SuperCoach AFL 2025: Experts give their verdicts on most traded players in round 13

Is Levi Ashcroft’s time up? Is Marcus Bontempelli a must-have? The experts have their say on the most traded players in SuperCoach this week.

This was supposed to be the easy bye round.

Just two teams are missing – St Kilda and Fremantle – so getting 18 players on field isn’t as much of a challenge.

But coaches are still hitting the trade centre hard to try to get the best score this week and beyond.

Scroll down for the experts’ verdict on the 10 most traded in, and 10 most traded out, players for round 13.

MOST TRADED OUT

Caiden Cleary $230.3k fwd

Al Paton: SELL. Is there any world he gets near his Break Even of 91? Most coaches should have at least 18 players available this week so no reason to hold.

Tim Michell: SELL. Wonder if he gets dropped when Dean Cox swings the axe this week. If he does and isn’t going to lose money, I might trade another rookie instead. But if he’s selected, he’s got to go due to that 91 Break Even.

Tarquin Oakley: SELL. He is losing you money now

Chloe Williams: SELL. Make the most of his cash gen before he falls victim to his high Break Even, if he’s named.

Matt Forrest: SELL. Time to sell. Cleary’s lost $20k already and his 91 BE is hard to beat.

Caiden Cleary was the sub last week. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Riley Bice $313.5k DEF

AP: SELL. Painful for coaches who kept the faith, but it’s not too late to get something for him.

TM: SELL. The ride was great but it’s well and truly over now. A fair chance to be sent back to the VFL this week after being subbed at halftime during the disastrous loss to Adelaide. Cut ties before he’s under $300k.

TO: SELL. Subbed on 9 and his Break Even is now 110.

CW: SELL. The ride is unfortunately over, but his cash should go a long way towards your upgrades.

MF: SELL. Bice should’ve been sold weeks ago, but now you definitely have to. Might not even play against Richmond this week after he couldn’t get into the game against the Crows.

Levi Ashcroft $387.3k FWD-MID

AP: HOLD. I’m hoping to ride him to the Lions’ round 16 bye. Would still rather have his points on field than any other rookie.

TM: CONSIDER. Get the feeling he was subbed last round at three-quarter-time due to a five-day turnaround rather than anything he had done. If trading Ashcroft is the reason you can get Bontempelli this week, don’t hesitate. But there’s definitely consideration to be given to try and hold Ashcroft until the Lions’ bye.

TO: CONSIDER. Has a more achievable Break Even of 77. One more bad one and we can reassess but the hope is Ashcroft will last until his bye.

CW: CONSIDER. I feel like Levi is one of those guys you jump off whenever you personally need to. He hasn’t reached premo heights but is consistent enough to keep for as long as necessary until you can make a quality upgrade.

MF: CONSIDER. His Break Even is 77, so he’s sitting right there as a trade chance. If you need to use him to upgrade, he’s not going to lose much money, but he’s a very warm body through the next three rounds before his bye.

Levi Ashcroft was subbed off last weekend. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Ryan Maric $441.7k FWD-MID

AP: SELL. Surprise role change has forced me to redraw my trade plans. Get off now before he loses more cash.

TM: SELL. There have been few sights as beautiful as Ryan Maric taking one step sideways to make sure his kick-ins count as a stat. But now he’s playing on a wing and Tyrell Dewar has pinched that role, he’s bleeding cash. And that means much like his sideways shimmy before a kick-in, it’s time to move Maric.

TO: SELL. Hurts to lose $40k but that could happen again, so it’s time to trade Maric.

CW: SELL. With a heavy heart. I thought he would be in my finished team, but unless you’re willing to take a gamble on him returning to his old role and keeping him, you’ll need to trade to avoid losing cash.

MF: SELL. He’s bleeding cash, has made plenty and a great stepping stone up to a premium. Turn him into Bontempelli.

Matt Flynn $395.6k RUC

AP: CONSIDER. Match-up against Tristan Xerri this week is mildly terrifying but Flynn shouldn’t lose too much value. I would prefer to hold on until a bargain like Jason Horne-Francis or Sam Darcy is ready.

TM: SELL. Only reason to consider keeping him now would be if he’s the only reason you will have 18 players this week. Flynn needed to score better against Rhys Stanley to earn another week in our sides.

TO: SELL. Last two scores of 46 and 79 don’t give me confidence heading into a match-up with Xerri.

CO: CONSIDER. Selling Flynn suits my structure, but he should still produce fieldable scores before his bye despite strong opposition.

MF: CONSIDER. One for the coming weeks, but his Break Even isn’t criminally high and while he won’t score well this week against Xerri, he’s another warm body. I’ll try to hold him through to the Eagles’ bye.

Matt Flynn faces Tristan Xerri in round 13. Picture: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Zach Reid $438.8k DEF

AP: SELL. Can’t afford to have a player worth $400k-plus sitting on the sidelines for another month.

TM: CONSIDER. I would be tempted to hold him if there’s any indication Reid could be back in 2-3 weeks. Remember it’s best 18 and his role is absolutely filthy. He could be an incredible POD in the run home sitting 40m off the ball and using his elite skills to hit targets.

TO: SELL. Still at least four weeks away and that timeline can always be pushed back given his injury history.

CW: SELL. He’s out for too long to hold on to. If we decided to move on the likes of JHF and Macrae with injury, a longer period out for Reid means he has to go too.

MF: SELL. Easy sell, he’s out for 4-6 weeks.

Xavier Lindsay $319k MID

AP: HOLD. Back at the MCG where he has generally scored well. No rush to punt him.

TM: CONSIDER. Not a rookie who desperately needs to be moved on but, like Ashcroft, he’s one you could cash in this week if it suits your upgrade plans. Averages 78 at the MCG if you forgive the game where he was injured early).

TO: HOLD. Don’t mind the idea of keeping Lindsay over the next two weeks during the bye rounds. He is odds-on to stay around the same price by his round 16 bye.

CW: CONSIDER. Similarly to Ashcroft, you could move now or wait a while longer, he shouldn’t move too much until later down the line.

MF: HOLD. Doesn’t have the bye, Break Even (51) is very achievable, and can score well. Soon to trade but not just yet.

Saad El-Hawli $167.9k DEF-MID

AP: SELL. Well back in the queue now at the Bombers.

TM: SELL. Rookies who aren’t playing and/or guaranteed to come back into the team when they return from injury aren’t offering much during the byes. Think we all wish Saad well, but who knows if we’ll see him in the senior team again this year.

TO: SELL. Dropped and then injured in the VFL doesn’t make for good SuperCoach reading.

CW: SELL. He’s injured and Clarke, so far, is performing well on the wing, so it’s reasonable to assume we won’t see him again.

MF: SELL. He’s out for 4-6 weeks with a hamstring injury but I’m also mindful I’ve declared four players need to be sold already. He’s not made any money but it’s time to restart cash gen.

Luke Trainor has done his job as a SuperCoach rookie. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Luke Trainor $242.8k DEF

AP: SELL. Defensive role was great for SuperCoach but in the past two weeks he’s been used up forward and on a wing. Might be due for a rest, too.

TM: SELL. Looked like he might generate another cash spike when he started strongly against GWS but then hardly touched the ball after quarter-time before being subbed. Might be the man who’s dropped for Noah Balta, too, after Campbell Gray impressed again.

TO: SELL. The Tigers have thrown him around the field and subbed him out on multiple occasions over the past month. Time to go.

CW: SELL. He’s been a great servant, but it’s time to cash in and run. The wings are a SuperCoach’s enemy this year. I do hope he gets his Rising Star nomination soon, though!

MF: SELL. Decent chance he’s getting a rest this week, but with the bye the following round Yze might play him through. He’s losing money quickly, though.

Cooper Simpson $143.1k FWD

AP: SELL. Dead rookies are going to make fielding 18 in future bye rounds even harder. Move him on if you can.

TM: SELL. See the above notes on El-Hawli. Only reason to keep Simpson would be if you think he can be a forward loophole for the next two months. Loved the show of faith from Fremantle not to put him on the long-term injury list ahead of the mid-season draft, though. I do wonder with Luke Jackson and Shai Bolton going so well in midfield whether Hayden Young might slot into Simpson’s backline spot when he’s fit.

TO: SELL. Best to turn a dead rookie into a money maker.

CW: CONSIDER. I have bigger issues at the moment, so I’m happy to hold and hopefully flip to a $99.5k rookie down the line to bank at least a small profit.

MF: SELL. He’ll be lucky to play AFL again this year.

MOST TRADED IN

Angus Clarke $113.5k DEF

AP: BUY. We need rookies who will play and make cash. Recent strike rate isn’t great but he’s the best hope right now.

TM: CONSIDER. At this time of year job security is more important to me than cash generation from rookies. Clarke’s JS looks to be sound after an impressive start to his AFL career playing on the opposite wing to Xavier Duursma. You want to know he’ll be there to provide a 40-60 when you’re running low on trades later in the year.

TO: BUY. Injury carnage at the Dons means Clarke has a reasonable foothold on a spot in the Essendon side. Back at the MCG over the next two weeks, where he made his brilliant 97 on debut.

CW: BUY. His wing role seems secure, and he won’t always reach the heights of his first game, but it’s good to know that he can. Don’t expect Reid-style scoring, but he should make a small profit, which is hard to come by in this climate.

MF: BUY. Bring him in. Don’t overthink it.

Luke Pedlar $150.4K FWD

AP: BUY. Would prefer not to pay $150k for a rookie but I like what he brings to the Crows’ forward line. Can hopefully make $100k by around the end of the byes to help finish my team. I have to find cash somewhere!

TM: CONSIDER. Feel like we have been here before and it hasn’t panned out well. But can’t deny his performances in the past two weeks and he seems entrenched in the Crows’ best side – for now at least. Competition for spots is pretty fierce at Adelaide, though – just ask super sub Sid Draper.

TO: BUY. Like the look of Pedlar, who doesn’t need much of the ball to put up solid rookie scores.

CW: CONSIDER. Even just for the price, but also job security wise, I’d have Clarke at number one ... but Pedlar may be the key for ensuring you have enough cash for your final upgrade, unless you think your dead rookies have a chance of revival.

MF: CONSIDER. Playing for his career, but will be on the edge of the 22 and could easily be a sub if he does play. For the elevated price he’s not for me, but if you already have Clarke he’s the next best bubble boy.

Luke Pedlar is back in the SuperCoach rookie conversation. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Marcus Bontempelli $643.3k MID

AP: BUY. He’s the Bont.

TM: BUY. Coming off the round 12 bye is the perfect time to jump on the Bulldogs skipper and all-time SuperCoach great. It’s going to be a case of the haves and have-nots for the rest of 2025 and those without Bontempelli are likely to be the ones suffering. Bont has scored 142, 115 and 122 in his past three against Hawthorn and has Richmond in a couple of weeks.

TO: BUY. A lot of SuperCoaches have been waiting for this round to pounce on the Bont. Time to splash that cash.

CW: BUY. Bont!

MF: CONSIDER. If you’re comfortable spending $640k on a player then he’s the best you can get, but a Break Even of 137 is tough to get to.

Jye Caldwell $440.5k MID

AP: BUY. I wanted to see another good performance to be convinced and last week did that. There are some question marks but with cash very hard to find this year, getting a finished piece of my midfield for $440k is too good to pass up.

TM: BUY. We’ve been waiting for the perfect finishing Flex, a value player with high upside. Caldwell ticks both boxes. If he ends up being your 23rd premium, you just need to know he can provide a reliable on-field score when a premium is injured or unexpectedly subbed. And I’m 90 per cent confident he can do that. Caldwell has scored tons in 11 of his last 17 games and averaged 98 since last year’s mid-year byes.

TO: BUY. That third quarter against the Lions is enough evidence to pick up Caldwell at under $450k.

CW: CONSIDER. His injury history scares me, but his ceiling is high when he has >60% CBAs, and he’s has >70% the past two weeks. He’s a great value option, but if you’re getting him it’s with the idea he’ll be on your finished side.

MF: CONSIDER. He’s a real rollercoaster, but a heap of 110-plus scores and a BE of 21 makes him very intriguing. Is he a top 10-mid on the way home, though?

Tom McCarthy $99.1k DEF-MID

AP: WAIT. Downgrading to a $99k rookie opens some doors but if we get Tom now, which rookie are we buying next week?

TM: BUY. Only a matter of time until the No.1 pick from the mid-year draft plays AFL footy for the Eagles and he could have the dream role Ryan Maric made his own for a couple of months. Hard to miss the highlights of him dashing off half-back in his first WAFL game.

TO: PASS. He hasn’t played a game yet, so just hold your horses. We have seen what McQualter has done to Gross and Hall this year already.

CW: WAIT. He will be a must-have, but I think next week is the week. I’d rather see his role (in the AFL side) first-hand and pounce on another rookie while they’re around. It also helps planning to know there is someone to move to next week.

MF: WAIT. Not yet. Wait until he debuts.

Campbell Gray $173.5k DEF-FWD

AP: PASS. Too much for a guy with very shaky job security.

TM: CONSIDER. But watch the team sheets this round. Richmond plays the day game on Saturday and someone is going to be squeezed out for Noah Balta.

TO: BUY. If he is picked with Balta in the team, Gray still has plenty of money to make with a -48 Break Even.

CW: CONSIDER. It feels a bit late for Gray, but he’s been great and I can see him playing out the year, even if he has a few games out of the side. If you’re considering Pedlar at a higher price, you may as well consider him as his ceiling is higher.

MF: PASS. Too expensive to grab now, and no guarantee he plays during daytime games when Noah Balta is available.

Tom Liberatore is putting up career-best numbers. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Tom Liberatore $595.2k MID

AP: CONSIDER. Love what Libba is doing but you can get Bont for only $50k more.

TM: BUY. One day Libba will get the respect he deserves from SuperCoaches. He’s tonned in 10 out 11 games this year, doesn’t cop the tag Bontempelli and Ed Richards do and is averaging 119 points a game this year. He’s a great fall-back if you can’t afford Bont.

TO: BUY. All the Bulldogs mids (Bont, Libba, Richards) are great picks this week.

CW: CONSIDER. Can’t afford Bont, or would just rather take the risk on anti-podding Bont, to try and get the points elsewhere? Libba’s your man in a career-best SuperCoach year.

MF: PASS. Third-best Bulldogs midfield option, and at almost $600k it’s far too expensive.

Nic Martin $589.3k DEF-FWD

AP: CONSIDER. Feel like we’ve missed the boat on Martin, who was close to $500k a few weeks ago. But he will be a top-six forward/defender so hard to argue against if you have the funds.

TM: CONSIDER. He’s on the expensive side now, even if he’s playing like the No.3 forward in SuperCoach behind Bailey Smith and Luke Jackson in recent weeks. I’d be happier to hold off a few weeks and get Jason Horne-Francis back for $140k less to fill your last forward spot.

TO: CONSIDER. Has been dominating and has the very handy DEF-FWD swing you could use alongside Gray. Keep an eye on how many premos you have on that round 16 bye, though.

CW: CONSIDER. Martin’s had a great year, but there’s plenty of great defence options already and if you’re searching for a forward, better value may be the way to go. His ceiling is definitely crazy, though, and could be a great POD, especially in leagues.

MF: CONSIDER. Almost $600k for a forward is a lot, but he’s shaping to be a top-eight option. Hasn’t had his bye yet, so not for me.

Connor Rozee $531.1k DEF-MID

AP: PASS. Role change has been great for his owners but there are a lot of very good defenders in SuperCoach this year – Rozee is No.9 on averages. Wait a week and grab Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (No.7) for $507k.

TM: BUY. The Port captain getting DPP was a dream result and he’ll be close to a top-six defender for the rest of the season. I’m a fan of leaving him in midfield and using a player with DPP such as McCarthy or Saad El-Hawli to have Rozee as defensive insurance if one of your DEF only players misses a week or two.

TO: WAIT. Consecutive 90s before his bye has Rozee’s Break Even at 131. So perhaps wait and see if you can nab the Power skipper for a tad cheaper.

CW: BUY. The price and DPP for a player as good as Rozee will make him an invaluable addition.

MF: BUY. He’s off his bye and is a cheap option that’ll contend as a top-eight defender.

Hugh McCluggage is Brisbane’s No.1 midfielder in 2025. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Hugh McCluggage $598.5k MID

AP: PASS. Maybe I’m stubborn on players we should have bought at a good price weeks ago (see Nic Martin, above) but you can get some very good midfielders for la lot ess money now (eg, Tom Green $549k, Josh Dunkley $535k).

TM: CONSIDER. I’m not in the business of paying almost $600k for a player who still has to have their bye. I gave the same advice to my kid when he went to trade in McCluggage a few days ago. Hugh is airborne, but is he going to outscore a player who’s already had their bye like Ed Richards from this point? Probably not.

TO: CONSIDER. Similar to Martin, also has the Round 16 bye which looks to be where most SuperCoaches will have problems. Can’t deny his brilliant form, however.

CW: CONSIDER. He isn’t slowing down, but would be a better addition post-bye.

MF: CONSIDER. Depends on which Brisbane midfielders you have, but if you have two of Neale, Dunkley and W.Ashcroft I would avoid. He’s been super impressive, though.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2025: Experts give their verdicts on most traded players in round 13