Trade guide: Assessing the most traded players, Rd 7

SuperCoaches will be swinging the axe this weekend as rookies reach their peak price and fallen premiums bottom out ripe for the picking. 

The Brodie Grundy injury news is set to shake up the SuperCoach landscape whilst there is a fresh COVID scare at the Demons developing.

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 7:

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TRADED IN

1.     Sam Hayes ($123,900 RUC) – Port Adelaide’s ruckman is as close to a lock as you can get. Has great job security as first choice ruck Scott Lycett is set to be sidelined with a shoulder injury. Scoring potential is solid enough too, having churned out a 74 and 95 in his first two AFL matches. An absolute no-brainer to trade in this week.

2.     Clayton Oliver ($618,900 MID) – Fresh off a scintillating ANZAC Day Eve performance against the Tigers, Oliver is this week’s most popular upgrade target. Oliver is one of the premier midfielders in the competition and has a breakeven of just 73, making him a terrific option this weekend. Perhaps the only caveat to be wary of is the recent COVID outbreak at the Demons. At the moment Oliver is unaffected but keep an eye on the news and adapt your plans accordingly. 

3.     Braydon Preuss ($298,400 RUC) – Have we missed the boat on Preuss? It’s an interesting question for SuperCoaches this week. The big Giant has now put up three 100+ scores and is worth almost 300k. With Hayes available for far cheaper, if you are looking at a downgrade option, I prefer Hayes. Could Preuss at R2 as a downgrade for Brodie Grundy tempt people though? Not for me. 

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4.     Patrick Cripps ($521,100 MID) – I wasn’t a huge fan of Cripps’ SuperCoach prospects at the start of the year, but the evidence is damning now. If you take out the injury-affected 38 he scored against the Suns, he is averaging a competition high 138 points per match. He also is playing with confidence in his body, which he hasn’t been doing for the past two seasons. Cripps won’t be this cheap again, jump on board ASAP. 

5.     Oliver Dempsey ($102,400 FWD) – Definitely wait on Dempsey. Whilst he was impressive in his debut, it was against a weak North Melbourne outfit, and we know how serious the competition for spots is at Geelong. If he has another solid game this weekend, consider as a downgrade option the following week. 

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6.     Jarrod Witts ($530,900 RUC) – A popular move for those who own Brodie Grundy, Witts has had a great start to 2022. He has the fourth highest average amongst rucks, but I’m not too sold on paying 530k for a guy who has never averaged 100 points per game in a season before. He’s 29 years old and coming off an ACL injury too, so there’s just too many factors against him for me. His scoring has also been too volatile for my liking (3 x 131+, 3 <100).

7.     Malcolm Rosas ($130,600 FWD) – Rosas was a late withdrawal last weekend due to calf soreness but the word on the street is that he will be fit to take his place in the side this weekend. If that is the case, he is a good downgrade option. 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. 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. 

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8.     Peter Ladhams ($461,300 RUC/FWD) – Don’t get sucked in here. Ladhams had a blinder against the Hawks scoring 167 but with Tom Hickey set to return sooner than expected Ladhams’ grasp on the number 1 ruck role is loose at best. Spend an extra 15k and get his teammate Luke Parker instead. 

9.     Nick Vlastuin ($460,400 DEF) – Vlastuin looked terrific for his 155 against the Demons, but I’m not sure he is a lock to be a top 8 defender come seasons end. He has never averaged more than 91 in a season and tends to miss the odd game with injury. I think there’s other players I would feel more comfortable selecting so it is a pass for me.

10.  Max Gawn ($658,400 RUC) – Yep. Gawn is on the path to regaining the number 1 ruck mantle in SuperCoach and is an even better selection now that Grundy is out for the next 10-12 weeks. He’s a bonafide uber premium and his record speaks for itself. Great captaincy option this round as well, two of his past three scores against the Hawks have been 172+ and he averages 120+ across his career against them. 

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TRADED OUT

1.     Jack Hayes ($258,800 RUC/FWD) – One of our favourite rookies unfortunately suffered a season-ending ACL injury against GWS and will not feature again in 2022. Trade out.

2.     Brodie Grundy ($544,500 RUC) – Just when we thought Grundy might be getting back to his best, injury strikes. There is no clear second-best ruck (behind Gawn) so personally I am fielding Sam Hayes and getting in a midfield premium via dual position players until another ruck separates themselves from the pack. Trade Grundy imminently and enjoy the points from another premium player. 

3.     Patrick McCartin ($268,700 DEF/FWD) – McCartin has been ruled out of the Swans clash against Brisbane this weekend under the AFLs concussion protocols. From all reports he has pulled up well which is a huge relief for football fans given McCartin’s well-documented struggles with concussion. I’m holding him this week and using him as a loophole, but with a breakeven of 44, trading him in isn’t the worst move either.  

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4.     Joshua Rachele ($290,600 MID/FWD) – Probably the most important rookie to trade this round due to his breakeven of 85. Rachele has scored like a yo-yo this season, with two 100+ scores but four sub 60s. The excitement machine has had a fantastic start to his AFL career, but his low-possession high-impact role means he doesn’t always score well from a SuperCoach perspective. Cash him in now.

5.     Jason Horne-Francis ($322,200 MID) – Toss a coin as to whether he needs to be traded this week or not. He has a breakeven of 83 but that will drop significantly when his score of 39 drops out of his price cycle. I am holding as I want to offload other players first, but if trading him allows you to upgrade your side, go for it.

6.     Tim English ($572,700 RUC/FWD) – There has been conflicting reports over the timeline for English’s hamstring injury and given that I think he is probably a trade. With the added trade boosts this season, coaches can afford to be a little bit more aggressive early on. 

7.     Lachie Whitfield ($445,300 DEF/MID) – Whitfield has been a disappointment for SuperCoach players this season, but it’s reached a point now where if you still own him, you might as well hold him and hope he comes good. There isn’t a lot of value around the 445k mark and as frustrating as it is that he hasn’t worked out, it is going to cost you trades and cash to move him on. At this time of year, it is more important to get rid of on-field rookies first and foremost, rather than underperforming premiums.

8.     Hugh Dixon ($216,300 RUC/FWD) – Dixon missed last week with a calf injury but is in the frame for a return this weekend. Still has a negative breakeven and plenty of cash to make so a definite hold in my opinion.  

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9.     Luke Jackson ($455,400 RUC/FWD) – Jackson has entered the AFLs Health and Safety protocols which means he will not suit up against the Hawks this weekend. He has had a reasonable start to 2022 averaging 92.8 points per match and given that I think owners can hold him for the week. It is likely that there are either rookies to be culled or Grundy issues to solve. 

10.  Zak Butters ($439,900 FWD/MID) – Frustrating to own is Butters. It was reported during the week that the Port Adelaide youngster had gastro, so I guess we can let this poor performance slide. Hopefully his up and down scoring doesn’t become a trend however, and he can get back to scoring in excess of 100 this weekend. His ceiling (3 x 114+) is fantastic for a forward, but the problem is that his floor is shocking too (3 x <60). Ride the waves here. 

All the best in Round 7!