SuperCoach AFL: The 10 players you must pick in 2025

If you’re serious about being in the running for the $50k SuperCoach grand prize or league glory this year, there are 10 players you must start with. We reveal them here.

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The script has been flipped in SuperCoach this year.

A season after we were scraping the barrel to find forwards we could trust, there are three who are among the biggest locks of 2025.

Pre-season has revealed more about who the must-have players of this year will be, with the Opening Round fixture changes also playing a big role.

Scroll down to see who the 10 players every team needs are and make sure they are in your side.

1. CALEB DANIEL | FWD-MID | $269,100

“He’ll play halfback … he wants to play free and happy”. It’s the quote from player agent Marty Pask that made sitting through a drawn-out trade period worthwhile for SuperCoaches. Two years after he averaged 92.8 points — which would have ranked eighth among last year’s forwards — Daniel is available for little more than the higher-priced SuperCoach rookies. But the best part is his return to a permanent role in defence. Playing halfback for North Melbourne is arguably the best role in SuperCoach. Just ask Jack Ziebell, Aaron Hall, Harry Sheezel, Zac Fisher and Colby McKercher. And there’s an argument Daniel might be the best player yet to swing into Alastair Clarkson’s backline. A likely keeper for less than $270k? Lock him in and throw away the key.

Caleb Daniel is a SuperCoach must-have. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

2. CLAYTON OLIVER | MID | $451,600

He’s got through pre-season and looks as fit as he did when he dominated the competition — and SuperCoach. After a season where seemingly nothing went right, Oliver starts 2025 as cheap as he has been in SuperCoach since his debut year. This isn’t a selection you need to overthink. Melbourne doesn’t have an early bye, he’s a proven 110+ scorer and is significantly underpriced. Don’t miss out.

Clayton Oliver has been flying in pre-season as he looks to put a below-par 2024 behind him. Picture: David Crosling

3. JASON HORNE-FRANCIS | FWD-MID | $537,000

Horne-Francis just edged into FWD-MID status after spending a lot of time in attack during last year’s finals series. It was a great result for SuperCoaches and makes Horne-Francis a lot more attractive as a SuperCoach option this year. He only had one score below 71 last season and lifted his average from 77.6 to 99.7. Only Sam Flanders, Dayne Zorko and Isaac Heeney, who are no longer forwards, averaged more than that last year in SuperCoach. Horne-Francis is likely to finish the year as one of the top-three forwards and the chances of getting him for much less than this price as slim. No wonder Al Paton finally relented and got him in after saying all pre-season he wouldn’t.

4. JACK MACRAE | FWD | $392,200

Welcome back Jack. Just when it seemed Macrae’s days of SuperCoach relevancy were behind him, the fantasy hall of famer has roared back into calculations as a Saint. Macrae is poised to be a key member of Ross Lyon’s on-ball brigade and the Saints are dealing with injury issues as round 1 draws closer. Even if you don’t think Macrae can get back to his best and average 110+ (which seems unlikely), he’s still amazing value at this price and should comfortably be a top-six forward.

5. LACHIE NEALE | MID | $645,900

Marcus Bontempelli injured. Zak Butters injured. And now no round 3 bye. It’s all coming up Lachie Neale. A few weeks after The Phantom was hailing the Lions co-captain one of the best PODs of 2025, Neale is surging in popularity. The biggest factor working in his favour is that due to Cyclone Alfred causing Brisbane’s Opening Round game to be postponed, Neale now plays through until Brisbane has a bye in round 16. He’s an incredibly consistent scorer, durable and a captaincy option in SuperCoach most weeks. And that’s before we mention the early draw with West Coast and Richmond in the first four rounds.

6. MAX GAWN | RUC | $668,900

Opening round always reveals a few SuperCoach clues — despite scores not counting. This year, it gave us Finn Callaghan and Will Day as breakout midfield premiums. But perhaps the biggest talking point was Kieren Briggs’ injury and Max Gawn likely facing Lachie Keeffe in round 1. Darcy Cameron scored 165 SuperCoach points after quarter-time when Briggs was off the field in Opening Round. If that’s anything to go by, Gawn is in for a feast in round 1 when Melbourne takes on the Giants. The Demons skipper will be a popular captaincy option and without Gawn, you could be starting the year 150+ points behind the pack.

7. TRISTAN XERRI | RUC | $645,900

The ruck position will be one of the most hotly-debated this pre-season, especially with the addition of a Flex position to SuperCoach AFL. Do you go with three premiums, a gun and two value picks, or two stars and a value option like Matt Flynn? Either way, Tristan Xerri should be one of your starting ruckmen. He’s everything we love about big men in SuperCoach. Last year Xerri averaged 18 disposals, 6.6 clearances, 12.6 contested possessions, 34.5 hit-outs and 7.5 tackles a game. Ruckmen who win their own ball in the contest are gold in SuperCoach, and Xerri is arguably now the best in the game in that statistic.

Bailey Smith is a popular selection as a Cat. Picture: Michael Klein

8. BAILEY SMITH | FWD-MID | $389,200

Kicking efficiency has always been what has stopped Smith making the next step from a good SuperCoach scorer to a great one. His best season was 2022, when he averaged 98.6 points a game. But there are three big factors working in his favour this year. We’re comparing the Geelong recruit to forwards, not midfielders. And against forwards, his numbers stack up as well as almost anyone in SuperCoach. After a year out with an ACL, Smith is as cheap as he’s been since 2019. And the Cats want to play him as an inside midfielder, where he’s always done his best SuperCoach scoring. Don’t fret about him being managed with a knee issue. Just pick Smith.

9. LEVI ASHCROFT | MID | $185,500

If you were having doubts about squeezing in Ashcroft, Jagga Smith’s ACL injury should have given you the midfield spot — and the money — to make it happen. Sure, he’s probably going to play a lot at half-forward and might be subbed out of some games, but he’s so good it probably won’t matter. The unofficial statisticians had Ashcroft with 18 disposals in two quarters in the three-team scratch match involving Brisbane, Gold Coast and Collingwood. And that was good enough for me to lock him in.

10. DAYNE ZORKO | DEF | $595,100

There used to be a rule in SuperCoach about not picking players once they hit 30 years of age. So, what about a 36-year-old? Zorko is coming off his best SuperCoach campaign since 2017, averaging 110.4 and earning All-Australian honours after being swung into defence. Keidean Coleman won’t return until at least round 5, which means Zorko will run the Brisbane defence and likely monopolise kick-ins for the opening month of the season. Which, as above, includes games against West Coast and Richmond. Don’t expect Zorko to pay much attention to an opponent when the reigning premier takes on those two sides.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL: The 10 players you must pick in 2025