SuperCoach AFL: The 10 players you must pick in 2025

Jagga Smith and Saad El-Hawli were supposed to be two of the best SuperCoach rookies of 2025. Now, both might not be there in round 1. See our updated must-haves list as the season draws closer.

Levi Ashcroft looks destined for an Opening Round debut. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

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The script has been flipped in SuperCoach this year.

A season after we were scraping the barrel to find forwards we could trust, there are three who are among the biggest locks of 2025.

And that’s not to mention the greatest bargain of this year, and the player who should feature in every SuperCoach team.

As pre-season returns and more whispers emerge on new roles and training standouts, these are the 10 players every SuperCoach team should start with.

This list will be updated throughout pre-season – there have been four changes to the list since SuperCoach opened, with Keidean Coleman likely to miss the start of the season and Izak Rankine squeezed out by another new addition. Plus, Jagga Smith (injured) and Saad El-Hawli (selection) have dropped out.

1. CALEB DANIEL | FWD-MID | $269,100

“He’ll play half-back ... he wants to play free and happy”. It’s the quote from player agent Marty Pask that made sitting through a drawn-out trade period worthwhile for SuperCoaches. Two years after he averaged 92.8 points — which would have ranked eighth among last year’s forwards — Daniel is available for little more than the higher-priced SuperCoach rookies. But the best part is his return to a permanent role in defence. Playing half-back for North Melbourne is arguably the best role in SuperCoach. Just ask Jack Ziebell, Aaron Hall, Harry Sheezel, Zac Fisher and Colby McKercher. And there’s an argument Daniel might be the best player yet to swing into Alastair Clarkson’s backline. A likely keeper for less than $270k? Lock him in and throw away the key.

Caleb Daniel is a SuperCoach must-have. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

2. HARRY BOYD | RUCK | $99,100

Ross Lyon has long tormented SuperCoaches by sending taggers to our favourite players. This year, the St Kilda coach has given us one of the great bargains of recent seasons. Boyd arrived Moorabbin as an experienced state league ruckman who won the Magarey Medal as one of the SANFL’s best players in 2024 (he shared it with former Bomber Will Snelling). Last year Boyd averaged 158 ranking points a game and never scored less than 115. He’s got all the hallmarks of a SuperCoach accumulator, averaging big numbers in contested possessions and clearances. Think Kieren Briggs from two years ago, but $100k cheaper. Start him on field as your Flex if Rowan Marshall misses round 1 with a pelvic issue that has delayed his pre-season.

Harry Boyd has signed for St Kilda after dominating in the SANFL. Picture: SANFL Image/David Mariuz

3. CLAYTON OLIVER | MID | $451,600

How about this from Lauren Wood, reporting from a recent Demons pre-season session? “That seemed a world away as he dominated match simulation drills with relative ease in a sign the slick and speedy midfielder could well and truly be back in business.” That’s all I needed to hear to lock Oliver into my side and elevate him into the must-haves for 2025. We all know that plenty went wrong with the long-time SuperCoach favourite last year. But he looks like he’s got his fitness back, has dominated pre-season and is way too cheap if he’s anywhere near his best. Tipping a 110+ average and Clarry to put himself back among the best midfielders in SuperCoach.

Clayton Oliver has been flying in pre-season as he looks to put a below-par 2024 behind him. Picture: David Crosling

4. JASON HORNE-FRANCIS | FWD-MID | $537,000

Horne-Francis just edged into FWD-MID status after spending a lot of time in attack during last year’s finals series. It was a great result for SuperCoaches and makes Horne-Francis a lot more attractive as a SuperCoach option this year. He only had one score below 71 last year and lifted his average from 77.6 to 99.7. Only Sam Flanders, Dayne Zorko and Isaac Heeney, who are no longer forwards, averaged more than that last year in SuperCoach. Horne-Francis is likely to finish the year as one of the top-three forwards and the chances of getting him for much less than this price as slim. If you’re like Al Paton and stubbornly refusing to pick him, swallow some humble pie — now.

5. TRISTAN XERRI | RUC | $645,900

The ruck position will be one of the most hotly-debated this pre-season, especially with the addition of a Flex position to SuperCoach AFL. Do you go with three premiums, a gun and two value picks, or two stars and a value option like Matt Flynn? Either way, Tristan Xerri should be one of your starting ruckmen. He’s everything we love about big men in SuperCoach. Last year Xerri averaged 18 disposals, 6.6 clearances, 12.6 contested possessions, 34.5 hit-outs and 7.5 tackles a game. Ruckmen who win their own ball in the contest are gold in SuperCoach, and Xerri is arguably now the best in the game in that statistic.

6. WILL ASHCROFT | MID | $441,200

As The Phantom noted in his annual breakout predictions, it doesn’t exactly take a rocket scientist to realise Ashcroft is underpriced at $441k. Ashcroft finished his rookie season in 2023 at $510k, scoring six tons with a high of 148 points. His value this year comes after an ACL injury held him back until round 16 last year, only hitting his straps in the finals series. Some will call it recency bias to have him this high in the must-haves, but it’s rare to get a potential season keeper in the midfield this cheap. If Ashcroft can average over 100, he’ll slide to your M7 or M8 position later in the campaign. He’s going to be one of the most popular starting picks – with good reason. Even that early bye shouldn’t put you off.

Bailey Smith is a popular selection as a Cat. Picture: Michael Klein

7. BAILEY SMITH | FWD-MID | $389,200

Kicking efficiency has always been what has stopped Smith making the next step from a good SuperCoach scorer to a great one. His best season was 2022, when he averaged 98.6 points a game. But there are three big factors working in his favour this year. We’re comparing the Geelong recruit to forwards, not midfielders. And against forwards, his numbers stack up as well as almost anyone in SuperCoach. After a year out with an ACL, Smith is as cheap as he’s been since 2019. And the Cats want to play him as an inside midfielder, where he’s always done his best SuperCoach scoring. Don’t fret about him being managed with a knee issue. Just pick Smith.

8. JACK MACRAE | FWD | $392,200

Welcome back Jack. Just when it seemed Macrae’s days of SuperCoach relevancy were behind him, the fantasy hall of famer has roared back into calculations as a Saint. Macrae is poised to be a key member of Ross Lyon’s on-ball brigade and the Saints are dealing with injury issues as round 1 draws closer. Even if you don’t think Macrae can get back to his best and average 110+ (which seems unlikely), he’s still amazing value at this price and should comfortably be a top-six forward.

9. LEVI ASHCROFT | MID | $185,500

If you were having doubts about squeezing in Ashcroft, Jagga Smith’s ACL injury should have given you the midfield spot — and the money — to make it happen. Sure, he’s probably going to play a lot at half-forward and might be subbed out of some games, but he’s so good it probably won’t matter. The unofficial statisticians had Ashcroft with 18 disposals in two quarters in the three-team scratch match involving Brisbane, Gold Coast and Collingwood. And that was good enough for me to lock him in.

10. ELIJAH HEWETT | FWD-MID | $122,800

The number 14 pick from a few years ago looks the safest rookie bet up forward. He’s cheap, has DPP and has been playing in midfield in pre-season since Andrew McQualter took over. If you need more convincing, thousands of SuperCoaches were willing to pay $148k in his debut year. He made $140k that season and starts more than $25k cheaper. Having him at No. 10 might not be doing Hewett justice.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL: The 10 players you must pick in 2025