Trade guide: Assessing the most traded players, Rd 6

The 2022 SuperCoach AFL season is starting to take shape as coaches look to make their first upgrades on their initial line-ups. 

This round marks the first ever SuperCoach dual-position (DPP) changes, with 49 players being granted an additional position to help with the flexibility of our teams. 

The DPP were allocated based on where a player has played so far in 2022. If a player has played over 35% game time in a certain position, they were granted dual-position status. 

So with that in mind, many coaches have their trades lined up this week, but which ones are worth pulling the trigger on?

Sports journalist and SuperCoach expert Dylan Bolch will run his eye over the top trade targets each round and summarise which players are really worth trading in, and which are really worth trading out. 

He will give a quick take each week on the ten most traded in players and the ten most traded out as per the official SuperCoach site. 

Here is his analysis ahead of Round 6:

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TRADED IN

1.     Malcolm Rosas ($130,600 FWD) – Rosas is this week’s best ‘bubble boy’ and is currently the most popular trade in target. The Gold Coast small forward has two scores in the 70s to start the season and is averaging 13.5 disposals and four tackles, both above average for his position. I wouldn’t feel too comfortable fielding him, but he is good bench coverage and is set to soar in price this week, making him a great downgrade option if you have a rookie who has maxed out. 

2.     Braydon Preuss ($204,700 RUC) – The Braydon Preuss dilemma. Preuss is set to return from a one-week suspension and slot straight back into the Giants side to face St Kilda this Friday night. Two scores of 100+ to start the season has coaches clamouring to get him in their sides, but it could be worth holding fire. Port Adelaide’s Sam Hayes is set to be on the bubble next week and is $80k cheaper, whilst Jack Hayes and Hugh Dixon still have ample money to make. Plus, we know Preuss’ job security, injury risk and suspension risk isn’t all that appealing. 

3.     Nathan O’Driscoll ($238,900 DEF/MID) – “NOD” was the rookie to get last week and rewarded those who brought him in with his second consecutive ton. He’s roaming the outside between the arcs for Freo and performances like his last week only bode well for his job security. A breakeven of -69 is tantalising, but have those who didn’t jump on last week now missed the boat?

4.     Jack Sinclair ($553,000 DEF/MID) – Sinclair has started like a house on fire this season, becoming one of the competition’s most improved players. The Saint has thrived in a new inside midfield role, making him very SuperCoach relevant. However, does he keep that role when the Saints get inside bulls such as Zak Jones and Hunter Clark back over the next month? 

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5.     Tim English ($572,700 FWD/RUC) – English has been the number two ranked forward over the first five rounds of the season and those who started him would be absolutely ecstatic with his output. Every score has been above 96 and three of those have been 123+. However, he is no longer cheap and with Stef Martin sniffing around in the twos, I’d rather wait on him and hope a drop in form or change in role comes and he drops in price. 

6.     Bailey Smith ($522,000 MID) – Will Smith be a top 10 midfielder come the end of the year? Despite his hot start, I’m not sold. There’s also plenty of mouths to feed n that Bulldogs midfield. Keep an eye on whether he gets forward eligibility in the next round of DPP changes and reconsider then. 

7.     Ben Hobbs ($153,300 MID) – Hobbs’ debut (65 SuperCoach points) was one of the only things Dons fans could smile about last week. His defensive pressure was excellent (one of just two Bombers to record over four tackles) and he won 15 disposals splitting his time across the midfield and forward line. A downgrade option next week.

8.     Andrew Brayshaw ($605,600 MID) – Brayshaw’s start to the season has been exquisite and he is the fourth highest ranked player in SuperCoach so far this year. However, he is still susceptible to a tag and until I see him show the ability to break a tag consistently, I will remain apprehensive. Wait until he drops in price before jumping on, there’s better value elsewhere for initial upgrades. 

9.     James Sicily ($505,800 DEF) – The Hawks superstar put on an Easter Monday clinic against the Cats and has been one of the best mid-priced selections to date. With four tons in five games for an average of 106.6, Sicily is a red-hot chance to be a top 10 defender this year. His intercept-marking game and strong kicking skills means he is a very attractive SuperCoach proposition.

10.  Christian Petracca ($575,900 MID) – One of the best upgrade targets this week, the reigning Norm Smith Medallist looks a cut above the rest of the competition. He kicks goals and gets lots of possessions and if you have cash to splash, should be considered. His next six matches are pretty kind as well, facing Richmond, Hawthorn, St Kilda, West Coast and North Melbourne.  

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TRADED OUT

1.     Matt Rowell ($401,400 MID) – Since his monster 157 against a depleted West Coast outfit in Round 1, Rowell has struggled on a SuperCoach front. The Suns have deployed the former number 1 draft pick in a negating role, which has limited his ability to hunt the footy himself. His tackle numbers (which were down last year) are elite, but he is just not getting the same amount of ball to what he has in the past. With his breakeven up to 103 and his role being pretty bad for SuperCoach, it’s time to upgrade. 

2.     Jason Horne-Francis ($316,200 MID) – With a breakeven of 51, is it time to cull JHF? If trading him allows you to bring in a top scorer, go for it, but he certainly isn’t a must trade and could very well bounce back straight away. Bar last week’s 39 against the Dogs, he has scored above 67 each game, including two scores of 90+. I’m holding. 

3.     Brodie Grundy ($554,200 RUC) – Personally I think holding Grundy is the best move. A score of 53 last week was his worst in eight years, but prior to that he hadn’t been bad at all. Grundy to Preuss is an option which I have given serious though to, but I don’t think there’s a lot to gain by turfing Grundy when he has already dropped so much in price. A matchup against Sam Draper looms this week and traditionally Grundy has feasted against the Bombers, with two scores of 150+ in his last three games against them. Ride the bumps and fingers crossed he gets back to scoring well sooner rather than later. 

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4.     Aaron Hall ($511,300 DEF) – Hall hurt his hamstring in North Melbourne’s loss to the Bulldogs and looks set to miss the best part of a month. There’s a plethora of defensive options to choose from so trade him out this week but look to get him back if he looks fit upon his return.  

5.     Mitchell Hinge ($266,700 DEF) – Hinge missed last week due to a hip injury but could return this weekend. With a breakeven of just 26, if he plays, he is worth holding. However, if he doesn’t squeeze his way back in to that Adelaide side and trading him allows you to bring in a premium player, pull the trigger.  

6.     Patrick McCartin ($262,000 DEF/FWD) – Hold. Breakeven of 29 and is scoring consistently enough for a rookie to field if required. A nice matchup against the Hawks this week as well, a side whom Tom Stewart had a field day against last round.   

7.     Joshua Gibcus ($218,500 DEF) – Gibcus was managed last week as Nick Vlastuin returned and whether he fits immediately back into the 22 remains to be seen. A low breakeven (15) but is averaging just 53.8 so he won’t hurt you too much if you trade him out. 

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8.     Joshua Rachele ($277,600 FWD/MID) – Definite hold for me. A breakeven of only 6 and he’s got the scoring potential to continue to rise in price for weeks to come. Plus has very handy FWD/MID DPP.  

9.     Lachie Whitfield ($462,500 DEF/MID) – Whitfield has played in defence, in the midfield and up forward so far this year, making his SuperCoach output unpredictable and frustrating. Leon Cameron has also revealed he has a few injury niggles which is another worrying factor for his scoring potential. At this point in time, jump off and save yourself the headache each week. 

10.  Dylan Stephens ($202,300 MID) – Stephens was dropped following a lacklustre performance in Round 3 and hasn’t really banged the door down in the VFL since then. It appears he’ll need an injury to get back into the senior side, meaning it could be worth cutting your losses and downgrading to a Rosas type this week or a Hobbs next week.  

Hopefully this has been beneficial reading for everyone! It can sometimes be hard to know whether to follow the pack or whether to hold firm on your own views and opinions so hopefully this weekly article can help you assess that dilemma each round. 

Let me know what your trade plans are in the comments below or over on Twitter where you can find me @BolchDylan. 

All the best in Round 6!