AFL Supercoach | Round 2 Wrap: 9 Things We Learnt


<p>Round 2 had it all.</p>



<p>From serious injuries to highly owned players, to some monster scores, and of course some flops, the start to AFL Supercoach 2026 has been an absolute rollercoaster.</p>



<p>This year, we’re bringing back the SC Playbook AFL Weekly Wrap, discussing the biggest talking points from the round from a SuperCoach perspective.</p>



<p>So let’s get into things.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>1. Injury carnage strikes</strong></h3>



<p>Far out. It all started with Christian Petracca’s hamstring injury on Saturday afternoon, a bitter blow to the plenty of SuperCoachers, but especially those who had him as captain. </p>



<p>‘Trac’ was tracking nicely before finishing the game on the pine, and he’s now set to miss the next 4-6 weeks. </p>



<p>Things didn’t stop there. Dyson Sharp was limited to just 44 per cent game time after suffering an ankle injury, while Port Adelaide skipper Connor Rozee looks set for a long stint on the sidelines with a hamstring problem. </p>



<p>I suspect a lot of coaches will be using their first boost this week. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2. Milan Murdock is a must-have rookie</strong></h3>



<p>The new Eagle set the SuperCoach world alight last week with a whopping score of 110, backing it up with an impressive 92 against the Roos. </p>



<p>Priced at 99k with a breakeven of -145, Murdock is set for a steep price rise this week, and you absolutely have to have him.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3. Taggers are well and truly back in vogue</strong></h3>



<p>Those who went from Errol Gulden to Caleb Serong would have been spewing when Demon Koltyn Tholstrup went to the star Docker on Saturday night. </p>



<p>Serong was limited to just 68 SC points as the young Dee added another scalp to his growing resume. </p>



<p>In the early rounds of the season, we’ve seen Geelong (Oisin Mullin), Collingwood (Harry Perryman), St Kilda (Hugo Garcia), amongst others, all use taggers to great effect. </p>



<p>It’s certainly something to consider when looking at captaincy and trade-ins. </p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>4. Luke Jackson could be about to go seriously large</strong></h3>



<p>I spoke about Jackson’s role last week in this article, and he delivered again, racking up 113 SC points against the Dees. </p>



<p>As a non-owner, I’m absolutely petrified about what he could do this week against Richmond. </p>



<p>The Tigers look set to be without ruck Toby Nankervis, and fellow tall Samson Ryan is also sidelined. </p>



<p>It looks as though Adem Yze will turn to either key position tall Campbell Gray or untried former basketballer Oliver Hayes-Brown as his first choice ruck this week. Yikes. </p>



<p>Jackson might produce the first double ton of the year. </p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>5. Captaincy is so crucial</strong></h3>



<p>This is hardly groundbreaking stuff, but captaincy is proving to be extremely important with the volatility in scoring this year. </p>



<p>Those who went for Tristan Xerri (199), Marcus Bontempelli (141), Max Gawn (141), Zak Butters (135), Brodie Grundy (135), Lachie Ash (130), or Harry Sheezel (124) walk away big winners. </p>



<p>If you went for Caleb Serong (68), Christian Petracca (86), Connor Rozee (55) or Noah Anderson (96), you’d be feeling pretty flat. </p>



<p>It’s important to consider previous scoring history against their upcoming opponent, role, ins and outs, potential tags, and the difficulty of opposition when looking at your captaincy picks. </p>



<p>Using the VC loophole essentially gives you two cracks at a good score, too. </p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>6. Lock in the best rookies, before it’s too late</strong></h3>



<p>There have been some minor price rises for some players already who featured in Opening Round, but now is the time to make sure you’ve got the best rookies locked in.</p>



<p>You should own as many of these players as possible: Milan Murdock, Deven Robertson, Jagga Smith, Lachlan McAndrew, Tom Blamires, Todd Marshall, Brayden Cook, Jack Watkins, Willem Duursma.</p>



<p>They’ve all got good scoring potential, and most have pretty solid job security. </p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>7. Another sample… the rucks are fine?</strong></h3>



<p>The new ruck rules were one of the biggest talking points throughout the pre-season, but it seems as though it <em>might’ve</em> been somewhat of an overreaction. </p>



<p>Tristan Xerri went absolutely nuclear with a score of 199, while Max Gawn (141) and Brodie Grundy (135) also starred. </p>



<p>If you owned Luke Jackson (113) or Tim English (114), you’d also be pretty happy. </p>



<p>Even those who are running Lachlan McAndrew at R2 would be somewhat satisfied with a score of 79. </p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">8.&nbsp;<strong>Was mid-priced madness a massive flop?</strong></h3>



<p>We love a mid-pricer or two, but two rounds into the season, it looks like there aren’t too many who will be successful starting picks. </p>



<p>Down back, Keidean Coleman (average of 55), Caleb Windsor (61.5), Lachlan Blakiston (63.5), and Colby McKercher (69) all look shaky. </p>



<p>In the midfield, Darcy Parish (80), Hayden Young (80 + injured), Jordan De Goey (73), and Harley Reid (79.5) have all had spluttering starts to the year. </p>



<p>In terms of forwards, Connor Budarick (81.7) doesn’t look to be the pick we were hoping he was, while Sam Lalor (74.5), Charlie Curnow (47.3), and Josh Rachele (69) have failed to fire a shot. </p>



<p>It’s not great reading. </p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>9. Consider early byes when trading</strong></h3>



<p>There’s plenty of injury carnage this week, which means we’ll almost all be bringing in some different premium players. </p>



<p>If possible, target players who have had their early bye or don’t have an early bye at all. </p>



<p>Players like Nick Daicos, Max Holmes, and Sam Walsh are decent options who have already had their early bye, while the likes of Harry Sheezel, Zak Butters, and Luke Jackson don’t have one at all. </p>



<p>It’s not the be-all and end-all, but it’s certainly something to think about.</p>


AFL Supercoach | Round 2 Wrap: 9 Things We Learnt

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