Every SuperCoach coach has an opinion on the perfect VC/C strategy.
Some swear by simply picking the two best players every week.
Others won’t captain anyone except a ruck.
Some love chasing a POD vice-captain, while others simply back their No.1 player every single round.
So it got me thinking… Is there actually a “right” way to use the VC/C loophole?
I reckon most coaches fit into one of four different camps. None of them are right, none of them are wrong, and they’ve all probably won plenty of league matches over the years.
The fixture also plays a much bigger role than many people realise. It’s not just about picking your favourite players. The order they play can completely change your strategy. A premium playing on Thursday night creates a very different decision to one playing on Sunday afternoon.
Here are the four approaches I see most often.
Strategy 1 – Back Your Judgement
This is probably the most common strategy, and it’s hard to argue against.
These coaches simply identify the two players they believe will score the most points for the round.
That’s it.
No worrying about ownership.
No trying to find a POD.
No concern about what everyone else is doing.
Once they’ve picked their best two players, the fixture takes over. Whichever player is scheduled to play first becomes the vice-captain, while the player who plays later gets the captaincy.
If the VC produces a score that’s too good to ignore, they’ll happily take the loophole. If not, they simply move to what they already believed was their second-best option for the round.
It’s a logical strategy because it removes emotion from the decision-making process. Back your rankings and let the fixture decide the order.
Strategy 2 – Best First, Backup Later
This strategy is slightly different.
Unlike Strategy 1, these coaches don’t let the fixture determine the order. They want their best player to have the first opportunity to post a score.
The reason is simple, They don’t want to be sitting there with an “okay” VC score while the player they rated as the best captain for the round is still to play.
Let’s say your vice-captain scores 120. Normally, you’d be pretty happy with that. But what if your favourite player for the week is Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera against Richmond on Sunday afternoon?
Now you’ve got a decision to make. Do you bank the 120?
Or do you back the player you genuinely think is the best captain for the round?
For many coaches, that’s one of the hardest decisions in SuperCoach.
By deliberately giving their No.1 player the vice-captaincy, they remove that dilemma altogether. If their favourite player goes 140, they happily take it. If they only manage 105, they simply move on to their second-ranked option as captain.
It takes a lot of the second-guessing out of the weekend and ensures your best player always gets the first opportunity to produce the score you’re looking for.
Strategy 3 – Attack Then Defend
This has probably been closest to my approach for most of the season.
These coaches deliberately use the vice-captain to chase a point of difference.
They’re not necessarily putting the VC on the player they think will score the most points. Instead, they’re looking for someone capable of producing a huge score that the majority of coaches won’t have.
If that POD explodes for 145, you’ve immediately created separation from the competition.
Then comes the second part of the strategy.
Rather than doubling down with another unique selection, the captain usually goes on a highly-owned premium. The thinking is simple: attack first, then defend the advantage you’ve just created.
Of course, this strategy only works when the fixture allows it. If your POD doesn’t play before your preferred captain, the whole plan can quickly fall apart.
Strategy 4 – Save the Best for Last
This is almost the opposite of Strategy 2.
These coaches want their best player wearing the captaincy.
If Jordan Dawson is their favourite player for the round, then he’s getting the “C”, regardless of who else is available.
That means the fixture suddenly becomes incredibly important.
Let’s say Dawson plays on Friday night. Your VC can now only come from the Thursday game. You might not love any of those Thursday options, but if you’re determined to keep Dawson as captain, that’s simply the compromise you make.
If, however, your favourite captain option doesn’t play until Sunday afternoon, you’ve suddenly got almost the entire round to find the perfect VC. You can chase a POD, back a player with a great matchup, or simply take the player you think has the best chance of posting a score before your captain runs out.
The timing of the games often dictates how aggressive or conservative this strategy becomes from week to week.
Tags, Matchups and Why Rucks Are So Popular
No matter which strategy you use, there’s another factor that can throw everything into chaos.
Tags. Nothing ruins your weekend quite like watching your captain spend two hours being followed around by Mullin, Windhager or James Jordon.
Personally, I’d much rather take that risk with my vice-captain than my captain. This is why i am closer to Strategy 3.
If the opposition coach decides to send the tag somewhere else, you’ve landed a massive VC score and can happily take the loophole.
If they do get the tag, you simply move on to your captain.
That’s also why rucks have become such popular captain options over the years.
They can’t be tagged. Their role rarely changes. And if they’ve got a favourable matchup, you know they’re going to spend most of the afternoon around the football.
Coaches might disagree on midfielders every week, but it’s amazing how often they all end up captaining the same ruck.
Poll – Which VC/C strategy best describes you?
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it will be interesting to hear from anyone who will change their VC/C strategy now the SC Finals have started?