SuperCoach AFL 2024 trade guide: Expert verdict on best targets for round 8
Get Jordon Sweet. After that, it gets complicated. See the expert verdict on all of the most traded in and traded out players in SuperCoach this week.
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Use one trade to get Jordon Sweet this week.
After that, the options are wide open.
Sweet could be one of the buys of the year after stepping into the No.1 ruck role at Port Adelaide following Ivan Soldo’s injury.
But there are multiple ways to get him in – ranging from paying up from a cheaper bench ruckman to trading out a top-end ruck and making $400,000 on the deal.
Which way you go will determine your next moves, but with some other impressive cheapies on the bubble and premiums at the cheapest price we’re likely to see for a while, there are no shortage of possibilities.
Our experts deliver their verdict on the 10 most traded in and 10 most traded out players this week – and scroll down to read the full round 8 trade guide.
MOST TRADED IN
1. JORDON SWEET $158,700 RUC
Al Paton: BUY. Back-up rucks thrust into the lead role are the best money-makers in SuperCoach. Get him on field or on the bench and enjoy the windfall.
Tim Michell: BUY. Get yourself a one-way ticket to candyland because this is a sweet, sweet bargain. Ivan Soldo should miss at least another four weeks and his understudy could be worth over $400k by then. Helps get a rookie off field, too, if you’re running him at R2.
Patch: BUY: If you don’t trade him in, do not pass go, do not collect $200, get outta here. Absolute must-buy.
Tarquin Oakley: BUY. Must jump on at R3, the question is do you trade your R2 to make close to $400k and back Sweet in for the next four or five weeks on field.
2. JAKE ROGERS $148,800 MID
AP: BUY. Next best cheapie this week after Sweet. Don’t expect 98 points every week but Dimma loves him.
TM: BUY. But I don’t say that with as much confidence as some of my SuperCoach colleagues. Rogers was great against West Coast but he’s largely playing half-forward and had seven disposals the week before. I’m expecting some volatile scoring.
Patch: BUY: He’s good, even if the elevated price tag hurts. Will probably be the sub here and there down the line though.
TO: BUY: If you are double downgrading this week or already have Sweet then Rogers is your man.
3. RILEY GARCIA $125,200 FWD
AP: CONSIDER. Probably the third rookie in the queue but will score OK if Bevo gives him a go.
TM: PASS. Bevo would have made him sub if Tom Liberatore was fit and although he’ll hold for at least one more week with Rhylee West suspended, Garcia might end up playing small forward.
Patch: AVOID: No, thank you.
TO: PASS: Luke Beveridge said Garcia came into the 22 because Liberatore was a late out against Fremantle. Libba and Ugle-Hagan are back this week, so it’s difficult to trust this pick. West out suspended may help for this week.
4. BAILEY DALE $457,900 DEF
AP: BUY. Might not crack the top six defenders but won’t be far off and price is too good to ignore.
TM: BUY. Has a monopoly on the Western Bulldogs backline at the moment with Caleb Daniel out of favour and Ed Richards in the middle. Worst case he makes $100k-150k and you turn him into a top premo in one trade.
Patch: CONSIDER: I’m warming on Dale after being ice cold early in the week. By Thursday night I may well have brought him in. That Bevo factor scares the pants off me, though.
TO: CONSIDER- Looking a million bucks at the moment, but things can change quickly at the Bulldogs.
5. TOM GREEN $579,500 MID
AP: BUY. A great price for a player who could be a top-three mid this year.
TM: BUY. SuperCoach is better with Tom Green in your side.
Patch: BUY: Going to be a top-five midfielder from here on out. Get him in.
TO: BUY. For those that don’t have him, grabbing Green at $580k is great buying fresh off a score of 159.
6. JORDAN DAWSON $558,200 DEF
AP: CONSIDER. I like his form revival and value but behind Serong and Green for points.
TM: BUY. But not ahead of Green and Serong, who are all but locked in as top-eight mids. I’ve got Dawson in the next crop of 8-10 behind the big six – Rowell, Serong, Merrett, Bont, Butters and Petracca.
Patch: BUY. Should be a top 10 midfielder from here on out, and will likely be my VC this week in the Showdown.
TO: BUY. Dawson looks back to his best and doesn’t mind a Showdown at all. Should post another strong score this week.
7. CALEB SERONG $621,000 MID
AP: BUY. He’s $600 under his starting price - what a bargain! Still value for a guy who will get you 120 points every week (and probably a lot more this round).
TM: BUY. And hope my premium curse is over because I’m also buying and will probably captain him. Richmond has been the easiest match-up for opposition midfielders in SuperCoach this year.
Patch: AVOID: I’ve got him and no-one else is allowed him, lest you spoil him. Yes, I’m talking mostly to Tim, but also to everyone else. He’s mine. Hands off.
TO: BUY. Seems super reliable and is a candidate for M1 come the end of the season.
8. DARCY JONES $123,900 FWD
AP: WAIT. Looked fantastic on debut but we have another week to make sure, and the Giants have a few to come back in.
TM: WAIT. Got a feeling he might be sub this week with Brent Daniels and Toby Greene to return.
Patch: CONSIDER: Wait another week if you can.
TO: WAIT. GWS have some big names back this week and Jones is no certainty to hold his spot going forward.
9. ZACH MERRETT $640,000 MID
AP: CONSIDER. Would love him in my team but are there better value options?
TM: BUY. Eagles, North and Richmond in his next four. $700k isn’t out of the question. He just doesn’t look like scoring under 100.
Patch: BUY: He’s good. May well be the No.1 midfielder this season.
TO: CONSIDER. Think he’s still a great option but his Break Even is at 130, plus Archie Perkins is back this week so we’ll get a true reflection of how much rotation there’ll be in that Dons midfield.
10. COOPER SIMPSON $117,300 MID/FWD
AP: WAIT. Another one-gamer I wouldn’t be going early on.
TM: WAIT. Unless it facilitates a big upgrade to an uber premium like Serong, Merrett or Green.
Patch: CONSIDER: Wait another week if you can, although I think I’ll bring him in because anyone else leaves me short of cash.
TO: WAIT. One score of 57 isn’t enough to bring Simpson in.
MOST TRADED OUT
1. JEREMY SHARP $324,700 MID
AP: TRADE. Last week I said he was safe for a 70 score, then he scored 44. Break Even is 75. Time to say goodbye.
TM: TRADE. For once I was ahead of the curve here. He had a stinker against the Bulldogs and lost value for the first time.
Patch: SELL: Bye Felicia, thank you for your service.
TO: TRADE. Not making money anymore and there are some great upgrade options this week.
2. TOM POWELL $414,8000 MID/FWD
AP: HOLD. If he keeps playing as a forward it’s a SuperCoach death sentence but hopefully Clarko reconsiders. Risky if trading him means you have to play an extra rookie on field.
TM: HOLD. Unless Will Phillips is named again, which I doubt he will be. Powell as a forward didn’t work and Clarko should throw the magnets around again. He’s probably not a top-eight forward from here but might be top-12 still. I only traded him because I was scared of what Dan Houston was going to do to St Kilda last week.
Patch: CONSIDER: I still don’t know. Wait until team sheets if you can.
TO: CONSIDER. Is his CBA-heavy role gone? If Will Phillips is out he may go back into the midfield, and he’s proven he can score well there.
3. MASSIMO D’AMBROSIO $348,200 DEF/MID
AP: HOLD. I watched Hawthorn last week and they can’t afford to leave him out. Should play, score OK and make more money.
TM: HOLD. Still has another week of cash gen in him. But trade if it gets you a star.
Patch: HOLD: Give him at least one more week if named, if he still isn’t named you can let him go.
TO: HOLD. If you held him through his week off then there’s no reason to trade him now. Has a low Break Even and has more money to make.
4. BRODIE GRUNDY $553,000 RUC
AP: CONSIDER. Torn on this one. Still think Grundy can be a top-three ruck and he scores very well at the SCG. But playing Sweet on field might not cost too many points and I can do a lot with that money.
TM: TRADE. Trading Grundy to Sweet is a good move, I don’t care what Patch says. You can then go premium shopping elsewhere and don’t waste Sweet’s scoring at R3. And you can always get Grundy back after his R12 bye.
Patch: HOLD: I’ve come back around after dillydallying on the podcast, but I ain’t spending any more time on it because every three months a premium is torn to bits by a crocodile in the forward line.
TO: CONSIDER. It’s a bold play, but getting Sweet on field would allow you to use Grundy’s cash to upgrade to pretty much any player you want by trading a rookie like Sharp, Cadman or Comben as well.
5. OLIVER DEMPSEY $298,600 FWD/MID
AP: TRADE. Has been handy but ready to cash in.
TM: HOLD. How many forwards do we have this year who can score 38 points in a quarter? OK, he scored 11 in the remaining three quarters last weekend, but he seems to love the MCG, where Chris Scott uses his running power on a wing rather than forward. Maybe it’s the FOMO he gives me every week, but I think he’s your finishing M9/F7 swing. His ceiling is that big.
Patch: TRADE: He’s outta here.
TO: TRADE. Has had three scores at 56 or under in a row now so his cash gen is shot.
6. AARON CADMAN $287,700 FWD
AP: TRADE. See above. A successful starting pick but ready to move on.
TM: TRADE. It’s going to take me a while to get over a bloke who averaged 22 last year making almost $160k this year. Trade him to Sweet, bank $140k and flip Coen Livingstone or Finnbar Maley forward.
Patch: TRADE: He’s also outta here.
TO: CONSIDER. Isn’t going to lose much money but won’t make much either this week. If he gets you to a Dawson or Serong pull the trigger.
7. ZAC WILLIAMS $334,500 DEF
AP: CONSIDER. Williams is projected to make another $30k but if trading him gets you an extra premium, then he has done his job.
TM: TRADE. Unlikely to hit his break even this week.
Patch: HOLD: I think you can hold him one more week.
TO: TRADE. I’d be trading him, but if you hold then it would be for a couple more rounds given his Break Even will drop again when the score of 33 falls out of his price cycle. I’m not so patient.
8. RYLEY SANDERS $294,900 FWD/MID
AP: TRADE. Who knows where he fits in Bevo’s plans.
TM: TRADE. But only if Bevo leaves him in the VFL. He had a stack of footy in a practice match at the weekend and the forward line is cesspool outside Heeney and Flanders.
Patch: TRADE: Get rid of him if you can, but if he’s playing VFL he’s not losing cash at least.
TO: TRADE. Not in the side at the moment. Can’t trust his job security.
9. ZAC FISHER $373,700 DEF/FWD
AP: TRADE. Now $5k under his round 1 price (with a BE of 123) which isn’t how mid-pricers are supposed to work.
TM: TRADE. How did so many of us get seduced by this guy?
Patch: TRADE. Get him outta here, he’s done.
TO: TRADE. Why did I start him?
10. LUKE JACKSON $500,500 RUC/FWD
AP: HOLD. Also going backwards – he’s $46k cheaper now than what I paid in round 1 with a 120 BE. But there aren’t many forwards overtaking him and ruck insurance could be worth a lot.
TM: HOLD. Provides ruck cover in the event of injury or suspension, and in all honesty history suggests Sean Darcy will probably get injured again at some stage.
Patch: HOLD: I’m gonna be writing this every week until I die (or the season finishes, whichever comes first) but in lieu of literally any good forward options we should hold him, unless you enjoy having Riley and Hugo Garcia at F5 and F6.
TO: CONSIDER. He’s losing cash but may still end up as a top-eight forward.
Trade guide: Hot new rookies, 16 bargain premiums
– Al Paton and Tim Michell
Let’s go shopping.
Upgrade season may have started early for some teams this year, but now it has well and truly arrived for everyone after a rollercoaster round 7.
A number of popular rookies and mid-pricers have hit the wall and are ready to be traded for maximum profit, and their timing couldn’t be better as top-end premiums drop in price.
Round 7 also saw the emergence of one of the most promising cash cows of the season in the form of Jordon Sweet, who will stand in as Port Adelaide’s No.1 ruck for the next few weeks at least with Ivan Soldo booked in for minor knee surgery on Monday.
Coaches with Luke Jackson or Lloyd Meek as one of their on-field rucks can trade to Sweet for a big profit, while others will be tempted to find a way to sit him on the ruck bench to make the most of Sweet’s cash appreciation.
And he isn’t the only cheapie on offer this week for coaches looking to bank some cash to bring in some of the long list of fallen premiums.
Scroll down for our full list and when they will bottom out in price to plan trades for this week and the weeks ahead.
ROOKIES
JORDON SWEET $158,700 RUC
While plenty of SuperCoaches waited to find out how many weeks Ivan Soldo would miss after surgery, those who jumped on Sweet before Friday night’s game against St Kilda were rewarded when he took advantage of a sore Rowan Marshall to score 136 points. Looks set to be one of the best mid-year cash cows if he can hold the No.1 ruck spot at Port Adelaide for at least a month, and is a genuine on-field option.
JAKE ROGERS $148,800 MID
Most SuperCoaches ruled a line through Rogers as a downgrade option when he scored 28 on debut. But his effort on Sunday against West Coast has left us with plenty to ponder. Rogers was one of Gold Coast’s leading possession-winners against West Coast, registering 22 disposals and a goal for 98 SuperCoach points. Rookie expert Dan Batten tells us that performance shouldn’t be a surprise from a natural ball-winner who scored 100-plus points in all eight of his national championships/Coates League games last year before the Suns matched a bid from Sydney for him at pick 14 in the national draft. Damien Hardwick spoke about him in glowing terms post-match, a good sign for his job security.
RILEY GARCIA $125,200 FWD
Garcia has made an impact for the Bulldogs since being rewarded for his dominant VFL form, scoring 82 and 64 in his two senior matches this year. The question mark now is where he fits in Luke Beveridge’s plans when Tom Liberatore returns. Beveridge revealed after his side’s loss to Fremantle that Garcia would have been sub if Liberatore wasn’t a late out due to illness. He’s set for a nice spike in value but comes with questionable job security.
KANE MCAULIFFE $117,300 MID
The young Tigers midfielder was dropped for round 7 but was held over from Richmond’s VFL game, showing he was on the cusp of Adem Yze’s team. And with Jacob Hopper injured again, the inside midfield role McAuliffe covets is his for the taking. McAuliffe was won rave reviews since arriving at Punt Rd and has SuperCoach scores of 16 (sub) and 58 so far. You can afford to wait another week, but will need to pay a bit more as his Break Even is -7.
FALLEN PREMIUM HIT LIST
JORDAN DAWSON $558,200 MID
When to target him: Now!
Looked on track to match his 168 in round 6 with a dominant first half against North Melbourne. He slowed up a bit in the second half but the match was well and truly done by then, and Dawson’s price jumped about $25k after he finished on 127. That is still great buying – $90k under his starting price and with a Break Even of 24 entering round 8. A third strong score in a row and he’ll be back over $600k. Importantly, he has his touch and confidence back – clunking marks he was dropping in the first five weeks – and the short-lived forward line experiment is in the bin.
BAILEY DALE $457,200 DEF
When to target him: Round 8
If you wanted to make sure Dale’s 175 against St Kilda wasn’t an aberration, Saturday night should confirm the Dogs defender is back. Thirty disposals (23 kicks) and two goals against the Dockers added $35k to his price tag, but he’s still extremely affordable – only about $100k from Zac Williams or Massimo D’Ambrosio. With a Break Even of -45 another score like that will catapult his value over $500k. Hard to believe he started as the sub three weeks ago.
TOM GREEN $579,500 MID
When to target him: Round 8
Passing on Green due to concerns about the Giants’ bye looked like a disastrous decision when he peeled off scores of 132, 152 and 137 to start the season. But down games come eventually and Green had two in a row before bouncing back in a huge way with 159 points against Brisbane. His price still dropped on the back of that score, although not by as much as non-owners would have been hoping for. But with a Break Even of 91 this week, this is likely to be as cheap as he’ll get until at least after the Giants’ round 12 bye.
CALEB SERONG $621,00 MID
When to target him: Round 8
The Dockers’ clearance king is having a brilliant season, averaging 128 points a game – ranked No.3 in the midfield and No.4 overall. Given that form it was a bonus his price dipped as low as $613k heading into round 7, but another huge return (140) has him back to just $600 under his starting value this week with a very gettable Break Even (98 against Richmond). It may be a stretch to call him a fallen premium but he’s great value for a player who seems all but guaranteed to finish in the top handful of midfielders for 2024. A stand-alone mid-season bye with Port Adelaide is an added bonus.
MARCUS BONTEMPELLI $614,000 MID
When to target him: Any time now
It’s a tough game when you average 116 points a game and drop in value by over $110,000. But those are the high standards Bontempelli set last season, and the punishing maths of the SuperCoach stock market – simply, the higher your price, the more points you have to score to stay there. It’s been a nervous seven weeks for non-owners but their bravery is about to be rewarded, with one of the most bankable stars in SuperCoach dropping to the price level of a standard SuperCoach premium. If he continues his current slightly underwhelming scoring (three-round average 100) he could get even cheaper, but any time now is a great time to jump on especially when a monster 160-plus score could happen at any time.
TIM ENGLISH $591,300 RUC
When to target him: Round 8-10
Coaches who started without English would have fallen over if you told them seven weeks ago they could buy the No.1 scoring ruckman of 2023 at a $124k discount. A shock 58 against Essendon in round 5 is about to drop out of his price cycle following a score of 134 against the Dockers, so his price is about to start going back up – but Jordon Sweet suddenly complicates the picture. Can you get both? If you wait on English he should still be available for around $630k in a few weeks’ time.
CHRISTIAN PETRACCA $594,100 MID
When to target him: Round 9-10
Richmond’s injury-depleted midfield seemed ripe for Petracca’s picking but it didn’t quite happen for the Demons superstar on Anzac Eve, and non-owners are the winners. He has dropped under $600k but there’s no rush to jump on with an even bigger Break Even of 188 against Geelong. A projected score of 116 will see his value drop to about $560k, a massive bargain for a player of Petracca’s quality. Include him in your medium-term trade plans.
R7 #supercoach Price Projection* - Christian Petracca
— Brice Mitchell (@bricemitchell) April 24, 2024
2023Av 119(23g)
StartPrice $668k
2024Scores 108/119/146/97/140/59
R7BE 157
R7Score 93
R7:$624k->$594k($-29k)
R8BE 189
ProjScore 115
R8->$560k($-34k)BE 115
R9->$560k($0k)BE 95
R10->$570k($9k)BE 102
*approx https://t.co/yRMtMUEJt9
RORY LAIRD $562,500 MID
When to target him: Round 8-10
We should have trusted one score from Jordan Dawson. Does the same rule apply to his dual All-Australian teammate? Laird’s price had dropped $80k entering round 6 on the back of a 102 average, but he lifted that to 116 in one game with 149 points from 34 disposals, six tackles and a goal against the Kangaroos. His price isn’t likely to shoot up too quickly so we have the luxury of watching him for another week or two before making a call on the SuperCoach stalwart.
TOM STEWART $538,100 DEF
When to target him: Round 9-10
A slow start to the year by his standards and an unlucky concussion has already wiped $97k off Stewart’s starting price, and he’s likely to drop further when he returns to the Cats line-up. If he is named this week he’ll have a Break Even of 137, not impossible but a mark he is yet to hit this year (season-high 134 in round 2). SuperCoach Plus projects two more price drops, taking Stewart all the way down to just over $500k heading into round 9. That’s crazy value for a player who has averaged 107-plus the past three seasons and a great way to finish off your defence.
JACK STEELE AND ROWAN MARSHALL
When to target them: Not yet, but keep an eye out
Two Saints stars with tumbling price tags to watch over coming weeks. Marshall entered Friday night’s game against Port Adelaide with a 168 Break Even, and his night went from bad to worse for his 17,000 owners when he left the ground early with an apparent injury. He returned and played out the game but a score of 63 has sent his BE skyrocketing. You could get a month of cash generation out of Sweet then jump on Marshall for under $500k.
Steele also appeared to be playing hurt, managing a season-low 70 points playing with his knee heavily strapped. After starting the year priced at $529k he soared to $630k but is now heading back down and could be a lot closer to his starting price in a few weeks.
RISKIER BARGAINS
If you can’t find anyone you like (or can afford) on that list, there are more proven SuperCoach scorers available for even less – but they come with a lot more risk. Luke Davies-Uniacke ($518,400 MID) broke a run of three sub-100 scores with 101 last round and he backed it up with 112 against the Crows. His Break Even is falling after dropping more than $100k from his starting price.
Darcy Parish($493,600 MID) played his best game of the season by a big margin on Anzac Day and you can get a midfielder who started at over $600k for under $500k. A 113-point game from Jack Sinclair($529,100 DEF) was also a promising sign for a proven premo priced in the low $500k range.
Jack Macrae’s score of 79 doesn’t scream “pick me” but he’s still cheap in a shallow forward line pool after only going up $7000.
Then there’s Clayton Oliver($466,200 MID). After starting the year priced at $674k he’s now $466k and falling. Another score around his current 83 average and he will be under $450k next week. His pre-season was far from perfect and he is yet to hit anything close to what we know he is capable of, but how cheap does he have to get to roll the dice?
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Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024 trade guide: Expert verdict on best targets for round 8
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