2013 Supercoach Guide

new rule changes

The structure of teams have changed with sides containing six defenders, six forwards, two forwards and eight forwards. That is a decrease of one defender and one forward and an increase of two midelders. There will still be two bench spots for each position but this season you can put up to 4 emergencies which can allow you to have an emergency for each position.

With a few different opinions on this and whether you like it or not,

there will be a rolling lockout. Dont know what that is? It basically means a player will only be locked into your team until that players team plays, instead of 7:40pm every Friday (sometimes Thursday) night.

A big change is an increase of trade. From 24 to 30 but coaches

can still only use two per round or three during the bye rounds.

If youve been living under a rock, theres a new game being introduced in 2013 and the features include:

Supercoach Draft

No

salary cap: Theres no need for strategies when it comes to budgeting your money with players. There is no salary cap in the new Supercoach drafting game. In simple terms, a star player you would consider to be 600k on the classic Supercoach game is the same value as a rookie in their rst year. The money value assigned to each player is insignicant in this new form of Supercoach.

Not one team is the same: As you will be picking your players as if

you were drafting them for the rst time, every team in your league will have a completely different team. This means you will only face Gary Ablett or Dane Swan once or twice a season.

Smaller teams: In this new format of Supercoach, there will be 7

options to choose from when setting up your league. This ranges from 12 to 22 players per team.

Supercoach draft

Trading: This is the feature that might get most people interested.

When it comes to trading, you must make a deal with another player in the league. So lets say you want Gary Ablett but your mate has him. You have to trade one or more players from your team to his team. This will be dealt with in something called a Trade Centre. There will also be an option where a trade can be denied. This prevents any one sided trades.

Draft day: This is when the serious Supercoach players come to

their own. Players in the league nominate a date and time for your draft to take place.

Take more risks. With more trades available to Supercoach players

this year, dont be afraid to take a risk on one or two players. Maybe a player has the ability to score 100s but is injury prone or he is coming back from a long term injury and you are unsure about his tness for this season. Take that risk.

General tips

Do your research. Look up Supercoach websites, read articles and

look at statistics. Learn the Supercoach relevant players and choose wisely. Because after all, your Round 1 team will pave the way on how you go about your season.

Dont be afraid to go for the occasional player of difference. it is

risky but it can be the determining factor that will get you a win or a loss. So choose wisely.

Adelaide
Brad Crouch ($115,900): Crouch was the 17 year old selected in the GWS mini draft. Played 17 matches for West Adelaide, ranked second for clearance and third for disposals for The Bloods. Played for North Ballarat in the TAC Cup in 2011 and was the only player in the TAC Cup to be in both the Top 15 for both inside and rebound 50s. Shows he covers a lot of ground and can rack up the leather. A star studded Adelaide mideld can force this bloke forward, back or worse, sub. Patrick Dangereld ($636,000): Dangereld had a breakout year in 2012 who can turn a game on its head. Ranked No.1 in hard ball gets and second in contest possessions, the best way to score Supercoach points. He ranked No.1 at Adelaide and No.2 in the AFL for centre clearances (which sometimes result in a 50 metre goal). Loses his DPP status, so now could be a X Factor/Point of Difference in your team. Rory Sloane ($567,000): Another Crow midelder who had a breakout season last year averaging 106 Supercoach points. Just a little bit off the pace when you compare him with the likes of Dangereld and Thompson but the attention they would be getting would only benet Sloane. Has the potential to take that extra step this year and at $567,000 is a bargain if he churns out 100 every game.

Brisbane
Matthew Leuenberger ($301,100): The Burger seems to be everyones second ruck option. Problem is, he has had an interrupted pre-season and has been on a modied training scheme for a couple of weeks now. In 2011, he averaged 102 points and at $301,100 and with the possibility of those type of numbers this year, he has to be a lock for your team. Sam Docherty ($115,900): Docherty was someone I was hoping wouldnt make their debut last year so his price wouldnt be higher than someone who hasnt played a game. He played 15 games in the NEAFL, where he averaged 21 disposals and racked up 30+ disposals twice. Has got the likes of Hanley and Adcock as mentors as those running half backs, so hes in very good hands. He was emergency in the last three games of the home and away season last year, so hes rock bottom price this year and a lock in my defence. Brent Moloney ($362,400): Risk of the year, this bloke. But with the extra trades up our sleeves, hes one we can easily take a punt on. Will slot straight into Brisbanes mideld and with Vossys guidance, Im sure he could dominate. Jack Redden ($550,100): No.1 at the club for disposals, handballs, contested possessions, looseball-gets, clearances and tackles. Will be a player of difference. Look to slot him as your 4th premium midelder.

Carlton
Chris Judd ($558,300): I had a (beer) gut feeling about Juddy last year. Something told me hed do alright this year. Then boom! Mick Malthouse became Carlton coach. Now, Im not saying hes a lock but I am saying if you are looking for a risk yet someone who has proven himself as a prolic scorer, Chris Judd is your man. Keep in mind, he played injured for most of the season, yet still averaged 104 Supercoach points. Heres the best part. I dont think hell get the tag anymore. Murphy is a much more dangerous player. So, if you need that extra 50k and want to spend it elsewhere, look no further. Bryce Gibbs ($590,800): Word is that Mick Malthouse will give this guy more time in the mideld. Now, thats what Ross Lyon said about Broughton and didnt that work out well. But this is Bryce Gibbs and one of the best coaches in the business. He slipped a bit last year, but dont let that deter you from picking him. Averaged 95 last year and is DPP this season. Troy Menzel ($149,500): This guy was a steal in my opinion. Picked up at 11 in last years draft. He a problem with knee and groin injuries. If t, he is a lock on your ground. Yes, on your ground. Averaged 151 supercoach points in the Under 18s NAB AFL Championships and was the championships second leading goalkicker even though he only played two games, in which one of those games he kicked 9 goals against Tasmania. He might not get a game real early so look for him to be a downgrade option.

Collingwood
Dane Swan ($675,300): A must have in your side. Reports coming in from Collingwood is that Swanny is having the best pre-season hes having since starting at the club, which is quite a scary thought considering he averaged a career high in disposals (35 - which was no.1 in the competition). Averaged a whopping 126 supercoach points last season, just short of his best average which was set back in 2010 at 127 supercoach points. He will break that this year. Scott Pendlebury ($667,300): The only reason why you shouldnt pick him is because you are picking Ablett, Swan and Cotchin and you cant afford him. But thats just my honest opinion. Its personal choice for most people. Its either Swan or Pendlebury. But if youre good enough, youll get both halfway through the season. Luke Ball ($301,800): Cheap as chips this bloke. Must have in your team. Plain and simple. Coming back from a season ending knee injury, he is a proven supercoach point scorer with an average of 98 points back in 2011. Look for him to slot in straight away in Round 1. Heath Shaw ($541,300): Averaged 101 points for a reason last year. Playing that sweeping defender role perfectly. Want 90 - 110 consistently? This is your man.

Essendon
Brendan Goddard ($541,500): With the lack of premium defenders this season, Brendan Goddard will be a bigger lock than previous years. Hes at a new club and probably for the best. He dropped off a bit, averaging only (and I do say only very lightly as hes capable of much more) 101 points a game last season. Could get back to his 2010 supercoach scoring form with time in the mideld with the likes of Watson, Zaharakis and Ryder in the ruck. Dyson Heppell ($450,000): This bloke is a tough one. Hes very consistent and is a DPP option if you need that down the road. Averaged 84 and will score that 80-90 range every week and will hardly have a off week. Really consider this. Consider him even more if you play AFL Fantasy as well. Just racks up those easy possessions, thus the nickname Spaceman because of the amount of ball he gets in space. Jobe Watson ($647,200): This guy just makes the whole team better. Unfortunately, not necessarily your Supercoach team. He is probably a player of difference this year, believe it or not. Wont be picked in too many sides but if in form during the NAB Cup, be sure to have a good hard look at him. Can easily get those 130+ scores and be that reason why you win those close matches.

Fremantle
Aaron Sandilands ($602,400): Hes a superstar when t. Averaged 112 last season. Has injured his hamstring tendon and will be out for 8 weeks. Look for him to be an upgrade option later in the season, if he keeps t. Matthew Pavlich ($593,900): Pavlich is a superstar. Usually a lock for you side. But hes had an interrupted pre-season and Im a little iffy on him this year. Had surgery in December and had just starting running with the main group in January. Look, as I said he, he is a superstar. And superstars can have great years even without a pre-season but hes just that glimmer of a risk for me this year. Nathan Fyfe ($498,800): Every year, theres a cheapened premium who has slipped a little bit or has just come back from an injury riddled year, well this is him. Nat Fyfe is a lock. You cant get too many players who has his capabilities under 500k. Hes bulked up a bit during the pre-season and is t and ring for the NAB Cup and Round 1. Not convinced? Let me lay down some facts for you. After coming back in Round 18 last year, he averaged 24 disposals (13 of them contested) and four clearances. Averaged the most contested marks per game by any midelder in the AFL. Jump on.

Geelong
Joel Selwood ($629,500): Joel Selwood is that type of midelder where you know youll get 100 from him each week. He averaged 118 supercoach points last season and ranked no.1 in the competition for centre clearances. Can also get easy points from those free kicks hes so used to. Travis Varcoe ($268,900): This bloke is no.1 on my watch throughout pre-season list. If he is t, and lines up for Round 1. Lock him in, chain him up and let go when hes increased about 200k. Only had to play one game in the VFL to be recalled to the senior side, making him a dead giveaway selection if t for Round 1. But as I said, have a real good look at him during the pre-season. Jimmy Bartel ($527,400): Early talks of having Jimmy Bartel were brought up when his DPP status was released. I dont blame the hype, DPP will come in handy. But he is getting old and has been sometimes been assigned run with roles. Hes another to watch during the pre-season. See how his form is and make your decision from there.

Gold Coast
Gary Ablett ($740,500): Not sure if I should waste my time writing a paragraph on Ablett. Well, look. There has been a couple of rumours thats injured but those are not true. Expensive as always and the topic always comes up. But he is worth it. Lock him in! Jaeger O Meara ($115,900): On the same boat as Crouch from Adelaide. Drafted as a 17 year old and was too young to play last year. Eligible this year and is t and ring. Averaged the seventh most Supercoach points per match of any players who played all ve games at the Under 18 Championships back in 2011 and only ve points fewer than No.1 draft pick Lachie Whiteld. Go ahead and put him in your team. Greg Broughton ($441,900): How much did he burn you last year? Not a rhetorical question. Can you forgive him for last year and give him a second chance now that hes at a new club? Hopefully will play in the backline. Seems to get most of his points there. Dropped off last year, thus the cheaper price for him. Except him to get back to his 2010/2011 ways.

GWS
Lachie Whiteld ($199,500): No.1 draft pick for a reason. There are two things you want in a youngster when they play their rst year in the AFL. For them to nd the ball and to use the ball well. Lachie does both. GWS have been on the record saying hell play about 10 - 12 games this season. See how he goes during the NAB Cup and if you can afford him, consider him. Tom Scully ($424,700): Tipped to be his breakout year. Put on a bit of weight from all reports. Hows this for a fact I got from Champion Data? Tom Scullys average supercoach points last season were identical to Trent Cotchin in his third year in the AFL. Trent Cotchin had a breakout year in his fourth year, could Scully do the same thing? Kristian Jaksch ($144,500): A lot of hype around this bloke on Twitter. Pick 12 in last years draft. Ranked no.1 in last years Under 18 Championships for contested marks and equal fourth for most marks inside the forward 50. Jonathon Giles ($498,900): Ah yes. Our Barlow of 2012. But I have a rule. Never pick 2nd year players. Youre paying more than you were last season and probably for the same output. In saying that, great debut season for Giles. Kept him in my team for the whole season. Just a bit too expensive to be my No.1 ruckman.

Hawthorn
Lance Franklin ($618,000): What do we do with Buddy? On one hand we have a superstar of the competition who averaged 115 Supercoach points and easily the no.1 forward in the game. But on the other hand, weve seen what contract talks has done to Travis Cloke. What Ill be doing and I suggest everyone else does is see how he goes during the NAB Cup. Keep an eye out, if you dont like what you see, jump on Taylor Walker. Grant Birchall ($506,400): Seems to be everyones rst picked defender on their team. Averaged the fth most disposals by any defender and ranked fth for effective kicks during the season. Two aspects that are important in DT and SC respectively. Fell off the wagon about in last years nals but after a good pre-season should be back to his old ways. Matt Suckling ($442,400): Averaged 83 last year, thanks to a couple of games where he dropped off. His inconsistency is a problem and is why Ill be staying away from him this year. Other Supercoach players love him and his deadly accuracy but just not on my radar this year. There are other options in that 4th defender role (ie. Broughton or for an extra 50k, Harlett).

Melbourne
Jack Viney ($109,500): Could have easily been Top 5 in last years draft but was picked up as a Father/Son selection and was an absolute steal at Pick 26. Should slot straight into the Melbourne mideld, along with Toumpas. Played a couple games in the VFL for Casey so hes has a bit of senior experience already. Lock him in. Shannon Byrnes ($230,100): Was starved of opportunities at the Cats and now should be a prominent gure in the Dees forward line. Dominated in the VFL, with at least 18 possessions in every game he played in the 2s and averaging 5 tackles a game. Could bring that forward pressure the Dees need. Consider him to be your 5th or 6th forward. Cameron Pederson (278,200): Another recycled player that has joined the Dees list. Can play anywhere and will be Mr. Fix It during the games. Very talented and should have played more at North. Watch him during the NAB Cup and strongly consider. Jack Grimes ($472,400): Finally shook off his injury curse last year by playing 21 games. Averaged a respectable 88 supercoach points. Finished 2012 playing in the mideld more and averaged 25 disposals and 103 supercoach points from Round 16 onwards.

North Melbourne
Andrew Swallow ($585,100): My personal favourite and if youre looking a player of difference, this is your man. An elite tackler in the competition and is leading the AFL in scores from his clearances so he doesnt mind a goal at from centre bounces or in tight at a ball up in Norths forward 50. Majak Daw ($115,900): Impressed during the clubs intra-club match and is set for a big year after being elevated from the clubs rookie list last season. With McIntosh gone, he will be ghting for that 2nd ruck spot along with Currie but in my opinion is already back up for Goldstein and is ready to make his debut sometime this year. Shaun Atley ($380,400): A fan favourite among the North Melbourne supporters on social media. Could push up in the mideld this year and with his effectiveness getting better, he could be a unique pick for your team. Ben Jacobs ($309,200): A new recruit to North who can easily replace Atley if Atley does move up the ground. Highly rated at Port Adelaide and could improve enormously with a club like North Melbourne with their type of game play. Watch during the NAB Cup.

Port Adelaide
Ollie Wines ($169,500): A lot of hype around this bloke. Picked up at last years draft at no.7 and hes expected to slot straight into the side. Dominated the Under 18s championships for Vic Country, especially in clearances and contested possessions. Averaged a massive 137 supercoach points in the championships, just second behind no.1 draft pick Lachie Whiteld. Averaged 25 disposals for the Bendigo Pioneers in the TAC Cup and averaged 145 Supercoach points. Lock him in. Travis Boak ($481,500): Just like Andrew Swallow, he is a cheapened premium. I put that in inverted commas because hes a premium but is not in that elite group that can score 100-110 week in and week out. Too be honest, to be carrying a lot of the midelde load at Port is a tough job and hes doing a pretty good job of it. The likes of Brad Ebert, Chad Wingard and the new recruit Ollie Wines will help him out in the mideld and could increase his scoring ability. Jasper Pittard ($128,000): Dominated the clubs intra club during the pre-season and is looking to make a serious run at this season. Has had hamstring issues but if he gets his body right and his hamstrings have recovered, he should cement his spot in Port Adelaides backline.

Richmond
Trent Cotchin ($622,100): Had a breakout season last season with an average of 116 and nishing equal second in the Brownlow Medal. Doesnt mind kicking a goal now and then. Highlighted by his 21 goals last season. Word from Richmond is that he has had a very good pre-season and is t and ring. Lock him in into your 3rd or 4th mideld spot. Brett Deledio ($624,100): Loses his DPP status this year but will be a unique pick for your mideld. Averaged 117 last year and with a capability to score over 130, he is the number 1 player of difference, in my opinion. Durability is phenomenal with just missing three games in the last 5 years. Nick Vlaustin ($159,500): Vlaustin captained Vic Metro at last years Under 18s Championships, so hes has that leadership capabilities that could be translated onto the eld. Named in the All Australian team. Can play high back and push up into the mideld. Will tell a lot if he is named in Round 1 and not only that, if he has the vest or not will be interesting. Watch him in the NAB Cup, hopefully he forces Hardwicks hand and he has to be picked for Round 1.

St Kilda
Ben McEvoy ($557,400): Back up his efforts in 2011 with a solid 2012. In saying that, he was injured between Rounds 6 - 12 but dominated after his return with the fth most supercoach points by any ruckman. Scored more points from tackles and intercept marks than any other ruckman, ranked 3rd in marks and best disposals efciency of any ruckman which proves his versatility and athleticism. Looking for someone other than Cox and want to save a bit of money? Consider Big Ben McEvoy. Tom Lee ($115,900): Got to love mature aged rookies. 22 years old. Played for Claremont where he kicked 82 in three seasons where 60 of those came from last season, prompting him to picked up by St Kilda. Up forward, he averaged 4 goals a game and a disposal efciency of 76%. Booted six goals against Werribee in the Foxtel Cup Grand Final, which brought him a national attention. Must be noted that St Kilda must rate him highly to be give up Pick 12 for him. Nick Dal Santo ($544,800): Reports coming that Nicky Dal will be playing off half back. This could be a positive and a negative. Hes a player you can always rely on when it comes to durability with the ability to string 21 or 22 games in a season. Hes major concern is the handling of tags. So I advise you to watch how he goes this pre-season and see where he plays. He may not get too much of a tag if he plays across half back.

Sydney
Kieran Jack ($601,400): We all knew he had it in him and he delivered last season with an average of 112 supercoach points, Kieran Jack starred in Sydneys premiership winning team. He is now classied as an elite player who break games wide open and be rewarded very nicely in Supercoach. Tom Mitchell ($115,900): The long waited debut of this bloke should come to an end this year. Let me tell you, am I glad its this year. Still at a bargain basement price of $115k, he should be a rookie you are considering during the pre-season. Dominated the NEAFL where he averaged 30 disposals, 16 contested possesions and nine clearances per game in his last sixes matches which included winning the pill 35 times in one game and 42 in another. Dean Towers ($114,500) Mature aged rookies are gold in Supercoach (this would only be news to you if you are new to Supercoach or lived under a rock for the last 5 years). Incredibly athletic bloke who is a Josh Kennedy type player at 189cm. Averaged 15 disposals, 10 uncontested possessions and three inside 50s per game. Won the 2012 Forthgill-Round Medal for the most promising young talent in the VFL for last year. Other winners include Ahmed Saad, Michael Hibberd and Michael Barlow.

West Coast
Dean Cox ($600,700): Dean Cox was a lock early this year but a dislocated nger got people rethinking their plans with him. Hes set to miss most of the NAB Cup but will be right for Round 1. His DPP makes him more valuable than ever though. Finished second in the clubs B&F in which some people say was a little bit of an off year for him (11 games including nals where he scored under 100 supercoach points). In saying that, he has the capabilities to score massive amounts (215 supercoach points against North Melbourne). Watch out for the reports of his injury, how hes tracking and make up your mind the week before Round 1. Josh Kennedy ($299,600): A risk but a risk worthy of taking at that price. Breakout season in 2011 but an injury riddled on in 2012. Was 6th leading goal scorer back in 2011 and the Eagles will be looking for him to re-capture that form. Look for the Eagles to also target him up forward along with Darling. Mark LeCras ($369,200): The Frenchman had done an ACL this time last year but is now fully recovered after an entire year watching on. Before his injury, he averaged 84 (2009), 82 (2010 and 86 (2011) which shows his consistency when fully t. Was close to playing in the Eagles nals campaign but was not named. Watch during the pre-season but all signs look good so far.

Western Bulldogs
Matthew Boyd ($605,800): Mixed feelings about Matthew Boyd. He wasnt the best supercoach midelder by any stretch of the imagination but he did the job. If only his disposal efciency complemented the amount of ball he gets. But thats not the case. Boyds good is up their with the best and you wouldnt be able to tag or stop him but his bad is horrible. Strongly consider though as your player of difference. Brett Goodes ($128,800): A mature aged rookie who should slot straight into the Bulldogs best 22. At the age of 29, there shouldnt be any mucking around with him. Won the VFL equivalent of the Brownlow in 2008. Averaged 20 disposals, six tackles and six clearances per game. Jake Stringer ($179,500): Pick 5 from last years draft averaged 22 disposals and can play up the ground. Kicked 25 goals in 9 matches for Bendigo in the TAC Cup and could have been much more with 22 behinds. Nick Lower ($379,500): A little bit of the expensive side but will get a lot of game time at the Bulldogs. Played only 3 games for the Dockers and averaged 23 disposals and 89 supercoach points. Should be a consideration if youre looking for a player of difference.