KFC SuperCoach expert team reveals ahead of Round 1

It’s always a frantic race to the first lockout of the year in KFC SuperCoach. Here’s how our experts are coping ahead of Round 1 and the team changes they’ve made to accommodate a 17-round season.

6 min read

March 19, 2020 - 2:41PM

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KFC SuperCoach is almost here!

The biggest change which will impact Australia’s favourite fantasy game is the AFL’s move to introduce 16-minute (plus time on) quarters.

There will be less opportunity for the game’s accumulators to amass huge possession numbers, although the SuperCoach points have to go somewhere.

We’ve been generous, allowing coaches to keep 30 trades over a 17-game season, which means you’ll have greater flexibility to manoeuvre your team during the season.

Whether that means mid-pricers or guns and rookies will be the right strategy, well at this point, we don’t have an answer.

Here’s where our expert teams were at before the full Round 1 teams were released.

It’s worth noting, these KFC SuperCoach sides were chosen before finals teams were released by AFL clubs.

That can have a huge impact on final teams, especially rookies.

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SCOTT GULLAN

One of the great joys of SuperCoach is watching the reaction of a rival when you allow them to have a look at your proposed starting line-up for the new season.

They will attempt to provide a poker face but I guarantee initially they will be desperately searching for a negative, then calculating if you’ve stolen any of their sleepers before moving into the admiration phase where they’ll toy with stealing a player they hadn’t considered before.

For my winning 2020 line-up there were two players who stood out in the reaction stakes and both are defenders.

The guru who was privileged enough to get the first reveal quickly spat out: “Bailey Williams.”

He then followed it up with: “And Lachie Weller is interesting, a couple of people have entertained him.”

Well, Williams is a straight out tip from Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge. Naturally it’s about fifth-hand but we’re going with it.

Apparently the kid is flying and has some serious tricks so $300,500 is an absolute steal.

With Weller – a midfielder who is classed as a defender which is a recipe I like – and part of an improving Gold Coast team who will have more wins and likely see more of the ball this season.

So in a fairly barren lot of affordable options, there should be some upside at $481,100.

Scott Gullan's 2020 SuperCoach team

AL PATON

I haven’t gone crazy on mid-price players since we learned of a shorter season and shortened games, although Jack Steven did come into my side only to exit it again when Chris Scott revealed he won’t be playing in Round 1.

The totally unprecedented season has given me licence to pick players who I may have previously felt were too risky. Josh Kelly could break down after two games but he could be the topscoring player in the game, so why not take a chance?

Shortened games has also factored into my selection. New 16-minute quarters are likely to result in more scoring extremes with the points from every game still adding up to 3300 – in AFLW games (15-minute quarters) it’s not unusual for three or four players in one match to score over 150. That has increased the value of players who can go really big like Patrick Cripps and Marcus Bontempelli – who now also won’t have to deal with Matt de Boer more than once this year.

Somehow after my tinkering I’ve still ended up with three rookies on field in the forward line which is extremely risky, but what the heck. Although I will be watching team selection tonight very closely!

Al Paton SuperCoach team 17 rounds.

SAM LANDSBERGER

Right now AFL coaches are figuring out what effect 16-minute quarters will have on the 2020 season.

Teams that transition the ball at breakneck speeds are probably licking their lips at the league’s call to shorten games.

It is set to impact SuperCoach team in a similar manner. Jade Gresham has gone from probable pick in my team to absolute certainty on the back of the AFL Commission’s call.

The polished St Kilda star has long been a midfielder-in-waiting … pending his fitness. Gresham has been working his bum off all pre-season to build a tank worthy of the engine room.

Well, that just became much easier with the likelihood the siren will sound after about 23 minutes in every quarter all season long.

A 60-40 split between midfield-forward line loomed this season although coach Brett Ratten could feel comfortable leaving Gresham in the guts for longer percentages of matches now.

Likewise, ballistic footballers might score more heavily in quicker games. Think Christian Petracca, Jordan De Goey and (in a scary thought) Dustin Martin.

Question marks over Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell’s fitness could also fade.

After so long out of the game and off legs it would’ve been understandable if Mitchell struggled to run out 120 minutes of footy.

But 90 minutes? No worries, and he’s straight in my team.

Sam Landsberger SuperCoach team.

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JON RALPH

Jon Ralph's SuperCoach defence and midfield.

Jon Ralph's SuperCoach rucks and forward line.

TIM MICHELL

I’m still not certain how it happened, but I’ve ended up with less mid-pricers than when I revealed what I expected to be my final team earlier in the week. My expectation is that with shorter quarters, impact players will be the ones who score biggest in KFC SuperCoach. For that reason, I’ve taken the huge punt on starting Nic Naitanui over Max Gawn — and of course they play in Round 1. Ask me again just before the season opener whether I’m game enough to stick by this though. My midfield is focused on players who have an impact with every possession, rather than the accumulators. Jack Macrae fits into the latter category but still had one of the best points-per-minute ratios of any AFL player last season. The change to 16-minute quarters is a huge curve ball and like every KFC SuperCoach, I’ve got plenty of juggling to do. Good luck!

Tim Michell SuperCoach team 17 rounds.

DAN BATTEN

Cats recruit Jack Steven threw a spanner in the works for my team but it might just be a blessing in disguise – better than picking him sustaining an injury in the early rounds after an interrupted pre-season.

Shortened quarters means it is integral to pick players who will be around the ball as much as possible and selecting guns with lucrative scoring avenues such as intercepting and clearances.

Most of my premiums and mid-pricers fit that quota, with unique pick Jon Ceglar replacing Steven as Hawthorn’s No. 1 ruck. Let’s hope Ben McEvoy stays in defence …

Scaling will also be a factor, so its integral to pick the SuperCoach studs like Fyfe, Cripps, Dusty and co.

It pains me to get rid of Josh Kelly/Patrick Dangerfield who I was considering at M4, but Clayton Oliver provides some value and I’m confident he will bounce back off a full pre-season.

Andrew McGrath is my other POD pick, with the Bombers making the point very clear during the Marsh Series that he will play as a full-time on-baller.

But this could all go out the window if a host of rookies are named tonight … a KFC SuperCoach can dream, hey?

Dan Batten's pre-Round 1 team reveal

MARK ROBINSON

I’ve discovered the secret.

Selecting a KFC SuperCoach team has been a tricky business in 2020 with cash stretched across the ground.

Then it hit me. No Grundy. No Gawn.

Instead of the big two I’m going with Tim English and Sam Jacobs, who come in at a combined $796,800 — less than $100k more than Grundy costs on his own.

I might lose some points there but the flow-on effects are huge.

Forget putting cheapies on the on the field in defence and up forward. My backline reads: Luke Ryan, Jack Crisp (reckon he might play more midfield), Brodie Smith, Sam Docherty, Dylan Roberton and John Noble.

Up forward it’s Toby Greene, Jade Gresham, Christian Petracca, Jack Steven, Devon Smith and Curtis Taylor. OK, I had to pick one rookie.