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

0:00The backbone to any good super coach team are the rookies and we're almost there. It's almost time for the first super coach locker and that means you must finalize those cheapy selections. We've talked about a lot of names over the preseason. It's time to narrow it down. It's time to make the big calls. This is the Phantom speaking and of course to make those big calls I am joined by a Jolong appetizer award winning journalist. This bloke's had a huge ebony still found time for the rookie Bible Dan Baton. Welcome. Well, you know, flying up to Sydney for that award, but this is the real priority here. Doing this remotely with you, Phantom. No, it's it's almost here, the super coach season, there's plenty of rookies to discuss. There is and we've done a rookie Bible previously earlier in the preseason. We look through a lot of names. We were pretty buoyant about the crop this year, but things have changed a little bit.

1:01The midfield where the rookies go on, the fence looks like it's strong forward line. Who do we pick? So plenty of decisions to make and if you are just joining us, we are going to quickly run through the must haves, the players that you need to pick, the chebys that you need to stack in your side and those to consider ahead of the first team sheets for 2026. Let's get straight into it, Dan defense. Now, we've been happy with the defender crop the whole preseason. That hasn't changed. Opening rounds here. We've got some scores which makes some guys even more of a must have selections and they were maybe previously, must haves in defense, where are we starting? We're going to fly through here. So on my field at the moment is Sam, grill, Jai Sarong and Lucky Jakes. We've got to look at Jai Sarong and Lucky Jakes over opening round. Sarong with 77 and Jakes with 84. Both with around the 15 to 20 disposal mark and used it really well. So big ticks there. Jakes looks like he has a better job security than we thought at the start.

2:06Others to consider in the strongly considered category. You've got Josh Gibkis. He was a rookie for us a couple of years ago. Obviously, he had all those injury issues, but 139K is intercepting. I think he could add his best, potentially be a Zach Reid type from last year, but obviously there is a little bit of concern there and you probably be seeing a little bit. Michael Selwood, we saw, we've got to look at him for the Bulldogs, mature age. Average 120 in the waffle and 80 in the VFL as well. Popped a 70. You start a little bit slow, but I think he's a pretty good pick. He's done media as well today and interviews. So that's always a good sign that clubs are backing him in terms of job security. I still have Josh Lindsay on my bench. He's one to a bit of a weight and sea, but he looked really good during the practice games and Jacob Farrow, if he's named as well, I think I'll be picking him maybe in the midfield, but he was one. He was one. Yeah, he was one that we talked about big time on the last show, but Brad Scott come

3:09out last night. He says there will be one debut time. He's not going to just play the kids for the sake of it. Is he playing funnybuggers a few days out? We'll have to wait and see, but Barry fits into that category here in there. If he is named, he's one that does move up in the pecking order, but I've got those names on my field too, Grille, Sarong, Jakes, and then he's talking to Michael Selwood. Those guys have got those scores in their three round price cycle. We know we want scores on field, but we just want to make money with these guys and we've got the guaranteed score, a good ones for rookies in the system already. That what makes those guys almost must have given, there's so much uncertainty. Josh Lindsay, we know is a good player, a good kick, but hasn't played yet. Don't know what it's going to do in his first game. We know what Locky, Jackson, Jace, Sarong are going to score in their first game because of opening round. Anyone we need to ignore now, we're getting a bit hopeful with Carlton, Selwood, their fans. He's down again. Harry Dean, Wade, Dirkson, the 99 K Rookie SSP signing, are we going to see him?

4:15He's going to come in. I wouldn't rule it out for sure. I think if he's there, I'd be very tempted to pick him on the bench over a gift test. Great numbers in the VFL last year, huge intercept numbers and we love that in Supercoach and he scored really well in that practice and that community was game just after being SSP. He's a watch. Harry Dean, I think we're just the other options available. I mean, last year when we were struggling for defenders and in previous years, we might pick him, but there's so many options around in defense that you can probably afford to just just watch him and maybe jump on him in a couple of weeks. Bullparkers, another one who looks to have decent top security, but I don't think the scoring is there for him for the Collingwood Defender, the former Hobart Hurricanes leggy. So yeah, I think it's probably that group of defenders that we listed before, but I big watch on Dirkson for teams later in the week. Yep. So those three must have Sam Gruehl, Jyre Sarong, Locky Jakes, in defense start there and a lot of people are picking Harry Dean.

5:17I do like him as well. It might be a bit more of a slow burn, but if you're going to back yourself in, you want to back the talent. Do so, but the three must have at the top there. Let's move on to the midfield. Now, usually in Supercoach, most years, it's the midfield where the biggest cash cash cash comes from, the rock solid on field options. Where have they gone, Dan? We were happy again over summer, but they're falling away. Jagger Smith from the Blues is the must have rookie in any position for 2026. You don't have him. Stop watching this video, go put him on field now because you have to have him, but there's not a lot of other must have rookies in terms of starting positions in 20 swacks. Give him what we saw in opening round, given what we've seen potentially on the track and in the Aimea series. Tom Blomoy has another SSB selection playing at the Kangaroos scored very well in the Aimea series. 99K. He's on my bench. Again, if he is named, which we hoping he is, he's one that you can lock on to your bench.

6:18Given 99K, he doesn't have to do as much as an 119K and then 150 plus K is going to make that 150K, which is the minimum we want from our rookies in Supercoach. He's going to make that a lot quicker than others if he's out there for the opening month or so. Apart from that, where are we going, Dan? On my bench at the moment, I do have Jack Carroll from the St. scored in the 50s. We had a lot of the ball that halfback roll that we saw over the preseason. We heard the Saints talk about, did come to fruition against the suns, sorry, against the pies on Sunday night. He's on my bench the moment, 119K, he's been there before, he's more ready to go than some of the draftees who would have thought, but he's on my bench without confidence is probably the wrong word. If the wait and see what happens at team selection, Jack Watkins, another 99K option at the power. Now, I was hoping for Will Brody. I'm surprised it's taken Dan this long to actually mention him. He's not on this list because we've been told we keep hearing that maybe it is Jack Watkins

7:20who did play in the AMI series game that is ahead of Will Brody and we'll replace only one in that midfielder at least the first couple of rounds. So a 99K midfielder mature rage at rookie draft from a couple of years ago was the North VFL captain before that. That's what we love him. That is super coach goals. I'll be picking him on the bench. If he is named, Chase Jones as well, 119K, he's been there for years, might not set the super coach scoring a lot, but he's probably going to be there on a wing for the crows at the moment of the midfielder bench. That's what we want. Dan, anyone else, Willem Dersmer, the chief, if you have listened to the layer, which I know you're a long time listener of the layer, the chief is trying to push across Willem Dersmer. You know Willem Dersmer more than anyone, I think. Number one pick in super coach though, easy worth paying for given the shortage. Usually I'm on picking the early selections in super coach, sort of backing him in regardless of their price, but I just think Dersmer is probably going to start more as an outside

8:21player. Sorry, Dossie. If you're listening here. He's listening. I'm not sure I'm going to be picking him. He hasn't really entered my team at all, to be honest. He could certainly prove it's wrong, but he has the talent and he might be thrown into some more inside midfield roles, but I'll certainly be watching if he's off the off-heart back. But Willem, from what we've seen at the moment, he's been on the wing, so we can probably be overlooking another higher price guy just to discuss as well. He's defense and midfield, Zigg Jolland, looked really good in his day, but but you could see the talent there. He's sort of selling candy to a bunch of players. He's currently 38% of players of teams at a time of recording and I don't have him in my side. He's got the 37 points and as you guys discussed on the layer early in the week, it's that score. It's hard to overcome. That 37, it's in the first score of his rolling average, which isn't the worst point to have it, but he could easily come out and score 80s over the next two, but with that early

9:26buy as well and cheaper options in defense, there's probably better options there, but the lack of midfield options in a rookie midfield option, it just means he might have to go a Sam grill potentially in the midfield, maybe chuck a Michael Sellwood into the frame in defense. So that's definitely worth monitoring as well. I've only got Jagger Smith on my latest team and I'm pretty happy with it. Jagger Smith at M8, Tanner Bruin at M7, know are the rookies on the field quickly before we move on to the rest of the crop. How many midfielders in the rookie bracket do you have on field so far? I have two at the moment, but not with heaps of confidence, starting sharp and Jagger Smith there. But I think that, you know, if he does play, we're not sure if it's for me, it's one of the two. But yeah, if he does play, like I gave him a huge pump up with my team reveals saying that there were shades of Tom McCarthy about him, he averaged 120 in the back half of the VFL season last year.

10:27Surprise, he wasn't picked up at all in the rookie draft, he was followed a long line of players, you know, the one that the follow girl round, Mitchell metal, you know, the like the blue brine and plenty of other super coach rookies. So I think if he's in, you could field him as confidence as well. Yep. And Dyson Sharp, you mentioned there. He's the first on my bench pushed him to the bench, we're hoping Chris, uh, so Brad Scott does pick him to make his debut for the bombers this weekend. We know we're going to get with him. He's still probably now fitting in not the must have territory, which we probably thought he was at one point, but probably above the strongly considered category, probably fits in between there. So a definite, um, if he's named a definite for your bench, even at that price at 149K. And just before we move on from the midfielders, I think in the last rookie Bible video, I had said, Will Brody will not be in our top 15 rookies. I think he may put him in the top 10. I would just want to have time here. I'm not going to admit for until I see that team sheet on Thursday night because Will Brody

11:32could still be in there. Could Josh Carr pull a surprise and pick his boy, Will Brody then and then only will I admit defeat in the Will Brody crusade, but surely, all right, we come your way. We better move on. No more Will Brody talk. Let's quickly go through the rucks. Another definite. Now I caught the no brainer selection of super coach in 2026 and I will stand by that locky mechanic Andrew R2 Dan, 119K is ahead of Rob. He's going to play against the pies on the weekend. He should get a good crack. Could it be the biggest cash cow of the year? The he definitely could get you look at ironically Rob, what when he started his career, he was 136K R3 and I think mechanic Andrew could have a similar sort of impact, but the thing is with with mechanic Andrew like I'm not a little bit nervous about picking him at R2 personally. Obviously, we saw what happened with Matt Flynn earlier last year and I don't want to be using three or four or five trades on my rucks this year, so I've gone about flex at

12:37the moment. Just in case you get smashed by does he camera in English in the first couple of rounds, but yeah, you've got to have him on field in some, whether it's R2 or flex. Yeah, my super coach is looking for a bit of a fallback option. Some security there, but there's probably not much. We saw Liam really 119K Ruck Ford from the blue is the former docker scored 31 in opening around. Can we trust him at R3 then anyone else that can help us out in that Ruck bench spot because we need someone if you go and lock in mechanic Andrew at R2. Look, I wouldn't be surprised if the blues dropped ready up against Tobin net curvers this week. So my pit net toe-to-toe with Nate on Thursday night, but it remains to be seen. Some other options potentially I like Colin Coleman Jones if he does play as that backup to Tristan Cherry. He's so cheap. Obviously, he's having injury issues over the past few years. Zank Sackostelski is really sort of come from nowhere. Come in.

13:3783 in the preseason interview back at the draft combined a few years ago. He's sort of bolted up the ranks with his leap and he showed that against him in English. He's got up 12 centimeters to him and was leaping all over him, only 44% farm on ground though, but does he naturally defend up? Does the Harris Andrew suspension? Does that open up a spot for him to play in defense potentially as well? It remains to be seen. Although it is a bit of a risk with Sam Draper a couple of weeks away. Mitch Edwards, another one to potentially consider from the catch. He was an emergency for opening around. I think probably the cats are going to stick with Mike Blitz. I was even raised down. They're used on the way back. It's looking a bit slim there. Lucky McCandru, the absolute must have in the Ruck. After that, we're not sure. Keep an eye on team selection, but there is, sorry, a bit more certainty in the forward line with the rookies. A lot of super coach teams are looking pretty similar at the moment is because of what the rookies are on offer and it's dictating structures in the forward line. Give us your must have, Dan.

14:37I reckon they'll be the same as mine. In the forward line, what do we got? You mentioned no brainer with Lucky McCandru. You got four. No brainer is right here in the forward line in Mateus, Philopo, Dev Robertson, Leo Lombard and Todd Marshall. Lock him in. Mateus, Philopo needs no introduction really. Going to be playing midfield, so cheap 160k, Dev Robertson scored a 90 in the preseason games and looks to have a midfield role there at the Eagles, Leo Lombard, really impressive on Thursday night, rather, for the 69, we've already got that scored banked and obviously Todd Marshall as an intercepting defender. In terms of the guy who'd strongly consider after that fans, they're pretty much rounds out. My rookies in the forward line. Who else would you be looking at? Interesting. Finn McCray, I mean, we speak about the bloke every year for last decade. There hasn't been a league that long, but it feels like that given how, what he scored like when he got the opportunity, Colleen would couldn't do it.

15:38Went to the Eagles. I think we wrote in the rookie Bible, she can get in forward code sports.com.dee. If he's playing and he's playing a role, then you pick him. We're still not sure if that he'll play or have a role. Limits a game time in the AMI series, so again, could he be a bench spot option if he does play? Maybe. Malcolm Rose. He's in the midfield too. For Finn McCray. Solomon's in midfield bench, if he's playing. Another one who is in the rookie Bible, but not high on Super Coach Raiders in less than 10% of teams at the time of recording the former Sun, Malcolm Rose's 68 Super Coach points in his Sydney Swans debut on Thursday night. That is 68 points locked in to his three-round price cycle. Some of those options we have in the bracket. We mentioned Finn McCray, Tobin Murray from the Dockers. Is he going to get a go down there? Is he going to debut on the weekend? Locky Dovis in the small forward from North as well. We're not sure what these guys are going to score. We know what Malcolm Rose is going to score. He's one, two continue there, but it's hard to go past those top four.

16:41I've got those four, two on the field, two on the bench, and that looks the ideal set up in the forward line. Arty Jones, Dan, who we did touch on, and we have touch on over the preseason, can cast against the lines on the weekend, crossing off the list. Phoenix Gothard, another draft, bolted special that's up your alley from the Giants. Can we continue him? Look, probably not. I'd probably be going to Dovis to know about him, like the Giants do have a couple of players to come back. Another one who's reasonably popular as well, the trail picket, chose some great signs in his first community series game, but I tread the course a bit with him. He's a bit higher price, 150k. We saw in the community series, he didn't quite replicate what he did in the practice games, in the previous practice games, so even though he's got plenty of talent, it'll be great to watch, not sure about him, you have the spike scores, but probably not the consistency.

17:41Yep. A couple of minutes. That's probably the four line cover, a couple of general names that we need to mention before we sign off, players that we probably need to get out of the team. If you are just picking back up and looking at Super Coach again after a little bit of a break now, the footy is back. We need Draper. We have been wishing in. We want him to be there, the mid 426k from the crows, unvery, very unlikely. I'd be shocked if he is going to be there on Saturday night, very delayed preseason, played some minutes in the sand for when the Amy series is on. So that is a good sign of him potentially being there at some point, maybe a downgrade option, but get him out of your side to start with Pat Retschko as well. Another one of Dan's boys crossed over from the cats to the Tigers. We were big on him. We thought he was going to lock down a wing spot at Richmond, and if onfield spot, potentially in our Super Coach teams, but Dan, are we ruling him out? Look, probably. I may have pumped his tyres up a little too much, obviously a fairytale trade there when he thought he was delisted at the last minute of the trade period, but yeah, I'd keep an

18:45eye out for him still as a potential winger. He can definitely win a lot of the footy, but doesn't look like he's there at this stage. Another couple, another one of his teammates, Josh Smiley, is in plenty of teams still, but yeah, definitely ruling him out. He's up to six to ten weeks and just can't seem to get his body right. And then Harry Schoenberg, he'd been a sneaky little pick for my bench over the preseason, but got a suspension in the community series and didn't look great in that game either. So yeah, he's suspended for round one, so ruling him out of your plans as well. Yeah, and when Dan Batten talks, you listen because the man is probably taking percentage of Patrick Schoen's match payments. So if he's saying Patrick Schoen is not playing, then he won't be there on Thursday night, but of course, team sheet is big Thursday night. The first full round of names for round one and for the first game in Supercoach are unveiled. We will be updating the rookie Bible, which you can get in full and in-depth profiles, exclusive stats and all the names and more that we've mentioned.

19:46Check out the link below if you're watching on code sports YouTube. We'll be updating that over the next two or three days. And of course, after teams are named on Thursday night. So if you worry, you don't know who's in. You don't know who's out. Come back co-sports.com.au and check off. Make that final call on the Supercoach rookies for 2026. I'm excited, Dan. Good luck. And May will Brody be there on the team sheet on Thursday night. You won't be there in round three, that's for sure. Good luck, Supercoachers. And again, co-sports YouTube for all the great content plenty more to come and co-sports.com to do for all the latest team reveals, Dan and myself have outlaid our full teams there as well. All the latest news as well in the lead up to the blockbuster on Thursday night.