SuperCoach AFL 2024: Fantasy Freako’s round 6 formguide, Tim Michell answers the burning questions
The key numbers you need to know to get your SuperCoach team firing on all cylinders for round 6 from Champion Data guru Fantasy Freako.
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Sam Clohesy stole the show once again last week, adding a further 124 points to his debut tally of 108.
His 231 points after two matches is the second-best return of any Sun behind Matt Rowell. Clohesy enters this round with a Break Even of -174 which is ridiculous and if there was ever a must-have buy, then this is it!
Will Graham deserves plaudits for his performance against the Hawks, scoring 91 points from 14 disposals and six contested possessions. But it was his relentless tackling that was the highlight – laying 14 from 16 attempts. A DPP and with a BE of -91, he too enters our thoughts as a trade down target.
Charlie Comben is another player on the bubble and although he wasn’t as prominent against the Cats as he was in round 4, a score of 75 in a belting is a decent result. He still had 14 disposals and took five intercept marks, but the addition of Bigoa Nyuon may have impacted his numbers as the latter had 19 disposals and three intercept marks of his own. Still, Comben is a decent shout this week and I would wait one more week before jumping on Nyuon.
We must balance out this positivity with some negatives and the biggest issue for SuperCoaches in round 5 was the injury to Colby McKercher. Thankfully, it was best 18 scores as his six points dropped off for most teams, but from a price generation point of view he has now hit the wall. He has recovered from a rib injury and should play in round 6 and with a BE of 101, a price drop is a near certainty. McKercher spent 56 per cent of game time as a midfielder in his brief time on the ground.
Ryley Sanders was subbed out for the second time this season with 46 points to his name, but given the injury to McKercher, we could hold Sanders as his BE of 49 is more than reachable. Sanders is likely to gain DPP status after spending 37.6 per cent of game time up forward, but with no Tom Liberatore in round 6 he could also spent more time in the midfield – potentially ruining his DPP potential.
Jhye Clark was Geelong’s sub and even after coming on at the five-minute mark of the final term, he could manage only one disposal from 28 minutes game time. With a BE of 74, it’s time to move him on.
Jack Carroll was another player to start as the sub, scoring 26 points from four disposals, but with a BE of 46 he could be a hold if he starts the GWS match.
There are 59 players in the frame to gain DPP status and one would expect most of these players to get it.
Trade wisely and best of luck for the round ahead!
CAPTAINS CORNER
Marcus Bontempelli produced his lowest score since 2021 last round but his record against his round 6 opponent suggests a major bounce-back. His past three scores against St Kilda are 125, 181 and 159.
Jack Steele is in red-hot form with a 137 three-round average but his record against the Dogs is fair, averaging 109 in his past three. Both rucks could have a big night; in the corresponding fixture last year Rowan Marshall put up 129 while Tim English scored 139 in the same game.
If you’re one of the very smart 10 per cent of coaches who started Zach Merrett, he’s a great captaincy candidate this round with recent scores against the Crows of 136, 143 and 135. Merrett hasn’t put a foot wrong this year, averaging 127 with a low score of 108.
Tom Green scored 145 against Carlton the last time they met, in round 23 last year, Isaac Heeney faces Gold Coast fresh off the bye and Zak Butters is another player who could be considered against Collingwood.
Harry Sheezel must be included in discussions based on his three-round average of 137. He faces the Hawks in the last game of the round – will he cop the dreaded Finn Maginness tag?
Luke Ryan’s recent record against West Coast isn’t great but the Eagles are giving up more points to defenders than any side in the competition this year.
This week’s SuperCoach burning questions answered
– Tim Michell
SuperCoach has always been considered a survival of the fittest.
But extra trades have turned a marathon into a sprint and fast-tracked upgrade season.
Some coaches were adding premiums to their teams weeks ago, racing to try and finish their sides before others.
Whether that tactic pays dividends or whether patience pays off remains to be seen.
But with so many rookies emerging, any plans for SuperCoach upgrades might need to be put on hold for at least a week.
With The Phantom basking in the glory of Adelaide’s first win of the year, TIM MICHELL steps into the hot seat to answer this week’s SuperCoach burning questions.
Is Sam Clohesy the second coming of Michael Barlow?
Maybe the third coming? After all, Errol Gulden broke Barlow’s long-standing record for a third-game price rise when he jumped by $123k in 2021. Clohesy has scored 108 and 124 to have a Break Even of -174 ahead of his third game, and a score of 50 will push him above $200k. It’s quite incredible that Barlow was Clohesy’s VFL coach at Werribee before he got drafted. This week, Clohesy might join him in SuperCoach folklore.
What about his teammate Will Graham, do I need him?
Yes. Graham recorded 14 tackles and scored 91 points against Hawthorn to have a Break Even of -91 this week. And Damien Hardwick is on record saying the new era had arrived at Gold Coast and he wants to play the kids. Don’t miss out on him or Clohesy this week.
Charlie Comben said this week he’s broken 24 bones. Do I trust his body or wait for Bigoa Nyuon?
While he’s awkwardly priced at $227k, Comben has made a strong case to be one of the top cash cows of downgrade season with scores of 129 and 75 in the past two rounds. The 22-year-old has a wretched injury history, but so has Elliot Yeo and look at how well he’s going. There are few better SuperCoach roles than playing in North Melbourne’s defence and Comben has amassed 17 marks and 19 intercepts in the past two rounds. Get Comben this week and Nyuon next (after a score of 89 on Sunday).
You Tweet a lot about not owning Jack Steele. Do you think he’s going to be a top-eight midfielder?
It’s hard to see how he won’t be. Steele hasn’t scored less than 119, has made about $95k and is still on the rise after scores of 142 and 143 in the past two weeks. Matt Rowell is the only midfielder with a better average after five rounds. One of the biggest factors in Steele’s favour is the lack of competition for points at St Kilda. Marcus Windhager (round 2) and Seb Ross (round 3) are the only Saints midfielders besides Steele to post SuperCoach tons this season. Rowan Marshall hits triple figures most weeks, but there’s plenty of points for him and Steele in the 3300 allotment from Champion Data for every game.
Steele has improved his numbers across the board this season, averaging 17 per cent more contested possessions, 47 per cent more metres gained, 30 per cent more clearances and 65 per cent more score involvements than in 2023. His kick rating has also jumped from 335th in the AFL to 83rd.
It’s a stacked field, but Steele looks every bit one of the premier SuperCoach midfielders this year – and he has games against Hawthorn and North Melbourne in the next month. In the past three seasons, only nine players have averaged 120 points or more. So the chances of Steele maintaining a 130-average are remote. But he still looks like value at $624k.
What happened to Tim English, Christian Petracca and Marcus Bontempelli?
Where do we start? English and Bontempelli both had their worst scores since round 23, 2021, against Essendon. English was decisively beaten by Todd Goldstein and is projected to be priced at less than $600k by round 8 (with games against Rowan Marshall and Sean Darcy/Luke Jackson in the next two weeks). Bontempelli won’t get that cheap but should bottom out at $70-80k less than his starting price. Petracca dropped under 95 points for the first time in 32 games, a stat which highlights his incredible consistency. Start planning to bring him in before Melbourne faces West Coast in round 10.
Why does Luke Beveridge like messing with us?
That’s a question only Bevo can answer. So far this year we’ve had Ryley Sanders subbed twice, Tom Liberatore subbed and three All-Australians named as starting subs. Although pressure is mounting, Beveridge doesn’t seem likely to go away from his unique approach.
So, do I trade Ryley Sanders this week?
Not necessarily. With a Break Even of 49, the Bulldogs No.6 draftee still has cash generation in him. Sanders has scored 99, 77 and 82 in the matches he wasn’t subbed and would make $10k in the next two weeks averaging 70.
What about Colby McKercher and Jhye Clark?
McKercher was subbed on four points with a rib injury against Geelong (before being scaled to six points). As a result he lost almost $17k and will have a Break Even of 101 when he next plays. He was shifted to the midfield in the past two games and his scoring suffered as a result. If he was to return to half-back, holders could be rewarded. But that’s a big gamble.
As for Clark, with Patrick Dangerfield due back and Cam Guthrie not far away, it’s time to take the small profit and move him on.
Massimo D’Ambrosio still has money to make. Do I cash in now if it gets me a star?
Yes. Upgrade season started weeks ago for some coaches and SuperCoach has become all about upgrading as quickly as possible in recent years. D’Ambrosio might make another $50k, but missing out on 100 points while you wait will only set your team back. D’Ambrosio to Dan Houston, for example, is a trade worth making this week.
Sean Darcy is back this week. What’s your plan for Luke Jackson?
It revolves completely around Sam Darcy getting DPP. My hope is that I can trade Jackson next round, use Darcy at R2 until Tim English bottoms out then bring English in to partner Max Gawn.
Who is Luke Nankervis?
Don’t let The Phantom hear you say that. Nankervis has cemented himself in Adelaide’s team, scoring 68 and 73 points and having 18 disposals in Saturday’s win over Carlton. At $243k it’s unlikely you will be able to afford him and Comben, but Nankervis is an option if you need defensive reinforcements.
Mac Andrew is the other defensive mid-pricer set for a spike after scores of 101 and 92 playing as an interceptor in Damien Hardwick’s defence. But who has $304k for a defender? Certainly not me.
The early byes finish this week. How do I make sure I’m ready for best 22?
Four best 18 rounds in the first six weeks of the season have helped many SuperCoaches paper over the cracks. But that’s all about to change. The best way to prepare is to make sure you’ve got depth on your bench, which is why many coaches are considering strengthening their squads with players such as Comben, Clohesy and Graham by using a boost this round.
Where is The Phantom?
The last we heard he was boarding a plane to Melbourne to personally storm AFL HQ and demand Matt Crouch’s suspension be lifted.
Who is the greatest forward in the AFL and why is it Jake Waterman?
It’s not. It’s Mykelti Lefau. I had one of my greatest days in SuperCoach when I had to pivot to Lefau after Tyler Sonsie was named sub about 3pm on Sunday. Lefau fending off Eagles like he was peak Dustin Martin brought a tear to the eye. It was that good it almost made me forget I chose Touk Miller over Jack Steele two weeks ago. But enough about that. You can read my Twitter rants if you want to hear more.
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