Do you have some fake “premiums” scattered across your team? The chances are you have at least a few… Well, this week’s article is going down the luxury path! A word that can often only be associated with those diligent SuperCoach traders who have used their trades sparingly throughout the season. This year, we all got gifted a few extra trades up and our sleeves and it means we are ALL able to make these luxury moves while we itch to offload these fake “premiums”. Today, I have identified 9 players in less than 10% of teams who are absolutely LIGHTING IT UP recently and make for the ideal left field sideways move out of someone underperforming…
Ed Richards – $538k (MID/DEF) – 2%
Here, we have the 13th highest 5 round average of ANYONE in the competition and we can select him as a sub 540k defender. The rise to SuperCoach fame all began when Libba went down with his concussion and Ed was rewarded with that tasty centre bounce role. Since the pair has come back from concussion, understandably his CBA numbers have dropped to 43% in two games, but he is showing he is still capable of getting it done regardless with scores of 115 and 116. The next two games are both difficult fixtures and beyond that his run is mediocre-to-decent at best which isn’t ideal. Although, he has the ability to fill the stat sheet in all facets while playing in his fantasy friendly role and while in just 2% of SuperCoach teams, he looms large for a handy point of difference in your run home. I definitely expect a lot of the top teams who are eyeing off a left field choice to be looking in Ed’s fluro red way. SOLID.
Jack Sinclair – $623k (DEF/MID) – 7 %
I try not to speak about the same player two weeks in a row but DAMN, you cannot ignore this man! He is back in his half back role and none of this silly midfield stuff that we were never actually sure benefited him. He is a PURE half back again and boy is he lighting it up. He has taken over the monopoly of kick ins and his 3-round average of 141.7 is the 2ND HIGHEST in the entire competition. He is a SuperCoach stud that was available and passed up on by us all at just 539k… As I touched on in last week’s article, the Saints MRVL run is absurd, he still has 7 of his last 8 games to come under the roof which will suit him to a tee. The price is getting insane now, but this is the very definition of a SuperCoach luxury. A player who could be top of their line from here and yet is found in just 7% of teams. Make it happen if you can! BUY.
George Wardlaw – $506k (MID) – 5%
If you’re in need of a “vibes” selection to ride you home this season and charge you up the ranks or for a late push into SuperCoach finals, then Wardlaw is your man. Keep in mind, he is still due to miss 1 more game through his concussion incident at training, as it unfortunately happened mid-week, but the positive of this, is it has meant his price hasn’t fully rocketed up too far yet. He has a 3-Round average of 119.3 which places him as the 12th highest player in ALL of SuperCoach. Norths run home is elite for inside midfielders and this could be a perfect ‘out’ from the cheaper underperforming midfield premiums we are stuck with at the moment. Wardlaw has a Rising Star medal to win and I expect him to feast on the easy run home along with the other man in his duo, Davies-Uniacke. WATCHLIST.
Tom De Koning – $589k (RUC) – 6%
In a weird turn of events, the fact that TDK missed his match on the weekend could genuinely be a positive for us all. Obviously, this is on the basis that De Koning is fit to play this week, I’m yet to hear how serious his injury was. Although, now that he missed, we got to see a week of Pittonet in the side who was always in the back of our minds as being the main worry on why we couldn’t comfortably take TDK. So, not only did he not increase in price with his breakeven of just 16, but we saw Pittonet absolutely stink it up in his spot. He was given a bath in the hitouts and around the ground by Toby Nankervis and to me that has reassured us enough that I just can’t possibly see the Blues reverting to playing both again. If I was an English owner and I had 30k left in the bank, I might just accidentally make that trade and forget to undo it… TEMPTING.
James Sicily – $578k (DEF) – 9%
Similar to Tom De Konning, this is very subject to availability. Even if he does stay in for the Hawks must win match against the Cats this week, there is alarm bells on his shoulder given this is the second time in a month that it has caused concern. Although, injury aside. The James Sicily, SuperCoach defender hero of old may have made a return here… Its not often you could say that you could select him as point of difference and yet here we are as he is in less than 9% of sides! He has the 5th best 3-round average of 129 in ALL of SuperCoach and a very solid 117 average in his last 5. If you take out his first score of the season, Sicily has actually had a very consistent year to date, it just lacked his usual spike ceiling scores we have come accustomed to with him. Although, those have now returned with back-to-back 140’s, even if they did come in two extremely favourable matchups for intercepting tall defenders. The good fixture run does continue for the rest of the season for the Hawks, so as long as he’s fit, expect the Hawks captain to continue to fire during their late push for finals football! MAYBE.
Toby Nankervis – $624k (RUC) – 1%
I cannot believe this man is on my list… He is a 29-year-old ruckmen, captain of arguably the worst team in the competition right now. His form at the start of the year was putrid and seemed it was at a droppable level, but man has he turned it around. He has a 5-round average of 128 and a 3-round average of 132, absolute insanity. The ruck line has been a merry-go-round this season and trades have been blown left right and centre trying to “fix” it. Who is brave enough to throw another one down the drain? Any English haters around? He gets a tough matchup this week but his run after that is very nice with Briggs, Soldo and Cameron to come who are all favourable. The Tigs also stay in Melbourne for their last 5 games of the season which is a handy benefit to have with a premium. Could Toby be the most disgustingly good point of difference of all time…? I just couldn’t do it, although I’m sure someone out there has the stones for it. PASS.
Josh Dunkley – $592k (MID) – 8%
I believe this season and the affects that the new bye system has on SuperCoachers is perfectly summed up by this pick right here. Josh Dunkley, an ever reliable, high ceiling SuperCoach stud of seasons passed, who is currently the 7th highest averaging MID (only), with a 3-round average of 125.7 finds himself in less than 8% of sides… Insanity. There was a round a few weeks ago where everyone was very keen on Lachie Neale and Chad Warner and this guy STILL escaped the lime light. He looks as fit as ever and is firing on all cylinders. Yes, he plays a slightly team sacrificial role compared to his peak powers at the Dogs, but his tackling and spread from contest for those marks is elite and allows him to get away with this. Brisbane are charging for that late Top 4 spot and expect Dunkley to be one of the main catalysts in this run. You can still grab him for under 600k and is a perfect replacement for any of those fake premiums people have found themselves stuck with in their midfield line. TARGET.
Izak Rankine – $578k (MID/FWD) – 10%
This guy is probably the least unique player on this list and yet here we are, saying a knockout Top 6 forward is only in 10% of teams… He is genuinely a Top 5 player in the competition at the moment and the sky is the limit for him. He looks to have found his home with centre bounces attended being around the 45-50% mark and this has led to him having a 5-round average of just over 115 points per game. His 121 on the weekend really should’ve been a 150, he could’ve easily kicked 5 or 6 goals in an absolute dynamite performance and us non owners were truly blessed in a sense here. He is in a very similar mould to Jack Sinclair, the last bye and the time of year he has hit form has just meant he has disgracefully slipped through the SuperCoach cracks. If they were doing this earlier on in the season, no doubt they would both easily be in 75%+ of the top teams and yet here we are saying they’re unique… The one flag is I’m unsure how long teams will tag Dawson before Rankine, to me its insane that this is still happening. The difference in volume for game changing ability between the two just seems huge. I expect teams to switch this soon. Although, If you have the luxury trades to get this man in, just do it and you won’t regret it. Sit back, feet up and enjoy the fun ride all the way home. GET IN.
Mitch Hinge – $533 (DEF) – 1%
This is arguably as out there as it gets, even more so than Toby Nankervis. Although how often can you say there is someone who has a 6-round average of 110, is still under-priced and is in less than 1% of teams? The answer is hardly ever. I was a huge fan of the potential breakout for Mitch Hinge heading into the 2024 season, but things never quite reached the heights I thought it would. His main concern is his floor, he consistently pulls out these 70’s and early on in the year, his ceiling scores just weren’t making up for this. Its a different story now, yes the floor is still there, but he has now scored three 120+ scores in the last 6 weeks alone to offset those poorer scores. It’s always hard to determine whether it was just a slightly later breakout than I expected, or whether he has just capitalised on some softer fixtures while in a hot vein of form… Either way, I love Mitch Hinge as a player, he is incredibly underrated but I’m unsure on where the Crows are at in 2024 and whether this is the Hinge we expect to stay. He has a great monopoly on kick outs and he ticks the left field and in form boxes, but are you brave enough? He could be an interesting option heading into 2025 as well again. RISKY.
