AFL Supercoach 2026: Round 20 Wrap - 9 Things We Learned


<p>We’re into the final straight now.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Round 20 has come and gone and I posted a very modest 2448, resulting in a minor rank rise to 1535.</p>



<p>My newest inclusion in Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was immense, posting a 194 in the final match of the round, but there were plenty of others who failed to fire.</p>



<p>Here’s what we learned in round 20. </p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>1.  Don’t be put off by Crows captain</strong></h2>



<p>Jordan Dawson’s last two weeks have yielded scores of 74 and 89, but if you’re looking for a Finn Callaghan replacement and you’ve got the cash, I think Dawson could be the best option. </p>



<p>The Adelaide skipper was on an absolute hot streak prior to the past fortnight and has a very promising run home, facing Essendon, Richmond, GWS and Fremantle. </p>



<p>There could be a few captaincy worthy scores in there and I’m sweating as a non-owner.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2. Star Cat looms as a must-have on run home</strong></h2>



<p>Bailey Smith’s ball use hurt him against the Dees, but you’d be a bold coach to go without him in the final month of the year. </p>



<p>With fixtures against Collingwood, Essendon, North Melbourne and Richmond, it doesn’t get much better. </p>



<p>He hasn’t been this cheap all year either, priced at just $554k now.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3. Mid-season draftee shines</strong></h2>



<p>Plenty of us are out of trades, which means we’re relying on bench fodder to fill places in our starting side. </p>



<p>West Coast’s Marcus Herbert did just that, dominating in the Western Derby with 134 SC points. </p>



<p>The mid-season draftee was busy in the back half, finding plenty of the footy and even taking a handful of kick ins. </p>



<p>If he can continue to score like this, that would be a huge bonus for those who are currently playing him on the field. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>4. Petracca woes continue</strong></h2>



<p>What on earth is up with Christian Petracca? </p>



<p>He started the year red hot, but his flame has fizzed out in recent weeks, averaging 76.6 SC points per game over his last five matches. </p>



<p>The Suns are a basket case right now and Petracca was in the spotlight post-match for all the wrong reasons after an interaction with young teammate Leo Lombard on-field. </p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>5. Hawks flex their muscles</strong></h2>



<p>Sam Mitchell’s Hawks had 16 players score 82 SC points or more against the Bombers. </p>



<p>In contrast, only Dyson Sharp (115) and Zach Merrett (101) went 79+ for Essendon. </p>



<p>The moral of the story here is to target Essendon fixtures on the run home. </p>



<p>Adelaide, Geelong, Sydney and Port Adelaide are the teams who take on the Bombers in the final month of the season.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>6. Another forced trade</strong></h2>



<p>Finn Callaghan is almost on my never again list. </p>



<p>The star Giant has been unable to hit his straps in 2026 and is now set for ankle surgery, meaning he won’t feature again this year. </p>



<p>He’s too susceptible to tags at the moment and has struggled to get going after a disrupted pre-season. </p>



<p>I was so excited by his run home last year, but it just hasn’t come together for him. </p>



<p>Will I consider him at a discounted price next year? Probably, but it certainly stings right now.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>7. Star Dog is building</strong></h2>



<p>I wrote last week about Ed Richards being a solid option on the run home and he delivered in spades against Richmond, posting a game-high 149 SC points. </p>



<p>This guy is just an absolute superstar and would be getting more external plaudits if he didn’t play alongside arguably the game’s best player right now in Marcus Bontempelli. </p>



<p>If the Dogs are going to continue their finals push, his form is all important.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>8. Return of the Clugg?</strong></h2>



<p>Remember when everyone jumped on board Hugh McCluggage mid-year? </p>



<p>That didn’t work out, he stunk it up and then succumbed to injury. </p>



<p>But could we go there again? McCluggage was fantastic against Port Adelaide, racking up 29 disposals and a goal on his way to a whopping 149 SC points. </p>



<p>If you’re looking for a Callaghan trade option and you’re strapped for cash, there are worse options around.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>9. Nas’ role is filthy </strong></h2>



<p>Ok, this isn’t exactly breaking news. </p>



<p>I’m not sure what the Roos were doing when it came to Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera on Sunday, because he did exactly as he pleased, booting four goals from 46 disposals. </p>



<p>The guy is a freak and has one of the filthiest SC roles I’ve ever seen. </p>



<p>A James Jordon tag looms this week, but Nasiah’s ability to impact the game across all three lines makes him such a tricky matchup.</p>


AFL Supercoach 2026: Round 20 Wrap – 9 Things We Learned

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