We all knew it was coming. We just hoped it wouldn’t be this soon. Aaron Sandilands is OUT of the Fremantle side.

The good news is that it coincides with the AFL split-round, meaning that Sandi effectively gets a two week break, which hopefully sets him up for the remainder of the year.

Thankfully, Fremantle’s run home is no lay down misere, with Geelong, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide still to come.

But Brisbane in Brisbane awaits in Round 22. There’s no guarantees that big Aaron will catch that plane.

• WHAT TO DO

• COMFORTABLE WITH LEAGUE POSITION - LOW TRADES (1-4)

Sit on your hands. Spending a trade when it mightn’t have any long-term outcomes is a silly, schoolboy error.

Save those trades and pray that Sandilands is back straight after the split-round.

• COMFORTABLE WITH LEAGUE POSITION - DECENT TRADES (5+)

Get trading! However, given you’re comfortable with your position, gambling on the points of Brown or Wood to cover that R2 is a good choice, as you can never have enough trades in the final rounds of the season.

• SO YOU'RE TRADING

Look for someone who is their sides’ number one ruckman and needs to play every week so his team can make finals or secure a home final etc.

Minson, Ryder (Ess) and McIntosh (Geel) are all great options and you don’t need much (if any) cash reserve to acquire them.

But, if you have some funds saved up in that piggy-bank of yours, definitely look to splurge on Jacobs (Adel) or Goldstein (NM), the latter has exploded into form right when his side needs him.

Good luck for what promises to be the start of a very testing period for all serious supercoaches.

Let me know below or on Twitter at @Supercoach_HQ or @joshschon what you’re doing with AS!

Low trades, injuries, form concerns, suspensions, narrow losses.
It's that time of year - so do the team thing and get the chat up boys (and girls)!

A bit of two way talk is needed:

Hi Arnie,

Depends on your situation there mate. Double downgrades are best used when there’s a lot of work needed on your team, as they can assist with two or three upgrades or several more sideways adjustment trades.

If you’re only one or two players away from a full squad, I wouldn’t double downgrade. But if you’ve got a bit more work to do, or if you’ve got a few players of concern, I’d go for it. Especially as it looks like Stef Martin will be a solid scorer until Leuenberger returns.

Coop,

I’m on the fence on Rooey. He’s been finding it really tough, and his knee is obviously under serious duress at the minute. Given the champion he is though, he’s playing on for a young side.
West Coast, Richmond, Carlton and North Melbourne are the next four - so there’s no gimmes either.
I would look at clearing any rookies out of your starting lineup before moving on Riewoldt, but if you feel enough is enough, then there a few good upgrade options in Gray, Boomer, and Buddy.

Definitely move Lemon Solo on too.

Hi Bobby,
Let’s say you’ve got $530k to spend on a Fasolo replacement.

Danger, Dusty and Parker are all musts if you don’t have them already. Then there’s also Zorko, Franklin, Pavlich at pretty good prices.
Jeremy Howe is an interesting POD to consider, as he’s playing behind the ball and scoring pretty well at the moment.

Jones, let's give them a quick comparison:

Docherty - ave: 78, BE: 97 - $380k
Langdon - ave: 81, BE: 87 - $402k

Both have been really good so far this season, but if you need to move one on, make it Docherty. 
Langdon’s price will hover around $400k for the rest of the season, meaning you can plan for him a bit better than Doch. If Sammy scores another score sub-50, he could go below $350k.

Thanks again everybody for your Two Way Talk questions.

The most relevant to a wide selection of our community have been answered, hopefully I got to the rest on Twitter.

All questions regarding Josh Bootsma were not considered.

If you want to get involved next week, send in your Qs on Monday or Tuesday - I normally send out a tweet on Monday night.
Or you can leave a comment at the bottom of the page, and I'll get straight onto it.

I don’t think it’s crucial to offload Jared Polec, but his shocker on the weekend certainly reminded us that there are safer midfield options out there. His break-even sits at 124 this week, a score he’s only achieved once.

If you’re looking to go down with your trades, Zac O’Brien has been popular, with 13.2% of all trades involving Polec going to the cheap Lions’ mid. However I’d be more inclined to look at Claye Beams ($183k) or Cam Shenton ($222k) as midfield downgrades.

Wow - that’s radical for sure. The hashtag 'madness' is appropriate there mate!

However, you’ve got some merit in your thinking. Nic Nat has averaged 89 in his last three and has a BE of 40 this week.
And Archie Smith could come in and debut for the Lions this week as Trent West and Matthew Leuenberger are now both on the long term injury list.
Tom Derickx has done his job, but as he’s playing every week he’s an invaluable fall-back. And Aaron Sandilands is scoring so well, I can find a reason to offload him.

I’d stick with your current set-up, but keep an eye on Archie Smith, that’s for sure.

A great question for a great player, but that makes it a pretty simple answer.

Sloane has scored under 100 only once this season, and is in the Matt Priddis category for excellent consistency.
He’s currently below his starting price at $554k, and has the 13th most points in the entire competition.

Given he’s in less than 3% of teams, if you can get him he’d make a terrific point of difference selection.

The best questions have been gathered for Round 11 - the post bye recovery sesh.
All the big issues, Langdon, Higgins etc have been addressed!

Hi Benny,
Good questions. Langdon has been brilliant for us this season but will eventually have to be upgraded, like all good rookies. Given he’s now above $400k, it makes this a very easy move. His break-even is 74, his average 82. Unless you’ve got no other problems, I wouldn’t upgrade him just yet - unless he scores minus he won’t plummet in price. In my opinion, you can afford to wait to make him one of your final upgrades.

With Fasolo, I don’t think he is a keeper any more. Before ANZAC day he was playing half back and looked a million bucks. In the last quarter on Saturday he was thrown forward - not exactly conducive to high scoring. Pass.


Hey mate,

Firstly I’ve got to say that  was wrong about Missy - I thought he’d inevitably breakdown again. An average of 85 from all nine games suggests otherwise! For now, I’d be content with an average of 85 from your sixth defender. However, as finals approach you should look for a better option. In fact, if you trade him to Nick Riewoldt you can pocket $30k.

Long story short with Jaensch, he is worth a crack. His BE is sitting at 54 this round, and he’s at less than $400k. A really easy way to get another ‘premium’ defender.

G’Day Matty,
It’s an interesting one, the Guthrie situation. He’s in the right role for SuperCoach scoring, that’s for sure, and starting to do well. Only one game under 75 says he’s a pretty safe selection, and he’s secured himself in Geelong’s best team. I know that Warnie from DT Talk has had him in his SC side since the start, and he can pick them. But, now that he’s risen up to $441k, I feel that he’s about to peak in price. Others like Jaensch, Hurn and Hanley are cheaper than him. I’d look there instead.

And an interesting rule idea for next year from Anthony.

What are your thoughts on that?
Leave us a comment below on rule changes you'd like to see next year.

Decisions. Options. Questions.

We've all got them. Depending what we choose, can alter our life path and take us on a completely different journey to what we could even ever possibly imagine.

But, a-hem, before I get in too deep with spiritual fantasies, let's look at another fantasy - our fantasy football team.
These are riddled with decisions, options and questions, regardless of whether you're number one overall or coming 14th in your league.

I've asked around on Twitter and endeavoured to answer the most popular questions.

Hi Lady Hodgi,
With Derickx I think it’s best to hold him. There are no other playing ruckmen worthy of a downgrade, so hold onto him, assuming he’s your third ruck and not your second. That’s a whole different kettle of fish.
Hold Big Tommy as you never know when injury can strike, as ruckmen (especially Aaron Sandilands) tend to be quite unreliable and injury prone.

Well hello there Kegsticles,

The first step is to immediately to to Matt’s The Price is Right here.

When you’ve done that, you’ll see that there are three main options worth considering - Billy Hartung, Cam Shenton and Jono O’Rourke. I’ve excluded Charlie Cameron from the list as he’s only played one match thus far.
Shenton is the pick of the bunch, as he’s MID/FWD DPP and scores well, but he has the bye this round. He can wait - either of Hartung and O’Rourke are decent options, but neither have good job security.

I’m inclined to take a gamble on former number two draft pick O’Rourke, as Hartung is a prime substitute candidate.
If you consider yourself a bit spineless, take the safety in numbers option Hartung; most will choose him this week.

Extra points right off the bat for you Jono - for using the #TwoWayTalk hashtag!

This is obviously dependent on team selections, but I’d lean towards the two Crows - option one. The main reason is that Todd Goldstein has been so underwhelming this season, you’d swear Meatloaf has been in his ear. He dominated 2013, but it’s not to be this season. His last two scores have both been 101, but it was against a Gold Coast outfit minus Tom Nicholls and Zac Smith and against the Lions with Trent West. He’s got McIntosh and Cox/Naitanui coming up too. Abort plan now.
Plus, Sammy Jacobs has been in better touch (107 average), I’d pick him ahead either way.
While I think Shelton might hang around a bit longer than Cameron, both will do their thing and rise a little in value.



Get in touch with me any time during the week and get your question featured by using that tag - #TwoWayTalk.

In a perfect world, we should only be focusing on upgrading and downgrading during the byes. I mean, with six teams missing each round, it’s hard enough as it is, right?
Unfortunately though, our forwards always have different ideas. Every year it’s the toughest position to nail. We’ve either got undisciplined acts like Roughy and Chappy, or a reoccurrence of an injury, like Rioli, reminding us to never pick him again.

But, what to do with these popular selections?

Jarryd Roughead - Roughy is owned by 60,000 coaches, and is one of the most selected forwards. However, bumping former team-mate Ben McGlynn has put his post in jeopardy - be careful Roughy.
With the bye this week, his one mate suspension will see him miss the crucial clash with Port Adelaide. That means by holding him, you’d have to have a replacement for two weeks.
Verdict - I’d HOLD on Roughead. When he returns in Round 11, he’s got GWS, whom he averages 128 against. Then, in a fortnight, he’s got Carlton, whom he averages 110 against.
And, while he’s been up and down this season, he has scored 90 or above in five of the eight matches. That’s a pretty good conversion for a forward.
If you decide to trade him, Dave has the best options across in Trade Winds.

We've had carnage, but Hallelujah!
There's been some respite - and it comes in the form of rookie downgrades.
But what a dilemma; there's too many 'on the bubble' rookies to pick from.
That'd be bloody right. Anyhow, I've ranked the top five rookie options to go for this week, to make you a bit of cash and to set you up for the finals.

Taken into consideration was:

• Price
• Bye Week
• Job Security
• Fixture
• Scoring Potential
  

5. Sam Lloyd - Richmond - 12.56% teams traded him in
Forward - $117,300 - Breakeven of -116
Bye Week - Round 8

We were tempted to jump on Lloyd after his stunning debut against the Pies. But as good as his three goals were that night, there are better options.
Brett Deledio, Jake King and Chris Knights are all to come back into the side, and Lloyd is likely to be squeezed out. Don’t be surprised if he’s in the green jacket this week.
If you took him over Alex Fasolo I cringe in your direction. Sorry - but with Hawthorn and Geelong in the next fortnight, it’s a no from me.

4. Nick Robertson - Brisbane - 6.63% teams traded him in
Midfielder - $117,300 - Breakeven of -51.
Bye Week - Round 10

Hasn’t been scoring massively but 19 touches against Richmond indicate he’s adjusting to AFL.
With Daniel Rich out for the season and Claye Beams still a couple of weeks away, Robertson seems pretty safe in the Lions side at the moment.
81% game time is a good sign too, Leppitsch giving him plenty of opportunities.

3. Tom Cutler - Brisbane - 3.49% teams traded him in
Defender - $117,300 - Breakeven of -37
Bye Week - Round 10

He started as the substitute in his debut, but responded with 21 touches and a goal against the Tigers in his second game.
The Lions rate him and assuming he keeps his spot with Pearce Hanley’s return, he's worth a look.
Handy to have the Round 10 bye, and downgrades in defence are rare and should be cherished, midfield downgrades are as frequent as St.Kilda scandals.

2. Sam Gray - Port Adelaide - 3.61% teams traded him in
Midfielder - $102,400 - Breakeven of -77
Bye Week - Round 9

Made headlines immediately with three goals and 16 touches on debut.
Is he the real deal? We know that Ken Hinley loves playing the youngsters, so he’ll get chances.
Bare in mind he’s a mature-aged recruit; he’s 22 not 18 like some others on this list.
Only 55% game time in the West against the WEagles is worrying - hopefully he holds his spot when Angus Monfries returns.
If cash is a concern, don't go on any further and pick Gray.

1. Jack Billings - St.Kilda - 5.69% teams traded him in
Midfielder / Forward - $207,300 - Breakeven of 11
Bye Week - Round 10

How good was Jack against the Bombers? Easy to see why he was taken at number three in the draft.
He’s got a high BE because of his Round 1 debut as the sub, but that was over a month ago. If he scores over 50 this week, his BE will be back into the negatives.
Sure he’s more expensive, but his job security is probably a lot safer than anyone else on this list.
Oh, did I mention he’s a DPP?

A link to the AFL injury list: www.afl.com.au/news/injury-news/injury-list

I was lucky enough to get the chance to ask Noah, coach of Lob City a few questions.
Why is that so lucky? Because he's number one overall, and he knows his stuff.

SCHQ: Did you have such high expectations heading into 2014? Can you believe you're number one?
Noah: I never saw this start coming to be honest. I started the season aiming to be within the top 5000 and focusing mainly on my leagues, but I never imagined being number one at this stage.

SCHQ: How much pre-season research went into your squad?
Noah: Plenty. Just before the NAB challenge kicked off, I made a watch list made up of five players from each club to gauge how hey went over the nab challenge as well as their practice game campaigns. This helped greatly in figuring out who to include in my preliminary squad and who to leave out. Research helps immensely.

SCHQ: Did you select any PODs? If so, have they paid off?
Noah: Yes!! They have all paid off so far (I hope I don't jinx myself now). I attribute my current ranking to the performances of my PODs. I had Adam Treloar since before the season started and got Matthew Jaensch in after the first round meaning I benefited from their scores before everybody else jumped on them. Tom Hickey has also been a very serviceable POD for me. 

SCHQ: Even though you're first overall, have you had any selections that have bombed on you?
Noah: Most definitely. Like many other people, (Josh) Caddy and (Gary) Rohan's selections bombed, but I have since then cut them from my team for higher scorers. I also had Jimmy Webster in my preliminary squad and that bombed greatly. Traded him for Matty Jaensch following his injury in round one and I have never looked back.

SCHQ: Is it possible to hold on for the whole season? What are your expectations from here?
Noah: I hope so. At this stage I am doing a lot of planning for the dreaded bye rounds to ensure I grab some respectful scores that will hopefully keep me at the top. It's very early days, but as long as I trade smartly and not get too many serious injuries, I'm hoping I can stay in the top 10 for he rest of the 2014 season.

SCHQ: Do you have any advice for your opponents from here on in?
Noah: My advice for other SuperCoach players is to make calculated risks. SuperCoach is a game of risks and it only takes you to have one or two other players that not many others have to shoot up the rankings and in your leagues as well.
I'm not telling anyone to trade somebody out and get on a player who has had one good week, but ensure you do your research, have a small watch list for future rounds and jump on players that you believe are worth the risk.
Trust your instincts as well, everyone told me in the pre-season to get Dale Thomas in my team. I didn't think that he would score that well so I didn't pick him, and that has paid off tremendously. Also, don't sideways trade and stick by your premiums! You have picked them for a reason so persist with them.

Noah is also on the team at The SC Station, providing his insights every week. Check out their pages here:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thescstation?fref=ts
Twitter - https://twitter.com/thescstation

Your SuperCoach Draft league will be well into the head to head matches by now, and it’s more than likely that at least one of your players is injured, or suspended.

What do you need to fix? We’ve got you covered across all bases.

Brodie Smith - Ave 94
Smith is the 15th ranked defender in SuperCoach, and despite the Crows shambolic start to 2014, he has been anything but that. He’s coming third at Adelaide for disposals, and got 125 in the round two Showdown.

Jackson Merrett - Ave 103
Merrett has impressed and surprised even the most knowledgable Bombers supporters this season, and goes from strength to strength playing in the middle. Can he keep up his impressive average? Probably not, but if he’s a free agent, he’s got some currency.

Trent West - Ave 73
If you haven’t got your ruckmen sorted yet, then move heaven and high water to get them in. Having a quality scorer (or two here) is indispensable, so consider trading a midfielder if need be. West is a fine option to plug a gap for a little while, but he won’t win you your league.

Adam Treloar - Ave 111
If nobody in your league has Treloar, then jump on now. He has been absolutely dominating this season, averaging 135. He laid 14 tackles against the Demons and scored 176 SC points! Not bad for a bloke who looks like he’s still in Year 10.

IN -
Brandon Ellis
BEllis has started the season slowly, averaging 65 across his first three. However, the young pup will hit back, he showed his clash against Carlton in Round 2. Offer something and get him under the odds.
Drew Petrie
Big Drew didn’t just have a mare on Sunday, he had one of those stallions talked about at the apocalypse. He scored 13 points, including -12 in the last quarter. Well played Alipate Carlile perhaps, but Petrie will hit back.

OUT -
Jackson Merrett
As mentioned above, Merrett has been fantastic so far, and maybe 2014’s most improved. But will he keep it up? Try and snare an established gun who has started slowly off one of your mates, and watch the fortunes reverse. Perfect.

Got an injury, suspension or just need to iron out those issues with your draft team?

SuperCoach Draft can be a cruel game, as not only are you the only one in your league affected by a long term injury, you’ve got to find a replacement, who is probably of far less quality.

What do you need to fix? We’ve got you covered across all bases.

Cale Hooker - Ave 116
It’s very unlikely Hooker has been selected in your league, but with two scores over 100 already, he’s worthwhile having a look at.
Steven May - Ave 110
With all the attention being on David Swallow down back, Steven May has done his own thing and has two impressive scores. Kicks it every time he gets it and tackles too.
James Gwilt - Ave 101
Gwilt has always been a modest fantasy scorer but he’s back to full fitness this year, and has started well. Another huge plus is he doesn’t have to play in a key position anymore with the arrival of Luke Delaney.

Rob Warnock - Ave 91
No Matt Kreuzer means a big tick for big Robbie. 118 on the weekend, nothing more needs to be said.
Tom Nicholls - Ave 75
Nicholls returned to form with 91 last week. With Charlie Dixon out of sorts he’ll be doing a majority of the ruck-work.

Ben McGlynn - Ave 92
The Swans start has been disappointing but McGylnn has been some up-side. He’s still tackling a lot as always but finding his own ball now as well.
Lachie Hunter - Ave 86
The Dogs have been beaten comfortably in both matches so far yet their midfield brigade is always improving. Hunter has scored 92 and 80 and is available as a forward.
Matt de Boer - Ave 95
The Rule of Thumb in SuperCoach is players in the successful teams score higher. de Boer always spends time in the middle and has already laid 19 tackles this season.

Matt Rosa - Ave 111
Rosa has started like a house on fire and it’s been a long-time coming; the 27 year old has shown promise for quite some time. Maybe this will be his year.
Dom Tyson - Ave 108
He’s the must-have in Classic SuperCoach, and depending on your midfield depth, is a good option here too. Looks so comfortable and finding heaps of the pill at the Dees.
Plenty of others -
There’s no shortage of quality midfielders, however it’s hard to gauge who would be available as I’m unsure on the depth of your draft.

If none of the above are available, leave a comment and I’ll suggest a few more.