English out - Gawn or Grundy the fix?
Source: heraldsun.com.au
TL;DR
- The Phantom's Lair video discusses Tim English's injury forcing SuperCoach AFL trades ahead of Round 5 Gather Round.
- Tim English ($587k ruck) has an MCL strain sidelining him multiple weeks; Ed Richards ($592k mid) out with knee tendon issue.
- Managers face choice between premium rucks Max Gawn or Bryce Grundy as replacements amid ongoing injury carnage.[[1]](https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/supercoach-afl-english-out-is-gawngrundy-the-answer-the-phantoms-lair/video/6d1d654c176d08ed3b31887908e5ad1c)[[2]](https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/supercoach-news/buy-hold-sell-supercoach-afl-trade-advice-for-round-5/news-story/7ad36dbd4e601b3d8c97653983b8ee03)
The story at a glance
The video from The Phantom's Lair analyses AFL SuperCoach dilemmas after Western Bulldogs players Tim English and Ed Richards suffered injuries in Round 4. Hosts debate replacing English with Max Gawn or Bryce Grundy for Round 5's Gather Round in Adelaide. It's reported now due to fresh scans confirming English's MCL issue and Richards' knee tendon problem, hitting many teams hard.[[3]](https://www.facebook.com/thesupercoachscout/posts/-ed-richards-and-tim-english-are-set-to-miss-at-least-next-week-while-arty-jones/1453275616494446)[[4]](https://honeyball.com.au/2026/04/05/beveridge-provides-updates-on-english-richards-knee-injuries)
Key points
- Tim English (Western Bulldogs ruck, $587k, BE 158) injured his right knee (MCL strain) in Q3 vs Essendon; expected multiple weeks out, possibly 3-6.[[2]](https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/supercoach-news/buy-hold-sell-supercoach-afl-trade-advice-for-round-5/news-story/7ad36dbd4e601b3d8c97653983b8ee03)
- Ed Richards (Bulldogs mid, $592k, BE 173) late withdrawal vs Essendon with knee soreness/tendon issue behind knee; timeline unclear, likely weeks.[[2]](https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/supercoach-news/buy-hold-sell-supercoach-afl-trade-advice-for-round-5/news-story/7ad36dbd4e601b3d8c97653983b8ee03)
- Video questions if Gawn-Grundy duo is the fix for English owners, weighing their form vs price and fixtures.
- Part of broader Round 5 trade talk: buy premium upgrades like Jack Sinclair, hold steady performers, sell other risks like Darcy Parish if needed.
- Gather Round draw noted, with advice on holding trades or going aggressive due to carnage.[[5]](https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/english-out-is-gawngrundy-the-answer-gather-round-is-here-the-phantoms-lair/audio/126f195d6e090f68fcc379fad80d56a5)
Details and context
English tried returning after treatment but lasted briefly; Bulldogs lack ruck depth, so rookie Louis Emmett may debut vs Hawthorn if out.[[6]](https://www.zerohanger.com/western-bulldogs-sweat-on-injuries-to-key-trio-175028) His scores were solid early (117, 127, 114), making the loss sting for SuperCoaches relying on him as a mid-priced option.
Richards pulled out pre-bounce after warm-up issue; coach Luke Beveridge called extent unknown, but it's separate from English's problem.[[6]](https://www.zerohanger.com/western-bulldogs-sweat-on-injuries-to-key-trio-175028)
The Phantom's Lair is a Herald Sun podcast/video series by experts like The Phantom and Dossy, offering weekly SuperCoach tips; this episode follows their buy/hold/sell for Round 5, previewing DPP changes post-round.[[7]](https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/supercoach-afl-buy-hold-sell-round-5-mailbag-including-dpp-preview-the-phantoms-lair/video/8e8a5b78cfadb395963daf98e0716246)
Key quotes
None reliably sourced from video transcript.
Why it matters
Injuries like English's disrupt SuperCoach ranks early in 2026 season, forcing 17-20% of teams to burn trades on rucks during premium scoring window.
Managers without cover lose ground to those looping in Gawn (top-3 potential) or Grundy, especially with Gather Round's even fixtures amplifying good picks.
Watch Bulldogs scans this week for exact timelines; monitor Gawn vs Sam Blakiston and Grundy draw, plus DPP updates after Round 5.[[2]](https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/supercoach-news/buy-hold-sell-supercoach-afl-trade-advice-for-round-5/news-story/7ad36dbd4e601b3d8c97653983b8ee03)