AFL Supercoach 2026: Round 5 Wrap – 9 Things We Learnt

Another week of Supercoach down and yet again, I’ve copped plenty of carnage.

After being ranked 203rd at the conclusion of round two, I’ve plummeted out 4722. 

Dayne Zorko, who I selected as a point of difference post Connor Rozee’s injury, has gone down with a calf issue and looks set for a stint on the sidelines. A score of 36 is real yucky.

According to Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary, defender Connor Budarick has also been “in for assessment of a lower leg injury”. Painful.

Then there’s the guys who just aren’t performing. Caleb Windsor has been the worst starting pick I’ve had in recent memory, while Jack Watkins is actually losing cash right now.

Noah Anderson just can’t get going, Marcus Bontempelli was curtailed against the Hawks and Deven Robertson looks to have suffered a knee injury against Geelong.

Anyway, here’s what we learned in round five.

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1. Josh Rachele might be legit

Rachele was touted as a possible riser this season given the promise of more midfield minutes, but a fortnight into the season with an average of 69 SC points, things weren’t looking all that great.

Fast forward three weeks and Rachele has averaged 116 points over that that period, his CBA’s rising from 43.5 per cent to 59.

The forward lines are looking pretty bare at the moment, so if Rachele can keep this up, he could be a season long keeper. Keep an eye on teammate Izak Rankine too, who scored 103 and is finally trending in the right direction.

2. Star Pie is struggling

Dan Houston was a popular trade in option a few weeks back, but has proven to be a rollercoaster ride since then. Clearly the horrible Adelaide Oval conditions on Friday night didn’t suit him, but there just seems to be too many cooks in the kitchen for the Pies in defence.

As we flagged on the podcast, Houston, Josh Daicos, Brayden Maynard, Jeremy Howe, Darcy Moore and Isaac Quaynor can all be used to exit defence, which means Houston’s week-to-week scores will be prone to fluctuation.

Houston had just 119 metres gained against the Dockers, his lowest return since 2018 (excluding 2020). I’d back him in to bounce back, but I’m not sure he’s going to be the top line premium many had hoped for.

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3. LDU could finally be an option

He’s teased us for years, but could Luke Davies-Uniacke be a genuine upgrade target this year? He’s one of just six players left in the annual Supercoach ‘Ton Run’, having put together five consecutive scores of 104+ for an average of 117.2 SC points per game.

He’s in less than eight per cent of teams right now and has a career average of 121.7 against his upcoming opponent in Richmond. Shoutout to the SC Bandit who’s been on him for months!

4. Archie Roberts was the mid-pricer we all missed

Plenty went Windsor (don’t get me started), others went Lachie Blakiston and some went down the Keidean Coleman path, but there weren’t too many coaches who selected Archie Roberts in their starting side.

After a score of 53 in round one against the Hawks, Roberts has put up four consecutive SC tons and has a dream role across half-back, really ‘seagulling’ it up in an under siege Essendon backline.

The Bombers tried to get him involved in the on-ball rotation across the first fortnight of the season but have finally given up on that experiment, making Roberts an intriguing option. Shout out to Charlie Dadds here who’s been all over Roberts as a pick. 

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5. Suns midfielders will be cheap as chips soon

Despite having one of the most talented lists in the competition, the Suns are yet to hit their straps in 2026. In actual fact, only Christian Petracca is averaging over 100 points per game, a far cry from 2025, where the Suns had four average over 100 and three go 108+ over the course of the season.

Touk Miller, who you can now select as a forward too, is $540k with a breakeven of 161, while Noah Anderson is $542k with a breakeven of 166. Then there’s Brownlow Medallist Matt Rowell, who has a breakeven of 220 this week and could be available for less than $600k soon. They’ve got to find some form sooner rather than later, right?

6. Captaincy watch on Dogs ruck opponents

The loss of Tim English was sorely felt by the Bulldogs on Saturday night, as Hawks ruck duo Ned Reeves and Lloyd Meek really took advantage in the middle of the ground.

Draftee Louis Emmett was thrown to the wolves, with Rory Lobb and Jordan Croft pinch hitting at times.

Whether coach Luke Beveridge rolls with the same plan this week remains to be seen, but if English spends any significant time on the sidelines, then we’d be silly not to look at Bulldogs ruck opponents as captaincy selections. They take on the Cats this week, but then potential matchups against Brodie Grundy and Luke Jackson await.

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7. Max Holmes is a genuine A-grader

Max Holmes is a legitimate top line star of this competition. He spent more time across the half-back line against the Eagles in Gather Round, but that didn’t put any dampener on his scoring.

Speaking of the ‘Ton Run’, Holmes has been on fire this year, averaging 123 SC points per game. I’d love to find a way to squeeze either him or teammate Bailey Smith into my team, who was also brilliant. 

8. Finn Callaghan looms as a nice POD 

I was really high on Finn Callaghan throughout the pre-season until he missed a couple of weeks with that little niggle and struggled in Opening Round.

In the last month, Callaghan has posted three scores of 120+ and is priced at just $576k, although might not be for much longer.

He’s such a good player to watch and will have to be a really driver in that midfield this season if the Giants are to push for finals action. Currently in just four per cent of teams, too.

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9. Operation get Nasiah is in full swing

Like Callaghan, I was really keen on Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera but cut ties after he was clamped in Opening Round and teammate Jack Sinclair got off the chain, which I think was the right decision.

I’ve got to find a way to get Nas in now, though. In his last three weeks, NWM has put up scores of 136, 99 and 122, recapturing some of the form that made him one of the best players in the competition last year.

He’s priced at $576k, which is 45k less than what he was at the start of the year. The Saints play Adelaide, West Coast and Carlton in their next three matches…