SuperCoach AFL 2024: Tim Michell reveals how he built his final team

SuperCoach expert Tim Michell has been adjusting on the fly throughout round 1 and made a big move to avoid missing out on one of last year’s top scorers. See his FINAL team here.

I’m calling it a round 0 cleanse.

After weeks of tinkering with my SuperCoach team, I’ve finally settled on the line-up I plan to take into round 1.

But that only came about after scrapping every player and starting with a blank slate.

It helped me work out which players I had overreacted to during pre-season and round 0 and which players I genuinely wanted to pick.

Here’s how it panned out:

First picked – Marcus Bontempelli, Alex Sexton and Brodie Grundy. I never start without Bontempelli, Sexton’s defensive switch is real and Grundy was incredible against Melbourne to confirm himself as one of the best value picks of 2024.

Next priority ... get the right rookies – Harley Reid, Ryley Sanders, Colby McKercher, Darcy Wilson, Josh Gibcus, Zach Reid, Matt Roberts, Jhye Clark, Jeremy Sharp and round 0 bolter Blake Howes. They’re players who should be in every side.

Then find some value. Zac Williams, Nic Martin, Zac Fisher. You’ll sense a theme of half-back flankers emerging here.

Next step? Think about fading Nick Daicos, have nightmares about that thought and then pick him.

Then? Find the players who aren’t top dollar but could finish as a top-six or top-eight player in their positions – Harry Sheezel, Hayden Young, Jayden Short types. Short scored 130 in round 0 and if Richmond is going to struggle this year there’s going to be a lot of ball in that defence.

After that, flirt with the idea of starting Tim English, but then forgive Max Gawn for a bad outing in round 0.

This is where it starts to get tricky. $3 million to play with. Nine spots to fill.

Jayden Short could put up big numbers in Richmond’s defence. Picture: Michael Klein

One is loophole ruckman Coen Livingstone.

The last defensive spot came down to Nick Coffield or Ethan Phillips. I’ve gone Coffield, who it sounds like will debut as a Bulldog in round 1 and Phillips missed selection.

Bont can’t carry the midfield on his own, so he gets Tom Green as a partner in crime. I’m more confident of being able to navigate best 18 in rounds 2 and 3 (the GWS bye) than I am rounds 5 and 6 when rookies might start to be rested or dropped.

Zak Butters was giving me a serious case of FOMO all week so I have readjusted, dumped Isaac Heeney from my plans and used the cash to help upgrade Henry Hustwaite after Hawthorn named his as an emergency.

That meant the midfield spot I had for either Touk Miller or Karl Amon ended up being for Matt Roberts, who has been elevated from M9 to accommodate Shaun Mannagh.

Zac Williams should be in every team. Picture: David Crosling

Then it comes down to four forward line spots no one really wants to talk about.

Sam Flanders will face much tougher opponents than Richmond this year but at less than $500k he’s very hard to leave out after averaging 106 in the last 10 rounds of 2024.

I can squeeze Luke Jackson in too, and with Sean Darcy ruled out for at least a few rounds he should have a big start to 2024. I hated not having a trade left in the last month of 2023 when Darcy went down and Jackson went ballistic.

James Jordon was going to be sacrificed to fit his teammate Isaac Heeney in, but I needed the money for Butters so have swapped the two Swans.

The F8 spot ended up being Wilson’s after I found the money for Charlie Lazzaro.

And that’s how you build a SuperCoach team ... or I have, anyway.

Rolling lockout in round 1 means you can continue to adjust your team throughout and react to moments such as the Josh Gibcus knee injury.

Just don’t make too many changes as you could end up regretting them!

Bulldogs recruit Nick Coffield claimed the final spot in Tim Michell’s defence. Picture: Michael Klein

The players I’m most nervous about not having are Tom Stewart, Lachie Whitfield and Touk Miller.

But you can’t fit every player into your $10 million SuperCoach budget and have to be prepared to sacrifice some stars.

I think Whitfield could have a field day against the Eagles and Roos in the first two rounds.

Tim Michell’s team is locked in for 2024.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024: Tim Michell reveals how he built his final team