SuperCoach: Should you trade or hold popular Port Adelaide rookie Xavier Duursma ahead of Round 15?
Port Adelaide’s Xavier Duursma has been one of the SuperCoach rookies of the year. But with an break even of 89, is this the week to cash in? TRADE GUIDE
Supercoach
Don't miss out on the headlines from Supercoach. Followed categories will be added to My News.
That noise you can hear is the sound of every SuperCoach breathing a sigh of relief.
The three most trying weeks of the season are behind us and a check of your projected score for Round 15 should have provided welcome relief.
This year's bye rounds were easier to navigate than past seasons thanks to the number of premium scorers who pumped out scores above 120.
In the past three weeks, there have been 38 scores above 120 — including 32 in rounds 13 and 14.
It has meant the target most coaches settle for during the byes, generally about 5000 points, rose to about 6000 points for those in contention for the prizes.
If you used your trades wisely in the past three weeks, you should be close to a full premium team.
Rory Sloane ($511,000) and Adam Treloar ($502,500) are value selections who can help complete your midfield, while Luke Ryan ($514,500), Rowan Marshall ($530,000) and Caleb Daniel ($532,000) are standout picks in their respective positions.
EXCLUSIVE Q&A: TYSON GOLDSACK INTERVIEWS JORDAN DE GOEY
SUPER LADDER: THE TRADE THAT COULD COME BACK TO HAUNT HAWKS
INJURY NEWS: HOW DO PIES REPLACE KEY DEFENDER?
Use your trades sparingly from this point unless you have 10 or more.
If you have under eight trades left, as many coaches do, you’re likely to need at least four of those in the last month of the campaign.
You need to be prepared for players being rested, sent for surgery or spending longer than expected on the sidelines with injury once teams fall out of finals contention.
If you don’t have cover or trades saved for these inevitable scenarios, your rank will suffer and you’ll need a lot of luck to achieve glory come league finals.
TOP TARGETS
Rory Sloane $511,000, Mid, Avg 108.7, BE 75
The buy of Round 15. The only reason Sloane (whose 108.7-point average ranks 12th among this year’s midfielders) is this cheap is his score of 35 from Round 11 when he suffered a hamstring injury against Melbourne. He has scored 111 or better in five of his last seven games and even managed 103 after getting off the leash in the last quarter against GWS. Any player who manages triple figures with Matt De Boer for company deserves respect. He’s burned coaches in the past but is flying this year and you’ll likely regret it if you don’t grab him.
Griffin Logue $164,300, Def, Avg 98, BE -99
Logue has more than justified his elevated rookie price with scores of 93 and 103 after returning to Fremantle’s side in place of injured backman Alex Pearce. His job security is strong and his scoring potential is clearly worth paying $164,300 for. Logue is predicted to rise by $70,000-$80,000 this week and will be a popular pick at D6 or D7 in most sides for the rest of the year. He took seven marks on Saturday and went at 88 per cent disposal efficiency. Don’t miss out.
Patrick Naish $123,900, Def, Avg 72.5, BE -72
If you can’t afford the extra $40,000 to grab Logue, Naish is the other cheap option in defence. Unlike Logue, the Tigers rookie doesn’t have great job security with players such as Trent Cotchin and Shane Edwards a chance to return this weekend. Scores of 78 and 67 mean he deserves to be on your radar but find the extra money to nab Logue if you can.
Nick Hind $117,300, Mid, Avg 66.5, BE -63
Hind rocketed into SuperCoach calculations with a score of 90 in St Kilda’s defeat to Brisbane Lions. After 43 on debut, he had 13 disposals and booted three goals in an impressive display against the Lions. His scoring will be volatile if it relies on goals, but he should be afforded a decent run in a St Kilda team hit by injuries and battling for form. If you’re downgrading in midfield, Hind is your man.
Angus Brayshaw $448,800, Mid, Avg 90.5, BE 49
We’ve seen enough in the last three weeks to be confident Brayshaw is back. If you are chasing a bargain pick for M8, Brayshaw needs to be considered courtesy of his three-round average of 102.7. He’s managed 116 and 101 in the past two games and is set for another price rise due to his break even of 49. His worst-case scenario is likely a run of scores close to his average of 90, which isn’t quite premium status but could be enough to secure league wins come finals.
Adam Treloar $502,500, Mid, Avg 105.8, BE 77
Treloar generally slips under the radar as a SuperCoach option and this year has been no different. He’s still only in 13.7 per cent of teams and is available this round for a $91,700 discount on his opening price, despite an average close to 106. He’s only scored less than 83 once and nine of his 13 scores have been 102-150. While most coaches prepare to add Rory Sloane to their teams, Treloar could be the POD pick who adds a touch of class to your midfield.
Matt Crouch $484,200, Mid, Avg 102, BE 73
Beware the possibility of an injury if you trade in Crouch, but he’s worth a look at this price. Before his injury-affected 54 in Round 8, Crouch had scored between 90-138 in each game to Round 7. He generally needs big possession numbers to rack up SuperCoach points but that’s no issue when Crouch is on song. Can he average more than teammate Sloane and Treloar for the rest of the year? It’s doubtful.
Luke Ryan $514,500, Def, Avg 103.3, BE 111
Fremantle star Ryan is shaping as a certain top-six defender with only Jake Lloyd boasting more points than the Docker this year. His low score of the season remains 78 and he has one of the highest ceilings of any defender with 156 in Round 3. You could yet get him cheaper next week due to his break even of 111 but he shouldn’t lose much value this week.
Rowan Marshall $530,000, Fwd, Avg 103.6, BE 73
Scores of 139, 122 and 119 for Marshall in the past three weeks have caused his price to jump from $444,200 in Round 11 to $530,000. He has a three-round average of 126.7 and still represents a value pick at that price. The No. 1 ruck role is one of the friendliest in SuperCoach and Marshall has a stranglehold on that position at St Kilda. Forget those doubts he’ll slow down at some point and get him in before it’s too late.
Caleb Daniel $532,000, Fwd, Avg 103.2, BE 87
Daniel backed up the news of signing a new deal with the Bulldogs with 114 against Collingwood. He’s averaged 105.5 at Marvel Stadium this year, where Western Bulldogs play five of their remaining games. With so much midfield talent at the Dogs, Daniel has avoided a tag so far and been allowed to roam free at halfback. That has resulted in an average of 28.2 disposals and he’s also having four marks per game. It’s a tough call to split him and Marshall.
HOLD
Reilly O’Brien $446,000, Ruc, Avg 95.6, BE -21
Sam Walsh $439,100, Mid, Avg 89.8, BE 69
Will Setterfield $265,600, Fwd-Mid, Avg 55.4, BE 28
If you held this trio through their Round 14 bye, it makes sense to retain them in your side for at least one more week. Reilly O’Brien is going to surge in price for the next two weeks and he’ll be a straight swap to a premium by about Round 17 thanks to his score of 181 from last weekend. Walsh should meet his break even of 69 this week and will afford you the luxury to upgrade in other positions before dealing with your M8 spot. Setterfield is doing enough to provide cover in midfield or attack and his dual-position status is a bonus. Four of his last five scores have been 62-67.
CHOPPING BLOCK
Marty Hore $423,300, Def, Avg 83.7, BE 108
Xavier Duursma $385,400, Def-Mid, Avg 73.5, BE 89
Brodie Smith $400,800, Def, Avg 85.2, BE 115
Noah Answerth $237,700, Def-Mid, Avg 52.8, BE 70
Darcy Moore $369,100, Def-Fwd, Avg 76.6, BE 77
What to do with Marty Hore is the head scratcher of the round. His average of 83.7 is enough to provide cover at D7, but there would be temptation to turn him into a player such as Shannon Hurn due to Hore’s break even of 108. I’d suggest holding Hore and dealing with bigger issues, but he may not be the keeper many coaches were hoping for. This is the week to bid farewell to reliable cash cow Xavier Duursma unless you need him on field in midfield or defence, while Brodie Smith is all but certain to drop below $400,000 after Round 15. Any score below 80 this week is going to make the Crows defender difficult to upgrade. Will you have $170,000 spare to turn him into Hurn next week? There’s a decent case for holding both Answerth (who hasn’t made enough value to justify a trade) and Moore (due to his valuable Def-Fwd swing).
WAIT A WEEK
Shannon Hurn $570,000, Def, Avg 111.8, BE 161
Lachie Neale $558,700, Mid, Avg 120.4, BE 146
Ben Cunnington $568,400, Mid, Avg 110.5, BE 146
Start making plans to bring in Hurn and Neale next week if you’ve waited this long. Hurn will be one of the most popular additions ahead of Round 16 when his price will hopefully be around $550,000. That’s too good to resist for one of the top defensive picks of the year. Prioritise Neale over Cunnington for your last midfield spot. His 79 against St Kilda means he should drop to under $550,000 after this week, which is hard to believe considering his 120-point average.
BARGAIN BIN
Under $500,000
Tom Stewart $494,900, Def
Jack Ziebell $492,300, Fwd
Matt Crouch $482,300, Mid
Daniel Rich $479,500, Def
Jack Billings $476,200, Fwd
Robbie Gray $471,700, Fwd-Mid
James Sicily $464,100, Def
Jeremy Cameron $454,600, Fwd
Under $450,000
Angus Brayshaw $448,800, Mid
Jade Gresham $448,400, Fwd
Jack Crisp $447,200, Def
David Mundy $446,800, Fwd-Mid
Sam Menegola $419,400, Fwd-Mid
Tom McDonald $345,700, Fwd
Alex Witherden $344,500, Def
Uncovered: The stats that make a premium SuperCoach scorer
Lift the lid on how players score points in SuperCoach AFL – and how you can use that intel to pick a world-beating side in 2025.
SuperCoach Draft: Consensus rankings in every position
The ultimate resource for planning your SuperCoach Draft – and making all the big pre-season calls – is here. Check out our experts’ January rankings.