Top SuperCoach AFL 2024 players with the easiest and hardest run home in every position
SuperCoach fortunes rest on fixtures over the final six rounds. See the exclusive numbers that reveal the players you want – and who to avoid – in every position.
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Trying to fill your SuperCoach team with players boasting the best season averages has been the goal all season.
But as we prepare for the final push to the finish line, it’s time to let that go.
Sure, it’s nice to see 125.6 next to Marcus Bontempelli’s name in your midfield, but there are many examples that show the number doesn’t tell the full story.
Luke Ryan has a season average of 120.2, Errol Gulden’s is 110.9 and Matt Rowell is averaging 105 for the year.
Over the past five rounds those numbers are 97, 116 and 77.
Recent form is a more relevant metric when judging the strength of your squad – or potential trade targets.
And there is another figure that is even more important.
What really matters is how well players will score from here.
Who cares if Jeremy Cameron isn’t a top six forward for the season if he can deliver a string of big scores in the final six rounds?
Champion Data records how many points are scored against every club in each position, and these exclusive numbers can go a long way to helping us make the best decisions when chasing league wins or overall rankings.
For example, Richmond has conceded an average of 101.3 points to opposition midfielders in 2024, clearly the most in the competition.
If you have a midfielder playing against Richmond, a big score could be on the cards (hello, Zak Butters).
Meanwhile, opposition rucks score an average of 107.4 against West Coast and 103.1 against Geelong, but just 77.5 against Essendon.
Clearly you would rather have a ruck with match-ups to come against the Eagles and Cats than someone facing the Bombers.
And as it happens, there is a player that fits that bill perfectly.
Using these averages to rank every club from 1-18 across eight positions, we can identify the players with the best and worst runs over the last six rounds – including four weeks of SuperCoach finals.
Bookmark this ultimate resource to review when making trades, choosing a captain and vice-captain each round, setting up bench loopholes and plotting your path to glory in SuperCoach Draft.
DEFENDERS
Richmond has the best run home for general defenders (good news for Daniel Rioli’s 2000 owners) but Carlton is the team to watch here.
Nic Newman has a three-round average of 103 and Adam Saad 99, and the pair face four of the six most lucrative match-ups for general defenders in the last six rounds, including the easiest – St Kilda – on SuperCoach grand final day.
General defenders who have put up big scores against the Saints this year include Dayne Zorko (141), Bodhi Uwland (157) and Jordan Clark (151).
Lachie Whitfield has scored over 100 in his past six games, and the good scores should continue to roll in; the Giants have the fourth-easiest fixture for players in his position.
If Nic Martin stays at half-back he can take advantage of some favourable match-ups (starting next week – the Crows are the hardest team for general defenders to score against), but some other popular SuperCoach backmen have a much tougher run in front of them.
Fremantle (Luke Ryan, Jordan Clark) has the fourth-hardest run home for general defenders – the Dockers’ last four opponents are all difficult – and the Western Bulldogs have the hardest run of any team.
Bailey Dale has to face the two most stingy teams when it comes to giving up points to general defenders (Adelaide, Geelong) and his easiest match-up is against Hawthorn (ranked ninth) in round 21. Hopefully he at least gets plenty of kick-ins.
We don’t pick a lot of key defenders in SuperCoach but Jordan Ridley owners will be pleased to see the Bombers rank bottom six for match-up difficulty from here.
Geelong has the best run ahead of Port Adelaide and Gold Coast – Aliir Aliir or Mac Andrew could be sneaky pick-ups for your SuperCoach Draft side.
It might pay to steer clear of James Sicily, though – Hawthorn has the third-hardest run home for key backs.
MIDFIELD
Will Day or Jai Newcombe could be fantastic PODs based on their upcoming match-ups – the Hawks play four of the five easiest teams for midfielders to score against in their last six matches.
That includes Richmond, ranked 18th, on preliminary final weekend for head-to-head classic leagues. The Tigers are the only team that allows opposition midfielders to score an average of more than 100 points a game (101.3).
There are some favourable fixtures for some of the biggest names in SuperCoach – keep this table handy for captain and vice-captain selection.
Carlton (Sam Walsh, Patrick Cripps) has the fourth-easiest run for midfielders, and the Western Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli and Co) finish with clashes against four of the eight leakiest teams when it comes to midfield points.
Port Adelaide (Zak Butters, Connor Rozee), Fremantle (Caleb Serong, Hayden Young) and North Melbourne (Luke Davies-Uniacke) are all in the bottom half of the ladder for midfield fixture difficulty.
The news isn’t so great for Essendon and Adelaide, however, who have the two hardest runs.
In the final three rounds Zach Merrett and Jye Caldwell face Gold Coast (hardest to score against), Sydney (second-hardest to score against) and Brisbane (third-hardest).
The Suns might not seem like a tough match-up but some big names have struggled against them this year – Isaac Heeney (98), Zach Merrett (97), Jordan Dawson (82) ... although Lachie Neale scored 168 against them in round 8, so all hope is not lost.
RUCKS
The numbers here present the clearest picture of any position because we are working with a much smaller pool of players.
And there is a clear winner: Kangaroos big man Tristan Xerri.
Xerri has been one of the best SuperCoach picks of 2024, increasing in value by $206k after starting at a bargain $407k and recording the third-best season average for rucks.
Ane he could finish even higher than that with North Melbourne dealt the best fixture for rucks over the last six rounds, and by a good margin.
The hardest match-up based on scores so far this season is in round 21 against Richmond, which ranks mid-table for difficulty (Kieren Briggs just scored 122 against the Tigers).
Xerri faces the Eagles, who have given up the most points to opposition rucks this season, in round 22, and Geelong, which has given up the second-most, in round 20.
Of other popular ruck selections, Tom De Koning and Toby Nankervis have generally favourable fixtures, along with Max Gawn – after he returns from injury.
But it’s a different story for Tim English and Brodie Grundy.
The Bulldogs have the second-hardest ruck run, with a friendly clash against the Cats this week followed by five matches against teams ranked in the top seven for fixture difficulty.
The Swans have an even tougher run home, but the silver lining is three more games at the SCG, where Grundy averages 126.5 this year.
Solo rucks vs Geelong since Round 15.
— Fantasy Freako (@FantasyFreako) July 16, 2024
140 points per game in #SuperCoach
124 points per game in #AFLFantasy
A good week to own Tim English.
WINGS
Wingers aren’t classified separately in SuperCoach, we can learn a lot from these numbers when it comes to the top-ranked player in this role in the competition: Errol Gulden.
The Swans star has been on a tear since round 11, averaging 123.9 points per game. But it could get tougher from here, based on the Swans’ upcoming fixture. They have the second-hardest match-ups for wingers over the final six rounds, behind only GWS (sorry, Finn Callaghan owners).
Over the next three weeks Gulden faces Brisbane, which concedes the second-fewest points to opposition wingers, the Bulldogs (fifth fewest) and Port Adelaide (third-fewest) before a respite against Collingwood, which has given up the second-most points to wingers in 2024.
Champion Data ranks Blake Acres and Jarrod Berry as the next two best wingers this season – Carlton and Brisbane have the third and fourth-best fixtures for this position, so if either is available in SuperCoach Draft, pounce.
FORWARDS
If you were considering jumping on Toby Greene after his 154-point masterclass against Richmond, hold your fire. The Giants have the third-hardest run home for general forwards based on fixture difficulty, including a meeting with Fremantle – which has conceded an average of 50.8 points a game to general forwards this year, the fewest of any team – in round 23.
It’s a rosier picture for Dylan Moore. The Hawks have the easiest run for general forwards including a dream run in SuperCoach finals. After facing the Giants, the fifth-hardest team to score against, in round 20, Moore finishes the year with games against Carlton (fifth-easiest team for general forwards to score against), Richmond (third-easiest) and North Melbourne (easiest).
The top-rated general forward this season is Izak Rankine, who isn’t due back from suspension until round 22. The Crows’ last three opponents are the Western Bulldogs (seventh-hardest to score against), Port Adelaide (fourth-easiest) and Sydney (sixth-hardest).
With Carlton having the second-best run for this position, Elijah Hollands could be a SuperCoach Draft smokie. He has a five-round average of 89.6 and has the two best match-ups for general forwards in the last six rounds – the Kangaroos (this week) and Eagles (round 23).
MIDFIELD/FORWARDS
The 11,000 coaches who snapped up Jy Simpkin at a bargain price could be rewarded over the next six weeks.
North Melbourne has the best remaining fixture for mid-forwards, including match-ups against the three easiest teams to score against in his position – West Coast (round 22), Hawthorn (round 24) and Richmond (round 21).
Champion Data’s top three-ranked mid-forwards this season are Alex Neal Bullen (third-hardest fixture), Mason Wood (third-easiest fixture) and Shai Bolton (10th easiest).
KEY FORWARDS
Who’s ready to roll the dice?
Jeremy Cameron is available for $432,500 after a rollercoaster season that has included three scores over 120 and four totals under 60. But based on the fixture, he should fly home.
The Cats face North Melbourne (which concedes the second-most points to key forwards) in round 20 and Fremantle (fifth-most) in round 22, and finish the season with a clash against West Coast (third-most) on SuperCoach grand final day – at GMHBA Stadium.
Charlie Curnow owners will be hoping for big returns against the Kangaroos and Eagles after three frustrating weeks. Curnow scored 122 and 130 in his past two games against the Roos, and 186 and 178 in his past two against West Coast.
If you have a trade left in the final round that you don’t need to cover a last-minute injury, Ben King could be a surprise SuperCoach premiership star. The Suns face the Tigers – who King scored a season-high 107 points against in opening round, and who give up more points to key forwards than any other side – in the final home-and-away round.
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