AFL Fantasy with The Traders

Here we are! It's lockout week. That means decisions we make in the lead up to each game of round one will stick ... until you have a chance to trade them out! Calvin, Roy and Warnie run over the Opening Round games and name up their locks, debate some selections and build their team to get started for 2026. 

Head to fantasy.afl.com.au or download the app to start picking your team today.

Episode guide

0:00 - Tips for lockout week.

4:00 - Quick takeaways from Opening Round.

6:00 - Sydney v Carlton.

10:00 - Gold Coast v Geelong.

14:00 - GWS Giants v Hawthorn.

18:00 - Brisbane v Western Bulldogs.

24:45 - St Kilda v Collingwood.

39:45 - Must picks and structure for each position.

54:30 - Questions from social media - follow @AFLFantasy on X, @aflfantasy on Instagram and like the Official AFL Fantasy facebook page.

- - - -

Find more from Roy, Calvin and Warnie.

Head to afl.com.au/fantasy for more content from The Traders.

Like AFL Fantasy on Facebook.

Follow @AFLFantasy on Instagram.

Follow @AFLFantasy on X.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Return of the Pride.

Josh Gabelich and Micheal Whiting have spoken to more than 50 people inside the Brisbane Lions and across the AFL industry about how the Lions hit rock bottom before returning to the promised land in 2024 and again in 2025.

Sacking coaches Justin Leppitsch, and Michael Voss. Losing 5 players in a single trade period, now infamously known as "the go home 5" the club was in turmoil before the AFL deployed Greg Swann as CEO who began picking up the pieces of the rubble. 

This is Episode 1 of Return of the Pride. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opening Round is here, or as we like to call it, Cheat Code Round! It means we get a look at some potential AFL Fantasy players who we are considering and know what score will be in there to affect the first price change. Calvin, Roy and Warnie chat through who is on the watchlist across the five matches and answer plenty of your questions!

Head to fantasy.afl.com.au or download the app to start picking your team today.

Episode guide

0:00 - Key info ahead of R1

5:30 - Sydney v Carlton Watchlist

8:20 - Gold Coast v Geelong Watchlist

12:55 - GWS v Hawthorn Watchlist

15:20 - Brisbane v Western Bulldogs Watchlist

19:45 - St Kilda v Collingwood Watchlist

22:00 - Questions from social media - follow @AFLFantasy on X, @aflfantasy on Instagram and like the Official AFL Fantasy facebook page.

37:05 - Last minute tips.

- - - -

Find more from Roy, Calvin and Warnie.

Head to afl.com.au/fantasy for more content from The Traders.

Like AFL Fantasy on Facebook.

Follow @AFLFantasy on Instagram.

Follow @AFLFantasy on X.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of AFL Fantasy Draft leagues will host their Drafts this week. The Traders have some quick tips to get started, but focus mainly on how the draft will play out. From how the first couple of rounds will play off 

Head to fantasy.afl.com.au or download the app to get your Draft league sorted today.

Episode guide

0:30 - Get prepared with a Mock Draft and the Draft Kit.

5:00 - The first round and drafting strategy.

8:30 - Where should you draft a ruck?

12:15 - Are midfielders an issue this year?

15:00 - Where do the top defenders go?

16:30 - Late round picks.

21:30 - More tips including pre-draft lists.

- - - -

Find more from Roy, Calvin and Warnie.

Head to afl.com.au/fantasy for more content from The Traders.

Like AFL Fantasy on Facebook.

Follow @AFLFantasy on Instagram.

Follow @AFLFantasy on X.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a big five days of watching our potential AFL Fantasy recruits run around racking up points that we could follow live in the AFL app and on AFL.com.au. It started with Jagga Smith topping the table for the Blues with 118 and ended with the highest score of the round of 152 coming from Zak Butters. Calvin, Roy and Warnie chat through all nine games with their takeaways as they piece together their teams for round one.

Head to fantasy.afl.com.au or download the app to start picking your team today.

Episode guide

3:20 - Carlton v Geelong

8:45 - Sydney v GWS Giants

14:00 - Brisbane Lions v Gold Coast

19:20 - Melbourne v Richmond

24:30 - Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn

31:00 - St Kilda v Essendon

41:00 - Fremantle v Adelaide

53:10 - North Melbourne v Collingwood

1:01:20 - West Coast v Port Adelaide

- - - -

Find more from Roy, Calvin and Warnie.

Head to afl.com.au/fantasy for more content from The Traders.

Like AFL Fantasy on Facebook.

Follow @AFLFantasy on Instagram.

Follow @AFLFantasy on X.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The dress rehearsal before the real stuff starts is upon us with the AAMI Community Series. AFL Fantasy coaches will be watching carefully and taking in the live stats (available via AFL.com.au and the AFL Live app) as they make their selections ahead of round one. Calvin, Roy and Warnie discuss what they'll be looking for and running through a player or two from each game that they'll be keeping an eye on.

Head to fantasy.afl.com.au or download the app to start picking your team today.

Episode guide

0:30 - Tips for what to look for in AAMI

3:30 - Carlton v Geelong

5:45 - Sydney v GWS Giants

7:30 - Brisbane v Gold Coast

9:50 - Melbourne v Richmond

12:20 - Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn

15:50 - St Kilda v Essendon

18:10 - Fremantle v Adelaide

20:45 - North Melbourne v Collingwood

24:20 - West Coast v Port Adelaide

- - - -

Find more from Roy, Calvin and Warnie.

Head to afl.com.au/fantasy for more content from The Traders.

Like AFL Fantasy on Facebook.

Follow @AFLFantasy on Instagram.

Follow @AFLFantasy on X.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Rookies dictate your structure" - Dawg, Warne (2008). They're the backbone of your AFL Fantasy Classic team and for many, they start by slotting in the best options and build the squad from there. Traditionally our cheapest players can be the most profitable cash cows that help increase team value and allows you to work towards an epic team for Fantasy finals. From the most popular selection in Jagga Smith, new draftees and the mature-age options, Warnie ranks his top five for each position.

Head to fantasy.afl.com.au or download the app to start picking your team today.

Episode guide

0:30 - What do we look for in cash cows?

10:15 - Top 5 defenders

20:00 - Top 5 midfielders

29:45 - Top 5 rucks

38:40 - Top 5 forwards

- - - -

Find more from Roy, Calvin and Warnie.

Head to afl.com.au/fantasy for more content from The Traders.

Like AFL Fantasy on Facebook.

Follow @AFLFantasy on Instagram.

Follow @AFLFantasy on X.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calvin, Roy and Warnie - with the help of Nathan Schmook - review the nine matsch simulations over the last week. They offer their first take on the games and chat through relevant players. With some stats from the Fantasy community - thanks Heff, Pete and co - they try to make sense of who impressed from the eye test and what the numbers say.

Head to fantasy.afl.com.au or download the app to pick your team now.

Episode guide

3:40 - Hawthorn v Geelong

7:15 - Brisbane v Carlton

12:20 - Western Bulldogs v Sydney

17:55 - St Kilda v Gold Coast [insert ad]

23:20 - Essendon v Richmond

32:10 - Collingwood v GWS Giants

39:00 - Melbourne v North Melbourne

45:15 - Adelaide v Port Adelaide

56:20 - Fremantle v West Coast

- - - -

Find more from Roy, Calvin and Warnie.

Head to afl.com.au/fantasy for more content from The Traders.

Like AFL Fantasy on Facebook.

Follow @AFLFantasy on Instagram.

Follow @AFLFantasy on X.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Footy is back with Origin's triumphant return on the weekend. What did we learn from it? Not heaps, but there's plenty to talk about with intraclub matches, ownership figures changing (thanks @bitinthat) and what the next few weeks look like for Fantasy coaches as their study goes up a notch.

Episode guide

0:50 - Calvin's Draft weekend.

4:00 - Takeaways from WA v VIC Origin.

8:10 - Intraclub match news.

26:15 - How ownership has changed since Classic opened.

31:30 - What to look at for match simulations and AAMI Community Series.

39:30 - The Opening Round Cheat Code.

46:00 - Questions from social media - follow @AFLFantasy on X, @aflfantasy on Instagram and like the Official AFL Fantasy facebook page.

- - - -

Find more from Roy, Calvin and Warnie.

Head to afl.com.au/fantasy for more content from The Traders.

Like AFL Fantasy on Facebook.

Follow @AFLFantasy on Instagram.

Follow @AFLFantasy on X.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's fair to say that Harry Sheezel is the No.1 forward in AFL Fantasy for 2026. He could be first picked in Draft and is currently the most owned player in Classic. Value looks to be there in the FWDs in both formats and The Traders chat through the options to consider with their pros and cons.

Register now at fantasy.afl.com.au to start playing!

Episode guide

0:50 - Roy’s Rollin’ 22

8:20 - Premium forwards

12:45 - Value forwards

25:30 - Cash cow forwards

30:55 - Draft options

39:00 - Questions from social media - follow @AFLFantasy on X, @aflfantasy on Instagram and like the Official AFL Fantasy facebook page.

- - - -

Find more from Roy, Calvin and Warnie.

Head to afl.com.au/fantasy for more content from The Traders.

Like AFL Fantasy on Facebook.

Follow @AFLFantasy on Instagram.

Follow @AFLFantasy on X.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.