SuperCoach AFL: The Official Podcast · supercoach.com.au

MIDFIELDERS: Who to pick in SuperCoach 2026! | The Phantom's Lair

·47 min·3 clips

Marcus Bontempelli is the clear number one, and the hosts argue against waiting for a discount.

1. SuperCoach AFL's The Phantom's Lair focuses on midfielders and the engine-room selections for SuperCoach 2026. 2. The Phantom hosts the episode with five names, Simeon Kingsley, and Thomas Wilson from Code Sports, who are discussing team structure and player targets. 3. The episode exists to rank premiums, identify value picks, and decide which midfielders belong in starting teams. 4. The hosts compare last season's winning midfield structure, including Caleb Sorong, Andrew Brayshaw, Will Day, Clayton Oliver, and rookie names such as Sam Lawler and Nathan O'Driscoll. 5. They note that the winning squad had no midfielder priced above $620,000 and only a few players above $600,000. 6. The Phantom's top eight midfielders are Marcus Bontempelli, Zach Butters, Nick Daicos, Finn Callaghan, Matt Rowell, Hugh McCluggage, Will Ashcroft, and Caleb Sorong. 7. They also mention Bailey Smith and Ed Richards as special calls just outside that top eight. 8. The round-two bye becomes a major issue for Hugh McCluggage and Nick Daicos because both would miss the same early week. 9. The hosts debate Matt Rowell versus Noah Anderson, with one view that Anderson could score more early under a softer fixture. 10. They repeatedly return to Bontempelli's late-season scoring run and the question of whether starting him at full price is worth it. 11. Zach Merritt is presented as a low-owned premium who has averaged 115, 116, 112, 115, and 115 across five seasons. 12. Tom Green is described as only 2% owned despite a game that is built for SuperCoach midfield scoring. 13. Patrick Cripps is listed at 1% ownership, and Chad Warner is discussed after saying he wants a 70-30 midfield split. 14. Jack Steele, Isaac Heeney, and Andy Brayshaw are treated as lower-owned names with upside if their roles and health line up. 15. The mid-priced value section features Hayden Young, Harley Reid, Darcy Parish, Levi Ashcroft, Harvey Langford, George Wardlaw, Will Phillips, and Josh Ward. 16. The rookie section prioritises Jagger Smith, Dyson Sharp, and Will Brodie, then debates Willem Duesmer, Josh Smylie, Patrick Retschko, and Daniel Annable. 17. The tone is chatty and opinionated, with the hosts arguing, interrupting, and challenging each other's calls. 18. The format moves from rankings to ownership figures to live debate, then finishes with draft and rookie talk. 19. Best for SuperCoach AFL coaches building a midfield structure. 20. Not for listeners who want polished interviews over list analysis.

As heard by us

A brisk midfield discussion centered on ownership, injuries, and value.

The episode stays tightly on the SuperCoach midfield, where the money is in SuperCoach, and opens with a frosty bit of banter before settling into a pre-round-one value check.

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Why you'd press play

Need a midfield shortlist before round one?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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