KFC SuperCoach trade guide: Top trades and grand final strategies for round 23

Getting your captain right can win you a KFC SuperCoach grand final. Champion Data guru Fantasy Freako reveals his top picks for round 23. Plus GF trades, tactics.

As I’ve said on many occasions, nailing your captain and vice captain is often the difference between a good week and a great week in KFC SuperCoach.

All the numbers pointed to Jack Steele in my team last round – with recent scores of 167 and 149 against the Lions, as well as six scores of 100-plus in his last seven games, he was the standout Friday night choice as I expected that Marcus Windhager would tag Lachie Neale, which he did.

At the end of the night Steele had a season-low 13 disposals and 58 points to his name as the Lions used Rhys Mathieson and Jarryd Lyons as negators on the Saints skipper. My VC bombed miserably.

SCROLL DOWN FOR BEST GRAND FINAL TRADES, TACTICS

As we turn our attention to the final round of the season, the expectations are that Chris Fagan uses the same combination on Clayton Oliver on Friday night. Does this mean that Oliver has a bad game? Potentially not, but in a such an important game, looking elsewhere could be the way to go for the VC.

If we look at the top-10 scorers in round 23 last season, it was the PODs that starred, led by Ben Keays with 173. Nic Naitanui racked up 165, while Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines helped himself to 161.

The usual suspects were also there, led the Demons ruck-rover duo Max Gawn (159) and Clayton Oliver (159), while Rory Laird scored 149, Touk Miller 148 and then-Swan Jordan Dawson posted 158.

Miller enters the final round of this season in super form, ranking second in the competition for total points scored since round 11 behind Rory Laird with an average of 128.

Miller also boasts an outstanding recent record against the Kangaroos – averaging 140 points from his past three matches, which is the equal-best record of anyone coming up against this round’s opponent.

Touk Miller should be in for another big score this week. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/Getty Images

Another armband candidate, Rory Laird, scored just 93 points against the Power earlier this season but has scores of 125 and 119 against them last season. Willem Drew was sent to Zach Merrett last round and kept him in check, so could he also be asked to play on Laird this round? Only time will tell. Jordan Dawson could also warrant attention.

If you’re looking for a left-field VC/C candidate, Darcy Parish could be the player that leads you to SuperCoach glory. He has racked up 166 and 127 points respectively in his past two games against the Tigers from disposal tallies of 44 and 43. Richmond doesn’t tag, and he looms as a solid VC choice into one of the Bulldogs or Callum Mills on Sunday.

Whatever you decide, best of luck to everyone in a grand finals this round and to all

those vying for overall honours. It has been another huge season in KFC SuperCoach!

Fantasy Freako's top rookie picks for round 23.

Trades, tactics to win your SuperCoach KFC grand final

– Tim Michell, Dan Batten, Al Paton

If you have made it to the last round of the KFC SuperCoach season with trades, firstly, well done.

It’s no mean feat in a season in which injuries have hit a string of popular KFC SuperCoach players at inopportune times.

Thousands of KFC SuperCoaches will be dreaming of league glory and bragging rights this weekend, and having a trade or two up your sleeve could make all the difference.

Of course, many coaches have already burned their 35 trades in a desperate attempt to either progress deep into league finals or improve their overall ranking.

Those KFC SuperCoaches will have their teams in the lap of the selection and fantasy gods this week: a position no coach likes to be in.

But even with zero trades, there are ways to give yourself the best opportunity of a grand final triumph or a last-round rankings surge.

Scroll down for the best one-off trades to set your team apart and the somewhat sneaky tactics that can give you an all-important edge.

Good luck!

Andrew Brayshaw could face a tag in round 23.

Darcy Parish has a strong record against Richmond.

TRADE TIPS

Andrew Brayshaw to Darcy Parish, Callum Mills or Sam Walsh

Taggers have played a huge role in the KFC SuperCoach finals (just ask Tom Stewart owners) and there’s an almost certain tag coming Brayshaw’s way this round from either Harry Perryman or Lachie Ash. Zach Merrett’s KFC SuperCoach owners will know just how effective Perryman can be after he restricted Merrett to 71 points in round 21. Brownlow Medal contender Brayshaw is the Dockers’ obvious trade target and has been susceptible to extra attention in the past. If you want to avoid the stress of a likely tag this round, Parish, Mills and Walsh are almost sideways trades from Brayshaw. Parish has scored 128 and 166 in his last two against round 23 opponent Richmond, Mills is one of the leading KFC SuperCoach midfielders of 2022 and Walsh has gone 123, 193 and 105 in his last three against Collingwood. Parish over Walsh, just, if you want to jump off Brayshaw.

Jack Sinclair came in for attention from Ryan Clarke.

Jordan Dawson has been one of the top KFC SuperCoach scorers of the year.

Jack Sinclair or Bailey Dale to Harry Himmelberg, Tom Stewart or Jordan Dawson

When Sinclair last met Swans super stopper Ryan Clarke, he was restricted to a season-low 79 points, with the speedy Saint spending time forward to beat the tag. Sinclair is in 41 per cent of sides, so a move from him to one of the top defenders in Himmelberg, Stewart or Dawson could pay off handsomely against your grand final opponent. Stewart may be the best option of the lot with a grand final match-up against the Eagles at the Cattery – surely he couldn’t be tagged again! The other defender who could face a close tag this round is Bailey Dale. One of the Bulldogs is certain to get Finn Maginness for company – he followed Shai Bolton on Sunday but Sam Mitchell likes using him on attacking half-backs. The other players who could be in the gun for a Maginness tag include Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae.

GRAND FINAL TOP TRADE TARGETS

Clayton Oliver past 3 vs Brisbane: 140, 94, 177

Oliver was the leading disposal winner on the ground when Melbourne hammered Brisbane by 64 points in round 15. He finished with 35 disposals and 12 clearances, amassing 140 KFC SuperCoach points. After a couple of quieter weeks Oliver has responded with 152 and 126 points in his past two games and a player with his ceiling could be the deciding factor in a grand final. He is the perfect vice-captaincy option for those who use the captaincy loophole – if you’re all the way through to a decider, it’s likely you do!

Max Gawn past 2 v Brisbane: 138, 157

The Demons skipper has returned to form in a big way in the past month (average 131.5 in his past four matches) and looks primed for KFC SuperCoach grand final week. Gawn’s score of 198 in round 12 against Sydney shows just how dominant he can be and he shapes as a possible matchwinner for your team. Gawn didn’t play in Melbourne’s round 12 triumph over the lions, but in round 12 last season he had 31 disposals to 18 against this week’s likely opponent Oscar McInerney. Another top vice-captaincy option in the opening game of round 23.

Clayton Oliver has two big games in his last three against Brisbane.

Touk Miller past 3 v North Melbourne: 167, 123, 131

Anyone who was waiting for Miller’s price to bottom out before jumping on will remember his last outing against North Melbourne well. In a game played in greasy conditions Miller was a class above, finishing with 32 disposals, eight tackles, five marks and 167 KFC SuperCoach points. His price did drop, but only by about $2k despite a sky-high Break Even. If he goes close to replicating that performance in grand final week, you can’t afford to miss out.

Marcus Bontempelli past 3 v Hawthorn: 136, 114, 161

‘The Bont’ still managed to get to triple figures in round 22 despite battling illness in an ominous sign for grand final week and the Hawks. He’s been a tag target before and there has to be some chance Finn Maginness goes to him – at least initially. The issue might be for the Hawks if Bontempelli goes forward whether Maginness could handle him in the air. The last time Bont scored less than 96 was in round 6. He’s having one hell of a season and is primed for a big finish.

Rowan Marshall past 2 v Sydney: 156, 123

Marshall got a rare opportunity as the No.1 ruck against Sydney earlier this season and took it with both hands, scoring 156 points from 42 hitouts, 23 disposals and seven marks. Not bad going in a team which lost by more than eight goals. Marshall got the better of Tom Hickey that day and his form since taking the No.1 mantle after Paddy Ryder was injured has been encouraging. He has a huge ceiling and the scoring history to suggest another big score could be in the offing.

Luke Davies-Uniacke is one of the form midfielders in KFC SuperCoach.

Luke Davies-Uniacke past 2 v Gold Coast: 109, 116

LDU was a POD option when we thought we had to trade Patrick Cripps and sticking with the move even after the Blues’ appeal succeeded would have been a winning move. He was incredible against the Crows with 37 disposals, a goal and 141 KFC SuperCoach points, his second 140-plus score in a hot past six weeks. He has scored over 100 in his past two encounters with Gold Coast and he is a much better player now.

Jack Steele past 3 v Sydney: 155, 115, 140

Forget the disappointing effort against Brisbane in round 22. Steele loves coming up against the Swans. His career average against Sydney is 110, a record which speaks for itself – and look at those numbers above. Missing rounds 10-14 could mean he’s a POD option to set you apart in your decider as well. Steele had 10 tackles and 29 disposals in round 15 against the Swans.

TACTICS THAT CAN WIN A GRAND FINAL

1. Use bench loopholes

Using a bench loophole can help you avoid a premium injury or tag that comes early in a round. For example, this round you could bench Lachie Neale or Christian Petracca in the opening game (making sure they are nominated as an emergency). If they were to score less than 50, you could take a punt on a bench rookie to outscore them and gain what could be a decisive 10-20 point advantage. It doesn’t sound like much, but if your league match comes down to a few unique players, those points can make a huge difference. Expect many coaches to use the bench loop for Will Brodie in the second game of round 23. Another option would be to put the E on Massimo D’Ambrosio (pending selection) and if he scores 80-plus benching Jack Crisp. Of course, it all depends on who your NPP (non-playing player) is to execute the loophole.

Looping a player from your bench can be an effective way to avoid a low score.

2. Trade late

As much as we all love KFC SuperCoach, sometimes on Saturdays and Sundays life gets in the way. If you are still in the fortunate position to have a trade or two, don’t use them until close to the start of the match the player you want features in. That way, if you opponent is feeling comfortable about the way the match-up is progressing, you can catch them off guard and change the complexion of the final with a trade. The one obstacle to this can be if you get distracted, so set an alarm to make sure you can make that planned trade in time.

3. Match vice-captain and/or captains

KFC SuperCoach Plus subscribers can see which players are unique to their grand final match up and which and ‘common’ – or feature in both teams. Add up the projected points total of the unqiues in your match and if you’re projected to win comfortably, one way to counter a challenge from your opponent is to match their captain and vice-captain. Say your opponent throws the VC on a riskier option at the start of the round with big upside. If you match them and that player does go big, there’s no damage done. The risk would be if your opponent makes a late captain or vice-captain change and you’re stuck with a captain you would rather not have. That’s the fun and games of KFC SuperCoach finals!

Sam Walsh is one of the stars playing late in round 23.

4. Up the banter

Top KFC SuperCoaches know how important the old group chat psych-out can be. There’s nothing like convincing your opponent you’re going with a point-of-difference captain, only to make a late switch and catch them off guard. Or dropping a bit of selection or injury news to sow the seeds of doubt. It might cost you a few mates, but KFC SuperCoach isn’t about making friends. It’s about glory, and that’s what’s on the line this week. If you get an ‘inside word’ from your opponent this week, it’s wise to check whether they’re messing with you before making any changes to your KFC SuperCoach plans.

5. Save your captain until later in the round

We mentioned the way to play defensively with your captain, but of course there’s a flip side where an aggressive captaincy move can be what wins a grand final. If your final isn’t going to plan and KFC SuperCoach Plus projections suggest you’re in trouble, swinging the captaincy to a player later in the round might help chew into your opponent’s advantage. Say your rival nails their vice-captaincy in the Friday night game between Brisbane Lions and Melbourne (for example, Clayton Oliver scores 140). They’ll no doubt loop that score, so you need to at least match 140 to be at a disadvantage. If your vice-captain scored under that mark, you’d need a captain late in the round who can go massive – Marcus Bontempelli on Sunday, Rory Laird on Saturday night and Darcy Parish against Richmond are standouts. Don’t despair if you’re behind in your match after a few round 23 games. Captaincy can make a decisive difference.

Marcus Windhager did a number on Lachie Neale in Round 22.

6. Be wary of taggers (see above!)

The tag is back in vogue in a big way, as Perryman showed in round 21 and Marcus Windhager emphasised on Friday night when he blanketed Lachie Neale. As mentioned above, GWS is likely to put the clamp on Andrew Brayshaw on Saturday afternoon. Willem Drew went to Jordan Dawson in the second half of the Showdown earlier in the season, restricting him to three disposals in the third term before he was the after-the-siren hero. Finn Maginness has been superb in a shutdown role for Hawthorn and will have one of Western Bulldogs’ stars in his sights, while Marcus Windhager likely saddles up to Chad Warner or Luke Parker. Mitch Owens is the other Saint who has played a defensive role in recent weeks and probably goes to Nick Blakey or Jake Lloyd. If one of your players seems a likely tag target, consider a trade or at least looping them off your bench.