SuperCoach AFL 2024: Tips and tricks to help survive mid-season byes
Squeeze the most points out of your SuperCoach team during the mid-season byes with easy tools, trade tips and expert advice. FREE GUIDE
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A SuperCoach season like no other is about to enter a new phase.
The mid-season byes begin next week, and they can blow a big hole in your fantasy plans – if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Luckily, there are lots of ways to beat the byes that range from smart use of trades to simple tools in the SuperCoach app. Here’s a run-down.
BEST 18 IS BACK
Over the four bye rounds SuperCoach will revert to best 18 scoring, as we saw earlier in the year.
That means only your highest 18 available scores count towards your tally that round. So if you have a few players off with the bye, don’t panic.
Remember a player has to be part of selected starting 22 to count towards your total – if you have three playing rucks during a bye round, only the two on-field scores count towards your total. Bench players can count if they are nominated as an emergency and a player on field in the same position on field doesn’t play – including bye players.
So, it’s still worth nominating emergencies if you have them!
SPECIAL TRADE RULES
Coaches have three trades for each week of the byes. This applies for the week leading into each bye, so we can use three trades leading into round 12, round 13, round 14 and round 15.
If you still have a Trade Boost you can use up to four trades in any of those rounds.
BLUE DOTS
After lockout on Sunday night your SuperCoach team might look like it has come down with a case of chickenpox. Every player missing the next round with the bye will be highlighted with a blue dot so you’ll see instantly who is available and who isn’t.
Players with blue dots are live all weekend and can be traded and substituted until the start of the last game of the round.
SUPERCOACH PLUS
The bye rounds are a lot less stressful for SuperCoach Plus subscribers.
They can access the Show Byes drop-down menu at any time for an instant visual representation of who’s available and who isn’t from their squad each week during the byes – perfect for planning your trades (see strategy below).
In addition, the ‘My Team Analysis’ tool breaks down how many of your players will be available in each position for each bye round.
SuperCoach Plus is a treasure chest of tools to take your coaching to the next level including live scores, projections and Break Evens. A 12-month subscription covers all four SuperCoach games – SuperCoach AFL, SuperCoach NRL, SuperCoach BBL and SuperCoach NBL. Unlock the most powerful SuperCoach Plus tools here.
EASY BYE STRATEGY
Managing your team and smart use of trades over the next month can help you come out of the byes in front.
Start by taking note of which position your bye players are in. You will be able to cover four missing premiums in different positions much easier than four missing stars are all in your defence.
When making these calculations premium scorers (priced over $450,000) are the players we are really worried about. Cheap players will come and go as you make trades each week, and a team of 16 premiums will usually outscore 13 premiums and five rookies.
USE DPP
Dual-position players come into their own during the bye rounds.
Two or three forwards missing in round 12? Swap Isaac Heeney into the midfield for that round (during Sydney’s bye) and bring down a bench DPP like Darcy Wilson or Bruce Reville who can plug a hole in the forwards for one week before moving back the next round.
If your midfield is decimated in round 15 but you have extra stocks in defence, swing Nick Daicos into the middle.
Keep DPPs in mind when making trades – it might be a reason to hang on to Wilson or Sam Clohesy, or even a non-playing bench DPP like Will Graham.
BE REALISTIC
When doing your maths, remember that just because a player is available in a given bye round doesn’t mean they will actually play.
In other words, don’t rely on Nick Coffield or Coen Livingstone to get you to 18 scorers even if the Dogs or Eagles are playing that week.
We haven’t given up hope on a miracle comeback by Zach Reid, though.
TARGET PLAYERS OFF THEIR BYE
Bye strategy 101 is trading out players about to have a bye and bringing in replacements who has just had a week off – that way you get a scorer on field in your SuperCoach team on both sides of the deal.
If that trade is an upgrade you’re improving the overall strength of your squad at the same time – win, win, win.
For example, after round 13 you could trade out a Gold Coast player like Sam Clohesy or Alex Sexton who is about to have a week off, and bring in a Port Adelaide or Fremantle star (Zak Butters or Luke Ryan would be top of the wish list) fresh off the bye.
Get GWS gun Tom Green after the Giants’ round 12 bye and you’ll have him scoring points for your team every week for the rest of the season.
Try to avoid trading in a player before their bye.
Some coaches plan weeks ahead to know which cheapies are ready to cash in each week, and which premiums they want to maximise their bye scores and improve their team for the run home.
The experts have been watching, too – watch for more advice on who to use your precious trades on each round.
WHEN SIDEWAYS TRADES ARE OK
Normally it’s a bad idea to use a trade to “sideways” one of your players for someone of a similar value – you’re missing an opportunity to improve your team overall with that trade and these moves often backfire when the player you traded out inevitably finds form.
Those rules can be suspended during the byes.
If you have been carrying an underperformer all year, or a rookie who isn’t getting a game or making any money, you can use one of your three trades to flip them to someone who will help you in the run home and give you an extra number towards best 18.
For example, if you’re been underwhelmed by Jack Macrae’s scores this season the smart play is to hold him through the early byes, when his scores will be extra valuable, then when the Bulldogs have a week off swap him for someone in better form who will give you an extra score in round 15.
Or Shaun Mannagh’s 55,000 owners could bite the bullet and swap him for a playing cheapie during any bye round.
NOT ALL BYE ROUNDS ARE EQUAL
With four teams on the bye in round 12 and just two in round 13, most coaches should be able to safely navigate the first two mid-season byes before rounds 14 and 15 arrive with a bang.
That gives us more time to prepare – by then you can bring in big guns off their early bye who can boost your round 14 and 15 representation.
LOOPHOLE FUN
If you haven’t used the vice-captain loophole before, the byes are the perfect time to give it a try.
Here’s how it works – nominate a star who plays early in the round as your vice-captain. If they score over 120, put the captaincy on someone you know won’t play this round – ie, anyone with a blue dot – and your vice-captain’s score will be doubled. If your VC flops, nominate a player who features later in the round as your captain and scoring will operate as normal.
One crucial point – if you have to move a scoring player to the bench to field a non-scoring captain, make sure you nominate an emergency so their score will still count towards your total (many coaches have been caught out by forgetting the E!).
You can use the same theory if you have one bench player available in defence, the midfield or forward line during one of the bye weeks.
Pick a player you aren’t too confident about who plays early in the round and sit them on the bench with the E highlighted. If they score well, place a non-scoring player on field and you will get your emergency score as cover. If they don’t fire, you get another shot at a decent score by putting a player from one of the late games on field instead.
Experienced coaches usually use cheapies in this scenario, but it can also save you in the event of an early injury to a more expensive star.
DON’T PANIC
We can’t plan for everything. Last year James Sicily was a star in defence for most SuperCoach teams and had been pencilled in as a reliable scorer over the byes. Then he got suspended – not once, but twice – over the bye rounds.
Injuries and unexpected events will happen. But coaches who have planned for the byes will be in a much better position to weather those storm than coaches who haven’t.
Good luck!
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