Doctor’s Orders: The experts from Doctor SuperCoach reveal how to get started in picking your KFC SuperCoach team for 2022
The first game of the 2022 AFL season is weeks away but here are six steps you can take right now to set up your team for ultimate success in KFC SuperCoach.
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After a long off-season, KFC SuperCoach is officially back!
Now that the team picker is available for the general public to use, we can begin spending countless hours messing around with our teams to find the perfect balance come Round 1.
However, some of you may ask yourself, is there anything I can do to give myself the best start possible and be one step ahead of the game? What exactly should I be doing this far out from the season?
This week on Doctor’s Orders, the team from Doctor SuperCoach looks through some key things you can do to get yourself in front of the pack in the race for the 2022 KFC SuperCoach Holy Grail.
1. IDENTIFY YOUR CORE
Behind every great KFC SuperCoach team is a reliable core. You should begin identifying the key pillars you want on your team and slowly tailoring your needs around these high-priced options.
Although each position has different amounts of players on field, you should make note of five names in each line that you view as safe, secure, premium options that can stay the course of a 23-round season.
The reason why you need to gather a bigger list of players than you can squeeze into your final squad is so that you have back-up options should one of your preferred choices get injured or suffer a role change before Round 1.
ROOKIE BIBLE: ALL THE BEST 2022 SUPERCOACH CHEAPIES
2. SCOUT UNDERPRICED OPTIONS
With KFC SuperCoach having a salary cap, identifying underpriced gems is a great way to make the most of your money which will be crucial to having a successful season.
In each position, begin looking at players that you think have the potential to outgrow their starting price.
Generally, what causes a price drop is an injury the prior season or a change of role within the team. You need to investigate each player and ask yourself, why are they priced the way they are and why are they going to exceed expectations this year? Players like Charlie Curnow and Stephen Coniglio are prime examples of injured players who are heading into the season underpriced and show obvious potential to outperform their starting value.
3. BE REALISTIC WITH YOUR ROOKIE “PLACEHOLDERS”
In order to juggle your salary cap you need to select rookies as placeholders for now, to see how many cheap players are required in order to work around your team’s core.
So often coaches get trapped into putting multiple $102k players in their team to maximise their money elsewhere, but this simply is unrealistic. It is in your best interests to fill your team now with higher-priced rookie options to allow more flexibility once Round 1 teams are announced.
Even though cheaper options could debut early, it is best to plan for the worst-case scenario and hope for the best.
4. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE MEDIA
The best thing you can do this early in the pre-season is keep your finger on the pulse and make sure you are fully across all the AFL news circling around the media.
Watch media sources and social media accounts you trust for pre-season news and interviews. Often coaches will reveal injury updates and key coaching adjustments such as new player roles, changes to team game plan and the classic “player x is flying this pre-season”.
Coaches shouldn’t obviously take everything they see and hear as concrete evidence, however, you can use the information you hear to make an informed decision.
As an example, if new Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell came out and said he plans to play James Sicily as a full-time forward this season, you must genuinely consider whether you see him scoring well if this is the case.
It is also important to test the things you hear by watching pre-season games and making a judgment call yourself as to whether their claims hold weight. The “eye test” is extremely important in making sure you have as much information as possible going into the start of the season.
Jarrod Berry (AF $725k SC $268k MID)@brisbanelions match sim report: "Aside from Neale, Rayner, Bailey, Lyons and McCluggage, Jarrod Berry also got some time there (midfield), as did untried Connor McFadyen."#AFLFantasy#SuperCoach#AFL
— Honeyball AFL 🯠(@HoneyballAFL) January 31, 2022
5. PLAY AROUND WITH DIFFERENT OPTIONS
Don’t get locked into one single structure for your team. Last season, the defence rookies that many coaches were banking on were just not named in Round 1.
Have multiple structures and keep your team flexible!
This includes playing around filling your team with purely guns and rookies, adding some mid-price mayhem, and perhaps a hint of your personal flair – at the end of the day there is no correct formula!
You should keep changing up your squad and identifying multiple ways you can structure your team so that you can make the best possible decision come Round 1 if there is unexpected news.
Many coaches like to take screen shots of different versions of their team for future reference.
6. OPEN UP THE CONVERSATION WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
One of the most valuable things you can do right now is discuss your KFC SuperCoach thoughts with your friends and family.
Although they will be your rivals come Round 1, it’s crucial to take the time to see what other people’s ideas and feelings are regarding potential starting players. Time to clear out all those in-built cognitive biases that could lead you to make a decision you later regret!
Don’t forget to take the time absorbing as much information as possible from others who think a lot about SuperCoach, whether that be in article format or podcasts, as the more information you have, the better-informed decisions you can make!
Check out the latest podcast from the team at Doctor SuperCoach:
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