SuperCoach AFL 2024: Experts reveal their trades for round 9

Is Clayton Oliver a must-have? Who is the best rookie option, and why is Patch going totally left-field? See who all our SuperCoach experts are trading in and out this week.

To Clarry or not to Clarry?

That’s the question confronting SuperCoaches this week as one of the best fantasy scorers of the past six seasons presents at a mouth-watering price.

But that’s not the only conundrum as coaches deal with an injury to Tom Green, Jordon Sweet being struck down by illness and the challenge of trying to upgrade the defence and forward lines.

See the moves our experts are making for round 9 here.

AL PATON

OUT: Zac Williams, Sam Darcy, Matt Roberts

IN: Bailey Dale, Colby McKercher, Lachie Sullivan

I love Clayton Oliver’s price this week, but my midfield is in pretty good shape and defence is my biggest problem (we’re still not talking about the forward line yet).

I’ve made and reversed about 17 different versions of this trade but I think I’ll use my last boost to get McKercher in – Darwin probably isn’t the venue most favoured to the way he plays but a -61 Break Even guarantees some quick cash and I feel more confident with him on field than Williams or the Suns rookies, even if it’s only a short-term play.

Dale’s price is still heading north and he should run rings around the Tigers on Saturday night, following the lead of Luke Ryan who scored 197 in a similar role last week.

Darcy Jones is the obvious rookie of choice this week but I’m still nervous about his job security, and really liked what I saw from Sullivan last round.

I just need another rookie to bob up to help me facilitate next week’s trades when I can really beef up by defence by bringing in Tom Stewart – or Oliver if he confirms his return against the Blues on Thursday night.

Bailey Dale is in red-hot form. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

THE PHANTOM

OUT: Jason Horne-Francis, Sam Darcy

IN: Luke Ryan, Lachie Sullivan

I am $600 short of downgrading Darcy and upgrading Sam Clohesy to Tom Stewart – so I’ve pivoted to Ryan, before his match-up with St Kilda in two weeks. And the move actually opens things up the following round. You know I’m a big Horne-Francis fan, but he’s still too up-and-down – and that’s just during a game.

I want Clayton Oliver in his spot, so he’s the ticket to Ryan. Doing it the other way around, with Oliver this week and Ryan next, just might not work. Initially it was Darcy Jones coming in, but the addition of Sullivan instead allows me to get Darcy Wilson into the forward line –something that needs to happen with no Jordon Sweet.

Clayton Oliver is priced at $197,400 under his starting value. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

TIM MICHELL

OUT: Sam Darcy and Massimo D’Ambrosio

IN: Clayton Oliver and Darcy Jones

At least that’s what I’m settled on for now. My plan was always to grab one of Christian Petracca and Tom Stewart this week, but I need the extra $70k from Petracca to Oliver to continue upgrading in round 10.

Oliver is either going to be one of the great SuperCoach bargains or a bust – I don’t see much in between. I was burned badly last year by his 10-week hamstring but am warming towards going Oliver so I can flip two rookies to Stewart/Petracca and one of Lachie Sullivan and Bruce Reville next week.

These trades leave me with 19 trades and five upgrades to complete, so hopefully I can get a full team with a minimum of six left.

Rookie expert Dan Batten is a huge Darcy Jones fan. Picture: Phil Hillyard

DAN BATTEN

OUT: Matt Roberts and Sam Darcy

IN: Sam Flanders and Darcy Jones

Assuming Jordon Sweet and Tom Green aren’t playing, I’ll be looking to bring in Flanders. Have been meaning to get the Suns ball-magnet and the Roos are a very favourable match-up. Whether he is down back or in the midfield, he just racks up the footy.

Jones is a reliable on-field option and I am happy to get him into my side after raving about him to anyone who would listen in his draft year.

Hawk Dylan Moore has a three-round average of 130.7, and ownership of 1 per cent. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

PATCH

OUT: Harry Sheezel, Matt Roberts, Tom Powell

IN: Colby McKercher, Luke Ryan, Dylan Moore

For four weeks I’ve advocated holding all your premiums until you’ve got no more rookies on field, and for four weeks I’ve stagnated – moving neither forwards in rank, nor sliding back. A normal human bring might consider this biding their time, waiting for the moment to strike with a point of difference, but I’m a petulant zoomer wannabe who can only hold off the craving of instant gratification for so long.

So this week I’m making a call on two anti-pods, who I hope (read: pray) will set me apart from the pack in a good way. First is trading out the Sheez, whose move to a mid-forward role is strange and unsettling and bad for scoring. I’m flicking him for Luke Ryan while I can afford him.

That cash spend also means I can’t afford the guy I was set on trading in this week, who will become anti-pod No.2: Marcus Bontempelli. Is he a good anti-pod? No. Am I scared? Yes. Is the process of writing this making me reconsider every trade I have ever made and ever will make? Absolutely. On the flip-side, I get Dyl Moore! I love that guy! He’s neat. Oh, and Colby is entirely reliant on Clarko not flipping the magnets yet again and switching McKercher and Sheezel. If he does that, I’m toast. And if Bont fires, I’m toast. And if Moore and Hawthorn go back to being bad, I’m toast.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024: Experts reveal their trades for round 9