on Sean Darcy but I’m going to back him in. Hopefully Fremantle has learned from last week not to play him as a forward if he can’t mark the ball.
THE PHANTOM
Out: Max Gawn, Sam Flanders, Luke Pedlar
In: Darcy Cameron, Will Setterfield, Jack Ziebell
Gawn to Cameron is locked in – I need the money to improve my team elsewhere. My first move was Flanders to Nick Daicos, allowing just enough cash for Campbell Chesser to Conor McKenna. And they are two trades I still like, given the former Bomber’s start to life in Brisbane. But the lure of making my first ‘upgrade’ is too good to ignore. As much as I like Pedlar, Ziebell is the value pick of the week, playing back in defence. He’s had 22 kicks in both games to start the year, his average in the first half of 2021. Ahead of Daicos? I’m nervous, don’t worry, but I’d be happy to take the Pies star for $550k next week. On Setterfield, in preparation for this week’s burning questions (see below), I looked for reasons not to pick the in-form Don. By the end of the piece, I couldn’t not have him. At worst, he becomes a fallen premium very quickly.
TIM MICHELL
OUT: Sam Docherty, Esava Ratugolea
IN: Jack Ziebell, Will Setterfield
Don’t trade premiums, right? Having punted Rory Laird and Jacob Hopper before they scored a combined 266 points, I’m risking it again by giving one of my favourites Sam Docherty the flick. I understand what people are saying about Carlton’s fixture opening up but that doesn’t actually guarantee much in KFC SuperCoach. Docherty played five times against Carlton’s next three opponents last year for two tons. Plus, Ziebell and Setterfield are just irresistible with their low Break Evens and scoring power, and I can get there without sacrificing too much if I move Doch on. If I use a third trade, it would probably be Campbell Chesser to Kade Chandler, but it throws out the structure of my team if I do. I brought in Jordan Ridley last week over Mason Redman and already have massive trade regret, but have to give Ridley one more chance against St Kilda. If he doesn’t go large, he’ll probably be Jack Bowes going into round 4. I’ve left 70k spare so Ridley to Bowes might be enough to go Finn Callaghan to a fallen premium next week or in two weeks’ time.
AL PATON
OUT: Nat Fyfe, Sam Flanders, Finn Callaghan
IN: Jack Ziebell, Kade Chandler, Will Setterfield
At least I don’t have the issue facing some coaches of finding players to move out to bring in the hottest mid-pricers in KFC SuperCoach. Fyfe has scored a total of 26 points over the first two rounds to be one of the biggest fails in my SuperCoaching career, and the summer Sam Flanders hype has gone up in smoke. At least they open the door for some aggressive trades, with my first two no-brainers – Flanders to Chandler (BE -94) and Fyfe to Ziebell, who is averaging 112.5 and could end up a top-six defender after DPP changes. I have a few options for a third trade including ditching slowest of slow burn rookies Campbell Chesser or Esava Ratugolea for money-making cheapies or a sideways move in the ruck from Sean Darcy to Tim English. But I’ve settled on trading Callaghan out one week after trading him in. That’s not how you really want to play KFC SuperCoach but I was sucked in by a supposedly easy match-up against the Eagles and now he’s battling a shoulder problem. Finn will probably still be a decent cash cow but Setterfield looks like a season-defining selection. Best case we keep him for the season or at least until the byes, generating solid points on field as we upgrade the rest of our teams. Worst case he makes a quick $200k and we trade him to a gun midfielder in five or six weeks.
DAN BATTEN
OUT: Sam Docherty, Liam Jones and Esava Ratguolea
IN: Nick Daicos, Will Setterfield and Kade Chandler
With a fairly inflexible guns and rookies structure and mid-priced money trains aplenty, I will reluctantly part ways with Docherty this week. There were some concerning signs over the first two games with Doch not taking as many kick-ins and Adam Saad impressing, so I’ve decided to move him on in order to get a keeper in Daicos and a stepping stone in Setterfield. I would like to bring in Jack Ziebell, but I can see Daicos going massive against the Tigers and Setterfield has a lower Break Even than the Roos defender. Chandler is a bit of a gamble considering Kysaiah Pickett will return from suspension next week, but I’m going to back in him in and hope his current form can see him hold his spot – especially with Pickett being used more as a midfielder. I think the risk is worth taking given even a score of 39 will see him rise $60k. With $37k in the bank I will look to bring in Ziebell next week and hope he doesn’t go too large… famous last words.
The Phantom answers this week’s burning questions
Long live the trade boost.
Imagine a KFC SuperCoach world where we could only use two trades this week.
Best not to.
With mid-price money trains about to leave the station, injuries to Max Gawn and Jack Steele, and must-have rookies on the bubble – among other issues – many KFC SuperCoaches need more than three trades ahead of the round 3 price changes.
So what should we do first, Phant?
You asked me this last week.
We did. But you also said you’d seen enough from Jason Horne-Francis last week …
Ouch. Play on then.
Actually, just quickly, I’ll back him in.
He was poor, absolutely, giving away six free kicks against a rampaging Collingwood side. But he could easily come out and win the Showdown medal on Saturday night.
The ups-and-downs won’t be good for my health, but it still might work out in KFC SuperCoach.
I hope.
But you could swap him for Will Setterfield right now?
I could, yes.
After 147 points in Round 2, he has a breakeven of -49. Hmm.
Are you sold on him?
It depends.
As a top-eight midfielder in KFC SuperCoach at the season’s end? No, not yet.
As a pure money train pick ¬ whose price is set to rise quicker than many rookies – with keeper potential? Absolutely.
He’s shining with opportunity in the Essendon midfield, attending more centre bounces than any other player at the club in the opening two rounds.
And the former Giant and Blue has proven – again – he can win the ball on the inside (13 contested possessions and five clearances v Gold Coast) and the outside (21 uncontested possessions and 10 marks v Hawthorn).
Setterfield averaged 123 KFC SuperCoach points in eight VFL matches last season and 122 in the NAB League in his draft year.
He even posted five KFC SuperCoach tons in the final nine games of 2020, playing through the midfield for the Blues.
Last year, he attended one centre bounce in his first 10 matches of the season. But in the final two rounds, with George Hewett and Matt Kennedy missing both matches and Sam Walsh one, Setterfield’s attendance at the restart of play was 75 per cent and 88 per cent.
In Round 22, it resulted in 26 disposals, 12 contested possessions, six tackles, five clearances and 92 points.
A week later, Setterfield scored 87 KFC SuperCoach points, on the back of 24 disposals, nine contested possessions and six score involvements.
Then he dropped back for the first week of VFL finals and tallied a huge 40 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 13 clearances, 13 score involvements and 182 points.
The numbers were always there.
He can play – and score from multiple avenues.
But, it has to be said, he’s still only faced the Hawks and Suns, despite what Essendon fans will tell you.
At $348k, with a projected price rise of $110k+ over the next two weeks – even without three-figure scores – does it even matter if he’s not a top-eight chance?
Probably not.
At worst, you can trade him to a fallen premium once he inevitably passes the $500k mark.
At best, he is Will Brodie or George Hewett from last year.
Well, sort of. Brodie was a forward and Hewett a defender, so they sat comfortably in the top few options in their respective positions.
Why aren’t you picking him then?
Well, I might be now.
But the reality is, you just can’t have everyone.
Not this year.
Not last year.
You can’t land every big score in the opening two rounds. If you did, you’re probably already $1000 richer.
Sure, you absolutely need to chase the value, and jump on the right money trains when you can, but the biggest part of this game is building a team.
The aim is to build it quicker than most.
Fill your 22 – not your 15 - with the best scorers first, and you’ll be in a good spot.
Is it really worth sacrificing a proven premium scorer, say Sam Docherty or Lachie Neale – the players you work towards filling your side with – for last week’s big scorers?
Sure, KFC SuperCoach is changing, and you need to be aggressive and take any opportunity to improve your team as a whole.
But as Rory Laird highlighted on the weekend, it doesn’t always work.
Docherty scored 73 last week, but he was stuck in the 70s on three occasions last year and still averaged 110.
Instead, look for players that won’t pay off – think Sam Flanders, Nat Fyfe, even Eagles rookie Campbell Chesser, if you have the money, given his 23-point breakeven and the chance he isn’t picked this week.
Or, of course, your injured stars.
Prices change after Round 3 and this is your chance to get on board these money trains while they are still at the station.
But rookie cash is still king – make sure you have all the top early-season cash cows to ensure you don’t miss out on upgrade season when the time comes.
Who should we prioritise then?
Harry Sheezel
Back-to-back scores of 114 to start his career has resulted in a Round 3 breakeven of -116 – the lowest in the competition. If you don’t own him, get on. Simple.
Kade Chandler, Conor McKenna
This is where KFC SuperCoaches will go in different directions, but Chandler (-94) and McKenna (-76) are two other cash cows you need.
Chandler took another six marks and booted a goal, while dishing off another, against the Lions and is likely to remain an important part of the Melbourne forward line, even with the return of Kozzie Pickett.
In the same game, McKenna tallied seven intercept possessions, as well as five score involvements, highlighting his ability to win the ball back and drive the Lions forward.
If he can get close to his average of 82, Chandler’s price will hit $200k next week, while even a 60-point score will see McKenna add $60k to his price tag in Round 3.
Will Setterfield
If you think Setterfield is this year’s Brodie or Hewett, you can make a case he should sit above the two cash cows above him on the list. But, again, how sure can you be? Ask me again in two days.
Jack Ziebell
Jack is back. Back in defence and back in KFC SuperCoach.
In 2021, the Kangaroos veteran averaged 27 disposals, 22 kicks, eight marks and 115 KFC SuperCoach points before the bye, playing across half-back.
In the same role in the opening two rounds of this season, Ziebell has tallied exactly 26 disposals and 22 kicks in each match, and taken a combined 20 marks.
Importantly, as he was in 2021, Ziebell is safe and efficient with ball in hand, hitting the target with 41 of those 44 kicks.
He might not be priced at less than $300k this year but a breakeven of -23 means the value option is trading him in this week over Nick Daicos, if you have to make the call.
Nick Daicos
Wot?
It’s a big call, I know. I love him as much as the next person. And, yes, I am scared about what Daicos could do against a Richmond side that often gives up big points to opposition defenders.
But a 110-point score will see Daicos’ price rise to $550k next week, which is still good buying.
Sure, Ziebell will also be decent buying at around $420k with a similar score, but he’s at $356k right now.
I guess it all probably depends on your budget.
As mentioned, Collingwood play the Tigers, but the Roos do have the Hawks.
Refer to the ‘can’t have everyone’ rant above.
Noah Long/ Ollie Hollands/Cam Mackenzie
Probably in that order, too.
The creative and efficient Long has the sixth-best breakeven (-59) in the competition after an impressive start to his career, while Mackenzie (-43) and Hollands (-35) aren’t far behind.
Mackenzie looked a must-have after the opening round, but he was pushed out of the centre bounce mix, with his attendance down by 25 per cent against the Swans. And that doesn’t help when the Hawks weren’t convincingly beaten again.
Hollands, however, improved on his Round 1 performance, finishing with 20 disposals and 71 KFC SuperCoach points in a hard-running display against the Cats.
Luke Davies-Uniacke
The Kangaroos gun has well-and-truly arrived – and he almost single-handedly saved my team from complete embarrassment on the weekend. He’s the No. 1 KFC SuperCoach scorer in the competition – after tallying a league-high 36 contested possessions in the opening two rounds – so if you have Steele, take the $50k and get him in.
Otherwise, unless you have no other issues and picked most of the guys above, you don’t have to force a trade. Just work towards him as an upgrade – as good as he is, Davies-Uniacke is unlikely to average 150 for the year.
What about if I have Gawn?
Unfortunately, given the Demons confirmed he will miss up to six weeks, Gawn has to go.
If you can use the cash to improve your team elsewhere, Darcy Cameron is the man.
Well done to those who held their nerve in the final few weeks of the pre-season and started him.
My friend Tim Michell tells me Cameron has taken 70 per cent of Collingwood ruck contests in the opening two rounds.
Cox may still have equalled him for hitouts-to-advantage (4) against the Power, but Cameron again proved he just needs the opportunity to be around the ball, tallying 18 disposals, 16 contested possessions, nine score involvements and two intercept marks.
But if you don’t need the money to improve your team before the prices rises – or next week – it would be hard to overlook Bulldogs star Tim English.
Like he did last season, English has exploded out of the blocks with KFC SuperCoach scores of 134 and 139
Against the Saints and Rowan Marshall, he did it all, finishing with 21 disposals, 12 hitouts-to-advantage, eight contested possessions, eight marks – three of them intercepts - five clearances and five tackles.
Should I trade Sean Darcy to one of those?
I imagine you already did just that in your head on Saturday night when he was in the negatives for KFC SuperCoach points at half-time.
But, unless he’s your only issue – and you need the money to help elsewhere immediately – I’d hold.
Darcy has posted KFC SuperCoach scores of 150 and 155 in his past two matches against West Coast – and this week, Bailey Williams will be rucking for the Eagles.
And you – probably – have another week before the prices of Cameron and Darcy crossover.
But Sam Flanders has to go?
I think so. Can play, but just doesn’t have the role. Gets the footy when he’s up the ground, but that doesn’t happen consistently.
What about Finn Callaghan?
Providing he plays this week, I’d hold. I just traded him in, so I will be.
He started on-ball as expected in the absence of Josh Kelly and Harry Perryman but hurt his shoulder early against the Eagles. And he didn’t look the same from that point, pushed back out onto a wing and making a number of skill errors he didn’t make against the Crows a week earlier.
Jacob Hopper?
What about him?
The Tigers have just said he’s ‘doubtful’ for Friday night after hurting his knee against the Crows …
Apologies. Blame the daydreaming about Will Setterfield.
That happened right in front of me on Saturday afternoon and he stayed down a long time so I’m not surprised. But, by the sounds of the injury report, he may only just miss, meaning it could be just the one week.
Yes, I traded Josh Kelly last round, but there’s far more important things to deal with ahead of Round 3. It’s a hold for me.
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