SuperCoach AFL 2024 round 7 formguide, Tim Michell answers the burning questions
Rookie options are thin on the ground – see the stats you need to know to pick the right cheapies this week plus the best captain advice for round 7.
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A total of 63 players earned DPP status ahead of round 7 and a lot of them were rookies – with the likes of Ryley Sanders, Colby McKercher, Charlie Comben, Riley Bonner, Matt Roberts, Will Graham and Sam Clohesy all gaining a second position.
Roberts is the handiest of the lot as we can now swing him back and play him on field, especially after racking up a season-high 117 points on the weekend. His kicking has been elite this season, recording a kicking efficiency of 92.5 per cent, the best percentage of the top 75 kicks in the AFL.
In the case of Sanders, the unthinkable happened after Luke Beveridge started him as the sub – further denting his cash generation after a score of just 15. He and McKercher both have Break Evens over 100 points and must be traded out ASAP!
Zac Williams and Massimo D’Ambrosio were both subbed out, one with injury and the other being tactical. D’Ambrosio has done his job for SuperCoaches, but he has also been a key figure for the Hawks, with the side scoring total of 45 points from his intercepts – ranked third of the top 50 intercept players in the AFL. He still as a reachable BE of 45, so he’s not a major issue.
The inevitable Williams injury occurred and his fitness for the weekend remains unclear, but a BE of 62 isn’t disastrous if you wanted to hold and give him another game. But the safe play is to move him on.
Jack Carroll (BE 81), Riley Bonner (BE 71) and Oliver Dempsey (BE 66) may have peaked in price too, so a decision on them needs to be made sooner rather than later.
If we look at this week’s bubble boys, a couple of Kangaroos are in the mix with Bigoa Nyuon (BE -64) and Blake Drury (BE -46) both set to move in price. But with most teams already having quite a few Kangaroos – do we really want to add more?
The other one is Tyler Sellers, but with scores of three and six he may not increase in value after his third game.
That leaves Hugo Garcia as the go-to option as a DPP. He has attended 41 per cent of centre bounces for St Kilda over the past two rounds and has had 21 tackle attempts – ranked equal-fourth in the league, laying 16 effective tackles. Job security looks fine for now but, as we know, that can change at any time.
Kane McAuliffe was another option, but he has been dropped for Richmond’s Anzac Eve game.
Riley Garcia only has one game to his name and was workmanlike with 17 disposals, nine contested possessions, six tackles and 82 points in round 6. I won’t be moving on him this round, but if he keeps his place in the team even with Tom Liberatore returning from concussion, then he’s a legitimate option ahead of round 8.
One player we may need cover for is Harley Reid, with reports he will be rested ahead of West Coast’s trip to Queensland. That hasn’t been confirmed by the club, so we’ll get the official news when teams are announced.
As always, trade wisely and best of luck for the round ahead!
CAPTAINS CORNER
Don’t forget the round starts on Wednesday night and we should start there when looking for a captain or vice captain this round.
Max Gawn is averaging 131.8 points this season and has a fantastic record against Richmond, averaging 142 in his past eight games against the Tigers. Adem Yze might be aware of that, naming two rucks – Toby Nankervis and Sam Naismith – for the Anzac Eve clash.
Christian Petracca scored 141 against Richmond last season and could threaten his 157 Break Even against the Tigers’ injury-hit midfield.
Nick Daicos returned to form with a huge second half last round and will be aiming for back-to-back Anzac Medals against the Bombers on Thursday. He scored 145 points in the corresponding game last year.
Zach Merrett owners should also strongly consider the Bombers skipper, who has scored 133, 123 and 123 in his past three against Collingwood.
On Friday night expect Dan Houston to produce a big score against St Kilda, which has given up huge numbers to opposition half-backs this season – Bailey Dale posted 175 points last round from 39 disposals in a similar role.
Marcus Bontempelli is a safe back-up captain with an average of 132 in his past three against Fremantle, including a 182 on his last visit to Perth Stadium.
But if you’re basing your choice on a player’s record against this week’s opponent, you can’t go past Matt Rowell. He has played the Eagles five times in his career and scored 171, 6 (when he was injured in the opening minutes), 101, 157 and 165.
One player to avoid this round is Tom Green. His past three scores against the Lions are 77, 49 and 60.
This week’s burning SuperCoach questions answered
– Tim Michell
The real SuperCoach season starts now.
Upgrade season is on in earnest, and coaches who have amassed depth in their ranks will be rewarded when best 22 scoring returns for round 7.
The next five rounds will be best 22 and coaches won’t have the luxury of dropping dud rookie scores from their best 18.
And boy, there have been a few of those lately.
Sam Walsh. Jordan Dawson. Jack Macrae. And of course Luke Beveridge.
With The Phantom enjoying a week off, TIM MICHELL answers this week’s burning questions.
Is Harley Reid a keeper?
Why not? The forward premium stocks are very thin this year and playing pure midfield in the past three weeks he’s averaged 115. I still can’t believe he didn’t win the medal on Saturday night. Dan Hannebery’s declaration Reid is a top-10 player in the AFL is a bit premature, but there’s a serious case for him being a top-six forward in SuperCoach.
What about Luke Jackson?
I think so, but without as much confidence. Jackson went from 80 ruck contests in round 5 to 33 in round 6, which wasn’t surprising considering Sean Darcy’s return. The Darcy factor was exacerbated by Jye Amiss being concussed in the first quarter, forcing Darcy to play more minutes than originally intended in his comeback game. Jackson still scored 90 points playing forward in a team which lost by 10 goals. If you’re running him at R2, plan to swing Jackson forward when Tim English bottoms out next week. Then keep Jackson as insurance. He might even finish as a top-six forward anyway.
What do I do with Ryley Sanders?
Now he’s a FWD-MID, hold. He has proven he can score well in full games, scoring 99, 77 and 82 when he hasn’t been subbed or started as the sub. I’d much rather have the option of Sanders at F5 or F6 than relying on Bigoa Nyuon or even his teammate Sam Darcy.
Can I trust Jack Macrae?
It’s not whether you can trust Macrae. It’s whether you can trust Luke Beveridge. Macrae has a Break Even of 64 this week, so you can afford to see where he fits into Beveridge’s plans with Tom Liberatore in the team. Then again, Macrae had only 10 CBAs against St Kilda and scored 123 points. He’s one of the hardest players to read. We all know Macrae can be one of the best scorers in SuperCoach, but so much needs to go right for that to happen.
How about Jordan Dawson?
The Crows skipper was incredible against Essendon, breaking through for his first SuperCoach ton of the season with a score of 168. Adelaide takes on winless North Melbourne this weekend, so it’s a little wonder thousands of SuperCoaches want to back Dawson in to continue his form revival. Adelaide’s midfield mix is proving problematic for SuperCoach, though. Rory Laird has been squeezed out, playing 21 per cent forward in the past two weeks, and Matt Crouch returns from suspension this round. I prefer Sam Walsh for $40k more if you’ve got the money spare. At least you know he’s guaranteed a prime midfield role every week.
Does Clarko know Charlie Comben is a defender now?
It was a hard watch on Sunday afternoon for thousands of coaches who traded in Comben before his price rise. He started brilliantly with three intercept marks in the first quarter against Hawthorn and at halftime was on track to score at least 80. But with North Melbourne chasing the game Alastair Clarkson moved him forward and Comben had one handball for the entire second half. He still went up by $60k, but with a Break Even of 33, he might not be the long-term play many were hoping for.
Charlie Comben took half of North Melbourne's intercept marks in the 1st half yesterday (4). The side took just two intercept marks after half-time.
— Fantasy Freako (@FantasyFreako) April 21, 2024
He had just 1 disposal in the 2nd half as a forward.
Obvious where his best role is.#SuperCoach#AFLFantasy
Is Zach Merrett ever going to get cheaper?
I was asking myself this exact question at halftime on Friday night as Merrett ran amok against Adelaide. But then something beautiful happened for SuperCoaches who have been looking on with envy at those who started Merrett – he went forward. Jye Caldwell and Sam Durham took charge in the middle in the second half, Merrett slowed to 109 points and dropped $12k. He’s still the second-most expensive midfielder in SuperCoach but with a Break Even of 156 this week, there’s hope Merrett might be affordable in a few weeks.
Is Sam Walsh a must-have?
It’s hard to say no after scores of 166 and 130 since returning from injury. There’s always the concern his back issues flare up again, but the worry if you don’t get him will be how many points you miss out on in the meantime. Walsh is projected to rise by $45k this week, so he could quickly be out of reach.
Gold Coast has West Coast this week and two games coming up in Darwin – do I need Matt Rowell?
Rowell has 18 more contested possessions than any other player, ranks third for tackles and is averaging 130 SuperCoach points with five scores of 126-plus. His battle with Elliot Yeo and Harley Reid this weekend should be box office. Games against North Melbourne and Geelong in Darwin in rounds 9 and 10 should suit Rowell to a tee and continue his charge towards being a top-eight midfielder.
What do I do with Tom Stewart?
Unless you’re in the top 1000 and desperate to hold rank or really need a league win this round, then you hold and play a rookie in his place. Stewart was concussed and scored 62 points against Brisbane, losing $37k and dropping to $538k. He’s bound to be one of the most traded-in players in the next month as coaches look to complete their defences before the mid-year byes.
Where is the Mid-season cash gen coming from?
I almost felt sorry for Al Paton at the weekend when his entire midfield bench was named as subs. Then I remembered how seriously we take the office rivalry. Jhye Clark’s value is dropping, Jack Carroll has stalled, Ryley Sanders has a Break Even above 100 and Colby McKercher is going backwards. Even Jeremy Sharp has a Break Even in the 70s now.
Sam Clohesy missed out on the record for the biggest third-game jump in SuperCoach history but is set to be a mid-season rookie saviour who should make $200k-plus. His teammate Will Graham is tracking well as a cash cow, while Hugo Garcia, Kane McAuliffe and Bigoa Nyuon have negative Break Evens this week. If you’re asking for rookie trade-in priorities, I’d go in that order. Garcia is a must-have, McAuliffe should score but there’s a few question marks about Nyuon’s job security after North Melbourne’s hefty loss to Hawthorn.
3 from 3
— Al Paton (@al_superfooty) April 20, 2024
RIP cash generation 🪦 https://t.co/5FWMPO5QYm
Who are you planning to ruin this week?
I paid $624k for 84 points from Jack Steele last week, burning my last boost in the process. Boy, I’d love one this week to trade Massimo D’Ambrosio, Jeremy Sharp and Zac Williams to a premium and two rookies. I’ve had Dan Houston in my long-term plans for this exact round as half-back flankers have dominated all season against St Kilda. So, as tempting as Walsh is, Houston is my priority for round 7. I might even vice-captain him.
Did you really not take Bont’s 125 as vice-captain?
Yep. But I wouldn’t recommend doing it. The Phantom got away with taking Bont on when Zak Butters scored 128, but I was on the wrong end of an 89 as captain from Luke Ryan. West Coast were conceding the most points to defenders and Ryan was averaging 135, so it goes to show the SuperCoach gods will often punish those who get greedy.
Speaking of the Phantom, when is he back?
Next week! And not too soon for me. I love this column but I need all my time to get my trades right in the next few rounds and try to catch the top 1k.
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