SuperCoach AFL: The trade period is over, but what will it mean for SuperCoach players in 2020?
So that’s it! The meat market that is the AFL trade period is done and dusted … the most important thing we want to know is what effect the trades that have happened over the last fortnight or so will have for people’s SuperCoach plans in 2020?
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So that’s it! The meat market that is the AFL trade period is done and dusted … well, at least until the draft happens in a month’s time and all of a sudden a bunch of barely legal children will be touted as the saviours of football clubs all over the nation.
But the most important thing we want to know is what effect the trades that have happened over the last fortnight or so will have for people’s SuperCoach plans in 2020 — will the likes of Tim Kelly finally getting his wish and moving back across the country to the West Coast Eagles change their midfield make-up, or will it be a case of someone such as a seeming second ruck choice such as Marc Pittonet who emerges as the difference-maker for a player next season?
With four free agency acquisitions and a plethora of players moving clubs, and cast our gave forward to see what will happen for the new players at their new clubs, how it will affect those around them, and those left behind.
BRANDON ELLIS | TIGERS TO SUNS | 20 games in 2019 | 87.9 avg.
Ellis returned to form in 2019 after a relatively lacklustre 2018, playing in his second premiership in three years. But now, having signed a long-term deal as a free agent at the Suns, can Ellis go to another level? He has averaged in excess of 100 points in a season once before — in 2015, he broke that barrier but since then has not gone above 92 ppg in the four seasons since. OUR PREDICTION? Ellis won’t average 100 ppg in 2020 as he’ll cop greater scrutiny at the Suns, but he’ll be a fine Draft acquisition for those looking for a dependable 90 or so points every week.
CAM ELLIS-YOLMEN | CROWS TO LIONS | 10 games | 93.4 avg.
That 2019 average is extremely deceptive — there is little consistency to Ellis-Yolen’s SuperCoach output, with half his scores being 100+ point outings and three being sub-70 efforts. As a tough-nut inside midfielder there’s every chance that the Lions could use him as a battering ram to ‘protect’ the likes of Lachie Neale around stoppages. OUR PREDICTION? Ellis-Yolmen will continue to be a bit-part player and won’t be a Classic consideration, but might end up on benches for a bunch of Draft teams who have big leagues.
ADAM TOMLINSON | GIANTS TO DEMONS | 22 games | 72.2 avg.
The general refrain from the Demons fans when they found out that they were getting a player who has played 86 of the last 87 games? “We bought him; now we’ll break him” — such is the pessimism of the MFCSS (Melbourne Football Club Supporter Syndrome). He’s been a remarkably consistent player for the Giants, but Tomlinson has never been a SuperCoach consideration — he’s never averaged more than 72 ppg and only has six scores in excess of 100 across his career. OUR PREDICTION? He’s a certainty in the Dees’ best 22 but not in a lot of SuperCoach sides.
MORE TRADE NEWS:
> Out of contract but not out of luck: AFL veterans who could still find new homes
> Joe Daniher wanted to go. Here’s what Essendon said when they told him he couldn’t
> The AFL trade period may be over, but you can still expect plenty of movement
TIM KELLY | CATS TO EAGLES | 22 games | 102.9 avg.
Now this is a move that has had SuperCoach fans on tenterhooks as it has so many knock-ons to so many players. No longer will taggers just have to think about Yeo, Shuey or Gaff at the Eagles; now Kelly could be copping a lot of the attention that would otherwise go to them. Not only the Eagles are changed, however, with the likes of Dangerfield, Selwood and Duncan (plus Steven, but more on him later) going back to being the three Musketeers — they’ve lost their d'Artagnan, the fourth player who gave the midfield a POD has gone. OUR PREDICTION? Kelly will continue to be one of the best players in the competition and a SuperCoach favourite … but it WILL change the scoring output of a lot of players around him.
GRANT BIRCHALL | HAWKS TO LIONS | 3 games | 77.0 avg.
The four-time premiership hero has struggled to get his body right, playing in just eight games in the last three seasons. In the three years prior to that, when he missed four games in total (all in 2015), he averaged between 84 and 89 points, which in itself was a come down from the three years previous, when he’s averaged between 92 and 95 during the most recent gold (and brown) period of Hawthorn dominance. OUR PREDICTION? Watch him in the pre-season — if his body is ‘right’, then he could prove to be a bargain basement price pick-up in Classic and a sneaky fourth or fifth round Draft selection.
SAM FROST | DEMONS TO HAWKS | 22 games | 64.3 avg.
Now at his third AFL club, Frost has excelled at kamikaze runs out of defence but not in SuperCoach scoring. OUR PREDICTION? Frost is not really SuperCoach relevant.
ED LANGDON | DOCKERS TO DEMONS | 22 games | 84.7 avg.
Given what the Demons ended up paying for him, it could be argued that Langdon was one of the bargain pick-ups this trade period. That’s especially true when compared to former teammate Brad Hill (more on him below), who averaged less than Langdon over the last three seasons from a SuperCoach perspective. He’s young and quick, and the Dees need his speed. OUR PREDICTION? Langdon could easily see his average rise significantly in 2020 as he’ll be the forward-impacting wing where Tomlinson takes the more defensive role.
EDDIE BETTS | CROWS TO BLUES | 21 games | 62.6 avg.
An electrifying player to watch, Betts has never been relevant for SuperCoach players — his best season saw an average of 88.4 in 2016, and he’s tracked down year-on-year since, with last year’s 62.1 his worst end-of-season average. OUR PREDICTION? Carlton fans will love having him back but he’s not going to be in many SuperCoach sides.
MORE TRADE NEWS:
> AFL trade period grades: Four A-grade flyers, three major failures
> NO DEAL: The seismic AFL trade period shift behind the collapse of three mega switches
> A big Blue disaster — but Bombers show backbone: Biggest AFL trade winners and losers
JON PATTON | GIANTS TO HAWKS | 0 games
His career with the Giants seemed on the edge of a precipice when his buckled with a third ACL injury, and it was no surprise that he’s set to start afresh with the Hawks. He should be heavily discounted based upon his lack of games played, significantly down from his $421,200 price point in 2019. OUR PREDICTION? If he’s available as a DPP RUC / FWD option again it wouldn’t surprise to see him in a lot of Classic sides, and definitely in a heap of Draft ones.
SAM JACOBS | CROWS TO GIANTS | 50 games | 69.0 avg.
Finishing the season strongly with a 125 point game against the finals-bound Dogs, Jacobs fall from grace over the last half decade has been pronounced — it was just four short seasons ago that he averaged 108 ppg after maxing out his career the year before with 115.4 ppg from 22 games in 2014. Since those back-to-back outstanding seasons he’s fallen a long way, and injuries have slowed him as he’s aged. OUR PREDICTION? ‘Sauce’ will take over from Shane ‘Sausage’ Mumford and, if nicely priced with a healthy discount after playing just 5 games in 2019, should be a handy option to pair with one of Gawn or Grundy in 2020 in Classic, and could be the fifth-selected ruckman in many Draft games.
BILLY FRAMPTON | POWER TO CROWS | 2 games | 43.5 avg.
While his cross-city switch didn’t have quite the same coverage as the 16 year gap since Carlton and Essendon traded players, Frampton is nevertheless something of a rarity going from the Power to the Crows. OUR PREDICTION? He’s barely played — just three games in two years — and he’ll most likely be third choice RUC / FWD option for the Crows. If his price is very low then he might be a bench option in Classic.
MORE TRADE NEWS:
> What your club did this AFL trade period: Every player, pick and deal
> The Blues entered the trade period with hopes of a bumper haul. They left with Eddie Betts
> ‘Hope Dees bomb’: Every club’s trade period summed up in three words
PADDY RYDER | POWER TO SAINTS | 17 games | 82.6 avg.
It remains to be seen how Ryder will be used at the Saints, with breakout favourite Rowan Marshall dominating in the RUC despite being only eligible to be selected as a FWD in 2019. That will obviously change and that could be the biggest issue for SuperCoach players — while the Marshall-Ryder combination might work for the Saints, the likelihood is that Ryder will rob Marshall of opportunities in the middle OUR PREDICTION? Ryder is likely to cause issues for SuperCoach fans who had banked on Marshall being R2 choice in 2020.
DOUGALL HOWARD | POWER TO SAINTS | 15 games | 69.3 avg.
Wow the Power fans didn’t like losing Howard, did they? The reaction to those outside the Port bubble would seem to be OTT, but such was their confidence in Howard’s ability as an intercept DEF who has incredible athletic ability. Not a bad wrap for a player dropped to the SANFL, despite being the ‘emergency’ captain when Wines and Jonas were out. OUR PREDICTION? Key defenders aren’t big SuperCoach earners, but if he plays primarily as an intercept role during the pre-season might change thoughts on him.
HUGH GREENWOOD | CROWS TO SUNS | 14 games | 86.6 avg.
Strong and powerful, Greenwood has the ability as a MID / FWD to impact in a lot of different ways. The query will be around how the Suns plan on using him — is it a 50 / 50, MID / FWD split or will he primarily play in the guts to ‘protect’ their young mids, only getting forward when the opportunity presents itself? OUR PREDICTION? Greenwood looms as a mid-priced POD in Classic and a strong addition to many Draft sides IF he’s given DPP status in 2020, something he did not have in 2019.
ZAC SMITH | CATS TO SUNS | 3 games | 67.0 avg.
Smith goes back to where he started, but can he roll back the years to 2017 when he averaged 91.3 ppg from 18 games in his second year with the Cats? OUR PREDICTION? If Smith can’t crack is as starting RUC for the Cats then he’ll be completely reliant upon Suns’ skipper Jarrad Witts being unavailable to get a spot in their 22.
LEWIS TAYLOR | LIONS TO SWANS | 5 games | 71.4 avg.
The initial thought was that Taylor was coming to the Swans for further opportunities as Papley was headed to the Blues. That … didn’t happen. So now what? Perhaps the Swans see the need for Taylor’s speed coming out of their backline with Nick Smith and Jarrad McVeigh’s retirement OUR PREDICTION? Watch his pre-season with interest — he looms as a discount-priced player who could surprise.
DARCY CAMERON | SWANS TO MAGPIES | 0 games
Keep your eyes on Darcy Cameron. The Pies have brought him across to play predominantly as a forward who can offer some ruck relief to superstar Brodie Grundy and, at the moment, he’s only battling Mason Cox for the role. Cameron came runner up in the NEAFL best and fairest, and in 2018 he averaged 20 disposals, 38 hit-outs and kicked 26 goals. OUR PREDICTION? While expectations on him are low, he will be a bargain basement priced ruck with a RUC / FWD swing. If he’s being used up forward, then he’s worth considering as a rookie in either position.
JACK STEVEN | SAINTS TO CATS | 7 games | 75.3 avg.
The Cats got the four-time St. Kilda best and fairest winner for an absolute steal, and while they’ve lost Tim Kelly, they’ll gain a midfield workhorse. Steven didn’t play much this year and, when he did, he was unfit. He still managed 75 SuperCoach points, which isn’t bad. At full fitness, Steven is a player who knows how to win the footy, use the footy and kick goals. In 2018 he was averaging 95 points while in 2015 and 2016 he was in triple digits. OUR PREDICTION? He’s a gun who should be reinvigorated having returned home. Lets see what the pre-season holds, but a must-get in draft. Jack Steven nearly gave the game away. Now he’s back in love with footy
CALLUM AH CHEE | SUNS TO LIONS | 1 game | 82.0 avg.
Huge scope for points, little opportunity to play — that’s been the premise for the 20 year-old, former No. 8 pick during his time at the Suns. Having moved an hour north to the Lions, it’s likely he’ll be given much more opportunity to showcase his freakish talents. A huge leap, breakneck speed and an elite kick. OUR PREDICTION? Keep your eyes peeled on his pre-season and price point.
BRADLEY HILL | DOCKERS TO SAINTS | 22 games | 84.6 avg.
Will absolutely light up a wing at Marvel Stadium on the weekly for the Saints, and there is no doubting that Hill is a star, but is it enough to pick him in SuperCoach? His scoring has always been inconsistent in his time at Fremantle and at around a $400,000 price tag and having never averaged more than 80 points a season, I’d be looking elsewhere for one of your coveted starting 8 midfield spots. OUR PREDICTION? Pick him as a MID in Draft.
BLAKE ACRES | SAINTS TO DOCKERS | 19 games | 72.3 avg.
One player who was highly rated that just hasn't found his groove so far in his career and that's probably due to a few factors — groin injuries and playing in a derelict St. Kilda outfit that's struggled for prime movers through the middle and, generally speaking, leadership over the last four to six years. This guy in his draft year had Scott Pendlebury-esque traits written all over him as a tall, smooth ball user but that hasn't quite blossomed in the AFL just yet. We've seen glimpses of his potential but I just feel that he's been used sparingly in the correct way. He amps up well as an inside midfielder, but he's super athletic so outside of the contest he was always damaging. Was never a huge possession getter, but I think there's a bit of a myth about midfielders having to go large in the disposal count. He's that type who could just as easily rack up 20 disposals and pump out at about 75% efficiency. OUR PREDICTION? I think he'll suit Fremantle and there’s a hope he’ll make the wing his own at the Dockers.
MARC PITTONET | HAWKS TO BLUES | 2 games | 72.5 avg.
At 23, Pittonet has just had his best development year at Box Hill as the third-string ruckman behind Ben McEvoy and Jon Ceglar at the Hawks, and while he’ll bump up into second behind Matthew Kreuzer at the Blues, there’s reason to believe that we’ll see a bit of football from the ex-Oakleigh Charger premiership player. OUR PREDICTION? I wouldn’t be selecting him in as a starter in SuperCoach.
ANDREW PHILLIPS | BLUES TO BOMBERS | 5 games | 92.8 avg.
With only Tom Bellchambers in front of him, it’s likely that Phillips gets to see more senior games at the Bombers than he did behind Matthew Kreuzer. While the journeyman has found himself to his fourth club, there are legitimate reasons to think that Phillips might be worth considering, at least in draft formats next year. He played only a handful of games this year which saw him pump out scores of 98, 79, 75, 114 and 98 but those were as the No. 1 ruck option. OUR PREDICTION? He’ll be awkwardly priced, and there’s better options available.
JOSH BRUCE | SAINTS TO BULLDOGS | 22 games | 65.7 avg.
The Bulldogs have an imposing forward line with the addition of Josh Bruce, but the tall forward hasn’t averaged better than 71 points since 2015. OUR PREDICTION? He’s not quite SuperCoach relevant but certainly carries weight in Draft formats.
ALEX KEATH | CROWS TO BULLDOGS | 18 games | 78.8 avg.
A big key defender who can intercept well enough that his ceiling is better the most in similar positions, this 28 year-old can seriously play! A winner of the Showdown medal in his 20th senior appearance, Keath will slot in seamlessly into the Bulldogs’ back half and should be an intercept possession force, which bodes well for maximising SuperCoach points by his position. OUR PREDICTION? Finished his season around the $350,000 mark and could be ready for a monster year with the 2020 flag contenders.
TOM CUTLER | LIONS TO BOMBERS | 3 games | 78.0 avg.
Another player who moved for greater opportunity, Cutler has shown he has the athletic capability to play an array of positions in his time at the Lions, but comes to the Bombers as a player who can seriously impact on a wing with a combination of speed and endurance while providing a big body in close at the coalface. One player with huge upside in SuperCoach given his ability to find the footy and use it. OUR PREDICTION? Big watch for mine.
ZAK JONES | SWANS TO SAINTS | 17 games | 85.7 avg.
This year was a big step up for Zak Jones moving up to 85.7 SuperCoach point average — which is certainly handy — but at St Kilda can he make the jump into the 90s? At times Jones’ kicking can cost him valuable SuperCoach points but he should take his football to the next level back in Melbourne playing consistently at Marvel and the MCG. OUR PREDICTION? Very much worthwhile keeping an eye on during the pre-season. Will be sought after heavily in Draft formats.
DAN BUTLER | TIGERS TO SAINTS | 7 games | 48.0 avg.
Small forwards are consistently inconsistent when it comes to SuperCoach scores and Dan Butler fits firmly into that category. The former Tiger comes to the Saints as a starting 22 player, but his ceiling has never been enough to make him relevant. OUR PREDICTION? More of a Draft option.
JOSH JENKINS | CROWS TO CATS | 11 games | 68.4 avg.
Josh Jenkins will certainly slot nicely into Geelong’s forward line, but can you really pick him in SuperCoach? The Cats are known to make the most of their inside 50s so Jenkins will certainly get his fair share of the pill, but he’s not quite a SuperCoach relevant player. It could change but we’d need to see some serious signs in pre-season to be convinced other. OUR PREDICTION? A Draft option.
AIDEN BONAR | GIANTS TO KANGAROOS | 2 games | 41.5 avg.
Starved of opportunity and looking for more senior games, Aiden Bonar is one player to move during the trade period I am very bullish about as a contested beast who can go forward with serious impact. OUR PREDICTION? He’s the kind of rookie that will start in plenty of teams if he looks assured a starting 22 spot at North.
JAMES AISH | MAGPIES TO DOCKERS | 13 games | 65.0 avg.
Underrated among opposition supporters but, at the Pies, Aish was a hardworking, nuts and bolts defender who showed courage in the air and ferocity at ground level. Naturally a wingman, he’ll get the opportunity to showcase his big tank and sure hands in close. His best footy is played through the guts where he can win the contested ball and on a wing he can use his strong kicking to advantage. Likely to be more of a defensive wingman at this stage. OUR PREDICTION? Will need to see what pre-season looks like but he has never really had the ceiling in SuperCoach to be a relevant starter. Pick him in Draft formats without hesitation.
Originally published as SuperCoach AFL: The trade period is over, but what will it mean for SuperCoach players in 2020?
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