KFC SuperCoach AFL Round 8 trade guide: Which rookies to buy and well plus cut-price trade targets
Injuries in the ruck have sent KFC SuperCoach teams into a spin but they could have a surprise payoff in the form of a huge Magpie bargain. TRADE GUIDE
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A role change can be everything in KFC SuperCoach.
Whether it be due to injury to a teammate or courtesy of a coach’s intuition, a positional swap can help turn an average scorer into a potential premium – or at the very least a quick stepping stone.
Take Jack Ziebell, who averaged a career-best 107 last season when David Noble shifted him permanently into defence.
This year, KFC SuperCoaches have been presented with two potential mid-season bargains due to injuries.
Darcy Cameron ($330k FWD) has been thrust into Collingwood’s No.1 ruck role for the first time as a Magpie, while Todd Goldstein ($414k FWD/RUC) has reclaimed the top job at North Melbourne after Tristan Xerri was ruled out for about a month through injury.
Both Cameron and Goldstein represent serious risk – but when has a KFC SuperCoach prospered without taking a few calculated punts along the way?
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Goldstein – and, no, we’re not talking about the hotly-contested and much-publicised Federal Election seat – is available for more than $130k less than his starting price.
A player who only passed 70 twice in the opening six rounds would normally be cause for huge concern, but his slow start might actually have handed us a great opportunity.
Goldstein was back to his old self against Carlton with 36 hitouts, 18 disposals, eight clearances and 125 KFC SuperCoach points.
Is he going to post those numbers against Sean Darcy rather than Tom De Koning?
It’s unlikely. But he doesn’t need to average 120 from here to be a top-six or top-eight forward.
The biggest question mark is whether Goldstein can play well enough in the next 3-4 weeks to warrant holding onto the No.1 role when Xerri returns.
Noble seems keen to get games into Xerri, but if Goldstein can make an irresistible case in the next month he could be a serious bargain at $414k.
After all, he has averaged 100.8 or more in all but two seasons since 2011.
While Goldstein has KFC SuperCoach history on his side, Cameron is still largely an unknown quantity, especially as a No.1 ruckman.
He dominated the NEAFL when he was a back-up ruckman at Sydney, but it’s a fair leap from the NSW state competition to carrying the ruck load for the Magpies.
A recent tick of approval from former Pies coach Nathan Buckley was encouraging, as was his KFC SuperCoach score of 115 against one of the AFL’s in-form ruckmen Jarrod Witts.
Cameron attended 19 centre bounces against the Suns and although Witts convincingly won the hitouts, he registered 16 disposals (of which 13 were contested), kicked two goals and reeled in four marks.
He was present at 53 ruck contests to debutant Aiden Begg’s 31 and it would be expected a similar split would eventuate should Mason Cox be in the team rather than Begg.
Whereas Goldstein will have competition from Xerri in a few weeks, Cameron has another 10 weeks or so to prove himself due to Brodie Grundy’s PCL injury.
If he can average 90 between now and Collingwood’s Round 14 bye, Cameron will reach about $450k.
Whether that potential $100-$120k profit is enough to justify a trade is difficult to answer, but the potential for Cameron to make the jump to an average close to 90 is certainly there.
He ticks almost every box. Role? Tick. Scoring potential? Tick. Job security? Tick.
Now it’s just whether he can capitalise.
Cameron has largely played second fiddle to Grundy as a ruck option since being traded from Sydney and when Grundy missed two games last season Max Lynch (now at Hawthorn) was preferred.
He had eight hitouts against Adelaide and five against Melbourne, when Jordan Roughead also had five.
The first glimpse of Cameron as No.1 was exciting and with my KFC SuperCoach season at somewhat of a crossroads, I’m ready to take the leap of faith.
Goldstein appeals as well, but with competition from Xerri coming soon and Cameron $85k cheaper, I’ll be taking a season-defining punt on the big Magpie.
Top rookie hit by Eagles Covis chaos
More than 30,000 KFC SuperCoaches might be hitting the “reverse trades” button after Greg Clark was ruled out of West Coast’s clash against Brisbane.
Clark, the most traded-in player in KFC SuperCoach this week, is in the AFL’s Health and Safety protocols.
The 24-year-old scored 104 points on debut against Richmond and cashing in a player like Jason Horne-Francis or Josh Rachele – or even Nick Daicos – to Clark frees up cash to grab a cut-price premium, and there are some great options to choose from (see list below).
You could still get Clark but his price won’t change until after his third game and he won’t score any points this round. Fortunately there are a number of other great rookie options available in round 8.
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BUBBLE BOYS
Paul Curtis (NM) $117,300 FWD | Ave: 58, BE: -48
Robbie McComb (WB) $102,400 MID | Ave: 50, BE: -41
Oliver Dempsey (Geel) $102,400 FWD | Ave: 38.5, BE: -18
Toby Bedford (Melb) $123,900 FWD | Ave: 49, BE: -26
McComb is the pick of this week’s bubble boys after a great game against the Bombers – 21 disposals and two goals – likely cemented his spot at least for the next few weeks. Concerns about his job security and scoring potential (63 points isn’t a great return from those stats) are offset by his bargain basement price and the fact Luke Beveridge loves to play unknown mature-age recruits (the 26-year-old was drafted from Footscray’s VFL team, where he won the 2021 best-and-fairest).
Curtis and Dempsey are small forwards where scoring can be extremely volatile, evidenced by Dempsey’s 12 points last weekend. But Curtis has impressed in his first two matches and is projected to make more than $45,000 after his third game.
Bedford looked OK for the Demons but only got his chance after being the medical sub the previous five weeks due to Covid running through the club.
WAIT
Greg Clark (WCE) $117,300 MID | R7 score: 104
Jack Carroll (Carl) $123,900 MID | R7 score: 95
Cooper Hamilton (GWS) $102,400 MID/FWD | R7 score: 68
Maurice Rioli Jr (Rich) $123,900 FWD | R7 score: 92
Luke Strnadica (WCE) $102,400 RUC | Ave: 66, BE: -73
Carroll will be high on many KFC SuperCoaches’ radar after an eye-catching debut, collecting 29 disposals, eight marks and a goal on his way to 95 points against the Kangaroos. However, it’s worth waiting a week to see how he goes against the Crows in a team featuring George Hewett, who was a late out last round.
Hamilton’s scoring wasn’t as high but the junior endurance beast impressed with 12 touches and five tackles, comes at a bargain price and has dual-position status which stands out in this rookie pack. Unfortunately, like Carroll he has the dreaded round 12 bye (it’s worth noting that McComb has a more friendly round 13 bye).
Rioli’s pressure was outstanding and he booted three goals against the Eagles but that small forward role can be very hot and cold – even if he scores well again against Collingwood this week he’s probably too big of a risk.
SELL
Jack Hayes $258,800 RUC-FWD
Josh Rachele $273,300 FWD-MID | Ave: 64, BE: 78
Nathan O’Driscoll $303,800 DEF/MID | Ave: 62.2 BE: 77
Corey Durdin $203,800 FWD | Ave: 47.3, BE: 47
Jarrod Berry $376,000 MID | Ave: 75.7, BE: 86
Rachele is the top priority after losing $17k in value last round and facing a Break Even of 78, a score he has beaten twice this season in seven games and not since round 4.
O’Driscoll’s cash generation has dried up a lot quicker than many predicted but he has made $179k for coaches smart enough to grab him before his price rise. Those who recruited him a week later have made a $140k profit; the equation gets trickier for the 11,000 coaches who added him to their squads after two price rises – trading in a rookie for a profit of about $65,000 seems way undoers. He plays the Kangaroos at home this week so another good score that resets his Break Even is not out of the question.
Berry faces the Eagles this week but he has scored above 86 only once this season. He hasn’t been able to reproduce his monster pre-season numbers but has been a solid money-maker, rising in value by $107,500.
HOLD
Jason Horne-Francis $310,900 MID | Ave: 70.7, BE: 58
Nick Daicos $379,600 DEF/MID | Ave: 83.4 BE: 74
Paddy McCartin $268,700 DEF/FWD | Ave: 63 BE: 44
Hugh Dixon $246,000 RUC/FWD | Ave: 59 BE: 47
Josh Ward $236,800 MID | Ave: 49.2 BE: 26
All of these players can be traded if they are your only way to grab a top-end premium but try to find another way if you can.
Horne-Francis should start making money again this week and along with Daicos is a player you can start on field – you wouldn’t want to be replacing him with someone like McComb at M8.
Dixon is likely to lead the Eagles’ decimated ruck division against the Lions on Saturday night after Luke Strnadica was ruled out with health and safety protocols.
UPGRADE TARGETS: BARGAINS YOU CAN’T IGNORE
KFC SuperCoaches banking on cash generation from popular cheapies Jason Horne-Francis and Josh Rachele to launch them into upgrade season have been left disappointed.
Last year’s No.1 and No.6 draft pick both lost value after low scores in round 7, putting top premium options in most positions even further out of reach.
That’s why you need to be willing to look beyond Clayton Oliver, Callum Mills, Jack Macrae and Jack Steele, and consider the next rung of KFC SuperCoach midfielders.
Will they net you the same points as the absolute elite bracket of midfielders? Probably not.
But the extra trade – or extra $100k in your bank – might provide a significant advantage when other coaches are scrambling later in the season.
With that in mind, here are the best cut-price midfield options for your KFC SuperCoach team ahead of Round 8.
Luke Parker $518,800 FWD/MID
About 5000 coaches traded in Parker last week for just $475,300 and were rewarded with a massive 150 KFC SuperCoach points against the Lions on the back of 33 disposals and six tackles. Parker is $43k more expensive this week but is still fantastic value and his value is heading north fast with a Break Even of 51 against this week’s opponent Gold Coast. Parker attended 24 centre bounces against the Lions and the return of Tom Papley from injury is likely to ensure an ongoing role at the coal face where we know what he can do – averages of 99 or better every year since 2014.
Christian Petracca $560,400 MID
KFC SuperCoaches hoping Petracca’s price would plummet below $550k after only one ton from rounds 3-6 will be disappointed after he amassed 131 points against Hawthorn. Petracca was the beneficiary of the Hawks sending a tagger to Clayton Oliver, getting off the chain in the second half on his way to 31 disposals. Petracca won’t get any cheaper than this so it’s the perfect week to jump on if you have the money spare. You would need about $250k to turn Horne-Francis into Petracca, which will likely be a tall order for most coaches.
Ollie Wines $508,200 MID
The Brownlow medallist is a forgotten man in KFC SuperCoach, featuring in only 2 per cent of teams despite winning the AFL’ s top individual award last season. Wines has scored less than 96 once this season, when he was subbed out against Melbourne due to a heart issue with 53 points. That score has caused his price to plummet by more than $100k from his starting value this year. The only issue with Wines is Port Adelaide has the bye in Round 12, which most coaches are inclined to avoid when planning trades. If you are well placed for that round – when Carlton, Essendon, Richmond, St Kilda and GWS Giants also have the bye – then strongly consider.
Patrick Cripps $526,700 MID
The Carlton skipper is likely leading this year’s Brownlow Medal after another three-vote outing against North Melbourne in which he tallied 138 KFC SuperCoach points. Disregarding the game when he suffered a minor hamstring injury, Cripps has not scored less than 119 and is averaging 143 points. Forget uber premium numbers, that’s a whole other level of scoring. He’s unlikely to maintain that incredible scoring over a full season, but $527k is fantastic buying for one of the hottest players in KFC SuperCoach this year, and with a Break Even of just 29, this is as cheap as he will get. Even if you traded him out a few weeks ago when he missed due to injury, Cripps is a great buy this round. Did we mention he even had hitouts to advantage against North?
Josh Kelly $542,900 MID
Kelly is renowned for his huge KFC SuperCoach ceiling and displayed that with his first monster score of the season against Adelaide – 153 points. Kelly hadn’t hit any great heights in the opening six rounds as GWS limped through the start of the season. That score against the Crows was the first time this year he’s reached 120, but pleasingly for coaches who favour high floors he hasn’t dropped below 81. Kelly has an incredible record against Carlton, averaging 118.4 against the Blues. GWS meets Carlton in Round 9 and Kelly is going to be more expensive if you hold off. Featuring in just 7 per cent of teams, he could be a nice point of difference in your midfield.
Andrew Brayshaw $581,500 MID
Put Brayshaw on your wait-and-see list for rounds 9 or 10 rather than bringing him in this round. The Freo star’s lowest score of the season to date – 77 – will result in a price fall and a Break Even of 157 in Round 8. The slight issue with waiting is Fremantle faces North Melbourne this week and it’s likely Brayshaw will rack up a huge possession tally. He started the season valued at $584k and the fact you can buy him for less than that despite being one of the best onballers of 2022 (average 117.1) is remarkable. Hopefully he gets even cheaper in coming weeks when he will be impossible to resist.
Tom Green $551,800 MID
We’re told Mr Consistent shook a hard tag from The Phantom at Adelaide Oval on Saturday to record his sixth ton in seven matches (the other score was 92). Green tallied 107 against the Crows from 24 disposals, of which 17 were contested. His contested style suits KFC SuperCoach scoring perfectly and despite a brilliant start to the year, Green is still available for a very gettable price. Like Wines and Kelly he has the Round 12 bye, but this type of reliability only comes around so often in KFC SuperCoach. If you’ve got the cash – and especially if you’re an avid listener of The Phantom’s Lair podcast (who isn’t?) – Green would be a great buy.
Touk Miller $592,100 MID
OK, so we aren’t getting Miller at his lowest price after his score of 160 against Collingwood. That eclipsed his Round 7 Break Even by 30 points and was made even more incredible by the fact he scored about 145 of those points after quarter-time. It was the exact sign coaches who had been waiting to trade for Miller wanted to see before jumping on. He was back winning possessions at will and also hit the scoreboard twice to boost his total. Anything less than $600k is still great value for the Suns co-captain and if you haven’t used too many boosts already, you could look at going to Greg Clark and Robbie McComb to fund a move for one of KFC SuperCoach’s top midfielders.
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