AFL Supercoach 2026: Dyl's Skippers - Round 22


<p>With just three weeks left in the season, captaincy has never been more crucial.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Whether it’s to climb up the overall ranks or win a head-to-head final, getting your captain right can be the difference between a good and a bad week.</p>



<p>Let’s take a look at the best options in round 22.</p>



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<p><strong>Harry Sheezel &#8211; L3 v WBD: 94, 106, 103</strong></p>



<p>It feels like we haven’t properly considered Harry Sheezel enough for captaincy this year, which is absurd given he’s averaging 125.2 SC points per game, ranked second across the competition. The young Roo is averaging 135 points a match across his last five appearances, but a word of warning, he attended just 30 per cent of centre bounces last week against the Hawks.</p>



<p><strong>Marcus Bontempelli &#8211; L3 v NTH: 133, 123, 157</strong></p>



<p>If you can overlook his past two scores, then Bontempelli looks like a decent shout this week. The Bulldogs skipper has a great record against the Roos, averaging 118.1 SC points per game against them across his career.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Will Ashcroft &#8211; L3 v HAW: 106, 87, 79</strong></p>



<p>He’s one of the AFL’s most in-form players, having averaged 134 SC points per game in his last seven outings, so you’re backing the hot hand here. Finn Maginness did return last week, but whether or not he holds his position &#8211; and then tags, remains to be seen. </p>



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<p><strong>Lachie Neale &#8211; L3 v HAW: 143, 110, 102</strong></p>



<p>Along with Will Ashcroft, Neale was one of Brisbane’s best last week against the Blues. Has a strong record against the Hawks in recent times and will be looking to put his best foot forward after being in the headlines for all the wrong reasons during the week after touring Collingwood’s facilities.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Max Gawn &#8211; L3 v FRE: 141, 117, 95</strong></p>



<p>This is a vibes based pick, it just feels like he’ll want to reaffirm his status as the best ruck in the game when he comes up against former apprentice Luke Jackson this week. If you’re not on the same page as me when it comes to vibes, he’s also been the most prolific scorer this year from a Supercoach perspective.</p>



<p><strong>Brodie Grundy &#8211; L3 v PTA: 119, 159, 139</strong></p>



<p>Grundy hasn’t quite hit the same heights in recent times that he did earlier in the season, but his ceiling is just so big. Has enjoyed playing Port Adelaide in recent years, but Jordon Sweet has taken his game to another level this year.</p>



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<p><strong>Errol Gulden &#8211; L3 v PTA: 95, 109, 102</strong></p>



<p>This is purely a recent form play, having posted two scores of 140+ across the past fortnight. After an injury-interrupted season, he looks back to his best.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Bailey Smith &#8211; L3 v ESS: 141, 114, 105</strong></p>



<p>The Bombers are down right now and Smith could feast as a result. His ball use has let him down in recent weeks, but he’s still finding the footy which is a good thing. Essendon is the easiest midfield matchup in the competition, opposition midfielders overperforming by 10.2 SC points per game on their season average.</p>



<p><strong>Jordan Dawson &#8211; L3 v RIC: 115, 112, 117</strong></p>



<p>Has been down the past few weeks, but you’d expect Dawson to fill his boots against the Tigers at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday night. Opposition midfielders score an extra 9.7 SC points per game against the Tigers than their season average. </p>



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<p><strong>Izak Rankine &#8211; L3 v RIC: 149, 99, 48</strong></p>



<p>Dominated against Adem Yze’s side earlier in the year and is in a rich vein of form, averaging 122.4 SC points per game in his last five matches. If you’re looking for a point of difference captaincy option, then this is a nice fixture play.</p>



<p><strong>Clayton Oliver &#8211; L3 v GWS: 113, 70, 80</strong></p>



<p>While his last three against the Suns aren’t that good, Oliver has averaged 121.7 SC points against them throughout his career, albeit at a different club. The Suns are also a positive matchup for midfielders in 2026 and the Giants will need Oliver at his best if they are to keep their faint wildcard hopes alive.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Nick Daicos &#8211; L3 v WCE: 124, 131, 147</strong></p>



<p>Nick Daicos is the standout captaincy option this week. He’s in great form and has an unbelievable record against the Eagles throughout his career, posting four scores between 123 and 147 in four matches. He’s starting to find ways to work through attention, too…</p>



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<p><strong>Darcy Cameron &#8211; L3 v WCE: 133, 111, 120</strong></p>



<p>A bit of a left-field option, but Cameron has rediscovered some of his best form in recent weeks, averaging 110.2 SC points per game in his last five. Opposition rucks star against the Eagles, scoring an extra 18.2 SC points than their season average.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera &#8211; L3 v CAR: 99, 103, 105</strong></p>



<p>NWM is a beast with one of the best Supercoach roles out there. Blues defender Lachie Cowan put some time into him earlier in the year, but Wanganeen-Milera still found plenty of the footy. It’s a huge clash and Nas will want to have a big say on things. </p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>DYLAN BOLCH’S CAPTAINCY RECOMMENDATIONS</strong></h2>



<p>VC: Sheezel / Bontempelli / Ashcroft</p>



<p>C: N Daicos / B Smith / Dawson</p>


AFL Supercoach 2026: Dyl’s Skippers – Round 22

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