Do You Actually Need Bontempelli in SuperCoach 2026?

Only 30% of coaches own Bontempelli. He's the best scoring midfielder in the competition.

These two facts don't coexist comfortably for the other 70% of the competition.

The Bont Curve

There's a concept going around r/AFLSupercoach this week that captures it well. The Bont Curve: on the left, coaches who got him early and are smugly posting 130+ scores. On the right, coaches who watched him go off without them and are now facing a more expensive upgrade path.

The post had 40 upvotes. The top comment: "I am both the left and right side of the bell."

The honest answer for most coaches is that they know they need him and are looking for a reason to delay.

What His Numbers Actually Say

Bontempelli has played three games in a season where the injury carnage has been relentless. In three rounds, he's accumulated nearly as many total points as some mid-pricers who've played all four.

That's not a coincidence. That's a 130+ averaging midfielder doing what he does.

The tag risk argument comes up every year. Last year he got tagged by Windhager for a 60-something. Then scored 140 the next week. His season average was fine. Don't use one historical tagging game as a reason to avoid a player who averages 120+.

The 70% Problem

Here's the real issue.

70% of coaches don't own Bont. That means at some point — this week, round 6, round 9, whenever the injury carnage settles — most of them will need to trade him in. When that happens at scale, you're buying at or near his peak price.

The coaches who get him now, before his average crystallises at 130, are paying less for the same player. By round 8, if he's maintained his form, a mid-season Bont trade costs significantly more than the same trade done in round 4.

The question isn't whether you'll need him. You will. The question is whether you pay early-season price or mid-season price.

When To Get Him

Get him now if:

• You have 600k+ in the bank and a mid-priced midfielder underperforming
• You're making a forced trade anyway and can route the cash through him
• Your midfield is already strong and he's the obvious final upgrade

Wait if:

• You have multiple forced trades (Trac, Rozee, Xerri) that burn your cash this round
• There's a specific cash gen play that makes the math work better next week
• You genuinely can't afford him without compromising another position

Don't wait because:

• You're worried about tags (rare)
• You think a cheaper mid will outperform him (they won't)
• You're hoping he drops in price (he won't, unless he gets injured)

The Verdict

"It's Fkn Bont. He could be playing in the desert and drop a 180."

That's the community consensus in one line. Get him when you can afford to. Don't manufacture reasons to delay a player you'll own all season anyway.