Patch: My season’s over, so here are 11 players I’m watching closest for my 2025 SuperCoach side
Patch’s season – much like his beloved Essendon’s – is over. Dead. Kaput. So, he throws ahead to 11 names who he’s keeping an eye on for SuperCoach 2025 in the last two rounds of season 2024.
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Don’t cry for my season, it’s already dead.
Between my SuperCoach side falling off a cliff, Essendon sliding off the Edge and into the familiar, bottomless pit we’re all used to, and Mason Wood’s existence (don’t ask), it’s been a rough month.
With the Olympics fading, now my eyes are firmly on the prize: the 2025 crown.
We’ve got 18 games of home and away football left, plus some weird, mystical thing called “finals”? — not sure what they are or what they’re about — to have a gander over some prospects for next season.
There are plenty of players not included here who are injured or coming off injuries – such as Clayton Oliver or Caleb Daniel – who’ll be analysed in a separate piece in coming weeks.
MIDFIELDERS
The engine room is the driving force of our sides, where you want nothing but uber-premiums come season’s end. There’s also very little wriggle room to miss in the midfield, so if you’re backing in someone to go large, you gotta nail them. That said, the reward is mammoth …
JASON HORNE-FRANCIS
The Hornet is top of my midfield breakout watchlist for 2025. The Power young gun came into considering at less than 500k for many coaches on the brink of the first DPP changes this season, with Horne-Francis just missing out on FWD/MID DPP.
There’s no longer any risk of the Hornet picking up forward eligibility, and that’s because he’s moved into a full-time midfield role alongside Zak Butters and Connor Rozee. Averaging a tick over 100 from his first 19 games, his last three games have produced a 121 average. With scores of 132, 128, and 141 on the weekend against Melbourne, Horne-Francis is primed for a fourth-year breakout as an uber premium.
WHAT I’M WATCHING FOR: There’s every chance JHF, Butters and Rozee are the Power’s centre square trio for the next decade, but I’ll be watching carefully to see who else rolls through and if he can score while out of the centre square. If he can add Patrick Dangerfield impact while forward then look out.
GEORGE WARDLAW
The Warlord is just as fascinating a prospect as JHF, but has more work to do to convince me he’s over his injury history – with concussion keeping him off the field for the last fortnight, with his hamstrings proving troubling as well. Average 85 from 16 games after just eight games last season, could George prove a third-year breakout? A three-run patch of 114, 122 and 122 shows he has the mettle, but after two weeks off he returned with a 49, 75 and 81.
WHAT I’M WATCHING FOR: Consistent game time. He’s just gotta get on the park. At this stage I won’t pick him without a full body of work over summer, but I want to see what North Melbourne does in the midfield as well. Does Tom Powell’s resurgence with Wardlaw out of the side mean George has to re-tool as more of a half forward or winger?
JAKE SOLIGO
For a hot minute there, it looked like Jake Soligo would be breaking out this season. From round 4, the young Crow scored 128, 98, 97, 91, 146 and another 91 before dropping back off the pace to finish up the year to date with an average of 83. What happens with Rory Laird and Matt Crouch in the off-season will be of huge interest to Soligo watchers, with the youngster hopefully handed the keys sooner rather than later.
WHAT I’M WATCHING FOR: It’s all about that centre bounce figure for Soligo, with Zac Taylor, Izak Rankine and Sam Berry all vying for bites of the cherry in the final two weeks. How much Soligo can make himself essential will go a long way to helping decide if I start him next season.
HARLEY REID
Tim Kelly and Elliot Yeo are the two top dogs in the Eagles’ midfield, but will Harley Reid with a full pre-season join them next year? Unlikely to retain forward eligibility based on CBA numbers alone makes Harley a tough sell. Can the league’s next Dustin Martin bust doubts?
WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR: A floor to his scoring and a stop to the free kicks. If Harley can put up two 70s in the next two weeks – especially if he doesn’t have much involvement in the game – then I could be sold. We know he has the ceiling – his 147 and 138s this season attest to that – but if he can find ways to score easily without needing a ton of it then that goes a long way. Also not giving away silly free kicks.
FINN CALLAGHAN
The real Smokie for a 2025 breakout is Finn Callaghan. Sending his average from 73 to 81 this season, he’s been in a decent run of form of late, with four tons (two in the last three weeks) since the bye. He’s been one of the youngster who’s stepped up without Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly, but in his last two tons has had 48 and eight per cent CBAs.
WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR: Some pizzazz. I dunno, to be honest – I’ve seen very few Giants games this season and sometimes when you watch a bloke take a few games or finals by the scruff of the neck you just know.
DEFENDERS
There’s strangely not a lot piquing my interest down back, namely because we’ll likely still have very strong options that we had this season – with Nick Daicos the only big name set to lose defence eligibility.
KANE FARRELL
I’ve always liked Kane Farrell as a footballer and as a draft prospect in fantasy football, but the prospect of Dan Houston leaving makes him far more intriguing. While also possibly opening a half-back slot for a Josh Sinn, Jase Burgoyne or a draftee could slide into his place, Kane Farrell would become the main mover off half-back. If he comes into 2025 under 500k there’s a massive chance I’ll start him.
WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR: A Dan Houston trade. That’s it, that’s the tweet.
TOM BROWN
Give him the keys, I reckon. Mooroopna lad Tom Brown’s a good sort, and elite kick and he might not be ready to jump in and take Daniel Rioli’s role full-time, the Tigers need him to. Also my SuperCoach side might need him to. With a five round average of less than 50, there’s a lot of work to do.
WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR: More pill. As much as Rioli is amping up his trade value, I won’t be picking Brown unless we get a decent look at his ability to go big. I’m not talking 110+, at 250k-ish next season, I’d take some 80s and 90s if they were on offer.
MAC ANDREW
The Big Mac ruined my club’s finals hopes, and maybe in 2025 he can ruin my SuperCoach side as well. Andrew showed signs at the end of last year but truly broke onto the scene this year, meaning he’s arguably already had his breakout year. But what we need is to see those low scores increase as his floor rises before we can consider him full time
WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR: Gimme some more of the ball, Mac. You can intercept and deliver, I need it to be consistent across the last two lines. And get out of the forward line, you’re no good to SuperCoaches down there.
Honourable mention: Sam De Koning
FORWARDS
Now we’re getting into the good stuff, the really good juice. The forwards could be a mess again next season, with Isaac Heeney, Dayne Zorko, and Sam Flanders all cast adrift by DPP changes. So who do we replace them with? If Matthaes Phillipou is still forward eligible he’ll be picked straight up, so I haven’t written him up here.
SAM DRAPER
I’m not sure if Sam Draper retains forward status after injuries and weird positional stuff mucked around his season. But the past few weeks have shown Draper can score with Nick Bryan in the side, even if Draper is spending more time forward. Since Todd Goldstein left the side, Draper has scored 97, 35, 83, 94, 116, 99, 99, and 89. And that’s tasty! Better than some other RUC/FWDs I could name. Such as L. Jackson … no, that’s too obvious, I’ll call him Luke J. Yes, that’ll to.
WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR: That DPP staying. Draper’s no hope of making my side as a ruck only, but if he’s a swing set to provide cover for whoever we end up going for, well now we’re talking.
JAMES PEATLING
As my good friend Lekdog likes to say, he’s the best player in the AFL and no-one else seems to recognise it. He’s been in and out of the GWS side but in the last four weeks since he’s stopped being the sub, he’s scored 93, 133, 96 and 100. That’s cash money if he keeps his role, and even more so if he keeps forward eligibility.
WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR: No more sub vest and forward eligibility.
JAMARRA UGLE-HAGAN
The Phantom takes credit for throwing this lad’s name up in lights, and despite a poor showing at the Adelaide Oval has a three round average of 94, and could be much higher if he’d kicked 6.2 instead of 1.6 and an out on the full against the Dees.
WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR: I want him to throw his name up in lights in one of the Dogs’ remaining games for the season. I need a big bag from the big man, but also want to see him up the ground a bit more getting 15-20 touches – and then a healthy off-season where he bulks up a bit more.
Honourable mentions: Izak Rankine, Mattaes Phillipou, Luke Parker.
RUCKS
Hahahaha, nearly got me. Set and forget, now and forevermore. I ain’t taking no punts on ruck only players. Well, maybe. Ha ha. No. Absolutely not … unless? Nick Bryan and Ned Moyle, anyone? I mean … maybe?
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