SuperCoach AFL 2024: Winners and losers from round 8

There were hard-luck stories across SuperCoach in a brutal weekend, but some cheapies – and one unstoppable Docker – provided a silver lining.

Elliot Yeo’s injury curse returned after a brilliant start to the season. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

The SuperCoach gods were angry.

Injuries hit popular players while others were subbed off, stuck on the bench or just struggled to get a kick.

Amid all the carnage Docker Luke Ryan came agonisingly close to being the first player this season to crack the 200 point barrier.

Here are our heroes and villains from round 8.

WINNERS

LUKE RYAN – 197 POINTS

The topscoring defender in SuperCoach put on a masterclass at the MCG. He had 39 disposals at 87 per cent efficiency, 15 marks and nine intercepts. And the Tigers did their best to get him to 200 with their kicking for goal; Ryan took nine kick-ins and played on from every one. Ryan is in just 14 per cent of teams and he’s not getting any cheaper for the other 86 per cent.

Luke Ryan was unstoppable. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

LACHIE NEALE – 168 POINTS

We can throw Josh Dunkley (163 points) and Dayne Zorko (160) in here too as the Lions midfield totally smashed Gold Coast’s vaunted young guns in the QClash. The trio are all in fewer than 10 per cent of teams, anyone like a POD?

NICK DAICOS – 150 POINTS

Scores tied, less than a minute to play. Who else but Daicos to win the game off his own boot and cash in on the SuperCoach scoring formula, which rewards players who step up when the game is on the line.

BRODIE GRUNDY – 143 POINTS

We’ve been here before this season. Some coaches traded out Grundy last week, in this case to get Port Adelaide’s bargain big man Jordon Sweet, then had to watch as the two-time All-Australian pumped out in his third score of 139 or more this season. Worth noting – they have all come at the SCG.

CLAYTON OLIVER – 141 POINTS

It’s been a tough year for the Demons champ but scores like this have been common since Oliver became a premium scorer in 2017. At a bargain price, is the Demons champ back?

COLBY MCKERCHER – 135 POINTS

Many of the almost 70,000 coaches who have traded out McKercher in the past month will be scrambling to get him back after back-to-back SuperCoach tons. Allowed to roam behind the ball – and with Harry Sheezel pushing further up the ground – the No.2 draft pick racked up 30 disposals at 90 per cent efficiency.

Darcy Wilson was one of St Kilda’s best in his eighth AFL game. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

DARCY WILSON – 126 POINTS

The second member of the trio of wonder rookies this week is made for Marvel Stadium. A skilful running machine, Wilson cut the Kangaroos to shreds and even bobbed up with a contested mark in front of goal. If you can hang onto him this long the Saints play eight of their last nine games under the roof.

CALEB WINDSOR – 118 POINTS

The teenage Demons wingman is the third member of the club. In pre-season Christian Petracca said everyone should pick Windsor in their SuperCoach teams. Just over 65,000 coaches followed his advice. Unfortunately, 20,000 of them traded him out before this season-high score.

MAX GAWN – 111 POINTS

Max is a regular in this column and usually for much bigger scores than this, but 111 was a remarkable return considering he was on less than 30 at halftime. When the game is on the line guys like Gawn and Daicos rise to the occasion. That’s what makes them modern superstars, and why we need them in our SuperCoach teams.

LOSERS

ELLIOT YEO – 80 POINTS

Yeo spent most of the last quarter on the bench nursing a sore groin as the Eagles fell six points short of Essendon. The injury-cursed West Coast gun had been averaging a career-high 118 points per game over the first six rounds, and if he is a forced trade at least the 17,000 coaches who started him will make a healthy profit. The 4000 who traded him in last week not so much.

HARRY SHEEZEL – 73 POINTS

As Colby McKercher gave us his best Sheezel impression across half-back, the man himself was playing further up the ground in a role that might be good for the Kangaroos in the long-term, but doesn’t look great for Sheezel’s SuperCoach scoring. His run of seven scores above 100 from seven games came to a crashing halt, with his 24 disposals coming at an uncharacteristically low 62 per cent efficiency. If this role continues, the padlock on his spot in our teams might have to be prized open.

Harry Sheezel had his worst score for the year in round 7. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

MATT ROWELL – 65 POINTS

The No.1 scoring midfielder in SuperCoach before the round started had no answer to Brisbane’s dominant onball brigade (see above). Directly opposed to Josh Dunkley, Rowell managed just 16 disposals (five kicks), one mark, four tackles and two clearances in a QClash to forget.

ZAC WILLIAMS – 60 POINTS

Being subbed out with an injury concern for the second time in three matches is a huge flashing warning sign for Williams’ 62,000 SuperCoach owners. That’s 40,000 fewer than last week, and he will be high on the trade-out list again this week, even if he’s cleared to play next round.

HARLEY REID – 59 POINTS

The week off didn’t help Reid, who backed up his awesome 147-point game with 14 disposals at 57 per cent efficiency against the Bombers.

SAM DARCY – 49 POINTS

A last-quarter goal almost got him to the half-century, but the young Dogs tall will be on the chopping block for his 83,000 owners this week.

SAM CLOHESY – 43 POINTS

The Suns wingman had -4 points at quarter-time after giving away an early 50m penalty and recovered somewhat but this was a tough watch for the 86 per cent of Clohesy owners who had him on the field.

SHAI BOLTON – 36 POINTS

Tigers coach Adem Yze shouldered the blame for a structure change which kept Bolton out of the action but even he must have been shocked by his star’s three-touch first half. Keep an eye out for him as a bargain pick-up in a few weeks.

Tom Green copped an early injury. Picture: Phil Hillyard

TOM GREEN – 5 POINTS
An absolute disaster for the 9500 coaches who brought Green in this week only to see him subbed off with an ankle injury minutes into the Sydney derby. Making matters worse he lost $38,400 value after lockout. Watch for GWS injury news and try to avoid trading unless it’s a long-term injury.

CHARLIE CLARKE – 0 POINTS
One of three players to take the field in round 8 and score zero (it was one of those weeks), but the only one not to get injured (the others were Lincoln McCarthy and Noah Answerth, who were both out of the QClash in the first quarter). Clarke had six disposals in his AFL debut before getting subbed out in the third term, but only two of them hit the target, he had no contested possessions and four turnovers. It’s a tough game sometimes.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024: Winners and losers from round 8