SuperCoach trade guide Round 20: Why you should consider a floating rookie such as West Coast’s Brodie Riach for finals
Collingwood might be in a funk one month out from AFL finals, but star midfielder Adam Treloar is flying in SuperCoach and still in only 18 per cent of teams. TRADE GUIDE.
Welcome to SuperCoach finals.
If your team still hasn’t reached premium status, the time has come to throw caution to the wind in the chase for league glory.
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Should you be preparing for a qualifying final, you can get away with holding trades and playing loopholes to maximise your score.
Popular rookie midfielder Dylan Clarke takes on Port Adelaide in the second game of Round 20, giving 57,273 coaches the perfect chance to execute a loophole.
But if you have a cutthroat elimination final in store, ensure your team is flush with topscoring premiums.
To get there, you will likely need to consider rookies such as Doulton Langlands (123k, fwd-mid), Will Snelling (117k, mid) or Hayden McLean (102k, fwd).
Whether you trade for a playing rookie such as this trio or a bargain-priced player to loophole via will depend on your team and bank balance.
If downgrading to a non-playing 102k rookie such as West Coast’s Brodie Riach gets you to a top premium, don’t hesitate.
The Eagles play three consecutive matches on Sundays between rounds 21-23, opening a simple loophole option.
The difference between a non-playing rookie such as Riach and Langlands (scores of 71 and 66) might only be $21,500, but for cash-strapped teams that could be the difference between settling for a speculative upgrade or adding an elite scorer.
Josh Dunkley (139 points), Jarryd Lyons (137.3), Brodie Grundy (137), Jack Macrae (131) and Todd Goldstein (129.3) have the best three-round average of any player.
This will be an important factor to consider when trying to nail your captaincy in the next month.
If you still have Western Bulldogs mid-season draftee Ryan Gardner (102k, def-fwd), Max Gawn as vice-captain against Richmond and Brodie Grundy as captain against Gold Coast will be a popular combination.
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TOP TARGETS
Doulton Langlands $123,900, mid-fwd, avg: 68.5, BE: -63
Langlands has made a solid start to his St Kilda career and his score against Melbourne would have been better if he’d taken his opportunities in front of goal. If you don’t have cover up forward due to Robbie Young being dropped and Ryan Gardner’s injury, it makes sense to grab the young Saint before his price rises. He might only score 60, but that will be better than a donut if you run out of trades in the final rounds.
Patrick Naish $123,900, def, avg: 72.5, BE: -71
Naish was held over as an emergency on Friday night as the replacement for Trent Cotchin in case he was called away to his child’s birth. The Tigers captain played against Collingwood but hurt his hamstring, opening the door for a player to earn an extended run before finals. If Naish is that player, he’ll be on the bubble after scores of 78 and 67.
Hayden McLean $102,400, fwd, avg: 62.5, BE: -64
Another option to provide cover in the forward line, although he doesn’t offer the mid-fwd swing Langlands does. There’s talk Sam Naismith might be about to return for Sydney, which could cause McLean to be squeezed out of the team. If he holds his spot and can maintain his average, he’s worth consideration due to his low price.
Will Snelling $117,300, mid, avg: 66 BE: -62
Mid-season draftee Snelling is another on the bubble this round after scoring 49 and 83 in his two matches as a Bomber. The former Port Adelaide midfielder was prominent against Gold Coast on Sunday, finishing with 18 disposals and four tackles. His 83.3 per cent disposal efficiency was key to his career-best score. Langlands should be the No. 1 target due to his flexibility.
Grant Birchall $205,200, def, avg: 87, BE: -51
Two scores of 87 in as many games for the Hawthorn veteran, although it pays to be wary considering he played one game and then missed through general soreness. Birchall averaged at least 84 between 2011 and 2016 and if he produces similar numbers for the last month of this season he could be a perfect loophole from D8.
Adam Treloar $575,300, mid, avg: 109.8, BE: 106
Unless you want to take the plunge on in-form Brisbane Lions midfielder Jarryd Lyons, Treloar is one of the best-value options of the gun on-ballers with elite three-round averages. Only Josh Dunkley, Lyons, Patrick Dangerfield and Jack Macrae have a better average than Treloar (121.3) in the past three weeks and he takes on Gold Coast in Round 20. Treloar has scored 116 and 131 in his last two games against the Suns.
Elliot Yeo $549,200, mid, avg: 106.7, BE: 87
Still only in 5.3 per cent of teams, Yeo has four scores of 125+ this year after his 128 against North Melbourne on Saturday. The star Eagle has posted 116, 114 and 128 in the past three weeks and his run home features Carlton, Adelaide, Richmond and Hawthorn. He’s got several avenues of scoring, including his tackling, which add to his appeal.
Toby Greene $490,000, fwd, avg: 87.1, BE: 75
It’s time to believe the Greene hype. Only Dangerfield, Dunkley and Rowan Marshall have a better three-round average of the forwards than Greene, who is relishing greater midfield minutes in the absence of Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio. In the past three weeks he’s had 34, 27 and 30 disposals.
Tom Lynch $435,400, fwd, avg: 69.8, BE: 13
Lynch should be a potential speculative pick if you want a player who can go big at F7. The only flaw with this plan could be Richmond plays twice on Sunday in the next three rounds and on Saturday against Melbourne. But this round, for example, you could gain Lynch’s total via Ryan Gardner, with Western Bulldogs featuring in the last game of the weekend. His three-round average is 117 and he’s in ominous form.
CHOPPING BLOCK
Sam Walsh $437,600, mid, avg: 88.9, BE: 98
Luke Ryan $437,300, def, avg: 95.8, BE: 97
Dylan Clarke $315,900, mid, avg: 71.5, BE: 47
Xavier Duursma $349,300, def-mid, avg: 71.7, BE: 59
Connor Rozee $318,700, def-fwd, avg: 73.4, BE: 72
Griffin Logue $268,700, def, avg: 68.3, BE: 64
Try to turn Sam Walsh into an elite scorer this round if you’re serious about competing in SuperCoach finals. The No. 1 pick has enjoyed a stellar maiden AFL season, but his average is about 30 points off the top premiums in midfield. Ryan’s hamstring injury will force coaches to look for another defender, with Lachie Whitfield, Bachar Houli and Shannon Hurn (pending injury) the obvious picks. Clarke, Duursma and Rozee could all be held for cover, however if you need money to upgrade to a premium scorer, the trio are in the gun to be downgraded. After two scores above 90, Griffin Logue hasn’t hit those heights again. With a break even of 64 you need to move him on, unless he’s D7 cover and you’re low on trades.
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HOLD
Noah Answerth $304,200, def-mid, avg: 59.8, BE: 17
Will Setterfield $336,800, mid-fwd, avg: 61.9, BE: 50
Chris Burgess $249,100, def-fwd, avg: 47.7, BE: 7
Nick Hind $231,500, mid, avg: 56.7, BE: 15
Answerth’s first score above 80 of his career (98) caused his break even to crash back to 17. You would be best served keeping him as bench cover for another two weeks. Setterfield is relishing more midfield time under David Teague, scoring 91 in the Blues’ victory over Adelaide and boasting a bench-worthy three-round average of 74. Chris Burgess can provide cover on two lines and has a low break even thanks to his 88 against Essendon, while Hind scored 75 in St Kilda’s win over Melbourne.
BARGAIN BIN
Under 500k
Caleb Daniel $491,000
Toby Greene $490,000
Isaac Heeney $485,500
Tim Kelly $484,200
Bachar Houli $482,800
Ben Cunnington $474,900
Dustin Martin $458,400
Robbie Gray $457,300
Tom Stewart $455,500
Under 450k
David Mundy $440,600
Jade Gresham $438,200
Tom Lynch $435,400
James Sicily $432,700
Touk Miller $422,300
Kade Simpson $418,500
Grant Birchall $205,200
Originally published as SuperCoach trade guide Round 20: Why you should consider a floating rookie such as West Coast’s Brodie Riach for finals