One round in, 40 trades left – it’s time to get to work.
There’s no time to waste for SuperCoaches with immediate decisions required on some players after a wild opening to the fantasy season.
The most urgent calls are on players already on the bubble – the rookies and cash cows who played in opening round and are ready for their first price change after their third game next weekend.
Teams in that category are Sydney, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, GWS, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs.
The other four opening round teams – Collingwood, Brisbane, Carlton and Geelong – have a bye this weekend, so you can wait a week before to grab Tanner Bruhn before his big price rise.
With byes for the next three weeks we have the benefit of Best 18 scoring – your score for the round is the total of your best 18 available players, including any activated emergencies.
So, which players do we need to act on fast – and who is on notice after round 1?
BUY NOWLachie Jaques (Western Bulldogs) | $119,900 | DEF | 84 points
What a start from the 29th pick from the 2024 draft. Don’t leave him on the bench.
The catch: There isn’t one.
Verdict: Getting the right rookies is priority one, two and three in the opening weeks of the season. Jaques is top of the list.
Jai Serong (Sydney) | $119,000 | DEF | 54 points
Former Box Hill defender has had 19 and 18 disposals in his first two games and looks right at home in the Swans defence. Not a huge scorer but a very safe pick who is set for a big price rise after his next game.
The catch: The Swans have a tricky bye in round 3, but don’t let that put you off – making money is a rookie’s most important job and Serong is going to make plenty of it.
Verdict: Must-have.
Milan Murdock (West Coast) | $99,100 | MID | 110 points
Who said we didn’t have many midfield rookies? The 25-year-old landed a spot on an AFL list two weeks before the season, and he has stormed onto the SuperCoach radar with an inspired debut against Gold Coast – 22 disposals (most for West Coast), five tackles, two goals.
The catch: Price won’t change until after his third game, so you won’t miss out if you wait a week.
Verdict: Most SuperCoach teams will have at least one or two midfielders missing on the bye this week and having a player with Murdock’s scoring ability to replace them will be a huge bonus. Worth moving a week early for.
Deven Robertson (West Coast) | $119,900 | FWD | 105 points
Former Lion was waiting for more senior opportunities. Now he has them. Laid 11 tackles against the Suns.
The catch: See above re trade timing. He won’t be on the bubble until after round 2.
Verdict: Ticks all the rookie boxes. Get him this week or next week.
Connor Budarick (Western Bulldogs) | $245,700 | FWD | 73 points
Didn’t quite hit the heights of his 100-plus score in opening round on Saturday, but numbers like this – 23 disposals, six marks – every week will make him a big money maker.
The catch: Round 3 bye will be punishing for lots of teams.
Verdict: Money is the priority and he’s on the bubble. Get him in.
James Sicily (Hawthorn) | $483,200 | DEF | 106 points
The Sicily of old is back, at least on the evidence of his first two matches in 2026. The Hawks skipper averaged 89 last season but has put up scores of 128 and 106 to start the year. Twenty-one kicks (18 effective) and eight intercepts against the Bombers.
The catch: There were some very high scoring games last year, but he also scored a 50 and a 37.
Verdict: Could be a brave sideways move from a failed mid-pricer like Colby McKercher or Archie Roberts.
Malcolm Rosas Jr (Sydney) | $145,000 | FWD | 50 points
Only two goals in his first two games as a Swan but looks cemented in the best 23.
The catch: Needs a spike game to get his cash generation going.
Verdict: Will be a slow burn on the bench. A good pick, but not a must.
Jagga Smith (Carlton) | $119,900 | MID | 113 points
Everyone started with the Blues ball magnet, right?
The catch: Um… let me get back to you.
Verdict: Buy and hope no one notices.
WAIT A WEEKBrayden Cook (Adelaide) | $158,700 | MID-FWD | 92 points
We like to wait for rookies to play two games before jumping on but if you are confident enough about Cook’s role, you could move now to free up a trade next week. Playing off half-back and a wing, the 23-year-old – who has played 30 matches since being drafted in 2020 – played his best AFL game, collecting 19 disposals (10 contested) and seven intercepts against Collingwood, plus a ripping goal from outside 50. “It makes me smile when I talk about Cookie because we knew it was going to take a little bit of time … but he just had something,” coach Matthew Nicks said after the game.
The catch: A low score next week will grind the money train to a halt.
Verdict: Wait a week if you can. If he backs it up he’s an easy trade in.
Tanner Bruhn ($276k) and Dan Houston ($431k) will also be prime targets next week when the Cats and Magpies come off their bye. Bruhn looks a must-have at his low price ($276k) while Houston is a bit more of a gamble at $431k in defence. Start thinking about how to get one or both.
WAIT LONGERMarcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs) | $706,800 | MID | 160 points
Coaches prepared to fork out more than $700k got exactly what they were hoping for against GWS – 33 disposals, 11 inside-50s, three goals, 160 points. So much for an early price drop.
The catch: Needs to maintain something close to this standard to sustain his price, but who says he can’t do it?
Verdict: Will be a while before non-owners can think about trying to get him, unless you have $150k lying around for an Errol Gulden swap. Pray for a Crows tag this week?
OTHER ROUND 1 WINNERS
Luke Jackson (142), Zach Merrett (139), Harry Sheezel (134), Tim English (127), Tristan Xerri (128), Nick Daicos (126), Jack Sinclair (123), Max Gawn (122), Finn Callaghan (120), Jagga Smith (113), Marc Pittonet (110), Sam Flanders (104), Connor Macdonald (103), Darcy Parish (93), Todd Marshall (90), Lachie McAndrew (88), Joe Fonti (83), Sam Grlj (73), Tom Blamires (70), Zane Zakostelsky (62).
ON NOTICEErrol Gulden (Sydney) | $566,600 | MID | 112 points
Started the season hot after a ripping pre-season and was Sydney’s third-best scorer despite sitting on the bench for most of the final quarter after hurting his shoulder. And that’s the issue for his 68,000 owners.
The catch: The Swans have to make a decision on whether to let Gulden play hurt or send him for surgery – which would put him out of action for months. Watch the injury news this week.
Verdict: If he’s booked for surgery, it’s a forced trade – Luke Davies-Uniacke ($526k) and Caleb Serong ($571k) are both great options. If he keeps playing you can hold through the Best 18 rounds before making a call.
Mattaes Phillipou (St Kilda) | $168,400 | FWD | 27 points
Youngster with a horror injury run looked ready to fire after a fantastic pre-season, only for the curse to return just before halftime at the MCG. He looked like one of the biggest bargains of the year, but can his body be trusted?
The catch: The Saints say the injury was a corkie – fingers crossed.
Verdict: If he’s playing next week, we hold. If he’s out past the byes we have to trade.
Todd Marshall (Port Adelaide) | $147,900 | FWD | 90 points
Big tick for the new role in defence with two intercept marks (one contested) and three kick-ins. But, like Gulden and Phillipou, he failed to finish the game, limping off with an apparent ankle injury.
The catch: The role and money making potential is there. Can he stay fit?
Verdict: Waiting on injury news. If it’s under three weeks try to hold – as long as you can field 18 players.
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (St Kilda) | $622,300 | DEF | 88 points
Had a goal within the first three minutes against Melbourne and added two more. But spending plenty of time in the goalsquare means he just isn’t getting his hands on the footy, picking up 18 and 19 disposals in the opening two rounds after averaging 30 a game last season. A big price drop is coming.
The catch: He’s still Nas. There will be huge scores if you can cop other coaches getting him cheaper.
Verdict: I don’t like the role but trades are precious. Deal with injuries first then consider a move if you don’t have any other pressing issues.
Jordan De Goey (Coll) | $321,100 | FWD-MID | 56 points
Looked sharp kicking three goals in opening round but couldn’t impact the contest the following week, finishing with 12 disposals without hitting the scoreboard. Just five centre bounce attendances.
The catch: Has a bye this week so his price won’t change until after round 3.
Verdict: Needed a prime centre bounce role to be worth the investment, and he hasn’t got it.
Lachie Blakiston (Essendon) | $295,500 | DEF | 62 points
Started brightly playing as Essendon’s ruckman but was monstered by the Need Reeves-Lloyd Meek combination, winning four hitouts to advantage to go with nine disposals. Blakiston faces Dante Visentini on Sunday but then comes up against Tristan Xerri, Tim English, Max Gawn and Jarrod Witts in successive weeks. Yikes.
The catch: There are a number of defensive rookies who are scoring this well or better, for much less cash.
Verdict: Wait for his bubble game, but start assessing options. If you don’t have Jaques or Serong, make the move now.
Colby McKercher (North Melb) | $449,600 | DEF | 60 points
Spent the first 14 minutes on the bench then mixed his time between half-back and half-forward when he did came on – a disaster for owners hoping for a return to the high kick-in role that resulted in premium-level scores on the back half of last season.
The catch: It was his first game back after an interrupted pre-season. The time on ground will increase, but Luke Parker’s success at half-back doesn’t help his chances of slotting into that SuperCoach-friendly role.
Verdict: One more week to assess.
Charlie Curnow (Sydney) | $377,300 | FWD | 44 points
Former Blue must be loving life in Sydney but it hasn’t clicked so far in terms of goals (three) or SuperCoach, scoring 65 and 44. That’s not enough to make money, let alone put points on the board.
The catch: The Hawks on Thursday night then a bye before a tempting match-up with West Coast is too long to wait.
Verdict: Will have to score 105 this week to avoid a price drop. Get one of the good forward rookies and redistribute the cash to improve your team.
Sam Butler (Hawthorn) | $197,000 | FWD-MID | 29 points
Paying up for a high-scoring rookie hasn’t worked with scores of 54 and 29 so far. Had no tackles and didn’t hit the scoreboard against the Bombers.
The catch: Could lose money with another low score this week. That’s not how rookies are supposed to work.
Verdict: Trade now to a better rookie.
OTHER ROUND 1 WORRIES
Brodie Grundy (89), Lachie Whitfield (70), Clayton Oliver (69), Will Ashcroft (64), Stephen Coniglio (60), Dyson Sharp (57), Miles Bergman (56), Archie Roberts (53), Keidean Coleman (50), Andrew Brayshaw (47), Harry Dean (38).