AFL SuperCoach 2025: Rookie expert Dan Batten reveals his team
While some are going with mid-priced madness, Dan Batten believes it is the year of the $190k cheapie. He reveals his team and the latest rookie intel – including a point of difference play.
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Forget mid-priced madness, 2025 is the year of the expensive rookie in SuperCoach.
Rather than spend $330k, why not look at a player at $190k who can provide similar scoring, make more money and allow you to splash your cash elsewhere?
Ideally we would select a bunch of bargain basement cheapies, but questions over the job security and scoring of most lower-priced rookies mean our hand has been forced somewhat.
But SuperCoaches are spoilt for choice in the $150k-200k bracket thanks to a 2024 draft class stacked with quality at the top-end.
Top-10 picks Jagga Smith, Levi Ashcroft, Sid Draper, Josh Smillie and Tobie Travaglia all present as money-makers who are worth paying up for, while Harvey Langford, Xavier Lindsay and Leo Lombard are others to watch out for over the practice games.
Then there is the other young talents who remain below $200k due to injury or the subs vest that are primed to make 2025 their own.
The two Elijahs – Tsatas and Hewett – are the standouts here, but Nathan O’Driscoll, Zane Duursma, Ed Allan, Angus Sheldrick, Mitch Knevitt, Dan Curtin, Zach Reid Kaleb Smith are also in that bracket.
And don’t forget about the injured elder statesman in Tom Lynch and Sam Powell Pepper.
Picking the right ones is easier said than done and will become clearer as the practice games roll on.
However, enough of these names are pushing for selection that even if you catch the wrong cash train, another should be there to jump on.
Plenty of these names are in my team, subject to thousands of changes each match simulation and community series match.
DEFENCE
Harry Sheezel (NM) $635.6k
Lachie Whitfield (GWS) $598.1k
Max Holmes (Geel) $533.9k MID
Callum Mills (Syd) $357.2k
Tobie Travaglia (St K) $172k MID
Bo Allan (WC) $136k MID
Bench: Kaleb Smith (Rich) $121.2k DEF
Zach Reid (Ess) $119.9k
Saints fans would storm Moorabbin if Travaglia isn’t picked for round one after their injury-ravaged pre-season. Expect him to provide a similar output to Darcy Wilson on a wing and if he is used at halfback, that’s an extra bonus.
Same goes for the Eagles faithful with Allan given he was the player they picked up after giving up the prized pick three in last year’s draft. He had a promising first outing against Richmond and looks to have a spot in the West Coast defence.
Smith gathered plenty of the ball off halfback at Mineral Resources Park, including a chiselling ball that set up Sam Lalor’s first goal as a Tiger.
Mature-age Bomber Saad El-Hawli is a no-brainer as a bench pick if he is playing, but with some doubt over his selection I have gone with his teammate Reid for the time being. If fit – yes, a big if – he is a nailed-on starter for Essendon and his elite kicking and intercepting can see him be a solid slow-burn for our benches.
After seeing Geelong’s match simulation against Hawthorn live, I have slotted Holmes into my team for the first time this pre-season. I had Stewart at D3 initially, but Holmes showed the same dominance as his finals series playing primarily on-ball and starting occasionally on the wing.
Sam De Koning is very tempting as a cheap defender who could receive considerable ruck minutes, but I am happy to cop a price rise and wait until after his round three bye to assess his role – unless he posts a monster in opening round.
Mills picks himself at that price and I feel Sheezel can continue his strong finish to last year in his pure midfield role.
I watched on with jealousy as Whitfield pumped out ton after ton in the back-half of last season and with a monopoly on the kick-ins I feel he can replicate his 110-average from 2024.
MIDFIELD
Marcus Bontempelli (WB) $681k
Zak Butters (PA) $648.9k
Nick Daicos (Coll) $631.4k
Clayton Oliver (Melb) $451.6k
Jagga Smith (Carl) $194.5k
Elijah Tsatas (Ess) $191.2k
Sid Draper (Adel) $190k
Levi Ashcroft (Bris) $185.5k
Bench: Angus Sheldrick (Syd) $161.7k
Mitch Knevitt (Geel) $149.8k
Elijah Hewett (WC) $122.8k FWD
$180k is the new $123k in the midfield, with most of the top rookies coming at a cost. But they should provide bang for buck.
Smith shapes as my favourite for rookie of the year. He was an absolute ball magnet in his draft year, not just at under-18 level but also in the VFL where he averaged 30 touches. Lock him in.
With Darcy Parish racing the clock for the start of the season with injury, I really like Tsatas as an option. His first practice match was super impressive as a full time midfielder and his VFL numbers were strong last season.
Levi Ashcroft is a watch. While he too dominated at all levels last season, he has been nursing an injury this pre-season. But he will be hard to overlook, even if he plays a bit more time forward than his brother Will did in his first season. He could easily become Smillie — pending his own hsmtring concern — or Dees youngsters Langford and Lindsay.
I am bullish on Draper, who adds the speed that Adelaide’s midfield craves and has a SANFL average above 108 under his belt.
I have paid up on my bench for a couple of 2021 draftees I am big fans of in Knevitt and Sheldrick. Knevitt registered 224 SuperCoach points in his final VFL game last season as an inside midfielder and has turned heads in the role this pre-season. He walked the talk as the Cats’ top centre bounce midfielder in their practice match.
It may be tougher for Sheldrick to break in, but as he showed two years ago he has promising scoring potential as a player who thrives in the contest. From all reports he has also had a strong pre-season.
The biggest cash generator of the lot may be Hewett, who showed his exciting traits with a goal on the run in their first practice match. The Eagle sat out last season with a foot issue and is also available as a forward, so I may look to get him on-field in the forward line.
Bontempelli and Butters are popular midfield premiums and I just can’t go past Daicos despite his interrupted pre-season. If Oliver get to 80 per cent of his best he will be a worthwhile selection.
RUCK
Tristan Xerri (NM) $645.9k
Tom De Koning (Carl) $547.1k
Bench: Harry Boyd (St K) $99.1k
I have made the least change to this part of the ground. I chose to grab Lloyd Meek and save $100k with my final trades last season over Xerri and paid the price. I won’t be making the same mistake this year.
Entering a contract year, De Koning has huge upside given he didn’t play as a pure ruckman all year, and he showed last year just how big his ceiling is.
Hopefully Boyd can get a run with Rowan Marshall racing the clock for round one.
FORWARD
Jason Horne-Francis (PA) $537k MID
Jack Macrae (St K) $392.2k
Bailey Smith (Geel) $389.2k MID
Caleb Daniel (NM) $269.1k MID
Tom Lynch (Rich) $183.2k
Sam Davidson (WB) $113.5k
Bench: Isaac Kako (Ess) $149.5k
Conor Stone (GWS) $119.9k
Lynch averaged 94 points in 2022 and he has a career average of 78 in SuperCoach. A similar case is Joe Daniher in 2021, who started the season at $233k and reached $432k by round 10 averaging in the high 70s.
The Tigers are a different proposition in 2025 but if he can get on a run he can provide on-field scoring and cash generation.
Davidson hasn’t moved from my side since SuperCoach opened. The mature-age recruit had a solid first outing on a wing in their first practice match and the recent injury to Cody Weightman will only strengthen his rock-solid job security.
Kako also looks a round one lock at the Bombers and while his scoring may be inconsistent, his high-impact per possession should ensure he has some spike games.
Stone has been training in the GWS ‘A’ team after being recast as a rebounding defending and his dash should be utilised in the role.
St Kilda mid-season pick-up Max Hall ($119,900) is another on my watchlist.
Having watched Smith closely down the highway this pre-season, overlook him at your peril. The former Bulldog won stacks of the footy in limited gametime in his first outing as a Cat and while his disposal is untidy at times, expect him to be a top-six forward with his ball-winning ability.
Macrae and Daniel are also no-brainers, and I feel Horne-Francis can easily be the top forward in SuperCoach. The only reason he would come out of my team is if I decide to go with Izak Rankine instead.
FLEX
Nathan O’Driscoll (Frem) $198,000 MID
A NOD POD in the flex.
O’Driscoll, in just five per cent of sides, averaged 64 points in his first season in 2022 and found himself on the outer in 2024. It looks like it will be a different story in 2025 after the wingman topscored with 104 points in their clash with the Indigenous All-Stars.
I did have Matt Flynn in this spot but with concerns over his body and his role, I have opted for yet another high-priced midfield rookie.
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