The dangerous dozen: Twelve players to avoid in SuperCoach 2024
He’s in 60 per cent of SuperCoach teams but Carlton star Zac Williams could derail your season. And he’s not the only big name player in MAX STAINKAMPH’s no-go zone for 2024.
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SuperCoach isn’t all about who you pick.
While nailing that crucial breakout and grabbing all the money-making rookies early is important, you’ve also got to make sure you miss the players who’ll drag your team down.
Jack Macrae hurt plenty of coaches last season, as did Lachie Whitfield before he turned his form around.
Here are the players I’ve dubbed the Dangerous Dozen, players who should give you pause before ramming them into your side.
At this stage I’m giving these 12 guys a miss, but reserve the right to bring them in down the line if circumstances change in practice matches.
SAM FLANDERS ($494,200 MID-FWD)
Flanders will miss round three with a Round Zero-induced bye, where while the competition goes to Best 18, you’ll also be missing any other Suns and Giants players – and covering them with a rookie will set you behind anyone who isn’t missing premium options.
The other reason to avoid 2023’s breakout star, and the other is the Dimma effect.
Damien Hardwick was never known for fostering a system which fostered huge scores in his innings at Richmond – Dustin Martin aside – and it’s given your humble correspondent pause.
With a heap of options including Touk Miller, Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson, new draftees in Jack Rodgers and co., and more, is there still room for him in the guts?
We do get to see him and what role he has in Round Zero, which is a plus, but then that means he has that bye in round 3, which is bad. But he came home like a house on fire last season, which is good. But it came while Touk Miller was on the comeback trail from injury, which is bad. But, his name lets you make Simpsons references! (That’s good).
SHAUN MANNAGH ($117,300 MID-FWD)
Beware the ghost of Greg Clark.
The Werribee mature-ager – and arguably the VFL’s best footballer – was the talk of the town when he was plucked from Michael Barlow’s Werribee in last year’s national draft, and he very quickly became the talk of SuperCoaches all over.
It’s a trajectory shared by one of the WAFL’s brightest stars in Clark.
While I hope Mannagh avoids the fate of Clark, who was the starting sub five times for the Eagles and was never given the crack as a centre-bounce midfielder he proved he was at state level.
In non-sub affected games last season, Clark scored 19, 39, 30 and 4, and he only ended up with 21 games across two seasons before the Eagles let him go.
Mannagh may well prove to have more strings to his bow than Clark did, but I’m avoiding for now and will jump on in round 3 should he prove to be unmissable.
HAYDEN YOUNG ($525,100 DEF)
As former US President George W. Bush famously said, “There’s an old saying in West Australia – I know it’s in South Australia, probably in West Australia – that says, burn me in SuperCoach once, shame on, shame on you. Burn me, you can’t get burned again”.
Wiser words have never been spoken by a wiser man.
Anyway, I was saying something about Hayden Young.
Oh yes, he’s tearing up the track and set to move into the midfield, alongside Nat Fyfe, Neil Erasmus, Matthew Johnson and David Mundy’s socks which he left in his locker when he retired.
Hayden Young is a good footballer and about the best kick in the AFL. Will I be selecting him in SuperCoach? I will not.
Not everyone can get thrown into the midfield and become a star. I’d want to wait and see if he ends up on a wing — which is probably where he’s more naturally suited, and where he’d not be as valuable in SuperCoach. It’s a pass for me.
ZAC WILLIAMS ($216,100 DEF)
Eleven. Fourteen. Nine.
They’re the match totals from Zac Williams from his past three seasons, and while the three before that were all seasons of 20 games, he also endured a tricky patch from 2013-15 where he averaged 10 games a season.
Williams may be like a “new recruit” for the Blues in 2023, and might be the missing piece of the puzzle in Carlton’s push for a 17th premiership.
He may also be back in rehab by round three.
If we get 10 games in a row from Williams before he’s inevitably back on the injury list, you could argue he’s worth the selection.
You’d probably be right, and I hope he does get through every game, but Williams surely has to be approached with caution considering that injury history.
TOBY PINK ($123,900 DEF)
SuperCoaches were tickled pink – if you’ll pardon the pun – by the signing of the SANFL’s full back of the year by North Melbourne as a delisted free agent.
However, fast forward a few months and the former listed Swan isn’t locked in to play for the Roos by any means, despite their lack of depth in the key defensive posts.
Charlie Comben has been thrown into defence over the pre-season – and has been seen taking kick-outs – while Kallan Dawson and Bigoa Nyuon are also firming to partner Aidan Corr down back.
Buyer beware.
JACK BILLINGS (243,900 FWD)
Do you like selecting players who’ll play VFL more than they’ll play AFL? Then go ahead and select Jack Billings.
If you like your mid-pricers playing consistent AFL football and scoring well, then I would pick someone else.
Jack Billings seems like a nice guy, but I remember being very keen to pick Luke Dunstan when he made the swap to Melbourne, and that didn’t work out.
LUKE JACKSON ($547,000 RUC/FWD)
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. If Sean Darcy is fit this season, I don’t want Luke Jackson in my SuperCoach side.
He averaged 87 with Shrek in the side, and exploded to average 119 when the big man went down last season.
Now an average of 87 is nothing to sneeze at, especially for a young ruckman-turned-key forward, but if you fork out all $547,000 of him you’re paying well above the going rate for an average of about 90.
If I see something which convinces me to change my mind early doors in the season, I’ll make him a priority upgrade, but chances are he loses far more cash than he gains in 2024.
TAYLOR ADAMS ($437,200 MID-FWD)
Tay Tay mania has hit Australia with a Cruel Summer of its own, but Tay Tay Adams mania has well and truly swept up SuperCoach.
Giant turned Pie turned Swan Taylor Adams has been a popular selection for SuperCoaches so far this season, with the inside mid lured north by promises to play him as an inside midfielder, not as a rotating half-forward.
It’s a deal which could work out very well for us, with forward eligibility and a sweet, sweet price of less than $500,000.
It’s a deal which could also work out very poorly for us.
Last season was the first year Adams had played 22 games since 2017, and was only the second year in his career he hit the 20 mark.
If you’re starting him, it’s as a season-long keeper, but Adams has consistently shown he’s unable to run out a season on the park.
He’s also then got a bye in round five.
TOM LYNCH (287,300 FWD)
I’m not entirely sure Tom Lynch’s foot is still connected to his leg, and if so it’s not doing an awful lot of running or kicking at training.
Even if the medicos at Richmond work miracles and wheel him out for Round 1, there’s every chance he could sneeze wrong and the Tigers pop him in cotton wool.
With what’s looking like a plethora of rookies available up forward, there’s every chance we don’t need to muck about with mid-pricers in the forward line.
And if we do, injury-prone ones are not the forwards I’d pick.
ZAC FISHER ($378,600)
New North Melbourne recruit Zac Fisher has been touted to run off the half-back flank for the Roos, but has missed sessions with an injured hamstring.
While he should still be there in round one, just how many points will be available off the halfback flank for the Roos?
Colby McKercher is set to find a home there alongside last year’s breakout Harry Sheezel
On top of that, the Roos will be looking to fit Josh Goater and new draftee Riley Hardeman into the Best 23, is there space for Fisher to run and carry off halfback?
I know the Roos will have plenty of footy down there, and have had Luke McDonald, Jack Zeibell average 90+ in the same side before, but somewhere in the back of my mind alarm bells are ringing.
NOAH ANDERSON ($586,300 MID)
As mentioned above when talking about Sam Flanders, Gold Coast has plenty of moving parts going into season 2024.
What’s the effect of Dimma on the side? How does Touk Miller coming back to full fitness affect the midfield rotations?
Some of these questions will be answered during Round Zero, and we can bring him in with confidence.
But will you be able to cover him during his bye in round three? It’ll be too early for upgrades at that point, and do you want to go down a premium option for one week so early in the season?
NICK WATSON ($189,300 FWD)
While it may seem extraordinarily rude to put a bloke who hasn’t played a game on a list of players dangerous to your SuperCoach side, let be clear that I’m not knocking Bulldog’s – or Wizard’s, depending on who you listen to – skill.
He’s going to be a hell of a player – but not for us in SuperCoach.
Watson will play as a small forward for the Hawks, a position which has never been known to produce high scoring.
With a huge number of rookies available up front, picking Watson may leave you far behind on the Eight ball on cash generation, as well as cash.
At an elevated price point, Watson has less cash to make, while likely scoring fewer points means he’ll long be left behind by rookies averaging 65 or 70 who start at a lower price point.
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Originally published as The dangerous dozen: Twelve players to avoid in SuperCoach 2024
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