Tim Michell’s SuperCoach AFL team reveal: The 16 players locked in for 2024

As the first lockout of the SuperCoach season nears, TIM MICHELL is close to locking in his starting team for 2024. See the players he’s set on and his latest team here.

Let’s get real.

There might be about two weeks to go before the first bounce of the AFL season, but there’s still a lot up in the air in SuperCoach.

Firstly — and most importantly — we’ve got to deal with the fallout of round 0 and what it means for our teams.

Then there’s pre-season roles, injury news and of course selection to be dissected.

But, I’m getting closer to settling on the team I want to start with in 2024.

Of the 30 spots we need to decide on, I have settled on 16.

That means when the inevitable chaos and late panic hits in the next few weeks, I will at least only have 14 spots in my team to determine.

I’d urge all of you to consider doing a similar exercise.

Write down the players you think are locks, those you are 50-50 on and those you need to be convinced of during the pre-season games or round 0.

That way when the panic strikes in the last few days before lock out, you’ve got a solid base to work from.

Here are the players I have locked in for 2024 and those I am still on the fence about.

Tom Stewart would have averaged 118 last year if not for an injury in round 1. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

LOCKS

DEFENCE

Tom Stewart $635k

Hayden Young $525k

Zac Williams $216k

Josh Gibcus $150k

Ethan Phillips $102k

Stewart would have averaged 118 last season had he not been injured in round 1 with a score of 18. I was set on starting him and James Sicily, but the uncertainty about Hawthorn’s key defensive stocks has caused me to drift away from Sicily. Young is an easy choice as he transitions into midfield and Williams and Gibcus look to be safe bets as cash cows. Phillips is hard to pass up at $102k when he could play early in the year and is a renowned interceptor.

Having paid $170k to start Josh Gibcus a few years ago, I’m not missing out at $150k. Picture: Michael Klein

MIDFIELD

Marcus Bontempelli $724k

Zak Butters $636k

Luke Davies-Uniacke $635k

Colby McKercher $202k

Ryley Sanders $184k

Jeremy Sharp $123k

Bontempelli is a player I just can’t start without, even at an uber premium price. Those who have played SuperCoach for years will know he does all the little things that Champion Data love. He doesn’t have an early bye like many other premium midfielders and is a vice-captaincy or captaincy option almost every week. I can’t see Butters or LDU regressing from their output last year and want to be on board two of the most exciting young talents in SuperCoach. I’m confident McKercher can average about 90 pigging out at halfback for North Melbourne and Sanders will average 70-80 rotating through the Dogs’ midfield. Sharp is a standout bench choice who should debut as a Docker in round 1.

Zak Butters looks ready to explode. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Luke Davies-Uniacke was a prodigious scorer when fit last year. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

RUCKS

Max Gawn $583k

Brodie Grundy $481k

Finnbar Maley $102k

Yes, all three are locked in. The only thing that could make me rethink going back to the traditional ‘set and forget’ ruck set-up would be an injury in round 0 for Gawn or Grundy. Both represent significant value after eating into each others’ scoring for much of last year. Maley is in my team as a captaincy loophole option but his RUC-FWD flexibility could help with trades as well.

Finlay Macrae finally looks ready to seize a midfield opportunity at the Pies. Picture: Michael Klein

FORWARDS

Harley Reid $207k

Finlay Macrae $152k

I am worried for the 25 per cent of teams who currently don’t have Harley Reid. If it’s true that he is going to start across halfback for West Coast, he could be scoring big numbers for round 1. I’m very bullish about Fin Macrae and although he’s no certainty to stay in Collingwood’s team for the whole season, I like his chances of being rewarded for a standout pre-season and making the 23 for round 1 — hopefully just not as sub. Fingers crossed he dominates in round 0. Even if he’s not in the round 1 team, I am set on starting him as I don’t think it would be long before he breaks in.

MAYBES

DEFENCE

Nick Coffield $123k

I realise tens of thousands of coaches have Coffield locked into their teams, but I want to see his role before fully committing. There was a suggestion he’s in a battle with Buku Khamis for a round 1 spot. My back-up plan would be Zach Reid or Marty Hore.

Tim Michell is still likely to start Caleb Serong. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

MIDFIELD

Caleb Serong $621k

Matt Roberts $156k

Josh Sinn $123k

Serong is about 95 per cent locked into my team, but if I have to pivot after round 0 and remove one of my premium midfielders it would likely be him. I just can’t bring myself to sacrifice Bontempelli, Butters or Davies-Uniacke.

FORWARDS

James Harmes $258k

Cooper Simpson $117k

Like Serong, Harmes is a player who has been in my team for almost the entire pre-season and is likely to stay there. But as is always the case with Luke Beveridge’s players, you want to be 100 per cent certain of their likely role. My good friend and SuperCoach aficionado Damo from the west tells me Cooper Simpson is as good as locked in for round 1. I’ve listed him as a maybe because if Shaun Mannagh is also named, that might be his spot. But there’s been little noise from the Cats about Mannagh — I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

PRE-SEASON WATCH

DEFENCE

Harry Sheezel $556k

Keidean Coleman $398k

Sheezel looked incredible roaming halfback in North Melbourne’s recent match sim, but what happens when Bailey Scott returns from injury and Zac Fisher filters into defence. Is it going to be him or McKercher who gets punted to midfield? My guess is the versatile Sheezel, who was a dangerous forward in the Coates League before being drafted. Coleman is a player I am likely to start if Conor McKenna misses the early rounds due to a hamstring issue. I was convinced waiting until after the round 2 bye was the right Coleman play, but if he’s taking the lion’s share of kick-outs he could go large in round 1.

SuperCoaches can have a look at Keidean Coleman in round 0. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

MIDFIELD

Touk Miller $545k

Nic Martin $492k

I have been rotating Jai Newcombe, Karl Amon and Miller through my M5/M6 spot throughout pre-season but have settled on Miller — for now. If he scored 100 or less in round 0, I would be likely to reconsider starting him. More importantly, his centre bounce attendances will be a big watch after being pushed to half-forward in the second half of last season.

FORWARDS

Sam Flanders $494k

Charlie Lazzaro $181k

Alex Sexton $133k

Bailey Laurie $125k

Jack Macrae’s hamstring injury all but confirmed Flanders as the must-have premium forward. The Damien Hardwick did the rest when he told our man up north Callum Dick that every SuperCoach should pick Flanders as the Suns would be feeding him. But the beauty of round 0 is we can have a look at Flanders before locking him in. Lazzaro was a standout in match sim at Arden St but can we trust his big midfield minutes to continue? If I get cold feet, Caleb Windsor will come in at F4. I need to see Alex Sexton in defence and Bailey Laurie getting the mooted midfield time before I can feel confident about starting either of that pair — especially with a host of great forward rookies likely to feature early.

TIM MICHELL’S TEAM (as of February 21)

Tim Michell’s final SuperCoach team is taking shape.

Originally published as Tim Michell’s SuperCoach AFL team reveal: The 16 players locked in for 2024