SuperCoach AFL 2024: Experts rate round 3 trades
Trade HQ is in overdrive as SuperCoaches try to fix a defence crisis, buy the best value players and offload underperformers. Who’s getting it right? See our expert verdict on every player.
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What are your trade priorities?
Most SuperCoaches are facing a crisis in defence with benches decimated by early-season injuries, and some more expensive players (Hayden Young, we’re looking at you) horribly out of form.
At the same time this is the week to grab a host of players about to jump in value after their third game.
Want the best rookies, a mid-pricer you missed, or a top-end premium who could be out of reach if we don’t act now?
The answer is probably yes to all of the above, but we have only three trades for the round. Thank goodness for Trade Boosts.
Here is our experts’ take on the most traded in and out players this week. Scroll down for the full round 3 trade guide.
MOST TRADED IN
1. MASSIMO D’AMBROSIO (DEF) $224,900
Al Paton: MUST-BUY: About to make a heap of cash and can deliver strong scoring on field. Go down to him from a failed mid-pricer or find some cash to go up from an injured rookie.
Tim Michell: MUST BUY. If you waited an extra week like me to make sure he was the real deal, don’t miss out. Looming as one of the best cash cows of the year with no early bye.
Dan Batten: MUST-BUY. The dearth of defensive rookies and his hot start means you’ve got to bring him in STAT.
Tarquin Oakley: BUY: Had him from the start, so feel free to jump on and ruin him for me!
2. TOBY PINK (DEF) $123,900
AP: CONSIDER:If you’re desperate for a bottom-priced defender he’s the best of the bunch, but I’m going to hold out for another week or two and hope someone else shows up.
TM: BUY. But not one I’m that excited about. Hopefully Arie Schoenmaker debuts this week as I’d rather sideways Zach Reid or Nick Coffield to him.
DB: BUY. But far from a must-have given he will likely be a slow burn as a key defender.
TO: CONSIDER: The best rookie defender on the bubble is only averaging 51 ... which just shows how depleted the stocks are down back.
3. TOM POWELL (FWD) $312,200
AP: BUY: Could be a season-defining selection if he can average 90-plus and be a forward line keeper. Worst case he makes a mountain of money.
TM: BUY. Insane centre bounce numbers. New two year deal. About to make $60k or more. No early bye. What’s not to like?
DB: BUY. The role is there and he has never had trouble finding the footy.
TO: BUY: Awesome role in the guts and getting stacks of ball. Great price that will quickly go up.
4. CALEB SERONG (MID) $621,600
AP: BUY: Won’t score 155 every week but looks a lock to be a top-five midfielder this year after his insane start.
TM: BUY. Fast becoming one of the absolute superstars of the AFL and SuperCoach. Could push a 120 average.
DB: BUY. Looks to have taken another step further and is a great option from Nic Martin if you can get there.
TO: BUY: The best player in SuperCoach as it stands, kicking myself I didn’t start him.
5. NASIAH WANGANEEN-MILERA (DEF) $475,800
AP: CONSIDER: Super talent who should score well at Marvel Stadium, but at this price you want him to be in the elite group of scorers in defence for the season.
TM: BUY. Love watching this guy play and although I’m not completely sold he’s a top-six defender, the value is undeniable.
DB: PASS: Can he be a top-eight defender with Bonner and Sinclair back there pinching kick-ins?
TO: CONSIDER: Such a smooth mover and lovely skills, but don’t quite trust him to be a top-six defender yet.
6. SAM DARCY (FWD) $123,900
AP: WAIT. Have we forgotten Bevo? Darcy wasn’t in the Dogs team in round 1. Impossible to see him dropping out for a while but we can afford to wait one more week just to be sure. Have a plan to bring him next week, though.
TM: BUY. But preferably wait one more week. Then again, he might feast on the Eagles this round.
DB: WAIT. His first game was seriously impressive but it might be worth holding fire given the inconsistency of talls.
TO: CONSIDER: Could either bring him in this week or wait one more before his price rises, but after a 109 first up he should be in your plans.
7. LUKE RYAN (DEF) $611,800
AP: BUY. Never drops below 80 and when he has a big day he goes absolutely massive.
TM: BUY. The guy is a SuperCoach cheat code. Bulk kick-ins, long kicks and intercepts. He’s got such a high floor because he pigs out in defence every week and the Dockers’ long injury list doesn’t look like making him more accountable.
DB: BUY. Expect the stat pig to be joining my team. Fourteen kick-in play ons in his first two games.
TO: BUY: Scoring so heavily and a great option for those that can find a spare $90k to upgrade Hayden Young.
8. LUKE JACKSON (RUC-FWD) $547,000
AP: PASS. Fantastic starting pick but he won’t have the No.1 ruck role at the Dockers for much longer.
TM: PASS. If you missed out swallow your pride and cop this one on the chin. Sean Darcy is back in two weeks and Jackson’s scoring drops dramatically when stationed forward.
DB: CONSIDER ... but be wary Sean Darcy in tracking towards a round 4 return.
TO: PASS: With Sean Darcy set to return by round 4, non-owners probably have to leave Jackson alone.
9. OLIVER DEMPSEY (FWD) $148,400
AP: PASS. Wouldn’t knock people bringing him in but I don’t have enough rookie spots up forward for him and Sam Darcy – and I like Darcy more.
TM: BUY. But not at the expense of having a spot for Sam Darcy next week. Dan Batten thinks Chris Scott loves Dempsey.
DB: BUY. Is locked in the Cats side after a strong pre-season, and showed against the Crows he can post solid scores without hitting the scoreboard.
TO: BUY: Big price rise coming and still scored OK without finding the goals against Adelaide.
10. COLBY McKERCHER (MID) $202,800
AP: BUY. If you didn’t start him make him your No.1 priority. Kangaroos jet is set to be the cash cow of the year.
TM: BUY. You didn’t start him - seriously?
DB: MUST-BUY. Tell me ... why didn’t you start him?
TO: BUY: A correction trade you must make if you didn’t start him- will make plenty of cash and is an on-field rookie lock.
MOST TRADED OUT
1. HAYDEN YOUNG (DEF) $525,100
AP: TRADE:Wouldn’t surprise me if he scores much better this week but if he doesn’t his price will take a huge hit, then he’ll be almost impossible to get rid of.
TM: ON THE FENCE. Part of me thinks I should cop the price drop in the next few weeks knowing he’ll bounce back soon. Tim Taranto had the most clangers in the league last year and he wasn’t close to 9.5 a game like Young is averaging. He’s going to lift, it’s just a matter of when.
DB: TRADE. So far out my team it isn’t funny. Seems to be third or fourth rung in the Dockers midfield and he doesn’t have the same time to dispose of the footy that he did off half-back.
TO: TRADE: Too many good premiums averaging above 110 to keep a player with a 165 break even averaging 66.
2. NICK COFFIELD (DEF) $123,900
AP: TRADE. Injury just minutes into the game continues backline rookie curse. Has to go but you could hold off for now if there are other priorities this week,
TM: TRADE. Not a priority trade by any means but if you want Toby Pink this is the week to move Coffield.
DB: TRADE. But there isn’t a great rush with best 18 scoring this week.
TO: TRADE: Out for 12-14 weeks. Rotten luck for the new Dog.
3. JOSH GIBCUS (DEF) $150,700
AP: TRADE. Presume these are coaches with Gibcus, Coffield and Zach Reid. I’m carrying two but three is too many!
TM: TRADE. Unless you need him for a loophole to try and get the best rookie score in your best 18.
DB: TRADE. Has more currency than Reid and Coffield.
TO: TRADE: Like Coffield and Reid, OK to hold onto him on your bench for loopholes if you have other trade priorities, but he’s out for the year so a must trade at some point.
4. ALEX SEXTON (FWD) $182,800
AP: CONSIDER. Could go one of two ways – he either becomes a great cash cow as a freewheeling defender or he’s a bust who averages closer to his 24 average last season. Unfortunately, we won’t know for another week with the Suns on the bye. Could be leaving my team this week.
TM: TRADE. Not convinced he’s going to keep his spot after the bye and we need to free up forward spots for Dempsey, Darcy and the other cheapies on the horizon.
DB: WAIT. We forget he scored 130 in a practice game just a few weeks ago. But if he is named in the forward line in round 4, I wouldn’t blame you for off-loading.
TO: CONSIDER: Ideally would wait another week given his negative Break Even but Sexton has a bye, so he can be in your trade plans.
5. ZACH REID (DEF) $123,900
AP: HOLD. I’m stashing him on the bench while I deal with other issues. Could be back at some stage and there aren’t many great replacements around.
TM: TRADE. The Dons have set a 4-6 week injury timeline but with his history I’m guessing it’ll be longer.
DB: TRADE. Same deal as Coffield.
TO: TRADE: His injury is not as serious as Coffield and Gibcus, but still bad enough to move him on.
6. NIC MARTIN (MID-FWD) $492,800
AP: CONSIDER. Could you weather the storm until he gets dual-position status and can help prop up our battered defence? If you can get him to a real premo that’s probably the way to go.
TM: TRADE. Would be hypocritical of me to suggest otherwise considering I punted hin for Isaac Heeney last week. He needed a big ton without Mason Redman in round 2 to convince coaches he was worth persisting with.
DB: TRADE. Watching Martin over the last two weeks has been frustrating, because he could be such a great scorer if he didn’t think he was Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. Think a move to Steele or Crouch is the best way forward.
TO: CONSIDER: A better score this week from Martin, but it might not be enough for SuperCoaches running out of patience.
7. JAI NEWCOMBE (MID) $549,200
AP: TRADE: Bizarre that he has scored 66 in both of the first two rounds. Get out while you can.
TM: TRADE. To Jack Steele or Matt Crouch if your budget is limited. What a bust.
DB: TRADE. Not a bad pick for another fantasy game, but we deal with efficiency here.
TO: TRADE: He has gone backwards with his ball use. Perhaps missing the support of Will Day in the middle.
8. TOM BERRY (FWD) $208,200
AP: TRADE. This went sideways fast. Too many forwards on my shopping list who will make money, so I’m cashing in the $45k profit.
TM: TRADE. Glad I avoided this one. Still has one price rise in him but might only make a $50-60k profit. And that’s if he holds his spot after the bye.
DB: HOLD. Probably worth holding considering you brought him in last week.
TO: CONSIDER: If you have both Berry and Sexton, trading one is probably the play, and Berry has some extra cash to work with.
9. JORDAN DAWSON (MID) $647,600
AP: CONSIDER. A luxury trade only if you have no other issues. Will come good at some stage but wouldn’t blame anyone for making a straight swap to Serong or Butters.
TM: TRADE. It’s looming as a year to play SuperCoach aggressively and you can make $150k by downgrading Dawson to teammate Matt Crouch, who has a Break Even of 36.
DB: HOLD. He scored 173 against his next opponent Fremantle last year. Keep the faith.
TO: TRADE: Caleb Serong, Zak Butters, Zach Merrett and Rory Laird are all firing at around the same price.
10. JAYDEN SHORT (DEF) $537,700
AP: TRADE. Sadly I don’t think we want any Tigers anywhere near our SuperCoach teams unless you started Seth Campbell. Short isn’t even taking kick-ins.
TM: TRADE. Somehow talked myself into starting him but he was a huge round 0 tease. Nick Vlastuin is commanding all the footy in the Richmond back half and Short doesn’t mark or tackle enough to score well if he isn’t having 25 kicks a game. Never again.
DB: TRADE. Getting rid of Richmond players seems a safe bet at this rate.
TO: TRADE: Short looks like he was an Opening Round trap.
TRADE GUIDE: WHO TO BUY, SELL FOR ROUND 3
– Al Paton, Tim Michell
Call it the early mover advantage.
Coaches who grabbed hot starters like Isaac Heeney, Matt Roberts and Blake Howes last round have already banked significant profits after the first price rises of the year.
Of course, going early is only half the equation. You have to go early on the right players as the 23,000 who traded in Tom Berry – or the 25,000 who traded out Zac Fisher – discovered.
The calls get even bigger as we enter moving round in SuperCoach.
This week players from another 10 teams are approaching their first price change, so now is the time to act if you want to add them to your squad – or move them out if their price is about to head in the wrong direction.
And some players who have enjoyed an early price rise could already be shown the door.
So, who are the top targets, and who should we trade out?
If you can find a way to get to a red-hot premium like Caleb Serong or Zak Butters, go for your life. But that will likely require some crafty accounting and other trades for value players.
Here are our tip picks for round 3.
TRADE-IN TARGETS
MASSIMO D’AMBROSIO (DEF) $224,900
After scores of 122 and 87 to open the season, the former Bomber has emerged as the must-have mid-pricer in defence. With a Break Even of -82 he’s set for a monstrous price rise this week after recording 23 disposals and eight marks in Saturday’s loss to Melbourne. More than 50,000 SuperCoaches traded D’Ambrosio in after one round, causing his ownership to spike to more than 40 per cent of teams. If you’re in the other 60 per cent, don’t miss out.
LUKE RYAN (DEF) $611,800
Hard to believe the Dockers intercept king and long bomb specialist is a point of difference in defence after his barnstorming finish to 2023. Ryan was in fewer than 10,000 teams as of round 2 and has rewarded those who backed him in with scores of 165 and 127 to start the campaign. Ryan went at 100 per cent efficiency from 23 disposals against North Melbourne and has had 43 kicks in two games already this year. That’s SuperCoach gold. Forget about getting him as a fallen premium, Ryan could be closer to $700k in a few weeks if he keeps this type of scoring up. In his past 12 games he has averaged 117, which is in the uber elite for defenders.
TOM STEWART (DEF) $635,300
Speaking of uber elite defenders ... how about this guy? Non-owners would have breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Stewart’s record intercept night against Adelaide translated to ONLY 134 points. His stats line read 28 disposals at 89 per cent, seven contested possessions, 15 intercepts and seven score involvements. Could you trade Nick Daicos to him and avoid the price drop? It’s a scenario plenty of SuperCoaches will be thinking long and hard about. Stewart is one of the most dependable scorers in SuperCoach, amassing tons in 18 of his last 23 games and scoring at least 91 in 22 of his last 23 matches. Geelong doesn’t have an early bye, which only adds to his value.
JACK STEELE (MID) $529,500
Coaches who enjoyed owning Steele during his back to back 120-plus seasons in 2020-21 could have been forgiven for wondering if he could get back to that level again. But on the evidence of two rounds, the answer is yes. Last year the St Kilda captain battled a series of injuries on his way to a 95 average, which made him severely underpriced entering 2024. He has posted 119 and 120 against Geelong and Collingwood, laying 11 tackles against the Pies – a signature of his uber premium seasons – and is set for a nice price bump after his next game.
NASIAH WANGANEEN-MILERA (DEF) $475,800
Wanganeen-Milera improved his average by 34 points a game last year and looks set to take another big leap in his third season. The Saints love getting the ball in the running defender’s hands and the return of Jack Sinclair didn’t stop him racking up a game-high 32 disposals against the reigning premier. Of those touches, 25 were kicks, which the SuperCoach scorers love, and he went at an elite 81 per cent efficiency. And the Saints haven’t played under the roof at Marvel Stadium yet, where conditions should suit him down to the ground.
JACK CARROLL (MID) $123,900
From super sub in round 1 to super cash cow in round 3? Carroll has a Break Even of -70 and only needs to average 38 points in his next two games to make $77k. That looks very achievable when Carroll has scored 65 and 74 points so far. His 65 against Brisbane came in 44 minutes as the sub when he replaced Sam Docherty. Docherty was set to spend more time in the midfield before his ACL blow, which improved Carroll’s job security. Carroll went to 14 centre bounces against Richmond and appears to be an important part of Michael Voss’s midfield rotation. He looms as one of the better cash cows of 2024.
OLIVER DEMPSEY (FWD) $148,400
Great signs for the highly-rated young Cat, who didn’t hit the scoreboard against Adelaide but still scored 59 points to back up his round 1 score of 96. Dempsey had 16 disposals at 81 per cent to confirm himself as a serious contender to be one of the best forward cash cows of 2024. If you skipped Tom Berry and need a forward bench option who’s guaranteed to help your bank, Dempsey is the man. Our man on the ground in Geelong at the Advertiser, SuperCoach expert and Addy journo Dan Batten, tells us Dempsey is a Chris Scott favourite. With a Break Even of -71 he’s one of the best rookie trade options ahead of round 3.
TOM POWELL (FWD) $312,200
Patient SuperCoaches who have been waiting for Powell’s arrival as a genuine trade option might finally be rewarded this week. While most of us spent the pre-season debating how many of Jordon, Fyfe, Harmes and Billings to start, Powell put together an impressive summer which has translated into the real stuff. After a score of 95 in round 1 against GWS, Powell had 28 disposals and kicked two goals on his way to 128 points against Fremantle on Saturday. He now has break Even of -47 and a projected price rise of almost $60,000 after his next game, making him the perfect stepping stone to a fallen premium. And he has the added bonus of not having an early bye. Powell appears to be in Alastair Clarkson’s first-choice midfield, recording 27 centre bounce attendances despite Jy Simpkin’s return to the North side. He needs to be seriously considered this week.
HARRY McKAY (FWD) $398,000
After hitting triple figures in the pre-season game against Melbourne, McKay has produced scores of 130 and 112 in the season proper. Carlton’s draw opens up in the next three rounds, especially for McKay and his partner in crime Charlie Curnow. The Blues take on North Melbourne, Fremantle and Adelaide from rounds 3-5, arguably the three most depleted backlines in the AFL for key defenders. If McKay averages 100 in that stretch, his price will rise to about $510k before round 6. The big Blue is relishing the chance to get further up the ground and spend time in the ruck. And even more crucially, he’s had his kicking boots on, slotting 6.1 against Brisbane and Richmond.
SAM DARCY (FWD) $123,900
The only SuperCoaches who didn’t love what they saw in Ballarat on Sunday from Darcy were the 357 teams with Rory Lobb. Yes, there are that many out there. Darcy was huge in the forward/second ruck role against the Suns, booting two goals, tallying 15 disposals, taking six marks and having 12 hitouts for 110 SuperCoach points. We know Luke Beveridge is prone to doing some strange things, but surely Darcy has brought himself at least a few weeks in the team based on his efforts on Sunday. Young talls are prone to the odd low score, so the wise move would be to hold off until round 4 and bring him in. But if getting Darcy this week helps you land a premium scorer, don’t hesitate.
TRADE-OUT OPTIONS
HAYDEN YOUNG (DEF) $525,100
What a disaster for more than 40 per cent of coaches who banked on a premium breakout after Young’s superb month as a midfielder to end 2023. Scores of 70 and 62 have him on the cusp of a huge price drop ahead of Fremantle’s clash with Adelaide – SuperCoach Plus projects he’ll lose $40,000 with a score of 78 against the Crows. Young’s stats in the opening two rounds don’t make for horrible reading. He had 24 disposals and 10 tackles in round 1, and 21 disposals, four marks and four tackles on Saturday. But he has also tallied an incredible 19 clangers in those games, which is high for any player, let alone one known for his skills. As soon as he cleans that up he’ll be pushing the 100-plus average coaches expected. But only the most patient will hold this week with so many value options about to surge in price.
JORDAN DAWSON (MID) $647,600
Dawson’s 30,000 owners would be feeling underwhelmed with the Crows skipper yet to crack three figures this season. Horrendous conditions gave him an out for his 82 in round 1 but only a late rally got him to 96 against the Cats. Dawson still has a prime midfield role but the laser left boot appears to be off kilter as he went at just 62 per cent efficiency (12 tackles saved his score). The numbers aren’t a total disaster and a bounce back game is likely but he is set to bleed cash (Break Even 189) and with so many other mids putting up massive scores (Zach Merrett has a low score of 129 so far, Caleb serong is averaging 155 and is $24k cheaper) a sideways move before prices change will be very tempting.
ALEX SEXTON (FWD) $133,400 / TOM BERRY (FWD) $163,500
Take the money and run? Gold Coast has the bye in round 3 and both of these forward cash cows have the selection axe hovering after they struggled in Ballarat. Sexton was shunted forward in the second half after Rory Atkins came into the game as sub, while Berry had three turnovers from seven disposals. His score of 24 would have been even more dire if he hadn’t kicked a goal. That score will mean the huge cash generation coaches who traded in Berry were expecting is now a long shot to happen. Sexton, meanwhile, has shades of Charlie Constable last year about him. The move to defence promised a lot but hasn’t really worked out and now we’ve got two nervous weeks to wait and see if Damien Hardwick backs him in. If trading Berry or Sexton this week gets you to a gun or a rookie on the bubble, pull the trigger.
CALEB WINDSOR / SHAUN MANNAGH / NICK WATSON / FINN MACRAE
None of these highly owned cheapies are must trade-outs, but are all looking like slow burns in terms of cash generation. If you need to free up a bench spot for a Jack Carroll, Ollie Dempsey or even Sam Darcy, they are all players you could afford to trade out without copping too much pain.
NICK DAICOS (MID/DEF) $650,000
Just kidding, don’t do this. Unless you’re very very brave. Following the third-lowest score of his career and with a date with Finn Maginness looming in round 4 – he was back on tagging duties this round, holding Clayton Oliver to 82 points – coaches who made the brave decision to start without him and recruit him at a lower price might be vindicated. Despite two big scores in his opening two games Daicos lost $24,600 off his price tag after lockout and could slide as far as $550,000 over the next three weeks. Could you sell him now and get him back after Collingwood’s bye in round 5? If you’re considering this path, keep in mind he scored 151 when he faced this week’s opponent Brisbane in round 4 last year.
Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024: Experts rate round 3 trades
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