SuperCoach AFL 2025: Who to trade in and out for round 4
There is plenty of money to be made in SuperCoach – if you pick the right players. See who to trade in and out for round 4.
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Making money will the focus heading into round 4.
Most players have experienced their first price change of the season, but it’s not too late to get on the back of some huge cash generators. And some late starters are yet to move in price. Meanwhile, some other picks are heading in the wrong direction.
Here are this week’s top targets, and the players on the chopping block.
TRADE TARGETS
Draft slider gave Power fans something to smile about in another defeat, and SuperCoaches a prime early downgrade target in the midfield. Moraes made his debut as the sub in round 2, scoring 52 points in limited game time, then backed it up with 94 points from 27 disposals against Essendon. With a projected price rise of $53k after his next game, Moraes is the ideal replacement for a rookie who isn’t playing (Lucas Camporeale, Bo Allan), or who isn’t making the money we need – you can pocket around $100k in spare change by trading Finn O’Sullivan or Sam Lalor (Xavier Lindsay is another option pending Melbourne’s injury report).
More than 4000 coaches went a week early on Bice, now the rest of us can join the fun after Sydney’s bye. SuperCoach Plus projects a $56k price rise after his third game, and that’s if he scores 42 this week. Bank on a lot more than that after the former Werribee VFL star posted 52 (after starting as the sub) and 96 in his first two games. Cat Ted Clohesy (BE -71) and Demon Harvey Langford (BE 2) are also on the bubble, but they are behind Moraes and Bice in the rookie pecking order.
After he pumped out 147 points in round 1 the scramble was on for non-owners to get Smith into their sides. They got a reprieve when he was a late out in round 2, but now he’s on the bubble heading into round 4. His score against the Lions wasn’t as compelling, but the conditions go at least some way to explaining his 28 per cent disposal efficiency from 25 touches. You couldn’t question Smith’s work rate – he laid 11 tackles – and a key midfield role in a top-four contender is too good to pass up at that price.
The medium forward was retooled as a defender over summer, and perfected the role on Sunday against Fremantle – 28 disposals (24 kicks), nine kick-ins, eight marks, 123 SuperCoach points. He increased in price by $42k but is still very affordable (starting as the sub in round 1 helps), and that price tag will keeping climbing. An injury cloud over Jeremy McGovern locks in his role even more, and dual-position status means we can pick him in the midfield, where it’s easier to find a starting slot.
Many coaches will have to choose one of Maric and Humphrey at a similar price. Humphrey is a FWD only in SuperCoach, but probably not for long – he could be awarded DPP status before round 6 after a spike in midfield time this season. A very different player to Maric, the 20-year-old excels in another area rewarded by the SuperCoach scoring system – winning his own footy. He is averaging 13 contested possessions a game at a contested possession rate of 59 per cent, more than teammate Matt Rowell. Gold Coast’s early bye means he’s on the bubble this week after scores of 104 and 111 in his two games. Get on now, make a truckload of cash and trade him to a fallen premium at his round 14 bye.
Can we trust Rowell in 2025? Last year he averaged over 130 in the first seven rounds before his scores fell off a cliff. This year he has started red hot again, scoring 137 and 136 in his first two matches. We know he’s a clearance beast, and he had 13 of those plus 19 contested possessions against the Demons. But eight inside-50s is a new weapon in his arsenal, and he isn’t relying on the huge, and ultimately unsustainable, free kick numbers he received early last year. Another Sun yet to rise in price who can take advantage of a fixture run that includes North Melbourne and Richmond in his next three games.
The mid-price forward we all missed, Darcy looks unstoppable when he reaches above opponents to pluck big marks in the Bulldogs’ forward line. The 21-year-old leads the AFL for contested grabs after three rounds at an average of four per game (he has 12 in total; only four players have taken eight or more). As a key forward he will have his ups and downs, but the trajectory is heading in the right direction, improving each week with scores of 76, 117 and 125. Darcy has had 15 and 17 disposals in his past two games and he has improved his ruck work – his hitout to advantage rate is better than Tim English, although that has delivered just four over the first three rounds.
One for coaches who like a point of difference – Bowey is 2 per cent of teams. The return of Steven May didn’t hurt his scoring last round, producing his best return for the season (116 after 96 and 97 in the first two rounds). Bowey hit the target with 42 of his 49 kicks this season, and crept forward to kick goals in two of his three games. Could be an off-ramp for frustrated Sam De Koning owners.
TRADE OUT?
It’s worth remembering it only takes one good game to get a rookie’s cash generation moving (hello, Zach Reid), but as it stands O’Sullivan is about to max out in value at just $10,000 above his starting price. More expensive rookies need to score more points to make money, and O’Sullivan simply hasn’t done that in the first three rounds. If he doesn’t have a spike game against the Swans, his Break Even will be in the 40s next week – and his three scores so far are 51, 42 and 44. It’s not too early to take the (limited) money and run.
Amazingly, at time of writing Lindsay was a chance to play on Friday night after being subbed out three minutes into Melbourne’s loss to Gold Coast with what looked like a season-ending knee injury. If he gets up – or misses only one week – it’s worth holding Lindsay for his scoring power and money-making potential. Despite scoring nine points on the weekend he still increased in price by almost $35k and can push his Break Even back into the negatives if he can match his scores from the first two rounds – which is a good bet after he had two disposals in two minutes off half-back before being hurt on Saturday.
Just about everything that could go wrong went wrong for SDK on Saturday night, at least after Oscar McInerney pulled out of the Lions’ starting line-up. He gave away free kicks and a 50m penalty, dropped marks, was beaten decisively in the hitouts by Darcy Fort then was subbed off with a quarter to go. After making an $8k profit he could lose money this week, and it’s an open question whether Chris Scott will persist with his hybrid ruck approach with Rhys Stanley waiting for a call-up in the VFL.
Perhaps it was too much to expect Petracca to return to his best after so long out with such a serious injury. Despite lighting it up in the pre-season, his form in 2025 has mirrored that of his team with a 98-point game in round 1 his best return so far. He looked underpriced to start the year but has lost almost $33k at his first price change and is projected to lose another $32k this week.
Gawn’s BE is the highest in the game and owners are wondering if it’s time to jump ship. Backing your premiums is a long-time SuperCoach mantra, and with good reason – as The Phantom likes to remind us, you only lose money on a player like Gawn if you trade him. The role is still there, the pedigree is incredible and Gawn could be rucking against Sam De Koning this weekend. The Dees also face Richmond and West Coast back-to-back in a few weeks, which should reward owners if they ride out the lows until then.
The fact Sheezel is in this section of a trade guide is testament to the curve balls SuperCoach can throw your way. And the overwhelming likelihood is this is a speed hump in another brilliant season from one of the most talented young players in the game. Sheezel has failed to crack 90 since round 1 and there are question marks as to what’s behind the slump. He is averaging roughly one fewer disposal per game than in 2024, but he is having less impact with those touches – his kicking efficiency has dropped from 71 to 63 per cent and he has kicked 0.3 after booting 14 goals last season. More tellingly, he has zero goal assists in three games after leading the Kangaroos in that stat in 2024. They are trends to monitor but not to panic over ... yet.
The numbers here are much more concerning. Horne-Francis was widely tipped to be this year’s No.1 forward but currently sits 43rd on averages, behind players including Seth Campbell, Anthony Caminiti and Ben Long. And he could have been even lower if he didn’t find some form with a big last quarter against the Bombers. Horne-Francis’s raw numbers are very similar to last year (disposals down from 21.8 to 21.3) although he is kicking less and handballing more, and his tackles have halved. A turnaround will come – he scored 118, 117 and 124 in his last game against his next three opponents – but he’s the second-most traded out player so far this week, and it’s getting harder to convince sellers they are making a bad decision.
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Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2025: Who to trade in and out for round 4
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