KFC SuperCoach round 7 trade guide: Expert trades, top targets and rookies ready to go

It is a quick turnaround from the carnage of round 6, and our KFC SuperCoach experts are wasting no time. They talk through their trade moves here.

After a round from hell, it is time to upgrade our KFC SuperCoach sides.

Fortunately it is a quick turnaround from the carnage of round 6, and our experts are wasting no time in hitting the boost button.

A Hawk looks to be the standout rookie option, while one of his teammates and a Giants ball-magnet present as value options ahead of round 7.

See which trades the experts are making this week.

Will Day Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

TIM MICHELL

Darcy Wilmot, Oskar Baker and Lachie Cowan to Will Day, Alex Cincotta and Seamus Mitchell

You’re burning three trades to get a player who MIGHT be a keeper, I hear you ask? Yes. Yes I am. I’m pretty confident Day will be a keeper at either D6 or M8 and at worst will become a D7/M9 swing later in the year to provide valuable cover. I’ve been burning through trades and having someone like Day with that sort of DPP could be huge later in the year. My cousin Seamus (not really) is the easiest buy of this week with a friendly role in Hawthorn’s defence. I just wish he’d let James Sicily have a few more disposals. With no Corey Wagner many coaches will take an early punt on Alex Cincotta and I’m joining them. He looked the goods against St Kilda and I’m keen to see how he fares with Docherty and Saad back in the side. If there was another obvious rookie this week I would wait for that reason but I need the funds to turn three cash cows into Day. I loved his game against Geelong that much I would have bought him two weeks ago and don’t want to miss out with his low break even.

These trades leave me with about $30k for next week when I will hopefully be able to turn Will Ashcroft and Will Setterfield into Clayton Oliver and a rookie. Of course that plan could be out the door if Brynn Teakle goes well against St Kilda, but that’s a potential problem for next week.

The experts are jumping on Alex Cincotta a week early.

DAN BATTEN

Darcy Wilmot, Conor McKenna, and Lachie Cowan to Will Day, Seamus Mitchell and Alex Cincotta

The choice was between upgrading to Day (BE: 15) or Coniglio (49) this week, and I’ve opted to play the Break Evens and grab a possible $450k keeper. Day has a great role as an inside midfielder and his tackle and clearance numbers have allayed fears about his slight build. With cash generation drying up, Day presents as a value D6 option with handy dual position flexibility I’m happy to cop a price rise on Cogs and trade him in at around $520k next week, which is still a steal for a likely top six forward. Mitchell looks like a must with his game-breaking style and efficient ball-use seeing him reach scores of 67 and 79 in his first two matches. His FWD-DEF status is an added bonus to swing with Jack Ziebell and Harry Sheezel — who I have moved into my defence to avoid fielding suspect rookie defenders. I had originally planned to grab Corey Wagner but with the Dockers mature-ager omitted, I’m planning to pick up Alex Cincotta a week early. The fact he held his spot with rebounding defenders Adam Saad and Sam Docherty returning to the line-up is a good sign for his job security and he showed promise on debut, tallying 24 disposals (18 of those handballs), seven marks and 67 KFC SuperCoach points.

Seamus Mitchell is set for a big price rise. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

AL PATON

Lachie Cowan and Darcy Wiilmot to Seamus Mitchell and Sam Sturt

This is a very old school KFC SuperCoach play, a double downgrade without a boost. But with only $400 in the bank a third trade wouldn’t get me a superstar and this builds my bank to trade out another two rookies next week for Alex Cincotta (probably) and Clayton Oliver - while other coaches are burning boosts and losing solid scorers like Will Ashcroft or Will Setterfield to get to the top tier of trade targets, or settling for premos in the Stephen Coniglio price range. Last year playing fast and loose was the ticket to success but with cash starting to run out I think many coaches could run dry in a couple of weeks and I can catch up on the premium count with better scorers in my other on-field slots. That’s the theory, anyway. And a spare boost could come in very handy when Jack Steele becomes a must-buy in a few weeks, or even over the byes. Remember, we are only six weeks into a 24-week season.

Should Sheezel owners plan early exit?

- Fantasy Freako

KFC SuperCoaches have a major decision to make ahead of Round 7 – hold or trade Harry Sheezel? On the surface, it seems a silly question – but after managing 11 disposals and 53 points in Round 6 his BE has shot up to 99.

His role could also be different in coming weeks after the return of Aaron Hall – spending 49 per cent of game time up forward last round. Furthermore, he had just two handball-receives after collecting 21 and 18 in his previous two games. Yes, he entered the match under an injury cloud, and he may not have been at his best – but it could be a sign of things to come.

No one can predict the future, but for the aggressive SuperCoach – a move to James Sicily will cost under $100k. Or a move to Stephen Coniglio is around the $50k mark.

Something to ponder.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS WEEK’S TOP ROOKIES AND TRADE TARGETS

Elsewhere, the time has come to cull in defence with Darcy Wilmot, Lachie Cowan and Liam Jones all running their race. They may reach or even exceed their BE score – but bringing in more reliable options supersede that.

Harry Sheezel’s role changed after Aaron Hall’s return.

Seamus Mitchell has the lowest BE of anyone ahead of his third match – impressing in a role across halfback. He has demonstrated an ability to intercept – collecting 15 intercepts from two games – while also hitting the target by foot 74 per cent of the time. A DPP, he can provide flexibility and allow a swap between Jack Ziebell or Harry Sheezel should they be in the forwards.

Corey Wagner is also on the bubble but after the Dockers lost yet again – is his position safe? It was a far more impressive display in Round 6 though – winning more of the ball and improving his kicking efficiency from 58% to 79% – resulting in a 64-point return.

Alex Cincotta is another player to consider after he scored 67 points from 22 effective disposals on his AFL debut. There is some chance that Adam Saad returns earlier than expected from a hamstring injury – so make sure that Cincotta keeps his place in the team before jumping on.

STATS REVEAL: WHO SCORES MOST IN FIRST, LAST QUARTERS?

There were plenty of SuperCoaches that upgraded to Touk Miller last round, but in true SuperCoach fashion – he suffered a knee injury and has now been ruled out for the medium term. A cruel blow!

But if we turn our attention to Round 7, we’ll take a closer look at which players start matches strongly, as well as those who are strong finishers.

There is nothing more demoralising than seeing your players on measly scores at the quarter-time break – especially if they are premiums. Obviously, making a strong start is important – but the importance is magnified if captaincy is in play.

That hasn’t been an issue for Marcus Bontempelli though – scoring a total of 258 points in the opening term – ranked No. 1 in the competition. He set up his monster score last round with a big opening term – posting 74 points to finish with a season-high 182. In fact, he has had at least 35 points to his name at quarter-time in all but one game this year. That’s paramount as he has been heavily backed with the VC and C armband this season.

Bontempelli plays his 200th AFL match this week against Hawthorn, and he will once again be in our thinking when it comes to captaincy. He has scored 125 and 89 points under the roof at Marvel Stadium already this season – but he gave away six free kicks in his most match which impacted his score.

Other players to make strong starts include Nick Daicos (245), Jordan Dawson (228),

Lachie Neale (226) and Josh Dunkley (221) to round out the top-five.

Marcus Bontempelli has been a fast starter in KFC SuperCoach.

Below are the top-10 scorers in the opening term:

If we look at strong finishers, then it’s a young Docker that leads the way in Caleb Serong (223). He is a player that most SuperCoaches missed this season and from a value point of view – he’s up there with the best. He started the season under $500k and now sits fourth among permanent midfielders.

The signs were there after Serong finished last season with 32, 33 and 34 disposals respectively in the final three rounds. He has had 30+ disposals in all but two games this season and has overtaken Andrew Brayshaw as the prime mover in the midfield.

Tom Mitchell (197), Nick Daicos (191), Luke Ryan (187), and Tim Taranto and Jack Crisp (180) round out the top-five. In the case of Taranto, he is quietly enjoying a career-best season – racking up a career-high 145 points in Round 6. He is averaging over 30 disposals for the first time in his career and if it wasn’t for errant kicking (kicking efficiency of 45%) – his scores would be much higher.

TOP ROUND 7 TARGETS

— Tim Michell, Dan Batten and Al Paton

Stephen Coniglio MID/FWD $499,200

Coaches who started Coniglio have endured a bumpy ride, which has included four tons as well as scores of 71 and 58. Many of his key stats are up on 2022, when Coniglio was one of the bargain buys of the year and averaged 109 from mid-season when he returned to midfield. He looked more likely to cost $600k than $500k when he opened this season with a score of 143 against Adelaide, but those two low returns have given KFC SuperCoaches the perfect buy to kickstart upgrade season. It should be noted his big score at the weekend was without Tom Green in the side, but Coniglio’s centre bounce numbers were actually higher when Green was playing (84 per cent in round 5 to 79 per cent in round 6). A likely top-six forward at this price can’t be ignored. If you’re still stacked in the forward line, you can get away with using Coniglio as a midfielder for 3-4 weeks should you plan on trading Ashcroft to him.

You can get Stephen Coniglio this week at a big discount. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Seamus Mitchell DEF/FWD $123,900

A third-year rebounding defender who is at basement $123,900 rookie price with DEF-FWD status? Sign me up. With our starting rookies dropping stinkers and our round 6 downgrades providing us with misery, Mitchell is a must-have this week after scores of 67 and 79 in his first two matches. Mitchell — no relation to Tim — had been cruelled by injury since joining the Hawks with pick 29 in the 2020 draft, managing just 11 matches for Box Hill in three years, but he has made a seamless transition to senior footy. The 20-year-old has the line-breaking speed and ball-use – he took two kick-ins in his AFL debut – that the Hawks sorely need, and they should keep pumping games into him given they are in rebuild mode. Along with the cash, Mitchell will give you extra flexibility with North Melbourne DEF-FWDs Jack Ziebell and Harry Sheezel. A downgrade from the likes of Conor McKenna or Kade Chandler will net you around $150k.

Corey Wagner DEF/MID $117,300

A double downgrade of Mitchell and Wagner looks to be the play this week. Wagner was in stacks of teams when KFC SuperCoach first opened, but two separate injury setbacks saw him start 2023 behind the eight-ball. However, all it took was one official WAFL match for the mature-age draftee to secure a start at his third AFL club, and now he shapes a popular downgrade option ahead of round 7. His second game was promising after some butterflies in his Dockers debut, where he scored 38 points with six clangers. Wagner was regularly used in link-up play out of defence against the Bulldogs, hitting the target with 11 of his 14 kicks and scoring 64 points from 18 disposals. And he even took a couple of kick-ins. Wagner ticks plenty of boxes as a KFC SuperCoach cheapie: he has DEF-MID status, he is 26, he loves to kick the footy (of his 30 disposals, 26 have been kicks) and he plays in a side that is incapable of moving the ball forward. His job security probably isn’t as high as Mitchell, though, so if you’re after just one downgrade, Mitchell is the man.

Seamus Mitchell of the Hawks. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Corey Wagner (right) is making the most of his chance at the Dockers. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

James Sicily DEF $533,700

Sicily has been one of the most curious cases of KFC SuperCoach so far this year. Forced to play as a key defender in recent weeks and having surrendered kick-out duties, his scoring has dropped significantly from 2022 levels. His 105 against Adelaide on Sunday was Sicily’s third hundred of the year and fifth score between 91-112. That isn’t what thousands paid $624k for at the start of the year, but is well worth a look now he’s lost about $100k off his starting price. He might not be the same player who averaged 113 last year, but anything in the 95-105 region should put him in the mix to be a top-six or top-eight defender, and he’s every chance to get on a run of bigger scores at some stage. He’s likely to have his hands full again against the Bulldogs tall defence this week though, so you can afford to prioritise other targets first.

James Sicily has been good without dominating this season. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Luke Ryan DEF $565,900

The Dockers intercept star continues to be one of the unsung heroes in defence, producing his fifth 105 plus score in six rounds against the Western Bulldogs. Ryan has not dropped below 93 points this year and has three scores of 120 points or higher after tallying 30 disposals (of which 25 were kicks) against the Dogs. Fremantle allows Ryan to largely play a kick behind play in a dream role for KFC SuperCoach scoring, where he can use his kicking and intercept prowess without much pressure being applied. He has dominated kick-in duties for the Dockers, too. There’s been reports in recent weeks from the west that he is carrying knee and back issues, so tread carefully. But as long as he’s out there, Ryan is playing like a top-six defender who has shown no signs of slowing down. And he’s still available for well under $600k.

Jordan De Goey is averaging 111 points.

Jordan De Goey MID $534,500

The Collingwood star is the ninth-ranked midfielder for average points (111.8) after scoring at least 107 points in four of his five matches this year. Despite this, De Goey is the 28th most expensive midfielder this week. He’s not going to stay this cheap for long though with a break even of 67. Playing full-time midfield, De Goey is averaging a career-high 24.2 disposals, five marks, three tackles and six clearances a game. Although his efforts have been largely overshadowed by Brownlow Medal favourite Nick Daicos, De Goey has been one of the most influential attacking players in the league this year, recording 44 score involvements in five matches. It is his ability to impact big moments, be involved in scoring chains and finish which attract significant KFC SuperCoach points. De Goey has never averaged more than 87.8 points, but finished 2021 with a flourish when playing as a midfielder. All signs point to this being the year he breaks through to average 100+ for the first time.

Marcus Bontempelli MID $656,000

Bontempelli’s past two weeks have been extraordinary, stuffing the stat sheet with 33 contested possessions, 54 disposals, 13 inside-50s, 20 clearances and three goals across games against Port Adelaide and Fremantle. Oh, and a combined 327 KFC SuperCoach points. Bontempelli has four scores of 122 points or higher in his past five matches and has become one of the top captaincy choices for many coaches. Those who went with the Bulldogs skipper as vice-captain or captain in round 6 were rewarded with 364 points, giving them a massive advantage. Bontempelli was available for a discount of about $28k on his starting price last week but you can forget about that now. He smashed his 87 Break Even by almost 100 points and is only going to get more expensive in coming weeks. Bont has Hawthorn next. His last three games against the Hawks have been 115, 136 and 114. It could be a long Saturday afternoon for non-owners considering the sort of destructive form Bontempelli is in.

Marcus Bontempelli is in red-hot form for the Bulldogs. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Josh Kelly MID $579,200

With so few elite midfielders under $600k, Kelly needs to at least be considered. The prolific Giant has two 80s and three tons so far this year, two of which have been scores of 139 and 148. After averaging 47 per cent CBAs last year, Kelly has jumped to 74 per cent this year after the departures of Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto to Richmond. His clearance numbers are only slightly up from 3.8 to 4.4, but Kelly’s elite ball use and effective disposal rate are key to his huge points ceiling. He’s averaging about 22 effective disposals a game this year, is coming off 41 against Brisbane and has tons in his past two Sydney derbies.

Rory Laird MID $634,300

If you’ve been waiting for last year’s top midfielder to bottom out, this might be it. Laird went into Sunday’s game against Hawthorn with a Break Even of 137 and managed 126 points, dominating the second half and finishing with 12 tackles. There’s no doubt he’s a must-have midfielder, but it’s likely you might need to settle for a cheaper option this week unless you’re willing to boost. You could go for Seamus Mitchell, Corey Wagner and Laird, effectively offloading three rookies for one premium and two cash cows. The other option would be double downgrading this round, building a bank and then grabbing Laird ahead of round 8. But that means another week without Laird – and his last three scores against Collingwood are 154, 144 and 185. If he goes close to any of those scores, you’d regret not using a boost. Just monitor his fitness this week. He left the field with a knee issue late against Hawthorn but did return for the final exchanges.

Tom Stewart DEF $597,800

The Cats star has dropped back below $600k despite a score of 111 against Sydney. Stewart has produced scores of 167, 92, 135 and 111 since returning from a knee injury, averaging 126 (although this is inflated by his huge score against Gold Coast). The fact Stewart is averaging more than 100 despite a round 1 score of 18 tells you all you need to know about his importance to your KFC SuperCoach defence. His score of 92 on Easter Monday drops out of Stewart’s price cycle this week and this might be as cheap as you will be able to get him for months. His next two matches are against Essendon (last three 103 points, 107, 123) and Adelaide (174, 113 and 117). You’re well placed if you have a defence built around Jordan Dawson, but one with Dawson and Stewart will take your team to another level. He’s worth boosting for if that’s what it takes to turn three rookies into Stewart. His consistency and ceiling are enough to justify burning three trades for.

Tom Stewart is great value for his potential output. Picture: Michael Klein

Caleb Serong MID $594,700

Just as we assumed Andrew Brayshaw was about to break into the elite KFC SuperCoach scorers, his teammate Serong has gone past him. Serong has had 35 disposals or more in three of his past four games and is averaging an elite 17 contested possessions in the past month. Serong was the seventh ranked midfielder in KFC SuperCoach before his 130 against the Bulldogs, which his fifth consecutive ton and third score in five rounds of 130 points or more. He would have been an amazing starting pick at $498k but his price is starting to get into uber premium territory. Serong is certainly scoring in that echelon, but the question remains whether you would pick him off five brilliant weeks or a fallen premium with past history of top KFC SuperCoach scoring. Serong is in less than 5 per cent of teams, making him one of the topscoring POD picks.

Will Day DEF/MID $454,000

A somewhat forgotten man after spending the last two weeks on the sidelines due to suspension. Day would have been a popular round 5 buy had he not been rubbed out after scoring 107 against Geelong in round 4 when he had 22 disposals and eight tackles on Easter Monday. Day has gone 98, 139 and 107 in his last three games and picked up MID status after round 5 in the first batch of DPP updates. With a Break Even of 16, he’s projected to be almost $500k after round 7. He might have already jumped by more than $90k, but if you’re confident Day can continue scoring 90-plus as a midfielder, paying $450k shouldn’t be an issue. Day looms as the sort of player who could end up as a finishing M9/D7 swing, covering two lines thanks to his added DPP status. He was Hawthorn’s main centre bounce midfielder against the Cats, recording 82 per cent CBAs. That bodes well for his strong scoring continuing well beyond the first month of the season. Those who doubted whether he could score well playing as an inside midfielder have quickly been silenced. Day could easily be $550k-plus had he not been suspended. That decision by the MRO/tribunal has given KFC SuperCoaches another opportunity to jump on before it’s too late.

WATCHLIST

Brynn Teakle RUC $198,500

Ousted Scott Lycett from the Port Adelaide side, returning with 14 disposals, 34 hit-outs and 85 KFC SuperCoach points against West Coast. Bailey Williams won the ruck battle and scored 133, which probably isn’t a great sign for Teakle’s long term job security. But he’s under $200k and if he scores 80+ again in round 7, KFC SuperCoaches will have a big call to make. Would you consider moving on Rowan Marshall with the ultimate aim of getting a bottomed out Max Gawn? That would mean running Teakle at R2 for several weeks. The other option is either upgrading your ruck loophole or using the RUC-FWD swing of a player such as Nick Madden to trade a forward rookie to Teakle. In theory, you could trade Alwyn Davey to Teakle as a straight swap, swing Madden to F8 and let Teakle make money as R3 cover.

Harry Himmelberg could be sent to defence for the Giants. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Harry Himmelberg DEF/FWD $385,700

Maybe the toughest round in recent KFC SuperCoach memory will have a silver lining. Himmelberg found himself playing in defence (and even the ruck) against Brisbane on Saturday after Adam Kingsley was forced to shuffle his side when Sam Taylor went down with injury. The Giants have since revealed Taylor will miss about 10 weeks with a hamstring injury. That could open the door for Himmelberg to be recast in the defensive role in which he became a KFC SuperCoach star last season. Jake Riccardi looms as a possible inclusion after featuring in the VFL at the weekend, but he has been used more in attack than defence. Himmelberg seems a more logical replacement, although that would likely mean he or Nick Haynes might need to play a more defensive role in the absence of Taylor. Either way, it’s a big watch for this week as Himmelberg could be a mid-season steal at under $400k if he’s locked in for at least two months playing in the backline, where he averaged 112 in the last 12 matches of 2022.

Jack Steele MID $555,800

The Saints skipper was rusty on his return from injury, rallying in the second half after being on just 8 points at halftime against Carlton on Sunday. Steele finished with 54 points, recording eight disposals, three tackles and three marks in the last quarter. His score was 109 fewer than his 163 Break Even and is set to send his price crashing toward $500k. That was Steele’s lowest score since round 21, 2019, when he also scored 54. Coaches now have an opportunity to assess Steele in the next 2-3 weeks before deciding whether to jump on at his lowest price. You might even get away with waiting until after St Kilda’s round 12 bye. Steele has been one of the premier KFC SuperCoach midfielders in recent years, averaging 122 and 120 in 2020 and 2021. Even if he replicates his 2022 average of 109.8, anything close to $500k – and potentially less – would be crazy value.

Originally published as KFC SuperCoach round 7 trade guide: Expert trades, top targets and rookies ready to go