SuperCoach AFL 2024: Teams news, selection whispers for round 22
Getting the captain right can be the difference between SuperCoach finals victory and planning for 2025. See the data you need to make the right call this week – plus latest teams news.
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Marcus Bontempelli has sent a scare through the SuperCoach world hours out from the Bulldogs naming their team for round 22.
Channel 7 AFL reporter Theo Doropoulos reported “minor concern” over the Bulldogs skipper, who left training early on Thursday with ankle soreness.
“Still expected to face the Crows on Sunday, but will have to get through Saturday’s session,” he tweeted.
Bontempelli is the No.1 scoring player in SuperCoach in 2024 and helped decide many finals last round with a brilliant 182-point game.
It throws a cloud over week two of SuperCoach finals, and complicates decisions on captains and vice-captains – which can make the difference between a finals victory and planning for 2025.
Here’s a deep dive into the best options this week, and scroll down for all this week’s SuperCoach news.
Friday – Sydney v Collingwood, SCG 7.15pm
Recent form makes it hard to recommend a standout Friday night vice-captain, but if you are using Eagle Coen Livingstone as your loophole player, an early VC would have to come from this game.
Nick Daicos is always a chance for a spike score, and he did put up 135 against the Swans in round 1. But his five-round average is 107, with just one score above 106 in that time (147 against Richmond). Daicos has played at the SCG only once, in 2022, when he scored 62 points under close attention from now-retired Ryan Clarke.
Could you trust any Swan in their current form? Isaac Heeney scored 136 in that round 1 game but his five-round average is just 88. Errol Gulden’s average of 108 is more encouraging, while Brodie Grundy has dominated at the SCG this year – but he’s only averaging 85 in his past three.
Daicos is the only player in this game I’d be confident sticking the VC on.
Saturday – Brisbane Lions v GWS Giants, Gabba 1.45pm
Toby Bedford alert! Will Day is still having nightmares about the GWS tagger, who restricted him to 14 disposals last weekend, and one of the Lions’ gun midfielders will be in the crosshairs this week. My money is on Lachie Neale. That makes him a big fat AVOID as captain.
Tom Green’s 119 last week was his best score in six weeks, and it took a matchwinning goal to get there. But he did produce a season-high 159 when these two teams met in round 7.
Saturday — North Melbourne v West Coast, Blundstone Arena 1.45pm
A stack of terrific options here if you can play your VC this late, or are confident enough to use the C on a Kangaroo, foregoing Marcus Bontempelli in the final game of the round.
That could be a valid play, with three SuperCoach guns in for what could be massive pay days. Harry Sheezel scored 129 against West Coast in round 13 and has a three-round average of 134 despite a relatively subdued outing against Richmond. It’s also worth pausing to note he is ranked No.3 on total points this year in just his second AFL season. Insane.
The Eagles are the second-easiest match-up for midfielders this year, which should benefit Sheezel and Luke Davies-Uniacke, who averages 128 in his past three against West Coast and is fresh off a 141 against the Tigers.
But the pick of the bunch is Tristan Xerri. After starting the year as a mid-pricer, he is the No.1 ruck for total points this year, and seventh overall. His past two weeks have produced scores of 151 and 144, and he could go even bigger against the Eagles, who have given up more points to ruckmen than any other team this season – including 161 to Jarrod Witts last week.
NOTE: Popular loophole candidate Coen Livingstone will be locked out again at the start of the early Saturday game.
Saturday – Fremantle v Geelong, Optus Stadium 4.35pm
Here’s a bizarre SuperCoach stat – Andrew Brayshaw has shown an unseen level of consistent elite scoring in his past three matches, scoring 137 against Melbourne, 137 against West Coast and 137 against Essendon. This week he faces Geelong. His last score against them? 137.
In just 5 per cent of teams, he’s a great POD captain option. Teammate Caleb Serong is much more popular (48 per cent) but he has just one score over 111 in his past six (although it was at Optus Stadium).
The in-form man at the Cats is Tom Stewart, who has scored at least 120 in his past three games and will have fond memories of his 187-point game against the Dockers in 2022 (last year he scored 101 and 91 against them).
Saturday – Essendon v Gold Coast, Marvel Stadium 7.30pm
Zach Merrett saved his score with a brilliant last quarter against Fremantle but he has been hot and cold over the past six weeks, and scored 97 against the Suns in round 12. I’m expecting a good score, but there are better captain picks elsewhere.
Saturday – Melbourne v Port Adelaide, MCG 7.30pm
One of those is Zak Butters, who bounced back to form against Sydney last round with 132 points and faces a depleted Demons midfield that just gave up 182 points to Marcus Bontempelli and 149 to Adam Treloar. Before that mids including James Peatling (133), Finn Callaghan (122), Caleb Serong (140) and Andy Brayshaw (137) all put the Demons to the sword. To cap it off, Butters scored 185 against the Dees last year. Put him high on your short list!
Sunday – Carlton v Hawthorn, MCG 1.10pm
Pass.
Sunday – Richmond v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium 3.20pm
Not many highly-owned players in this one – Jack Steele is the only player in 20 per cent or more of SuperCoach teams. Richmond gives up big points to opposition midfielders, data partly based on Steele’s 142 against them in round 4. Despite a recent return to form, he hasn’t produced a captain-worthy score for a while.
Jack Sinclair, on the other hand, has scored 135 or more five times in his past eight games, and four of those were at Marvel Stadium. Richmond gives up the most points to midfielders and defenders, so wherever he plays he could be a great captain choice.
Sunday – Adelaide v Western Bulldogs, Adelaide Oval 4.10pm
We keen talking up Adam Treloar and no one picks him, but he keeps scoring lots of points – 148, 146 and 149 in his past three. Lock him in for another big one here.
Bailey Dale (average 131 in his past three) and Tom Liberatore (129) have great recent records against the Crows, but it’s almost impossible to go past Marcus Bontempelli as one of the safest fall-back captains of the year – if he’s fit.
His record against the Crows is less emphatic than you might expect – 112, 88 and 87 in his past three – but they were all at Mars Stadium in Ballarat, where strange things happen. In 2020 he scored 199 against the Crows at Metricon Stadium; strangely, he hasn’t faced them at Adelaide Oval since 2018. But he doesn’t mind playing there – his 124 average in 12 career games is his highest at any venue. Oh yea, he also scored 182 points last week and is the No.1 player in SuperCoach with a gap of almost 200 points to No.2 (Zak Butters).
Al’s top three captains:
1. Tristan Xerri
2. Marcus Bontempelli
3. Zak Butters
FANTASY FREAKO’S ROOKIE FORMGUIDE
There are just three rounds left in SuperCoach!
As we begin our rookie analysis, we must acknowledge Shaun Mannagh, who continues to post decent scores. He outscored both Charlie Curnow (33) and Luke Jackson (48) on the weekend, which says a lot about those two players.
Mannagh’s impact on the scoreboard is his greatest strength, booting multiple goals in each of his past two games and dishing off score assists in each full match. If you’re able to loop the Cat, then take full advantage.
Billy Dowling scored a season-low 44 against the Cats and had his first price fall of the season, albeit a small one of just $500. If you’re choosing between him and Mannagh, the Cat wins every day.
Matt Roberts can hold his head high after the Swans were smashed by the Power, with the left-footer one of just three Sydney players to reach 20 disposals with Taylor Adams and Errol Gulden. Roberts scored a respectable 85 and returns to the SCG on Friday night – a venue he racked up 161 in round 20. Again, if you own Roberts I would be looping his score.
Colby McKercher suffered his first price fall since round 7 even after scoring 103 against Richmond. He was on 69 at the half but was quiet in the third term with 13 points. He continues to have a monopoly on kick-ins and was aided by the Tigers’ poor accuracy – taking 13 of 17 kick-ins. There has been some talk of another rest, so make sure you have adequate coverage.
After highlighting Archie Roberts last week, the Bombers handed him an AFL debut in round 21 and he didn’t look out of place – having 18 disposals, 11 uncontested possessions, four inside-50s and four tackles from 77 per cent game time. But he could only manage 46 points as his ball let him down, having two clanger kicks and four ineffective kicks. Playing 100 per cent of game time on the wing, Roberts looms as a handy option for the bench in defence in SuperCoach.
Saint Angus McClennan (55) and Eagle Clay Hall (35) also debuted on the weekend – with the latter starting as the sub. McClennan played 100 per cent of game time in defence and won 14 disposals – but he was safe with ball in hand, gaining just 46 metres. Despite the defeat, he’s likely to get another chance from Ross Lyon.
As we head into the final three rounds there is every chance that clubs look to youth, which will adversely affect next year’s starting prices.
As always, pick you VC and C wisely and best of luck for the upcoming round!
HOW BAD IS CURNOW’S ANKLE?
Carlton spearhead Charlie Curnow faces a fitness test ahead of Sunday’s crucial clash against Hawthorn.
The Blues did not say whether Curnow, who rolled his ankle midway through the final term against Collingwood and hobbled from the field before returning for the final minutes, had suffered any structural damage to the joint.
But the club’s injury update said he was “expected to be available to play” against the Hawks and would undergo a test later in the week.
Curnow is owned by 33.5 per cent of coaches ranked in the top 10 per cent of the SuperCoach overall rankings, and they will be hoping for a big bounce-back game after he scored just 33 points from nine disposals and no goals on Saturday night.
There is no return date for Adam Cerra (hamstring), but Matt Cottrell’s season is over. Scans confirmed Cottrell suffered a fractured shoulder during Saturday night’s three-point loss, which the Blues said would require season-ending surgery.
Zac Williams (hamstring) is a chance to return this week against the Hawks.
Charlie Curnow has come from the ground.#AFLPiesBluespic.twitter.com/npktsSXrp3
— 7AFL (@7AFL) August 3, 2024
FISHER OWNERS STILL WAITING
It’s another nervous week for SuperCoaches holding out hope of a return from injury by Zac Fisher.
The North Melbourne defender, owned by 11.5 per cent of the top 10 per cent of coaches, faces another fitness test this week after missing two matches with a plantar fascia issue.
“Zac has had a couple of weeks of management and de-loading his plantar fascia to improve his symptoms and function,” North Melbourne head of performance Kevin White said.
“This week will see him back in group skills and we will assess his function at a high level during main training to assess his availability for this week.”
If Fisher is fit he still has to win back his spot in a team that just scored a victory against Richmond.
There will be one forced change after Dylan Stephens suffered an ankle injury against the Tigers.
George Wardlaw will miss another week due to concussion, while Curtis Taylor (calf) and Bigoa Nyuon (shoulder) have both been ruled out for the rest of the season after they were hurt in the VFL.
GAWN SOLDIERS ON
Superstar ruckman Max Gawn and jet onballer Clayton Oliver are tipped to continue to help lead Melbourne despite some issues which continue to cause them pain and restriction.
Gawn is playing with an ankle injury and Oliver has managed a hand injury for the bulk of the season, which could require surgery at season’s end.
Melbourne remains a slim chance to play finals if they knock over Port Adelaide (MCG), Gold Coast (PFS) and Collingwood (MCG) by massive margins in the last three games of the season.
Speaking on Triple M, Gawn said he pulled up well after the loss to the Bulldogs last Friday night.
“I would say it’s the best I’ve felt in a while, now. I pulled up good,” he said.
Gawn dismissed suggestions he could put be put in cotton wool for the final rounds of the season.
“AFL is too hard of a competition to start resting and giving up games. Technically we’ve still got a chance – I think we’ve got to win by 100 all three of them, and every other team lose – but that’s still a chance.”
Key defender Steven May will miss with a rib injury.
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Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024: Teams news, selection whispers for round 22
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