SuperCoach AFL 2024 round 18 trade guide: New DPPs, top targets to replace missing stars
Max Gawn is hurt, Isaac Heeney is suspended – and that’s just the start. See the best trade targets and strategy to survive this week’s SuperCoach carnage.
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The carnage is real.
SuperCoach teams have been thrown into a tailspin by a wave of injuries and suspensions to popular players – with trades at a minimum.
Max Gawn out.
Touk Miller out.
Jeremy McGovern in hospital.
Isaac Heeney and Izak Rankine suspended.
And we still aren’t sure how long Zac Fisher will be out for.
Some teams will have all six of those players. Most will have at least two or three.
With trades at a minimum, we need to pick our targets before pulling the trigger this week.
Here’s the expert verdict on who to trade, and the best replacements.
MAX GAWN $599,000 RUC
After initial hopes he was subbed off against the Eagles as purely a precautionary move, scans on Monday revealed a chip at the base of his fibula.
The Demons have put a time frame of 2-3 weeks on the injury – although Gawn himself is aiming to miss just one game. Teams set up with cover in the ruck through players like Luke Jackson or even Nathan Kreuger should be able to survive a week or two without the second-best scorer in SuperCoach this year.
But three weeks is stretching things, and there’s also an added complication that Jackson might not save teams if they need him to fill an Isaac Heeney-sized hole up forward this week.
Almost 8000 coaches have pulled the trigger, moving out Gawn this week. If you plan on joining them, here are your best trade options.
1. Tristan Xerri $603,100 RUC
2. Toby Nankervis $647,700 RUC
3. Tim English $566,800 RUC
5. Tom De Koning $640,400 RUC
5. Luke Jackson $476,500 RUC/FWD
If you’re looking for a straight swap, you only need $4000 in the bank to get Xerri, which is remarkable in itself for a player who started the year priced at $407k. Xerri has attended 1237 ruck contests this season – 50 more than No.2 ranked Gawn, is ranked No.3 for hitouts in 2024 and No.1 for centre clearances by ruckmen. He’s only getting better, averaging 121 in his past five games, and has some potentially lucrative match-ups on the horizon including clashes against Geelong (round 20) and West Coast (round 22).
English is the more known quantity and is available at a huge discount – almost $150k cheaper than his round 1 quote. He hasn’t been able to match his amazing heights of 2023, when he averaged 128 points a game, but he can put up a 130 on his day. His past three rounds – 136, 70, 137 – sums up his 2024. Match-ups against Carlton and Geelong should work in his favour but it gets tougher after that, including a possible date with Gawn in round 21.
If you really want to shoot for the stars, TDK is your man. His scoring lately has been off the charts – his 128 against the Giants last Saturday was his lowest in his past five games. He scores his points in unusual ways for a ruck, ranked 24th in the AFL for average hitouts but winning an average of 23 disposals and nine clearances over that five-game hot streak. The red flag is he was rested two weeks ago and Marc Pittonet is dominating in the VFL, so Michael Voss always has the option of playing two rucks.
Toby Nankervis is a safer option with a formline that almost matches De Koning (five-round average 134) and with zero threat of a second ruck taking away his points. The Tigers captain has been enormous this season and he has a great run, too, with a series of friendly ruck match-ups.
They will both require a bit of money in the bank, though.
Jackson is the fourth-best scoring forward this season but you can get him this week for $70,000 under his starting price – and $123k cheaper than Gawn. His season has been a rollercoaster but the timing has worked out with Sean Darcy missing this week due to concussion. That means Jackson will be playing solo ruck, a role that has produced his best scores all season, including 121 points last week after taking over following Darcy’s halftime exit. He’s likely to head back to the forward line when Darcy returns which means he’ll be scoring less than the other names on this list, but the cash could help fix one of the many other problems this week.
IZAK RANKINE $569,500 FWD
1. Jye Caldwell $544,200 FWD/MID
2. Dayne Zorko $573,600 FWD/MID
2. Connor Rozee $495,500 MID
3. Dylan Moore $532,800 FWD
4. Jy Simpkin $456,500 FWD/MID
Rankine is appealing his four-match suspension, but unless he walks from the tribunal a free man he’s likely to force a trade in SuperCoach.
Caldwell is $39k more expensive than he was last week after scoring 134 against Collingwood, his third score in a row of 115 or better, but $544k is still excellent value. A key role in the Bombers midfield has unlocked his premium potential and he comes with valuable DPP.
If you don’t have Dayne Zorko, he’s only $4k more than Rankine and has three more games at the Gabba plus away fixtures against West Coast, St Kilda and Collingwood – all teams that yield a stack of points to half-backs.
Dylan Moore can drop scores in the 60s and 70s but the 130-plus totals make up for it – his five-round average of 114 ranks behind only Isaac Heeney, Sam Flanders and Rankine in the forward line, three points ahead of Caldwell.
You could use some DPP swings to grab a midfielder like Rozee, while Simpkin is the bargain option – although not as cheap as he was a few weeks ago. He has three scores over 100 in his past four but may have to spend more time at half-forward with George Wardlaw returning to the engine room.
TOUK MILLER $482,300 MID
1. Colby McKercher $444,200 DEF/MID
2. Connor Rozee $495,500 MID
3. Chad Warner $496,000 MID
4. Hayden Young $524,800 DEF/MID
5. Jason Horne-Francis $502,400 MID
With reports Miller could be out for up to a month with a wrist injury, Miller’s owners have no option but to consider alternatives. The issue? Being subbed with 33 points at the weekend caused him to lose more than $17k and drop to $482k, restricting the trade options available to many teams.
Colby McKercher will net about $38k in a downgrade, provide DPP cover and has the prime kick-in role for North Melbourne (he took 11 against Gold Coast). Connor Rozee will cost about $10k after an 18-disposal opening term launched the Port skipper to a score of 168 against the Western Bulldogs. If you missed out at his cheapest a few weeks ago, this is your opportunity to jump on.
After peaking at $634k, taggers have brought Chad Warner crashing back to earth in the past five weeks (he has a five-round average of 85.2, ranked 68th overall). He’s a risky option, but has North Melbourne this week and a huge ceiling.
Hayden Young showed against Richmond that even time in attack won’t limit his scoring each week. The Freo star’s marking ability shone through against the Tigers and Young has five tons (three above 120) in his last seven games. He’s also DPP.
Horne-Francis is an option for those who want a POD. He has Richmond in round 19, seven hundreds this season and only one score of less than 84 points.
JEREMY McGOVERN $554,400 DEF
1. Jack Sinclair $637,000 DEF/MID
2. James Sicily $578,600 DEF
3. Colby McKercher $444,200 DEF/MID
4. Lachie Whitfield $558,500 DEF
5. Tom Stewart $491,100 DEF
Pending his availability for round 18 (and potentially future rounds), McGovern should be a hold. Most coaches are running low on trades and unless you’re in the running for $50k or badly need a league win this round, stash him on your bench and hope if he’s out he only misses one round.
He has been one of the most consistent scorers of 2024 with 11 tons and only one score below 88. His role as one of the AFL’s premier interceptors and West Coast’s main kick-in man guarantees a floor of close to 90 points.
If you have to trade, Jack Sinclair is airborne with a three-round average of 129. Even being thrust into the midfield against Sydney didn’t halt his momentum. He’ll cost more than $80k as an upgrade, but has DPP and a glut of games at Marvel Stadium during the run home.
Hawks captain Sicily is the POD option if he returns from injury. He’s got scores of 147 and 142 in his past two appearances – although they did come against Richmond and West Coast. Whitfield has had at least five kick-ins in every match since round 5 and although his ceiling isn’t as high as other premiums, he boasts seven tons in his past eight games. If you want to free up cash by trading McGovern and make two trades this week, a resurgent Tom Stewart is worth considering. He’s scored 107, 97 and 115 in his past three and Chris Scott moving him into the midfield to free up Stewart has been a masterstroke. If Collingwood gives him the freedom it did to Zach Merrett, Stewart could even be a great VC option.
ISAAC HEENEY $593,200 MID/FWD
He’s only out for one match, and might even get off at the tribunal. Hold!
ROOKIES
Lawson Humphries $117,300 DEF/MID
Mannagh’s Geelong teammate has the lowest BE this week of -89 after scoring 91 and 66 in his first two games. Already added to 32,000 teams last week, he’s a great option again on the bubble if you have the trades to afford a rookie downgrade.
Jacob Blight $102,400 DEF
Richmond’s mid-season draft selection has conceded some goals in his first two games but done some nice things himself including some impressive intercept marks, a trait he was known for in the WAFL and VFL. Humphries’ DPP makes him the top rookie pick this week, but if you’re only looking for defensive cover – or an extra $15k – he should be a solid choice.
Shaun Mannagh $179,800 MID/FWD
Not rookie priced any more after a $62,500 following his third game, but still dirt cheap. Playing his first game since round 2, Mannagh scored 118 points on the back of 20 disposals and 14 tackles against Hawthorn, resulting in a -72 Break Even, the fourth-lowest in the competition. That’s a huge win for coaches who held him all season, but for the rest he could be dirt cheap bench insurance over two positions who can fill in when needed, possibly starting this week.
NEW DPPs
Eleven players have earned dual-position status in the final position review of the season.
Mason Wood was the late bolter, playing 39 per cent of game time forward in his 11 matches to reach the threshold for a second position.
Izak Rankine fell just short, with 30 per cent midfield time.
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Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024 round 18 trade guide: New DPPs, top targets to replace missing stars
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