AFL SuperCoach 2024: The Phantom’s burning questions and round 5 trade advice

Is Charlie Comben the real deal? What about Jason Horne-Francis? Could you really go back to Nic Martin? The Phantom answers the big SuperCoach trade questions ahead of round 5.

Well, well, well.

The last time we spoke, I told you to not to trade Hayden Young.

That was two weeks ago.

After an Easter and Gather Round-related break, burning questions is back and Young has scored 251 SuperCoach points since

There’s no hiding here. I see all 38,543 of you.

Many will try and forget it. Forget they made the trade and forget Hayden Young plays football on the weekend.

But it is no time for hiding.

It would take a big SuperCoach to swallow their pride and consider trading Young back in.

But at $519k, with 24 effective kicks, 22 contested possessions and back-to-back SuperCoach tons in the past two games, there’s no doubting the value in Young as an option, whether you’ve had him or not.

And he’s not the only one.

Nic Martin is averaging 33.8 disposals per game. Picture: Michael Klein

There’s someone else they traded out early, Phantom?

There is.

The No. 1 ranked player in the competition for disposals per game, Nic Martin.

This isn’t me on my Hayden Young high horse either – I’ve had a good week and a half on that.

This is about looking forward. Value is value whether it’s been in your team already or not.

After spending 100 per cent of his time in defence this year, Martin will become a dual-position midfielder-defender in SuperCoach after round 6.

As we pondered over the pre-season – especially those who started him – with the move, Martin doesn’t need to average 120 to be in the top six players in his position, like he would as a midfielder-only.

But after another 35 disposals, 10 intercept possessions and 133 points against the Power – his second score of 130 or more in as many weeks – maybe he will.

He probably won’t. But what you can’t argue with is his value as a potential top-six defender at $533k.

With a breakeven of 35, he’s not getting any cheaper.

If you’ve got a spot in defence, swallow that pride and, at least, consider it.

Of course I’ve got a spot in my defence, have you seen the rookies?

Right now, yes, there isn’t much to look at. But some much needed back-up is on its way.

So it’s getting Clohesy-ier?

I’m normally the one making the bad jokes. But, no, we’re not talking about the $102k saviour in defence – yet.

Gold Coast debutants Will Graham and Sam Clohesy on Sunday. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

Yeah, I don’t mind Will Graham, Phant…

Stop spoiling the rookie section of this article.

Sure, the $117k dual-position draftee, who attended 49 per cent of centre bounces for the Suns on debut and finished with 17 disposals, seven contested possessions, five clearances and 67 points will help – but we’re not talking about him yet either

Tom Brown was great, but he’s a bit expensive now...

Eugh.

You’re not wrong, though. I was at Norwood Oval on Sunday and a friend of mind almost fell over the fence when the young Tiger took his third intercept mark against the Saints.

Long live AFL footy in the suburbs.

Anyway, the back-up I am talking about is in the form of Matt Roberts and Colby McKercher, who are both likely to become defender-midfielders ahead of round 7.

For the 16,000 of you who – like me – have Riley Bonner, there’s him, too.

It’s important to take these changes into account when planning your trades for the next few rounds.

So, it will just be Ryley Sanders left of the rookies in my midfield?

Well, he’s right on the edge of going the other way and becoming a forward-midfielder.

All Luke Beveridge has to do is keep him in a similar rotation this week against the Essendon.

That’s not much to ask is it?

Is it?

Let’s not get into this.

Where can I find the rest of the data?

By clicking right here.

Thanks, Phant. But seriously, Clohesy this week?

“I thought Sam Clohesy was outstanding on the wing,” Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick said on Sunday after the mature-ager from Werribee tallied 22 disposals, eight marks, five inside 50s and 108 points on debut.

And he was, meaning the 21-year-old, who won the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal at the VFL’s best young player last year, is the one to jump on early with his teammate Graham and North Melbourne’s Charlie Comben also on the bubble next week.

North Melbourne forward-turned-defender Charlie Comben. Picture: David Crosling

Charlie who?

Fair question.

Charlie Comben, the 22-year-old North Melbourne tall who, before Gather Round, had played just nine senior games since being drafted in 2019.

We’ve considered picking him in SuperCoach before, as a marking forward, but injury just kept getting in the way.

The 199cm Comben started well last year at centre-half-forward before breaking his ankle badly against the Demons in round 7.

But with Alastair Clarkson arriving, and key defender Ben McKay departing, Comben is now a defender.

And, it seems – albeit on a very small sample size – a pretty good one.

Against the Lions on Friday, Comben exploded back onto the SuperCoach scene, tallying 25 disposals, 13 intercept possessions – six of them marks – eight spoils and 129 points.

Surely the Roos need him forward… they can’t kick a score?

“It would have been so easy to push him forward (after the injury to Callum Coleman-Jones) but we’ve trained him as a back all summer, and today he looked really accomplished,” coach Alastair Clarkson said after Comben’s performance against Brisbane.

Before his senior return, Comben recorded 22 disposals, 15 intercept possessions, 12 rebound 50s, eight intercept marks and 134 points against Carlton in the VFL.

He took another six intercept marks, among 14 total intercepts, in the opening round, too.

So, we can expect numbers this every week then?

No, no, but Comben’s stat line against Brisbane might not be as wildly out-of-the-box as it first seemed.

A lot of guys coming in, Phant, who’s going out?

With Sydney on the bye, James Jordon’s time in our teams is probably up.

The former Demon hasn’t kicked on how we would’ve liked after three scores in the 80s to start the year, failing to score more than 65 in his past two matches.

Taylor Adams is back and his breakeven is up to 78. Take the $75k and turn him into a premium.

Jack Steele is now averaging 127 for the year and, at $589k with a breakeven of 69, is priced well below any of the other big 120-point midfield guns.

Jason Horne-Francis is on the bubble this week. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Except one…

We’re finally on the same wavelength.

Young Port Adelaide star Jason Horne-Francis is the only other player in the competition averaging 120 SuperCoach points or more priced below $600k.

And, at $433k, he’s well below.

Sure, given the two-week injury layoff, he’s only played two games – but they’ve been bloody good ones.

He scored 112 points from just 20 disposals against West Coast in round 1 before reminding everyone of his all-round scoring power in the Gather Round win over Essendon.

Horne-Francis tallied 31 disposals, 13 contested possessions, a game-high 10 clearances, seven score involvements, seven inside 50s, four score assists and 132 SuperCoach points on Friday night.

In just 62 per cent game-time.

That’s not much more than a half.

Don’t worry, I won’t dive into his junior numbers and point out that these type of stat lines aren’t new for him, like I’ve done in the past.

But I was there on Friday night and I watched him very closely. To say he passed the eye test is the understatement of the year.

Horne-Francis, who’s on the bubble this week, is unlikely to gain dual-position status, but who cares?

Not me.

Originally published as AFL SuperCoach 2024: The Phantom’s burning questions and round 5 trade advice