SuperCoach experts Al Paton and Tim Michell rate the most popular trades ahead of Round 5
Sydney Stack will appear in thousands of SuperCoach teams for the first time before his price jumps this weekend. But can he live up to the hype? Our experts review the biggest Round 5 trades.
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How quickly should we jump off an underperforming rookie to take advantage of one on the up?
That’s a question thousands off coaches are this week pondering after Zak Butters’ score of 23 against Richmond.
Butters had a low score of 67 before his underwhelming total against the Tigers, but the temptation to move him on is high when a rookie such as Sydney Stack is available.
After 108 on debut, the young Tiger is set for a hefty price rise if he plays his third AFL game in Round 5.
It’s little wonder stack features in many of this week’s most popular trade combinations.
Experts Al Paton and Tim Michell rate the most popular trades ahead of Round 5:
Zak Butters to Sydney Stack (3893 trades)
Al: Butters’ break even is creeping up fast (48) but until last weekend he has been a safe scoring option. Stack looks to have a spot in the Tigers’ defence with Jayden Short out for a while, but not sure I’d want to play him on the field.
Tim: I can see the logic behind this trade but I’m not sold on dumping Zac Butters after one bad game to bring in another rookie. Butters had three scores of 67 or better before his 23 against Richmond. It’s easy to make hasty moves on rookies but he’s still got more money to make. Only move him on if you’re upgrading to a player such as Tom Rockliff.
Will Setterfield to Sydney Stack (1 766 trades)
Al: A two-match ban is far from ideal but with a major shortage of forward rookies moving Setterfield into the midfield could leave you very exposed, unless you’re using a second trade to bring in someone like Travis Boak.
Tim: I would be holding Will Setterfield. His suspension removes one of the forward rookie options for most coaches but opens up a loophole at F6. I’ll be using it to take a look at Jack Petruccelle’s score on Good Friday before deciding whether to trade or not.
Zac Williams to Lachie Whitfield (1264 trades)
Al: I’m still hoping Zac will be good enough to stay in my team all year (a 90-plus average is good enough for D6) but Whitfield is a must-have so if he can get you there in one trade, go for it.
Tim: As Al said, you need Lachie Whitfield ASAP. But I’m not sure whether moving on Zac Williams is the right way to get there. Williams had three scores above 80 and two 95+ before his 60 against Geelong. His break even might exceed his average in coming weeks but don’t trade Williams yet.
Zac Butters to Josh Rotham (828 trades)
Al: Of the bubble boys, I’d rather have Stack. Rotham’s job security is a week-to-week proposition.
Tim: Rotham scored well in his second game, but don’t overlook the fact he was a late inclusion. Thousands off coaches were sucked in by Rotham’s Eagles teammate Tom Cole playing a similar role last year and his best scores came in his first three games. Pass.
Zak Butters to Jack Ross (878 trades)
Al: Don’t ignore the Josh Glenn rule! One good score from a rookie doesn’t always mean long-term success — as we’ve already seen this year with Bailey Scott and Stack. I like Ross but we get one more week to look at him before his price will change, so hold fire — and eke a few more dollars out of Butters.
Tim: Wait a week or you’re almost certain to end up being burned. Ross was superb against Port Adelaide on debut and looked ready-made for AFL, but Richmond has enough depth to be uncertain about his job security. If he backs up in game two, this trade would be a great one to make after Round 5.
Jordan Clark to Josh Rotham (807 trades)
Al: Clark has been super consistent, scoring between 53-69 every week — enough to increase in value by $83,000. He has a little more room to grow so he’s a hold for me, but I’d be sitting him on the bench, not on the field.
Tim: Clark spent time off the ground during the game against the Giants but still posted 53. It was the first time for the year he’d scored below 60 and trading him this week is too hasty. Hold him on your bench until his price maxes out.
Justin Westhoff to Shane Mumford (867 trades)
Al: I like this one a lot! The Hoff is bleeding cash after a huge Round 1 score, posting 47, 39 and 49 since. Mummy, meanwhile, is looking like a 100-plus average player for $320,200. Trading Westhoff means losing his handy forward/ruck swing, but it’s worth it for the extra points each week.
Tim: The trade of Round 4. Mumford hasn’t put a foot wrong in the first two games of his comeback and the early signs suggest he could be a stepping stone to Max Gawn or Brodie Grundy. Westhoff will continue to lose value in coming weeks with a break even of 167. Mumford won’t be this cheap again.
Matthew Parker to Sydney Stack (784 trades)
Al: This trade would require a DPP move such as moving Will Setterfield or Willem Drew from the midfield to the forward line, which is a smart play. I’m hanging on to Parker but he needs a good score to keep making money.
Tim: If I was going to bring in Sydney Stack, it’d be via this type of forward-midfield swing. You won’t lose much by downgrading one of your forward rookies and Parker has slowed down after a flying start in the opening two games.
Bailey Scott to Sydney Stack (773 trades)
Al: Watch the North Melbourne teams before hitting the trade button — Scott could return this week. He clearly has scoring potential but he’s not scoring any points (or making any money) if he isn’t playing. He could be handy for the emergency loophole though.
Tim: Like with Setterfield, use Scott for a midfield rookie loophole if he isn’t recalled after being rested for Round 4. It’s not ideal that he wouldn’t be making money but his absence allowed some coaches to field Tom Atkins (68) over Zak Butters (23) in Round 4. Those points are worth keeping a non-scoring rookie.
Chris Burgess to Josh Rotham (653 trades)
Al: Burgess’s break even is 27 and he’s averaging 41, so he isn’t going to make much more than his current $48,1000 profit. He does have value as a DPP set with Darcy Moore but that wouldn’t stop me trading him if the right downgrade came along. Just not sure Rotham is it.
Tim: If you’re using Chris Burgess for his Def-Fwd swing with Darcy Moore, don’t think about trading him. He should be either your F8 or D8, so don’t be concerned that his scoring hasn’t hit the heights. He’s in your side for versatility and is worth holding onto for that reason. I’m not sold Rotham will be worth a valuable trade this early in the season.
Originally published as SuperCoach experts Al Paton and Tim Michell rate the most popular trades ahead of Round 5
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