SuperCoach Investor: Which rookies should you trade for Nat Fyfe?

Nat Fyfe is the must-have upgrade commodity this round but, with plenty of rookies still to make money, the SuperCoach Investor looks at which ones you should part with to bring in the Fremantle star.

hich rookies should you use to get to Fremantle superstar Nat Fyfe? Picture: Getty Images

The SuperCoach Investor — Round 6

The out of office was on.

The pleasantries were flowing.

It was the perfect corporate retreat.

TRADE GUIDE: DANIEL TO BE TOP DOG?

CASH COWS: SUPERCOACH ROOKIE REPORT CARD

The SuperCoach Investor is now back, recharged and ready to tackle the season-defining trade decisions that coaches face over the coming weeks.

There may be some coaches who are flying.

There may be others who are free falling.

We are, however, only at quarter time of the SuperCoach season and plenty of opportunity exists for those who stay true to their strategic direction.

Nat Fyfe is a must-have in SuperCoach this week. Picture: Getty Images

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

There is a significant outlier in our midst.

He’s the perennial SuperCoach scoring juggernaut hailing from the West.

Nat Fyfe, ladies and gentlemen, should be your prime trade target if you’re serious about this game and your portfolio.

If you blink, you’ll miss him — it’s that sort of situation.

Fyfe’s significantly underpriced following the Round 3 head knock, but has responded with aplomb posting two consecutive tons (110 & 128) upon his return.

Priced at $565K and boasting a break even of 90, Fyfe is the definition of SuperCoach “arbitrage”.

The stock analysts have dissected his numbers and confirmed an astounding average of 127.3 if you disregard the concussion game (63 SC) encountered in Round 3 versus the Saints.

If it weren’t for the Round 3 blip on the radar, Fyfe would be tracking neck-and-neck with the likes of Lachie Neale (Average: 136) and Patrick Cripps (129) for overall scoring honours.

Get him in … but at what cost?

It’s time to move Sam Collins on. Picture: Supplied

THE CASUALTIES

It’s never easy saying goodbye, but the time to cash-in on our rookies is drawing nigh.

The preference — if you’ve got the patience — should be to cull them off one-by-one as they reach the point of diminishing (cash) returns.

What do you mean by that, SuperCoach Investor?

It’s simply the point in your rookie’s cash generation cycle where the weekly price appreciation slows or reaches a grinding halt.

Track their break evens. Track their price graphs. It’s spreadsheet time.

Has their break-even tracked in excess of their season average?

If you’ve answered “yes”, it’s time to GO!

Sam Collins (B/E 70, $312K) looms as my highest trade priority this week, however the focus should be to transition out those rookies with the least cash upside, scoring capacity and reliability.

Parker. Atkins. Petruccelle. Gibbons. They’re all in the cross hairs.

There are certain instances — like an underpriced Fyfe — that may force your hand and result in the premature trading of players such as Charlie Constable (B/E 37, $303K) despite the likelihood of another $90-100K being left on the table prior to the Cats’ bye in Round 13.

This decision, however, will be driven squarely by your underlying motivation: rankings or league success.

If you’re chasing the rankings peloton, pull the trigger to revel in the spoils of a fit and firing Nat Fyfe.

Matt Parker is a prime candidate to upgrade to Fyfe. Picture: Michael Klein

LEARN HOW TO PRIORITISE

Despite the obvious mystique and allure of Fyfe this week, we need to be pragmatic and consider whether there are more significant gaps to be filled before introducing this blue chip stock to our portfolio.

The backline has been relatively sound with rookie depth, however the forward line has been replete with landmines, inconsistency and Jack Petruccelle.

Does it make greater sense to retain the likes of Charlie Constable (M8, averaging 81) and instead turning the likes of Matt Parker (F6, 61.5) or Jack Petruccelle (F7, 57) into Travis Boak or Caleb Daniel?

Taking the barnstorming Travis Boak ($588K, 122.7) as an example, you’re likely to reap upwards of 60 points per week and alleviate the ongoing scoring inconsistency associated with Parker and Petruccelle.

If it’s the unlucky Charlie Constable that makes way in the midfield, it may only avail you of 30-40 points of accretive benefit per week but leave you continually susceptible to sub-par rookie scores in the forward line.

It’s a no-brainer for me, but you’d want to have plans in place for next week (Round 8) to ensure you acquire a bottom-priced Fyfe before he gallops off into the scoring horizon.

It’d be hard to refuse the temptation of upgrading Tom Liberatore ($488K) or Brad Crouch ($467K) to Fyfe for the cost of one trade and some pocket change.

Food for thought.

It depends on your priority, but pulling the trigger early on Charlie Constable to get Fyfe could prove fruitful. Picture: Peter Ristevski

Originally published as SuperCoach Investor: Which rookies should you trade for Nat Fyfe?