Captainancy Candidates – Round 10

Captainancy Candidates – Round 10

Round 9 Recap

Round 9 wasn’t about finding the miracle score. It was about avoiding disaster. And thankfully… we did that.

Our VC options all delivered something useful. Zac Butters opened things up with 130, Tristan Xerri gave us a solid 120, and Marcus Bontempelli reminded everyone why you never fully fade him with a huge 163. That’s exactly what you want from your VC line, multiple chances to take a strong score and avoid the Sunday panic.

We also flagged Nick Daicos as a danger with the Mullin tag, and that played out exactly as expected. Hopefully nobody got too brave there and tried to Captain him. Sometimes avoiding the bad pick is just as important as finding the best one.

Personally, I took Butters as a VC, although I seriously considered Max Gawn as C. In the end it was only 4 points difference, so no real damage done there. I’ll happily take 130 most weeks and move on pretending it was always the plan.

Our Captain recommendations were all very safe without really producing the monster.

Bailey Smith gave us 130, Isaac Heeney was solid with 118, Max Gawn did Max Gawn things with 134, and Lachie Whitfield with 133.

Max Holmes was the only real disappointment with 91, which for owners felt a bit rude considering how good the setup looked.

Still, none of them ruined your week and sometimes that’s the win.

We probably didn’t give Luke Jackson enough love against Hawthorn’s restrictive ruck setup, and he made sure to remind us with a huge last quarter in a close game to finish on 141.

We also probably still don’t give Archie Roberts enough respect. Another week, another massive score, this time 151. When will we include him in our selections? Spoiler alert, Not this week.

Other big names also got it done. Izak Rankine went 149, Noah Anderson bounced back with 145, and once again the round reminded us that sometimes the obvious names are obvious for a reason.


Round 10 – Picking a Captain Shouldn’t Be This Hard

Every week we sit down and ask the same question:

Who gets the C? And somehow, every single week, it feels harder than it should.

Honestly, picking a SuperCoach captain right now is about as hard as trying to understand the new tax rules on family trusts. You think you’ve got it sorted……and then suddenly bucket companies are out there is a 30% minimum tax rate, and somehow Marcus Bontempelli still scores 163.

But like tax planning, we keep showing up and pretending we know exactly what we’re doing.

So let’s start where we always start.

Who plays West Coast?
Who plays Richmond?
Who plays Essendon?

Because usually, that’s where the easiest points live.

This week all three games are on Sunday. Which is annoying. That means instead of clean VC loophole options, they become your solid fallback Captain plays, the players you turn to when your Friday and Saturday plans have gone badly and you’re staring at your team like it personally betrayed you.

Still, there’s plenty to work with.

West Coast vs GWS – Sunday Safety With Upside

The Eagles get GWS in Perth, and while West Coast have been far more competitive at home this year, they are still a team we target.

The names that matter here are obvious.

Finn Callaghan.
Clayton Oliver.
And the two Lachies, Ash and Whitfield.

West Coast did send attention to Pickett last week, so tagging is at least something to keep in the back of your mind, but on form it has to be Lachie Whitfield leading the discussion. He’s averaging 118 across his last five games and still feels like he has a genuine ceiling game coming. He scored 148 in this exact matchup last year, and with the role he has right now, it’s very easy to see that happening again.

Of course, Finn Callaghan would like a word. He scored 144 against West Coast last year and continues to be one of the most frustrating SuperCoach players alive, amazing when left alone, deeply offensive when tagged. If West Coast don’t pay him too much attention, owners could be rewarded again.

Clayton Oliver deserves mention as well. He’s been very solid without producing that monster Captain score.


Richmond vs St Kilda – The Injury Changes Everything

This one feels strange because these two teams literally played each other three weeks ago.

I was about to happily talk about Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera scoring 149 in that game……but he is now injured and will miss three weeks with a calf issue.

That changes everything.

I don’t really want to go near either of the Saints rucks in Rowan Marshall or Tom De Koning. Yes, it’s a great matchup. No, shared rucks are not good Captain options in 2026.

Jack Sinclair immediately becomes more relevant, and in the absence of Wanganeen-Milera, it could actually be Flanders who gets the bigger scoring role. He managed 120 last week with Nas out and looked very comfortable doing it.

Sometimes opportunity in SuperCoach is just waiting for someone else to get injured. I think Sinclair is the safe pick and flanders is the sneaky one.


Essendon vs Fremantle – Jackson Island

This is the Sunday matchup I’m really looking at.

Fremantle have plenty of relevant SuperCoach players, but none more relevant than Luke Jackson. He is now the second-highest averaging player in SuperCoach this season and looks like he could be one of those rare “just captain him every week and stop thinking” players.

This week he gets Essendon. Their ruck division is being led by Nick Bryan returning from injury. I can absolutely see this becoming a monster Captain score.

Jackson scores in too many ways, ruck work, marks around the ground, clearances, follow-up work, and the occasional “I’m actually the best midfielder here too” moment.

Late Sunday, if your VC has failed and you need a proper save…This is the one. Honestly, if he goes 160, nobody should be surprised.

Thursday Night – Geelong vs Brisbane and the Mullin Lottery

Thursday night gives us Brisbane hosting Geelong.

And the first question everyone asks is: Who is Oisin Mullin tagging?

McCluggage?
Neale?
Dunkley?
Ashcroft?

My guess is Lachie Neale, but honestly it’s still just a guess.

Whoever gets him is in for a tough night and that uncertainty makes it very hard to confidently recommend a Lions VC. This is why I struggle to trust Brisbane here.

On the Geelong side though…Bailey Smith and Max Holmes are always in the discussion.

Yes, Geelong away from home can be messy. No, it doesn’t seem to matter for these two. They score anywhere.

Both are standout VC options this week, with Smith probably carrying slightly better form right now.

Smith feels like the stronger VC for the 15% that have him.

Friday Night – Heeney, Grundy and the Daicos Problem

Sydney host Collingwood on Friday night.

And immediately we all think the same thing.

Oh no. Jordan tag to Daicos is about as obvious as Carlton fans saying “next year is our year.”

If you own Daicos, you can absolutely still VC him if you have a strong Sunday fallback like Jackson sitting there……but as a Captain, I’d be very nervous.

On the Sydney side, Brodie Grundy and Isaac Heeney are both enormous VC options.

And honestly, Heeney might be the standout of the round.

His five-round average is 140. Read that again.

For the 9.8% of coaches who own him, life must be wonderful.

I can’t see Collingwood giving him much attention because they have enough problems already. Heeney feels like the premium VC play.

And for those without Heeney but with Grundy…You can sleep easy too. Rhys Stanley scored 95 against the Collingwood rucks last week. What does a proper All-Australian ruckman do in the wet, at the SCG?


Friday Night – Darwin Belongs to the Suns

The other Friday game is in Darwin, where Gold Coast host Port Adelaide.

And the Suns simply do not lose in Darwin.

Noah Anderson and Christian Petracca should both be hard to stop. Back in Darwin, in the heat and humidity, another big score feels very possible.

Anderson’s season looked like it needed CPR a few weeks ago, but last week’s 145 may have brought it back to life.

Petracca can go large against anyone and remains a genuine option.

On the other side, Zac Butters just scores wherever he plays.

He opened the year with a 94, and since then his lowest score has been 112, and that was with a Geelong tag hanging off him like an unpaid parking fine.

That consistency makes him impossible to ignore. Butters doesn’t care where he plays. Darwin probably doesn’t scare him either.

Saturday – Xerri Must Be Discussed

Big Xerri and North Melbourne take on Adelaide.

And Xerri must be considered every single week.

Against the inexperienced McAndrew, it shapes as another huge ruck matchup. He is both VC and Captain worthy.

Honestly, if you own him and you’re not considering him every week, I’d like to know why.

Harry Sheezel is also quietly doing Harry Sheezel things. Everyone owns him, so somehow he’s been forgotten, but he is still putting up legitimate VC scores.

That said, maybe not this matchup. Against Adelaide last year he only managed 89 and 98, so expectations should probably be slightly tempered.

For the Crows, Jordan Dawson is always there, but he’s had a few issues lately and hasn’t really screamed Captain.

Izak Rankine, last week he played as a pure midfielder and casually produced 149. Yes, it was against Richmond, that doesn’t mean we should ignore it.


Melbourne vs Hawthorn – Gawn Warning Signs

Melbourne play Hawthorn, and the Hawks really don’t have many SuperCoach-relevant players.

Jai Newcombe is averaging 115 over his last five, but he’s in about 3% of teams, so statistically speaking, this section is mostly for Jai Newcombe’s family.

For Melbourne, the duo of Gawn and Pickett are always relevant.

But there is a concern for Gawn owners. He will have to deal with Reeves and Meek, the Hawthorn dual ruck setup and that likely means Max Heath shares ruck duties again.

The bigger issue? The last two weeks, Heath has actually attended more centre bounces than Gawn. That is not ideal. Gawn has still not gone under 100 all season and should be fine, but I’m just not seeing a true Captain-worthy ceiling this week.

Pickett is interesting. He’ll get some attention, but Hawthorn’s style of play could also suit him perfectly.

As a Hawthorn supporter and a non-Pickett owner, I’m hoping I’m wrong and he has a quiet one.

Unfortunately…I have a bad feeling he goes big and I hate when my gut is right.

Saturday Night – Carlton vs Bulldogs Under the Roof

The last Saturday game is struggling Carlton against the Bulldogs at Marvel. Which usually means points.

We are expecting the classic “new coach bounce” effort from Carlton. Maybe they even win. I personally do not see that happening.

I can absolutely see Marcus Bontempelli and Ed Richards having huge scores here. Bont will do Bont things. At this point, betting against him just feels arrogant. Especially after last week’s effort.

And Ed Richards keeps finding ways to score and should also be considered.


Final Thoughts – Captain & Vice-Captain

Vice-Captain Options (Ranked)
1. Isaac Heeney (Friday) – Five-round average of 140, huge ceiling, and Collingwood have enough problems already
2. Brodie Grundy (Friday) – Wet SCG, elite ruck role, and a massive matchup against the Pies
3. Zac Butters (Friday) – Scores everywhere and Darwin won’t scare him
4. Noah Anderson (Friday) – Back in Darwin after a 145 and the Suns always look better at home
5. Bailey Smith (Thursday) – Safe premium scoring to start the round

Captain Options (Ranked)
1. Luke Jackson (Sunday) – This feels like the monster score week
2. Lachie Whitfield (Sunday) – Safe role, kick-ins, and strong history vs West Coast
3. Jack Sinclair (Sunday) – With Nas out, even more responsibility and a very friendly Richmond matchup
4. Marcus Bontempelli (Saturday Night) – It’s Bont. Stop overthinking it.
5. Tristan Xerri (Saturday) – Huge ruck matchup and always capable of a massive score

Personally i only have Butters in my team from the VC options, so i’m looking at Butters or Bont as VC, with Jackson as my C option on Sunday

thanks fellas