Toyota AFL Dream Team. It’s the most fun you can have in footy beyond watching your team win.
The idea is simple: you’re an AFL coach with a squad of 30 players at your disposal. Each week, you choose your best 22 to take on an opponent.
You’re competing against 15 other teams in your Dream league. So gather your mates and prepare to duke it out all season to see who has the sharpest football brain.
Below are frequently asked questions about Dream Team, and some hints to get you started.
So come on! Sign up for the official fantasy game of the AFL players and coaches.
1. How do I pick my Dream Team?
Number of players
Your 2010 season starts with picking your dream squad of 30 players. In Toyota AFL Dream Team, every player from every AFL club is available to everyone taking part. They’re ranked by their virtual salary. The good news is that you have a starting salary cap of $7,962,500 – everybody has the same cap to start with – but don’t get too cocky. For one, it’s Dream money, not actual cash. Secondly, you’ll be surprised how quickly it gets eaten up as you select your squad.
Type of players
You’ll have to pick a starting line-up of 22 (seven backs, six centres, two rucks, seven forwards) as well as eight reserves, but if you think you need a hand, you can click 'auto-fill' and have us automatically do it for you. You might want to pick your favourite handful of players and then auto-fill the rest of the squad around them, or auto-fill with your supported team's players.
Salary cap restrictions
Each player costs a certain amount of money based on recent form and your only restriction is keeping within the $7,962,500 salary cap – the same as real AFL clubs.
Selection strategy
A good strategy for picking your team is to pick about half of your squad from the superstars of the game and better-known, dependable club champions. The other half should come from good value, less expensive players like ready-made draftees and players who are establishing themselves at their club. You can also take a punt also on players returning from long-term injury.
Injury and form
2. How does my team score points?
Scoring system
Each week the real performances of your 22 players will score points for your team – it’s that simple. The more possessions, goals, tackles and free kicks your players get each week, the higher your team score.
Points are awarded as follows:
Kicks: 3 points
Handballs: 2 points
Mark: 3 points
Tackles: 4 points
Free kicks for: 1 point
Free kicks against: -3 points
Hitouts: 1 point
Goals: 6 points
Behinds: 1 point
Captain and vice-captain
Your nominated captain scores double points, so awarding the captaincy to your best player is an easy way to get ahead.
You also choose a vice-captain – who becomes captain, and scores double points, if your nominated captain doesn’t play for some reason.
Live score checks
You can stay in touch with how your players are scoring by logging on to the Match Day Centre on afl.com.au and watching their Dream Team scores update live.
3. What if I need to change my team?
Trading
Part of any good Toyota AFL Dream Team strategy is managing your list of players during the season through trading.
If a player suffers a long-term injury or seriously loses form, you can delist him completely and trade in a replacement before the next round (and before your outgoing player’s value starts to drop too far).
Player value
A great trading strategy is using your playing list like a stock portfolio – buy inexpensive players on the rise, and then trade them later when their value skyrockets.
If a player’s price goes up while they’re on your list, the extra value they earn goes into your salary cap to spend if you trade them. So you can buy a promising rookie at the beginning of the year, watch his stats and value improve through the season, and then trade him later on for one of the game’s superstars.
On the flipside, players can also lose value if their form tapers off. So choose your players wisely, especially those worth big money.
Trading restrictions
Be careful with your trades, however. While you can trade up to two players between each round, you only get a maximum of 20 trades for the whole season.
4. Who am I playing against?
Leagues
Just like every other footy club, your Dream Team will be battling it out for the premiership in your very own league. You and 15 of your mates will have a fixture, ladder and top-eight finals series.
You can be in up to three different leagues, so you can compete against friends, workmates and family members in different competitions, all with the same team.
One on one
Each week, starting from round 4, your team will come head-to-head against one of your mates’ teams. If your players get a higher combined score than the opposition line-up, then the four ladder points are yours and you’re another step closer to the finals.
The rest of the competition
On top of your mates, you’ll be pitting your charges against hundreds of thousands of other competitors in the competition for the major prizes. Here it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s a simple race to the top – your weekly scores are added together and the highest total at the end of round 22 wins.
The Eliminator
The first 262,144 entrants will be put into a giant tennis tournament-style draw of head to head Dream Team combat. Score more than your opponent for the round and you’re through to the next round. Score less than them and you’re out of the Eliminator. This continues until there’s one person left standing!
5. What am I playing for?
Great prizes
Check back on February 1 for confirmation of the Toyota AFL Dream Team major prize, Eliminator prize and weekly prizes.
6. How do I follow my Dream Team?
afl.com.au
afl.com.au is the home of Toyota AFL Dream Team, and the only place to access your team, league, scores and results.
Follow the Toyota AFL Dream Team links on the homepage, or go directly via http://dreamteam.afl.com.au
Each week there will be live scores for your own team (as well as your opposition) as the round unfolds over the weekend.
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