SuperCoach experts Tim Michell and Kate Salemme rate the most popular trades ahead of Round 12
The first week of the byes can bring on desperate SuperCoach moves, but giving a popular West Coast forward the boot is not the way to get ahead. Experts rate this week’s top trades.
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Nearly 90,000 SuperCoaches need to make a big decision this week — who to trade in for the injured Lachie Whitfield.
With the GWS star set to miss 4-6 weeks with a broken collarbone, we’ve got no choice but to trade him. The big question is, who should be our No.1 target?
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If you’ve already got top defensive scorers Jake Lloyd and Shannon Hurn in your team, then the decision is a little tougher despite being flush with cash.
Then there’s the dilemma of cashing in rookies so we can spend up big on premiums.
The only problem is, there’s little on the ‘bubble boys’ front this week given it's the first of the three bye rounds.
Experts Tim Michell and Kate Salemme rate the most popular trades ahead of Round 12:
Lachie Whitfield to Bachar Houli (2743 trades)
Tim: The normal advice is not to sideways trade, but when a player is going to miss at least four weeks through the byes, you don’t have much choice. Houli has the best three-round average of any defender (127.7) and doesn’t have a bye until Round 14. This should be the No.1 trade move of Round 12 and it will make you a $23,000 profit.
Kate: Whitfield could miss up to six weeks, so that means he’s a must-trade and Houli is a great option if you already have the likes of Jake Lloyd and Hurn (despite his minor hamstring injury). The Tiger has been on fire, scoring 139 and 142 points in his last two games for a three-round average of 127.7 and five-game average of 112. If you’re going to get Houli, this is the week to do it given his break even is just 42.
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Lachie Whitfield to Jake Lloyd (1883)
Tim: You need Jake Lloyd in your team at some point and this is an easy way to get the No.1 SuperCoach defender. It’s a pain that he misses in Round 13 with so many other premiums, but enjoy his score next week and in the last bye round. You can always use your three trades next week to compensate for his absence.
Kate: If you haven’t got Lloyd then he should be your No.1 target to replace Whitfield. He’s the top defender in SuperCoach this year, having score 100 points or more in all but one of his 11 games so far this season. He’s scored 110 or more in seven of those games.
Matthew Parker to Ryan Gardner (902)
Tim: Both these players have Round 12 byes, but if the downgrade nets you a premium player in another trade, do it. Gardner won’t be a huge scorer, but coach Luke Beveridge was pleased with his efforts on debut against West Coast. Parker has well and truly maxed out his price and his scores fluctuate too much to hold him any longer.
Kate: There’s not much available on the cash cow front, which is why SuperCoaches seem to be going a week early on Gardner despite both he and Parker having the bye in Round 12. Parker has a break even of just 23 but how much more money is he going to make? If downgrading to Gardner is going to help net you a premium, do it.
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Lachie Whitfield to Rory Laird (797)
Tim: I’m all for trading Whitfield this week. GWS is known for being cautious with its players when returning from injury and the Giants expect Whitfield will miss at least four weeks after surgery on his collarbone. Laird is the eighth-ranked defender by average, but he doesn’t have a bye until Round 14. Meanwhile, players such as Luke Ryan and James Sicily have this week off.
Kate: You can’t go wrong by picking Laird, given how consistent and durable he’s been over a number of years now. He’s averaging 99 points this season — ranked eighth among defenders — with 84 his lowest score. Doesn’t have the bye until Round 14. Tick.
Lachie Whitfield to Ben Cunnington (601)
Tim: Coaches have finally worked out who Ben Cunnington is! The Kangaroo is the fifth-ranked midfielder of the year with an average of 113.3 and hasn’t dropped below 91. He also has a Round 14 bye, so if you can use Whitfield to get Cunnington via a DPP swing with Noah Answerth or Xavier Duursma, don’t hesitate.
Kate: POD alert! Cunnington is in just 3 per cent of teams (under 6,000 in total) despite having scored the third-most points of any midfielder this season. Given he’s just $565,000, that’s a bargain for a guy averaging 113.3 points per game. Buy, buy, buy.
Lachie Whitfield to Stephen Coniglio (583)
Tim: I’m always wary of jumping on players who have just scored big as there’s potential for a flop the next round. But at $510,100, Coniglio is underpriced. He’s a player with a huge ceiling, as we saw against Gold Coast, and has an average of 106.4 despite an injury-riddled first half of 2019. This trade could really pay dividends.
Kate: Are SuperCoaches committing the cardinal sin by chasing last week’s points? Coniglio scored 207 against the Suns but scored just 76 and 75 in his previous two outings. I’d be wary given his more consistent history is just getting to triple figures, with four scores between 102-104 this year.
Jack Petruccelle to Ryan Gardner (545)
Tim: Why wouldn’t you wait a week? Petruccelle might not be in your best 18 scorers in Round 12, but you’d feel foolish if you traded him and he torched Sydney on Sunday. Gardner has a bye this week, so hold off until Round 13 and swap Petruccelle when West Coast has its rest.
Kate: Huh? Wait a week on this one. Petruccelle is playing the Swans, while Gardner has the bye, so bringing him in this week won’t help you. Petruccelle’s break even is 70, so even if he only scores around his 54 season average, he won’t drop much in price. Is it really worth taking the risk in case Gardner isn’t picked next week?
Willem Drew to Ryan Gardner (543)
Tim: This makes sense. Drew was still on the outer last week despite Tom Rockliff and Ollie Wines being injured, suggesting he’s a fair way down the pecking order. This won’t affect your bye structure as both players miss this week and you’ll bank about $220,000.
Kate: Drew is on the outs now at the Power, so despite being one of the great cash cows of 2019 it’s time to trade him. Bringing in Gardner for him this week won’t hurt much, given both players have the bye but you could wait a week to pull the trigger though, and bring in a premium who had the bye this week ahead of Round 13. This trade will net you just under $220,000. Not bad.
Sam Walsh to Stephen Coniglio (539)
Tim: I’m a big advocate for holding Sam Walsh until his Round 14 bye. He’s still doing enough to be a top 18 scorer in the next two weeks, when you can turn him into Lachie Neale coming off a Round 13 bye at what is likely to be his lowest price for the second half of the season.
Kate: I’m not rushing to trade Walsh given he’s still bringing in some decent scores (93 in Round 10 and 80 in Round 9). I’d hold him until at least his bye in Round 14 and as I said above, I’m not sold on Coniglio. Use Walsh to get a super premium like Lachie Neale, Josh Kelly, Nat Fyfe, Patrick Cripps or Jack Macrae if you don’t have them already.
Noah Balta to Ryan Gardner (502)
Tim: Unless you’re flush with forward options, I’d hold Balta for at least one more week. He might have only scored 47 on the weekend but his three-round average of 77 would be very handy during the bye rounds. He doesn’t have a week off until Round 14 either.
Kate: Hold Balta until at least his bye in Round 14 given the lack of forward rookie options as bringing in Gardner won’t help you this week. Balta is capable of a big score and he seems entrenched in Richmond’s best 22.
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