How to select an AFL SuperCoach team

Want to join the fun of SuperCoach but not sure where to start? This simple guide is all you need to know to enter your team in Australia’s biggest fantasy game.

Playing SuperCoach for the first time can be daunting.

It’s hard to know where to start when you’ve registered and are suddenly looking at a blank field surrounded by players, prices and stats. Don’t panic — we’re here to help.

Here’s a quick guide to walk you through the first steps of your SuperCoach adventure. The video above is a short introduction, if you need some more information, read on.

THE FIELD

A starting SuperCoach squad consists of 30 players: eight defenders, 11 midfielders, three ruckmen and eight forwards.

You’ll note that each position is made up of ‘live’ players on the field and backups on the bench (two bench players in defence, three in the midfield, one in the ruck and two up forward). Only players on the field count towards your weekly points total, unless an emergency player is used to cover for a late out (more on that later).

SUPERCOACH HELP: HOW TO PICK A WINNING TEAM

TOP GUNS: MOST POPULAR SUPERCOACH PLAYERS AT YOUR CLUB

TACTICS: SIX STARTING SUPERCOACH STRATEGIES

MORE HELP: 21 TIPS FOR SUPERCOACH SUCCESS

EXPLAINER: HOW SUPERCOACH SCORING WORKS

PLAYERS AND PRICES

You have $10 million to spend on your starting squad.

Every player is assigned a price value based on their scoring potential, with Brodie Grundy the most expensive player at $708,200 and untried rookies the cheapest at $102,400.

These prices will change during the season based on form in real AFL games — in-form players will improve in value and players who don’t score well will go down in price. Look for players who you think represent value for money.

Players are listed by position and in order from most to least expensive. Add a player to your team by hitting the green ‘plus’ sign.

Want to know more about any player? Click on their name to see stats from this year, previous seasons and all the latest news you might have missed.

SuperCoach Survival Gide

To fit your squad under the salary cap you’ll need a mix of high-priced stars, cheap players on the bench – look for first-year players expected to play early – and a few in between.

Once you have a full squad, hit SAVE. You can make unlimited trades until Round 1 by clicking on the ‘T’ when hovering over a player’s name. After Round 1 your team is locked in and you have 30 trades for the rest of the season.

Each week you can name a CAPTAIN who scores double points by selecting the ‘C’ when hovering over the players’ name, a VICE-CAPTAIN as back-up (‘vc’) and EMERGENCIES (‘e’ over bench players) in case one of your starting 22 doesn’t play — select one emergency in each position.

Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield is a good choice for SuperCoach captain most weeks. Picture: Alan Barber

Edit your team name and design your own team jumper via the settings wheel.

You can always get back to your team via the main menu, as well as access your private leagues, overall rankings and extra player stats, plus sign up for tipping and SuperCoach Draft.

INTELLIGENT AUTO-PICK

A quick way to assemble a squad is to use the Intelligent Auto-Pick feature.

Select your favourite teams and enter players you know you want, then let our technology do the rest.

You can also fill gaps in your squad using the Top-Up button.

Any more questions? Click the HELP button. This will unlock more information and FAQs and if you’re still stuck, fill out the ‘Contact Us’ form.

Once you’ve picked a team contact your friends about starting a league or join one that already exists, and keep an eye on the Herald Sun for lots more tips on who to pick and the best moves to make during the season.

Welcome aboard, good luck and enjoy the ride!

Originally published as How to select an AFL SuperCoach team