AFL Supercoach 2026: Round 20 Wrap – 9 Things We Learned

We’re into the final straight now. 

Round 20 has come and gone and I posted a very modest 2448, resulting in a minor rank rise to 1535.

My newest inclusion in Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was immense, posting a 194 in the final match of the round, but there were plenty of others who failed to fire.

Here’s what we learned in round 20. 

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1.  Don’t be put off by Crows captain

Jordan Dawson’s last two weeks have yielded scores of 74 and 89, but if you’re looking for a Finn Callaghan replacement and you’ve got the cash, I think Dawson could be the best option.

The Adelaide skipper was on an absolute hot streak prior to the past fortnight and has a very promising run home, facing Essendon, Richmond, GWS and Fremantle.

There could be a few captaincy worthy scores in there and I’m sweating as a non-owner.

2. Star Cat looms as a must-have on run home

Bailey Smith’s ball use hurt him against the Dees, but you’d be a bold coach to go without him in the final month of the year.

With fixtures against Collingwood, Essendon, North Melbourne and Richmond, it doesn’t get much better.

He hasn’t been this cheap all year either, priced at just $554k now.

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3. Mid-season draftee shines

Plenty of us are out of trades, which means we’re relying on bench fodder to fill places in our starting side.

West Coast’s Marcus Herbert did just that, dominating in the Western Derby with 134 SC points.

The mid-season draftee was busy in the back half, finding plenty of the footy and even taking a handful of kick ins.

If he can continue to score like this, that would be a huge bonus for those who are currently playing him on the field. 

4. Petracca woes continue

What on earth is up with Christian Petracca?

He started the year red hot, but his flame has fizzed out in recent weeks, averaging 76.6 SC points per game over his last five matches.

The Suns are a basket case right now and Petracca was in the spotlight post-match for all the wrong reasons after an interaction with young teammate Leo Lombard on-field. 

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5. Hawks flex their muscles

Sam Mitchell’s Hawks had 16 players score 82 SC points or more against the Bombers.

In contrast, only Dyson Sharp (115) and Zach Merrett (101) went 79+ for Essendon.

The moral of the story here is to target Essendon fixtures on the run home.

Adelaide, Geelong, Sydney and Port Adelaide are the teams who take on the Bombers in the final month of the season.

6. Another forced trade

Finn Callaghan is almost on my never again list.

The star Giant has been unable to hit his straps in 2026 and is now set for ankle surgery, meaning he won’t feature again this year.

He’s too susceptible to tags at the moment and has struggled to get going after a disrupted pre-season.

I was so excited by his run home last year, but it just hasn’t come together for him.

Will I consider him at a discounted price next year? Probably, but it certainly stings right now.

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7. Star Dog is building

I wrote last week about Ed Richards being a solid option on the run home and he delivered in spades against Richmond, posting a game-high 149 SC points.

This guy is just an absolute superstar and would be getting more external plaudits if he didn’t play alongside arguably the game’s best player right now in Marcus Bontempelli.

If the Dogs are going to continue their finals push, his form is all important.

8. Return of the Clugg?

Remember when everyone jumped on board Hugh McCluggage mid-year?

That didn’t work out, he stunk it up and then succumbed to injury.

But could we go there again? McCluggage was fantastic against Port Adelaide, racking up 29 disposals and a goal on his way to a whopping 149 SC points.

If you’re looking for a Callaghan trade option and you’re strapped for cash, there are worse options around.

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9. Nas’ role is filthy 

Ok, this isn’t exactly breaking news.

I’m not sure what the Roos were doing when it came to Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera on Sunday, because he did exactly as he pleased, booting four goals from 46 disposals.

The guy is a freak and has one of the filthiest SC roles I’ve ever seen.

A James Jordon tag looms this week, but Nasiah’s ability to impact the game across all three lines makes him such a tricky matchup.