SuperCoach 2017: Should we pick a player as a permanent loophole?

EXPERIENCED SuperCoach players know how valuable loopholes can be to your score every week. Now expert Schwarzwalder explains how to take that to a whole new level.

Melbourne recruit Corey Maynard (left, with brother Brayden) could be a smart SuperCoach pick this year.

THE experienced supercoach will make good use of loopholes throughout the season.

Today, Schwarzwalder from SuperCoachTalk.com puts forward a radical theory on how you can use them to best effect.

An important strategic manoeuvrer in SuperCoach is the use of the loophole option. For SuperCoach rookies, here is a detailed explanation of loopholes from 2012 that is still relevant today — the basic idea is you get a second two cracks at getting the best score by making use of a zero-scoring player.

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If SuperCoaches had a lobby with the AFL, there would be one AFL team that only played on Sundays each round (ideally, the last twilight game). The late timeslot gives us maximum flexibility and potentially a handful of choices for vice-captain every week with the possibility of doubling their score through loopholing. But as we’re never going to see that happen, we’ll have to make do with research on the official fixture.

In a perfect world, we would fill our team (including our benches) with a crop of lucrative cash cows to strengthen and upgrade our sides through trades as soon as possible. As we’ve seen in the past though, the best laid plans of even the greatest SuperCoach can quickly unravel at the whim of a real-world AFL coach.

Rookies will often yo-yo in and out of their teams’ line-ups early in the season. Selection and injuries often leave us with ‘doughnuts’ each week who can be used as a loophole option, but if the fixture doesn’t align they may not benefit your team. So let me throw this off-the-wall option out there: sacrificing a spot in your starting line-up with a designated player who you know won’t play for the ENTIRE SEASON.

Magpies youngster Sam McLarty (right) could play a key role in SuperCoach this year. Picture: Michael Klein

Ideally, you would look for a rookie from a team that plays late every round. After studying the 2017 fixture, the number of Sunday games per team are as follows:

Adelaide: 4

Brisbane: 9 (five from Round 15-22!)

Carlton: 9 (six after the Bye)

Collingwood: 10 (including. Anzac Day Tuesday and Queen’s Birthday Monday)

Essendon: 7 (including. Anzac Day Tuesday)

Fremantle: 11 (six of first 11 rounds and no Friday games all year!)

Geelong: 6 (five of first six rounds, including. Easter Monday)

Gold Coast: 3 (No Friday games!)

GWS Giants: 4

Hawthorn: 7

Melbourne: 10 (including. Anzac Day eve Monday and Queen’s Birthday Monday)

North Melbourne: 8

Port Adelaide: 5

Richmond: 9 (including. Anzac Day eve Monday)

St Kilda: 8

Sydney: 2

West Coast: 9

Western Bulldogs: 3

Note: Round 23 is not set at this stage, so we’re looking at Rounds 1-22

If you’re looking for the permanent loophole option, then it’s obvious that you will need a player from Fremantle.

The Dockers play on Sunday 11 times this year (possibly twelve when Round 23 is released) while not being given a single Thursday or Friday night fixture. Next best options are Collingwood and Melbourne (in that order). Depending on your preferred team structure and availability of rookies before Round 1, I’d recommend the following options:

DEFENDERS

Sam McLarty (Coll) Def/Fwd $117,300

Brennan Cox (Fre) Def/Fwd $117,300

Declan Keilty (Melb) Def/Fwd $102,400

MIDFIELDERS

Callum Brown (Coll) Mid/Fwd $117,300

Josh Deluca (Fre) Mid/Fwd $102,400

Corey Maynard (Melb) Mid/Fwd $102,400

RUCKS

Mitchell McCarthy (Coll) Ruck/Fwd $120,400

Luke Strnadica (Fre) Ruck/Fwd $102,400

Mitchell King (Melb) Ruck/Fwd $123,900

FORWARDS

Already named in Def, Mid and Ruck

Young ruckman Luke Strnadica could be a popular selection. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Early team drafts would suggest that there are enough cash cows to fill the benches in defence, midfield and forward line. Unless a young rookie ruckman emerges during the pre-season series, then Luke Strnadica from Freo looks like he’ll be a popular ‘captain’ option this year in your R3 position.

With Patrick Ryder (PTA) and Tom Boyd (WBD) likely to be their clubs’ No. 1 ruck (and with their dual-position status), there is ample ruck back-up available by picking one of these players in the forward line.

For many, a side full of lucrative cash cows will be the early aim. However, from previous years’ experience, I can tell you that a coach can get by with 29 players and a permanent non-playing loophole option just as effectively. With the choice of captain being so vital, it is always handy to have that second shot at it every week.

Whichever way you decide to tackle it, I wish you the best of luck in 2017!

Schwarzwalder is a writer for supercoachtalk.com. He provides more SuperCoach tips on Twitter @SchwarzwalderSC