SuperCoach AFL 2025: Top-ranked coaches reveal their trade secrets

How do the elite SuperCoaches make it to the top? Top-ranked coaches reveal their secrets and strategy, and the experts name their best and worst trades.

Even the best fantasy coaches make mistakes.

But the coaches at the top of the rankings don’t make many, and they have made a lot of very smart moves over the first 14 rounds.

We asked them to reveal how they got in a position to contend for the $50,000 grand prize, their plans from here and advice for aspiring SuperCoach champs.

Some of the top experts in the game also share what has gone right, and wrong, in 2025.

GAWN FISHING

Coach: Mitch

Overall rank: 3

Best previous ranking: 1st this year, 80th for completed season.

Best starting pick: Andrew Brayshaw

Worst starting pick: Tom Stewart

Best trade: Tristan Xerri

A trade I regret: All the failed rookies (Simpson, Hall, Gross, Hustwaite)

When will you have a ‘finished’ team and how many premiums will that include: 23 premiums by the end of the byes hopefully

One player you own that makes you nervous: Lachie Whitfield

One player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Nic Martin

How many hours per week do you spend on your team? Two hours

How would you describe your strategy this season that has put you in contention for the $50k prize? Trading aggressively in terms of upgrading rookies but not too reactionary to players’ performance.

Best piece of advice for the 190,000+ coaches behind you in the rankings? Picking up premiums with a reduced price who have had their bye.

Andrew Brayshaw is averaging 122.6 points per game. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

DO A PUSH-UP JAKEY

Coach: Remi

Overall rank: 6

Best previous ranking: 68 (2021)

Best starting pick: Max Gawn, although he did lose $100k after the first few price changes, circumstances happened where a lot of people have been unable to bring him in due to higher priority targets, and since then he has scored huge.

Worst starting pick: Harry Sheezel. He looks like a good pick now, but did lose just less than 150k and scored very poorly. It would have been a POD move to not start him.

Best trade: I didn’t pick him up at his lowest, but bringing in Tristan Xerri before round 9. Has averaged 140-plus since being in my side, and is almost impossible to bring him in now if you don’t have him already.

A trade I regret: Slight recency bias, but trading out Sheezel before his bye. I was worried about his half-forward role, but since being out of my team he now plays midfield, and still very highly owned in the top 1 per cent.

When will you have a ‘finished’ team and how many premiums will that include: 23 premos.

One player you own that makes you nervous: Any of my injury prone picks, so most likely Adam Cerra and Tom Green. My trades are already low as is.

One player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Any of the highly owned uber premos, Lachie Whitfield and Zach Butters right now. Hoping to have one of them as a final upgrade.

How many hours per week do you spend on your team? Probably equates to one to two hours a day, slowly dropping off now that the team is almost finished.

How would you describe your strategy this season? Trading in proven premiums when they are mostly at their lowest price. This is the usual SuperCoach strategy but I feel like I have done this very well this year. I was able to build a high team wealth by trading aggressively early in the season, on the basis that the Flex position should cover me if a player has 1-3 week injury in the later rounds when I finish on a low number of trades.

Best piece of advice: Continue to bring in value priced players. When late season injury carnage hits, you will rise up the ranks by conserving trades by not trading heaps to afford $600k+ players.

Not owning Lachie Whitfield is a scary prospect. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

THE NEALE DEAL

Coach: Josh

Overall rank: 8

Best previous ranking: 371 (2023)

Best starting pick: Andrew Brayshaw or Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera

Worst starting pick: Matt Flynn

Best trade: Powell-Pepper for Xerri in Round 9

A trade I regret: Trading Adam Cerra also in round 9 for Chad Warner (although it did help me get Xerri)

When will you have a ‘finished’ team? Depends on if Mills/McKercher are counted as premiums! All things going well, going into round 16.

One player you own that makes you nervous: Lachie Neale

One player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Connor Rozee (soon to be Zak Butters)

How many hours per week do you spend on your team? Ask my partner hahaha. Probably 30 mins a day on my own team but I do enjoy listening to the odd podcast as well.

How would you describe your strategy this season? Picking value/potential at the start of the season over highest priced players, and then trading rookies early if it can get you an upgrade.

Best piece of advice: You can make up plenty of ground quickly, but overall luck goes a long way!

DELUSIONAL DONS

Coach: Taylor

Current rank: 18

Best previous rank: 1319th (2023)

Best starting pick: Lachie Ash

Worst starting pick: Jason Horne-Francis (mainly because I traded him out after three weeks)

Best trade: Ned Long

Trade I regret: Trading in Elijah Tsatas after having already trading him out.

When will you have a ‘finished’ team? Will have a “finished” team after this week, with 22 premos, with any luck the following week I’ll have the 23rd premo.

One player you own that makes you nervous: Harry Sheezel

One player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Nic Martin

How many hours per week do you spend on your team? Normally I spend 2-3 hours weekly sorting through my trades and checking teams.

How would you describe your strategy this season? Aggressive trading

Best piece of advice: Don’t sideways trade an underperforming “premo” when you can still upgrade around them.

SuperCoaches had high hopes for Elijah Tsatas. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

LANGWARRIN LIZARDS

Coach: Carter

Overall rank: 57

Best previous ranking: 2k ish

Best starting pick: Max Holmes

Worst starting pick: Ben Paton

Best trade: Nic Martin in for Jack Macrae

A trade I regret: Zach Merrett

When will you have a ‘finished’ team? Round 16 – 22 premos

One player you own that makes you nervous: Harry Sheezel

One player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Jordan Dawson Connor Rozee

How many hours per week do you spend on your team? Too much! 6-8 hours during week, all weekend.

How would you describe your strategy this season? Simple, zero PODs and just sticking on a straight line not taking risks.

Best piece of advice: More time spent on the game = better rank.

KICKTHEBLOODYTHING

Coach: Nicholas

Overall rank: 139

Best previous ranking: 1437

Best starting pick: Jake Bowey (has to go now though! Andrew Brayshaw a close second.

Worst starting pick: Harry Perryman

Best trade: Nic Martin in round 8. Has been very good since.

A trade I regret: Looks like trading out Caleb Daniel was a bad move.

When will you have a ‘finished’ team? Round 16-17 and probably 22 + Mattaes Phillipou (pending cash cow progress).

One player you own that makes you nervous: Phillipou!

One player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Luke Jackson

How many hours per week do you spend on your team? Three hours

How would you describe your strategy this season? Trust my gut on a few PODs / luck!

Best piece of advice: Listen to a number of SuperCoach related podcasts, but ultimately make your own decisions.

... and we also asked some of the SuperCoach experts...

SELBY LEE-STEERE

Team Name: Chilmony

Current rank: 6798

Best starting pick: Bailey Smith

Worst starting pick: Tom Stewart

Best trade: Gawn in round 5 for $577k and a 142 average since

Trade I regret: Christian Moraes in over Ryan Maric in round 4 (plus all the other rookies who have flopped in their bubble game)

When will you have a “finished” team? Will have 23 premos after trades this week, but that’s being generous calling a few of them premos...

Player you own who makes you nervous: Tom Stewart

Player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Lachie Whitfield

Strategy from here: Keep trading

See more of Selby’s work at https://moreirasmagic.com.au/

Bailey Smith was $389k in round 1. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

SWIZ

Team Name: Punt Road Legend

Current rank: 2031

Best starting pick: Gawn

Worst starting pick: Jayden Short

Best trade: Ryan Maric

Trade I regret: Zach Reid to Nick Daicos

When will you have a “finished” team? Next week. 23 “Premos”

Player you own who makes you nervous: Colby McKercher and Callum Mills

Player you don’t own that makes you nervous? Whoever I don’t get out of Zak Butters or George Hewett.

Strategy from here? Prayer.

See more of Swiz’s work at SuperCoach Insider

AL PATON

Team Name: Total Rebuild

Current rank: 7204 (I was inside the top 5k last week!)

Best starting pick: Andrew Brayshaw

Worst starting pick: Christian Petracca.

Best trade: Bringing in Max Hall for Hugo Garcia in round 2. He made $200k and I could have held him even longer.

Trade I regret: In round 3 I used a Boost to swap Jason Horne-Francis (who scored 153 that week) to Matt Rowell (74), and making things even worse I missed Riley Bice on the bubble, missing his 124 and forcing me to pay $80k more for him the next week.

When will you have a “finished” team? This week but it’s patched together with cheaper “premos” like Callum Mills and Colby McKercher. I’m heavy at the top (Gawn, Xerri, Bont, Butters, Daicos) so hopefully that gives me some kind of advantage.

Player you own who makes you nervous: Matt Rowell

Player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Lachie Whitfield, Jordan Dawson

Strategy from here: The race to “finish” our teams could end in disaster if we cop a spate of injuries, as we did last year – the tortoise who plays it more cautiously now could end up ahead. The problem is the players I was happy to have as placeholders for a few more rounds suddenly lost their role (Ryan Maric), got injured (Zach Reid) or disappeared altogether (Campbell Gray), so I feel like my hand has been forced.

Matt Rowell has been a rollercoaster. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

THE PHANTOM

Current rank: 1463

Best starting pick: Max Gawn

Worst starting pick: Jacob Blight

Best trade: Bailey Dale at $494k, Christrian Petraccca at $480k

Trade I regret: He’s coming good, but Caleb Serong over Andrew Brayshaw in round 5.

When will you have a “finished” team? This week or next, depending on trade call. All the big names at the top, Mills and McKercher at the bottom – and I’m happy with that.

Player you own who makes you nervous: None.

Player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Max Holmes, and Jordan Dawson with Richmond after the bye.

Strategy from here: Take the value and finish your team – those injury trades in the run home may never happen.

PATCH

Team Name: Patch’s Potatoes

Current rank: 7883

Best starting pick: Andrew Brayshaw

Worst starting pick: Lachie Neale has been as underwhelming a $600k starting pick as I’ve ever started with

Best trade: Jason Horne-Francis and Mitch Knevitt to Ryan Maric and Bailey Smith. Horney One out hurt when he scored nearly 150 the next week but Smith and Maric were essential buys in hindsight.

Trade I regret: Clayton Oliver and Levi Ashcroft to an expensive Nick Daicos and Isiah Dudley instead of a cheap option. I’m tracing all my money issues and feeling like I’m behind the eight-ball money-wise to this trade.

When will you have a “finished” team? This week is as finished as it’s getting with Sam Darcy my 23rd premium and Colby McKercher at D6 to loop with Tom McCarthy.

Player you own who makes you nervous. Izak. Rowan. The Chad. Shai. Caleb Daniel. Lachie Neale. Harry Sheezel. Even Nick Daicos. I do a lot of worrying now I think about it.

Player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Big Max.

One line word strategy from here: Pray.

HAYDN ‘DOS’ KENNY

Team Name: Freed from Dosire

Current rank: 4050

Best starting pick: Andrew Brayshaw

Worst starting pick: Tom Stewart

Best trade: Max Gawn at $577K, Tristan Xerri at $629K – worth every penny.

Trade I regret: Tom de Koning to Mattaes Phillipou. Don’t ask.

When will you have a “finished” team? Post-bye for 22 premiums plus uber premium Tom McCarthy at D6.

Player you own who makes you nervous: Matt Rowell.

Player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Jack Sinclair.

One line strategy from here: Trust your gut!

Mattaes Phillipou could be back this week. Picture: Mark Stewart

TIM MICHELL

Team Name: Pink De Koning Club

Current rank: 21,619

Best starting pick: There weren’t many ... let’s go Sam Davidson who made almost $200k in a difficult year for cash generation.

Worst starting pick: Harry Perryman. Can’t believe I thought he was a premium. Closely followed by Arie Schoenmaker, who got dropped after a week.

Best trade: Christian Petracca in round 7 when he’d bottomed out. The other 34 have been mostly bad.

Trade I regret: How much time have you got? Zach Reid out at $119k before he turned into a premium, Jason Horne-Francis out instead of Will Day who was injured a few days later, paying top dollar for five defensive premiums who scored 82 or less that week. I’ve been like Sideshow Bob walking around a bunch of rakes.

When will you have a “finished” team? What do you think constitutes a premium? If Tom McCarthy is one then 23. But that also includes Callum Mills and Colby McKercher.

Player you own who makes you nervous: All of them. Maybe Jordan Dawson because you don’t know if he’s going to launch one from 60m or kick it 12m sideways.

Player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Bont. Butters. Sheezel. Possibly Gawn after this week. Bailey Dale probably No.1 as I have every other seagull in the game but not him and it hurts when teams let him have 35 disposals unopposed.

Strategy from here: Pray – and not just that someone comes to their senses and tags Bailey Dale.

CHLOE WILLIAMS

Team Name: Look At Moir

Current rank: 7983

Best starting pick: Adam Cerra

Worst starting pick: Jayden Short

Best trade: I grabbed Tristan Xerri at $557.3k in round 7.

Trade I regret: Trading out Caleb Daniel, trading in Kieren Briggs and most of my rookies.

When will you have a “finished” team? Now ... but it includes two players under $400k in my 23 (Mills and McAuliffe) with McCarthy, Clarke and Johnson my main bench cover.

Player you own who makes you nervous: Mills, McKercher, Cripps

Player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Gawn, Daicos, Dale, Richards

Strategy from here: Wait it out and try not to use any trades until I can add one more premo, or correct a dead rookie.

TARQUIN OAKLEY

Team Name: Chols Royce

Current rank: 8459

Best starting pick: Starting the top two players in SuperCoach – Max Gawn and Tristan Xerri – was handy.

Worst starting pick: Harry Perryman.

Best trade: Jack Sinclair has averaged 124 since I brought him in.

Trade I regret: Brought Joel Freijah in after scores of 109 and 100. Held him through scores of 68, 49 and 50. Then traded him out before he scored 124 and 114 in the following weeks.

When will you have a “finished” team? Hopefully in three weeks and every player on-field will be at least $400k.

Player you own who makes you nervous: Tom Liberatore.

Player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Andrew Brayshaw.

Strategy from here: Operation get Brayshaw and Bont.

Remember when Harry Perryman looked like a SuperCoach steal? Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

MATT FORREST

Team name: Hustwaite for Me

Current rank: 17,718

Best starting pick: Luke Jackson

Worst starting pick: Clayton Oliver

Best trade: Trading Matt Flynn to Tom De Koning after Carlton’s round 12 bye – 269 points in first two weeks as a $528k buy.

Trade I regret: Trading in Henry Hustwaite... I knew he was never going to play more than a handful of games, but I got sucked in because there were no other rookies.

When will you have a “finished” team? If you include Clayton Oliver as a ‘premium’, then I’m one upgrade away from a finished team. But ideally I am one upgrade and one quasi upgrade away.

Player you own who makes you nervous: Chad Warner... either scores 60 or 140. Same goes for Christian Petracca and Jason Horne-Francis.

Player you don’t own that makes you nervous: Marcus Bontempelli. He’s hopefully my last true upgrade but let’s bring that tag, Tigers, and drop that price a bit more.

Strategy from here: Easy on the trade pedal, I always run out before the end of the season and I don’t want that to happen again.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2025: Top-ranked coaches reveal their trade secrets