KFC SuperCoach 2021 study guide: One-stop shop for pre-season research

From the basics to the top rookies, expert teams and the best advice, here’s your free one-stop shop for KFC SuperCoach research.

The clock is ticking to Round 1 and the first lockout of the 2021 KFC SuperCoach season.

If you’re playing for the first time or just catching up after a crazy summer, you’ve come to the right place.

From the best rookies to expert advice, this is your one-stop shop for KFC SuperCoach pre-season research.

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New to the game or need a refresher? Check out our beginner’s guide that includes everything you need to know from the rules to this year’s fantastic prizes, starting with $50,000 for the No.1 ranked SuperCoach at the end of the season plus great giveaways from major sponsor KFC.

Once you’ve signed up — it only takes a few minutes, we can wait! — you can follow this step-by-step expert guide to picking a team to challenge for your league premiership.

If you’re pushed for time, you can pick a competitive team in 10 minutes with this free cheat sheet — perfect for sending to friends or family to make up the numbers in your league.

Check out Tim Michell’s 11 must-have players for 2021 and expert Al Paton’s 11 secrets to KFC SuperCoach domination. And here’s an explainer of how the KFC SuperCoach scoring system works — and which players benefit the most from it.

Here’s how to avoid mistakes that catch out a lot of first-time (and experienced!) players, the 30 most popular selections and the players not to pick this season!

‘Guys, just put me in your KFC SuperCoach team’ ... Max Gawn was the No.1 scorer in 2020.

WHICH ROOKIES SHOULD I PICK?

This a key question for any serious KFC SuperCoach player. Getting the right cheapies is the key to building a team that can win league games and increase in value, funding your trades during the season.

Some players to look closely at early on are Adelaide mature-age recruit James Rowe, North Melbourne’s top draft picks Will Phillips and Tom Powell, St Kilda defender Tom Highmore and Brisbane recruit Nakia Cockatoo, who could be the steal of the season if he can banish his injury curse.

Get profiles of more than 60 bottom-priced players who could play in Round 1 in the fully updated ROOKIE BIBLE.

Here’s a sample:

James Rowe (Adelaide) $117,300 FWD

SC Average (SANFL 2020): 96

Rowe led the SANFL goalkicking with 35 majors for Woodville-West Torrens, posting seven scores above 110 on his way to a 96-point KFC SuperCoach average. The industrious small forward shapes as a player who can immediately step into a Crows forward line which struggled for potency last year as a 21-year-old talent. Rowe capped a strong first pre-season with three goals in the Crows’ intraclub hitout in their ‘best’ side and looks a certain Round 1 starter.

SC verdict: There aren’t a great deal of sure things among this rookie crop but he looks like one of them. Being mature-age sweetens the deal.

Finlay Macrae $126,900, FWD/MID

SC average (NAB League 2019): 83

Macrae moves exactly like his half-brother, Bulldogs star Jack, and was rated higher in his bottom-age draft year. Despite being unable to take the field last year due to COVID-19, Macrae has the class and poise to make a case for selection and can play anywhere on the ground. While track watchers have been impressed with what they have seen from him in his first pre-season, Macrae missed out on selection in their first practice match, with Pies assistant coach Hayden Skipworth’s saying he may have to wait for his chance in 2021. “He’s been around the mark. He’s one of the kids who’ll be close in the coming weeks. I’ve no doubt he’ll get his chance in the year. We couldn’t squeeze every one in.”

SC verdict:Reading between the lines, it appears Macrae won’t be in the Pies’ Round 1 side. It means over 24 per cent of coaches will have to make a late change.

Recruiting guru Gary Buckenara has also named his top rookies this year.

EXPERT TEAMS

A great place to start or to see how your team compares to the experts is to check out the teams we have released over the pre-season: Al Paton | Tim Michell | The Phantom | Dan Batten | Mark Robinson | Chris Cavanagh | Simeon Thomas-Wilson | Gilbert Gardiner | Champion Data expert Fantasy Freako

TURNING UP THE HEAT

Former Magpie and Giants star Heath Shaw is the new KFC SuperCoach ambassador, and he’s shared his early team, his inside knowledge about the tricks half-backs use to score more points (and which ones to pick), and the players he won’t be picking this season.

You can also add Shaw, and all our experts, to your league with the click of a button.

PRE-SEASON INTEL

Practice matches and the pre-season competition are the best way to get a read on which players are in form, who has a new role for their team and which rookies we should be targetting.

With only one round of practice matches and one game for each team in the AAMI Community Series, this year’s intel is even more valuable.

Here’s our complete wrap of the practice matches, our intra-club scouting notes and all the KFC SuperCoach scores from the AAMI Series games.

BARGAIN HUNT

Everyone loves a bargain, especially in KFC SuperCoach. Getting a top scorer for well under his real value can set up your whole season.

Here are our expert ratings for the 11 biggest bargains of KFC SuperCoach in 2021, and don’t miss our updated mid-price rankings.

Matt Rowell produced some huge KFC SuperCoach scores in his first AFL season.

THE PHANTOM

South Australia’s biggest KFC SuperCoach expert has been studying the numbers for all the best picks this season, and he has unearthed some gems.

Click here for his ultimate guide to the best premium picks in every position.

If you don’t want to pay top dollar, he has also rated the best value picks in defence, midfield, the ruck and forward line.

ANALYSIS

Take your KFC SuperCoach preparation to the next level with in-depth analysis.

Find out how the fixture could effect some of the top KFC SuperCoach scorers here, what new (and old) rules mean for our KFC SuperCoach players, and click here for expert predictions of the top-scorers at every team.

And here is how our experts predict every AFL team will line up in Round 1.

And any player can super charge their KFC SuperCoach team with SuperCoach Plus, an exclusive suite of tools and extra stats.

PODCASTS

Get the latest KFC SuperCoach news and tips in your ears every week by subscribing to the official KFC SuperCoach AFL Podcast and The Phantom’s Lair.

Originally published as KFC SuperCoach 2021 study guide: One-stop shop for pre-season research