AFL SuperCoach Draft 2024: Expert consensus player rankings in every position

Taking part in a SuperCoach draft? We’re here to help. Our experts have ordered their top players to deliver the ultimate consensus ranking for every position.

If you haven’t played SuperCoach Draft before, you’re missing out.

Arguably, it’s a fun, more-exciting way to play our favourite fantasy game.

Take part in a league with your mates – or join any available public league – and select a unique SuperCoach team through a live draft where each player is only available once.

You can then trade players with other teams throughout the season and pick up any undrafted player from the free agency pool as you go.

League settings – number of teams, squad size, trading and free agency options, gameplay and draft type, just to name a few – are customisable, allowing you to set up your competition your own way.

To help you pick the right players on draft night, our experts have ranked their top players in every position to come up with the 2024 consensus SuperCoach Draft rankings.

Phantom says: Could you take Nick Daicos with the first overall pick? Maybe. James Sicily and Tom Stewart are cleary the next big two in defence, but there is some depth. Hayden Young might prove a great pick-up if nobody else jumps early, while Harry Sheezel looks like he might play in defence again after all. Jump on Harry Himmelberg and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera if they slide a little in your draft.

Al says: The top three defenders are rolled gold SuperCoach superstars – grab one early if you get the chance. Dan Houston and Jack Sinclair would both look very nice at D1, and after that you could roll the dice on a rising young gun like Hayden Young, Harry Sheezel or Keidean Coleman making the leap to join the top bracket. Jayden Short is set for a return to defence full-time under Adem Yze, a role he has shown he can regularly score over 100.

Tim says: I might leave Nick Daicos out of my starting classic team with an eye to trading him in after Collingwood’s early bye. But, don’t make the same choice if you have an early selection in your draft. The capital you would have to give up to prise Daicos out of another team just wouldn’t be worth it. Tom Stewart would have averaged more than James Sicily if he wasn’t injured in round 1 last year, so I have the star Cat ranked ahead of the Hawks skipper. Then come the kings of the seagull, Luke Ryan and Harry Sheezel. I am expecting this to be the first year Sheezel averages 105 and the signs coming out of Arden St are that he’s stayed at halfback. Daicos is a clear standout and Stewart/Sicily worthy of late first-round picks. Ryan, Sheezel and Sinclair loom as second-rounders. After that, you can throw a blanket over the next 15-20 defensive options so be prepared to wait and draft your other defenders in the later rounds.

Nick Daicos is the No. 1 SuperCoach defender. Picture: Michael Klein

Dan says: There is plenty of depth in defence, so you don’t need to be too shattered about missing out on the big three of Daicos, Stewart and Sicily – especially with uncertainty over the latter’s role after James Blanck’s blow. Several options are far better than their 2023 averages suggest, like Wanganeen-Milera, Coleman and Himmelberg.

Patch says: Mason Redman was number one on my list until news came through that Red Dog was cutting his hair, sending his value plummeting and sending me to the bathroom to cry quietly in a cubicle for (redacted) hours. The top five are reasonably self-explanatory — Dan Houston is in for another big year and I’m quietly excited to watch what Jayden Short can do with a new coach. I’m bullish on Wanganeen-Milera but the 10-16 range is pretty fluid. Duggan and Yeo would be much higher as they’re set for big stints in the middle, but have plenty of injury history behind them.

Tarquin says: Nick Daicos should be on everyone’s wish list as first pick in defence, and you can toss a coin over Sicily and Stewart. I like Ridley as well, who averaged 109.2 in his last nine games and now has Ben McKay to help handle the key forwards. As for some lower picks, Harry Himmelberg has a high ceiling if he can put it together as a backman – his scores of 127 and 129 in the final two home-and-away games looked promising. Rioli would’ve had a mid-90s average if he didn’t play the last month of 2023 injured and up forward, so don’t let his 87 average put you off.

Phantom says: Giants gun Tom Green is a top-five scorer in my book, but not everyone will agree, so look for him on the turn in your draft. If you can land him with your second pick, take it as a huge early win. Plenty of premium depth – even if we’re a bit unsure on the order – again this year. A player like Noah Anderson or Darcy Parish could easily take the next step in 2024. Put Matt Crouch and Nic Martin on your middle-rounds watchlist.

Al says: Figure out how much weight you want to place on players missing with an early bye before committing to the midfield top dogs. If that’s not a huge factor then Tom Green is ready to take the footy world by storm. He has the perfect game for SuperCoach, which you could also say for Zak Butters. Tom Liberatore was incredible last season but he just had a career-best year at 31 which is going to be hard to repeat.

Tim says: Clayton Oliver is almost impossible to place. If he’s not going to be ready for round 1, there’s a chance you might pick him up in the second or third round of your draft. If he’s good to go, he’s probably the second-picked midfielder after Bontempelli. Tom Green’s big finish to 2023 and great early draw command a top-five ranking, while Luke Davies-Uniacke looks capable of averaging 120+ if he can stay fit. Maybe I’ve been harsh on Lachie Neale, but I wasn’t the only one who was surprised he won the Brownlow last year. The bolter in my top-20 is Karl Amon. I’m very bullish about his move to defence and think he can average anywhere from 100-108, especially if he picks up the kick-out duties.

What will Tom Green average in 2024? Picture: Phil Hillyard

Dan says: The biggest question on SuperCoach draft night will be who takes the punt on Oliver, and when. You could pick up a regular 120-averaging midfielder for a steal, but it could also backfire. It felt criminal putting Josh Kelly at 20 in my list, but there are stacks of quality midfield options on offer. Don’t forget about Miller and Walsh, both coming off injury-affected seasons, who will be down the list. Miller recorded season averages of 124 and 120 in 2021 and 2022.

Patch says: Going all-in on the changing of the guard this season, with Zak Butters, Tom Green, Caleb Serong and Luke Davies Uniacke all players I think will be top 10 come season’s end. I think the plan will be to go very hard, very early in the guts, with guys like Karl Amon and Nic Martin high on my radar as blokes who’ll pick up DPP early on. Some smokies here for mine include Finn Callaghan and Sam Durham — they’re nowhere near the top 20 but could be a lot of value further down. I’m sliding Errol Gulden for now as well, I just don’t see the opportunities for him in the guts with some more names added.

Tarquin says: Going the safe option of a Bont-Trac top two but Butters could be anything this year. Bullish on Libba to have another top season, he averaged 120+ in 2023 if you take away the game he was concussed in the second quarter. Oliver is an intriguing one – if your draft was today I wouldn’t take him in the first round. But if you and your mates wait until March and Oliver is chomping at the bit for the start of the campaign, you’d consider him inside the first five picks. Parish is also a great option to snag after a few of your early picks, the Bomber is having a terrific pre-season.

Phantom says: Tim English and Max Gawn should definitely be in the first-round mix – you could even argue Rowan Marshall needs to be snapped up if the other two are early. Brodie Grundy and Kieren Briggs aside, there ain’t much more you can be sure about after that.

Al says: I expect a refreshed Brodie Grundy to challenge Tim English for the No.1 ruck spot. We know his scoring pedigree – in a three-game stretch with no Max Gawn last season he scored 143, 144 and 128. And he’ll love the confined spaces of the SCG. English, meanwhile, might have to share the ruck more with Rory Lobb, although he still has so many scoring avenues (he even took a kick-in last year) that I can’t bring myself to dethrone him. Marshall is a genuine star – he averaged 136.5 over his final seven games last year, including the elimination final ... I might have him too low. One name on this list players might have forgotten is Matt Flynn, who will be the main man at the Eagles this year.

Tim says: If you miss out on the top five ruckmen, be prepared to wait until later in the draft. I think there’s a big drop off after Gawn, English, Marshall, Briggs and Grundy. Sean Darcy has the ceiling to average as many points as those rucks, but tends to get injured at some stage most seasons. Matt Flynn should relish being the No.1 ruckman at West Coast, but it’s hard to be completely convinced of his output when Bailey Williams also looks to be best 22. Toby Conway, Jordon Sweet and (dare I say it) Braydon Preuss are potential sleepers for the late rounds.

Don’t forget about Rowan Marshall in your draft. Picture: Michael Klein.

Dan says: It’s tough to split English and Gawn, but English will be looking to add another zero to his contract, while Gawn has one less game because of round zero. It is fairly even in the next group of players outside of Grundy, who could go back to his halcyon days at the Swans. If you’re stuck without a ruck later in the night, guys like Xerri, Mark Blicavs or even Ivan Soldo are players to watch.

Patch says: If you don’t get one of the top four rucks, don’t bother picking one until your last few rounds. “Handcuffing” rucks is how I like to play it if you’re going late on a ruck, where you pair two ruck partners together in your side. You could grab marc Pittonet and Tom De Koning together super late, you could even pick Sammy Draper and Todd Goldstein or Bailey Williams and Matty Flynn. You could nab a perfectly serviceable Ned Reeves in one of the final few rounds, too — which is who I have my eyes on.

Tarquin says: English was that far ahead of any other ruckman in 2023 he simply has to be the No.1 choice in 2024. Despite Gawn and Grundy’s rise in popularity with the pair now playing for different teams, English is in the prime of his career at 26 and is the standout choice for this position. Even when Gawn was playing as a solo ruck in 2022 he averaged 113, which is 15 points a game less than what English produced across the 2023 season. Like others have mentioned, the top four rucks are worth early picks but you can wait until later in the draft for the rest. A player like Reilly O’Brien has averaged between 95 and 107 for the past five years and can do a serviceable job in your line-up for a later pick.

Phantom says: Providing he overcomes a pre-season injury, even an underwhelming Jack Macrae season will put him in the top-six forwards. And if does creep back into the midfield full-time, then, arguably, in this year’s forward pool, you’ve got close to the best pick in the draft. I’m tipping Izak Rankine to push well into the 90s this year, and don’t forget about his Crows partner in crime Josh Rachele a little bit later, either.

Al says: I’m all aboard Sam Flanders again, but this time with a 100-plus average over half a season to back up the call. A return to the midfield will see Dusty return to the top in SuperCoach but Jack Macrae’s numbers have been on the slide for two years and I don’t think he’ll change that trend, although he can still average over 90 in his sleep. If you miss out on the top handful of names here, have some fun – the rest are an absolute lottery.

Tim says: Ignore the forward line until the later rounds. Unless you can get Macrae, Flanders or Jackson of course. After that, it’s pretty slim pickings. I would even consider filling out my defence, midfield and rucks before even choosing a forward. If that means running with Harley Reid, Nick Watson, Zane Duursma or any of the other forward rookies in your draft team, so be it. I have included Jesse Hogan as he has North Melbourne and West Coast in the first two rounds. After that, you can drop him to the waivers and pick up the best forward available.

Charlie Curnow’s place in SuperCoach Draft is a fascinating one. Picture: Michael Klein

Dan says: The forward line is generally the grimmest position to draft but this year it is particularly heinous. Your best bet is to snap up one of the premium (for lack of a better word) options and then hang back and grab what is left. It wouldn’t be outlandish to rank Harley Reid inside the top-five forwards considering what is on offer and sidelined key players like Dylan Moore (glandular fever). Picking a forward who will spend most of their time at centre-bounces seems the safest best.

Patch says: Yeesh. Yuck. Ooft. Just a miserable line, and while you could argue it’s worth trying to get as many good ones as possible early, it’s also a decent shout to punt them and just pick up the scraps later after you have a rolled-gold defence and midfield. If you’re picking a ruck super late it could be worth trying to nab Luke Jackson super early — he’s not my favourite pick in classic but his DPP here is phenomenal. I’m not too hot on Sammy Flanders but think a lot of your value here could come from key forwards: there’s always a bunch who finish in the top 10 and guys like Harry McKay and Tom Hawkins (if Old Father Time doesn’t catch him) are rolled gold up forward in drafts. Also keep an eye out for young guns from the Saints and Hawks – MacDonald and McKenzie are champing at the bit for more midfield time, while Owens and Winghager (who didn’t make my 20) are jets.

Tarquin says: There are very few attractive options in the forward department this year, with nobody averaging 100 points in 2023. That being said, grabbing Jack Macrae as early as inside the draft’s top 6-8 appeals to me. With Bailey Smith missing this year, Macrae should be getting more midfield minutes and bumping that average back into three figures. He might be the only forward to reach that mark this season, giving you an edge over other teams. Keep an eye on the Bulldog’s fitness but he should be all right for round 1. Dusty Martin and Taylor Adams are also looking strong in pre-season playing in the midfield, but I wouldn’t be giving up a very early pick for them. Towards the back end of the draft you can take a couple of risks on a James Harmes or Zac Fisher in the hope they take their game to a new level at fresh clubs.

Originally published as AFL SuperCoach Draft 2024: Expert consensus player rankings in every position