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

ROOKIE BIBLE: The final verdict | The Phantom’s Lair

·21 min·1 clip

Jagger Smith is called the must-have rookie in any position for 2026.

1. SuperCoach AFL: The Official Podcast focuses on the 2026 rookie bible and the first team-sheet decisions before lockout. 2. The Phantom hosts Dan Batten, a Geelong Advertiser award-winning journalist, whose rookie analysis shapes the ranking of cheap selections. 3. The episode asks which rookies are must-haves, which are bench options, and which names should be removed before Thursday night. 4. Defence starts with Sam Grill, Jai Sarong, and Lockie Jakes as the current must-haves. 5. Sarong’s 77 and Jakes’s 84 in opening round are used as evidence that both can score immediately. 6. Josh Gibkis is discussed as a 139K intercepting option with injury history, while Michael Selwood is backed after a 70 and mature-age scoring records in the WAFL and VFL. 7. Josh Lindsay stays on the bench as a wait-and-see option, and Jacob Farrow rises if selected in midfield. 8. Carlton’s Wade Dirks is treated as a possible 99K SSP bench pick, while Harry Dean and Will Parker are considered more cautiously. 9. The midfield section says Jagger Smith is the must-have rookie in any position for 2026. 10. Tom Blamire, Jack Carroll, Jack Watkins, and Chase Jones are debated as bench and field options based on price, role, and opening-round usage. 11. Willem Dersmer is pushed back because he is starting on the wing rather than in the inside midfield. 12. Zeke Uland’s 37 is treated as a difficult early score to overcome, even with obvious talent and an early bye. 13. Dyson Sharp moves into the discussion as a likely debutant and bench option if Brad Scott names him. 14. The ruck conversation calls Lockie McAndrew the “no-brainer” for SuperCoach 2026. 15. Dan Batten says McAndrew could be the biggest cash cow of the year, but he also raises the risk of ruck trades if Darcy Cameron or another established option dominates early. 16. Liam Reedy, Callum Coleman-Jones, Zank Sakostelski, and Mitch Edwards are presented as deeper ruck alternatives with more uncertainty. 17. The forward line is described as more settled, with Mateus Filippo, Dev Robertson, Leo Lombard, and Todd Marshall named as the four clear picks. 18. Finn McRae, Malcolm Rose, Tobin Murray, and Lockie Dovis are mentioned as conditional options, while Artie Jones, Phoenix Gothard, and Latrell Pickett are treated more cautiously. 19. The tone is practical and selection-focused, with a fast-moving list format and repeated checks against opening-round scores and team selection. 20. Listeners who play SuperCoach AFL and need rookie decisions before lockout will get the most value, while casual AFL fans without fantasy interest can skip it.

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