SuperCoach AFL 2025: Top trade targets for round 14
Cut-price premiums have shown up just when we need them in SuperCoach. But who will score the most points – and who can we trust? Plus this week’s top rookies.
SuperCoach
Don't miss out on the headlines from SuperCoach. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Salvation is here.
Just as SuperCoaches were wondering how they would finish their teams with rookie cash reserves running dry, the solution has appeared in the form of a surprise batch of mid-season mid-pricers.
There are nine players who could score like premiums for the final 11 rounds but available at hugely discounted price tags.
While Zak Butters ($563,700 MID, Break Even 90) and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera ($507,100 DEF, BE 74) remain prime premium targets this round – both bye free and as cheap as they’ll get – one or even two of this batch could get you out of jail and fill final spots in your defence, midfield or forward line.
We surveyed our experts to rank them on potential output and reliability over the final 11 rounds. See the results here – and scroll down for this week’s top rookie picks.
* has a bye next round
The table below is the reason McKercher is suddenly hot property in SuperCoach, and the top pick for all but one of our experts (The Phantom has him at No.2). After being used as a wingman and half-forward for the first 12 rounds – averaging 62 points a game – McKercher was sent back to defence on Sunday and was close to best on ground with 35 disposals and 144 SuperCoach points. We need to note that his two big scores this year have come against Richmond and against West Coast, and Alastair Clarkson loves to throw his magnets around (exhibit A: Harry Sheezel), but the Kangaroos are bye-free and the No.2 pick in 2023 draft – who also boasts dual-position status – has the highest upside of anyone on this list. Fortune favours the brave, right?
Don’t get Mills this week – Sydney has the bye – but it pays to look ahead when assessing what your team will look like coming out of the byes. And that might mean passing on other names this week if you want to find a spot in your defence or Flex for Mills, who tonned up against Richmond in his second game for the year after a long injury lay-off. The Swans captain, who averaged 116 points a game in 2022, will face harder opponents in the run home, but he has an advantage over other mid-price contenders in that his price hasn’t moved – he’s on the bubble coming into round 15.
Caldwell is back at the coalface for Essendon and scoring lots of SuperCoach points. He now has three SuperCoach tons on the trot – 119, 123, 102 – and although he has added $48k to his price tag in the past two weeks, he’s still great value at almost $30k under his round 1 price. He might not produce the huge ceiling scores McKercher is capable of, but there seems no danger of him losing his centre square role – even with Darcy Parish’s return. A safe pick.
This is only for the roughly 30,000 coaches who traded Daniel out before North Melbourne’s bye, or for some reason didn’t start with him. The former Dog played his best game for the year in Bunbury on Sunday (124 points) and his role as the Kangaroos’ main kick-in taker (nine on Sunday) seems secure, even with McKercher (six kick-ins) moving behind the ball. One bad score (51 in round 8) sparked a minor SuperCoach panic, but apart from that Daniel hasn’t dropped below 80 all year and is ranked No.8 among all forwards on averages – that’s a great F6 for most teams.
Veteran fell out of the Blues’ best 23 for several weeks but it will be hard to drop him again after back-to-back SuperCoach tons (118, 107) as Carlton returns to the winner’s list. The key is a return to the half-back role that made him a SuperCoach favourite for so long. Docherty didn’t rise in value too much after lockout and still offers great value – if he can hold the role. An added incentive – Carlton plays West Coast and North Melbourne in the next two weeks.
The smart play was to grab Sheldrick for under $200,000 two weeks ago. Is it too late now? He has moved from the rookie to mid-price category which means you have to assess him against players like Mills and McKercher, but he has a great role at centre bounces for the Swans and he’s improving every week – 81, 85, 93, 109 in his past four. We’ve missed his first $100k profit, and history says not many players make another $100k. He’s also coming into a bye.
We keep saying Stewart is good value, and he keeps scoring well – 98, 103, 111 in his past three. Like Mills and Docherty, Stewart has a serious SuperCoach resume, averaging at least 97 points a game in every season from 2019-2024. Multiple injury interruptions this year are a worry, but Stewart hasn’t had any issues since returning to the team. And his price won’t be this low for much longer.
Who had Dion Prestia as a potential trade-in on their 2025 SuperCoach bingo card? But we can only follow the numbers. The Tigers veteran missed the first 11 rounds through injury but has made up for lost time with two huge performances. He has a great role and has a SuperCoach-friendly game, but with trades starting to run low it would be a huge gamble to bank on him playing out the season without another injury interruption. Richmond has the bye so let’s revisit him in a week if we still need a cheap midfielder.
The upstart of the group, the 14th pick in the 2019 draft is having a breakout year, with a clear spike in scoring since he was added to Port Adelaide’s centre bounce mix a month ago. Bergman has topped 100 SuperCoach points in three of his past four matches, including a season-high 128 against the Giants. There is always risk banking on a player who hasn’t posted premium level scores before, but every top-liner has a first season at the elite level – and it’s a great feeling if you jump on from the start.
ROOKIES
An ideal trade this week would be to bring in a top-liner like Butters, one of the mid-price guns listed above and a rookie – with Levi Ashcroft (102 Break Even) one of the players going out for most teams. And fortunately there are a few fresh rookies worth considering, especially when some coaches will need to buy two of them to nail a big fish with their third trade.
A quick onballer taken with pick 70 in last year’s draft, Johnson impressed on debut in round 12 before being subbed out with 48 points to his name. Against Carlton on Sunday night he was given the full 120 minutes and scored 80, making him the No.1 downgrade target this week. The only downsides are he’s MID only and Essendon is yet to have its bye, so he’ll be missing in round 16.
Drafted in 2021, Jackson has had a rough run with injuries but made his AFL debut as the sub in round 11 at age 22 after averaging almost 22 disposals and four clearances in the SANFL this year. He was elevated to the starting 22 after the Power’s bye and responded with 14 disposals, including his first career goal, and 58 SuperCoach points. His scoring doesn’t seem as prolific as Johnson and he’s slightly mroe expensive, but the big plus is he’s already had his bye, so he could be an extra green dot in round 16.
A rare “fallen rookie”, Clohesy’s price fell all the way to $103k after being used as the sub by the Cats six times in eight appearances this year before last Saturday. But he showed when given the chance, he can score – posting 71 SuperCoach points from 15 disposals and eight tackles. His dual-position status could be very useful in the run home, but how much confidence can we have he’ll stay in the 22?
The No.1 pick in the mid-season draft had to wait at least another week to make a debut, but Andrew McQualter could make changes after a disappointing loss in Bunbury. McCarthy wasn’t as prolific in his second game in the WAFL as the week before, but still compiled 20 touches and a goal to push his case this week before the Eagles hit the bye in round 15. With other rookie options available, it’s safest to wait, but that bargain basement price tag could be the few dollars you need to make a big upgrade.
Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2025: Top trade targets for round 14
Gawn explains clash with May after final-minute blunder
Max Gawn’s last-gasp error cost the Demons a chance at victory — and Steven May was involved in a fiery chat after the loss. Hear from the Melbourne captain and Simon Goodwin here.
Buy, hold, sell: How much will Zak Butters cost in SuperCoach?
Zak Butters is the No.1 trade target in SuperCoach this week after another huge score. And there are more bargains up for grabs. See all the key names and price moves here.