AFL Supercoach 2026: Round 4 Wrap – 8 Things We Learnt

Round 4 has come and gone and once again, there’s more injury carnage to deal with.

Plenty of coaches will turn their attention to Bulldogs ruck Tim English this week, who’s set for a stint on the sidelines with a knee injury. 

It continues a rotten start to 2026, where some Supercoach players will have already burnt through 10 trades due to injury and suspension.

Elsewhere, Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos was a very late out against the Lions, while Dogs midfielder Ed Richards is also facing some time off after succumbing to his own injury. 

Thankfully, the best 18 weeks are over and we are back to full teams this week. 

Hopefully we get the likes of Daicos, Deven Robertson and Todd Marshall back this week to alleviate some pain, too.

Anyway, let’s get into the things we learned from round four.

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1. Coleman rewards the faith

The forgotten Lion was a popular pre-season selection, but plenty of coaches moved away after scores of 60 and 50 in the first two weeks.

Since then, Coleman’s starred for the Lions scoring 100 and 113 in consecutive weeks, taking his breakeven to a lowly -26 heading into Gather Round.

I still think his role can vary, but while he’s predominantly in the back half that can only be a good thing. Those that kept the faith have been rewarded, but if you don’t own, you’ve probably missed the boat.

2. McKercher looks a bargain buy

McKercher owners were BUZZING at half-time on Good Friday, with the star Roo on fire with 94 Supercoach points.

Alastair Clarkson’s troops were feeding McKercher at all costs, getting the ball in the Tasmanian’s hands at every possible opportunity.

He faded in the second half, but that role with plenty of handball receives is Supercoach gold. If you’re looking for a discounted option with premium potential, you could definitely do worse than McKercher at $461k.

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3. Luke Jackson is a serious stud

I couldn’t help but feel as though Jackson wasn’t at his best at the Adelaide Oval on Friday night, but that didn’t stop him from putting together another powerhouse score.

Jackson posted his fourth consecutive 108+ score for the year, putting up 126 points against the Crows.

Whether it’s as the ruck or as a big-bodied midfielder, Jackson’s role is so good for Supercoach and he looks a great buy in 2026.

4. Power merry-go-round continues

No, Jack Watkins wasn’t injured against the Tigers, he just put in one of the all-time Supercoach stinkers.

Watkins managed just eight touches at 38 per cent disposal efficiency from 64 per cent time on ground against the Tigers, but importantly had 11 centre bounce attendances.

My concern is that he might face the axe this week, but if not, I think he’s a definite hold. The Power have a bunch of players on the fringes including Jackson Mead and Will Brodie, while Josh Lai, Mitch Zadow and Ewan Mackinlay are others currently in the best 23.

It feels as though coach Josh Carr will chop and change those sort of players at different stages throughout the season, so I’d be mindful of trading into any of them now. 

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5. Rucks against West Coast are weekly captaincy plays

In round 1, Jarrod Witts scored 137. Round 2, Tristan Xerri 199. Round 3, Jordon Sweet 94 and Round 4, Brodie Grundy 184. Rucks are going HUGE against Matthew Flynn and the West Coast Eagles. Luke Jackson and the Dockers await in a couple of weeks time…

6. Star sun misfires… again

The 22 per cent of teams who own Noah Anderson would be feeling pretty flat right now, myself included.

While other midfield premiums are going gangbusters, the Suns skipper has battled in the first month of the season, with three scores of 100 or less and just the one big one of 132 against the Eagles. Despite the lacklustre start, the role is still okay, Anderson leading the Suns’ midfielders for CBAs with an average of 77 per cent.

Matt Rowell finally made his return on the weekend from injury, while Christian Petracca isn’t too far away from his own return. The Suns were horrible against the Dees and I’m expecting them to bounce back against the Swans, fingers crossed Anderson isn’t the one to cop a James Jordon tag. 

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7. Another ruck goes down hurt

Far out, Supercoach players just can’t catch a break. Every single week, we’ve had to deal with injuries and suspensions.

It’s highly likely I’ve burnt through 10 trades by the end of the round and haven’t made a single upgrade. Bulldogs ruck Tim English is the latest name to add to the list after suffering an MCL injury.

I’m currently tossing up whether I trade him to Luke Jackson or Brodie Grundy, because I don’t think I can afford to hold him if he’s out for any more than two weeks. 

8. Geelong’s three premiums are the real deal

I personally steered clear of the Cats with my starting side given the early bye, but there’s three who are on my watchlist as early upgrade targets.

Max Holmes and Bailey Smith both look like they’ll average 110+ this season and have big ceilings, while veteran Tom Stewart looks like he’s rediscovered his best form in defence.

The Cats have a juicy fixture run coming up too, with matches against the Eagles, Bulldogs, Power, Kangaroos and Magpies. There could be a few captaincy worthy scores in there for sure.