SuperCoach AFL 2024: Late mail, selection whispers for round 2

Will Ryley Sanders get a full game this week? See Luke Beveridge’s thoughts plus a warning on two Fremantle stars and more vital SuperCoach intel.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has gone to another level in 2024 in pulling moves that mystify fans and SuperCoaches.

Known for his unpredictable magnet moves, Beveridge did his best (or worst) work when deploying the sub in round 1.

Ryley Sanders is the third-most selected player in SuperCoach, featuring in 74 per cent of teams.

And they all did a double take when Sanders was subbed off in his first AFL game.

Asked about the move in his post-match press conference, Beveridge said Sanders wasn’t injured.

“He’s fine. At that pint of time he was one of probably a handful that could have come off,” Beveridge said.

“Ryley’s going really well, he’s going to be a tremendous player for the club.”

Beveridge said “there’s no benefits of hindsight” and added that “we’ll look after him and make sure he goes into next week with a positive mindset”.

Asked if Caleb Daniel would start as the sub again against Gold Coast on Sunday, he answered: “We’ll see ... ultimately we pick a team with the aim to challenge the whole competition.”

Don’t trade out Sanders, but moving him to the bench could be an option – watch final team sheets for any clues on his likely role.

Ryley Sanders was subbed off in round 1. Picture: Michael Klein

DOCKERS DILEMMAS

Fremantle match committee has some tough decisions to make this week, which could have a big impact on SuperCoach teams.

The Dockers suffered three serious injuries in a horror half-hour during last Sunday’s upset win against Brisbane.

Key defenders Brennan Cox (hamstring) and Oscar McDonald (knee) are both set for long stints on the sidelines, while Karl Worner is listed as two weeks away after being knocked out in a brutal clash with Lincoln McCarthy.

The trio don’t feature in many SuperCoach teams, but the domino effect could sweep up thousands of fantasy coaches.

The Dockers revealed on Thursday that young key defender Josh Draper will make his debut against the Kangaroos on Saturday.

But with running defender Jordan Clark under an injury cloud, Justin Longmuir could shuffle his magnets and pull the pin on the Hayden Young midfield experiment.

“Youngy is an option if we feel like we need a bit more bounce back there, but we need to weigh up getting the midfield mix right as well,” Longmuir said this week.

Young averaged 116 points a game when he was moved into the midfield in the last month of the 2023 season, but just 89 playing in the backline.

Midfielder Will Brodie on the plane for @freodockers. @7NewsPerth

— Ryan Daniels (@FootyRhino) March 21, 2024

Luke Jackson could play forward against the Kangaroos. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Freo reshuffle could extend to the ruck, with Liam Reidy a chance to make his AFL debut in a move that would send Luke Jackson back to the forward line.

“Reidy coming in as a primary ruck and Jacko going forward is an option,” Longmuir said. “Once Luke acclimatises to (the ruck) he’ll be fine, but because he’s played as a forward all pre-season the spike in load puts him at some risk.”

That would be a huge blow for coaches who selected Jackson on the back of his form last season as sole ruckman with Sean Darcy out of the team. He averaged 119 as a ruck compared to 87 as a forward when playing with Darcy.

REID TIMELINE CONFIRMED

Young Essendon defender Zach Reid won’t be back for at least a month after suffering a hamstring strain in round 1.

Reid was subbed out with hamstring awareness and is now listed on the Bombers injury list as being 4-6 weeks away.

Rounds 2, 3, 5 and 6 are Best 18 bye rounds which could help Reid’s 85,000 owners in SuperCoach carry him on the bench until he returns, but he won’t be making money for a long time.

WILL HAWKS UNLEASH FINN?

Finn Maginness became the nemesis of the competition’s best midfielders last season, but he hasn’t caused the same headaches in 2024 – not yet, anyway.

Maginness started as the sub against Essendon in round 1, but will he be deployed from the opening bounce in round 2?

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell told reporters on Thursday not to expect many changes at selection this week.

Last year Maginness held Clayton Oliver to 14 disposals in round 23. Asked if he would be given the job again on Saturday, Mitchell said: “We went back to the game last week and there were a lot of missed opportunities ... this is not a game where we want to change anything in the way we went about it.”

That could mean another week in the VFL for Henry Hustwaite, who Mitchell said was “stiffest not to play last week”.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024: Late mail, selection whispers for round 2