SuperCoach AFL 2025 trade guide round 16: Sam Darcy, Jason Horne-Francis
The byes are almost done for 2025, but they are departing with a bang.
Round 16 is arguably the toughest week to negotiate of the season. Brisbane, Geelong, Essendon and GWS are on the bye – if you have 19 or more players available, consider yourself in a strong position.
Smart trades this week can boost your quota of green dots and set up your team for a big finish to the season – and there are some A-grade options on the table, plus a late flurry of rookies.
Here are my top picks.
The timing is right to recruit JHF – this is as cheap as he'll get, even if it's not as cheap as many hoped. But after three consecutive price drops this is great value for a player with his scoring ceiling, although there is a small question mark on his role – Horne-Francis has attended just 9 and 21 per cent of centre bounces in his two games back from injury after regularly being at over 70 per cent in the first half of the season. If you have only one spot for a cut-price forward, go with the next guy on the list, but the correct answer is to get both.
The young Bulldogs star is so hot right now. The 208cm forward leads the competition for contested marks, adding another two in a dominant five-goal performance against Richmond. Key forwards are always a risky play in SuperCoach, but Darcy could break the mould – he has already scored over 100 in five of his seven non injury-affected games this year and his run home includes games against North Melbourne, Essendon, Melbourne and West Coast. His price has bottomed out, he's bye free and he will be very fun to barrack for.
A little more expensive than the two players listed above but getting the No.3 forward for the season on averages for under $500k is, as The Phantom likes to say, great buying. Macrae was traded out of 60,000 teams after his injury in round 10 but was back to his dominant early-season form against the Magpies, scoring 131 points from 29 disposals and 10 clearances. His centre bounce numbers have barely moved since round 5 so you know what you're going to get. That security could be worth paying the extra $21k and slotting him into your forward line instead of Horne-Francis.
If you didn't grab him on the bubble, you missed Mills' 121 points against Port Adelaide plus a price rise – but not one so steep (+$38.4k) he's out of reach. And his performance against the Power confirmed a great scoring role largely roaming free across half-back. The Swans looked a different team with Mills, Errol Gulden and Tom Papley back, and they could make a charge to the top eight over the next nine weeks. That would mean more wins, and more SuperCoach points.
Bont holdouts were rewarded by three scores well below his usual output from rounds 11-14, and a price drop of almost $90k. When analysing fallen premiums we like to wait for 'the turn', when a player turns his form around again – and Bontempelli's turn on Sunday was about as emphatic as it gets: 36 disposals, three goals, 177 SuperCoach points. This is a guy you want in your finished midfield.
A surprise poor game against the Eagles is now well in the rear-vision mirror for Wanganeen-Milera, and his price is climbing towards $600k on the back of a 121 average over his past four games. He's a great way to finish your defence – strap in for a big back half of the season.
AL'S TOP VALUE TRADE TARGETS
1. Sam Darcy
2. Callum Mills
3. Jack Macrae
4. Jason Horne-Francis ROOKIES
Port Adelaide's mid-season draftee comes with a basement price tag and a -35 Break Even after scores of 34 and 59 in his two matches. We only need him to provide cover for one more week then he can sit on the bench for the rest of the year – if trading him in opens up a second blockbuster move, don't hesitate.
Slightly more expensive than the other rookies on this list after playing 19 games from 2022-24, but could be worth the extra expense if he can provide bench cover for the run home in the forward line – a part of the ground many teams are extremely thin. Butler has provided valuable pressure in Hawthorn's two wins before their bye, laying 11 tackles, and is on the bubble this week.
Does anyone in SuperCoach not own this guy? His one appearance, in round 14, produced 133 points, and he's a rare case that it would be silly to wait until his bubble game to grab the No.1 pick in the mid-season draft. Get those points on field this week!
Featured in plenty of pre-season teams but dropped off the radar as he played in the WAFL until round 8. When he did get a call-up he was the sub in two of his first three games – resulting in scores of 3 and 0, which slashed his SuperCoach price. But he played a full game against Carlton and impressed with 14 disposals and 69 points. His dual-position status could be extremely useful as trades run low – pair him with McCarthy for a swing set between your defence and midfield.
Another $99k option if you want a very cheap forward, Essendon's mid-season recruit is on the bubble after scoring 83 points from two goals and 14 disposals in his second game. His first game – seven disposals, 37 points – might be closer to his regular input, if he keeps his spot in the Bombers team with a series of players due back from injury after the round 16 bye. Butler is a much safer option unless you're really strapped for cash.
AL'S ROOKIE RANKINGS
1. Tom McCarthy
2. Sam Butler
3. Bo Allan
4. Mani Liddy
Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2025: Top trade targets for round 16
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