KFC SuperCoach AFL 2021: Champion Data reveals which players are likely to change positions in 2022
Play in a KFC SuperCoach Draft keeper league or just ready to turn your attention to 2022 in classic? Here’s a look at all the likely position changes for next year.
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Which AFL players will change SuperCoach positions in 2022?
It’s the question on the lips of all KFC SuperCoach Draft keeper league players at this time of year.
Forwards and defenders who are reclassified as midfielders in 2022 will drop in value at the end of the season, while midfielders or defenders who’ll be available as forwards next year will soon be worth their weight in gold.
So, which players are worth holding onto? Who’s worth trading out, and trading in? And which players are sitting quietly on the waivers waiting for a chance to shine in 2022?
Thankfully for dedicated keeper league competitors - and KFC SuperCoach Classic die-hards who already have an eye on 2022 - Champion Data has handed us a golden ticket.
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These are the likely position changes for all the major players as of Round 16. The classifications are subject to change, depending on where players spend their time on the ground in the remaining seven rounds of the season. But for now, they’re the best guide we’ve got.
Players must spend at least 35% of overall gametime in a position to be sorted into that position for the following season. If one of your star players isn’t listed below, it’s because we expect them to retain their current position in 2022 - you don’t need Champion Data to tell you Jackson Macrae and Clayton Oliver are going to retain midfield status next year!
Note: The advice that follows is based on the belief that forwards are the most valuable players in KFC SuperCoach Draft - given the lack of quality forwards - followed by defenders, then ruckmen, then midfielders - of which there are plenty of great options.
THE WINNERS
Dyson Heppell (Ess) 2021 MID > 2022 DEF
Jack Billings (StK) 2021 MID > 2022 FWD-MID
Mitch Duncan (Geel) 2021 MID > 2022 FWD-MID
Lachie Hunter (WB) 2021 MID > 2022 FWD-MID
Lachie Weller (GC) 2021 MID > 2022 FWD-MID
Tim English (WB) 2021 RUC > 2022 RUC-FWD
Dan Houston (Port) 2021 DEF > 2022 DEF-MID
Harry Perryman (GWS) 2021 MID > 2022 DEF
Mark Blicavs (Geel) 2021 DEF-MID > 2022 DEF-RUC
Jake Stringer (Ess) 2021 FWD > 2022 FWD-MID
Hunter Clark (StK) 2021 DEF > 2022 DEF-MID
Tarryn Thomas (NM) 2021 FWD > 2022 FWD-MID
Liam Duggan (WC) 2021 DEF > 2022 DEF-MID
Jack Lukosiu (GC) 2021 DEF > 2022 DEF-MID
Zak Butters (Port) 2021 FWD > 2022 FWD-MID
Jordan De Goey (Coll) 2021 FWD > 2022 FWD-MID
Mitch Duncan, Jack Billings, Lachie Hunter and Tim English are the headline acts here, given they’re all currently on track to become forwards in 2022. Duncan has spent 40% of his time on ground as a forward this year, and with a PCL injury likely to rule him out of the rest of the home and away season, it’s pretty safe to lock him in as a forward for 2022. Bulldogs pair English (41% forward) and Hunter (50% forward) appear safe given their current percentages too. Billings could go either way, though, having spent 36% of his time as a forward and the majority of his time on a wing (which counts toward midfield status). If you’re looking to trade him in, it’s worth watching him closely in the next few weeks before offering a king’s ransom to a rival coach.
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THE LOSERS
Kyle Langford (Ess) 2021 FWD-MID > 2022 MID
Rory Laird (Adel) 2021 DEF-MID > 2022 MID
Ben McEvoy (Haw) 2021 DEF-RUC > 2022 RUC
Aaron Hall (NM) 2021 FWD > 2022 DEF
Bailey Dale (WB) 2021 FWD > 2022 DEF
Callum Mills (Syd) 2021 DEF > 2022 MID
Jack Crisp (Coll) 2021 DEF > 2022 MID
Jack Ziebel (NM) 2021 FWD > 2022 DEF
Lachie Whitfield (GWS) 2021 DEF > 2022 MID
Jarman Impey (Haw) 2021 FWD > 2022 DEF
If you’re out of finals contention, and planning for 2022, trading Kyle Langford (88% midfield time, including more than 50% wing time) and Jack Crisp (only 32% time in defence) out might not be the worst idea. Their value will drop once the season ends, but a coach in premiership contention this season may offer you a good deal for them, given their current KFC SuperCoach positions. On 2021 form, Rory Laird, Lachie Whitfield, Callum Mills, Bailey Dale, Jack Ziebell and Aaron Hall look like keepers for next year, regardless of position.
PLAYERS LIKELY TO RETAIN FORWARD STATUS
Josh Dunkley(WB) 2021 FWD-MID
Dayne Zorko(Bris) 2021 FWD-MID
Dustin Martin (Rich) 2021 FWD-MID
Shai Bolton (Rich) 2021 FWD-MID
Steele Sidebottom (Coll) 2021 FWD-MID
Patrick Dangerfield(Geel) 2021 FWD-MID
Isaac Smith (Geel) 2021 FWD-MID
Rowan Marshall(StK) 2021 RUC-FWD
Good forwards are hard to find, so if you’re lucky enough to have a star like Josh Dunkley, Dayne Zorko or Patrick Dangerfield in your keeper team, you’d be wise to hold onto him unless a rival coach offers you a deal too good to refuse. Dunkley spent 37% of gametime as a forward prior to injuring his shoulder in Round 6, and while that number might look a little too close to slipping under the 35% barrier for some owners’ liking, the fact he’s unlikely to return for at least another couple of weeks means his 2022 forward status is probably safe. Isaac Smith has spent 40% of his gametime as a forward. If he spends the rest of the season playing purely as a winger (where he’s spent almost 60% of his time thus far), he could lose forward status - so buyer beware if you’re planning to bring him in via a trade.
PLAYERS LIKELY TO RETAIN MIDFIELD STATUS
Josh Kelly (GWS) (2021 MID
Scott Pendlebury (Coll) 2021 MID
Nat Fyfe (Freo) 2021 MID
Sam Menegola (Geel) 2021 MID
Shane Edwards (Rich) 2021 MID
Seb Ross (StK) 2021 MID
Bailey Smith (WB) 2021 MID
Brandan Parfitt (Geel) 2021 MID
So close, and yet so far. Owners of Scott Pendlebury and Josh Kelly will be disappointed to see that the gun midfielders are currently sitting on the wrong side of the 35% ledger. Pendlebury has spent 28% of his time forward this season, while Kelly has spent 31% of his time forward. This could change in the remaining seven games, of course, but, if the last month is any guide, Pendlebury and Kelly are spending more time in the middle than they did earlier in the year. After a staggering 13 consecutive seasons averaging over 100 points per game, Pendlebury has slipped to an average of 93 this season. If a fellow coach is offering you a good deal for him, it might be time to cash out on the champ.
HOW CHAMPION DATA DECIDES ON KFC SUPERCOACH POSITIONS
A player must spend 35% or more game time in a certain position to qualify for that position.
Those who spend at least 35% of gametime in two positions are given dual-position status.
Game-time percentage split is based on where players spend their time on the ground throughout each quarter - not just where they start.
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