AFL Fantasy with The Traders

Nine games of the AAMI Community Series are in the can and while we have quite a few answers ... there are still plenty of questions as we approach the last week before lockout. We run through who stood out (and who didn't) from the dress rehearsal before the 2022 season commences! Let's do this!

Play AFL Fantasy at http://fantasy.afl.com.au or download the free smartphone app.

Episode guide

2:35 - Carlton v Melbourne

5:00 - Eight tackles for Patrick Cripps gives him a big tick.

8:50 - Max Gawn showed us why set-and-forget is the way to go.

10:00 - Western Bulldogs v Brisbane Lions

13:00 - Could you consider Tim English with his RUC/FWD dual-position status?

14:20 - Calvin has finally bitten the bullet and slotted Lachie Neale in his team.

17:30 - Hawthorn v Richmond

20:20 - Roy says James Sicily has done enough.

24:00 - Daniel Rioli and Hugo Ralphsmith are worth considering with their half-back roles.

26:40 - Adelaide v Port Adelaide

29:00 - 31 disposals was a positive sign for Matt Crouch.

31:30 - Lock in Zak Butters.

34:00 - Essendon v St Kilda

36:10 - Warnie thinks a couple of Bombers rookies could be a chance to play.

38:15 - If Patrick Ryder remains out, Rowan Marshall is a real option.

40:45 - GWS Giants v Collingwood

43:50 - Tim Taranto played forward, but scored well.

47:00 - Lock in Nick Daicos for the whole season.

51:50 - Sydney v North Melbourne

52:30 - Calvin has crossed Isaac Heeney off the list.

55:00 - Justin McInerney has a delicious role.

59:10 - The top scoring player under $300k was Tristain Xerri.

1:02: 00 - Roy says there's not enough "Hollywood time" for Tarryn Thomas.

1:04:05 - Fremantle v West Coast Eagles

1:06:00 - The role for Will Brodie looked great, but Fyfe needs to return.

1:08:40 - Looks like Tim Kelly has a lot of work to do for the Eagles and his Fantasy numbers should increase off the back of it.

1:10:20 - Eagles rookies, including new SSPs, could save us.

1:12:00 - Gold Coast v Geelong

1:14:25 - Where do you fit Matt Rowell in? M4 or M5?

1:17:10 - Sam De Koning can be locked on your bench.

1:20:50 - The Bacon Cup draft weekend is coming up and Roy is organising the draft order, but no one knows what's going on.

1:23:25 - Big news on a special live draft that you'll be able to watch.

Find more content from The Traders at afl.com.au/fantasy.

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Paul Montgomery, known online as @m0nty, is a pioneer in Fantasy footy. He created FanFooty.com.au almost two decades ago as there wasn't a platform for Fantasy coaches to check on live progress scores of their players. Monty shares some of his journey and gives some tips for the season ahead.

Play AFL Fantasy at http://fantasy.afl.com.au or download the free smartphone app.

Episode guide

1:00 - How Monty started FanFooty.

5:10 - Which live scoring icon is his favourite.

7:40 - Surely Monty is a great Fantasy coach with all the time he spends on the game?

9:15 - Noah Anderson is a POD of interest.

10:45 - "I like the big arsed footballers"

12:10 - Reminiscing about the original Fantasy podcast, the Coaches Box.

13:20 - Draft has always been the game Monty has loved the most.

15:30 - Cam Rayner is one Monty will be watching this week, drawing comparisons to Dustin Martin.

Find more content from The Traders at afl.com.au/fantasy.

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It's ruck week and even though the three spots make up just one-tenth of our Fantasy Classic squads, there are a range of options being explored. We catch up with last year's runner-up and 2x top 10 finisher Kyle Holmes to discuss the big men. Also Heff from the Keeper League Podcast helps us out with things to know ahead of the second year of Draft keeper leagues. It's another bumper episode! Let's do this!

Play AFL Fantasy at http://fantasy.afl.com.au or download the free smartphone app.

Episode guide

2:30 - There's plenty of tips from our reporters out of the practice matches.

5:40 - Dustin Martin scored a ton and didn't try.

8:15 - Justin Longmuir had positive words to say about Will Brodie.

11:10 - Andrew McGrath and Scott Pendlebury will add DPP.

15:00 - There could be a rookie crisis.

19:50 - Last year's runner up, Kyle Holmes, joins the boys.

22:15 - In 2021, Kyle started the season at 25,000th to come second. In 2018, he started strongly to hang onto a top 10 finish.

25:00 - "If you're hot on a premium and they don't score well in a practice match, don't think too much of it".

29:40 - Set and forget your rucks with Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn.

33:30 - There are plenty of flags for Jarrod Witt and Brayden Preuss.

40:15 - Warnie has some tips for commissioners to make sure their Draft day goes well.

43:00 - Heff from the Keeper League Podcast joins the show.

44:30 - Nick Daicos and Jason Horne-Francis are going earlier than they should in keeper leagues.

49:20 - Keep an eye on Conor Nash as a late round pick.

50:30 Questions from social media - follow @AFLFantasy on Twitter and like the Official AFL Fantasy facebook page.

55:30 - Roy was reminded to keep Josh Dunkley in his team no matter what.

59:00 - Would you pick Patrick Lipinski and George Hewett over Matt Rowell? 

1:04:20 - Pick Isaac Heeney over Zak Butters.

1:08:45 - Lachie Weller is justifiable in both Fantasy Classic and Draft.

Find more content from The Traders at afl.com.au/fantasy.

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Warnie winds the clock back to his teenage years when he was glued to the radio as they went around to grounds getting updates on all the footy action. He caught up with reporters from AFL.com.au and a special guest to give the rundown, from an AFL Fantasy perspective, of the nine pre-season practice matches from around the country.

Play AFL Fantasy at http://fantasy.afl.com.au or download the free smartphone app.

Episode guide

0:45 - Essendon v Western Bulldogs with Cal Twomey

2:25 - Darcy Parish continued in the midfield after getting the opportunity last season.

5:05 - Could we see DEF status added for Andrew McGrath early this season?

9:10 - Adam Treloar was the Bulldogs' best.

11:10 - Carlton v St Kilda with Riley Beveridge

12:00 - "He'll play 100 per cent midfield time" - Riley is keen on George Hewett's Fantasy stocks.

14:10 - Patrick Cripps looked leaner and refreshed.

18:00 - Returning from injury, Jade Gresham played a full game but is his role questionable?

19:40 - Melbourne v North Melbourne with Josh Gabelich

20:55 - "He looked classy" - Tarryn Thomas is one to keep an eye on.

22:45 - Fantasy coaches should believe the hype with Jason Horne-Francis.

25:00 - It was hard to get a read on the Max Gawn and Luke Jackson combo.

27:30 - Brisbane Lions v Adelaide Crows with Michael Whiting

28:50 - What can we expect from a Fantasy perspective for Cam Rayner?

31:00 - Lachie Neale will still play majority midfield.

34:55 - After more than 12 months out, Matt Crouch was solid on return.

36:20 - Gold Coast Suns v Port Adelaide with Michael Whiting

37:25 - We need to see another week from Matt Rowell before locking him in.

39:40 - Lachie Weller could be a smokey playing in the backline with MID/FWD status.

44:00 - What are Josh Sinn's round one chances?

44:15 - Collingwood v Hawthorn with Josh Gabelich

47:40 - "Collingwood supporters have been waiting four or five years for Nick Daicos".

51:00 - Will Scott Pendlebury gain DEF status at round six?

54:15 - Josh Ward looks like he'll play plenty of footy this year.

56:20 - Sydney Swans v GWS Giants with Jake Stein

58:25 - Stephen Coniglio has had an uninterrupted pre-season and is confident in his body.

59:50 - Who will be the No. 1 ruck? Braydon Preuss or Keiren Briggs.

1:01:00 - Isaac Heeney is a lock.

1:04:50 - Three of Jake's top Fantasy picks for this year.

1:07:40 - West Coast Eagles v Fremantle with Nathan Schmook

1:09:00 - Put a line through Campbell Chesser and Elliot Yeo for round one.

1:12:10 - Will Brodie attended almost all of Fremantle's centre bounces.

1:15:35 - Why Schmooky is cooling on popular rookie Nathan O'Driscoll.

1:17:15 - Geelong Cats v Richmond with Michael Whiting

1:18:20 - Dustin Martin had a ton of CBAs.

1:20:35 - Keen an eye on Hugo Ralphsmith who got rolling as the game went on.

1:22:25 - "I can almost guarantee Tom Stewart had the most Fantasy points".

Find more content from The Traders at afl.com.au/fantasy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sitting across the desk from Selby, the Fantasy GOAT, is ex-Hawthorn/West Coast defender Xavier Ellis. He's jumped back on the Fantasy horse to bring podcasts with the two-time winner of AFL Fantasy Classic as part of the Moreira's Magic season guide. We chat with X about his playing days and find out what he's learned from Selby over the last couple of seasons including sharing some of his picks he'll be making this year.

Play AFL Fantasy at http://fantasy.afl.com.au or download the free smartphone app.

Episode guide

1:30 - How Xavier met Selby.

2:40 - What was his best season?

4:00 - Breaking the record for marks in a Grand Final, did Luke Hodge steal a Norm Smith?

5:55 - "Absolutely diabolical" is the summation of the 2021 Fantasy season for the Derek Henrys. 

8:30 - Trading in players on a Friday night is a good strategy, just so you can watch them.

10:05 - A 100 average is predicted for Tim Kelly.

12:00 - Find out who will be the No. 1 ruck in the competition by the end of the year.

14:00 - Xavier says to pick as many under-priced players as you can.

Find more content from The Traders at afl.com.au/fantasy.

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It's time to look at the defenders! Our men down back can rack up - especially if they're getting those bonus points from the kick-ins - so we get the help of some absolute gurus to help us make the right calls. The premiums, the value picks and the PODs are all covered in another bumper episode. Let's do this!

Play AFL Fantasy at http://fantasy.afl.com.au or download the free smartphone app.

Episode guide

1:30 - Midfield rotations, including centre bounce attendances, is one of the keys to watch for in the practice matches this week.

5:15 - Mitch Duncan has a calf concern and raises some issues for Fantasy Draft.

9:00 - After making the leadership group, Roy has locked in Caleb Serong.

13:10 - Maybe Dayne Zorko won't gain DEF status.

17:00 - There's mixed mail on Dustin Martin.

20:05 - After finishing eighth overall last, year, Harry Edwards joins the podcast.

23:30 - Harry is avoiding midpricers down back, but is backing in James Sicily.

28:00 - Tips on what to look for in the scratch matches.

31:10 - Roy has removed Jake Lloyd from his team.

36:45 - There could be a few rookies coming through which could dictate DEF structure. 

39:00 - After Whitfield, Crisp and Lloyd, you can throw a blanket over the next group of premiums.

44:30 - George Hewett is in five per cent of teams.

50:10 - James, coach of Gorringes and Lemmens, finished third overall and had the highest team value last year.

54:35 - James Sicily and Wayne Milera are James' D4 and D5.

58:45 - A wing role may sound good in theory, but could it limit Jordan Dawson's output?

1:01:30 - Questions from social media - follow @AFLFantasy on Twitter and like the Official AFL Fantasy facebook page.

1:06:10 - Could it be Wil Powell season?

1:09:20 - Could you pick Jayden Short over Whitfield?

1:11:30 - Brayden Preuss: yes or no?

Find more content from The Traders at afl.com.au/fantasy.

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This week on Coaches' Corner, we head to Hollywood to chat with Australian actor Ryan Corr. Best known for his role as Cody in Packed to the Rafters, the Logie nominated actor is an AFL Fantasy fanatic. He shares with the boys his love for Fantasy footy and how it keeps him connected to his mates... and takes away from the important things like learning lines.

Play AFL Fantasy at http://fantasy.afl.com.au or download the free smartphone app.

Episode guide

0:50 - Ryan's Fantasy career started 6 years ago when he was doing a play and a colleague was getting stuck into Fantasy footy.

2:40 - Banter is a big part of The Footy Cup's Whatsapp group!

5:00 - Ryan has been tinkering with his team since the game opened and approaches it with a big midfield.

6:40 - "I should be learning lines and doing auditions".

7:25 - Warnie is excited about Ryan's role in House of Dragon, the spinoff of Game of Thrones.

10:00 - Calvin's jokes are a highlight of the podcast according to Ryan.

12:15 - Ryan's tips for success to win your head-to-head league.

Find more content from The Traders at afl.com.au/fantasy.

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One of the trickiest positions in AFL Fantasy this season are the forwards. Most premiums have question marks and there are a few value options to consider. We focus on the forward line in this week's episode with a surprise call from a highly selected cash cow and a former winner shares his line up. Let's do this!

Play AFL Fantasy at http://fantasy.afl.com.au or download the free smartphone app.

Episode guide

1:00 - The pre-season edition of the AFL Record is out now in Victoria (17 Feb for the rest of the country).

3:45 - News from recent match sims.

6:30 - North Melbourne may play a couple of rucks in 2022.

8:40 - Roy is warming to some of the value forwards available.

10:30 - Elijah Hollands gives the boys a shock phone call as the most selected FWD in the competition.

13:20 - In an exclusive, Elijah reveals that he's signed a two-year contract extension.

16:00 - Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell are flying at the Suns.

20:15 - It looks like Jack Lukosius will have an important role to play in the forward-line.

24:00 - Josh Dunkley is the most selected premium MID/FWD in Fantasy Classic.

27:30 - All eyes will be on the super-cheap Cam Rayner and Will Brodie during the practice matches for role.

35:00 - Warnie tries to convince Roy and Calvin to jump aboard the Isaac Heeney train.

39:20 - While many are keen on Zak Butters, could Connor Rozee be a better value option?

43:15 - Dustin Martin is tracking towards 2017 form where he averaged 114.

46:00 - Dave Baker, coach of 2012 winning team Skinny Boys, joins the show.

48:30 - How has Dave's strategy changed since his win as the game has evolved.

52:20 - Mitch Duncan is Dave's F1.

56:35 - Which Swan is off the never-again list?

1:00:05 - What you should be looking for in the practice and AAMI Community Series games.

1:03:10 - Questions from social media - follow @AFLFantasy on Twitter and like the Official AFL Fantasy facebook page.

1:09:00 - The boys suggest just one rookie on field in the forward-line with potentially a $300k guy at F5.

1:12:25 - Is Charlie Curnow a better option than Cam Rayner?

Find more content from The Traders at afl.com.au/fantasy.

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Our first coach profiled for Coaches' Corner is none other than West Coast Eagles premiership player Will Schofield. The defender joins Roy, Calvin and Warnie to chat through his love for AFL Fantasy including his success last season, his long running league, how he fared in The Traders' Mock Draft for their upcoming Draft Kit and how you can win a pretty epic prize being in his AFL Fantasy league.

Play AFL Fantasy at http://fantasy.afl.com.au or download the free smartphone app.

Episode guide

0:45 - The highlight of Will's Fantasy career was finishing second for a week.

2:50 - Hear about the history of the league dating back to 2003.

5:30 - Is it possible for Andrew Gaff to be a 110 guy again?

7:45 - At this stage of the season, it's just an auto-fill team for Will.

10:10 - Which team will slow the ball down in defence and see their defenders rack up more points?

12:40 - Will justifies taking Sean Darcy with his first round pick in the Mock Draft for the upcoming Draft Kit.

17:00 - "This isn't my first rodeo".

20:05 - Hear about the success of the Backchat 2.0 podcast.

23:30 - Will has a big prize for the winner of his AFL Fantasy Classic league.

Find more content from The Traders at afl.com.au/fantasy.

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It's all about the men in the middle today! The engineroom is where bulk Fantasy points are scored and are the backbone of your AFL Fantasy team. We'll chat to a hat winner from last year on what his midfield looks like and go straight to the source of one of the biggest ball magnets going around, Tom Mitchell the Fantasy Pig. Let's do this!

Play AFL Fantasy at http://fantasy.afl.com.au or download the free smartphone app.

Episode guide

0:40 - Roy has organised a ripping Fantasy Draft weekend for the Bacon Cup.

2:30 - Reports out of the Lions suggest Lachie Neale and Cam Rayner are looking like great Fantasy options.

5:40 - Scott Pendlebury is playing off half-back and taking in kick-ins.

8:50 - The two most popular midfielders in Fantasy Classic are rookies.

11:30 - Is Jack Steele worth the $1m asking price?

16:25 - "If he's there, he's there" - Calvin says if Matt Crouch is playing, you lock him in.

19:15 - Roy isn't confident on who he's got in the midfield of his Rollin' 22.

24:30 - Which midfielders with ownership of less than five per cent should you consider?

27:20 - DC from AFL Fantasy Hat Chat joins the show.

30:15 - Jy Simpkin is a smokey in DC's midfield.

35:30 - How many rookies does DC have on field?

39:00 - Ballmagnet Tom Mitchell jumps on the phone to chat Fantasy.

43:30 - How is James Worpel tracking as a potential Draft sleeper?

47:00 - Mitchell says Lachie Neale and Patrick Cripps are looking strong this pre-season.

48:30 - Questions from social media - follow @AFLFantasy on Twitter and like the Official AFL Fantasy facebook page.

50:50 - Which rookies can you safely play on your field?

55:20 - Is Adam Cerra an option?

58:40 - Elliot Yeo is looking like a great under-priced option.

Find more content from The Traders at afl.com.au/fantasy.

Like AFL Fantasy on Facebook.

Follow @AFLFantasy on Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.