All across Australia, probably all across the globe, there are thousands of AFL SuperCoach (and DreamTeam) sides being registered and tweaked for season 2008. As with 2007, ‘One Week at a Time’ is again your home of SuperCoach. Hints, tips, advice, discussion, debate and opinions galore – just the way our readers and listeners like it. I have documented my current set of thoughts, the risks, sleepers, the youth, the injured, the overpriced and the value. However, I warn you to continue reading at your own risk. Conversely, if you do snaffle $30K for yourself as a result of the following, please feel free to fire some my way!
Risks
Do you subscribe to the hype? There are hundreds of listed SuperCoach options that represent an unavoidable level of uncertainty, and that is what regularly separates the best from the rest. How well can you predict the statistical fortunes of AFL players in the coming season? After all, that is what this competition is all about. The players listed below are by no means ghastly options, just preferences that I believe some contestants may regret down the SuperCoach track because their market prices refuse to rise.
Brett Ebert (PA) $430,700
Shane O’Bree (COLL) $423,600
Cameron Cloke (CAR) $316,500
Courtney Johns (ESS) $201,200
Sleepers
This is the best part of playing SuperCoach if you ask me! I love telling fellow SuperCoaches that I picked Jed Adcock from the start of last season. Others nabbed Kane Cornes, Heath Scotland and Jimmy Bartel prior to the 2007 season. Not only do these types of players represent bragging rights for months to come, but they also translate into top of the ladder finishes. My ideas regards some players that might have a breakout 2008 are outlined below, utilise this list at your peril. (PS- I have plenty of others but I do need to keep some cards to my chest!)
Marty Clarke (COLL) $372,600
Ryan Griffen (WB) $338,000 (again!)
Troy Simmons (RICH) $229,600
Daniel Bradshaw (BRIS) $284,800
Marcus Drum (FRE) $293,300
Value
Get on board folks! There appears to be bundles of “must-haves†this time around, the question is though, which ones to select. It is all fine and well to be talking about how cheap several players seem, but we all know that SuperCoach runs deeper than just that. Results speak louder than pre-season words.
Brendan Goddard (STK) $483,600
Brendan Fevola (CAR) $466,200
Dale Thomas (COLL) $418,200
Nathan Jones (MEL) $406,500
Nick Stevens (CAR) $326,800
Courtenay Dempsey (ESS) $266,700
New Clubs
This category represents one of the most exciting areas of being a SuperCoach participant. Will certain players improve or statistically diminish as a factor of their new footballing environment? I admit I tend to avoid these types of players, because I promise you that for every David Rodan there are scores of Jason Akermanis’. Having said that I still couldn’t go past the new Swan listed below, I think his 2008 could be huge. The others however, no thanks.
Chris Judd (CAR) $570,800
Travis Johnstone (BRIS) $433,800
Martin Mattner (SYD) $381,200
Sam Power (NM) $333,000
Kepler Bradley (FRE) $177,000
Overpriced
Just my opinion, and a brave one at that. These guys are all expensive for one very good reason, they were SuperCoach studs during the last AFL season. I have listed them below on the basis that their respective 2007s were all so impressive that I find it difficult to entertain the thought they can all be just as good all over again. If I am splashing out on these kinds of price tags I want a little bit more of an assurance of consistency. Again, just my opinion, and remember the OWAAT Forum is the place for yours.
Jimmy Bartel (GEE) $675,200
Chad Cornes (PA) $631,300
Josh Drummond (BRIS) $608,200
Heath Scotland (CAR) $572,600
Injuries
Unfortunately there are again many AFL players entering a new season under an injury cloud. It is inopportune for their respective clubs and individual careers. These physical incapabilities dilute the SuperCoach player pool (ever so slightly), but also provide opportunities for their (often cheaper) teammates and also represent a mistake made by too many careless SuperCoaches. Be sure that when Round One commences you’re not harbouring any long-term injury concerns. Below is a list of players well worth avoiding, at least until their 2008 playing fate is more clear.
Nick Malceski (SYD) $541,600
Paul Haselby (FRE) $467,600
Andrew Walker (CAR) $424,400
Rhett Biglands (ADE) $191,600
Youngsters
One of the most important ingredients to a successful SuperCoach recipe is monitoring and updating your deliciously juicy youngsters. They can provide you with productive back-ups throughout the course of the 15 week SuperCoach season, helping you keep trades up your sleeve. Yet even more relevantly players with limited AFL senior experience can undergo significant price rises in a short amount of time. Below I have listed younger (and cheaper) guys I suggest will be on the field more often than in seasons past, so much so that we could see them well over $300K before the midway point of the season and that could mean having the funds to turn your Jason Laycock into a Dean Cox by Round 7.
Matthew Leuenberger (BRIS) $203,900
Matthew Kruezer (CAR) $144,200
Rhys Palmer (FRE) $114,200
Lachlan Hansen (NM) $101,900
Cyril Rioli (HAW) $94,200
Franka’s Faves
Everybody who is at all familiar with my handiwork either in print format or on radio will be well aware that I have a whole host of personal favourite AFL players. Just for a bit of fun I have listed them below, as all of them are in my current SuperCoach squad, subject to trades prior to the season commencing of course!
Luke Hodge (HAW) $594,300
Shannon Hurn (WCE) $359,900
Shaun Higgins (WB) $335,600
Jay Nash (ESS) $387,300
Well, the above may assist you or might even turn out to be the most detrimental thing you could peruse preceding this SuperCoach (or AFL DreamTeam) season. I hope that all of my pre-season premonitions are fulfilled, mainly because that should result in my first decent SuperCoach season. Oh sorry, did I fail to mention that at the beginning. I have quite a dreadful SuperCoach record in the few seasons I have played. Nevertheless, opinions are just that, we won’t know the facts until the season’s end, so at least I am safe until then!
