SuperCoach 2025: Jon Ralph names his starting squad

AFL writer Jon Ralph has picked a SuperCoach team he can manage with minimal effort in 2025, but could catch the fantasy experts off guard. SEE IT HERE

You can’t beat the SuperCoach gurus every week.

Not with their forensic analysis on Break Even scores and bubble boys that are such a big part of the SuperCoach community.

So call my SuperCoach team the set-and-forget side.

Not in the strictest possible terms given you can’t play SuperCoach without trying to make the most of cash cows and young stars on the rise.

But the team I have picked gives me the best possible chance to go into most weeks with at least something resembling a side if I forget to attend to my team at the last minute each Thursday.

So laugh all you want about Griffin Logue as a cheap defender or Bo Allan in the side after failing to rack up points in his second pre-season game.

This is the no-fuss side which might still give me a chance to beat Al Paton or Tim Michell if everything goes right on a given day.

And speaking of giving, what a joy it is to give it to one of that pair if I can get a hold of them to remind them all the spreadsheets in the world don’t always win the day.

So, this team has plenty of popular SuperCoach cheapies or undervalued players.

You are just plain dumb to ignore Harry Boyd or Isaac Kako or Clayton Oliver or the Tackle King (Tristan Xerri).

No.1 draft pick Sam Lalor is set to make his debut in round 1. Picture: Michael Klein

The clear worries are the durability of Tom Lynch, while SuperCoach experts might laugh at Nick Larkey’s introduction.

But as much as Jack Darling is no one’s idea of a superstar, he showed against Fremantle he might release Larkey to get further up the ground.

He can still kick his 60 goals a year and win more possessions than in previous seasons to help his weekly scores.

At $328,000 he’s worth a punt, while fellow Roos Harry Sheezel, Finn O’Sullivan and Caleb Daniel are all no-brainers.

Richmond’s No.1 overall pick Sam Lalor might get stuck as a deep forward at times, so he’s expensive at $203,500, but he will play whenever fit.

Fellow Tigers draftee Luke Trainor has to play early and he showed against the Pies he can rack it up early in his career as a key-position defender who still knows how to find the Sherrin.

Again, set and forget.

Nick Larkey is a unique option in the forward line. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Essendon full back Zach Reid might be the silliest move in this side, so I reserve the right to blatantly steal a cheap defender after perusing Al or Tim’s side in coming days.

But the price is right and at 23 years of age if this isn’t his time to shine after an injury-cursed start to his career.

If he’s anywhere near fit, Brad Scott will play him every week.

There are also plenty of stars to enjoy in this team – Nick Daicos, Jason Horne-Francis, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Max Holmes.

If you can’t win, you can go down while enjoying yourself.

Jeremy Finlayson gets a run because the only way Port Adelaide wins the flag is with lightning ball movement into Ollie Lord, Mitch Georgiades and Co.

He can intercept mark but he will also set in motion the Power’s run and gun from the back half.

The beauty of SuperCoach is you can play it with footy nous, a mathematical bent or just by throwing darts at the wall.

My side has a bit of the former and some of the latter but is the best chance for me to win the odd game as nuisance value in leagues.

Jon Ralph's 2025 SuperCoach side.

Originally published as SuperCoach 2025: Jon Ralph names his starting squad