Bails’ AFL Fantasy 2025 Early Team Reveal

AFL Fantasy is BACK for 2025, and I thought I would reveal my first draft of a team! I’m sure plenty will change ahead of the season, but this is what I am currently sitting with. I am happy with the structure of the team, and I think it is flexible in terms of changing players and moving cash around to different positions.

DEFENDERS

Jack Sinclair ($1.05m) – With most of the top priced defenders, I am not finding a heap of value, so I have gone with the reliable Jack Sinclair, who has been a premium defender for a few years now. Could be a couple of points underpriced if everything goes well, and has a good mid season bye.

James Sicily ($896k) – With the additions of Tom Barrass and Josh Battle, James Sicily should return to the intercepting third tall which will help his fantasy game improve. The asterisk is with the new additions, does Sicily spend some more time forward? A preseason watch, but he is value is he is playing in defence.

Jayden Short ($825k) – A down year last year means we can get a cheap priced Jayden Short in 2025. Averaging only 80.5 last season, I expect his average to increase back up to at least 90+, but with Richmond set to struggle a bit in 2025 with their rebuild, the ball should be down in defence a lot. The other positive for Short is Rioli and to a lesser extent Baker leaving, which should mean some extra kickouts as well.

Harry Perryman ($759k) – Made the move from GWS to Collingwood in the off season which should give him greater opportunity in 2025. A potential midfield role has been talked about in the preseason, and if that is what we see, he could be a really good value pick to start with in defence. Plays Opening Round so we get to see what his role will likely be during the season.

Keidean Coleman ($521k) – Was value last year, but after doing his ACL in Opening Round, he missed the entire 2024 season. He is now a further 30% discounted and priced at $521k, there is some serious value. Couple of things to watch is if he will be ready for the start of the season, and how his role looks with Dayne Zorko back there after an All-Australian and Premiership year.

Tobie Travaglia ($319k) – I like the look of both Tobie Travaglia and Bo Allen as D6 options, and currently have Travaglia as my D6. Hearing good things out of St Kilda about Travaglia, and if he gets a Round 1 debut, could be a nice cash cow in defence.

Bench – Bo Allen ($295k), Saad El-Hawli ($230k)

MIDFIELDERS

Connor Rozee ($996k) – A couple of injury effected scores means that Rozee comes in slightly cheaper this year after averaging 97.1 last year. I think he can get closer to the 105 average which means he is at a good price.

Tim Taranto ($980k) – Similar to Rozee, a couple of injury effected scores and I down year in general mean Taranto also comes in a bit cheaper for us in 2025. In Round 24 last season, he scored a massive 145 points, showing he still has that ceiling in a rebuilding side. Richmond are even younger with a few stars leaving, meaning Taranto will be relied upon more, so I’m expecting a bounce back year.

Clayton Oliver ($797k) – A tumultuous year saw Clarry have his worst average since his rookie season due to som on and off field issues. If Clarry has a big preseason, priced at 77.7, he is massively underpriced for a guy that has averaged over 110 multiple times in his career

Sam Docherty ($782k) – Unfortunately like Keidean Coleman, the Doch also did his ACL in Opening Round last season. Because of that, he is coming in with a 30% on his 2023 average. Dependent on what role he plays, priced around 76, he could be value. Preseason watch on role because if he gets a half back or midfield role, he will be a great pick.

Isaac Cumming ($575k) – Making the move from GWS to the Crows, and as a Crows fan, I’m really excited about what Cumming can bring to both the Crows and our fantasy teams. I am expecting (and hoping) he plays at half back where the Crows haven’t had a main distributor for a number of year. If he gets that role, priced at 56, could be way unders, while he would potentially gain DPP in Round 6.

Jagga Smith ($334k) – The main ball magnet out of the draft, Jagga should hit the ground running straight away. It will be interesting to see how he fits into Carlton’s midfield that already has Cripps, Walsh, Hewett and Cerra (maybe even Doch), but I think he will score regardless of what role he plays.

Levi Ashcroft ($328k) – It’s pretty scary that Brisbane coming off a Premiership now get to add another gun rookie in Levi Ashcroft, who had 35 disposals in a VFL game last season. Similar to Jagga Smith, the Lions midfield that already has Neale, Dunkley, McCluggage, Berry and his brother Will, I am interested to see what role he gets, but we will all start him. Plus we get to look at him in Opening Round.

Harvey Langford ($325k) – Big wraps coming out of Melbourne on Harvey Langford on how he has started his preseason. One of the brightest prospects coming out of the draft, I expect him to hit the ground running straight away. With Melbourne’s midfield not getting any younger, hopefully he gets thrown straight into a midfield role which would result in some good scores early.

Bench – Sid Draper ($331k), Josh Smillie ($322k), Clay Hall UTL ($267K)

RUCKS

Rowan Marshall ($1.20m) & Tristan Xerri ($1.18m) – I honestly don’t see this changing, but I am really big on set and forget in the rucks this season. I am normally a set and forget coach in my rucks, but it makes a lot of sense this season. I am not massively keen on any of the cheaper rucks this season (which could very well change). We have so many forwards that are very cheap and potential top 6-8 forwards, plenty of underpriced midfielders that I think people will have spare cash and I think the rucks is where to spend up. Marshall has been the top scoring ruck in back to back seasons (117.1 average in 2024 and 116.8 average in 2023) and with Soldo not moving to St Kilda and Campbell gone, Marshall has no one else to massively cut into his ruck time. Xerri on the other hand had a massive breakout last season averaging 114.5, but as we know his average in the back half of the season was massive, averaging 125.4 after his bye (12 games). With just Coleman-Jones/Teakle being the chopout, Xerri will take on another massive role for North Melbourne next season. I feel if you don’t start with set and forget rucks, you could be missing out on some massive scores from two very popular players while it could be difficult to get up to them when you want to upgrade your rucks

Bench – Max Heath ($230k)

FORWARDS

Liam Baker ($805k) – Baker has mode the move back home to Perth where it sounds like he will be playing off half back for the Eagles in 2025. We have seen Eagles defenders, particularly the main distributor, score well in the past. When Baker had a good role at Richmond, he was able to score well, but he was thrown in different positions all of the time. I think at West Coast he will settle down back and potentially be a good scorer for us in our forward line.

Jack Macrae ($732k) – Macrae made the move over to St Kilda, which I think is fantastic for us fantasy coaches. St Kilda don’t have a lot of depth in their midfield, compared to the Bulldogs, so I don’t see Macrae playing off half forward like Bevo was doing with him. A couple of sub appearances as well meant he only averaged 71.4, which puts him at a very cheap price.

Mattaes Phillipou ($656k) – A lot of people had Phillipou in their forward lines last season, but a couple of untimely injuries meant he was in and out of their teams, but it is a blessing for us in 2025. Available as a forward, he could be poised for a breakout we saw towards the end of last season, where he scored 117, 93, 96 and 119 in his final four games.

Bailey Smith ($598k) – Probably the biggest lock in AFL Fantasy in 2025 is Bazlenka. Finally getting to Geelong in the trade period, looks set to have a full time midfield role where we have seen him score very well in when given the role. Geelong aren’t like the Bulldogs in terms of a high scoring fantasy team, but I think it doesn’t matter when it comes to Baz. Potential F1 priced at $598k is a gift.

Caleb Daniel ($514k) – Another insanely cheap forward for us is Caleb Daniel, who also moved from the Bulldogs and now at North Melbourne in arguably the best fantasy role in all of the AFL, half back at North Melbourne. He has been a premium forward for us in the past, and I think he will get back to that status in 2025.

Elijah Hewett ($332k) – Injuries have been the main issue for Elijah Hewett in his first couple of seasons has been injury. Priced at $332k, as long as he stays fit, I think he will be given plenty of opportunity at a rebuilding Eagles team with a new coach in 2025.

Bench – Dan Curtin ($300k), Joe Berry ($298k)

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Bails

I am a lover of all sports, especially the AFL. Some of the teams I support include the Adelaide Crows, Manchester United, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Rams just to name a few. I am also a big fan of fantasy sports, particularly AFL Fantasy and NFL Fantasy.