Round 5 had Gather Round taking centre stage — and it clearly took its toll. Heff and this week’s guest Checkers jump on after a massive weekend, a little dusty but still ready to break it all down.

On the field, a few standout performances caught the eye. Angus Anderson impressed with a strong debut that immediately puts him on the radar, while Nick Madden made a serious statement in the ruck with a performance that’s sure to get people talking. Bailey J Williams also stood out, capitalising on his opportunity and reminding everyone of the value he can bring in the right setup.

Across the rest of the round, it was another mix of role changes, matchup-driven scores and evolving trends that are starting to shape the early part of the season. There’s still plenty to work through, but the picture is becoming clearer with each passing week.

If you're playing draft and keeper leagues, this episode dives into the key takeaways you need to stay ahead — even if the boys are running slightly below 100% this week.

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Round 4 gave us another big look at how roles are evolving — and a few key storylines that could have serious keeper league implications.

Jacob Farrow headlines the week, with the underage prospect producing his first ton and putting his name firmly on the fantasy radar. It was a glimpse of the ceiling — and a reminder of just how high his long-term value could be.

In Adelaide, the ruck debate looks all but settled. Lachlan McAndrew dominated with a huge performance, while Reilly O’Brien struggled, strengthening the case that McAndrew is now the Crows’ clear No. 1 ruck moving forward.

Tom Sparrow continues to be one of the more interesting fantasy stories early in the season, thriving through increased midfield time despite still holding forward status — a combination that makes him incredibly valuable across draft and keeper formats.

Across the round, we also saw more players push into 2G4P territory, with names like McAndrew, Riley Bice, Bohdi Uwland, Will Powell and Sparrow now ticking that box, while others continue to hover on the edge.

There were big scores in the right roles, a few performances boosted by soft matchups, and more clarity starting to emerge around which trends are real.

If you're playing draft and keeper leagues, this episode breaks down the players, roles, and early-season shifts you need to know to stay ahead.

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Round 3 delivered some huge fantasy performances and a few key shifts that are starting to shape the season.

Harvey Thomas headlines the week with a ton, continuing a trajectory that now has him firmly on the keeper radar. Josh Treacy delivered a monster performance up forward, while Tom Powell looks set for FWD status — a move that could have implications across draft and keeper leagues.

We also break down Luke Trainor’s standout role in defence, Shai Bolton’s ceiling and consistency concerns, and a range of players building momentum through role changes and favourable matchups.

Across the round, we saw big scores in the right spots, some misleading performances against weaker opposition, and more names pushing into 2G4P consideration.

If you're playing draft and keeper leagues, this episode will help you stay ahead of the pack and identify the players, roles, and trends that matter most early in the season.

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Round 2 is in the books and there’s already some huge fantasy storylines starting to take shape across the competition.

On this episode we break down all the key takeaways from the weekend, headlined by a monster performance from Jason Horne-Francis, who looks ready to take his game to another level with increased midfield time.

We also dive into Joel Freijah’s breakout performance, Bodhi Uwland’s massive score off half back, and another strong showing from Josh Treacy as he continues to build towards genuine keeper relevance.

Sam Berry put together one of his best fantasy performances to date, further cementing his importance in Adelaide’s midfield, while a number of role changes and emerging trends are beginning to shape how we view players moving forward.

Across the round we saw inflated scores in certain matchups, key injuries that could open up new opportunities, and more names pushing onto the 2G4P radar.

If you're playing draft or keeper leagues, this episode will help you stay ahead of the pack and identify the players, roles, and trends that matter most early in the season.

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The first official AFL Fantasy scoring round of 2026 is in the books and there’s already plenty to unpack.

On this episode we review Round 1 and break down the biggest fantasy takeaways from the weekend, including the hype building around Sam Grlj and Lachie Jaques, two players quickly moving onto the 2G4P radar after strong performances.

We also discuss the monster game from Dylan Stephens, the breakout signs from Riley Bice, and the surprise debut of Milan Murdock, who only signed with West Coast last week but made an immediate impact.

Across the round there were also some interesting role changes, big scores from unexpected names, and early-season dilemmas starting to emerge for keeper league coaches.

If you're playing draft or keeper leagues, this episode will help you identify the early trends and players to watch after the first official fantasy round of the season.

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Opening Round is done — and with no AFL Fantasy scoring attached, it was our final chance to get a clean look at roles and usage before the real stuff begins in Round 1.

This week, we break down every Opening Round game and what actually matters for draft and keeper leagues.

Some of the big takeaways:

• Connor Budarick racks up 94 as the Bulldogs’ main distributor out of defence.
• Bailey Humphrey kicks four goals for Gold Coast, showing how damaging he can be even without heavy midfield usage.
• Joe Fonti has a big game off half-back for GWS.
• Justin McInerney explodes for 122 in the same role he finished last season in.
• Tanner Bruhn looks set for a breakout year across half-back for Geelong.
• Marcus Windhager piles on 116 playing across St Kilda’s defence.
• And Dan Houston returns to form against the Saints with a 120.

If you’re preparing for your draft, this episode breaks down the final clues before the season officially begins.

We also answer some listener questions at the end.

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Pre-season 2026 is done — and the second batch of fantasy clues are on the table.

This week we break down every practice match and what matters for draft and keeper leagues heading into the season.

The big headlines:

• Tom Blamires signs as an SSP and immediately impacts across half-back for North.
• Jagga Smith gets declared 2G4P before even debuting.
• Elijah Hollands responds to his re-signing with a 100+ performance.
• Zak Johnson continues to build momentum in a half-back role at Essendon.

From there, we work through every match and every fantasy-relevant performance — midfield usage shifts, CBA trends, half-back distributors, ruck roles, wing rotations and which preseason numbers actually mean something.

Plus listener questions on keeper decisions, prospect rankings (2-year vs 5-year outlooks), waiver sleepers and ruck strategy.

If you’re preparing for draft season or looking to get ahead in your keeper league, this episode sets the table for 2026.

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Practice matches are done and the first real AFL Fantasy 2026 signals are on the board.

In this episode, we break down the biggest pre-season practice match takeaways for keeper leagues, including role changes, usage shifts, and what actually matters heading into draft season.

We deep dive into Sam Flanders’ monster performance, why he already looks like a genuine 2G4P keeper-league asset, and what his role tells us about Gold Coast’s midfield mix. We also analyse Connor Macdonald’s midfield role, plus Connor Budarick’s move into a half-back distributor role and how that impacts his fantasy ceiling.

There’s also much, much more player analysis in this episode as we go through every practice match from the past week, discussing all the fantasy-relevant players, emerging roles, and performances worth paying attention to — and which ones are probably noise.

If you’re building for the future or trying to identify early keeper league stars, this is essential listening.

If you want to support the podcast and the work that goes into these episodes, becoming a member genuinely makes a huge difference.

👉 Sign up as a Keeper League Podcast member: https://keeperleaguepod.com.au/keeper-league-membership/

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Pre-season is flying, and this week on The Keeper League Podcast we’re bringing you a full “in case you missed it” club-by-club update — breaking down all the keeper-league relevant news, role changes, injuries, and emerging opportunities across the competition.

With match sims ramping up and coaches starting to show their hand, this episode is designed to help keeper league coaches spot value early, identify role-based upside, and avoid landmines before drafts really kick into gear.

We also recap the Victoria vs Western Australia State of Origin clash from the weekend, discussing what the game told us (and didn’t tell us) from a fantasy perspective — including ruck scoring trends, shared duties, and how much weight coaches should actually put on an exhibition-style contest.

From Adelaide through to the Western Bulldogs, we touch every club, highlighting:

• Players training in new roles
• Injuries that could open doors for others
• Midfield rotations to monitor
• Half-back shifts, ruck battles, and FWD/MID usage
• Young players quietly building pre-season momentum

This episode is 100% keeper-league focused, aimed at coaches who want to stay ahead of role changes and opportunity spikes before they become obvious on draft night.

Sign up as a member here:
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The pre-season rolls on, and we’re back with another episode of The Keeper League Podcast — this time diving deep into keeper rankings and dynasty draft strategy.

Joining us this week is Matty D’Sena as we unpack Heff’s Top 100 keeper league rankings and what they mean for coaches building for both immediate success and long-term upside. Keeper leagues are all about balancing scoring, age profile, role security, and future growth — and this episode is designed to help you navigate that landscape with confidence.

We break down how to interpret and apply the Top 100 rankings, where value pockets exist, and how different team builds should influence your draft decisions. Matty also shares his top dynasty rookie draft targets, highlighting the young players with the strongest mix of opportunity, talent, and long-term fantasy potential.

We cover:

• How to use keeper rankings to shape draft strategy
 • Interpreting Heff’s Top 100 for short- and long-term builds
 • Value tiers and draft philosophy in keeper formats
 • Matty’s top dynasty rookie draft targets
 • Younger players worth prioritising in long-term leagues
 • Strategy discussion around roster construction and timeline planning

An extended version of this episode is available for Keeper League members, featuring additional dynasty rookie discussion and deeper analysis of Matty’s rankings.

This episode is focused entirely on draft and keeper leagues — not salary cap formats — helping coaches make smarter decisions today while planning for sustained success.

An extended version of this episode is available for Keeper League members, featuring extra discussion, deeper analysis, and additional strategy.

Existing members can listen here:
 https://keeperleaguepod.com.au/bonus-episodes

Sign up as a member here:
 https://keeperleaguepod.com.au/keeper-league-membership/

Links:
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