SuperCoach AFL 2025: Experts reveal their trades for 2025

The last bye round of the season is the final hurdle before a dash to the SuperCoach finals. See the experts’ round 16 moves – and who is shouldering arms.

Getting 18 scoring players on field in the final bye round for the season is the urgent priority when making trades in SuperCoach.

But there are bigger questions at play when trying to build the best team for the final nine rounds of the season – with enough trades to deal with emergencies in that time.

Here’s what the experts are doing for round 16.

AL PATON

OUT: Cooper Simpson

IN: Sam Butler

I “finished” my team with a four-trade splurge last week and the plan was to sit tight for the last nine rounds on four (!) trades. But I am weighing up this move, which would give me an extra green dot in the trickiest bye round (Carlton’s surprise call to drop Matt Carroll has me skating on very thin ice this week). That alone doesn’t justify burning a valuable trade, but the real value could be in having a reliable rookie in my forward line which could help me avoid a trade in the event of a one or two-week injury in the run home. As it stands my bench cover down there is Simpson and Archer Day-Wicks, which is ... not great. I have seven MID-FWDS, including ADW, but they are all in my forward line except Eagle Tom Gross ... which is a good description of the state of my forward line cover.

Hawthorn rookie Sam Butler is on the bubble this week. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

THE PHANTOM

OUT: Angus Clarke, Zak Johnson and Thomas Sims

IN: Jack Macrae, Mani Liddy and Sam Butler

Injury trades? Never heard of him. The original plan involved a final ‘upgrade’ a few weeks after the byes when there would, hopefully, be less risk in going down to two or three trades for the run home. But I’m a touch short on numbers this week and the value premium option is there. So, I’m going for it. Macrae coming in pushes Tom McCarthy to my 24th player post-byes, with the flexibility of Nic Martin at – yep, you got it – Flex. Liddy and Butler – if named – should also help my break-glass-in-case-of-emergency cover. Because the two trades I have left will only be for emergencies worse than that.

PATCH

No trades

Finally, for the first time this season, we’re doing no trades. Good thing, too – I’ve only got four left.

CHLOE WILLIAMS

IN: Jack Macrae, Mani Liddy

OUT: Zak Johnson, Kane McAuliffe

I was hoping McAuliffe could make some more money and get me someone better than Macrae, but I think I’ll have to take it. Unless, of course, I hold him until he’s back and save those precious trades. Johnson has been great, but I feel Clarke’s job security is a touch more solid, so a downgrade it is to help out the bank account.

Jack Macrae scored 131 last round. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

TIM MICHELL

OUT: Conor Stone, Angus Clarke and Zac Johnson

IN: Tom McCarthy, Sam Butler and Jason Horne-Francis/Jack Macrae

Still undecided on the premium. Not owning Horne-Francis has been much more frustrating than Macrae, but I’m wary of trading in a seemingly injured Horne-Francis off a five-day break. McCarthy becomes my 23rd but he’ll average 100 so he’s a premium anyway despite costing $99k.

HAYDN ‘DOS’ KENNY

No trades

SuperCoach? Completed it, mate. You can’t fix perfection, and with another rise in ranks and The Lair’s ‘top of the pod’ guaranteed – why trade? A glorious 20 premiums playing in the supposed toughest bye round has the Chief primed to be smug in the office on Monday. I’m treating my final five trades more precious than Gollum did the ring, learning from last year’s mistakes. The cost will be missing the Mills and Darcy trains, relying instead on Tom McCarthGOAT as my 23rd premium for the foreseeable future.

Angus Clarke has done his job for some coaches. Picture: Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos via Getty Images

MATT FORREST

IN: Mani Liddy, Sam Butler, Bo Allan

OUT: Tom Gross, Hugh Boxshall, Angus Clarke

Tossed up between Bo Allan and Cooper Hynes, but I’ll back in Andrew McQualter to play the kid over Luke Beveridge. Contemplated swapping Lachie Neale for Marcus Bontempelli with a Boost, but for now I’m hanging tight on the upgrades and I’ll hope Neale charges home in the final third of the season. He’s been wildly disappointing this season but five scores of 124-plus is nothing to sneeze at, and in the new age of SuperCoach where you only take 22 out of 23 scores, having a boom-or-bust player isn’t the worst thing. The trio of rookies I’m bringing in will all likely end the season on my benches, as I’m down to my final six trades after this week. But I’ve got 23 green dots, which should be enough to keep climbing the ranks in a difficult week.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2025: Experts reveal their trades for 2025