SINCE Fantasy opened in December, many coaches like Calvin have been tinkering with their AFL Fantasy teams. As we approach the practice games, we are learning more and more about the teams and how they are shaping up for 2025.

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Today we look at Calvin's team. We step inside his mind to hear his thoughts about how he has gone about constructing his current line-up which is left with $24,000 in the bank.

The early byes

Avoiding players with an early bye is a strategy employed by many Fantasy coaches. This year I'm making more of an effort to stick to this rule. Even though the best 18 on-field scores will count during these rounds, it's important to be getting the most out of your players.

However, some rules need to be broken, and this is why I'm still opting for the value of certain players who have an early bye. Bailey Smith (MID/FWD, $598,000) and Callum Mills (DEF, $759,000) are two players who have so much upside, they can't be ignored.

With both players playing in Opening Round, we will also get a 'free look' at their roles and their scoring output. In fact, we will get a free look at all eight teams and this is when we can bend the rule a little more, because we might have our arm twisted by someone who comes out and blows it out of the park.

Solid defence

With Callum Mills sitting at D5, my backline is rather strong. Jack Sinclair (DEF/MID, $1,046,000) and Bailey Dale (DEF, $950,000) are my most expensive and outside of those stars, I hunted for players of value and upside.

Colby McKercher (DEF, $845,000) and Jayden Short (DEF, $825,000) are both priced under what they can achieve. McKercher appears to be moving to a wing, and this shouldn't deter anyone from picking him in 2025. Even though he won't be taking heaps of kick ins, he's a future pig and he'll find the ball no matter where he plays.

Leading into 2024, Short was coming off averages of 93 and 98. He dropped that to 80 last season, and we all know he's better than that and currently 30 per cent of Fantasy coaches agree.

Set and regret?

The rucks have certainly thrown us many curve balls already this year and it is only February. The set-and-forget strategy of Rowan Marshall (RUCK, $1,201,000) and Tristan Xerri (RUCK, $1,175,000) was a popular play early but then we got hit with the news about Marshall missing the next 5-8 weeks with a stress fracture of the pelvis.

Hello Harry Boyd (RUCK, $230,000)! Boyd was a star of the SANFL competition last year and signed on with St Kilda during the pre-season supplemental selection period. He averaged 117 from his 18 games with Norwood where he averaged 21 disposals, four tackles and 42 hitouts a game.

Boyd currently sits in my team next to Xerri. Over the remainder of the pre-season many eyes will be watching St Kilda's two big men because there are many questions that'll still need to be answered.

Premium midfielders

If you are a premium midfield player and want to be in Team Calvinator, you need to offer two things.

No.1 is 'value' and No.2 is 'no early bye'.

Jordan Dawson (MID, $1,080,000), Connor Rozee (MID, $996,000) and Tim Taranto (MID, $980,000) all tick those two boxes after they dropped their averages in 2024 from the previous year. They all have upside, especially Taranto who averaged 112.4 in 2023, but dropped that to 95.5 last season. He finished the year scoring 154 in the final round which is hopefully a sign of things to come.

Moving forward

Off the back of the news that Mattaes Phillipou (MID/FWD, $656,000) will miss the first part of the season, plenty of Fantasy coaches started to move and shuffle players in their forward line.

Coincidently, Ryley Sanders (MID/FWD, $656,000) is the exact same price and position. Sanders isn't a random name that has just popped up. He is certainly an option to consider, but his pre-season role and game time will need to be monitored because as we know, Luke Beveridge isn't the easiest coach to read.

Jason Horne-Francis (MID/FWD, $919,000) fills my No.1 position in my forward line alongside Jack Macrae (FWD, $732,000) who is flying this pre-season. After breaking the 'Bevo-shackles' he has slotted straight into the Saints' midfield and ready to prove a point this season after averaging 71 in 2024.

The rookies

There is no shortage of rookies this season … on the condition you are willing to pay up.

We do have some great cheap options in defence. However, across the midfield and forwards you'll need to be paying over $300,000 to secure the services of the best rookies.

The questions we have around the rookies will be answered when the 2025 AAMI Community Series kicks off on February 25. These games are critical as teams usually structure themselves as they would for their first game, meaning we should get a good picture of which rookies will debut, their role and their scoring ability.