Strategy 2026 AFL Fantasy Pre-Season

[Milo Cyrus]

Just because there's no sub rule it doesn't mean that most rookies will average 60% TOG. Early days could well see 40%.

Right now, no one knows.

With 5 on the bench it could spread the TOG a bit thinner across the board.
The 50% sub rule gives you the neat second chance off the bench.

 

[Shaunn]

Anyone know when it's going to open?

They said sometime in jan but earlier than later on, so hopefully in the next 1-2 weeks i presume.

 

[happy_eagle]

With 5 on the bench it could spread the TOG a bit thinner across the board.
The 50% sub rule gives you the neat second chance off the bench.

Assuming your emergency has good TOG

 

[Constantgin]

Anyone know when it's going to open?

Warnie said couple of weeks still. So middle of month at earliest.

 

[4tune8]

Fair bit of chat coming from Freo where they want to move the ball faster out of defence. I think I read somewhere that they were one of the slowest transitioning teams in the comp. They also went out and targeted McVee, does anyone see him as producing similar numbers to what Noble did? Priced at 54, so an average 80-85 would be a good outcome at D4/5 until the byes.

 

[TedDougChris]

Fair bit of chat coming from Freo where they want to move the ball faster out of defence. I think I read somewhere that they were one of the slowest transitioning teams in the comp. They also went out and targeted McVee, does anyone see him as producing similar numbers to what Noble did? Priced at 54, so an average 80-85 would be a good outcome at D4/5 until the byes.

IIRC - when they moved it quick, they often won, but when they went slow, they lost.

However, they do have some mouths to feed down back and if they don’t do the “chippy-chippy”, overall points may drop for them.

Something to watch preseason

 

[samFFC]

Will be interesting whether coaches throw this position for VC looping (I'm not sure you can throw one of the other lines) or try to get extra cash gen.

I mean fair to say that teams will likely end up with less than 30 playing after a couple of rounds, but its a question of whether you'd VC loop in DEF, MID or FWD knowing that you are risking getting a full EMG score for an injury.

I like to keep all players on the bench as active as possible, the cash gen is vital. I think that I will take the risk of looping over the early byes, but by no means set in concrete, it's not so much missing an emergency score because of an injury that concerns me, more the 50% rule.

A DPP would be very handy. Would be willing to pay a little extra for that.

 

[Phar Ace]

IIRC - when they moved it quick, they often won, but when they went slow, they lost.

However, they do have some mouths to feed down back and if they don’t do the “chippy-chippy”, overall points may drop for them.

Something to watch preseason

Two runners in Clark and McVee, handball receives from the other mouths, and putting it to one of Young, Serong and Bray in space.

 

[TedDougChris]

Two runners in Clark and McVee, handball receives from the other mouths, and putting it to one of Young, Serong and Bray in space.

They have had Ryan down there as a hybrid rebounder and defender for a while, so need to see if his role changes with McVee in !!

 

[Phar Ace]

They have had Ryan down there as a hybrid rebounder and defender for a while, so need to see if his role changes with McVee in !!

Thisway-thatway Ryan was a hit with coach, Longmuir

 

[4tune8]

Thisway-thatway Ryan was a hit with coach, Longmuir

Yep, post mid season bye 2024.

 

[FlowersByIrene]

Regarding the ability to VC loop in the context of the new Emergency rules. It definitely takes the ability to loop out of any line other than the Ruck non-favourable. Too much risk that you cop a sub 50% game from one of your FWDs / DEF / MIDs to risk looping, either bench looping or captain looping, in those lines. But the Ruck line, you've only got at most 1 slot with risk of an injury.

Will reduce the open field for VC's as you'll need to limit yourself to games before your 2nd ruck plays. Will make an R3 donut an almost necessity.

 

[happy_eagle]

Regarding the ability to VC loop. It definitely takes the ability to loop out of any line other than the Ruck non-favourable. Too much risk that you cop a sub 50% game from one of your FWDs / DEF / MIDs to risk looping, either bench looping or captain looping, in those lines. But the Ruck line, you've only got at most 1 slot with risk of an injury.

Will reduce the open field for VC's as you'll need to limit yourself to games before your 2nd ruck plays. Will make an R3 donut an almost necessity.

Don't forget there are 8 bye rounds (3 early and 5 mid season), so fair chance you will have looping options there (that lockout last game of the round as well) and then by the mid season we will all likely have 1 or two dead rookies that never generated any cash.

So Round 1 might be tough for a loop if you wanna start 30 green dots, but by Gather Round I reckon most will have a loop option even if they didn't throw their bench ruck.

 

[bettingonbetts]

I’m assuming (unless a r0 ruck scores 130+) that I’ll start two rucks with no early season bye and make my r3 a red dot.
I agree with some comments above that cash gen is vital but my cash gen was pretty healthy and had a healthy bench late with a red dot all season last year

 

[TedDougChris]

I’m assuming (unless a r0 ruck scores 130+) that I’ll start two rucks with no early season bye and make my r3 a red dot.
I agree with some comments above that cash gen is vital but my cash gen was pretty healthy and had a healthy bench late with a red dot all season last year

I won’t be compromising my side to fit in a R3 that might play one game for the year.

 

[tigs2010]

I won’t be compromising my side to fit in a R3 that might play one game for the year.

You say that now. Wait until Liam Reidy drops a 110 on Grundy because Pittonet has a 2 week injury.

 

[Phar Ace]

I won’t be compromising my side to fit in a R3 that might play one game for the year.

 

[FlowersByIrene]

Don't forget there are 8 bye rounds (3 early and 5 mid season), so fair chance you will have looping options there (that lockout last game of the round as well) and then by the mid season we will all likely have 1 or two dead rookies that never generated any cash.

So Round 1 might be tough for a loop if you wanna start 30 green dots, but by Gather Round I reckon most will have a loop option even if they didn't throw their bench ruck.

Yeah, but the point is that with the 50% GT threshold for emergencies, you're going to want to have Emergencies in your main lines to cover for injuries, meaning you can't safely loop from anywhere other than the ruck line.

 

[Neale4brownlow]

Will be interesting whether coaches throw this position for VC looping (I'm not sure you can throw one of the other lines) or try to get extra cash gen.

I mean fair to say that teams will likely end up with less than 30 playing after a couple of rounds, but its a question of whether you'd VC loop in DEF, MID or FWD knowing that you are risking getting a full EMG score for an injury.

Never gone with this trend tbh.

Red dots are inevitable. If you have full green dots to start the 2nd round (round 1) youre doing well.

But more than likely 1 or 2 rooks get dropped and they become the loop (if wanted).

 

[Bandicoot]

Will be interesting whether coaches throw this position for VC looping (I'm not sure you can throw one of the other lines) or try to get extra cash gen.

I mean fair to say that teams will likely end up with less than 30 playing after a couple of rounds, but its a question of whether you'd VC loop in DEF, MID or FWD knowing that you are risking getting a full EMG score for an injury.

I will certainly be using the R3 spot as my VC/C loophole. At the moment this is White.

 

[Bandicoot]

What other occurences would this come into play outside of an injury though?

Do you expect regular on ground rookies to be getting <50% game time ?

With the bench going from 4 to 5 (an increase of 25%) it's fair to assume that most rookies will spend significantly less time on ground that they would have with the sub rule in place. That being said, a number of them may well fall below the 50% time on ground threshold.
However, your onfield rookie (if not injured) is still likely to score more than your emergency.

 

[4tune8]

With the bench going from 4 to 5 (an increase of 25%) it's fair to assume that most rookies will spend significantly less time on ground that they would have with the sub rule in place. That being said, a number of them may well fall below the 50% time on ground threshold.
However, your onfield rookie (if not injured) is still likely to score more than your emergency.

Pfft! Not the way I play rookie roulette!

 

[TedDougChris]

Pfft! Not the way I play rookie roulette!

None of my selected rookies will still be playing by Rd 3, several will have already retired.

 

[Phteven]

I will certainly be using the R3 spot as my VC/C loophole. At the moment this is White.

I am also using White as it is unlikely he will play this year and many of Melbournes games are on Sunday.

 

[FlowersByIrene]

With the bench going from 4 to 5 (an increase of 25%) it's fair to assume that most rookies will spend significantly less time on ground that they would have with the sub rule in place. That being said, a number of them may well fall below the 50% time on ground threshold.
However, your onfield rookie (if not injured) is still likely to score more than your emergency.

On what basis do you say that. At least early in the season, there is so often the case where a "hyped" rookie, or an "expensive" rookie. ala Finn O Sullivan last year, is easily outscored by a less vaulted counterpart on the bench, and (at least for me), this rookie roulette can continue for weeks until you start to get a clearer picture of their role.

I think in the first 5-8 rounds of next year we will likely have a number of instances where an Emergency Rookie fills in for an onfield rookie who has had 50% or less gametime.