AFL Supercoach 2026: Round 22 Wrap – 9 Things We Learned

Two weeks to go.

Head to head league finals are reaching the pointy end now and the overall ranks are getting tight.

A score of 2443 last week saw me rise to 607th in the overall standings, my second highest rank for the year (can you believe I was 203rd after round two lol).

There’s plenty of carnage to deal with this week though, so let’s get into the things we learned in round 22.

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1. LDU has himself a game

It’s been a rollercoaster ride owning Luke Davies-Uniacke this year, but he delivered in a big way on Thursday night with a whopping 156 SC points.

At his best, he’s elite, but there’s still too much of a gap between his best and his worst from a Supercoach perspective which is holding him back from tipping into that top echelon of premium midfielders.

He isn’t far off, though.

2. Lions duo dominate again

Will Ashcroft is charging towards his maiden All-Australian blazer, while Lachie Neale is showing no signs of slowing down, either.

The pair have been elite from a Supercoach perspective this year.

Neale’s averaging 111.4 SC points per game and has flown somewhat under the radar, while Ashcroft has been one of the most in-form players in the competition in the back half of the year and has a serious case to start in our teams in 2027.

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3. Underrated Dee continues his run

Jake Bowey isn’t a household name in the Supercoach world, but he’s been super solid in 2026.

The underrated Dee posted 100 SC points against the Dockers, his eighth ton in 13 appearances this year.

If you remove the injured premium defenders from the rankings, Bowey has the second highest SC average (103.4) this year, only behind Giant Lachie Whitfield. 

4. A watch on Power gun

When Jason Horne-Francis left the field with a knee injury, the footy world held its breath.

Remarkably, the Power star remains a test to play this week against Melbourne, which would be a huge boost for the Power and the Supercoach community.

Outside of Harry Sheezel, he’s probably been the best forward to own this year.

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5. Smith delivers in style

He hasn’t been at his best in recent months, but Bailey Smith was elite against the Bombers on Saturday.

The Geelong gun was everywhere, dominating against a struggling Essendon outfit on his way to posting a huge 161 SC points.

Given he has fixtures against North Melbourne and Richmond to come, he’s got to be factored into your captaincy plans. 

6. Rankine shatters records

Oh my goodness.

Izak Rankine played out of his skin on Saturday night against Richmond, posting an unbelievable 223 SC points.

That’s one of the greatest scores we’ve ever seen. The guy was absolutely everywhere. 

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7. Suns duo repay the faith

It’s fair to say Matt Rowell and Touk Miller have been frustrating for owners this year, but they were immense on the weekend against the Giants, posting 174 and 157 SC points respectively.

It was another reminder that trading out underperforming premiums is an absolute luxury and certainly isn’t something we need to do.

8. Is Nick Daicos a permanent captain? 

Remember the days where you didn’t really need to think about captaincy and you just slapped it on Gary Ablett?

Nick Daicos might not be far away from that.

The Collingwood superstar hasn’t dropped below 111 in his past 11 outings, showcasing remarkable scoring consistency and potential. 

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9. Disaster strikes late in the round

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s injury cost me a pair of head-to-head matchups and I’m sure there are plenty of others in the same boat.

St Kilda’s quest for a wildcard spot took a huge blow when their star player left the field early in the first term while clutching his hamstring.

Got any trades left? Probably worth considering the likes of Jake Bowey, Nick Blakey and Tom Stewart as replacements if you do.