KFC SuperCoach: Experts reveal their Round 14 trades and run the rule over this week’s most popular moves
The dreaded Round 14 bye in KFC SuperCoach really is here now. Are you trading for this week or with the run home in mind? Here’s what our experts are doing.
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KFC SuperCoaches have been worrying all week about the five games of footy that make up Round 14 - and rightly so.
With so many popular players missing, even the craziest of trade plans are being considered as KFC SuperCoaches look to stay competitive.
But, with nine rounds still remaining after this weekend, balance is important.
Here is what our experts are planning.
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Al Paton
Alec Waterman to Kieren Briggs
Caleb Poulter to Tom Hawkins
Trent Bianco to Lachlan Bramble
Steven May to Zach Merrett (via Rory Laird DPP)
It’s a miracle! This actually gets me to 18 active players this weekend ... if you include Briggs and Bramble, who I’m not expecting a whole lot out of (don’t rule out Clarko doing what he did to Connor Downie in Round 1 and making a debutant the medical sub). The one big upgrade is Tomahawk, who has been flying under the radar but is averaging 115 over his past five and has a great run home, including the entire KFC SuperCoach finals series at GMHBA Stadium (against GWS, St Kilda and Melbourne). I’m considering May to Merrett a “mini upgrade” in the words of SuperCoach Investor Dan Begala, delivering an extra 100-plus points this week and 15 or so per week for the final nine rounds. It also allows me to move Rory Laird back to defence.
I’ll have five trades left after the byes - not disastrous, but no cash and very little on the bench apart from Matt Flynn. He can hopefully become Ned Reeves in a week or two when Brodie Grundy returns - that would give me enough money to turn one of my sketchy forward rookies into a cut-priced Patrick Dangerfield. Then it’s a matter of holding my last three trades for emergencies and riding the rollercoaster home with a “finished” team that still features Patrick Cripps, Joe Daniher and Isaac Cumming.
LATE MAIL: HAWKS ROOKIE TO THE RESCUE + ALL THE TEAM NEWS
ADVICE: THE PHANTOM AND THE INVESTOR ON HOW TO SURVIVE R14
The Phantom
Matt Flynn to Jacob Edwards
Caleb Poulter to Patrick Dangerfield
Trent Bianco to Lachlan Bramble
Not as much panic in the Lair this week, I have 17 available players in Round 14 before trades. But the continued absence of Ned Reeves is a problem. Like many, I was planning on trading Flynn to the two-game Hawk to make much-need cash for upgrades, without losing an on-field player. Given my player count is higher than most, however, I will still cash-in Flynn to proceed with the plan to go early on Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield. I’m tipping a big score at home on Friday night and in the debate of Dangerfield or Flynn on-field in Round 14, I’m choosing Danger. And it’s better long-term, anyway, with Poulter to Dangerfield my last rookie upgrade. I still have Jarman Impey and Tom Green in the last spots of their respective positions but I’ll address that later. The addition of Edwards allows for the easy ruck swing with Callum Coleman-Jones, if I need the cover in the run home, while Bianco to Bramble gives me cash heading into next week, while also ensuring my on-field count remains at 18. I’ll have six trades left, but with a number of DPP swings and Dev Robertson, Cody Weightman and CCJ as cover.
Tim Michell
Clayton Oliver to Jarryd Lyons
Isaac Heeney to Patrick Dangerfield
Alec Waterman to Lachlan Bramble or Kieren Briggs
Matthew Flynn to Aaron Hall via DPP
I’m all in. This is a make-or-break week for my team and, after jumping into the top-2000, I’m not willing to relinquish that rank by going backwards with only 15 or 16 players on field. Adding these four will give me a minimum of 17 players, and bringing in three premiums playing in Round 14 will hopefully counter those who have an extra rookie. Trading Oliver hurts - no doubt - and, had I known about the fixture change involving the Tigers and Eagles, I likely would have never had Shai Bolton or Isaac Heeney. But it means I have to think outside the box and trading Oliver is certainly that. Lyons is a genuine captaincy option, like Oliver, who has scored 120 points or more in six of his last eight. The reason I like him most is he should never be tagged with Lachie Neale and Dayne Zorko in the same team. The same can’t be said for Oliver who runs into Matt De Boer in a few weeks and has Mark O’Connor in Round 23. I suspect Adelaide won’t give him the same freedom in Round 22 either after his 204-point outing earlier this year against the Crows. Ben Keays tag anyone?
Dan Batten
Caleb Poulter to Aaron Hall
Trent Bianco to Jai Newcombe
Alec Waterman to Jacob Edwards
After toing and froing all week, I have decided to hold onto Nat Fyfe in a move that will (hopefully) pay off down the track. Another tough call has been choosing Hall or Kyle Langford – choosing the latter would allow me to trade Waterman to Kieran Briggs and have an extra player in Round 14. But even with the threat of Luke McDonald, Hall should be a top-three scorer in his position from here, and I expect him to make up the difference of a Briggs cameo in time. These moves will leave me with CCJ at F6 as my final upgrade with six trades left. Oh, and 14 on-field scorers this week... Grim.
TRADE GRADES: WE RATE YOUR BIG MOVES
Trade decisions in KFC SuperCoach have never been tougher — or more consequential.
Some rounds the choices are obvious to the point everyone jumps on the same players. This is not one of those weeks.
Every team will be faced with a different situation heading into the brutal Round 14 bye, and there are different solutions out there. But they all have the same goal: finding as many players and points as possible this week without compromising the grander vision of a premium-packed team for the final nine rounds.
Our experts Al Paton, Tim Michell and Dan Batten rate the most popular trades for Round 14.
TRADED IN
JAI NEWCOMBE $102,400 MID
Al Paton: BUY — No-brainer if you didn’t get him last week. I did, which was great for 75 points, but now I really need another rookie to bob up this week.
Tim Michell: BUY — I didn’t think I would regret going early after he had a record 14 tackles and 75 KFC SuperCoach points on debut. Then Tom Highmore, who I traded to Newcombe, scored 111 — 11 points more than his past three games combined. Regardless, Newcombe is a great buy this week.
Dan Batten: BUY — His tackling masterclass on debut was mighty impressive and his VFL numbers stack up, having averaged 110 points for Hawthorn’s reserves before being taken in the mid-season draft. James Worpel’s suspension should help him in the short-term, too.
LUKE EDWARDS $117,300 MID
AP: PASS/BUY — Ideally we wait until Round 15 to trade him in since he’s not playing this week, but if no other rookies emerge we might have to get him now to fund other moves.
TM: BUY — But only if other rookies playing in Round 14 don’t present. If getting him helps you add an extra premium who is playing in Round 14, then go for it and hope he gets a sustained run in the Eagles team after an impressive second game.
DB: BUY/PASS — Should keep his spot in the Eagles side even with key players still on the sidelines. But if you hold off another week it may prevent another Ned Reeves scenario.
AARON HALL $530,300 FWD
AP: BUY — Wish I had traded Zorko to him last week. If he continues this form he could challenge him as the top-scoring forward from here.
TM: BUY — I dodged him last week when I saw Matt De Boer named thinking that match-up might eventuate. It didn’t matter in the end as Hall ran riot after quarter-time. You’re only losing points to other top-ranked coaches if you don’t have him.
DB: BUY — His scores of 106 and 141 down in Hobart – the latter coming with some Matt de Boer attention against the Giants last weekend – this year bodes well for what is set to be a one-sided affair against Brisbane. The preconceived judgments of Hall have been proven wrong more and more by the week, and my hand is high in the air!
KYLE LANGFORD $474,000 FWD/MID
AP: MAYBE — Potentially great value but he has teased KFC SuperCoaches before. Still, if I had jumped on Hall after three good scores ...
TM: PASS — Has looked great in a midfield role in the past three weeks but I don’t see him averaging as much as the top forwards in the next 10 weeks. I certainly wouldn’t be trading Dayne Zorko to him.
DB: BUY — I prefer Hall as an option up forward, but Langford’s centre bounce numbers are very encouraging, and should continue to improve with Andrew McGrath ruled out long-term.
TOBY GREENE $455,700 FWD
AP: PASS — There aren’t a lot of top quality forwards to choose, from to be fair, but his history of missing games scares me off.
TM: PASS — Plenty of KFC SuperCoaches — including me — have continued to dodge Aaron Hall due to the supposed injury risk. It’s considerably greater with Greene and most of us have 10 trades or fewer left.
DB: PASS — As someone who jumped on Greene late last season around this price, it is a firm no. Plenty of upside, but it’s outweighed by the potential for injury, suspension, or just about anything.
JOSH KELLY $577,000 MID
AP: BUY — Feel like he should be more expensive after six 100-plus scores in a row. Tough call who you would take out of Kelly, Sam Walsh ($559k) and Zach Merrett ($563k). Probably Walsh but they are all great picks.
TM: BUY — He’s an absolute Rolls Royce and relishing being back in midfield. The KFC SuperCoach scoring system loves players with sublime skills like Kelly.
DB: BUY — Remains at a good price and matches against Hawthorn and North Melbourne in his next two are appealing.
TOM STEWART $532,200 DEF
AP: BUY — Just as solid as they come. Never posts a bad score and can go 130-plus on his day.
TM: BUY — Then ask yourself why it has taken you this long to get him in.
DB: BUY — Posted totals of 130 and 119 in his past two and has fallen below 92 points twice – for scores of 87 and 82.
SAM WALSH $559,500 MID
AP: BUY — Having a great season and the week off should have him fresh for the run home.
TM: BUY — Has gone close to scoring 100 points in consecutive first halves in his past two outings. The only slight concern is the likelihood De Boer goes to him this week, but if Aaron Hall can burn him off I’m confident Walsh can too.
DB: BUY — A discounted price tag for a player averaging a whopping 114 points per game.
MARCUS BONTEMPELLI $681,600 MID
AP: PASS — Only due to the price. Clayton Oliver got to $700k two weeks ago and a couple of slightly underwhelming games later and he’s heading back to the low $600k range with a bullet.
TM: BUY — He doesn’t have the value of Walsh and Kelly but he’s worth the big bucks. Everyone knows the Bont and KFC SuperCoach go together like Friday night takeaway and a Zinger burger.
DB: WAIT — Not a massive fan of spending top-dollar for an uber-premium, especially ahead of a possible date with stopper Mark O’Connor.
DARCY PARISH $658,700 MID
AP: PASS — Probably harsh considering his amazing run of form but I’d rather spend $100k less on Walsh, Kelly or Merrett.
TM: PASS — He’s flying but I just couldn’t pay that price for a guy who has only really been a top-line premium for the past six weeks.
DB: BUY — Why not? Could have an absolute field day against Hawthorn down in Tasmania and he is arguably the most in-form SuperCoach player in the competition. Prefer this to Bont if you are pulling the trigger this week.
TRADED OUT
CALEB POULTER $313,000 MID/FWD
AP: TRADE — Would be great cover for the rest of the season but we need to trade someone to get extra premiums. Has almost reached his maximum price.
TM: TRADE/HOLD — You can mount a strong argument he’s worth keeping as M9/F7 cover for the rest of the season, but upgrade money has to come from somewhere. I’m likely to trade but think you’d be happy to hold as well.
DB: TRADE — Has cash still to make but you are best served using his money this week to increase your numbers for Round 14.
JAMES JORDON $387,100 MID
AP: TRADE — I traded him to Lachie Whitfield last week and lost 23 points. D’oh! Still think it’s the right move to turn him into a full-blown superstar despite his near-premium output.
TM: TRADE/HOLD — If you’ve still got Jordon, there shouldn’t be any real urgency to upgrade him. He has one score less than 82 since Round 6 and will be more than $400,000 heading into Round 16. Finish the rest of your team before you trade him.
DB: TRADE — See my Poulter response. May sneak over $400k, but that’s a lot of cash left unused.
RILEY COLLIER-DAWKINS $237,900 MID
AP: TRADE — SuperCoach 101, offloading a rookie on his bye.
TM: TRADE — Can’t see him coming back soon considering he wasn’t even in the 26 against West Coast.
DB: TRADE — The fact he wasn’t an inclusion for late withdrawal Dion Prestia suggests he is out of favour.
ISAAC HEENEY $402,200 FWD
AP: TRADE — If sideswapping a premium is a way to get closer to 18 players on field this week he’s the type of player I’d be happy to sacrifice.
TM: TRADE — The writing is on the wall here. He’s averaging about 10 points a quarter since quarter-time in Round 12 and that ton against Carlton feels like a lifetime ago. He’ll be my ticket to Aaron Hall.
DB: CONSIDER — Is it worth trading out a player that you have just brought in? He could turn it around, but if you have trades left to spare and are in a difficult spot this week, he might be worth trading.
JAMES ROWE $284,500 FWD
AP: TRADE — Cash in Collier-Dawkins and upgrade Rowe. One up, one down, or “painting the fence” as our friends at Jock Reynolds like to say.
TM: TRADE — Well done on riding the Rowe rollercoaster this long but it’s time to jump off.
DB: TRADE — His appreciation of $160k is a fantastic result considering some of his poorer games. Take it and run with his bye this week.
SAM BERRY $243,900 MID
AP: TRADE — He’s done well to hang around this long.
TM: TRADE — One of the most consistent rookies of the year with a host of scores between 50-65. Turn him into Newcombe and bank more than $140k.
DB: TRADE — Another Crows rookie who has had a good run.
TYLER BROCKMAN $172,200 MID/FWD
AP: TRADE — If you’ve held on this long at least wait until teams come out just in case he makes a surprise return when we need him most. He probably won’t, though.
TM: TRADE/HOLD — Looks unlikely to earn a recall soon but hasn’t made enough money to justify a downgrade. If you can use him as a loophole option hold, otherwise you might have to bite the bullet and cash in, albeit for much less than hoped.
DB: WAIT — If he earns a shock recall it is worth holding, otherwise look to trade him if there are no other non-Round 14 rookies who can get you cash.
JARMAN IMPEY $415,600 FWD
AP: HOLD — A tough one considering Impey’s recent output and likely price drop, but I’m not sure we can afford to be trading out anyone who is actually playing this week.
TM: HOLD — Not scoring big numbers any more but unless you’re blessed for players in Round 14 this isn’t the week to cash in. Patrick Dangerfield will likely drop by another $40-50k this week and Impey to Dangerfield will be one of the most-popular trades next round.
DB: HOLD — We’ve got bigger fish to fry this week than trading a warm body. That’s a non-Round 14 problem.
NATHAN MURPHY $187,800 DEF
AP: TRADE — You won’t make much money but if you can get an extra body on field, don’t hesitate.
TM: TRADE — Continues to have a rotten luck with injury and concussion issues which have limited his cash generation. It’s a shame as he does some nice things.
DB: TRADE/HOLD — The bye has come at a good time considering his concussion, meaning he should be available in Round 15. But if he gets you an extra player, trade away.
RYAN BYRNES $266,200 MID
AP: TRADE/HOLD — Has flown under the radar as a solid rookie performer and unlikely to be dropped, so he could be useful bench cover if you can avoid a trade.
TM: TRADE — Made more money than I certainly thought he would and although his job security isn’t an issue considering St Kilda’s injuries, this is the right week to punt him.
DB: TRADE — In the same boat as countless others on this list.
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