KFC SuperCoach AFL: Our experts rate your Round 2 trades
Only 5000 KFC SuperCoaches cashed in on Tom Mitchell’s huge Round 1 score. Is he the ideal Dangerfield replacement? Experts rate all this week’s moves.
SuperCoach
Don't miss out on the headlines from SuperCoach. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Most KFC SuperCoaches aren’t known for their patience.
But in a season where you have to ration 30 trades across 23 rounds, can you really afford to throw everything at the early rounds?
Some coaches won’t have much choice with Patrick Dangerfield suspended and Matthew Rowell out for six weeks with a knee injury.
If you started both, you can use their combined $1.1 million to grab two quality players.
If not, you’ll need to be more selective or just do what thousands of other coaches did on Sunday night when lockout lifted — pick Dusty.
Our experts give their verdicts on the most popular trade in and trade out targets of Round 2 below.
SUPERCOACH PLUS: BECOME AN INSTANT EXPERT NOW!
TRADED OUT
Matthew Rowell $495,100 MID
Al Paton: How unlucky is this kid? Unfortunately it’s a must-trade. Consider swinging a Rory Laird type into the midfield to pick up a value defender.
The Phantom: TRADE. A big blow, but it’s time to set yourself apart. DPP switch to Steven May? I’m considering it.
Tim Michell: Thank goodness it’s only a PCL injury, but you still have to trade him. It will come as no surprise I’m advocating a Tim Taranto swap. Like Al and Phantom I like the idea of using him to grab Jayden Short or Tom Stewart.
Dan Batten: TRADE. Expected to miss half the season and that’s a long time to have a premium midfielder sitting on your bench. Will be ripe for the picking as a late-season upgrade.
Patrick Dangerfield $611,900 FWD-MID
AP: As it’s more than two weeks, he has to go. Even a one-week ban would probably have been enough for me to jump to Dusty (see below).
TP: I would have held if he was banned for two, but you have to consider trading now it’s three weeks. Too often I’ve played the short game.Dangerfield is one you want in your final team, and the rookies showed they can score.
TM: You have to consider trading now he’s out for three weeks. If it’d only been a two-week ban, I’d have found a way to hold. An easy swap to Dustin Martin who looked in ominous touch.
DB: TRADE. If it was later in the season, I’d consider holding, but fielding a rookie in his place during his ban will see you fall behind.
Brodie Grundy $648,200 RUC
AP: HOLD … for now. Some concerning signs but it’s only one week. Give him a chance to respond against Marc Pittonet on Thursday.
TP: HOLD. You cannot trade him this week. But we can revisit it if he fails again on Thursday night.
TM: HOLD. Why are we having this discussion after one round? Ask me again next week if he scores under 100 and Tom Hickey goes bananas again.
DB: HOLD. Grundy regularly underperforms in Round 1 and was up against a difficult ruck duo — watch for a massive response against the Blues.
Oliver Henry $135,300 FWD
AP: I usually wait until after Round 2 to correct rookie mistakes but if you don’t have James Rowe this is an easy move.
TP: TRADE if you didn’t start with all the must-have rookies — Gulden, Rowe, Flynn and even Jordon.
TM: HOLD. Waste of a trade unless you missed out on the rookies Phantom mentioned above. Just hope Nathan Buckley continues to have faith.
DB: TRADE. And the sooner the better. Move him on for a cheapie you missed out on.
Dom Tyson $243,900 MID
AP: That one AAMI score was always going to be hard to back up. You could probably give him one more chance but if he doesn’t score 100 next week, trade down to one of the top rookies.
TP: HOLD/TRADE. Zero contested possessions is a worry and he appears the perfect path to the rookie you didn’t start with. But it could be next week.
TM: HOLD. You always knew it was a risk picking him. Reassess after Round 2 if he flops again. If he’s dropped for Cunnington or Anderson then it’s an easy call.
DB: TRADE. No-one saw that one coming after his impressive pre-season showing.
Connor Downie $117,300 MID
AP: Don’t panic, he should get (actual) games soon enough.
TP: HOLD. He could still get a game this week. But, if not, trade to a playing rookie — cash generation is vital.
TM: HOLD. No doubt here. I think he’s a good chance to play in Round 2.
DB: HOLD. The Hawk became the answer to a trivia question when he made his debut as a medical sub. However, he wasn’t required, so he can still be used as a loophole until he gets his chance.
Lachlan Jones $139,800 DEF
AP: Not much point trading now, hopefully you can afford to wait a week to see if a guy like Harry Sharp keeps his spot — you don’t want to trade him in this week only for him to get dropped next week.
TP: TRADE. He’ll feature at some stage but, after hurting his hamstring in the SANFL trial game, it may not be for a while now. Consider waiting to be sure on his replacement, though.
TM: HOLD and use him as a loophole for Koschitzke and Highmore when possible. He’s going to play, it’s just a matter of when. Then you’ll probably burn another trade bringing him back.
DB: TRADE. The ready-made youngster has been struck down by a hamstring blow.
Lachlan Jones (AF $240k SC $139k DEF) @PAFC coach Ken Hinkley: "Lachie was really close. It just wasn’t to be R1. He pulled up a little sore after last night’s #SANFL trial so he will be assessed during the week for his availability moving fwd."#AFLFantasy#SuperCoach#AFL
— Honeyball AFL 🯠(@HoneyballAFL) March 19, 2021
Joe Daniher $233,300 FWD
AP: I am a bit worried that even if he kicks a couple of goals a week he could still score poorly, but Brisbane won’t be that bad again. Hold.
TP: HOLD. Give him a chance, guys. He still scored above what his price suggests and the Lions were poor in wet conditions.
TM: HOLD. Like Tyson, you don’t pick a mid-pricer for one round. Know the risk you’ve taken and be prepared to back yourself.
DB: TRADE. Not sure why he was so popular in the pre-season … His upcoming match-ups in Geelong and Collingwood don’t bode well for his scoring.
Lachie Neale $721,800 MID
AP: Trading out premiums after one bad game is a proven recipe for KFC SuperCoach karma. You picked him for a reason.
TP: HOLD. Pls.
TM: HOLD. You’ll see a common theme emerging here. I’m preaching conservatism in the early rounds this year.
DB: HOLD. A rare down game from the reigning Brownlow medallist. Expect him to bounce back.
Paul Hunter $102,400 RUC
AP: If you don’t have Matt Flynn he’s going to be the must-have ruck rookie. You could wait a week to make the swap but I don’t mind going early — who knows what other issues we’ll be dealing with leading into Round 3?
TP: HOLD/TRADE. Another big score from Flynn this week and you need to make the move.
TM: TRADE … maybe. Really depends how many of Gulden, Rowe, Flynn and possibly Jordan you’ll need to bring in next week. If the answer is two, grab Flynn now.
DB: TRADE/HOLD. A slight upgrade from Hunter to Flynn is a shrewd move if you don’t own him. Was shifted forward in the all-important final quarter which is a worrying sign.
Watch the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Every match of every round Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
TRADED IN
Dustin Martin $541,600 FWD-MID
AP: Traded into my team about 30 seconds after lockout ended on Sunday night. Incredibly fit and went to another gear when everyone else was out on their feet on Thursday night. Don’t miss out.
TP: BUY. Dusty and Josh Dunkley are the perfect Dangerfield replacements, if you decide to trade.
TM: BUY. Ok, it’s more boring than I’d like but his ownership is almost 60 per cent now. That mitigates any week he goes 60 and you can enjoy the highs with others rather than bemoan the fact you don’t have him. Straight swap for Dangerfield and bank $70k.
DB: BUY. His season-opener was irresistible. He can drop off in-season, but he is the next best forward option behind Danger.
Errol Gulden $117,300 MID
AP: see above re Hunter. He could score 50 this week but still shapes as one of the top money-makers so I wouldn’t have an issue with getting him this week to leave your two trades next week for anything else that crops up.
TP: BUY. You have to bring him in before the first price rise, so do what you need to do this week.
TM: BUY. Still haven’t slept since leaving him on the bench. What a waste of good points. The incoming cash generation is some solace.
DB: BUY. The Round 1 Rising Star is going to make KFC SuperCoaches rich and can be fielded with confidence.
Travis Boak $590,400 MID
AP: We keep overlooking him but he’s the No. 1 midfielder in a likely top-two team who kicks goals. Could be a smart swap for Dangerfield using DPP.
TP: BUY. Dominant in Round 1 and is a nice point-of-different option as a Rowell or Dangerfield replacement.
TM: BUY. The only reason he didn’t more than 110 last season was being managed through a few games during the footy frenzy. And he still averaged 109.9. A top POD.
DB: PASS. Chasing points buying Boak off one game, although his next fixture against the Bombers is inviting.
Bailey Smith $494,600 MID
AP: Why not get all the Bulldogs midfielders?! He was awesome against the Pies but will he be a top-10 midfielder at the end of the year? I’m not sure about that.
TP: CONSIDER. Love him as a player but, despite his Round 1 score, is he a top 8-10 midfielder this year? Taranto is the one at the price, otherwise look in defence.
TM: PASS.Like 543 other players he was in my team during pre-season. I ended up with Dunkley, Macrae and the Bont instead. Four is too many for me and the other three should be in finishing midfields.
DB: PASS. Too many mouths to feed in that Bulldogs midfield for Smith to score well enough as a MID only.
Matthew Flynn $123,900 RUC
AP: Rookie corrections can usually wait until after two games and the conditions on Sunday were perfectly suited to ruckmen. But I think we’ll all need to have him heading into Round 3.
TP: BUY. Same verdict as Gulden — a must-have. R2? Give it another week first.
TM: BUY. That might be his best score of the year but he will make a stack of cash from R3, or R2 if we punt Grundy next week.
DB: BUY. You might as well say goodbye to the $50,000 if you don’t have the Giants ruckman by Round 3.
Tom Mitchell $610,000 MID
AP: Honestly didn’t realise he was playing until I saw him on the TV on Saturday night. $610k is a very nice price for a guy who scores more the longer the games go. My No. 1 Danger replacement if you already have Dusty.
TP: BUY. 5386 KFC SuperCoaches were right, his shoulder is fine. Prefer the ball magnet over Boak.
TM: BUY. Like many, I forgot just how good this guy is. A contender to take Lachie Neale’s mantle of the top KFC SuperCoach midfielder and only just more than $600k.
DB: WAIT. Will be one who returns to his best in longer quarters. His interrupted pre-season means I need to see a bit more before buying.
James Jordan $123,900 MID
AP: The one big-scoring rookie I missed in Round 1, but I’ll wait and see if he produces another good score before bringing him in before price changes start in Round 3.
TP: BUY. Didn’t pass three figures but was equally as impressive in the Demons midfield as Gulden and James Rowe were. Could be a must-have ahead of Round 3, too.
TM: BUY. I was one who thought his job security might be shaky but based on his game against Fremantle he has a spot in Melbourne’s best 22.
DB: WAIT. While it was an encouraging debut, the Dees have Jack Viney to come back. Look to trade him in after his second game.
Andrew McGrath $510,000 MID
AP: A breakout is definitely on the cards if he’s playing as the Bombers’ No. 1 centre bounce mid. But see my notes for Bailey Smith — there are a ton of top midfielders, where will he rank at the end of the season?
TP: AVOID. Great start but, like Smith, is he a top 8-10 midfielder? I don’t think so.
TM: PASS. For the same price you can lock in a top-eight or top-10 defender such as Steven May or Jayden Short via DPP.
DB: PASS. Could take another step this year and went big in Round 1, but will he be a top-eight midfielder by year’s end?
Jack Ziebell $257,900 FWD
AP: Get. him. now. $257k is virtually free points.
TP: BUY. WHY DID YOU START WITHOUT HIM?
TM: BUY. The best buy of the year. You need him now. He’s only going to rack up easy ball while Luke McDonald is out injured.
DB: BUY. An absolute bargain.
Luke McDonald could miss the next couple of weeks with a quadriceps injury.
— North Melbourne (@NMFCOfficial) March 22, 2021
Jaidyn Stephenson $354,100 FWD
AP: Very encouraging start but he’s still a huge gamble especially if you’re swapping out a likely top-three forward at the of the year like Dangerfield. I’m not that brave.
TP: CONSIDER. 10 centre bounces, 33 disposals, 15 handball-receives and five clearances. I know the Roos had some midfielders out but I liked what I saw. Maybe better value than Heeney.
TM: PASS. All praise to you if you go for it, but it’s too risky with a stack of midfielders to return in coming rounds for the Roos. He was awesome against Port Adeaide though.
DB: WAIT. Don’t jump on until we see him in Round 2. There’s plenty to like, though.
More Coverage
Originally published as KFC SuperCoach AFL: Our experts rate your Round 2 trades
The AFL trades set to deliver big SuperCoach bargains
Bailey Smith and Clayton Oliver could be huge SuperCoach steals at a new club in 2025. Which other names should be on the watch list? Here are the moves to watch.
AFL obsession to NBL addiction: How SuperCoach hooked me on hoops
I hadn’t watch the NBL since the Andrew Gaze and Shane Heal days. Now I’m taking my son to United games and watching Phoenix on Kayo because of one reason.