AFL SuperCoach 2025: Dan Batten reveals his final team

Rookies are the backbone of every SuperCoach side, and Dan Batten has paid up for cash cows in the midfield — including a point of difference pick. He reveals his SuperCoach team and the cheapies you should buy.

As we saw across the pre-season games, the kids are alright.

Particularly in the midfield.

The midfield line is where you’ll find the standout SuperCoach cash cows, but some of them won’t come cheap.

It means a structure with three to four rookies on-field looks to be the go for our starting sides, with cheapies in defence and the forward line less reliable.

Fortunately, we got to have a peak at a few rookies from opening round that already have a score banked towards their cash generation.

Here is how I’m looking heading into round one, with just $400 left in the kitty.

And if you haven’t already, check out our Rookie Bible with stats and intel on every SuperCoach cheapie.

DEFENCE

Harry Sheezel (NM) $635.6k

Dayne Zorko (Bris) $595,100

Max Holmes (Geel) $533.9k MID

Matt Roberts (Syd) $434,800

Ben Paton (Syd) $133,400, Fwd

Zach Reid (Ess) $119,900

Bench: James Leake (GWS, $119,900), Luke Trainor (Rich, $113,500)

Sheezel and Holmes are the only defenders who remain from my team reveal a month ago.

Rookies we thought were locks — Tobie Travaglia and Bo Allan — are no longer, but fortunately we got to have a look at a couple.

Move over Al, Ben may be the No.1 Paton in SuperCoach this year.

He looks to have steady job security and scoring with Sydney’s long injury list, but there is a watch on Leake. He scored 64 in just 54 per cent time on ground in opening round and I may have to change a couple of things around if he’s out, or on the extended bench.

Trainor is not your traditional 194cm defender. The draftee is more of a halfback who uses the ball well and intercepts, and the Richmond backline should get plenty of action.

Luke Trainor and Sam Lalor at Richmond training. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

One rookie on-field in defence is a safe play as two or more may leave you exposed, but with best 18 for most of the early rounds I’m willing to take the risk. It seems less risky than starting Sam De Koning, anyway.

If you’re happy to pay up, Jaxon Prior ($169.2k) and Luke Cleary ($171k) present as options. But I’ve overlooked both with Prior’s scoring and Cleary’s job security concerns at the price.

Zorko replaces Lachie Whitfield with favourable fixtures to start the season.

I have toyed with Harry Perryman as well, but have found the cash to get Holmes back in, who showed in the 2024 finals series he can go to another level this season.

Roberts has a prime role across halfback and already has a score of 124 in his three-round average.

MIDFIELD

Lachie Neale (Bris) $645.9k

Caleb Serong (Frem) $623.4k

Jordan Dawson (Adel) $550.3k

Clayton Oliver (Melb) $451.6k

Finn O’Sullivan (NM) $199k

Elijah Tsatas (Ess) $191.2k

Levi Ashcroft (Bris) $185.5k

Mitch Knevitt (Geel) $149.8k

Bench: Ed Allan (Coll) $194k, Elijah Hewett (WC) $122.8k FWD, Hugh Boxshall (St K) $113.5k

$190k is the new $123k in the midfield, but which ones to pick?

I have settled on O’Sullivan, Tsatas, Ashcroft, and Allan, with Knevitt also coming in at a tick under $150k.

You can field all five of these players with confidence given their favourable roles — at one stage I was running with five rookies on-field in the mids. But that is a bit crazy, even for a draft nuffie like me.

They cost a pretty penny, but this group are likely to be the best scorers of the rookie crop and subsequently the best money-makers.

I was apprehensive on picking O’Sullivan at first, thinking he would be playing in an outside role, but his 99 with time spent at halfback against West Coast in the community series was hard to look past. He is the definition of x-factor and won’t need much of the ball to score well.

Finn O'Sullivan impressed in the pre-season. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Nathan O’Driscoll was in my flex in my last team reveal, and ‘NOD’ could replace ‘FOS’ pending teams.

Allan is the late in after his promising 71 against GWS, which included six centre bounce attendances. As of Wednesday night, he was in just five per cent of teams.

Hewett is set to be named despite missing the final pre-season game with soreness, and he could provide serious value at his bargain basement price.

Boxshall has a very SuperCoach friendly game, as he showed during the pre-season. He feasted on contested possessions and clearances in the WAFL Colts and while a full-time midfield role isn’t guaranteed, he looks to have greater upside than Carlton father-son Lucas Camporeale.

My previous team reveal midfield read: Marcus Bontempelli, Zak Butters and Nick Daicos, and now none remain. Daicos comes out reluctantly as I fear he cops Willem Drew this weekend after Toby Bedford kept him to 60 points last week, and a bye will come for him soon after.

Neale is his replacement with West Coast, Richmond and Geelong in his first three games.

Serong also has Geelong and West Coast in his first three games and enters season six this year.

Could Dawson go worse than last year? Surely not. The array of mid-priced midfielders are very tempting, but the Crows skipper feels a lot likely to average 110+, so I’m willing to fork out a bit more.

Elijah Tsatas looks set for more opportunity this season. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

RUCK

Max Gawn (Melb) $668.9k

Tom De Koning (Carl) $547.1k

Bench: Harry Boyd (St K) $99.1k

After owning Tristan Xerri for the entire pre-season, he has come out. I was always a little wary of his early fixture run, and now that Gawn has Lachie Keeffe and Sam De Koning in his first month, some Max monsters loom.

Boyd is unlikely to have the plum role we expected with Rowan Marshall back. But there isn’t much else, with Liam Reidy another consideration.

However, you may be better off keeping the extra $30k with Sean Darcy set to return as early as round three.

Max Gawn could go big early. Picture: Michael Klein

FORWARD

Jason Horne-Francis (PA) $537k MID

Jack Macrae (St K) $392.2k

Bailey Smith (Geel) $389.2k MID

Ryley Sanders (WB) $339.1k MID

Caleb Daniel (NM) $269.1k MID

Sam Davidson (WB) $113.5k

Bench: Isaac Kako (Ess) $149.5k

Conor Stone (GWS) $119.9k

The only change from my forward line in the space of a month is Tom Lynch out, Ryley Sanders in.

Sanders was a SuperCoach beast at junior level and with Bontempelli and Adam Treloar missing, I think he can evolve into a potential keeper — or at the very least a handy stepping stone.

Davidson hasn’t moved from my side since SuperCoach opened. The mature-age recruit is a reliable on-field option on a wing and he proved in the community series he can find the footy.

If you are after on-field upside, then look to field Kako in the best 18 rounds. Kako went close to a ton against Geelong in the pre-season and his high-impact per possession play will ensure he has spike games.

Isaac Kako is an excitement machine. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Stone has two scores in the 60s from the community series and opening round off halfback. The Giant has a better role than the likes of Max Hall, Joe Berry, and Dan Curtin, who will all spend considerable time up forward.

There is a sense of anticipation surrounding Smith and if his opening practice game is anything to go, he will provide great value for SuperCoaches.

The former Bulldog has overcome his minor knee setback and should win plenty of the Sherrin, even if he is used on a wing or at half-forward at times.

Macrae and Daniel are also no-brainers, and I feel Horne-Francis can easily be the top forward in SuperCoach.

FLEX

Matt Flynn (WC) $261.8k RUC

A premium ruck in this slot has been a serious consideration after Bontempelli and Butters went down.

But if Xerri goes undoers with Tim English, Max Gawn, Brodie Grundy and Jarrod Witts in his first five games and Flynn can average 85+, the $400k saved will be worthwhile.

Going three premium rucks may also lock you into this option for the entire season, whereas Flynn can provide cash generation and strong scoring. In theory...

Dan Batten's final team ahead of Round 1.