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

Round nine is in the books and the Supercoach landscape is starting to take shape.

I posted a modest score of 2343 this week, giving me a slight bump in overall rank to 1844.

Noah Anderson finally had a good game, while Marcus Bontempelli, Luke Jackson, Lachie Whitfield and Sam Flanders also played their part. 

It’s worth keeping the byes in mind when you look at trades this week, but without further ado, let’s get into the things we learned in round nine.

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1. Luke Jackson could be fixture proof

A matchup against Hawthorn’s duel ruck threat in Lloyd Meek and Ned Reeves loomed large, but that didn’t stop Luke Jackson from firing on all cylinders on Thursday night to post 141 SC points.

Jackson was crucial when the game was there to be won and is a player we need to consider as a captaincy option moving forward every week.

I’m weighing it up against the Bombers this week. On another note, Caleb Serong owners will have been happy with his return to form. 

2. It’s time to roar with Lions stars

I suspect there will be a few Lions boys on the upgrade radar this week, particularly Hugh McCluggage and Dayne Zorko.

Importantly, McCluggage’s time on ground and centre bounce attendances have been on the rise over the past month after dealing with injury in the early stages of the season.

The star Lion has a breakeven of just 77, which means now is the time to strike given he is priced at just 474k.

Veteran Dayne Zorko is another who you should consider.

He’s priced at just 458k and if you take out his injury affected 36, he’s averaging 105.6 SC points per game which is amongst the best for defenders.

If you can afford Lachie Neale as well he’s a nice pick, but beware someone will likely cop some attention from Geelong tagger Oisin Mullin this week. 

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3. The Bont just keeps on keeping on

Everyone knows about the injury clouds hanging over Marcus Bontempelli right now, but that didn’t stop him against the Power on Friday night posting a whopping 163 points.

If you don’t own him, grabbing him for 612k now looks like a play.

Sure, he’s playing a bit sore and a rest could be on the cards, but the guy is giving Michael Jordan flu game type vibes right now.

4. Isaac Heeney is probably a top 5 player in the game

Is that controversial? Maybe not.

The bottom line is Isaac Heeney has been on another planet in 2026, starring for the rejuvenated Swans.

He delivered another electric performance against the Roos this week and is well and truly a top line Supercoach option.

The catch? He’s going so well he’s priced at 651k, so he’s going to be tough to reach.

With a breakeven of 147, hopefully he can come down a little bit more, but I wouldn’t be counting on it.

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5. Archie Roberts is nearing must-have territory

Shoutout to our man Charlie Dadds who was on Roberts during the pre-season and to anyone else who jumped on board the bandwagon earlier this year.

Roberts was everywhere once more against the Giants, racking up a whopping 151 SC points.

He’s been the best defender of the season in Supercoach and is showing no signs of slowing down, with a role that is absolute gold.

He’s almost 600k so it’ll be tough to get up to him now, but if you can, it would be absolutely worth it. 

6. Sam Flanders is worth holding

There were a fair few coaches who cut ties last week, but Sam Flanders reminded us why he could be a season-long keeper with a score of 120 against his former side in the Suns.

With Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera ruled out pre-game, Flanders saw a minor increase in CBAs, but he also got busy around the ground and was a part of plenty of scoring chains.

A guy averaging 92 who can be selected as a forward is the least of my worries right now. 

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7. Beware the tag

I think Oisin Mullin is one of, if not the best tagger in the game right now.

Mullin did a fantastic job on Collingwood star Nick Daicos, limiting his influence in the MCG blockbuster.

If I had to guess, a matchup with Lachie Neale or Hugh McCluggage awaits on Thursday night for the Irish Cat.

Speaking of tags, Daicos is likely to cop some attention from James Jordon this week against the Swans, so be wary of that when looking at captaincy options.

If you don’t own Daicos, you might be able to pick him up for 520k next week…

8. Eagles rookies are nearing the end

The Eagles have been one of the best teams in 2026 for delivering some reliable cheapies in Supercoach, but their time in our squads might be coming to an end.

Number one draft pick Willem Duursma’s breakeven is up to 85, while damaging half-back Josh Lindsay’s BE is up to 80.

You could trade both out this week given they are likely to start losing cash.

One who you’d want to hold for at least another week however is Milan Murdock, who’s breakeven is back to 30 after scoring 93.

He’s already made us 200k and hopefully has another push left in him.

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9. Forward options star

Izak Rankine will draw all the headlines and rightfully so, after posting a score of 149 SC points in his best game of 2026.

After being played predominantly as a forward early in the season, Rankine’s CBA numbers have increased significantly in the past three weeks.

He’s only 463k and probably won’t get any cheaper given the breakeven of 42.

Elsewhere, Richmond midfielder Jack Ross is quietly putting together a sound campaign.

Ross is averaging 98.8 SC points a game this year, ranked seventh amongst forwards.

In a Richmond side plagued with injuries, he’s been a constant in the CBA mix and is a nice point of difference in less than three per cent of teams.