Along with any other thoughts you have go ahead and copy the template and fill out, to whatever extent you like, your early calls for SC 2026.
Locks:
Never Agains:
Watchlist:
Discounts:
Starting DEFs:
Starting MIDs:
Starting RUCs:
Starting FWDs:
Structure & Strategy Thoughts:
For a bit of fun, Phil, AJ, GKMC, Hass, Cripps Walk and Dyanasis, here’s last year’s iteration of this and your responses:
https://supercoachtalk.com/poll-sc-2025/
For never agains last year I said – and I quote – “Satan. Won’t bother till he’s 100% in order. Would take an epic preseason at a new club.”
…and yet, I panicked at his ownership and started him. Lol. Such a sheep.
Way to throw me under the bus highlighting me saying Rowell and Jackson are never again, GD!
Lmao, they’ve both averaged 115+. Dead.
Wow, great work keeping this GD. I mostly stuck with my locks and starting predictions, and avoided Blues all season (not that it helped me enjoy the games this year). Too bullish on Sheezel at over $600k, glad I avoided McKercher. I started Oliver despite making fun of him, the high ownership was the trigger in the end. And I kept some trades for the end, which was lucky given I got hit by Xerri, JHF and co a few weeks ago.
Yep. No 600kers absolutely the go, Ash.
I’ll probably end up being tempted by someone over $600k, but they’ll need to be lock C/VC options. Let’s remind each other in preseason!
Never again….how many on Bomber’s list atm ??
Locks: Bont until he retires, Max Holmes, Jagga Smith
Never Agains: Sean Darcy, Jack Steele, Sam Walsh
Watchlist: Luke Jackson, all of this year’s rooks who didn’t play much (Bo Allen, Jagga, Smillie), Liam Henry (what the hell happened to this guy)
Discounts: Houston, JHF, Kiddy Coleman, Gulden, Will Day
Starting DEFs: Holmes, Coleman, Houston
Starting MIDs: Bont, Gulden, Day, J Smith
Starting RUCs: Jackson
Starting FWDs: Kozzy, Rankine
Structure & Strategy Thoughts: meh
Locks: Bont, NWM, Butters, Daicos, Jagga Smith
Never Agains: JHF, Neale (legend but best days are behind him), Caleb Daniel, Oliver
Watchlist: Ned Long (could see him becoming a Dunkley type), H Reid, Wardlaw
Discounts: –
Starting DEFs: NWM, Holmes
Starting MIDs: Bont, Butters, Daicos
Starting RUCs: Xerri
Starting FWDs: Rankine
Structure & Strategy Thoughts: don’t fall for preseason traps just because others are (Oliver, Jayden Short). Go for POD premos in the midfield – most of the top mid scorers this year started the year off as PODs. Get off your stepping stones early, don’t let them get stale (held on to Roberts and Cerra far too long).
Locks: Bont, Xerri, Daicos.
Never Agains: LDU, Neale.
Watchlist: Pou.
Discounts: Jagga, Reef McInnes, Jesse Dattoli. Kiddy. Shrek.
Starting DEFs: Clark, NWM, Rozee(if Def/Mid), Kiddy, Reef assuming Holmes mid only.
Starting MIDs: Bont, Daicos, Dawson, Callaghan
Starting RUCs: Xerri, DCam.
Starting FWDs: Martin, Draper
Starting Flex: Shrek
Structure & Strategy Thoughts: No speculative mid pricers, only proven players that are heavily discounted, although there won’t be many.
Get a playing R3 with fwd DPP (or the one most likely to play), Boyd was a failed pick this year, and cost me flexibility. Less mid pricers so I can focus on turning over dead rookies early instead of correcting picks that went wrong.
Aim for some value in every pick.
Get Gawn when he bottoms out as Flex.
Back my gut, was right about fading JHF, didn’t back my gut with DCam & Jackson.
In Pre Season, don’t replace a pre season injury with a like pick, eg I went Baz to Sanders when Baz looked injured. Sanders was never a good pick, should have seen it.
Locks: None. Unless any of Bont, Daicos, Xerri, Gawn or NWM are under $600k. I’m determined to not start with anyone over $600k, which I’ve told myself the last two years and broken the rule.
Never Agains: Will stick with my no Blues rule (other than Jagga Smith as a rookie), which I managed to stick to mostly this year other than Binns for a cash grab.
Watchlist: Harley Reid has to take off at some point right?
Discounts: Kiddy Coleman (a lock if he has full preseason), JHF? Phillipou?
Starting DEFs: Holmes
Starting MIDs: Richards
Starting RUCs: Xerri/Gawn, maybe Cameron (I had all three until Xerri got suspended)
Starting FWDs: Darcy?
Structure & Strategy Thoughts: Depends on rookies, but I’ll try and avoid trading in any fwds above $500k (they all become fallen premos at some point). Will probably try and avoid starting value midfielders, I started Will Ashcroft and Finn Callaghan, both of them averaging around 100 (until I traded Finn when he got injured), probably held me back. Will look for value in Def & Fwd.
Locks: NWM bc of non-ownership trauma this year.
Never Agains: Nank, Nuke, Satan. And a controversial one: Will Day. Injury profile so cooked. He’s a gun but I don’t want to put myself through it.
Watchlist: Rowell. He’s developed an outside profile with a leaner build and Ando soaks up tags like a sponge. He and NWM will be the only 600k shades I’d consider.
Discounts: Will look at players who have discounted themselves, if that makes sense? Like Rankine and JHF left so much money on the table this year it wasn’t funny. Even Petracca is far better than this year’s 97 avg. Sheezel also played in the dumbest role this year. He’ll be a nice shout.
Starting DEFs: NWM, Bowey, Sicily. Maybe Fletcher and Farrell?
Starting MIDs: Ashcroft, Serong, Callaghan
Starting RUCs: TDK and Sweet if solo and clear.
Starting FWDs: Darcy I’ll do if the Dogs get a good opening fixture and Humph. Like both. Ascending talents who get good service.
Structure & Strategy Thoughts: No 600kers!