SuperCoach 2016: Who to trade and how to make the most of byes

IT’S nearly bye time in SuperCoach, and we’re not just talking about giving Mitch Brown his marching orders. BYE RULES AND TRADE TIPS

Put Leigh Montagna on your recruiting radar.

IT’S nearly bye time in SuperCoach, and we’re not just talking about giving Mitch Brown his marching orders.

Brown’s time is up after scoring 29 last weekend — the obvious move is to swap him for Fremantle defender Sam Collins who scored 100 in Round 11.

Brown has a break-even of 99 and is all but guaranteed to lose money after his next game. Collins has a break-even of -89 and is about to jump up in price. Trade decisions don’t get much easier.

But things are about to get a lot more complicated.

This weekend is the last time we’ll see all 18 teams running around for a month.

GET THE BEST BYE ADVICE AND TRADE TIPS FOR THIS WEEK FROM AL PATON AND GILBERT GARDINER IN THE LATEST EPISODE OF THE SUPERCOACHES BOX PODCAST:

The dreaded bye rounds start in Round 13. For three weeks, six teams will get a break each weekend from playing AFL, and from scoring points for our SuperCoach teams.

Our squads will resemble Swiss cheese (or cynics might say the Collingwood defence) with holes everywhere.

But don’t panic! There are rules in place to help us through this challenging period, and cunning SuperCoach players can gain an edge on their rivals by playing smart with bye trades.

First, a few rule changes to help us from Rounds 13-15:

— Only your top 18 scoring players count towards your total

— Maximum of three trades every week

— League matches continue as normal

With only 18 scores required, we can afford to have up to 12 players missing every week — a big relief. But be aware that to count towards your total a player must be on the field (no use having three rucks all playing the same week).

Brett Deledio could be a smart pick-up after the byes. Picture: Colleen Petch

When it comes to trades, the aim is to spread the pain so you don’t have too many players in one position missing the same week.

For example, if you already have Rory Laird and Sam Docherty, it’s probably not the best idea to bring in Alex Rance — another defender with a Round 13 bye.

It might be too late to avoid some hits, but you can still get a jump on the rest of the pack by using those three bye trades smartly. Instead of simply trying to plug holes in a leaking boat, improve your team by targeting big guns in the week after their bye.

For example, if you trade Brett Deledio into your team this week he could post a big score against Gold Coast but will then sit out the next weekend. In fact, any player you trade in this week is guaranteed to miss at least one of the next four.

The smarter play is to wait two weeks to bring in Deledio when you know he will be available (barring injuries and unforeseen disasters) for every game for the rest of the year.

This strategy is especially relevant after Round 13 when Deledio and Co. will help cover for members of your squad who won’t be available over the final two bye rounds.

So keep an eye on the likes of Deledio, Trent Cotchin, Rory Sloane, Steele Sidebottom and Leigh Montagna, who is likely to be available for under $450,000.

Jarrad Jansen (left) made a promising start to his career as a Lion wearing Jonathan Brown’s old jumper. Picture: Darren England

To find the cash to make those trades, use the first bye week to cash in rookies who are about to miss — Ryan Davis and Josh Smith are standouts in this category.

Trade these guys down to bargain basement players. Yes, they will miss a game at some stage during the byes but if it’s Round 14 or 15 they will be easier to cover (hello, Jarrad Jansen) and, crucially, they will create the bulging bank balance you need to bring in some star recruits.

Byes can be tough. But welcoming three superstars in one week certainly helps ease the pain.

UPCOMING BYES

ROUND 13

Adelaide, Gold Coast, Richmond, St Kilda, Carlton, Collingwood

ROUND 14

Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, West Coast, Sydney, Essendon, Melbourne

ROUND 15

North Melbourne, GWS, Brisbane Lions, Fremantle, Geelong, Hawthorn

Originally published as SuperCoach 2016: Who to trade and how to make the most of byes