SuperCoach AFL 2025: Experts reveal their trades for round 13

It’s time to splash some cash in SuperCoach, but there’s only so much to go around. Who will deliver the best bang for buck? See the big calls from the experts from round 13.

There’s one thing the experts agree on leading into round 13 – Ryan Maric has to go.

One of the fantasy finds of 2025 has been moved out of defence to a new role on a wing in the past two rounds, taking away his key scoring avenues. The last straw came last weekend when was subbed off with a quarter to play.

With a projected price loss of upwards of $40,000 after his next game, now is the time to make the most of the $200k-plus profit he has made since round 3.

Trading Maric plus a rookie downgrade to bubble boy Angus Clarke – another universal move – leaves cash to spend, but what is the smartest way to use that money? That’s where the experts go their separate ways.

See all their moves below.

AL PATON

IN: Jye Caldwell, Angus Clarke, Luke Pedlar

OUT: Ryan Maric, Matt Carroll, Henry Hustwaite

The good news – after these trades I have finished my defence, midfield and ruck lines, with premiums in every on-field slot (counting Caldwell as a cut-price premium, which I think is fair given his scoring ability). The bad news – my forward line is something of a dumpster fire, with Levi Ashcroft at F4. The hope is best 18 scoring will paper over those serious cracks for a few weeks and by round 17 I’ve figured out a solution, which will definitely involve a discounted Jason Horne-Francis and possibly Sam Darcy, too. If Campbell Gray and Luke Pedlar can keep their spots until then and make some fast cash it will help a lot! Zak Butters can go into Flex when he bottoms out and if I want Callum Mills, too ... I’ll deal with that issue when we get to it.

Angus Clarke (left) is this week’s top rookie pick. Picture: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images

THE PHANTOM

IN: Tom De Koning, Angus Clarke

OUT: Ryan Maric, Cooper Simpson

One week into the bye-round trade plan I was pretty happy with, and we have change. Ryan Maric was supposed to get to West Coast’s round 15 bye, but Andrew McQualter and his magnet board had other ideas – the role has changed and he’s losing money as a result. Money, in a cash generation crisis, that we can’t afford to lose. The Flex spot was going to be my final upgrade but it turns out this week is a good time to pivot. TDK is at $528k with Todd Goldstein and Matt Flynn in the next two rounds after a week’s rest. You won’t be able to complete your team if you are just targeting $570k+ upgrades from here. Next week, Zak Butters is still a lock to come in, via my Tiger rookies.

TIM MICHELL

IN: Jye Caldwell, Tom De Koning and Angus Clarke

OUT: Ryan Maric, Caiden Cleary and Levi Ashcroft

Maric is cooked. Cleary is even more cooked. And I need to trade Levi to get Tom De Koning back. It’s a big risk to put a ruckman back in Flex but I am so far back in the ranks I have nothing to lose.

CHLOE WILLIAMS

IN: Angus Clarke, Tom De Koning

OUT: Ryan Maric, Matt Flynn

I’ve spent a long time running the numbers, and unfortunately, it means I’ll have to give up on my initial plan to get Matt Kennedy off his bye. Instead I’ll turn to TDK before his great run, and hope that it makes up for the Gawn-sized hole that remains in my side. By bringing in De Koning, it’s a declaration that I’ll give up on Gawn and instead choose a more flexible (haha) Flex option.

I thought Maric would be in my finished team, which has put me a trade behind, but with a BE of 155 he has to go. Flynn won’t lose as much cash, but his job is done (again) for me. I now have cash to splash on Butters next week, because planning ahead always definitely works out ...

Marcus Bontempelli is a top-end SuperCoach recruit. Picture: Michael Klein

DAN BATTEN

IN: Marcus Bontempelli and Angus Clarke

OUT: Ryan Maric and Caiden Cleary

With an overseas trip looming, how about some more irresponsible spending? I have weighed up getting Tom De Koning back this week but I am not 100 per cent sold and he still has a high Break Even. Paying $643k for The Bont won’t leave me with much in the kitty – like said holiday – but it’s time to bring in an actual premo after buying the likes of Shai Bolton and Matt Rowell. Clarke passed the eye test in his second game and he spent more time down back, which bodes well for his scoring.

Some coaches who traded out Tom De Koning are trading him back in. Picture: Graham Denholm/AFL Photos via Getty Images

MATT FORREST

IN: Tom De Koning, Angus Clarke

OUT: Ryan Maric, James Tunstill

That tactical sub out hurts Maric, and I’m thanking him for his service before Tom McCarthy (hopefully) debuts and becomes the new Maric. James Tunstill is a dead rookie and I’m hoping to restart some cash generation with Clarke. I had some spare cash in the bank after my downgrades last week, so Tom De Koning comes in off his bye and will face Todd Goldstein (or potentially debutant Vigo Visentini) and that’s a great VC option. He’s then got West Coast next week, so there’s a real chance he scores 600-plus as back-to-back captains for me in his first fortnight. I tossed up Marcus Bontempelli instead, however I’ll look to bring him into my side in the coming weeks, hopefully after a couple of bad scores to creep him under $600k.

SIMEON THOMAS-WILSON

IN: Tom de Koning and Angus Clarke

OUT: Ryan Maric and Henry Hustwaite

I really want Bont but this gives me an extra trade up my sleeve and more money to play with. It’s a sad day with Maric leaving my team but TDK could have a huge second half of the year and is an ideal Flex.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2025: Experts reveal their trades for round 13