AFL Supercoach 2026: Eight Numbers. One Round. Here's What They Mean For Your Team.


<p>Eight Numbers. One Round. Here&#8217;s What They Mean For Your Team.</p>



<p>Everyone&#8217;s scrambling to finalise their sides. Round 0 gave us real data to work with. Here are the eight numbers that shaped my final calls.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>71</strong></h2>



<p>That&#8217;s the ruck contest total between St Kilda and Collingwood. AFL average last year was 97.8. Easy to look at that and panic about ruck rule changes.</p>



<p>Don&#8217;t. The other Round 0 games averaged 95.4 ruck contests. Basically normal. The 71 was about the Saints gifting Collingwood 147 marks (next highest was Brisbane with 115), not the new rules. Saints fans have seen this game style before. Defenders vs St Kilda was a thing a couple of seasons ago and it might be back. Don&#8217;t trust Collingwood players&#8217; marks to repeat their high numbers every week, and expect midfielders like Daicos and Phillipou ($168.4k) to see more contested ball in a normal game.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>13</strong></h2>



<p>Handball receives split between English (6) and Grundy (7). The ruck rule targets hitouts and possessions and tackles at the contest, but rucks who move the ball around the ground are insulated from it. These two showed exactly that on the weekend.</p>



<p>You have to have one of them. English ($600.9k) or Grundy ($677.9k) &#8211; pick your price point and lock it in.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>23</strong></h2>



<p>Players who played under 65% game time in Round 0. The sub being gone is great, but how teams used that extra bench spot varied wildly. Saints and Collingwood managed veterans&#8217; TOG (Macrae, Pendles), others rotated mids and forwards through, Brisbane and Carlton used theirs on a second ruck.</p>



<p>Some teams will use the extra bench player for their 5th/6th CBA midfielder, but they won&#8217;t be on the ground long enough to score you points. Exactly what happened to Rowston ($271.7k) with 61% TOG. Be careful loading up on rookies sitting on the fringes of their side.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>170</strong></h2>



<p>Petracca ($522.3k) dropped 170 points in Round 0. He was everywhere, and at that price he&#8217;s a clear lock for your side.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>84.4%</strong></h2>



<p>Walsh&#8217;s ($543.9k) centre bounce attendance. His career high for a full season is 69.6%. Glass half full: he&#8217;s fit, he&#8217;s hungry, and that Carlton midfield is his. Glass half empty: regression to career average is coming.</p>



<p>I&#8217;m firmly glass half full. Eight score involvements from Carlton&#8217;s 19 total scores tells you they&#8217;re building through him. He&#8217;s in my side over Daicos ($628.4k) &#8211; I don&#8217;t want four Round 2 bye mids in my squad.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>119</strong></h2>



<p>Fonti ($298k) scored 119, picked up two coaches votes and 11 intercept possessions. His top score last year was 83. Not suggesting you start him &#8211; but put him on your watchlist. If a mid-pricer misfires in the first few rounds, Fonti is a name you&#8217;ll want to already know.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>105</strong></h2>



<p>Budarick ($245.7k), 105 points and 8 kick-ins. Wasn&#8217;t on my radar when the game opened. Absolutely locked in my side now. At that price with a clear role and the ball in his hands every time the Western Bulldogs defend, he&#8217;s essential.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>90</strong></h2>



<p>De Goey ($321.1k) scored 90 from 3 goals, with 53% of his possessions in the defensive half. Clear role, roaming freely, undeniable value at that price. I can&#8217;t fit him in my structure, but if you can, he&#8217;s worth serious consideration.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>My Final Calls</strong></h2>



<p>Round 0 locked in a few decisions and killed off a couple of others.</p>



<p>Rowston is out. And harsh as it is, so is Macdonald &#8211; 94 points and plenty of ball across the midfield, but just 33% CBAs. The value is better used elsewhere for Budarick. Sinclair ($606.6k) dropped 143 points with the ball firmly his while Nas pushed forward. Bruhn ($276.8k) had 31 touches across half back for 91 points. Their roles look incredible, and that&#8217;s all you can ask for at this point in the season.</p>



<p>Season starts now. Get your side in.</p>


AFL Supercoach 2026: Eight Numbers. One Round. Here’s What They Mean For Your Team.

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