New recruits set to star; best cheapies revealed: 25 players to watch for SuperCoach in 2025

It’s never too early to begin your SuperCoach planning for 2025.

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Earlier this week, the Herald Sun launched the 2025 SuperCoach Team Picker, allowing SuperCoach Gold members the chance to pre-emptively pick their squad for next year.

Foxfooty.com.au takes a look at 25 names who you should have on your radar this pre-season.

1. Bailey Smith (MID/FWD, $389,200)

New colours, new environment and hopefully a new role. Bailey Smith looks destined to run the engine room down at the Cattery after he was traded from the Western Bulldogs during the trade period. Back in 2022, Smith averaged 98.6 SuperCoach points a game, but he’s only scratched the surface of what he could become. Having been forced to play a mixture of roles under Luke Beveridge, the Cats will release the shackles.

2. Caleb Daniel (MID/FWD, $269,100)

Another player who switched clubs over the off-season, Daniel looks likely to reprise his role as a damaging half-back under Alastair Clarkson at North Melbourne. We know that Kangaroos defenders have scored well in the past and Daniel has scoring pedigree, having averaged 89+ in five seasons throughout his career. He’d fallen out of favour under Beveridge, but a fresh start might be exactly what he needs to reignite his career.

3. Levi Ashcroft (MID, $185,500)

The younger brother of Will and son of Marcus, Levi Ashcroft has football in his blood. He was a dominant junior throughout his time at the Sandringham Dragons and can find plenty of the footy and impact the scoreboard. He is clean, works incredibly hard and has plenty of hunger. He might have to begin his AFL career across half-forward, but he’ll be there round one and is a great pick for SuperCoach players.

4. Marcus Bontempelli (MID, $681,000)

He’s the most expensive player in the game, but he’s also the best player in the game. Bontempelli is a captaincy option every week and is remarkably consistent, dropping below 93 just once last year (73 vs Essendon). The knock is the price tag, but sometimes you have to pay up.

5. Nick Daicos (MID, $631,400)

It’s easy to forget he’s played just three seasons of AFL footy, because he’s one of, if not the best player in the game at the moment. Daicos racks up disposals for fun and can win games off his own boot. A future Brownlow Medallist and will be central to Collingwood’s anticipated rise up the ladder again in 2025.

6. Jagga Smith (MID, $194,500)

The definition of a ball magnet, Smith averaged 29 touches and seven clearances a game at the National Championships for Vic Metro. Slotted in seamlessly to Richmond’s VFL side for a short stint, where he averaged 103 SuperCoach points. He is clean, good at stoppage and will fit in nicely alongside the likes of Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh.

7. Jack Macrae (FWD/MID, $392,200)

Can Jack Macrae get back to some strong form? Between 2018-2022, Macrae averaged 115+ every single year. In fact, if you exclude last year, where his average of 72.8 was somewhat affected by substitute appearances, Macrae hasn’t averaged below 94 since his debut season in 2013. He’s a rolled gold operator and he probably only needs to average 90 to be a keeper given how thin the forward line looks right now. Will likely get a larger centre bounce midfield role at St Kilda than he had at the Dogs, where he was beginning to be phased out for some of their younger talent.

8. Sid Draper (MID, $190,000)

Sid Draper is the local boy that has Adelaide buzzing. A powerful midfielder who is speedy and loves to burst out of stoppage, Draper will add another dimension to what has sometimes been a one-paced midfield group. Draper trained with the Crows last summer and played plenty of SANFL footy this year, so he enters the AFL system ready to go. By all reports, he’s been absolutely tearing the track up this pre-season, too.

9. Harry Sheezel (DEF, $635,600)

Don’t be fooled by his defence only status, Sheezel can play anywhere on the ground which is what makes him so crucial to North Melbourne’s side. Sheezel had just three scores under 103 last season as he increased his average to 118. He’s a classy operator and slices opposition teams apart, which is why the Roos want the ball in his hands as much as possible. The price is hefty, but he’s a quality young player.

10. Sam Flanders (DEF/MID, $641,500)

18 consecutive tons, followed by two scores in the 90s and then a couple of huge scores to finish the year, Sam Flanders had a breakout campaign in 2024. It’s that consistency which makes him a fantastic candidate in defence this year. There’s a little bit of intrigue around his role given he spent time in the backline and in the midfield this year, but more clarity on his role will come early in 2025.

11. Jason Horne-Francis (FWD/MID, $537,000)

No doubt somewhat of an up and down performer from a SuperCoach perspective (high score of 141, low of 46), but in a thin forward line, he’s highly likely to be top six by average. Horne-Francis was one of four Port Adelaide midfielders to average between 54 and 66 per cent of centre bounce attendances in 2024 and you’d expect that to be the case in 2025 as well. He has plenty of game-breaking traits, loves to hit the scoreboard and can certainly find the footy.

12. Josh Smillie (MID, $176,500)

Given the Tigers’ cleanout over the off-season, you’d imagine gun draftee Josh Smillie is there round one. A big-bodied midfielder who is powerful around stoppage and can also go forward and hit the scoreboard, Adem Yze will have to turn to the kids in 2025 and Smillie might be the most ready-made of the lot. Number one pick Sam Lalor is being managed pre-Christmas as he recovers from a serious hamstring injury, but might be used more as a forward to begin with, which would cap his scoring potential.

13. Keidean Coleman (DEF, $269,100)

Coleman was all the rage at the start of last year, before an ACL injury in Opening Round put a stop to his promising campaign. If he is fit for the start of the season (and that’s a big if), he’s probably ahead of the likes of Conor McKenna, Noah Answerth and Ryan Lester in the back half. An awesome 2023 finals series put him on the map from a SuperCoach perspective and at that price, if he’s named early on, you’d have to consider him.

14. Callum Mills (DEF, $357,200)

Mills had a horror 2024 season which began when he hurt his shoulder in an off-season wrestling incident with a teammate. He managed only six games as a result and was well down by his standards. Will 2025 see the captain return to the midfield brigade? Mills averaged 116.6 SuperCoach points back in 2022 and if he can recapture that form, would be a bargain pickup.

15. Bo Allan (DEF/MID, $136,000)

This young Eagle will be ready to go in round one should Andrew McQualter call on him. A powerful midfielder at junior level, Allan might have to start as a half-back, where his speed and ball use will be a real asset to a rebuilding Eagles outfit. Has plied his trade in the WAFL this year which means he should be ready to slot straight in.

16. Tobie Travaglia (DEF/MID, $172,000)

Another play in a similar mould to Allan, Travaglia will likely start his career in defence before transitioning into the midfield further down the track. Averaged 143 SuperCoach points in the Coates Talent League this year and is the sort of player who can make an impact straight away, just as running man Darcy Wilson did last year. Dual-position status is a big bonus, too.

17. Clayton Oliver (MID, $451,600)

Oliver could be the biggest bargain in the history of SuperCoach or he could be an awkward pick that needs to be rectified sooner rather than later. The reality is, we probably won’t know until we’re about a month into the season. Oliver had a 2024 season to forget after a disrupted pre-season due to a variety of off-field issues and then he just couldn’t get going. We are talking about a guy who averaged 120+ for four consecutive seasons prior, so if he can get fit and rediscover his best form, look out.

18. Mattaes Phillipou (FWD/MID, $313,800)

Another speculative selection but could 2025 be the year Phillipou breaks out? The South Australian has played largely as a forward throughout his career, but St Kilda coach Ross Lyon released the shackles and gave him some more midfield minutes when fit at the end of the year. Phillipou’s last four scores have all been 80+, which included two tons. Watch his role closely over pre-season, before he secures a more prominent on-ball gig, he is definitely one to look at.

19. Saad El-Hawli (DEF/MID, $119,900)

The Bombers love this guy, and all signs point towards a round one debut off the half-back line. The mature-aged VFL recruit is an elite ball user and will provide plenty of run and carry out of defence. Pick him if named.

20. Tristan Xerri (RUC, $645,900)

Could this be the year that Max Gawn gives up the number one ruck mantle in SuperCoach? Gawn faces a disrupted pre-season due to a larynx injury and Tristan Xerri could be the guy to take his throne. Xerri finished 2024 with 13 consecutive 100s in SuperCoach and averaged a remarkable 119.9 for the season, an improvement of 47 points from his 2023 average. Not only is Xerri a gun around stoppage, he’s also a tackling machine, which means even if he isn’t getting his hands on the ball he’s still getting plenty of points through his defensive hustle.

21. Harvey Langford (MID, $181,000)

It won’t take long for Melbourne’s hard-working prized draftee to feature in 2025. Langford will learn plenty alongside the likes of Jack Viney and Christian Petracca and it’s not out of the question that he enters that midfield mix right from the get-go. If he can’t crack the on-ball brigade, Langford showed through his Vic Country and Dandenong Stingrays journey that he is also more than capable as a forward. Might be too expensive if he doesn’t get midfield minutes, but he might be too good for Simon Goodwin to ignore.

22. Xavier Lindsay (MID, $158,500)

The second half of Melbourne’s top end selections, Xavier Lindsay has been dealing with a knee issue lately but is eyeing a return to full fitness early in the new year. He is a hard runner who is also an elite user of the footy, which means he could slot in on a wing or across half-back to begin with. One to keep an eye on.

23. Tom Lynch (FWD, $183,200)

This one comes with plenty of risk but at such a cheap price, it’s definitely tempting. Injuries have cruelled his last two seasons, but prior to that, his final four scores of 2022 were all 104+. The Tigers are probably destined for the spoon, but Lynch only needs to string together a strong month or so of football to be a worthy pick. Looks like he’s begun getting his fitness back over summer which is a huge positive.

24. Elijah Hewett (FWD/MID, $122,800)

Hewett was one of the most exciting draft prospects from the 2022 draft but injuries have meant he hasn’t had a clean run at things so far in his AFL career. A strong midfielder with a high work rate, Hewett has “given himself a chance to have a great year by the pre-season he’s going to be able to do”, according to new Eagles coach Andrew McQualter.

25. Will Ashcroft (MID, $441,200)

It’s hard to believe this guy has only played 31 games. The son of Marcus and brother of younger brother Levi, Ashcroft is ready to set the competition alight after claiming the Norm Smith Medal in the Lions’ premiership triumph over the Swans. Ashcroft is clean and composed with ball in hand, is elite in congestion and has a knack of drifting forward and hitting the scoreboard. It’s hard to believe that he’s coming off an ACL injury, but he has well and truly dusted those cobwebs off. The most exciting part about Ashcroft? Some of the best footy he played as a junior was alongside Levi. Meet your next dynamic brother duo, folks.