AFL SuperCoach 2024: How to play, all the prizes and everything you need to know for new season
Australia’s most-popular fantasy game is back for 2024 and better than ever before — this year there’s more trades and more tools available to give your SuperCoach team the chance of winning the $50k grand prize.
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SuperCoach AFL is back for 2024.
Back – and this ain’t no opening day cliche – bigger than ever.
With the addition of Opening Round and the return of Gather Round to the AFL fixture, it will be a SuperCoach season like no other.
But, don’t worry, we’ve been working behind the scenes to make Australia’s biggest fantasy sports game better, easier and more fun to play than ever.
For the first time, to help you navigate your way through the early part of the year, an extra four trades have been added for 2024, taking the total to 40 for the season.
More trades means more flexibility and, for the long-time players, more strategy.
Scroll down for everything you need to know about SuperCoach AFL in 2024.
OPENING ROUND
WHAT ELSE IS NEW
THE SITE
We’ve made some visual changes across the board, to present your team’s data more concisely and clearly on your dashboard, the list view of your team screen and viewing live scoring for actual matches. The changes also help in streamlining the registration process and joining other games, and much more.
LEAGUES
We’ve revamped and redesigned the way you manage your leagues. In addition to the usual head-to-head leagues, where you take on other coaches direct, you can now create and join unlimited-size open leagues – previously known in SuperCoach as “groups” – where you can play against any number of other participants, ranked on weekly and total points. All open leagues will now have LIVE scoring and rankings available, just like head-to-head leagues.
SUPERCOACH PLUS
SuperCoach Plus subscribers get some great new features and updates, headlined by SuperCoach Plus Smart Search – a collection of all-new tools and filters to find your perfect trade. You can now filter players by their breakeven, next round projected score, projected price change and even the level of ownership. Want to find the perfect forward who’ll score you the big points, get a huge price increase and isn’t already owned by the majority of coaches? Now you can. Coaches’ Choice also gets an all-new ‘teams in my leagues’ ownership tab. Adding to the options to view live player ownership (and ownership change) data for the top 1, 5, 10% or the entire competition, you can now view player ownership information based on all teams who you complete against in your head-to-head leagues. The perfect tool to find that unique point-of-difference for your squad when playing for head-to-head glory.
SUPERCOACH DRAFT
We continue to improve and develop SuperCoach Draft based on YOUR feedback, suggestions and requests. And all new settings and customisations continue to be completely FREE. Once again, we’ve made some massive updates and changes to the Draft platform ahead of 2024. The big one is the addition of an on-field FLEX player position. You can now activate and enable an extra utility/flex option on your team field, where you can add an extra starting player from ANY position. The flex player may be added to any pre-set or custom line-up, or added to existing keeper leagues. This adds an all-new dimension in how you approach and play SuperCoach Draft! We’ve also updated the 1-day waiver time period and you now have the option to run extremely deep benches for all line-ups – for those who are serious about their keeper leagues.
BIG PRIZES
At the end of the AFL home-and-away season the top SuperCoach in the country takes home $50,000 in cash. Second place receives $5000 and those placed third to 10th win $1000 each.
There is also a $1000 weekly prize for the best score each round – doubled to $2000 if you’re a SuperCoach Plus subscriber.
THE BASICS
HOW IT WORKS
You’re a coach with a team to pick, a salary cap to work under and games to win.
Select a squad of players from across the AFL and score points based on their real-life performances in AFL games, using a unique formula developed by Champion Data.
During the year, you’ll deal with form and injuries just like an AFL coach, but with the benefit of trades to replace sidelined or out-of-form players and to improve your squad.
Take on your mates in your own private league for ultimate bragging rights, and track your progress against all other SuperCoaches in the race for weekly and major prizes.
HOW TO PLAY
Once you’ve registered for SuperCoach AFL:
YOU have a $10 million salary cap and 30 players to pick.
SELECT eight defenders, 11 midfielders, eight forwards, and three rucks. Remember to save your team!
YOU will need a mix of top-end stars you can rely on for high scores every week, bottom-priced players who will rise in value and a few in between – look for players who are underpriced due to injury or a change in role.
NEED help picking a side? Try the auto select feature which picks a team for you instantly using our smart technology.
CHANGE your team as much as you like until round 1 of SuperCoach starts on March 14.
BEFORE each round, choose a starting 22 and nominate one of your bench players in every position as an emergency. Their score will count if one of your starting 22 doesn’t play.
NOMINATE a captain who he earns double points, and a vice-captain as back-up.
YOU will have 40 trades to maintain your side during the season. Each week you can make up to two trades, except for the mid-season bye rounds when you get three trades.
STAY on top of your team with our free Apple and Android apps.
HOW PLAYERS SCORE POINTS
Players score SuperCoach points from acts in real AFL games using a formula devised by Champion Data to reward actions that have the biggest impact on matches – there is more to SuperCoach than adding up kicks, marks and handballs.
This game rewards players who win a crucial one-on-one contest and hit a target when the game is on the line.
The ability to win the ball (contested possessions), use it well (disposal efficiency), impact the scoreboard (goals and score assists), win the footy back off the opposition (intercept possessions) and tackles all score well.
There are also negative acts that cost players SuperCoach points such as turnovers and giving away free kicks and 50m penalties.
START WITH THESE 4
Harley Reid (WC, $207,300 FWD-MID)
The No.1 draft pick is the most-expensive first-year player in SuperCoach, but he looks set to be worth every bit of the top price tag. Reid, who is available as a forward in SuperCoach, averaged 135 points in the Coates League last year and could be used as a ball-winning defender in his first season at the top level.
Nick Daicos (Coll, $650,000 DEF-MID)
Is this the 2024 Brownlow Medallist? He’s the overwhelming favourite heading into just this third season in the competition. And he’s also the favourite to finish the year as the top-ranked SuperCoach defender, after averaging 116 points per game last season.
Brodie Grundy (Syd, $481,900 RUCK)
With Max Gawn out the side last year, Grundy averaged 138 SuperCoach points per game – form reminiscent of his 130-point days as Collingwood’s No. 1 ruckman in 2018 and 2019. Well, he’s the main man up in Sydney again and appears undervalued after his struggles at Melbourne in 2023.
Ryley Sanders (WB, $184,800 MID)
The rookie-priced players are key to a strong SuperCoach team, given they accumulate money quicker, allowing you to trade up and fill your team with stars. While nailing your selections in the $123k price bracket is key, there’s still plenty we don’t know about those names. But what we do know is, Sanders, pick 6 in last year’s draft, was a prolific junior SuperCoach scorer and has been a standout at Western Bulldogs training.
NEED MORE HELP?
Our expert team – which will, again, feature former Giant and Magpie Heath Shaw as the official KFC SuperCoach ambassador – has been busy over summer to help you prepare for the new season.
ROOKIE BIBLE:EVERY SUPERCOACH CHEAPIE YOU NEED TO KNOW
THE MUST-HAVES:11 PLAYERS EVERY TEAM SHOULD START
OPENING ROUND ADVICE: HOW TO EXPLOIT NEW RULES
EXPERT TEAMS: The Phantom | Al Paton
Originally published as AFL SuperCoach 2024: How to play, all the prizes and everything you need to know for new season
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