SuperCoach AFL 2025: Top trade targets for round 17
This week’s top trade targets feature a genuine star in 1 per cent of teams and a versatile cheapie who could play a team-saving role in the run home. Who’s ready to roll the dice?
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Fortune favour the brave.
With the byes in the rear-vision mirror and trade numbers running low for most SuperCoach teams, decisions to move players on from here could have big ramifications.
The risk v reward calculation shifts each week as we count down the final eight rounds of the season on the path to SuperCoach glory.
Here’s who to target this week and potentially gain a crucial edge on coaches wary of pulling the trade trigger.
If you have been living under the proverbial rock McCarthy has played two games since being taken at No.1 in the mid-season draft by the Eagles, and scored 133 and 101 SuperCoach points in a prime role at half-back. He’s forecast to rise in price by over $100k this week and could break the all-time record for the biggest week one value gain. More than 90,000 coaches are already on board. If you aren’t one of those, get him in now and put him on field.
Another mid-season draftee who is on the bubble this week coming off the Bombers’ bye. Scored 37 on debut then a much more eye-catching 83 in game two against Fremantle, kicking two goals and collecting 14 disposals. Surely the Bombers back him in, especially with more injury worries surrounding Kyle Langford. A bargain bench option.
Richmond’s pick 58 in last year’s draft is slightly more expensive than May but showed plenty of promise and smarts around goal in his second game last round, booting two majors against the Crows after getting limited game time on debut as the sub the week before. The Tigers have to pump games into the kids, but expect some low scores if they dish up more performances like Sunday’s.
Something of a unique prospect in the AFL and SuperCoach, the teenager with the huge leap looks cemented in the Saints best 22 after a delayed start to his AFL career. The price is not ideal but the big pro in adding the player nicknamed the Flying Viking to your squad is the ability to swing him between defence, the forward line and Flex to cover any holes over the next eight rounds. SuperCoach awards points for spoils and Tauru had 14 of them against Fremantle, ranked No.1 for the round. As he gains confidence expect some of those to translate into intercept marks.
Is it cheeky to call Gulden a bubble boy? He’s about to shift in price for the first time this year when he plays his third game for the season against Fremantle on Sunday, although we aren’t expecting a huge spike in value (SuperCoach Plus is predicting +$4.6k). But selecting Gulden is really about giving your team something different to throw at the opposition on the run home. He has scored 95 and 146 in his two matches this year, averaged 111 and 108 the past two seasons and would be a great player to barrack for as a SuperCoach POD.
Are there any Bont holdouts left? last week looked like the perfect time to snap him up at a bargain price, but now he’s almost $18k cheaper after a surprise score of 63 against the Swans. But surely this is his lowest price, with a Break Even of 96 and past three scores against this week’s opponent North Melbourne of 123, 157 and 169. Pick him up and whack the VC on him on Thursday night.
The Phantom talked up Stewart on The Phantom’s Lair podcast as a cheap premium option who is still a POD (6 per cent owned) despite a run of four-straight scores over 100, and 98 the week before that. Stewart has had multiple injury interruptions this year but none since round 11 and the real appeal, apart from leaving some cash for a future trade/emergency, is Geelong’s run home. The Cats face Richmond at home this weekend and have clashes against Essendon, St Kilda and North Melbourne to come before a return clash against the Tigers in round 24 – SuperCoach grand final weekend. A reminder Richmond gives up a LOT of points to attacking defenders.
One of the SuperCoach stars of 2024 has finally bottomed out after losing money every week since his first price change in round 5. Now priced a whopping $269k under his starting value, Flanders is far from the player who dominated across half-back and through the midfield in 2024, but he has found some form in recent weeks playing mostly forward and pushing up the ground to get involved in transition. Four of his past five scores are 87 or above, with a 32 thrown in against the Cats in Geelong. This is definitely one for the gamblers – he attended one centre bounce last weekend, so his role hasn’t really changed. But he is cheap, comes with DPP and you could loop him off the bench as a 23rd or 24th premium.
Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2025: Top trade targets for round 17
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