KFC SuperCoach: Trade targets, rookie options and everything you need to know for rounds 10-12
The bye rounds are back in KFC SuperCoach. With four clubs missing in Round 10 and another two in Round 11, our experts have compiled a foolproof guide to surviving a key stretch of the season.
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The footy feast is underway and we’re about a quarter of the way through 20 days of KFC SuperCoach chaos.
During this 33-game fixture cram, six teams will have a bye and that’s where things will get tricky for KFC SuperCoaches.
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TRADE GUIDE: ALL THE KEY INTEL FOR KFC SUPERCOACH ROUND 11
There’s also the likelihood popular KFC SuperCoach players will be rested or even managed during games, as stars Travis Boak and Patrick Dangerfield have been.
To help with the likely team carnage, KFC SuperCoaches will be given one extra trade for each of the next three rounds, taking the season tally to 34.
And like the standard bye rounds of past seasons, the best-18 scoring system will be used in Rounds 10 and 11.
Here is how to get ready, be ready and stay ready.
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THE BYES
ROUND 10: Carlton, Hawthorn, Fremantle, West Coast
ROUND 11: Sydney, GWS
THE LOCKOUTS
Last match of R9: Sunday August 2, 6.10pm (Fremantle v Collingwood)
First match of R10: Monday August 3, 7.10pm (Port Adelaide v Western Bulldogs)
Last match of R10: Friday August 7, 7.50pm (Essendon v GWS)
First match of R11: Saturday August 8, 4.35pm (Port Adelaide v Richmond)
Last match of R11: Wednesday, August 12, 7.10pm (Gold Coast v Essendon)
First match of R12: Thursday, August 13 (Sydney v GWS)
ROUND 10 TRADES
The byes are back. The saving grace for KFC SuperCoaches this season was supposed to be avoiding the most-feared three week word in the game. You had three trades in Round 9 to help prepare and another three this round when Carlton, West Coast, Fremantle and Hawthorn will put their feet up. That takes popular KFC SuperCoach selections such as Patrick Cripps, Andrew Gaff, Tom Mitchell and James Sicily out of calculations, although best-18 scoring will help. You will lose ground in the rankings if you’re too reliant on rookies though. Try to target guns from Essendon and Melbourne who had their bye in Round 3. Otherwise, you can likely get away with trading in Sydney and GWS Giants players if you have enough cover for Round 11. Only two teams will have a bye which should make fielding 18 players much easier.
Stephen Coniglio (GWS) $548,700 MID
Coniglio’s centre-bounce numbers have been up since he attended a season-high of 21 in Round 7. And, in no surprise, it’s had a direct effect on his scoring with the Giants skipper posting a five-round average of 114 including 121 against the Suns. While GWS has a bye in Round 11, with only two teams missing coaches should have little trouble fielding a best 18.
Jade Gresham (StK) $466,100 FWD/MID
The creative Saint is flying under the KFC SuperCoach radar again. He was injured in Round 1 and had a very quiet game against the Tigers in Round 4 but in his other seven matches for the year, Gresham has posted scores of 120, 81, 91, 92, 108, 94 and 110. The 22-year-old, who is, as expected, involved at plenty of centre bounces for St Kilda this year, was brilliant against the Swans, tallying 23 disposals, 10 contested possessions, six clearances and two goals. The performance capped an impressive month in which Gresham averaged 101 points. Not bad for $470k.
Sam Draper (Ess) $123,900 RUCK
Hello, ruck cover! If you’re among the KFC SuperCoaches who have been dreading Max Gawn or Brodie Grundy being rested, new Bomber Draper looms as your saviour. The big man showed why he was offered a bumper contract to leave Essendon before his debut, with a team-high 21 hit-outs against Brisbane Lions (Tom Bellchambers had 13) and 73 KFC SuperCoach points. Draper also had nine disposals and three clearances, although at that price he wouldn’t have needed to do much to convince KFC SuperCoaches he was worth trading in for ruck insurance. The only tough call is whether to part with your ruck loophole if you started cheapie; Matt Conroy.
WHO TO CHOP
If you’re still holding onto popular rookies such as Curtis Taylor (24 per cent of teams), Tyler Brown (19 per cent), Jarrod Brander (27.6 per cent) or Tom Green (25.6 per cent), it’s time to jump off — pending selection. They likely wouldn’t be in your best 18 scores in the next two weeks anyway and if you’ve stashed money in the last few weeks, it’s not a huge leap to turn them into a fallen premium such as Stewart. There’s value in holding players such as Connor Budarick and Brandon Starcevich with good job security though.
WHO TO AVOID
Players from Sydney and GWS Giants — unless you already have cover. Lachie Whitfield, Jake Lloyd, Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly and Toby Greene are in thousands of teams and that could present an issue when the two NSW teams have a bye in Round 11. The good thing is you have three trades this round and next round to get cover as you don’t want to be trading these premiums out. The five players mentioned above are heading up in price and if getting them this round helps you avoid paying an extra $15k-$20k, you might get away with it. The best 18 scoring system and only two teams missing gives you some flexibility to still target players from the two bye teams. Certainly, Lloyd is scoring like he’ll be the No. 1 defender of 2020.
ROUND 11 TRADES
So much can – and will – happen between now and the start of Round 11.
But your trade plan needs to extend this far, especially given some players will be coming off the Round 10 bye.
Patrick Cripps (Carl) $488,500 MID
After 75 KFC SuperCoach points in Round 8, his third consecutive score of 85 of less, the Carlton skipper will be available for less than $500,000 after his bye. He hasn’t been this cheap since 2016. Cripps showed his true colours against Hawthorn despite the Blues being well beaten, tallying 149 KFC SuperCoach points from 27 disposals and five tackles.
James Sicily (Haw) $603,900 DEF
Sicily won’t be cheap by Round 11 but his recent scoring – 132, 149, 164 and 88 – is up there with the best in the competition. So, if you’ve got the cash, the likely low-$600k price-tag is still worth considering. You could have brought him for $580k ahead of Round 9, but there was sense in holding off to avoid the bye.
Tom Mitchell (Haw) $568,800 MID
The 2018 Brownlow medallist ran amok against Carlton, pumping out a season high score of 164. That will ensure the $561,900 Mitchell was listed at in Round 9 will be as cheap as he comes. He’ll still be well-priced in Round 11 for a player averaging more than 110 and who has only dropped below 95 once this season. He won’t be tagged against Fremantle or West Coast and has a formidable record against both clubs.
Tim Kelly (West Coast) $557,800 MID
The first-year Eagle was available for as little as $483,600 after Round 5 before recording scores of 140, 105 and 150 in consecutive matches. Kelly dropped back to 90 against his former side Geelong, but has produced an eye-catching past month. While he features in more SuperCoach teams (12.8 per cent) than Elliot Yeo (8.5 per cent) and Andrew Gaff (6.8 per cent) Kelly is still a point of difference selection. Especially when most other coaches will target Cripps, Mitchell or Nat Fyfe this round.
Luke Ryan (Fremantle) $551,100 DEF
Ball magnet Jake Lloyd (125.6 points) is the only defender who has a better average than Fremantle intercept specialist Ryan (117.6) in the past five rounds. Despite being forced to play as a tall defender in the absence of players such as Alex Pearce and Joel Hamling, Ryan has flourished in the past five rounds, reeling off five straight hundreds – 109, 105, 125, 118 and 131. Ryan benefits from kick-in points and intercept possessions, of which he had a team-high nine against Collingwood.
Nat Fyfe (Fremantle) $588,200 MID
Will you really gain much by waiting an extra week to get Fyfe? The Dockers skipper dropped $50,800 after scoring 112 on his return from injury in Round 9, but will only lose another $15,000 if he matches his projected score of 120 against Hawthorn. Fyfe amassed 154 points against the Hawks in Round 17 last year. While his durability has been a question mark, if Fyfe gets through the remainder of the campaign he will rival Lachie Neale as the No. 1 midfielder from Round 11 onwards.
Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs) MID, Round 10 price: $521,300
The Bulldogs skipper is another of the midfielders who started the season priced at more than $600,000 but is available for more than $100,000 less than his starting quote. A combination of taggers and time spent forward have caused Bontempelli’s average to drop by 14 points from last season. But he’s still one of the best players at accumulating points swiftly, as he did in Round 4 against Sydney when he had 111 points at halftime.
Elliot Yeo (WC) $480,600
Expect West Coast players to be popular in coming rounds, especially those who have enjoyed success in previous seasons playing at Optus Stadium. Yeo fits in that bracket, averaging 105 from 2018-2020 in Western Australia. The tough-tackling midfielder’s price bottomed out at $478k after Round 5 but he’s still a value pick if he stays under $550k. After a 59 against Port Adelaide, Yeo signalled his return to form with three straight tons including a season-high 121 against Sydney. He was one of West Coast’s best players against Geelong on Saturday night but only scored 87 as Nic Naitanui (146), Dom Sheed (135) and skipper Luke Shuey (116) attracted the most points.
Shannon Hurn (WC) $429,100
If you’ve been holding off for Shannon Hurn and Tom Stewart to finish your defence, that patience will pay off soon. Hurn dropped to $420,800 before Round 9 and won’t rise much in price after struggling to pass his break even of 45 (score of 63). He didn’t hit triple figures from rounds 2-7 and threw in a 68 and 39 during that stretch, but his 93 against Fremantle and 114 against Collingwood were a welcome return to form. His Round 10 bye is an issue, but you can still jump on if you’re confident of fielding 18 players and intent on getting him at close to his cheapest price. He’s capable of big SuperCoach numbers thanks to his efficiency but hasn’t had more than 17 disposals since Round 1.
Jy Simpkin (North Melbourne) Approx price: $398k FWD-MID
Simpkin returned to form against Geelong on Wednesday with his first KFC SuperCoach ton since Round 6 (103). The North Melbourne breakout star seemed unattainable when he reached $555,800 but scores of 57, 35 and 56 in successive weeks have caused his price to crash to within $20,000 of his starting price of $383,000. That’s too good to pass up for coaches who had to watch him string together five hundreds and a 97 in the opening six rounds with envy. Don’t be put off by his three low scores either — one was with a heavy Ed Curnow tag and the 57 was when he only played 59 minutes of a possible 98 due to an ankle injury.
Tom Stewart (Geelong) Approx price: $460k DEF
If you prioritised Mitch Duncan or other targets in Round 10, Stewart will still be available for about $70,000 less than his starting price of $533,000. A price tag of about $460k is cheap for a player renowned for his consistency. The only concern is Geelong has flagged the likelihood of managing its stars through a gruelling period of matches. While that doesn’t mean he will be rested, Stewart only played 80 of a possible 105 minutes against North Melbourne. His kicking efficiency of 45.5 also contributed to a score of 68, his lowest in a full game since Round 22, 2018.
Oscar McInerney (Brisbane Lions) RUC-FWD Approx price: $391k Avg: 79
McInerney was outstanding against Richmond, finishing with 11 disposals, four marks and 19 hit outs to register 128 KFC SuperCoach points. His price will boom by about $36k ahead of Round 11 but the Lions big man is still worth considering due to strong job security with Stefan Martin and Archie Smith sidelined by injury. Forgive his season average of 79, it’s his average in the past two weeks as Brisbane’s No. 1 ruckman of 109.5 you should be interested in.
Noah Balta (Richmond) RUC-FWD Approx price: $327k Avg: 71.3
Don’t be concerned about the low numbers Balta posted last year. In the absence of Alex Rance and David Astbury, the young Tiger has emerged as an aerial threat in defence. His intercept marking has been a feature in the past two rounds, when he has produced scores of 107 and 96. That role is much more KFC SuperCoach friendly than when he spent time as a forward and in the ruck last season. Balta only needs to average 80 in the next three rounds to get to about $390k, which would be a great result. If you’re still holding Devon Smith, a sideways swap is worth consideration.
Harry Schoenberg (Adelaide) Price: $117,300 MID Avg: 59
There was plenty to like about the debut of last year’s No. 24 draft pick. An inside midfielder, Schoenberg battled to 17 points at halftime before showcasing his talent with a 28-point third term. He finished with 12 disposals, two marks, two tackles and KFC SuperCoach points. Midfield rookies have been scarce this year and the Crows don’t have much to lose by continuing to play the kids. Although he should only be bench cover, downgrading a player such as Harley Bennell or Marlion Pickett to free up cash will be a popular move in Round 11.
WHO TO CHOP
Marlion Pickett will the $350k mark following Round 10 and with an approximate breakeven of 36, his price is likely to keep rising. But with a number of fallen premiums in reach - Cripps in particular - the trade temptation is there. As it should be, too, given then shortened 18-round season. Otherwise it’s all about your other on-field rookies. With eight rounds to play, getting to full-premium status soon will be crucial if you want to make a late rankings surge or achieve league glory.
WHO TO AVOID
There are still 10 teams who will have a week off in the last six rounds of the home-and-away season — Adelaide, Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast Suns, Western Bulldogs, Richmond, North Melbourne, St Kilda, Port Adelaide, Collingwood and Geelong. If you’re torn between two or three trade targets, focus on those who have already had their bye. That’s why players such as Clayton Oliver and Zach Merrett will be popular as the postponed Round 3 game was counted as Melbourne and Essendon’s bye.
ROUND 12 TRADES
Any of the options listed above who had the Round 10 bye will be worth considering again come Round 12.
Cripps will still be very affordable, while Tim Kelly is the only Eagle whose price has climbed in recent rounds.
Hurn, Yeo and Andrew Gaff should still be available for about $500,000 or less.
Mitchell will also likely be under $600,000, as will Fyfe - both bargains considering their potential output.
GWS and Sydney will have had a week’s rest, although most of the star Giants come with a warning due to injury histories.
Would you be confident any of Josh Kelly, Stephen Coniglio and Toby Greene play every game, especially if the Giants are already locked into a finals spot?
This is the perfect week to grab Jake Lloyd if you’ve held off.
Jake Lloyd (Sydney) Round 10 price: $610,000
The Swans conceded 53 inside-50s in three consecutive games from rounds 6-8 and Lloyd was the clear beneficiary. His combination of intercept disposals and playing on from kick-outs is KFC SuperCoach gold. He looks likely to compete with James Sicily to be the No. 1 defender of 2020. Keep him in your plans despite the top-price.
Nick Haynes (GWS) Round 10 price: $546,500
Haynes has blossomed into one of the most consistent KFC SuperCoach defenders this year, scoring six tons to Round 8 — one of the two games he failed to hit triple figures he posted 97. Intercept possessions have been richly rewarded this year by SuperCoach scaling and Haynes is one of the best interceptors in the game. He looks like being a top-three defender with Jake Lloyd and James Sicily but is cheaper than that duo.
Lachie Whitfield (GWS) Round 10 price: $524,000
The competition for top-six forward spots is closer than anticipated, but Whitfield is firmly in the mix after three successive tons from rounds 6-8. Disregarding his injury-affected score of eight in Round 3, he has only scored less than 93 once. That’s enviable consistency and his FWD-MID swing will be pivotal when players start to be rested later in the year. While his durability has been an issue he’s a supreme athlete and fitness won’t be an issue late in the campaign.
Luke Parker (Syd) Round 10 price: $550,400
Parker flies under the radar every year but has averaged 99.3 or more in every year since 2014. His importance to Sydney’s midfield has only been enhanced by the absence of Josh Kennedy and Isaac Heeney and his average of 109.2 is his best since 2016. He had a shocker against Richmond when he scored 45, but has otherwise scored 107-125 in seven of nine matches. The other was a season-high score of 141.
WHO TO CHOP
This will be largely dependent on where the premium holes in your team still are. If you have been relying on players such as Will Day, John Noble or Izak Rankine, now is the time to be making plans to shift them to your bench. You will only lose ground on other coaches if you continue to rely on rookies while others have achieved full-premium status. That will look slightly different this year, as obtaining the top scorers in every position is going to be difficult. However, there’s a host of fallen premiums who have the potential to post huge numbers to help reach full premium status with 5-6 rounds left.
WHO TO AVOID
We know there will no byes in Round 13 but, by Round 12, we should know the next crop of teams will have rest. Don’t panic, as KFC SuperCoach will revert to best 18 scoring in any round with less than nine matches. Don’t trade in any players who have a bye in Round 14 unless you are confident you will be well covered in those rounds. The closer the season gets to finals and teams are locked in to certain positions, the greater likelihood players will be rested. You can’t bank on having players available just because they don’t have a bye.
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