SuperCoach AFL 2024: Biggest winners and losers from round 18

Bench back-ups lifted just when we needed them, but there’s a captaincy crisis with big names falling flat. See all the round 18 heroes and villains.

Nick Daicos is human, after all. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Carnage one week, chaos the next.

In a week in which many SuperCoaches were forced to play bench rookies on field to cover for missing stars, the back-ups did their job.

But some of our more reliable stars, with much bigger price tags, didn’t fulfil their end of the bargain.

Here are all the winners and losers from round 18.

WINNERS

LAWSON HUMPHRIES – 108 POINTS

The round got off to a great start for any team playing Humphries to cover for an injured member of their best 22. The Cats youngster had 23 disposals – and hit the target with 22 of them – to star in his bubble game. Expect a huge price rise after lockout on Sunday night.

MATTAES PHILLIPOU – 101 POINTS

Almost 2000 coaches traded in Philippou last week at the bargain price of $218k, and he repaid the faith with a second 100-plus score since returning from a stint in the VFL. His incredible goal in the wet was the highlight of the game for the Saints.

Adelaide young gun, and SuperCoach saviour, Billy Dowling Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

BILLY DOWLING – 101 POINTS

The young Crow is becoming a final quarter specialist. Ten disposals, two tackles and a wonderful goal when the game was still in the balance catapulted him over the SuperCoach ton – a great result for the 56 per cent of owners who had him on field.

ZAC TAYLOR – 103 POINTS

The bubble boy we all missed – and fair enough, after he started as the sub in his first two games and finished with 4 and 15 SuperCoach points. He played the full 125 minutes on Saturday night and gathered 18 disposals and eight tackles.

ERROL GULDEN – 142 POINTS

On a weekend when most big-name captain options fell flat, putting the C or VC on Gulden was a huge win. The Swans bounced back from two straight defeats and Errol had an absolute field day with 41 disposals (three kicks) and a crazy 15 score involvements.

LACHIE NEALE – 143 POINTS

What was that about captains being unreliable? Neale has scored 149, 114, 179 and 143 in his past four games – and could be on his way to a third Brownlow.

NIC MARTIN – 142 POINTS

The Bomber has been a tough own for 50,000 coaches, with just one score over 100 in his last eight going into Saturday night (but only one under 80 in that time). Essendon was disappointing against Melbourne but you couldn’t blame Martin, who booted four goals and went at 85 per cent efficiency from his 26 disposals.

Nic Martin was huge for the Bombers. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

LUKE JACKSON – 116 POINTS

Rucking solo without Sean Darcy in the team, Jackson produced what his owners needed – 31 hitouts, 20 disposals, six tackles and a goal (although he missed another two shots). The big question is what can he deliver when Darcy returns next week.

LOSERS

NICK DAICOS – 89 POINTS

Very un-Daicos like to have two poor games in a row, but Nick couldn’t lift for the 36 per cent of coaches ranked in the top 5 per cent who entrusted him with the VC this week. He found the footy 32 times but just 19 of those were handballs, he took just one mark, had two tackles and no impact on the scoreboard.

CHARLIE CURNOW – 89 POINTS

A welcome return to form after scores of 54 and 33 in the past two weeks, but Charlie left a much bigger total on the table by kicking 3.7.

ZACH MERRETT – 82 POINTS

Started brightly but had little impact after quarter-time. The big killer was his unusually low efficiency of 44 per cent. The conditions weren’t great but we aren’t used to seeing nine turnovers from the Bombers captain.

Harry Sheezel had a rare poor score. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

HARRY SHEEZEL – 75 POINTS

The Roos young gun fell under 100 SuperCoach points for the first time since round 8. There is more to SuperCoach scoring than winning 29 disposals and just seven contested possessions, four marks, zero tackles and no goals cost Sheezel at the SCG.

MATT ROWELL – 65 POINTS

What else can we say about a player who was averaging 131 SuperCoach points a game over the first seven rounds? He has now gone five games without going above 82 and even a return to People First Stadium couldn’t bust him out of his form slump. Just four kicks (plus 12 handballs) against Port Adelaide, at least he laid nine tackles.

ZAC WILLIAMS – 7 POINTS

The new DEF/FWD DPP has been an effective forward for the Blues since his mid-season position switch, but he had a stat line of one kick, one handball and one mark when his injury curse returned and he was subbed off with a hamstring injury.

WILL GRAHAM – 2 POINTS

Learning Graham was the sub for Gold Coast was less than ideal if you needed him for cover this week – which wasn’t unreasonable after scores of 95 and 70 the past two weeks. He didn’t get on field until the last quarter, when he managed one handball. At least it was effective.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024: Biggest winners and losers from round 18