SuperCoach AFL 2024: Winners and losers from round 13

Something crazy seems to happen every year during the bye rounds, and this year is no exception. See who fired, who flopped and how to survive the new rookie crisis.

Call it the bye round curse.

Just when we need every possible player available to cover for missing stars, invariably injuries and/or suspensions strike, or something else crazy happens.

This year teenager Wil Dawson was the victim of the curse when he was struck down with a shoulder injury – and subbed out on zero points – the week after being traded into 55,000 SuperCoach teams.

Then the curse returned on King’s Birthday, taking out Nick Daicos and Christian Petracca.

That was bad enough in a round with two teams on the bye, but it could be a lot worse when the two toughest bye rounds arrive in the next two weeks.

Six teams have the week off in round 14 – Carlton, Essendon, Geelong, Melbourne, West Coast and Gold Coast – and another six the week after.

Hopefully Daicos will play this week before he has a bye in round 15, but Petracca definitely won’t and we aren’t likely to see Dawson for a while, either.

Meanwhile, another popular rookie dropped a shock stinker that creates a brutal dilemma for 95,000 coaches.

Plenty of premiums underperformed in round 13 but there were some remarkable scores. Here are all of our winners and losers.

LOSERS

DARCY WILSON – 25 POINTS

After entering the clash against Gold Coast with a five-round average of 85.2, the first-year Saint went the entire first half without touching the ball. At all. He managed 10 disposals after halftime to register 25 points. That score dropped out of the best 18 for most coaches, but now we have to decide whether to trade Wilson this week. He has lost $35,000 already and could lose another $30,000 next week. Do you jump off to gain maximum value from one of the best rookies of the year, or hold for an extra number this week - and cop the price hit? It will be one of the big talking points this week.

Saints youngster Darcy Wilson. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

WIL DAWSON – 0 POINTS

Set to undergo scans after being subbed out in the first quarter without registering a disposal and finished the game with his arm in a sling. Ouch.

NICK DAICOS – 64 POINTS

Incredibly may not feature in the best 18 for some teams for the second time this season. Daicos was just starting to break the shackles of a very tight tag from Alex Neal-Bullen when he copped a knock to the leg and was subbed off. Post-match he said the move was precautionary, more than 138,000 SuperCoaches will be hoping the injury settles in the next couple of days.

CHRISTIAN PETRACCA – 64 POINTS

What are the odds on two of the biggest SuperCoach stars on the park both being hurt and subbed in the King’s Birthday game – and finishing on the same number of points. Petracca’s injury came earlier in the match after he looked like Melbourne’s most dangerous player early, but was felled by a massive knock to the ribs. He finished the day in hospital and might be gone for a while.

TOM GREEN – 79 POINTS

Green looked an insane bargain for $490k, now he’s even cheaper. Found the ball OK against the Hawks - 26 disposals - but they came at just 65 per cent as he was continually under pressure from the likes of Conor Nash and James Worpel. Just one tackle didn’t help his cause, either. We know what he can do – surely his form turns.

Touk Miller couldn’t break the tagging shackles. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

TOUK MILLER – 58 POINTS

Doesn’t bear thinking about what he would have scored without kicking what looked like the matchwinning goal. Managed just 14 touches under close attention from new master tagger Marcus Windhager.

MATT ROWELL – 82 POINTS

Rowell was industrious all night but suffered from Gold Coast’s general travel sickness this season. At People First Stadium this year Rowell has put up scores of 137, 155, 135, 136 and 111 (Average 134.8). On the road he averages 100.8. The bad news - the Suns play at PFS only four more times this season.

WINNERS

ERROL GULDEN – 157 POINTS

Just over 4500 coaches made one of the best calls of the year when they traded Gulden in just before he blitzed the Cats with 37 high quality disposals. If you think he can produce more games like that it’s not too late to pick up the Swans star for under $600k.

SAM FLANDERS – 152 POINTS

Death, taxes and half-backs putting up huge scores against St Kilda. Flanders was actually outscored by back pocket Bodhi Uwland (157). Keep that in mind when selecting your captain each week (hint: Dayne Zorko plays the Saints this week) and also keep Flanders in mind - he hasn’t scored below 102 all season.

Sam Flanders had 42 disposals against St Kilda. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

TOM DE KONING – 146 POINTS

The Blues ruckman is on a tear playing as solo ruck, scoring 131, 140 and 146 in his past three games. He has a bye this week and Marc Pittonet might return to the team soon, but put him in your little SuperCoach black book for 2025.

LACHIE NEALE – 134 POINTS

The Phantom told us all last week that Neale was the buy of the week fresh off Brisbane’s round 12 bye. So no excuses for those of us who opted against bringing in the dual Brownlow Medallist, and watched him do as he pleased against the Bulldogs.

ZACH MERRETT – 125 POINTS

Several big names were taken down by tags last weekend, so Merrett deserves extra praise for picking up 21 disposals, 11 tackles and six clearances despite being followed by Alex Cincotta all night.

TIM TARANTO – 105 POINTS

Forgotten Tiger returned after eight weeks out and quietly resumed his usual business racking up disposals, tackles and clearances (with a few clanger kicks thrown in). In just 1 per cent of teams, he would be an amazing POD for the second half of the season - but you probably have to wait until after Richmond’s round 15 bye.

Tim Taranto made a big difference for the Tigers. Picture: Michael Klein

RILEY GARCIA – 80 POINTS

It was a tricky weekend for rookies but the clever Bulldogs forward did enough to feature in the best 18 for most owners with 23 touches and a goal. Will make some more money before his bye in round 15.

NATHAN KREUGER – 76 POINTS

In just 2 per cent of teams at time of writing but that number could explode this week as coaches search for a rookie to help complete trade plans. The $123k RUC/FWD booted three goals on King’s Birthday and seems safe in the Collingwood team for at least this week, which is when coaches will need him most. After that, who knows.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024: Winners and losers from round 13