An AFL fantasy draft league is a private league where each manager drafts a squad of real AFL players in turn, and every player belongs to one squad only. To run one, pick who is in it, set the squad size, agree how you score, and fix a draft night before Round 1 on Wednesday 17 or Thursday 18 March 2027. Draft night is the one date everything else hangs on.
What is an AFL fantasy draft league?
In a draft league, a player belongs to one manager once they are picked. There is no salary cap and no buying the same star as everyone else. The AFL describes its own Fantasy Draft the same way: one player belongs to one team.
That makes the league about your group rather than the whole competition. The player your mate wanted at pick four is gone, and the argument that follows is half the fun.
How do you run an AFL fantasy draft league?
- Pick your group. A department, a club committee, a pub crowd or a family chat. A league only works when everyone will turn up on draft night.
- Choose a size and a squad. More managers means a thinner pool for each of them. A bigger squad means a longer night.
- Agree how you score. Settle this before the draft, not after someone’s captain has a bad round.
- Fix draft night. Pick one evening that works across time zones, and tell people what happens if they cannot make it.
- Run the draft. Everyone picks in turn until the squads are full.
- Manage the season. Captains, trades and free agents keep the league moving after the draft.
How big should your league and squad be?
There is no official size. Two things decide it.
- Managers. A group of friends or a department is a natural fit. The draft takes longer with more managers, and each squad draws from a thinner pool.
- Squad size. On Fanzava the draft will run one round for every place in the squad, so the squad size you set decides how long the night is. An office league should draft in one evening.
On Fanzava, a hub admin will need at least two teams in before the draft can start.
How does a snake draft work?
A snake draft reverses the order every round. With eight managers, round one runs from first to eighth, and round two runs from eighth back to first. The manager who picks eighth in round one picks again straight away at the start of round two, and the manager at first waits the longest between picks.
It suits a group where a few people follow the competition much more closely than the rest, because nobody is stuck at the back of every round. An auction draft works differently: each manager has a budget and members take turns to put a player up for bidding. Which of the two a Fanzava league can use will be confirmed when fantasy opens.
What is the AFL fantasy points system?
Your league needs a scoring system, and many leagues borrow the AFL’s. In AFL Fantasy Classic, the official game, the AFL publishes these values per statistic:
| Statistic | Points |
|---|---|
| Kick | 3 |
| Handball | 2 |
| Mark | 3 |
| Tackle | 4 |
| Hitout | 1 |
| Goal | 6 |
| Behind | 1 |
| Free kick for | 1 |
| Free kick against | −3 |
That table comes from the AFL’s own AFL Fantasy for dummies guide, and the AFL can change it, so check it before you copy it. The AFL’s Draft format also offers its own scoring presets, which the AFL explains in its Prestige and Impact article.
On Fanzava, scoring for AFL players is not switched on yet, so a Fanzava league does not run scored rounds today. Decide your scoring rule now, because a draft is only as good as the rule it is played under.
What should you settle before draft night?
- Positions. AFL players are described as defenders, midfielders, rucks and forwards. A squad short of one line is lopsided, so look at where your picks play before you spend your early picks.
- Who is in the room, and when. A draft only moves when the person on the clock does. Pick a night that works from Perth to Brisbane, and say what happens when someone is missing.
- Squad lists. On Fanzava, players will come from the club squad lists in the sports data feed. A feed list can run short of a club’s full list, so check the pool before you rely on it.
- Trades and free agents. Agree whether trades need a vote, and whether free agents are first come, first served.
- A captain rule. Each squad names one captain from the players its manager drafted.
When is the official game the better choice?
AFL Fantasy is the AFL’s own game, with its own scoring, and it is well run. If you want a league among mates on the official game, use it and enjoy it.
A Fanzava league is for hosting. It will run on your hub, under your logo, colours and domain, with your members on the login they already use, next to the footy tipping they may already play. It suits the workplace, club, pub or community that wants fantasy inside the audience it already has.
Can you run it on Fanzava?
Not yet. The AFL draft league page covers what is planned: a live draft room with a chat beside the board, squads and captains, trades between members and free agents nobody drafted. AFL is not in the first fantasy release, which is planned for NFL, NHL and MLB draft leagues and a Formula 1 and Supercars garage. Nothing in fantasy is open yet, scoring for AFL players is not switched on and there are no head-to-head matchups, which is why it is a waitlist and not an open signup.
You can run AFL footy tipping on the same hub today, so your members are already in before the draft opens. Anything your league plays for stays between you and your members. Join the waitlist below, and read about fantasy on Fanzava to see where it is headed. If your group wants players to carry over between seasons, read what a keeper league is first, because keeper rules are not part of the first fantasy release.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AFL fantasy draft?
A draft where each manager takes turns picking real AFL players, and every player can sit in only one squad. There is no salary cap. The AFL describes its own Draft format the same way, with one player belonging to one team.
How many people should be in an AFL draft league?
Enough that the pool of players runs deep for everyone, and few enough that draft night finishes in one evening. A group of friends or a department is a natural size. On Fanzava, a draft will need at least two teams to start.
How does a snake draft work?
The pick order reverses every round. If you pick first in round one, you pick last in round two, so whoever picks last in one round picks first in the next.
Do I need to know the AFL Fantasy scoring system to run a draft league?
You need to agree how your league scores. Many leagues borrow the AFL's own scoring, which the AFL publishes. Fanzava does not run scored rounds for AFL players today, so check what your platform scores before draft night.
Can I run an auction draft or a keeper league on Fanzava?
Not yet. Which draft formats a league can choose will be confirmed when fantasy opens, and keeper and dynasty rules are not part of the first fantasy release.
Is AFL fantasy open on Fanzava yet?
No. Fantasy is on a waitlist and there is no opening date to quote. The first release is planned for NFL, NHL and MLB draft leagues and a Formula 1 and Supercars garage, and AFL is not in it. Join the waitlist and we will be in touch about fantasy on your hub.