AFL Trades: Recruits to watch for SuperCoach 2025

It’s never too early to start planning 2025 SuperCoach success, and the trade period has delivered some potential steals. Here are the names and numbers you need to know.

Caleb Daniel has joined the Kangaroos. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The frantic finish to the 2024 trade period could turn out to be the most important five minutes of the 2025 SuperCoach season.

A rush of players finding new homes as the clock ticked down to the trade deadline has delivered a series of potential bargains for fantasy coaches next season.

Here are the names we’ll be talking about a lot more over the pre-season.

BAILEY SMITH

One of the most exciting young midfield talents in the competition would have been close to a must-have if he had stayed at Whitten Oval. Now he’s a Cat, lock him in and throw away the key. Smith will receive a large discount on his already low 2024 price after missing the entire season with an ACL injury, and should be available in the forward line after being listed as a MID/FWD this year. He’s likely to come in under $350k and should be a regular in the centre square at Geelong after being played at half-forward for large chunks of 2023.

CALEB DANIEL

The sweetest words for SuperCoaches after the trade period were Daniel’s manager Marty Pask telling Trade Radio: “He’ll play half-back ... he wants to play free and happy.” Anyone who has played fantasy in the past four years can reel off the names of players who have scored points for fun in the North Melbourne defence: Jack Ziebell, Harry Sheezel, Zac Fisher ... you get the idea. Daniel, who averaged 90-plus from 2019-23, is also likely to be forward eligible and close to rookie price after being used as the sub eight times in 2024.

Caleb Daniel first picked in #SuperCoach 2025

— Al Paton (@al_superfooty) October 16, 2024

Caleb Daniel, come back to me #SuperCoach#AFLTrade

— The Phantom (@ThePhantomSC) October 16, 2024

JACK MACRAE

Will Macrae be back to his brilliant SuperCoach best in red, white and black? The SuperCoach maestro will slot into the midfield group at Moorabbin after also copping the Bevo treatment – he was the sub four times this year and attended just 12 per cent of centre bounces for the season. He’s unlikely to recapture the heights of his 115-plus days but he will present value, especially if he retains MID/FWD status.

Bailey Smith will be a popular pick in SuperCoach next season. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Can Jack Macrae revive his career at St Kilda? Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

DAN HOUSTON

The most drawn-out saga of the trade period ended with Houston (finally) reaching his preferred destination, Collingwood. A lot of players on this list are reliant on new roles at their new club to be SuperCoach relevant, but Houston will do exactly what he’s been doing very successfully at Port Adelaide – where he has averaged 106 in SuperCoach the past two seasons. He should have an immediate monopoly on kick-ins and will again be in the top bracket of premiums pushing for spots in our starting defences.

JAMES PEATLING

SuperCoach draft expert Lekdog has famously called Peatling“the best player in the AFL”. It may not be strictly true, but he had a stellar finish to season 2024 and after joining the Crows, he will no longer be on the waiver wire for anyone smart enough to be looking out for him. Another player who was heavily impacted by the sub vest, Peatling averaged 65.5 last season – but that figure jumps to 92.5 if you only count his full games.

After being given a clear role in the final third of the season, he finished the year with the following scores: 133, 96, 100, 40, 97, 99 and 66. He will make money, the question will be whether we can start him at an awkward price (around $450k) if he’s only available as a midfielder.

ISAAC CUMMING

Sitting next to Peatling on the plane from Sydney to Adelaide will be Cumming, who will also carry an awkward price tag in SuperCoach 2025. But there is a clear path for premium-level scoring – if he gets the right role. Cumming fell off the radar this year, playing just four home-and-away matches, plus two finals. But his last game, a semi-final against Brisbane, was a reminder of his talents, scoring 103 SuperCoach points.

Cumming took one kick-in from a behind this season; two years ago he took 129 (clearly No.1 at the Giants) – and averaged 95 SuperCoach points. The job at Adelaide this year was split between Mark Keane and Mitch Hinge, with Josh Worrell and Brodie Smith also getting a crack. If Cumming kicks that group out of the goalsquare, he will be a mid-pricer worth considering.

Isaac Cumming is looking for a fresh start at Adelaide. Picture: Phil Hillyard

HARRY PERRYMAN

Another newly former Giant, Perryman lands at the Magpies, where he has been promised a spot in the starting midfield. He has averaged in the 90s before (three years straight from 2020-22) but was used in a variety of roles by Adam Kingsley, resulting in a dip in output – and in his SuperCoach price tag. Starting next to Nick Daicos at centre bounces every week is a good place to start if you want to become SuperCoach relevant. One to watch in pre-season.

NICK HAYNES

Completing the GWS exodus, Haynes has joined Carlton to fill a need for tall defenders. He was stuck in the VFL for most of 2024, but he has been a SuperCoach premium in the past – averaging 98 in 2020 (the same year he won the Giants’ best-and-fairest and made the All-Australian team). Playing for the GWS reserves this year Haynes averaged 31 disposals and almost nine intercepts and 130 SuperCoach points per game.

We’ll have to wait until practice matches to see if he’s part of the best 23 at Ikon Park, and a likely starting price of around $350k doesn’t help. One for SuperCoach Draft, potentially.

MATT KENNEDY

Kennedy has left the Blues to try his luck at the Bulldogs, and his potential upside all comes down to his role. His two best games this year – 116 points in round 15 and 119 points in round 22 – came off the back of attending 77 per cent and 56 per cent centre bounces. Can he muscle a player like Tom Liberatore out of the centre square? If the opportunity presents he has the game to be a valuable SuperCoach commodity, especially if we can pick him as a forward.

When Shai Bolton is hot, he can score with the best forwards in the game. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

SHAI BOLTON

Bolton didn’t register a SuperCoach ton after round 5 this year, but there weren’t many tougher jobs than playing as a forward for Richmond in 2024. Next season will be a different story when he’s being fed by Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw and Hayden Young – or lining up next to them as a burst player at Fremantle centre bounces. Bolton is too erratic for some, but he’ll be priced at his 2024 average of 77 after averaging 97 – including four scores over 140 – the year before.

LUKE PARKER

The veteran will surely be a regular at Arden St after playing just seven games for the Swans in the home-and-away season. He’s also likely to be a FWD-MID and underpriced after starting as the sub three times.

Paying over $400k for a 32-year-old isn’t overly enticing, but in the forward line we aren’t ruling anyone out.

DAN RIOLI

Rioli has flown under the radar in SuperCoach despite averaging 92, 87 and 93 in the past three seasons. He will reunite with Damien Hardwick next season at Gold Coast, where players like Alex Sexton and Rory Atkins have put up premium numbers (on their day) in the backline. Rioli is an instant upgrade, and he showed his premium potential in round 19 when he had a season-high four kick-ins and scored 133 SuperCoach points. Can he push his average over three figure in 2025? Keep him in mind.

JACK DARLING

No.

Originally published as AFL Trades: Recruits to watch for SuperCoach 2025