SuperCoach AFL 2024: Winners and losers from round 11
The depth of SuperCoach teams is about to be tested as we enter the mid-season byes. And a batch of cheapies has hit form just when we need them most.
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There’s a cliche that you judge the strength of a team on its bottom six players.
That applies in SuperCoach, too, especially during the bye rounds.
Harry Sheezel, Isaac Heeney, Tom Green and Brodie Grundy will all be missing next weekend in the first of the mid-season byes – and there are three more bye rounds to follow.
That means it’s time to empty the bench and try to get as many scoring players on field as possible (only the best 18 scores count towards your total for the round).
Players who have sat on the bench for weeks will suddenly be crucial to our SuperCoach fortunes, and a batch answered the call in round 11.
But it was a disappointing weekend for a string of highly owned – and highly-priced – premiums.
See all the winners and losers below, in our special cheapies edition.
WINNERS
MAX GAWN – 180 POINTS
Not a bad result from a player who was having a fitness test on his calf two hours before the game. Gawn joked after gathering 27 disposals, 10 clearances, eight hitouts to advantage, seven marks, two score assists and a goal that “I actually really enjoyed doing the fitness test, I might add it to my pre-game routine”. No complaints from us, Max.
JORDAN RIDLEY – 162 POINTS
Missed the first 10 rounds through injury is a good explanation, and the 51 coaches who took a punt by trading him in this week hit the jackpot when he had an equal game-high 31 disposals and a career-high eight intercept marks against the Tigers. A price tag of $530k looks very attractive if you trust his body and aren’t overloaded in Essendon’s bye round (round 14).
JORDAN DAWSON – 158 POINTS
The game was over when Dawson had 12 disposals and two goals in the first quarter – and almost 70 SuperCoach points. Everything after that (another 20 touches to the Crows skipper) was window dressing.
JOE RICHARDS – 100 POINTS
The most traded in player last week was added to almost 50,000 SuperCoach teams, and he repaid the faith with an outstanding game in Perth. The former Wangaratta schoolteacher now has a goal in each of his three senior appearances to go with 22 touches, seven marks and three clearances against the Dockers. That will deliver an immediate price spike and, more importantly, ensure more senior appearances (and hopefully some healthy scores) over the next three weeks.
LACHIE SULLIVAN – 88 POINTS
Made headlines for giving away a bizarrely technical free kick in the dying moments on Friday night. That subtracted a few points from his score, but the hot trade-in from last week posted the best total of his four-game AFL career. If he and Richards can keep playing all the way through to Collingwood’s round 15 bye it will be a huge win for SuperCoaches.
ALEX SEXTON – 86 POINTS
Six weeks out of the team has rejuvenated the former forward, who excelled again in his new half-back role against the Blues. Sexton is on track to be worth over $400,000 by Gold Coast’s round 14 bye – when owners might have a difficult choice over whether to trade him or keep him as valuable DPP cover for the rest of the season.
JHYE CLARK – 85 POINTS
Speaking of career numbers, the Cats’ top draft pick from two years ago picked the perfect time to drop his best ever SuperCoach score. In his 10th game the young midfielder was finally freed from sub duties and collected 15 disposals and four tackles against the Giants. He has been a very slow burn rookie but if he’s still sitting on your bench, he could suddenly be a key player over the byes ... or at least he would have been until he was offered a one-match ban for rough conduct by the match review officer.
RILEY GARCIA – 83 POINTS
Garcia has seemed to be right on the edge of the Bulldogs’ best 23 since he broke into the team six weeks ago, but he keeps playing and scoring SuperCoach points. He booted two goals against Sydney and always looks lively in the front half. Do the right thing Bevo and play him at least until the Dogs’ bye in round 15.
JOEL FREIJAH – 76 POINTS
Coaches who preferred Freijah over Richards thought they had backed a winner after his accomplished display against the Swans. Richards eclipsed him the next night but that shouldn’t take away from another solid rookie who should get a run of games in the seniors. Showed his versatility by starting at half-back then playing as a key forward after Aaron Naughton’s injury.
KANE McAULIFFE – 75 POINTS
Adem Yze made the draftee earn his spot in the team but surely he has a midfield role for the foreseeable future after a very solid Dreamtime at the G performance. Will feature in highlight reels for his underground handball to set up Dustin Martin’s remarkable curling goal from 45m on the boundary line, but the solidly-built teenager also had four clearances and eight contested possessions from his 10 centre bounces.
LOSERS
MATT ROWELL – 94 POINTS and CALEB SERONG – 91 POINTS
Two of the hottest young midfielders in the game are off the boil. Rowell scrapped to 94 points against Carlton but that’s three of his past four under 95, after not going below 99 in the first seven rounds. Serong had 25 disposals – his lowest return for the year – against Collingwood, although he did add 11 tackles. If you don’t have one or both of these guys, their price is coming down – pencil them into your plans over the next few weeks.
TOM GREEN – 78 POINTS
Speaking of star young mids in a bit of a funk, Green has a three-round average of 96.3 since hurting his ankle in the Sydney Derby. He found plenty of the ball against Geelong (28 touches) but a disposal efficiency of just 46 per cent killed his SuperCoach score. He should be your No.1 trade target after the Giants’ round 12 bye if you don’t have him already.
LUKE JACKSON – 67 POINTS
Is he the most frustrating player in SuperCoach? Jackson’s score of 154 points in round 10 felt like ancient history as he struggled to get his hands on it last Friday night. Of course there was one major difference – Sean Darcy was back in the Dockers team playing as the No.1 ruck, sending Jackson back to the forward line for most of the night. He will provide valuable ruck cover and some spike scores for the rest of the year, but be prepared to ride the rollercoaster.
DAYNE ZORKO – 66 POINTS
A week is a long time in SuperCoach. Eight days after torching Richmond with 161 points, Zorko was in the negatives at quarter-time after giving away two free kicks and a 50m penalty. He never really got going, and neither did the Lions.
SAM DARCY – 42 POINTS
One rookie who didn’t fire in round 11, despite jumping to 20 points in the opening minutes with a contested mark and goal. Unfortunately, he hardly saw it after that, and even gave away a 50m penalty late in the game (although, to be fair, there was plenty of those in this match). Darcy might have reached his peak price and coaches will have to decide whether to hit the trade button now or hold him for bye cover.
JYE AMISS – 13 POINTS
A week after booting 2.5, the young goalkicker recorded just two kicks and two handballs, and one behind, from 93 per cent of game time against Collingwood.
SAM FLANDERS – 0 POINTS
Tough call on one of the top forwards of the season, who was a late out after falling ill on Saturday. The missed game ended Flanders’ run of scoring at least 100 points in every round this year, and sent thousands of SuperCoaches into a panic. Fortunately for those with cover on the bench the names above helped mitigate the damage, but he is very much a required play once the byes arrive. Get well soon, Sam!
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Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024: Winners and losers from round 11
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