AFL Form Guide: The best and worst SuperCoach performers at every club in the final rounds of 2024
Brad Hill’s numbers were down 25 per cent in the final six rounds of 2024. Is it sign or just a slump? Similar questions are being asked across the league. See every club’s data here.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Forget what superannuation ads will tell you: past performance can be a reliable indicator of future performance.
In footy, sometimes a big finish or a slow limp into the end of a season can be a sign of things to come.
St Kilda players bounced back into pre-season this summer after a strong close to the home-and-away season, snagging five wins in the final six games of the year.
Big man Rowan Marshall led that and was one of the best performed players in the final quarter of the year.
It might not mean much when the ball bounces to start next year, but it can definitely help.
Some individuals will have similarly bounced into the start of 2025 preparations.
Carlton’s Ollie Hollands shifted towards defence in the back end of the season and saw a big up-tick in his numbers, now he is training at half-back to start summer.
The Saints were happy to let Tim Membrey walk to Collingwood in the off-season, but the goalkicker was one of the biggest improvers in the final weeks of the year and a big part of the positive run home at Moorabbin.
Others staggered to the end.
Brodie Grundy, Bradley Hill and Mac Andrew were among those to slow down late in the year.
Looking back to this time 12 months ago, a glance at the final weeks proved prescient for the likes of Tom Hawkins, Darcy Moore and Jack Macrae weren’t at their best before down 2024 seasons.
Others like Ed Richards, Lachie Whitfield and Nic Newman used strong finishes to have big years the next year.
Here are the players that fired and misfired for every club on the run home, as provided by Champion Data.
To qualify, a player had to play at least nine games in the first 18 rounds and three in the final six, with finals not counted.
ADELAIDE
SuperCoach stars
(top averages in the final six weeks):
Jordan Dawson – 105.7 (SuperCoach average)
Reilly O’Brien – 104.8
Ben Keays – 103.8
More midfield minutes agreed with Ben Keays in a big way to end last year, as he became one of Adelaide’s best players to close the season.
The final six weeks began with a monster effort against Essendon in round 19, when Keays virtually won a tight game himself late.
Reilly O’Brien shrugged off a mid-year dropping late to finish strong.
Taylor Walker was Adelaide best improver in the final weeks of 2023 but was the biggest slider to finish 2024.
Some consider him lucky to get another deal.
BRISBANE LIONS
SuperCoach stars
Dayne Zorko – 115.9
Lachie Neale – 112.5
Oscar McInerney – 102.2
Maybe we should have seen Kai Lohmann’s important September coming given his finish to the home-and-away season, and maybe we knew Cam Rayner would have an impact at some point in the finals too.
It is heartening for Lions fans that Logan Morris finished strongly, with the breakout forward set for a bigger role next season given Joe Daniher hung up the boots.
Eric Hipwood battled a groin injury late in the season.
Jarrod Berry slid late but his numbers include a game when he was subbed out with injury against Collingwood and then played on reduced minutes the week after against Essendon.
Berry bounced back in finals.
Dayne Zorko was a SuperCoach darling in 2024, how does his role change with Keidean Coleman coming back from injury?
CARLTON
SuperCoach stars
George Hewett – 110.1
Nic Newman – 110
Patrick Cripps – 109.7
Just three players in the league saw a bigger per cent increase in SuperCoach output in the final six games than Ollie Hollands, with a shift towards defence a winner for his output.
He had more than 20 disposals just once in the season before ripping off three 20-plus games to finish the home-and-away year.
With Adam Cerra in and out through injury, George Hewett was commanding in the midfield in the latter weeks of the season, raking in 30-plus disposals in four of his last five games. He is a real SuperCoach watch for 2025.
Both Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow finished 2024 slowly, but they both battled injury so Blues fans won’t be concerned as long as the pair are back to full fitness.
COLLINGWOOD
SuperCoach stars
Darcy Cameron – 125.5
Nick Daicos – 120.5
Dan Houston – 103.7*
*Playing with Port Adelaide
*Playing for St Kilda
Perhaps the Collingwood recruiters ran the same numbers as we did.
No player saw a bigger per cent jump than Tim Membrey in the latter stages of last year, as his form lift coincided with St Kilda’s strong finish to the year.
Much of that was lifted by a huge 23 disposal, five goal effort in round 19.
Bobby Hill’s OK season finished well, as did an injury-interrupted campaign for Beau McCreery, a good sign for Collingwood’s forward line.
Brayden Maynard was quiet to close out the year but his defensive role can lead to some low-disposal days.
ESSENDON
SuperCoach stars
Zach Merrett – 114.1
Nic Martin – 108.5
Andy McGrath – 102.2
To close out the season, Sam Draper played largely forward with Nick Bryan in the side.
His numbers jumped but his eight goals in the final six games were hardly dominant.
The debate about where to play him next season will continue on, as Bryan continues to push for ruck minutes.
Jye Caldwell will be disappointed to finish his season slowly but his 2024 was a step forward.
Jade Gresham kicked six goals in his last six weeks, and didn’t have more than 13 disposals in any of those matches.
The free agency signing will need to be better next season.
FREMANTLE
SuperCoach stars
Andrew Brayshaw – 127.2
Caleb Serong – 113.4
Luke Ryan – 106.3
Did Shai Bolton check out on the Tigers at the end of his tenure?
As the Richmond season sank into the mud, Bolton’s numbers faded.
He was asked to do plenty in a depleted Richmond line-up but now steps into Fremantle as icing on the cake, so his counting numbers may be up and down but his impact should be strong.
Luke Jackson was a SuperCoach favourite at one point last year but struggled near the end and Nat Fyfe also faded.
The good news is the output of Andrew Brayshaw, who dominated the closing stages of the year.
And Josh Treacy looked like a genuine star forward late in the season when he kicked nine goals from round 19-21, but his injury didn’t help the Dockers get to the top eight.
GEELONG
SuperCoach stars
Tom Stewart – 98.7
Rhys Stanley – 92.4
Jeremy Cameron – 88.7
Having started the season quietly as he found faith in his body, Jack Henry was back to his best to finish the year.
Henry’s aerial work was top-shelf, grabbing more than four intercept marks in five of the last six games of the home-and-away season.
Mark Blicavs also played some defence late in the year and saw his numbers tick up.
The Cats would not be concerned about the slide in Max Holmes, Gryan Miers and Brad Close, each had good finals series so they will be expected to fire next year.
GOLD COAST
SuperCoach stars
Sam Flanders – 122.3
Jarrod Witts – 116.3
Daniel Rioli* – 103.1
Nick Holman had single-digits disposals in nine games in 2024, but only one of those occurred in the final six weeks, as he stepped up off a low base.
Similarly, Jed Walter improved off low numbers.
Daniel Rioli finished a best-and-fairest season in top form.
Mac Andrew was thrown forward for large chunks of the final weeks but should be bedded in to defence to start next year.
Joel Jeffrey was subbed off twice in his last three games as he ended the season in quiet fashion.
GWS GIANTS
SuperCoach stars
Lachie Whitfield – 129.4
Brent Daniels – 119
Tom Green – 115.8
A good season became great for Brent Daniels as he reeled off star performances week after week for the Giants to run into the finals.
Only Tristan Xerri and Harry Sheezel had a higher SuperCoach average than Lachie Whitfield in the final six weeks of the regular season.
Sam Taylor wasn’t at his best when he returned from a gruesome testicle injury and Josh Kelly also returned from injury late.
HAWTHORN
SuperCoach stars
Jai Newcombe – 112.1
Dylan Moore – 106.4
Massimo D’Ambrosio – 102.9
Good news for Hawthorn’s bubbly forward line as Nick Watson and Calsher Dear only got better as the 2024 season went on.
And the Hawks would only expect those two to rise with a full pre-season under their belts.
Connor Macdonald’s good year improved in the late weeks of the season, leading to a good elimination final against Western Bulldogs.
Will Day’s numbered cratered but that came after he was tactically subbed in round 22 and then injured in the opening minutes of round 23.
MELBOURNE
SuperCoach stars
Max Gawn – 124.5
Steven May – 97.1
Christian Salem – 88.2
Low numbers among the Melbourne player changes.
Harry Petty came off a small base to improve, with his quiet 2024 season likely to see him sent to defence.
Jake Bowey finished strongly.
Clayton Oliver was have a poor year by his standards before a very quiet end of the campaign, failing to break 100 SuperCoach points in any of his last four matches.
Do SuperCoaches take the risk on a bounce-back next year?
NORTH MELBOURNE
SuperCoach stars
Tristan Xerri – 141.9
Harry Sheezel – 131.2
Luke Davies-Uniacke – 105.5
The top two SuperCoach averages in the league in the final six weeks belonged to Tristan Xerri and Harry Sheezel.
Sheezel was moved more around the ball than ever before and just dominated there, setting the scene for his third AFL season.
Xerri improved as the year went on and begins next year as one of the premier rucks in the game, and one of the top SuperCoach targets.
It was heartening for Roos fans to see Colby McKercher step up late in his first year and he will be a name to watch in 2025.
But it might be a tough campaign for Zac Fisher and Darcy Tucker, who may start on the outer next season.
Charlie Comben was thrown from end-to-end later in the year so should be allowed to lock in to defence to start next season.
PORT ADELAIDE
SuperCoach stars
Zak Butters – 119.9
Ollie Wines – 112.7
Jason Horne-Francis – 104.6
Jase Burgoyne was likely Port Adelaide’s best player of the finals and that effort came off a strong base to finish the regular season.
His improvement will be crucial for the Power if it holds.
Good news for Power fans that Brandon Zerk-Thatcher finishing the year strongly, and Mitch Georgiades impressing, with Georgiades crucial in the semi-final win over Hawthorn.
Esava Ratugolea’s forward foray wasn’t great for his form, while Kane Farrell was injured late in the year.
RICHMOND
SuperCoach stars
Toby Nankervis – 99.8
Nick Vlastuin – 95.2
Jayden Short – 94.3
The concern here with the Tigers numbers is the players who jumped are old stagers.
Tom Brown was one of the finds of the year in defence but struggled a little to end the year as he was experimented with up forward.
Noah Balta was also sent forward at times late.
Improvement from Nathan Broad, Jayden Short and Nick Vlastuin is good for the Tigers, but it is the youngsters who need to take strides forward.
What will players like Judson Clarke, Steely Green, Sam Banks, Tyler Sonsie and Hugo Ralphsmith offer next season?
ST KILDA
SuperCoach stars
Rowan Marshall – 129.3
Jack Sinclair – 116.6
Jack Steele – 113.1
Intriguingly, Rowan Marshall spent more time forward in the latter weeks of the season and his form jumped, as the Saints picked up wins.
It’s a formula the St Kilda list team noticed and it’s expected that will continue next year.
In further good news, Mitch Owens took a step forward after a middling year.
Jack Higgins wasn’t at his best late in the year but it was probably worth it for that matchwinning goal against Carlton.
Brad Hill had more than 20 disposals just once in the last six weeks as he ran out of steam late.
SYDNEY
SuperCoach stars
Matt Roberts – 113.9
Errol Gulden – 99.5
Isaac Heeney – 98.1
Breakout defender Matt Roberts was dropped in the middle of the season but roared back, seeing the biggest increase in points in the final six weeks.
He enjoyed huge games against Brisbane, Western Bulldogs and Adelaide and was one of the highest-scoring defenders in the game.
Concerningly, Brodie Grundy fell away and lost touch with the All-Australian ruck contenders.
The Swans will need to find a way to better manage his body next season.
Grundy played 26 matches last season and that number needs to be reduced.
WEST COAST
SuperCoach stars
Jeremy McGovern – 124
Elliot Yeo – 101.1
Tim Kelly – 98.6
Jeremy McGovern was back to his dominant best and one of the best performed SuperCoach players in the final quarter of the season.
Unlike Richmond, West Coast saw a leap from a youngster with Jack Wiliams improving off a low base in the final weeks.
Much of that came down to good games against Fremantle and Gold Coast.
Liam Duggan had a couple of quiet outings late in the year, while Jake Waterman’s still kicked goals late but not at the pace seen earlier in the brilliant season.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
SuperCoach stars
Marcus Bontempelli – 128.2
Adam Treloar – 125.2
Ed Richards – 106.4
Joel Freijah wasn’t in the team at round 8 but finished the season in ripping form and has begun his second pre-season in top nick.
Expect his solid play to continue as he settles at half-back.
Rory Lobb similarly settled in defence, while Dogs fans will hope again Jamarra Ugle-Hagan takes steps forward.
Rhylee West copped a nasty injury late in the year which hampered his later season form.
Liam Jones had a good year but how his role works alongside the similar-sized Lobb will be a watch.
‘Holding onto hope’: Shattock family provide update on premiership Lion
Aaron Shattock’s family has provided an update on the health of the former Brisbane Lions premiership player after he was crushed by an excavator.
Crows order ‘immediate review’ after Thebby mishap
The Crows have ordered an “immediate review” of the planning documentation around their $100m plan to construct a new training base at Thebarton Oval after a mix-up.