The Eradicator’s SuperCoach preview for the AFL’s Round 10

THE arrival of the AFL bye rounds has never filled SuperCoaches with joy. But this season it is even harder, with a lack of top-shelf rookies drying up cash stocks on team benches. The Eradicator has a plan ...

Michael Walters ... has turned into Supercoach scoring machine. Picture: Daniel Wilkins

THE byes are looming ever closer and this year seems more daunting than anything we’ve faced before.

The lack of top-shelf rookies to this point of the season has really dried up the cash stocks sitting on your benches, which will have a significant flow-on effect in these next crucial weeks.

It means rethinking your usual approach through the bye rounds.

Every penny counts. Every rookie selection counts. Every trade counts.

These rules always apply in the Supercoach world, they are the foundations of the machine, but belts have to be tightened this season, so it’s the little details that can make a big difference.

It’s probably not the season to pay big dollars for a midfielder at the peak of his powers.

We’ve already seen coaches burnt by getting Dustin Martin after his opening few games and Rory Sloane at his price high a few weeks back.

Both star midfielders are now $100k cheaper than their maximum and the coaches who are smiling are the ones preparing to trade in now. They’re not the only quality midfielders who represent real value this week and next, with Collingwood duo Scott Pendlebury and Adam Treloar both hitting form, and at perfect purchase price

And it’s definitely the season to consider something left-of-centre to help craft your final side too.

There are moneyball value options, such as Fremantle’s Michael Walters, who has turned into a scoring machine since spending more time in the midfield.

Isaac Heeney ... well worth considering. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Those who missed the boat on Isaac Heeney and Michael Hibberd may want to consider taking a chance on this potential paydirt.

Meanwhile, the Supercoach gods have been kind enough to trickle past a few more rookies this week and next to keep the finances ticking over.

Boy, we needed it. James Stewart (Ess), Fraser McInnes (WC), Daniel Lloyd (GWS) are all hopefully selected and on the bubble this week. Like with most rookies this year, their scoring has been acceptable without being brilliant and their job security is, well, a roll of the dice if everything else this year is a guide.

There are some potentially better cashcows heading our way in the next week or two, so trade where you need this round, but don’t risk your structure expecting long term results with this week’s group.

Finally, dual position players cannot be overlooked as part of your overall team strategy.

While there a lot of coaches ruing the loss of Aaron Sandilands this week, others are simply switching Fremantle’s Luke Strnadica with fellow ruck/forwards Toby Nankervis or Paddy Ryder and fixing the problem in-house, rather than wearing a doughnut or wasting a trade.

It really is a tactic that will get you out of some spots through the approaching bye rounds and as the season comes to a close.

CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN

By the numbers — average past three games v opponent

NM Todd Goldstein Ruck 157 $519,300

COL Adam Treloar Mid 136 $507,900

BL Dayne Zorko Mid 133 $534,800

WCE Josh Kennedy Mid 132 $512,400

Patrick Dangerfield ... as usual an excellent pick as captain. Picture: Peter Ristevski

While the back-to-their-best Magpies midfield may well explode against the Lions at the MCG on Sunday, it’s hard to go past Patrick Dangerfield for your double-points option this week.

After last Friday’s class showing against the Dogs at the new and improved Skilled Stadium, you get the feeling he’s ready to tear it up again on the big Thursday night stage versus the Power. Definitely worth a VC loophole free hit.

ERADICATOR’S AGGRAVATOR

Heath Shaw ... oh, the disappointment. And what's that headband all about, anyway? Picture: Paul Miller (AAP)

They went into the season as the team to beat for the flag, they’ve got ridiculous talent, first round draft picks galore and an impressively deep midfield, so why do the Giants only have two players averaging 100 this year?

Ruckman Shane Mumford and The Phantom’s preseason prediction Josh Kelly are holding their hands up, but where are the others?

Those coaches who showed faith in Heath Shaw, Callan Ward, Dylan Shiel, among other potential premium Giants, have been left dreaming of what might have been in orange and charcoal in 2017.

The Phantom is in parts unknown, on a SuperCoach fact-finding tour, he says.

Originally published as The Eradicator’s SuperCoach preview for the AFL’s Round 10