We discuss it all whether you love AFL SuperCoach, or AFL Fantasy. From the classic formats to a single season, keeper leagues and even daily fantasy. The Coaches Panel is your one-stop shop for fantasy football opinions, advice and updates.
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CoachesPan
Lachie Whitfield is a Blue. Is he still a 2027 AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach premium, or a trade-in target by Round 6? Carlton just landed the elite halfback rebounder they’ve chased for years. GWS took a mid-20s pick for him. And your 2027 defence might look very different because of it. I break down what Whitfield brings to Josh Fraser’s Blues, whether Carlton’s system actually suits a high-volume distributor, and why the injury narrative is dead after four straight 20+ game seasons. Then the fantasy stuff. He’s dropped 10 points per game in AFL Fantasy and 7 in SuperCoach over two seasons.…
Flynn Riley lands at Collingwood. Is the rookie-priced ruck a 2027 R3 option in AFL Fantasy, SuperCoach and Keeper? Some trades change your whole draft plan. This one doesn’t, and I’ll tell you straight why. Riley is a developing ruck who’s shown a few nice moments at lower levels. He arrives at the Pies as depth behind Darcy Cameron, not as a second tall sharing the load. Oscar Steene’s ACL in May opened the door. He was being groomed for the number two ruck job and won’t be ready for the start of 2027. Riley fills that gap and learns from Cameron. Carlton is the bigger story. With Riley…
Zane Duursma joins Melbourne. Is the former top-5 pick a 2027 AFL Fantasy or SuperCoach option? Here’s my honest verdict. He’s one of the best aerial forwards of his size to come through the junior system in years. At North, though, he only showed it in glimpses. Now he crosses to the Demons, and we’re about to learn whether the problem was system, style, development or something else. I call Zane a “gravy” forward. That’s not a slight. Gravy on its own won’t get it done. Put it on top of Van Rooyen, Jefferson, Fritsch, Chandler and Pickett, though, and it lifts the whole forward line. I…
Nick Blakey is a Kangaroo. Here’s what his move to North means for your 2027 SuperCoach and AFL Fantasy sides. A month ago he was a trade rumour. Now he’s North Melbourne’s biggest signing in decades. One of the best metres-gained rebounders in the game lands at a club that’s struggled to move the ball off half back for years. For Sydney, it hurts. Blakey’s gone and Callum Mills is out with an ACL. That’s two of their best six defenders. So who picks up the scoring? Then the part you care about. Blakey averaged 98.6 in SuperCoach and 86 in AFL Fantasy in 2026. His market share at Sydney sat…
Sam Butler heads from Hawthorn to Gold Coast. Is he draft-relevant in 2027 AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach? Here’s my verdict. Butler played just 8 games in 2026 and has never cracked 10 in a season. He wasn’t short on talent. He was fifth in line behind Nick Watson, Jack Ginnivan, Dylan Moore and Connor Macdonald, and mostly got a game when one of them was out. At the Suns, that changes. Leo Lombard and Jake Rogers covered the small forward role this year, but both are midfielders learning forward craft. Butler already has it. With Ben King’s goals leaving the club, this is a genuine upgrade in…
Aidan Schubert is a Gold Coast Sun. Here's what the trade means for the Hawks, the Suns and your 2027 SuperCoach side.Ben King walked and the Suns needed a tall. They got one. Aidan Schubert is 198cm, clean in the air and works harder up the ground than most key forwards his age. I break down why he fits next to Jed Walter and Ethan Reed, and why Walter now has to become a 50-goal forward.For Hawthorn, the maths was simple. King, Gunston, Lewis and Chol can't all fit in one forward line, and Calsher Dear had already lost his spot. Schubert was sliding down the order the moment King…
Hudson O'Keefe is a Bulldog. Here's what the trade means for Tim English, Carlton's ruck stocks and your 2027 fantasy side.Hudson O'Keefe has left Carlton for the Western Bulldogs, and the Dogs are stoked. He's almost 210cm, he moves well for his size, and his ruck and stoppage craft gets better every game. The forward craft still needs work.So why did the Dogs want him? Tim English played just 15 home and away games in 2026. They tried Rory Lobb, Lachlan Smith and others in the ruck and got exposed. Huddy is the insurance policy. He's not there to play alongside English, so if you own Tim…
Finn Maginness is a Bulldog. Here's my 2027 AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach verdict on the ex-Hawthorn tagger.Finn Maginness built his name at Hawthorn as a stopper. Between 2023 and 2025, if the Hawks needed someone shut down, he got the job. Ask any Collingwood fan about the day he went to Nick Daicos. He tackles hard, his hands in tight are cleaner than he gets credit for, and his effort is through the roof.The Western Bulldogs haven't had that on their list. Luke Beveridge now has a genuine lockdown lever to pull at selection, plus some extra depth through the midfield and forward line. For…
Zak Butters is a Bulldog. Here's what it does to his 2027 AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach scoring, plus Bont and Richards.Butters, Bontempelli and Richards in one midfield. It might be the best on-ball group we've ever seen. For fantasy coaches, it's a headache.Zak's coming off back-to-back 120+ SuperCoach seasons and a career-high 104.5 in AFL Fantasy. But he took 7% of Port's points over the last two years. Bont and Richards each took 6.9% of the Dogs' in 2026. Three blokes can't all keep that share. I tell you which way I'm leaning, and why I'd rather trade in than start any of them.I also…
Ben King is a Hawthorn player. Is he a 2027 AFL Fantasy or SuperCoach pick, or just a real footy win for the Hawks? King has finished 5th, 3rd and 7th for goals across the last three seasons. 60 this year. 71 the year before. Now he walks into a forward line that already has Gunston, Lewis, Chol and Nick Watson. Someone drops a rung, and I can't see the Hawks playing four talls over 190cm. I break down who gets squeezed, whether Mitch Lewis or King himself needs to learn some ruck craft, and why Hawthorn won't trade away the chaotic ball movement that got them to back-to-back prelims. Then…
Sam Marshall is a Saint. Is the ex-Lion a 2027 AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach bargain? Here's my verdict. Most people will shrug at this one. I think that's a mistake. Marshall is a strong runner, a better accumulator than he gets credit for, and a sharp kick over 30 to 40 metres. Brisbane's midfield depth pushed him to the outside. St Kilda have sold him on a midfield opportunity. The Saints' first three mids feel settled with Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Garcia and Hall. The fourth and fifth rotation spots are wide open. I walk through where Macrae, Windhager, Wilson, Boxshall and Phillipou sit,…
Rowan Marshall is a Cat. As Geelong's number one ruck, he could be the top-scoring ruck in AFL Fantasy in 2027. Lock him in.Geelong missed Rowan Marshall last year. They've got him now. I break down what he adds to a list that's primed for another flag, and why his work around the ground matters more than his hitouts. Plus where this leaves Mitch Edwards, and why it could be the perfect handover in two or three years.For St Kilda, this corrects the sins of the past. A 50/50 ruck/forward split between Marshall and Tom De Koning was never going to work. Both are at their best running the…
Jack Bowes is a Bomber. Third club, new role, and one question: is he AFL Fantasy or SuperCoach relevant in 2027? Jack Bowes has left Geelong for Essendon, and I've got the full trade review. He averaged 69.9 in AFL Fantasy and 65.3 in SuperCoach in 2026, and he only got on the park nine times. So why would you look twice? Versatility. Bowes can play either flank, a wing, or pinch-hit on the inside, and that gives Mark McVeigh a proper plug-and-play option around a young list. At Geelong he was always just in or just out of the best 22. At Essendon he should play regular footy. Here's the…
Jordan Ridley is a Cat. He averaged 102 in SuperCoach in 2024 and he's coming off a 52. Here's my 2027 fantasy verdict.Ridley has played 26 games in three years, so most coaches have forgotten how good he is. At his best he's one of the better intercept defenders in the AFL, and he's a beautiful kick. Geelong have paid up to get him, and they've got a long record of getting injured players back on the park.The scoring has never been the question. In 2024 he went at 88 in AFL Fantasy with three tons, and 102 in SuperCoach with six tons from nine games. Between 2020 and 2024 his lowest…
Nathan O'Driscoll is a Tiger. Here's his 2027 AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach verdict, and why Richmond won this trade. Day two of trade period gave us one official move. Noddy leaves Fremantle for Richmond, and the Tigers paid a late pick they were never going to use. For a bloke who played 17 games this year, including the Elimination Final against Hawthorn, that's a steal. He gives Richmond something they don't have. A penetrating left foot, serious metres gained and clean hands overhead. Put him on the wing opposite Retschko and that outside game looks a lot better. He can also roll through…
Zach Merrett is a Hawk. Is he a 2027 AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach lock, or does Hawthorn's points spread kill his scoring? Eleven straight seasons averaging 100 or more. Now Zach walks into the best AFL Fantasy scoring team in the comp and the 4th best in SuperCoach. Sounds perfect. I'm not convinced. Here's the problem. Zach's market share of points has sat between 6.8% and 7.1% for four years. Hawthorn didn't have a single player above 5.5% in 2026. The Hawks score heaps, but they share it around. Sicily one week, Day the next, Newcombe after that. I break down the optimist case, the…
Collingwood just traded the greatest player in their history. I never thought I'd say it. At 38, Scott Pendlebury still averaged 83.8 in SuperCoach and 79.2 in AFL Fantasy in 2026, with 20+ disposals in 12 of his 17 games. Gold Coast aren't buying a midfielder. They're buying an on-field coach. I break down why leadership cost the Suns in 2026, how Pendlebury helps Noah Anderson and that young group, and why I'd be surprised if he plays more than 12 to 15 games. Then the Collingwood side. His CBAs dropped from 65-75% early in the year to 20-30% late. This midfield now belongs to Nick Daicos…
Two years ago Jesse Hogan kicked 77 goals and won the Coleman. This year he averaged 55.8 in SuperCoach and 49.1 in AFL Fantasy, and GWS let him walk for next to nothing. That gap is the whole story for 2027. I break down why Collingwood needed him. Only Dan McStay and Tim Membrey kicked 30+ for the Pies this year, and losing Brody Mihocek hurt more than most realised. Then the Giants. Greene, Stringer and Hogan are all gone, and that's 100 goals out the door. Cadman, Gruzewski and Brown have to find another level. Then the verdict. If Hogan's fit and switched on, there's serious points…
Jordon Butts is a Western Bulldog. Here's what it means for the Dogs' defence, the Crows and your 2027 AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach side. How many times have we watched a monster key forward take the Dogs apart? Butts is the fix. He isn't elite at any one thing. What he does is lock down the opposition's number one tall. That lets Khamis and O'Donnell drop back into their natural roles instead of playing undersized on key forwards. For Adelaide, the compo pick might be worth as much as Butts was. Keane and Borlase are now their top two. The bigger story is the heat this puts on North…
Kieren Briggs to Richmond. Is the ex-Giants ruck fantasy relevant again in 2027? Here's my SuperCoach and AFL Fantasy verdict.Richmond needed a ruck who's ready now and still around when the kids grow up. Toby Nankervis has been a warrior, but he's 32. Briggs is 27, physical, built in the Shane Mumford mould, and he cost the Tigers no draft capital. He also walks in with chemistry alongside Hopper and Taranto.The Giants made their call this year. Nick Madden took the number one ruck role, and the ruck rule changes didn't help Briggs. GWS now look thin for ruck depth and need to top up.For…
Lachie Neale is a Magpie. Here's what it means for Collingwood, Brisbane and your 2027 AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach side. Three premierships. Two Brownlows. He's 33 and still ranked #2 in the AFL for centre clearances, sitting behind only Matt Rowell. Now he lands at a Collingwood side that's one of the worst clearance teams in the league. I break down why this move is really about Nick Daicos, and why Brisbane will feel Neale's absence more than most people think (it still doesn't rule them out of a four-peat). Then the fantasy verdict. Hugh McCluggage is my big winner. His inside mid CBAs…
Toby Greene to Geelong. Here's what the free agency move means for the Cats, the Giants and your 2027 fantasy side.Greene, Cameron and Neale are locks in that Geelong forward line. The fascinating part is everyone else. Miers, Martin, Mannagh, Close, Wiltshire, Polkinghorne and Dangerfield can't all play, let alone all sit inside 50. I walk through who gets squeezed and why I think Greene's midfield time will be sporadic at best.For the Giants, this is full rebuild territory. Hogan heading out, Stringer delisted, now the captain gone. That's their three best avenues to goal. The pressure…
Joel Amartey to Carlton is the first move of 2026 free agency. Here's what it means for the Blues, Swans and your 2027 side.Carlton needed another tall. Harry McKay pushing up the ground left them short in the air, and they haven't had that contest-creating presence since Charlie Curnow left for Sydney. Amartey fixes that. He's a versatile key forward who can chop out in the ruck and swing back if needed.The real win? The Blues fixed a need using only cap space. No draft capital spent, which matters with a Cody Walker bid coming and Lachie Whitfield in the frame.For Sydney, Curnow's arrival…
A year ago these guys were names on a draft board. Now we've got actual AFL games to judge them on, and the picture's changed for a few of them.We go through the full 2025 Draft Crop for Keeper and Dynasty leagues. Who's climbed, who's slid, and who we're targeting right now while their price is still soft. Uwland's scoring ceiling gets a serious look after that 146, Duursma's consistency through the middle rounds gets its flowers, and we flag the one name we think is the best buy-low in the whole class.If you're building a Keeper or Dynasty list off last year's draft, this is your one-stop…
Sheezel, Petracca and Horne-Francis are all confirmed OUT for Round 24. Here's every trade target, VC pick and tag warning before your last lockout.It's the final round of 2026 and it's a mess. Harry Sheezel, Jason Horne-Francis and Christian Petracca are confirmed out. While we're likely without Murphy Reid and the Swans could be down multiple bodies. MJ and MiniMonk break down where the trades should go, starting with the number one forward target on the market and the vice-captaincy options that actually make sense this week.They also get into the bigger picture. Why has 2026 been the…
Round 22 is brutal for tagged premiums. Zach Merrett, Bontempelli and Harley Reid are all in danger. Three weeks left in your AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach season, and the taggers are back in force. MJ and MiniMonk run through every negating matchup on the Round 22 slate, including the double-tag nightmare heading Zach Merrett's way and the two-week stretch that could sink Bontempelli owners. Then it's onto the good stuff. Which PODs have the fixture to actually make you money and points, why Miles Bergman is worth a look, and how to use the loophole to hide your rookies while you scope out the…
Another premium has gone down. With Max Holmes sidelined and just weeks remaining in the AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach season, coaches are facing a crucial question: Who replaces him, and how aggressive should you be? In this week's Coaches Panel Strategy Session, MJ Want and MiniMonk break down the biggest decisions heading into Round 20 across both AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach. This isn't a trade-target episode. It's about understanding the strategic opportunities that can separate coaches during the most important part of the season. Social Media:…
Zak Butters replacement Who are the best options and is it format dependant? Owned by over 60% in both AFL Fantasy & SuperCoach How critical is it? For those who traded out of Lachie Whitfield or are considering a premium defender upgrade trade how important is he? Where did it all go wrong? For many this year has gone to crap. Was it bad luck? Bad trading? How did those turn the year around after an injury riddled start? Social Media:…
Round 18 presents some of the toughest strategic decisions of the fantasy season. In this week's Coaches Panel Strategy Session, MJ Want and MiniMonk tackle the biggest AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach dilemmas facing coaches as the run home intensifies. From replacing a premium like Lachie Whitfield, to assessing the impact of returning stars, navigating ruck uncertainty, and identifying the teams with the best fantasy environments for the remainder of the season, this episode is designed to help coaches make smarter decisions for the final stretch. This isn't a trade-target episode. It's about…
St Kilda Trade Target Trio Nasiah Waganeen-Milera, Rowan Marshall and Callum Wilkie Also, who cover for the absence of the injured Jack Sinclair SuperCoach Injury Trades Who and when do we pull the trigger on our final few trades Forward Line issues for AFL Fantasy Who are the best options and is it worth trading out / into any? Scoring Squad Depth Vs On Field performance Should we focus on one? Doing so means we need to accept a sacrifice in the other
About Coaches Panel | Fantasy AFL Podcasts
We discuss it all whether you love AFL SuperCoach, or AFL Fantasy. From the classic formats to a single season, keeper leagues and even daily fantasy. The Coaches Panel is your one-stop shop for fantasy football opinions, advice and updates.
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CoachesPan
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