KFC SuperCoach trade guide: Top targets, rookies to buy and more
One of our KFC SuperCoach experts has taken a huge ruck risk ahead of round 8, while another is going all out to secure a topscoring star. See our round 8 trade plans here.
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Some are boosting, one isn’t trading.
Our experts could not be further apart on the best way to approach round 8 in KFC SuperCoach.
Only time will tell whether the more patient approach or the aggressive route was the right one, with one expert burning his last boost in a desperate attempt to strengthen his midfield.
Scroll down to see who our experts are bringing in this week and why they’re making the moves they are — or aren’t in one case.
AL PATON
OUT: Will Setterfield, Jacob van Rooyen, Esava Ratugolea
IN: Alex Cincotta, Jack Sinclair, Stephen Coniglio
I took a conservative path last week with a double downgrade and while the two rookies I traded in were both subbed off in their respective games (not ideal), overall the strategy paid off with a rankings jump and plenty of cash to spend this week.
It also means I can target Cincotta as my A1 downgrade option this week, which puts me in the enviable but slightly tricky position of having over $700k to spend. That creates lots of options (almost too many!) and puts Clayton Oliver finally within reach - but I think the smarter option with cashed-up rookies few and far between is to chase a bit of value.
Ideally I would trade Alwyn Davey Jr instead of van Rooyen but the extra cash gets me to Sinclair - a straight-up gun with a friendly round 12 bye for defenders - and Coniglio, who is also safe for 105-plus points every week and is still cheaper than when I had him in my team just before round 1.
Punting Ratugolea is also a risk especially with some question marks over Sean Darcy this week but he’s maxed out in price and my other rookies are either too good to trade (Ashcroft, Chandler) or not worth anything yet (Seamus Mitchell) or possibly ever (Chesser, Sturt, Roberts). Oskar Baker is required for midfield cover and could be a path to a fallen premo (Jack Steele?) in the next week or two.
I had three boosts in hand and if I want to be a serious player it’s time to use them. Game on.
TIM MICHELL
Fergus Greene, Alwyn Davey Jr and Will Setterfield to Clayton Oliver, Ryan Angwin and Sam Simpson
The time has arrived for me to stop hiding behind the couch every time Clayton Oliver plays. Every week you don’t have Oliver in KFC SuperCoach makes for a tough watch and I’m not willing to put myself through it again. He might get 5-10k cheaper but ultimately I’d prefer his points this week than saving a few extra pennies. I have practically no rookies left with any value after these trades having missed the boat on Kade Chandler. Samson Ryan likely goes next week or in round 10, but then it’s down to Harry Rowston, Matt Johnson types who have hit a wall at less than $200k. I guess I could trade Will Ashcroft, but that seems a bit premature. The hope with getting Angwin and Simpson this week is they can become mid-season money makers and also provide cover during the byes. Simpson has the round 13 bye when only Geelong and Gold Coast miss, so he could be my 18th or 19th player in the other byes if he can hold his spot. I’m not confident on Angwin’s job security but he’s DPP and has been named on a wing this week. Adam Kingsley said a few days ago that Josh Fahey (who has been dominating in the VFL) is now being trialled on a wing. We can’t be picky with a lack of rookies around though. My final word? Go Clarry.
DAN BATTEN
Liam Jones, Reuben Ginbey and Brodie Grundy for Sam Simpson, Brynn Teakle and Stephen Coniglio
Burning a boost to sideways a premium might seem foolish, but hear me out. Grundy has an ominous Break Even of 158 to overcome this week and I feel he has got out of jail against easy ruck opponents in the past two weeks – and still went sub-90 in both matches. With Tim English (BE: 160) in my sights and money a concern, I’ve decided to kill two birds with one stone: trade out Grundy before he bleeds any more cash, and bring in Coniglio (BE: 59) before his price skyrockets further. Teakle acts as a money-maker and short term R2 for my side and these moves leave me with $350k to grab English next week. In a doomsday scenario where Teakle gets dropped and English scores 200, Samson Ryan can act as my R2. I could have potentially gone with Ryan Angwin over Teakle, but he could be Sam Sturt mark two if he fails to perform and I am happy to take the risk on Teakle rather than Angwin who has minimal upside. Port coach Ken Hinkley said on Friday that he is happy playing one ruck, adding that Scott Lycett was touch and go to play in the SANFL after an injury suffered last week, so I’m hopeful Teakle can cement his spot in the side over the next two games. Simpson was a rookie for us back in 2020, where he averaged 72.5 points in six matches, and he has provided good pressure and hit the scoreboard in his two games this year.
THE PHANTOM
Stop. The. Press. I’m finally doing it. I’ve had a good week and I’m finally making the big call. Could it hurt me? Yes. Could it help me? Definitely.
...
No trades*.
I want Jack Steele but I’d have to burn everyone decent on my bench and probably go early on Blake Drury. And, don’t worry, I was close to doing it. But Steele’s price should - hopefully - remain steady and I’ll get a bit more cash from JVR and co. There’s a long way to go.
*I think.
FANTASY FREAKO: STATS REVEAL HUGE DAICOS RED FLAG
The Crows may have provided the blueprint for nullifying Nick Daicos last round as they became the first team this year to keep the Collingwood gun below 30 disposals.
Yes, he just fell short with 27 – but it wasn’t an effective 27-disposal game, and the numbers more than back that up.
Daicos won 25 of his disposals when directly matched up to Ben Keays – so he was still able to find the ball under close attention – but his execution was way off the elite standard of his first six rounds.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL THIS WEEK’S TOP TRADE TARGETS
Daicos had only nine effective kicks for the game, which was well below his average of 16 heading into the game, while his kicking efficiency (47 per cent) and disposal efficiency (56 per cent) were his worst for the year. Daicos had three direct turnovers by foot – along with one handball clanger. He was given little space to dictate the play, and credit must be given to Adelaide.
His kicking under the various levels of pressure was also down. He had a disposal efficiency of 68 per cent from set positions – down from 88 per cent in previous games – while when he was under corralling pressure, he hit the target just 53 per cent of the time – down from 86 per cent.
Adelaide was also able to limit the Magpies getting the ball into Daicos’s hands – restricting him to only nine handball-receives, which was seven fewer than his season average. He also had just 13 uncontested possessions, which was close to half his season average.
It won’t get any easier for Daicos this week as he comes up against the Sydney Swans and a likely Ryan Clarke tag. Clarke kept Daicos to just 12 disposals in the 55 minutes they were matched up in round 22 last season, and 16 disposals from 90 minutes game time in the preliminary final – scoring 62 and 76 points, respectively.
There is no doubt that Clarke will get a job on Daicos again this week – so I would avoid handing him any VC or C duties.
FREAKO’S ROOKIE WATCH
All roads lead to Alex Cincotta this round as he prepares for his third match of the season and first price rise. With a Break Even of -97 and the bonus of DPP eligibility, he kept his place in the Blues’ side last round even after both Adam Saad and Sam Docherty returned from injury. That is a huge boost for his job security, even if it is short term.
Cincotta’s ball use has been a highlight and he has the best disposal efficiency of any Carlton player to play each of the last two games – gathering 24 and 17 disposals, respectively. Last round, he grabbed two intercept marks and nine intercept possessions which boosted his score to 88 on the back of 67 on debut. Cincotta is close to a must-have ahead of round 8.
Sam Simpson is another player on our radar as Geelong prepares to welcome Adelaide at GMHBA Stadium. He came into the Cats side for the injured Tyson Stengle and with the latter remaining sidelined for at least the next month Simpson should be afforded more game time in the coming weeks – form and injury permitting.
Simpson has booted two goals in each match and returned 80 and 58 points in that order – also possessing DPP eligibility, which adds to his appeal.
Ryan Angwin is also on the bubble this round and like Simpson – he too is a Mid/Fwd option.
It wasn’t a great week for new owners of Seamus Mitchell or Sam Sturt in round 7 as both were subbed in their match. In the case of Mitchell, his ownership had spiked by over 60,000 in KFC SuperCoach – with plenty playing him on the field. The fact another half-back flanker in Jack Scrimshaw was the sub was an alarm bell we needed to pay more attention to.
One player we’re all hoping gets an opportunity soon is young Giant Josh Fahey. He has scored 171, 151, and 105 points respectively in his last three VFL games – but spots are sparse at the Giants, so he may have to continue to bide his time at the lower level.
Players on the chopping block this week include Reuben Ginbey (BE 61), Liam Jones (BE 68), Mattaes Phillipou (BE 84), Fergus Greene (BE 57) and Oscar Allen (BE 96).
As always, trade wisely and best of luck for round 8!
Trade guide: This week’s top targets
– Tim Michell, Dan Batten and Al Paton
The KFC SuperCoach rookies have hit a wall.
Just as coaches were preparing to launch into upgrade season, popular cash cows including Reuben Ginbey, Fergus Greene, Mattaes Phillipou, Darcy Wilmot and Conor McKenna have all but peaked in price (some even lost value in round 7).
And let’s not mention Seamus Mitchell – who features in 44 per cent of teams – being subbed off on Saturday.
The issue coaches will confront this week is how to trade playing rookies, maximising their value, without exposing our benches.
Tens of thousands of teams are still carrying Campbell Chesser, Charlie Constable, Nick Madden, Matt Roberts, Cam Mackenzie and Noah Long.
Those non-playing rookies could mean a zero in coming weeks in the event of a late out, a disaster every KFC SuperCoach wants to avoid.
So before you boost this week and trade the last of your playing rookies, weigh up whether the cover they provide might be more valuable than the premium you’re bringing in.
Coaches burnt by the likes of Roberts, Mitchell and the likely-to-be-suspended Matt Johnson in recent weeks will know the risk of bringing in a cheapie who can’t provide any bench cover, or valuable cash generation.
Fortunately, KFC SuperCoaches have three rookie options this week who look capable of playing regular footy.
Carlton mature-age recruit Alex Cincotta is the standout bubble boy with a Break Even of -97 after scores of 67 and 88 in his first two games. He also comes with the bonus of dual-position status and a bargain basement price.
Cincotta had 17 disposals at 82 per cent, nine intercepts and six tackles in Carlton’s rout against the Eagles. The only issue is he’s already in 57,000 teams, taking him off the table as a solution to this week’s rookie issues.
Ryan Angwin is on the bubble this week but is a fringe selection at GWS and the last thing coaches need is another rookie playing reserves in a few weeks.
Cat Sam Simpson is at an elevated price of $166,100 as a MID/FWD and coaches will be crossing everything he stays in Chris Scott’s best 22. He managed just 10 touches against the Bombers but kicked two goals to follow on from his 14 touches and two goals against the Swans. He has a Break Even of -43 if he’s picked to face the Crows on Saturday and will be a popular pick, especially among coaches who remember his successful stint as a cash cow in 2020.
If those cheapies don’t pan out, there is another option.
You could be forgiven for thinking we’ve rewound to 2022 when we were talking about Port Adelaide’s mid-season draftee as a downgrade option in KFC SuperCoach.
Brynn Teakle debuted not long after arriving at Alberton and scored a quick 30 before breaking his collarbone. He returned seven weeks later with a score of 73, which is why he costs almost $200k as a round 8 bubble boy.
The 23-year-old ousted incumbent Scott Lycett from the senior team by round 6 and successive wins have boosted Teakle’s job security.
He tallied 34 hitouts and 14 disposals against West Coast, albeit against another inexperienced ruckman in Bailey Williams.
Port won the clearances 30-28 against the Eagles and was only narrowly beaten 23-21 against St Kilda in that statistic.
Rowan Marshall dominated the hitouts 28 to 18, but eight tackles showed the impact Teakle can have at ground level as well for the Power.
Of course, there will be a risk that Ken Hinkley turns to his more experienced ruckman or even considers playing two rucks in games such as round 10 when Port Adelaide faces twin towers Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy.
That is why you can mitigate the risk by choosing Teakle at R3 rather than R2.
It might seem like an expensive exercise, but the most recent example of a mid-season ruck shuffles proves it can work.
The Teakle trade has shades of 2020 when Sam Draper debuted and some coaches downgraded as a cash grab at R3. Perhaps the greatest difference is that Draper was $123k not $198k, allowing him to jump more than $90k after scores of 73, 74 and 63 to start his career.
Draper ended up making almost $220k, peaking at $341k after a score of 122 in his fourth game which launched his cash generation past $100k.
Teakle will need to average a minimum of about 80 to generate similar cash and ultimately make the trade worthwhile – especially if you plan of burning a second trade to eventually cash him in.
An average of 80 would be enough for Teakle to make about $190k by Port Adelaide’s round 15 bye. A 70 average would mean cash generation of about $140k and a 90 average would equate to about $230k.
The other option for KFC SuperCoaches – especially those planning to get Max Gawn when he bottoms out – is to run the risk of Teakle at R2 for a few weeks.
This strategy could blow up quickly if Teakle is dropped or plays alongside Lycett, but it could be your ticket to Gawn and help get a rookie off field in another position.
In theory, you could trade Grundy this week, make about $350-400k and run with Teakle at R2 alongside Rowan Marshall, Sean Darcy or Tim English.
You could use that cash to turn Wilmot, McKenna or Greene into just about any player you want ahead of round 8, in essence trading Grundy for a player you view as a season keeper (Clayton Oliver would be a prime example).
Gawn is projected to bottom out after round 9 at about $500k, which looms as the perfect time to add one of KFC SuperCoach’s topscoring ruckmen. Who knows? Come round 12 you might even be able to field him as a forward if he gains RUC-FWD status.
Grabbing Gawn earlier than most comes with its own risks if he’s spending so much time forward. But assuming he gets DPP, it would mean you’re one move ahead of other coaches who would no doubt want the Demons skipper if he becomes forward eligible.
Otherwise, the rookie stocks are worryingly thin – which only adds to the Teakle appeal.
Choose wisely and your round 8 cheapies should be your ticket to a gun fallen premium though.
And if you don’t have Clayton Oliver, this is the week.
After 16 disposals in the first quarter against North Melbourne, the chances of him getting any cheaper are very slim.
Here are our top targets and analysis on the best round 8 cash cows from rookie guru Dan Batten.
TOP TARGETS
JACK STEELE $537,200 MID
The Saints captain looked like the Jack Steele of old with 28 disposals, 11 tackles and a goal in the loss to Port Adelaide – and 126 KFC SuperCoach points. Some coaches might have been looking to pick off Steele at closer to $500k but this might be as cheap as he gets with Break Even of 126 this week. He has reached that mark only once this year but the Saints face North Melbourne on Sunday, a team that just gave up four scores over 120 to Melbourne midfielders, including 167 to Christian Petracca. Steele, who boasts season averages of 122.5, 126 and 109.8 over the past three seasons, could be the cut-price midfield premo KFC SuperCoaches have been crying out for.
MAX GAWN $501,800 RUC
The best modern KFC SuperCoach ruck is close to $500,000 following his 80-point return against the Kangaroos. That’s crazy cheap, but the issue is trading him on the ruck line, especially when his scores are likely to fluctuate as he shares ruck time with Brodie Grundy – although you’ll be glad you jumped on the week he inevitably scores 180. If Gawn spends enough time forward to qualify for dual-position status it changes the picture completely, but we might need to wait a couple more rounds to see how likely that is. Hopefully his price doesn’t go up too much in that time.
CLAYTON OLIVER $652,500 MID
Oliver is in 48 per cent of KFC SuperCoaches teams, but everyone without Oliver was breathing a sigh of relief at his score of 134 on Saturday night considering at halftime he looked like he could threaten the 200-point barrier. Falling short of his 171 Break Even (and almost smack bang on his SuperCoach Plus projection of 136) brought a price drop of $15,500, pricing Oliver at just over $650,000. And that might be about as cheap as he gets, at least for the foreseeable future. His BE against Gold Coast is 140 and he’s got Hawthorn the week after that. Many coaches will be tempted to cash in a mid-pricer like Will Setterfield to get on the Oliver train this week.
WILL DAY $492,100 DEF/MID
Thousands traded in Day last week and $454k got an absolute bargain. That makes it hard for those who missed out to pay an extra $40k this week but getting a MID/DEF who can hit three figures recularly (he fell just short with 97 points against the Bulldogs) for under $500k is still great buying, especially with cash fast running out from our dwindling rookie stocks. Day’s 30 disposals on Saturday night was his best return for the season as he settles into a new role as the Hawks’ No.1 midfielder. Ask coaches who passed on the likes of James Sicily or George Hewett after their first price rises what they would do if they had their time again.
JAMES SICILY $542,500 DEF
Sicily has bottomed out after a few quiet weeks, with his price going back up to the tune of $8800 follow his season-high 128 points against the Bulldogs. Sicily produced games like this week in, week out last year, and he’s the fourth-ranked defender on total points despite some concerns this season. He’s as close to a certainty as you can get to finish in the top eight on his line which makes $542k great value if you can get him into your team this week. Jack Sinclair is even cheaper at $540,900 with a 101 season average.
JASON JOHANNISEN $406,600 DEF/FWD
One potential work-around for the rookie crisis is to pass on a top-dollar star like Oliver and instead split your cash into two bargain options to get another cheapie off the field. That could be a pair like Day and Johannisen, who has a three-round average of 99.3 including two tons as he returns to his Norm Smith Medal form. The risk is Bevo’s magnets are always at risk of moving and there are lots of mouths to feed across half-back for the Dogs, but his dash is working at the moment with wins over the Dockers and Hawks in the past two weeks. With GWS this week and a Break Even of 46, at worst JJ should make some decent cash over the next month and do a job while we fill out our teams. Other extreme bargains that could be considered include Wil Powell ($482,300 DEF), Travis Boak ($461,400 MID), Chad Warner ($484,800 MID), Chayce Jones ($378,500 DEF) and Matt Rowell ($495,900 MID). All come with significant risk, but we would have said the same thing about Tom Hawkins and Patrick Dangerfield a few weeks ago.
CASH COWS
ALEX CINCOTTA $102.4k DEF/MID
KFC SuperCoaches have gotta get Cincotta into their sides this week – and more than 57,000 teams already have him. Cincotta proved he is no plodder, backing up his 67-point debut with a strong total of 88 in the Blues’ thumping win over the Eagles, where nine of his 17 touches came from intercepts. A similar score will see him hurtling towards $200k. Coming in at basement rookie price with valuable DEF-MID status, the Blues mature-ager can give our mid bench the cover it sorely needs or be trusted on-field on either line.
SAM SIMPSON $166,100 MID/FWD
The 24-year-old Cat’s stop-start AFL career is having another life – he has cracked the senior team in five separate seasons but never played more than six games in any one year. That was in 2020 when he started at $123k in KFC SuperCoach and jumped to almost $300k. He’s more expensive this year but coaches would take that kind of cash generation in a heartbeat if he can stay in Chris Scott’s plans. He scored 80 against the Swans and 58 against the Bombers so he’s more of a bench option than an on-field starter but a reliable bench scorer is something most teams are sadly lacking right now, especially in the midfield.
BRYNN TEAKLE $198,500 RUC
He has an elevated price tag, but Teakle looks to be the next-best rookie option for those who pulled the trigger on Cincotta early. Teakle has a great role as the Power’s No.1 ruckman, taking 80 per cent of centre-bounces in his two matches so far. But is he a bad game away from being dropped for Scott Lycett? Keep your eyes peeled for how Lycett goes in the SANFL, but Port’s round 7 win should buy Teakle at least one more game in the seniors. His short-term draw is solid, up against Essendon (Sam Draper and Andrew Phillips) and then North Melbourne (Todd Goldstein), but then comes the ominous task of Melbourne’s Grawndy. He nets you less than $100k from the likes of Reuben Ginbey, but we have seen how beneficial an R3 moneymaker can be — think Marc Pittonet and Sam Draper in previous seasons. A trade that’s only really possible if you have Samson Ryan or Nick Madden R3.
RYAN ANGWIN $123,900 FWD/MID
We were hoping for a bit more from Angwin in his second game after a 60 in his first game of the year, with the wingman finishing with 10 touches and 42 points against the Swans. It’s hardly a statline that cements a spot in the best 22, and Callan Ward will return in round 8 from suspension. But the 2020 first round selection does play an unrewarding role as a hard-running wingman and this could help his cause. However, with our benches filling up with dead rookies, bringing in Angwin is asking for trouble. Check to see if, and where, he is named on Thursday night, but you’re better off paying up for Simpson.
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