At SuperCoach HQ we are looking forward to what will be our biggest year of fantasy football coverage. We have a big lineup of weekly features and competitions that will be running, so here we will have a rundown of everything we will be doing in 2014.


Website articles

Trade Winds - Dave will be doing a weekly look at what trades are popular in the land of SuperCoach and what you should look at doing with your team.

Skipper Selections - Shorty returns to give you the best captaincy options each week.

Aaron's PODS - Aaron takes a regular look at some of the more unique names in fantasy football that could slot in nicely to your team

Hold 'Em, Fold 'Em - Ro0STA will be running a weekly Hold 'Em or Fold 'Em segment on his Twitter account where he tells you who to drop and who to keep. You can follow him on Twitter with @Ro0STA

The rest of our writing team in Schon, Tom, Matt and Dylan will also be contributing semi-regular articles to the site.

All of our articles can be found here:
http://www.supercoachhq.com/


Facebook page

Over the last few months Tom has taken control of the Facebook page, and has been posting most of the content that has gone up.

This season we are hoping to be a lot more regular with our Facebook activity and we are really looking forward to getting all of our fans more involved through social media.

We will have updates all throughout the week with injury, suspension and team news.

If you ever need advice with your team, a trade or a captaincy choice, always feel free to post to our wall or send us a message. We are always happy to help you out.

We are also looking into trialling providing live scores during AFL games this year for free, so watch this space for more info on that.

Find the Facebook page and give it a like here:
https://www.facebook.com/supercoachheadquarters


SuperCoach HQ Forums

Many of you will by now have seen posts about the new SuperCoach HQ Forums. They have been highly successful this pre-season, having over 50 members already after only being up for a couple of weeks.

We have a great community building with lots of quality SuperCoach people around ready to hand out some advice.

Once you register on the forums, you can make posts or start threads about whatever you want. The 'Rate My Team' and 'Player Analysis' sections have been very popular so far, and I encourage everyone to get on and get their team rated.

Head over to the forums here:
http://supercoachhq.freeforums.org/


SuperCoach HQ Podcast

Recently we have also launched the SuperCoach HQ Podcast. This will be run regularly throughout the season, with looks at teams, matches and general fantasy football news.

So far this pre-season, Schon and Shorty have been through each line and looked at the top premiums, mid-pricers and rookies to select in your team.

You can listen to the podcast either on YouTube, or iTunes.

YouTube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/SuperCoachHQ

iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/supercoach-hq/id809203722


SuperCoach HQ on Twitter

Some of our SuperCoach HQ writers are now on Twitter. It is a great way to get in touch with them to ask a quick question about what move to make with your SuperCoach side. They are always happy to help out with what ever questions you may have.

Make sure that you also follow them to get updates on breaking news as it happens and updates on our activity.

SuperCoach HQ - @SuperCoach_HQ

Matt (Matt's Moves) - @JROO8

Aaron (Aaron's PODs) - @AaronSCadvice

Ro0STA (Hold 'Em/Fold 'Em Twitter Chat) - @ro0STA


Competitions

We have a few competitions lined up this year to make things a bit more interesting.

Already running we have the brand new SuperGuess. Whoever can guess the highest point scorer from each of the 18 AFL teams for the 2014 season, will win a 2015 Prospectus at the end of the year. A very handy gift to get yourself ahead of the pack.

Log on to the SuperGuess now at:
http://www.supercoachhq.com/superguess.html

Soon we will also be running a competition on the Facebook page where you can win a SuperCoach Gold membership. Stay tuned in the next week for more details on this one.

We are also planning a few other comps for this year, and hopefully we will be able to give away a few extra prizes.


So, as you can see, we have a massive year planned for SuperCoach HQ, and we hope that you can join us for every step of the way.

Make sure you like the Facebook page, subscribe to us on YouTube and sign up for our newsletter on the website. You will be kept in the loop with all the SuperCoach info that you need to know.

Well it's what we have all been waiting for, and with SuperCoach Gold opening earlier in the week for those who were subscribed to it last season, we now have prices and positions for all SuperCoach players.

If we have missed anyone in these lists, please let us know. It is possible that we did miss some with the layouts used. Also sorry about the bluriness of it all, not too much we can do to change that unfortunately.

DEFENDERS

Best First Year Player
Jack HANNATH - 12 matches, 563 points at 47.62. Increased $87,200
Freo spent their time developing a lot of second year players this season, and as a result Hannath was the best first year player. He was serviceable in the ruck after injuries to other key big men, but is still young and young ruckmen need time to develop in the seconds before they become good fantasy scorers.

Most Improved Player
Garrick IBBOTSON – 13 matches, 1229 points at 94.54. Increased $46,500
Despite missing a large portion of the season with injury, the games that he did play, Ibbotson had a big effect on. He developed into more of a running player this year and this helped him increase his SuperCoach output by over 14 points. If he is priced nicely is one to consider for next year, but watch what role he is given in pre-season matches.

Best Buy
Michael BARLOW – 21 matches, 2311 points at 110.05. Increased $2,000
It was a big year for the entire Fremantle midfield, and Barlow was the most consistent over the entire season. Only missing one game and finishing 16th in the competition for SuperCoach points proves that he is back to his best football after that horrific broken leg a few years ago. A very solid premium pick in the midfield that is a little unique.

Worst Buy
Aaron SANDILANDS – 7 matches, 448 points at 64.00. Decreased $226,400
Lots of people thought that a cheapish Aaron Sandilands would be a great POD come finals time with a soft draw for the huge ruckman during the last month of the regular season. Instead, he did nothing but disappoint on his long-awaited return from injury, scoring 88, 63, 30 and 78. Hopefully you did not trade him in. However, depending on how big a discount he receives, he may be one to look at picking up cheaply next year.

2014 Prospects

Matthew Pavlich
The big man had his first season cut down by injury this year, so expect him to bounce back and have a full year of football in 2014. He only played 9 games, so there is a chance for a discount, but if he doesn’t receive one, he is always a very strong mid-season upgrade target. Never doubt his scoring capabilities.

Stephen Hill
The classy midfielder seems to be getting better each season and looks as if he could break out at any moment. As soon as he gets better at breaking a tag, he will. Keep him on your radar, he could make a good POD in the midfield.

Nathan Fyfe
2013 was another big year for Fyfe, and really he only has improvement left to show in his game in the future. A gun who could win a Brownlow one day, he is one that I will probably start with every year for the next 6 years in my team. Absolute gun player and lock him in for a starting spot.

Most Prolific

1.       Michael Barlow (MID) – 2311 @ 110.05
2.       Nathan Fyfe (MID) – 2023 @ 106.47
3.       David Mundy (MID) – 1971 @ 103.74
4.       Chris Mayne (FWD) – 1931 @ 91.95
5.       Michael Johnson (DEF) – 1825 @ 86.90
15.     Zac Clarke (RUC) – 1348 @ 96.29

Best First Year Player
Sam ROWE - 10 matches, 601 points at 60.10. Increased $139,300
After battling, and overcoming, testicular cancer, it was a real feel good story to see Rowe get a game this year. He made for a handy Fwd/Ruc DPP link, and also played 10 games, being serviceable support if you really needed him to play. Made a bit of cash too, so had a good year overall. A 100 against the Saints in round 16 was his highlight.

Most Improved Player
Lachie HENDERSON – 22 matches, 1833 points at 83.32. Increased $13,100
It was a very good year for Henderson, who emerged as one of the competition’s best swingmen. In the first year that he played a full 22 games, he started in defence for the first half of the season, but showed what he could do up forward with 3 goals against the Saints in round 7. From then on he was used both forward and back, and for a long time was Carlton’s only real tall forward option. 8 tons in the year showed he knows how to find the goals, but he was quite inconsistent, with plenty of sub 70 scores throughout as well.

Best Buy
Andrew WALKER – 21 matches, 2229 points at 106.14. Increased $60,700
A move to the half back line for Andrew Walker this year paid dividends, with the classy player doing a great job in mopping up and rebounding from defence. In a year where consistent scorers were hard to find, Walker was a great pick for the forward line and did very well across the whole year. He is definitely one to consider for your defence next year.

Worst Buy
Mitch ROBINSON – 19 matches, 1531 points at 80.58. Decreased $49,300
It was a tough year for the Carlton midfielders and Robinson was no exception. After strong season averages of 90 and 88 over the last two year, Robinson was one who looked like he could break out. Instead, he went backwards and was put into a more negative role rather than focus on winning his own ball. No one can doubt his toughness around the contest, but one to avoid for SuperCoach I think.

2014 Prospects

Dale Thomas
He is now officially a Blue, and who knows if the return to Mick will improve his game? He was a line breaker at Collingwood who could do wonders with the ball, and the Blues are screaming out for more run in the midfield. If he gets over his injury problems, he should be priced with a nice discount, so he is definitely one to monitor throughout the preseason.

Matthew Kreuzer
Kreuzer is a good ruckman at the moment, but he always seems close to becoming one of the best in the competition. He again had a few injury niggles this year that slowed him down, but he still had a decent output. He would definitely be a left field choice for the ruck, but with some new midfielders to feed, perhaps his ruckwork will become more effective.

Bryce Gibbs
For some reason, over the last few years, Gibbs just hasn’t been able to get back to his best football. Sometimes he is tagged, others he is forced to play a defensive role. He plays his best when he is left to roam up the ground and move the ball long. I think the list changes at Carlton will re-invigorate the side a bit next year, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find a few players, including Gibbs, improve their output.

Most Prolific

1.       Andrew Walker (FWD/MID) – 2229 @ 106.14
2.       Kade Simpson (MID) – 2093 @ 95.14
3.       Marc Murphy (MID) – 1940 @ 92.38
4.       Lachie Henderson (FWD/DEF) – 1833 @ 83.32
5.       Bryce Gibbs (DEF/MID) – 1813 @ 95.42
8.       Matthew Kreuzer (RUC) – 1566 @ 97.88

Best First Year Player
Oliver WINES - 22 matches, 1628 points at 74.00. Increased $133,000
And to think this kid almost wound up at Melbourne! What a year it was for Wines, enjoying a very productive midfield role. He started the year very well, with 5 70+ scores in the first 6 rounds. His output dropped slightly after that however, and hopefully you cashed him in and offloaded him mid-season to someone cheap like Matt Priddis.

Best First Year Player
Majak DAW - 6 matches, 311 points at 51.83. Increased $148,600
The Kangaroos did not have many debutants this year, and as a result, Majak Daw finds himself as North’s best. Touted for many years as a big talent, similar to Nic Naitanui, he made his long awaited debut in round 4 against Brisbane. It was a whirlwind game; he kicked the opening goal in the first minute and then was later concussed and subbed out. He showed his true potential in round 7 against the Dogs, kicking 6 goals and scoring 129 points. He is definitely one to watch in the future.

Most Improved Player
Ben CUNNINGTON – 20 matches, 1916 points at 95.80. Increased $79,400
It was a good year for the North midfielders, and Cunnington had a nice breakout year. Overshadowed by big names like Swallow, Wells and Harvey, he went about it quietly, but had some big games, like his 151 against the Demons in round 18. With Swallow set to spend quite a while on the sidelines, Cunnington could get a more free role in the midfield and could be a good POD.

Best First Year Player
Tom MITCHELL - 12 matches, 1034 points at 86.17. Increased $231,000
Father-son pick from a few years back that took until now to debut, and he showed why he was such a highly rated youngster around the Swans. Mitchell was an absolute god-send, debuting in round 10, and turned out to be a very good mid-season downgrade option. He also provided very good on ground cover in his first 8 games, averaging a tick under 100. He looks to be another very good Swans midfielder coming through.

Most Improved Player
Luke PARKER – 22 matches, 1912 points at 86.91. Decreased $8,300
Wow, the Swans just know how to develop midfielders, don’t they? We saw the emergence of another young gun this year in Luke Parker. Managed to lift his average by over 16 PPG to 86, and played every game for the year. While there are still much better Sydney midfielders out there at the moment for your SuperCoach team, this guy could be sneaking up into contention as a nice POD in the coming years. Averaged 94 from his first 13 games, before finishing the season a bit slower, so he is definitely one to monitor in the future.

Best Buy
Kieren JACK – 22 matches, 2404 points at 109.27. Decreased $118,700
It was another big year for this Sydney star, which culminated in All-Australian honours this week. While he wasn’t the most consistent player, dropping below 100 points 8 times, he had a big ceiling, scoring over 130 points on 5 occasions. Being picked up by only 10% of teams, he was the 9th best scorer for the competition, so hopefully you picked him up as a nice POD. Expect more of the same from him in the future. 

Worst Buy
Adam Goodes – 12 matches, 1011 points at 84.25. Decreased $22,700
Sad to put such a legend of the game in this category, but it just hasn’t been a Goodes year (HA!). But on a serious note, he had a bad year affected by injury, and hopefully we will see him back nice and cheap next year. He did show what he is capable of, scoring a big 169 against Collingwood in round 9, but apart from that he really struggled, with only 1 other game over 100. Hopefully he wasn’t in your team this year.

2014 Prospects
Alex Johnson 
Johnson was a key part of the 2012 premiership, and unfortunately ruptured his ACL before the season started. He developed into a very good key defender, and averaged high 60s before his injury. I expect him to average mid 70s next year, and priced quite cheap, could be a good option at the start of the year to make a few quick, guaranteed dollars.

Nick Malceski
Malceski has just come off a very good year, being the 4th highest scoring defender, so by his history, next year he should only play a handful of games and be injured for most of the season. I’m backing him to buck this trend next year and make it a few good seasons in a row to finish his career. His run off half back was both key for the Swans and very SuperCoach friendly, so if there is no injury news pre-season, make sure you get on him.

Gary Rohan
Rohan was priced at $235,600 this year and played 3 games in the Home and Away season, so I would expect his price to probably go down to somewhere around the $160k mark. If it does, he makes a good F6 player. After finally finishing a lengthy recovery from that broken foot back in 2012, he seems to have lost none of his line-breaking pace and poise. He is also a good finisher in the forward line, so an all round quality player.

Most Prolific

1.  Kieran Jack (MID) – 2404 @ 109.27
2.  Jarrad McVeigh (MID) – 2335 @ 106.14
3.  Josh P. Kennedy (MID) – 2319 @ 105.41
4.  Ryan O’Keefe (MID) – 2225 @ 101.14
5.  Daniel Hannebery (MID) – 2002 @ 95.33
6.  Nick Malceski (DEF) – 1997 @ 90.77
8.  Mike Pyke (RUC) – 1904 @ 86.55
11. Jude Bolton (FWD) – 1476 @ 70.29

Best First Year Player
Mark HUTCHINGS - 9 matches, 809 points at 89.89. Increased $309,900
After being drafted to the Saints in 2010, and then the Eagles in 2012, Hutchings finally got his chance to play senior football in round 7. He was decent bench cover this year, playing 6 games in the second half of the season in a row, and scoring 4 100s in that time. With the Eagles having a few midfield retirements this year, expect Hutchings to go on and forge an honest career.

Most Improved Player
Josh J. KENNEDY – 21 matches, 1889 points at 89.95. Increased $35,900
After being injured for much of last season, it was a big year for Josh Kennedy. He showed us glimpses of what he was capable of back in 2010 and 2011, but this year was a real breakout for him, being one of the top key forwards of the competition. Being cheap at the start of the year, he was a good F5 or 6 for the whole year, until the last month of the season where he really let us down.

Best First Year Player
Sam MAYES - 18 matches, 1265 points at 70.28. Increased $210,200
Pick number 8 in the draft, and he certainly showed why he was taken so highly. Mayes didn’t debut until round 3, making him a good early downgrade option.  While his early season form wasn’t so great, those who stuck with him until round 12 definitely got their money’s worth from him. 3 games over 100, with a high of 130 from rounds 12-16 showed his potential and enough to know that he will be a good player for a very long time.

Most Improved Player
Brent STAKER – 15 matches, 1148 points at 76.53. Increased $210,900
Cruelled with injury over the last few years after a couple of knee reconstructions, Staker got back to some of his best this year. Playing at both ends of the ground, he had a good patch in the middle of the season returning 3 hundreds in a row from rounds 15-17, and also got his price up to a handy $428,400 mid-way through the year.