The Keeper League - AFL Fantasy Podcast

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.
Become a Keeper League Podcast member:  https://keeperleaguepod.com.au/keeper-league-membership/
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/APjqvT22ze
Keeper Fantasy platform: https://keeperfantasy.com/
Play FootyNumbers: https://footynumbers.com
Play FootyHeads: https://footyheads.com

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/
Links:
Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/APjqvT22ze
Join the Keeper Fantasy platform: https://keeperfantasy.com/
Play FootyNumbers: https://footynumbers.com
Play FootyHeads: https://footyheads.com

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:
https://keeperleaguepod.com.au/keeper-league-membership/
Links:
Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/APjqvT22ze
Join the Keeper Fantasy platform: https://keeperfantasy.com/
Play FootyNumbers: https://footynumbers.com
Play FootyHeads: https://footyheads.com

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:
Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/APjqvT22ze
Join the Keeper Fantasy platform: https://keeperfantasy.com/
Play FootyNumbers: https://footynumbers.com
Play FootyHeads: https://footyheads.com

The pre-season rolls on, and we’re back with another episode of The Keeper League Podcast, this time turning our attention to AFL Fantasy forwards — all through a Keeper League lens.
In this episode, we’re joined by original co-host Kaes as our special guest, bringing his insight and experience to what’s shaping up as one of the most important positional conversations heading into 2026.
With the forward line always throwing up plenty of volatility, role changes, and breakout potential, we take a step back and look at how coaches should be thinking about forwards in draft and keeper leagues — balancing short-term scoring with long-term value, job security, and upside. We discuss what makes a forward worth investing in, how to identify the next big breakout, and where the traps might sit across the line.
We cover:
How to assess forwards in draft and keeper leagues
What roles and stats translate best to consistent forward scoring
Undervalued options and potential bounce-back candidates
Breakout forwards and younger players worth tracking
Long-term stash options for keeper formats
How to approach forward trades, holds, and depth/bench planning
Listener questions round out the episode, touching on forward depth, keeper value, and how aggressive coaches should be when building out their forward line for both the short and long term.

This episode is focused entirely on draft and keeper leagues — not salary cap formats — with analysis designed to help you make smarter decisions now while keeping one eye firmly on the future.
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
New members can sign up here:
https://keeperleaguepod.com.au/keeper-league-membership/
Links:
Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/APjqvT22ze
Join the Keeper Fantasy platform: https://keeperfantasy.com/
Play FootyNumbers: https://footynumbers.com
Play FootyHeads: https://footyheads.com