KFC SuperCoach AFL study guide: All the info you need to succeed in 2020
In one week AFL footy returns after a two-month shutdown - and KFC SuperCoach is back too. Here's everything you need to know and a one-stop shop for expert tips, selection advice, team reveals and analysis. FULLY UPDATED
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- Rookie Bible: Every SuperCoach cheapie rated
- What SuperCoach players get from a Herald Sun subscription
The countdown is on to Round 2 and the restart of the AFL season - and KFC SuperCoach .
Get the jump on your mates by checking out the best expert advice — and we’ve got plenty of it.
Read on for all the latest news, whispers and tips and scroll down for a full recap of all our expert advice from the pre-season.
WHOLE NEW BALL GAME
There are some minor changes to the game to account for this unique season, but it's still the same SuperCoach you know and love.
The biggest move is a one-off super trade round, with FIVE TRADES for the restart in Round 2.
Player prices will also change after two games this year, instead of the usual three. CLICK HERE to see how it all works.
Want to see how our experts are using their five trades? Tim Michell, Al Paton, Dan Batten and The Phantom have all laid out their trade plans.
Which cheapies will get a game when the season resumes? We rate them all in our ROOKIE BIBLE.
Need a quick run-down of who to target? Don't miss our 10-must have players.
Which players will benefit from the two-month break - and who could be on the other side of the coin? Here are our winners and losers of lockdown and our expert jury's answers to the key lockdown questions.
The expert team at Doctor SuperCoach have detailed the best strategy to approach this unique season.
And remember Round 1? Here's a recap of the heroes and villains of the first games of the year - and what we should do about it.
PRE-SEASON RECAP
The single most important thing you need to read is the ROOKIE BIBLE, a comprehensive guide to the cheap players you need in your team. See profiles of more than 90 bottom-priced players and a rating for each on their scoring ability and likelihood of playing in Round 1.
If you’re pushed for time the ULTIMATE CHEAT SHEET will help you pick a team in minutes.
If you have more time, the list has been updated updated across the pre-season.
Check out all the other links below and bookmark this page — and join the KFC SuperCoach community on Facebook and Twitter — to ensure you never miss a nugget of SuperCoach advice. There’s also a SuperCoach AFL group on Facebook where you can share your team and debate selections with other members.
START HERE
BEGINNERS GUIDE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
GET ON BOARD: 12 REASONS TO PLAY SUPERCOACH IN 2020
STEP BY STEP: HOW TO PICK A WINNING SUPERCOACH TEAM
EASY GUIDE: PICK A SUPERCOACH TEAM IN FIVE MINUTES
FUN: HOW TO DOMINATE SUPERCOACH WITHOUT BEING AN EXPERT
GOLDEN RULES: THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF SUPERCOACH
TIPS: HOW TO AVOID SUPERCOACH ROOKIE MISTAKES
GOLDEN RULES: 23 SIMPLE TIPS FOR SUPERCOACH SUCCESS
EXPLAINER: HOW SUPERCOACH SCORING WORKS
EXPLAINER: HOW SUPERCOACH PRICES WORK
EXPERT TEAMS
Our SuperCoach experts will be lifting the lid on their own squads as they take shape, and the thinking behind their key selection decisions.
AL PATON | TIM MICHELL | MARK ROBINSON | THE PHANTOM | DAN BATTEN | GILBERT GARDINER | CHRIS CAVANAGH | | GARY BUCKENARA | FANTASY FREAKO
MARSH COMMUNITY SERIES
Get on top of pre-season form for every player:
EVERY MARSH SERIES SUPERCOACH SCORE
WHO TO PICK
TOP 10: THE FIRST PLAYERS TO PICK IN 2020
TOP PICKS: GILBERT GARDINER’S TOP 40
PEOPLE’S CHOICE: TOP 30 MOST POPULAR PICKS REVEALED
BARGAINS: KFC SUPERCOACH MID-PRICE BIBLE
INSIDE WORD: AFL CAPTAINS REVEAL TOP SUPERCOACH PICKS
NO-GO ZONE: WHICH STARS TO AVOID IN SUPERCOACH
VERDICT: HOW DO YOU SPLIT SUPERSTAR MIDFIELDERS?
SUPERCOACH JURY: BIGGEST SELECTION QUESTIONS ANSWERED
TIPS AND TRICKS: BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEING A SUPERCOACH EXPERT
RISKS: BEST MID-PRICED GAMBLE AT YOUR CLUB
BIG TWO: ARE GRUNDY AND GAWN WORTH THE CASH?
DEBATE: IS DAN HOUSTON THE REAL DEAL?
LESSONS: SUPERCOACH RULES MADE TO BE BROKEN
SHOUT: SHOULD WE START HARLEY BENNELL?
MORE ROOKIES!
Perhaps apart from Brodie Grundy, these are the most important players in your team. Want to really do your research? Check out these articles:
GURU: GARY BUCKENARA’S TOP ROOKIE PICKS
LEGEND: JONATHAN’S BROWN INSIDE WORD ON TOP ROOKIES
PHANTOM: ROOKIES RANKED IN EVERY POSITION
STRATEGY
Need some pointers to pick a starting squad? Check out expert advice on the best approach overall and for each line, with sample teams.
TIPS: SEVEN WAYS TO BUILD A WINNING SUPERCOACH TEAM
DEFENCE | MIDFIELD | RUCK | FORWARDS
PLUS: HOW TO SURVIVE BYE MINEFIELD
STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD
SuperCoach is a lot more fun when you have players that none of your mates have picked? But you don’t want to select players at random. Here are our best “point of difference” selections that are in hardly any teams.
THE PHANTOM
South Australia’s mysterious SuperCoach expert has finished near the top of the overall rankings on several occasions. And he is sharing his wisdom across the pre-season:
LAST WORD: MUST-HAVE PLAYERS IN EVERY POSITION
ROOKIE GUIDES: DEFENDERS | MIDFIELDERS | RUCKS | FORWARDS
MID-PRICE GUIDES: DEF |MID | RUCK | FWD
PREMIUM GUIDES: DEF | MID | RUCK | FWD
Jackson Mead 👀 https://t.co/ZkBfUEyhW7
— The Phantom (@ThePhantomSC) February 4, 2020
DOCTOR SUPERCOACH
The expert team at Doctor SuperCoach know their SuperCoach, and they share their inside knowledge of tactics, strategy and selection in their weekly Doctor’s Orders column:
COLUMN ONE: FIVE TIPS BEFORE YOU PICK A SUPERCOACH TEAM
BREAKOUTS: THREE SUPERCOACH STARS IN WAITING
IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS
Go beyond a player’s price and 2019 average to find the real nuggets.
DOG DAYS: THE PLAYERS WHO DOMINATE EACH GROUND
CHEAP RUCKS: HOW THE VICE-CAPTAIN LOOPHOLE WORKS
FANTASY FREAKO: DUAL-POSITION HEAD-SCRATCHERS EXPLAINED
FANTASY FREAKO: THE SCIENCE OF CHOOSING A SUPERCOACH CAPTAIN
BREAKOUT CONTENDERS
Which young players will jump into the top ranks of SuperCoach scoring in 2019? We had a close look at three breakout candidates here. And the Phantom goes deep into the stats on these breakout contenders:
HUNTER CLARK | CHAYCE JONES | JORDAN CLARK | ANDREW BRAYSHAW | WILL BRODIE
SUPERCOACH DRAFT
SuperCoach Draft is a totally different way to play SuperCoach, in which everyone in your league takes part in a live draft — just like AFL clubs do in November — to select their sides. That means every team is different — if your mate has a pick before you and selects Patrick Cripps, no one else can pick him — and opens the door for mid-season trades between teams, customisation of league and team settings, and even more banter!
Find our more here:
HOW TO: SERIOUS SUPERCOACH’S GUIDE TO DRAFT DAY
WHAT’S NEW: BIG CHANGES TO SUPERCOACH DRAFT
STRATEGY: WHICH ROOKIES TO PICK IN SUPERCOACH DRAFT
TACTICS: WHO TO DRAFT FROM PICKS 1-4
JANUARY SUPERCOACH DRAFT RANKINGS:
> FORWARDS > RUCKS > MIDFIELDERS > DEFENDERS
PREMIUM: THE PHANTOM’S TOP 50 DRAFT RANKINGS
Register for free and start picking your KFC SuperCoach squad now!