AFL 2024: Teams news, SuperCoach whispers and Fantasy Freako’s form guide for round 14
Almost 8000 SuperCoaches have traded out St Kilda young gun Darcy Wilson – but is it the right call? And which rookie should come in? Champion Data’s Fantasy Freako has his say, plus all the late mail.
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There were several rookies that didn’t show up last round, led by Darcy Wilson. Apart from pressure acts – stats you don’t get SuperCoach points for – he had doughnuts at halftime and was unable to find the ball. He scored an equal-season-low 25 points and plummeted in price by $35k, and is projected to fall by a further $33k after next round.
Wilson has been dumped by close the 8000 SuperCoaches at the time of writing and that figure is likely to increase as we approach the start of round 14. The Saints play in the first match of the round so you need to make a call as to whether you jump off early, or take a price hit and field him anyway.
It makes more sense to offload Sam Clohesy as the Suns are on the bye. He continued his poor run of scores and now has three under 50 in his last four games and with a Break Even of 89, a price drop is almost certain after his next match.
Will Graham (BE 61) and Blake Howes (BE 75) are also on the bye and they fall under the same umbrella – trade.
With most SuperCoaches scrambling to get 18 on field this week we can put aside one of the golden rules of the game – never trade a rookie in after one game. Furthermore, the standout options both have a round 15 bye – a week in which most are struggling to field a full team.
Billy Dowling and Nathan Kreuger will be among the most traded in players this week after solid outings last round – with Dowling scoring 63 and Kreuger 76. Both are DPPs and both are the same price, so you can’t go wrong either way. Should you grab Kreuger this week, then you can snap up Dowling ahead of Round 16.
With Brody Mihocek out for another two weeks and Mason Cox for up to six, Kreuger should keep his place in the side long enough to make some quick cash. A career durability of just 47 per cent does count against him, though.
Kieran Strachan ($123,900 RUC) was subbed out last round with a groin concern but he wasn’t named on the club’s injury list which suggests he may be right to face Sydney. Matthew Nicks shocked everyone by dropping Reilly O’Brien last round and Strachan is an alternative to Kreuger.
We also have a new debutant to consider in Saint Arie Schoenmaker. A raking left-footer in the mould of Ex-Lion Josh Drummond, Schoenmaker is averaging 26 disposals, seven marks and 107 points from seven VFL games. His debut is a timely one as there has been a dearth of defensive rookie option.
There are several other names worth considering including Jye Menzie (BE -35), Ryan Angwin (BE -8) and Toby McMullin (BE -22). The trio do come with an element of risk, and none are safe long term, but if you are after warm bodies for the byes then they tick that box – although Menzie won’t be playing this week.
Jedd Busslinger is a player that is tearing up the VFL, coming off 27 disposals, 12 contested possessions, 14 intercepts and 133 SuperCoach points – all season-highs. With Alex Keath sidelined for up to seven weeks with a hamstring injury, Luke Beveridge has a decision to make. Does he recall Buku Khamis to the side and play him down back, or does James O’Donnell move back to defence after playing as a forward in recent weeks? Or does he give the out-of-contract Busslinger an AFL debut?
We all know how this one will end.
As always, use BEs to guide your trading of rookies and best of luck for the penultimate bye round!
CAPTAINS CORNER
Dayne Zorko owners, whack the VC on him now.
The Lions open the round on Friday night against St Kilda at the Gabba, where Zorko has played five times this season for scores of 105, 127, 130, 160 and 161.
Meanwhile, the Saints have given up huge scores to half-backs all year. A sample: 157 to Bodhi Uwland, 152 to Sam Flanders (both last week), 121 to Christian Salem, 151 to Jordan Clark, 135 to Colby McKercher and 175 to Bailey Dale.
A Marcus Windhager tag is a possibility but you can’t miss out on the possible Zorko windfall from the early VC if Ross Lyon sends Windy to Lachie Neale or Josh Dunkley.
If Neale dodges the tag, he has an average of 124.6 in his past three against the Saints.
Speaking of tags, Marcus Bontempelli was quelled by Jarrod Berry last round but he should have more freedom against the Dockers. However, Caleb Serong could be a stronger pick here – his past three scores against the Dogs are 140 (in round 7 this year), 138 and 130.
Luke Ryan’s record against the Bulldogs isn’t as strong, but the No.2 scorer in SuperCoach is always a solid choice.
Looking elsewhere, Isaac Heeney scored 120 against the Crows at Adelaide Oval last year and is playing on another level in 2024. Errol Gulden scored 109 in that game and will be eyeing off a third big score in a row following 131 and 157 in his past two.
On Sunday Zak Butters is fresh off a bye and a 139 in his last meeting with the Giants.
Nick Daicos is a safe fall-back captain against the Kangaroos – if he’s 100 per cent fit – but if you feel brave the Magpies have conceded a lot of points to opposition midfielders and running defenders this season.
That brings Harry Sheezel (three-round average 121.7) and Luke Davies-Uniacke (three-round average 127.7) into the frame, plus – for the real risk takers – Zac Fisher, who hasn’t scored below 113 since round 8.
Al Paton’s top three captains:
1. Dayne Zorko
2. Caleb Serong
3. Harry Sheezel
Lions respond to Saints tag plan
– Marco Monteverde
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has backed Lachie Neale to beat a tag if Marcus Windhager lines up next to him on Friday night.
“Lachie gets attention most weeks – it’s nothing new for us,” Fagan said.
“We expect someone like a Windhager will come to him. He did a good job last week on Touk Miller, and he went to Harley Reid in the second half the previous week.”
Ross Lyon confirmed on Wednesday the Saints would deploy their master stopper against Brisbane after he restricted Miller to 14 disposals in the Saints’ three-point win.
But Lyon said it was not certain Windhager would be assigned to Neale despite the Brisbane co-captain’s 38-disposal, two-goal outing against Western Bulldogs last round.
Asked specifically about how the Saints would try to quell Neale’s influence, Lyon told reporters: “He's a star but we know (they) have got Dunkley as well in there. They have got a lot, and McCluggage we rate highly.
“I’m trying to figure out, is Lachie Neale taggable? He sort of handles it pretty well now.
“We went to more the outside speed demon last week than inside bull, so we’ll still get to that.
“We’ll definitely run a tag, we’ve just got to figure out who it is.”
Fagan said Neale had got “better and better” shaking off a tag.
“Obviously, it’s a bit confronting when it first starts to happen to you, but once it becomes a regular occurrence, you have strategies to overcome that,” he said.
“The important part about it when someone’s getting tagged is that they continue to play well for the team. Lachie’s always got his head around that.
“There’s always a small focus on trying to make sure that we give that person a little bit of help. That’s just all part of being a good team.”
More than 7000 SuperCoaches traded in Neale after Brisbane’s bye and were rewarded with 134 points against the Dogs. He is currently the sixth-most traded in player this round.
CROWD DROP DOWLING SUB HINT
Matthew Nicks — what are you thinking?
The under-fire Crows coach had the perfect opportunity to win back a few fans by unleashing impressive debutant Billy Dowling for his second game against Sydney this round.
But, as of Wednesday night, it appeared Nicks was planning for Dowling to be relegated to sub duties.
“I thought Billy came in and held his head up,” Nicks told reporters.
“Billy will play again, it’ll just be in what role.
“There’s so many what-ifs still up in the air in terms of selection.”
Dowling is the top trade in among coaches ranked in the top 1 per cent this week.
Dowling had 17 disposals and kicked a goal on debut in Adelaide’s loss to Richmond.
It was a busy night for SuperCoach watchers in Adelaide, with Kieren Strachan ($123k RUC) retaining the ruck role for the ‘A’ side after being subbed against Richmond with an injury concern.
Rory Laird had a limited training session, leaving the field with an injury concern.
If Laird was ruled out, it could force a rethink on the possible plan to use Dowling as sub.
SAINTS SET TO UNVEIL DEBUTANT
St Kilda defender Arie Schoenmaker will make his debut for the club against Brisbane on Friday night.
The penetrating left-footer has been in excellent form in the VFL and will replace injured stopper Dougal Howard, who is out with a hamstring problem.
Schoenmaker was stood down from Tasmania’s under-18 team last year for bringing alcohol on a camp and slid to pick 62 in the draft.
But he has performed strongly this year in the state league competition for Sandringham and will attempt curb the Lions’ talls at the Gabba.
Schoenmaker is a $117,300 defender in SuperCoach.
MAGPIES PROVIDE DAICOS UPDATE
Collingwood’s star midfielder Nick Daicos won’t resume on-field training until the back end of this week as he tries to prove his fitness for Sunday’s clash with North Melbourne.
Daicos is recovering from two separate corks to his shin which required him to be subbed out of the King’s Birthday win over Melbourne.
The Magpies said on Wednesday that Daicos “has since responded well and has started some jumping in the pool and on the gymnastics floor.
“He is expected to complete some training at the back end of the week which will determine his availability for Sunday’s game.”
Daicos is a $4.50 second favourite for the Brownlow Medal with TAB, with the Magpies unlikely to take a risk if he does not recovery sufficiently in time.
The Magpies only had a light training session on Wednesday, with the club’s weekly injury report suggesting stars Jordan De Goey, Scott Pendlebury and Brody Mihocek are in line for a return against Gold Coast after the bye.
De Goey (abdominal tear) is back running at 90 per cent speed including change of direction and will ramp up his intensity later this week.
He and Mihocek (hamstring) will train through the bye period following the North Melbourne game with the Suns clash their likely return point.
Scott Pendlebury (bicep tendon tear) will ramp up his strength work before moving back into tackling drills next week.
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Originally published as AFL 2024: Teams news, SuperCoach whispers and Fantasy Freako’s form guide for round 14
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