AFL SuperCoach 2025: The Phantom’s team revealed

The Phantom is back for another year of SuperCoach – and another year of picking a big breakout contender. And it’s a call that will shape the midfield. See our guru’s full team here.

And we’re back.

Back for another big year of SuperCoach – and back for another big year of picking George Wardlaw.

If you were here last summer, you would know I was all in on a second-year breakout.

And there was a big jump, with the young Roo adding 21 points to his average.

Importantly, he got through 18 games, with concussion his only big injury concern, and was North’s second centre bounce midfielder behind Luke Davies-Uniacke.

At $461k, he needs to add another 20 points to his average in 2025, and I think he can.

And if I think that, I have to pick him, right?

Is a full-blown George Wardlaw breakout coming? Picture: Michael Klein

Wardlaw, who won 48.9 per cent of his possession in a contest last season, averaged 119 points in a blistering three-game stretch before the unfortunate head knock brought his season to a halt ahead of round 16.

But he’s taken Hayden Young’s spot in the team – for now.

Yes, I know what I said, but I like the current balance.

Again, for now.

DEFENDERS

Sam Flanders (GC) $641,500, Mid
Harry Sheezel (NM) $635,600
Jack Sinclair (StK) $592,200, Mid
Callum Mills (Syd) $357,200
Saad El-Hawli (Ess) $119,900, Mid
Riley Bice (Syd) $113,500
Bench: Kaleb Smith (Rich, $121,200), Zach Reid (Ess, $119,900)

Forget Sam Flanders’ early bye, we’ve got flex. Harry Sheezel another SuperCoach gift as a defender. And Jack Sinclair, priced at 110, averaged 120 in his final 11 game of last season. I want young Swan Matt Roberts in my side, but it’s hard to pick him over his captain at $357k. If Saad El-Hawli and Riley Bice are picked, they loom as solid on-field options.

Jack Sinclair stormed home in 2024. Picture: Mark Stewart

MIDFIELDERS

Marcus Bontempelli (WB) $681,000
Zak Butters (Port) $648,900
George Wardlaw (NM) $461,300
Clayton Oliver (Melb) $451,600
James Peatling (Adel) $352,800
Jagga Smith (Carl) $194,500
Ed Allan (Coll) $194,000
Sid Draper (Adel) $190,000
Bench: Bo Allan (WC, $136,600 Def), Elijah Hewett (WC, $122,800 Fwd), Neil Erasmus (Freo, $119,900 Fwd)

I’ve gone big at the top end in the midfield, too, with Marcus Bontempelli and Zak Butters. You get what you pay for and I’m paying for 120+. As above, Wardlaw is taking a premium spot at M3. So, too, Clayton Oliver but I’m tipping a big bounce back year. New Crow James Peatling averaged 98 points in the nine games he attended 50 per cent of centre bounces or more at the Giants last season. Forget his sub-affected scores, he’ll be in Adelaide’s engine room in round 1.

RUCK

Tristan Xerri (NM) $645,900
Matt Flynn (WC) $261,900
Bench: Harry Boyd (StK) $99,100

Tristan Xerri picks himself after a huge finish to 2024 – but R2 is a little bit more difficult. Matt Flynn sits there for now and, if he’s picked as the Eagles No. 1 ruckman, he’ll stay there. Remember, he was in front of Kieran Briggs a few years back.

FORWARDS

Jason Horne-Francis (Port) $537,000, Mid
Izak Rankine (Adel) $521,600
Jack Macrae (StK) $392,200
Bailey Smith (Geel) $389,200, Mid
Caleb Daniel (NM) $269,100, Mid
Tom Lynch (Rich) $183,200
Bench: Joe Berry (Port, $140,500), Aidan Johnson (Melb, $113,500)

The theme is obvious by now – I’m spending up for the big guns. And the value on offer in the forward line helps me to do so. After premium pair Jason Horne-Francis and Izak Rankine – no SA bias, I swear – Jack Macrae, Bailey Smith and Caleb Daniel might go close to be the three best bargain picks of the year. Where’s Mattaes Phillipou? He’s been in, but I’ve shuffled money around to start Rankine. We’re not calling Joe Berry Robbie Gray 2.0 yet, but we one day might have reason, too. A chance to bring his Gray-like tricks to the MCG in round 1.

FLEX

Levi Ashcroft (Bris) $185,500, Mid

There are going to be a whole heap of different strategies for the all-new flex position – and, with little to go on, it’s going to be hard to say who’s right and who’s wrong. But with depth of last year’s draft, along with second and third-year players in the top-end rookie price bracket, I’ve gone with another expensive cash cow in Levi Ashcroft. The name speaks for itself.

The Phantom's 2025 AFL SuperCoach team

Originally published as AFL SuperCoach 2025: The Phantom’s team revealed