KFC SuperCoach AFL: Expert trades revealed, Round 14’s burning questions answered

Max Gawn’s injury adds to an already tricky final bye round. See The Phantom’s ‘boring’ trade and some bold moves from our other experts.

The final bye round is here – and the final chance to use three trades in a round for everyone who has used all their Trade Boosts.

Our experts all fall into this category, and they are all trying to finish their teams for a huge final nine rounds.

How are they replacing Max Gawn? Will they get 18 scoring players on field this week? Scroll down to see their big round 14 moves and all the answers to all this week’s KFC SuperCoach burning questions.

AL PATON

OUT: Dayne Zorko, Nick Daicos, Max Gawn

IN: Tom Stewart, Rory Laird, Tim English

Have to say I’m pretty happy with how that looks on paper – just have to survive team selection to pull it off. I stashed away $150k last week with a plan to sideways trade Christian Petracca this week, and I was ready to proceed with that plan until the Max Gawn bombshell dropped.

I was planning to use some DPP swings to get English into my forward line this week but picking him in the ruck simplifies things a lot. Stewart will be cheaper in a week or two but on the other hand he plays the Eagles this week, and Laird is my No.1 midfield target with a fantastic record already this year and matches to come against North Melbourne (twice) and West Coast.

Zorko has been a KFC SuperCoach facourite ever since he averaged 100 as a mature-age rookie in 2012, but I won’t be picking him again!

It’s time to cash in rookie success story Nick Daicos. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

THE PHANTOM

OUT: Max Gawn

IN: Jarrod Witts

Would I lose trading Andy Brayshaw to Touk Miller? That was the question I was asking myself earlier this week. I came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t. The move would give me an extra premium on field this week – and 18 players total – and it’s hard to see Brayshaw making up the extra week on Miller from here. With eight trades and a full premium side, I had convinced myself to do it.

Then the Gawn news came in. Now I feel boring trading the Melbourne skipper to the highest-averaging ruckman I don’t have, Jarrod Witts. But, as much as I’ve looked at a creative play with, say, Crow Reilly O’Brien, it just has to be Witts. I’ve also considered a value Cat in the forward line – Mitch Duncan the main one – but I think I’ll go in with 18 and seven trades left. Unless my round goes pear-shaped, and then Brayshaw to Miller could be back on Sunday.

TIM MICHELL

OUT: Christian Petracca, Max Gawn and Nick Daicos

IN: Braydon Preuss, Tom Hawkins and Touk Miller

These three trades essentially “finish” my team with six trades remaining, which is why I’m OK with trading Petracca. I’ve swung Marcus Bontempelli into the midfield, which will give me handy cover during the run home should one of my midfielders be ruled out for a week or two.

These trades give me Jayden Short D6, Zach Merrett M8, Preuss R2 and Hawkins F6. Of course Preuss is a risk, but when he plays we know he tons. I’ll have Sam Hayes as back-up for at least a few more weeks and potentially a Darcy Cameron swing via Brynn Teakle when I trade him anyway.

I want to get on at least one Cat due to their very friendly draw and Hawkins could have a big finish to the season. If I could find a player I liked at $370k or under I would punt on Ben Keays and Miller, but I just can’t make that work.

These trades will give me 19 or potentially 20 playing this round depending on Sam Hayes. Petracca could go on a run after the bye but he hasn’t looked like being close to the top forwards and won’t have silver service from Gawn for the next month. I should learn from trading out Stephen Coniglio, but this is a risk I’m willing to take.

Touk Miller is fresh off Gold Coast’s round 13 bye. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

DAN BATTEN

OUT: Corey Durdin, Cooper Stephens, Robbie McComb

IN: Tim English, Massimo D’Ambrosio, Brynn Teakle

We are praying for a rookie miracle. Thanks to Durdin’s score in the 20s last week, I need to trade in two basement-priced cheapies to be able to afford Tim English or Jarrod Witts within three trades. Fortunately, mid-season draftee D’Ambrosio performed strongly for Essendon’s VFL side and looms as a possible inclusion for the Bombers, while fellow mid-season pick-up Teakle has been floated as a potential option for the Power. If both or one of these players are named, I will have to rethink my strategy, which could involve moving on Greg Clark to grab a more expensive rookie like Judson Clarke. I am still unsure of whether English or Witts is the right move, but English’s ball-winning ability, higher ceiling and DPP status has him ahead at this stage. This will still leave me with just 17 players for the round, as my only rookies with value are playing this week. But at least I will be full premium – sort of…

This week’s SuperCoach burning questions answered

– Tim Michell

Rejoice KFC SuperCoaches — the byes are almost done for another year.

No doubt Round 14 will be a difficult week, with a host of popular premiums unavailable.

But it’s not foreign territory, in fact, many of us just encountered the same scenario in Round 13.

The issue is that for all the planning in the world, KFC SuperCoach can always throw up a curve ball.

And in Mitch Owens missing Round 14, thousands of coaches have a big headache to deal with.

The bad news? That’s just the start of the concerns.

The good news? We have you covered.

Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

Will Brodie will be a big talking point ahead of the Round 14 bye.

Will Brodie’s run of five-straight tons ended on Nat Fyfe’s return? Should I be worried?

No.

That simple?

I think it is. Some coaches will no doubt flirt with trading Brodie this week, but trades are at a premium and there’s no reason to suggest he’s not a season keeper – especially with question marks over so many premium forwards. Brodie recorded more CBAs than any Freo player against Hawthorn and still had eight tackles. Trading him just feels like the wrong move. The role was still there, he just had a down week — and still scored 82.

Will Brodie is allowed a sub-100 game, guys. #SuperCoach

— The Phantom (@ThePhantomSC) June 11, 2022

Will Brodie used the ball at 54% (38% kicking efficiency) and only recorded 1 clearance and 0 marks.

He attended the most centre bounces, and had 22 disposals, 8 tackles and went at ~1.05 PPM as well.

As frustrating as it is, it appears to just be a down game. #SuperCoach

— Damo (@DamoSC) June 11, 2022

Is Darcy Parish going to play?

I really felt for the thousands of coaches who traded Parish in off his bye, only for him to hobble through three quarters with a calf issue before being subbed. He managed 51 points in that time, but the bigger issue might come this week if he’s unavailable. Every coach who traded him in had Parish locked in as a Round 14 playing premium. The Bombers said post match Parish avoided a tear but all eyes will be on Tullamarine this week. At least he hasn’t been ruled out yet.

Darcy Parish’s fitness will be a big watch this week.

How about Zak Butters?

We know he’s not out due to concussion protocols after coming back on after his heavy collision with Tom Jonas. The issue would be if he sustained any damage. But our mate from The Lair The Hipster Matt Turner reported on Saturday that Port expects both Butters and Jonas to play against Sydney. Phew.

And what about Sam Hayes?

Less confident on this one. Hayes had 17 disposals, nine marks and 33 hit-outs in the SANFL, but he almost always dominates at that level. Brynn Teakle, who many coaches have downgraded Hayes to, kicked three goals from 13 disposals and seven marks in the same match. Perhaps the biggest concern for those hoping Hayes will be in their 18 this week is how impressive Jeremy Finlayson was against Richmond as the No. 1 ruckman. I’ll be planning as if Hayes won’t play and treating it as a bonus if he’s recalled.

Did you really trade Stephen Coniglio a month ago?

It’s a story too long for this column, but sadly yes. What an unmitigated disaster. Season over sort of stuff. Lucky I have this column for another week or two to keep my mind off it.

And yet you’re planning to trade Christian Petracca this week at his lowest price?

I know. Will I ever learn? Trading out a premium is almost always a bad idea, even when he has a three-round average of 74 like Petracca. You could sideways trade him to get up to 18 scoring players this week, but even that isn’t as easy as it sounds with Petracca’s price falling to $487k. In my case, it’s about team balance and I need Touk Miller. It’s as simple as that. But I’m tipping Trac goes on a Coniglio-like blitz from Round 15 onwards.

Did we get too excited about Zach Merrett’s price?

The verdict’s still out after one game. Six of his first eight matches were hundreds and he still scored 90 despite being below his best against Carlton. I was one of those who traded him in and am still confident he averages 105+ on the run home.

Who’s the pick of the Round 13 bye players?

If like me you don’t have Touk Miller, he should be your No. 1 priority. He’s too good to be under $600k. Then it’s a question of which Dogs you don’t already have. Bont and English are the main two, assuming Macrae and Dunkley are in your side. Then there’s Libba if you want a POD. Tom Stewart against the Eagles is appealing but he should get to about $550k if you can wait a few weeks. I also really like Callum Mills. So, that’s a longwinded way of telling you that you can’t really go wrong this week when it comes to premos off the bye.

Paying up for Jacob Wehr comes with plenty of risk.

What about the rookies?

Now this is where we hit troubled waters. If you didn’t go early on Judson Clarke, he’s the obvious option. You would have to think he’s earned at least another couple of games after kicking two goals on debut. Brynn Teakle kicked three goals in the SANFL but I suspect he’s at least a few weeks away. Sam Durdin is the big watch this week. He could debut for Carlton depending on whether Caleb Marchbank is risked with a six-day turnaround.

Would you pay up for Jacob Wehr?

Not sure he has the job security to be paying a slightly elevated rookie price for. He did some nice things against North Melbourne though.

Bon voyage, Nick Daicos?

Yep, sadly. To get 13 rounds, close to $200k and an average of about 80 has been a dream result. Not to mention his two tons during the bye rounds which have been a godsend. Daicos can be upgraded to Touk Miller for less than $200k, Marcus Bontempelli for about $200k and Luke Parker for about $165k. It’s easy to get attached to rookies but the time has come to cash in. It won’t be the last time he features in your KFC SuperCoach team anyway. He’s a premium of the near future.

Is Braydon Preuss ever coming back?

Surely. He’s too good to be playing state league every week isn’t he? If you’ve persisted this long I think you have to stick it out now and hope Mark McVeigh has a change of heart. Matthew Flynn seems to be No. 1 for Spike.

Sam Docherty is enjoying an All-Australian season.

How is Sam Docherty possibly playing this well?

The question I ask myself every single week. He’s had two knee reconstructions and wasn’t even supposed to be any chance of playing Round 1 due to cancer treatment. The man is a phenomenon. His 139 against Essendon was his ninth ton already this year. I don’t think we’re making enough of how incredible his season has been. After all Docherty has been through it defies all logic.

So, he’s All-Australian then?

Is that a rhetorical question? I hope so.

Well, is he a must-have then?

At less than $540k, I don’t see why you shouldn’t have him. Docherty could score 200+ points in the time you wait for Tom Stewart’s price to bottom out, if that’s how you were planning to finish your defence. Just grab Doch this week instead.

Tom Stewart’s price is set to fall in the next two weeks.

I want to go early on Tom Stewart against the Eagles this week. Is it a bad move?

I just answered this didn’t I? It’s not a bad move if you have the cash spare and it will get you a few weeks ahead of those who wait to get him cheaper. Stewart could hit his 144 break even this week anyway which would curb his price fall. I’d still get Docherty first but consider Stewart if you’ve got Doch already.

I needed Mitch Owens to field 18 this week. Am I in trouble?

Yep. He’ll miss this week due to concussion protocols. And with the cavalry back for St Kilda it might be a while before we see him again sadly. The best thing you can do is try to make sure you have 15-16 premiums and get your captain right to make up the difference to teams which have 18 or more players.

Mitch Owens’ concussion will leave plenty of coaches struggling for 18 players.

Did you see Massimo D’Ambrosio’s VFL stats on Saturday?

I did. 32 disposals and most of them at a very encouraging efficiency too. Is it too much to ask for Ben Rutten to debut him this week? I think he might be the best prospect we get out of the mid-season draft, although hopefully Brett Turner isn’t too far away at the Crows.

112 SC points.

— Fantasy Freako (@FantasyFreako) June 13, 2022

How many trades should I have after this round?

Minimum six, ideally eight or more. The run home always delivers a few curve balls no one could have planned for. If you’ve got eight or more you could trade an underperforming player to Stewart in a few weeks when his price bottoms out.

Bailey Smith won’t be back for at least a few weeks and the Bont is playing hurt. What unique forward options do you like?

I know he’s not unique but I really like Isaac Heeney. Huge ceiling and as of last week he was the only player under $450k averaging 100. But more coaches have been trading him out than in lately. If you want a serious POD, Jeremy Cameron has a five-round average of 105 and a nice run home which includes West Coast twice and North Melbourne in a few weeks. Ditto his partner in crime Tom Hawkins who is about $40k cheaper. Dustin Martin is only in 11 per cent of teams too, which makes him a pretty unique option at this point of the season.

The latest episode of The Lair went live last night!@mattturner1986, @TheEradicatorSC and I discuss the big #SuperCoach midfield upgrade dilemma, keeping SDK and McCartin, our moves and move 👇🏻https://t.co/d41ScrsesS

— The Phantom (@ThePhantomSC) June 8, 2022

You told us Phantom was coming back soon. Where is he?

Plans change guys. I never intended to trade out Coniglio, yet it happened a month ago and I’ve whinged to you about it ever since. Seriously, it stings. Oh, you asked about Phantom not me. He’s still enjoying some quality family time. And while I know he loves his extended KFC SuperCoach family, you might have to get the advice from me for a few more weeks.

I miss Phantom.

We all do.

Originally published as KFC SuperCoach AFL: Expert trades revealed, Round 14’s burning questions answered