AFL
Welcome to our League’s corner. Here we celebrate everything AFL and AFLW related, from the games to the collectibles. AFL holds a special place in the collectibles universe. Officially, May 17th 1859 was when the history of our Australian Football started. Around the same time, Melbourne (1858) and Geelong (1859) were founded. That makes them two of the oldest continuous sporting clubs in the world. The first game ever recorded took place in Melbourne: Scotch College vs Melbourne. Grammar (1858). Comparatively, the Women’s League had its first game played in February 2017.
Among Australia’s most fervent collectible hobbies, cards stand out as a dominant pursuit. While Pokémon firmly holds its position as the country’s top-selling card game, outpacing Magic: The Gathering, AFL Select is rapidly gaining ground, challenging the popularity of other prominent collections such as Dragon Ball and One Piece. As of October 2025, the most expensive AFL card remains the 2021 Select Supremacy 1000+ Goalkicker Quad Signature, while the rarest card is 1894 N302 Mayo’s Cut Plug Football Dunlop.
AFL is History
We’ve spent months exploring images from the early days of the AFL, revisiting where the game began. It’s been a great journey, but now it’s time to take the next step and dive into the history of every club. This month, we celebrate:
Emerging from the heart of Sydney’s west and the nation’s capital, the GWS Giants have carved out an audacious identity within traditional rugby league territory. Clad in charcoal and vibrant orange, the club quickly shed early expansion struggles to unleash the fast-paced, high-pressure brand of football known universally as the “Orange Tsunami.” That unapologetic, combative edge—forged by foundational hardheads like Callan Ward and Shane Mumford—remains central to their DNA under coach Adam Kingsley. Spearheaded by the talismanic swagger of Toby Greene and powerhouse prime movers like Tom Green, the Giants have entrenched themselves as a perennial threat capable of tearing open any opposition.
As an inaugural competitor in the 2017 AFLW season, the Giants’ women’s side established a reputation built on sheer resilience and contested grit. Flying the flag across Sydney and Canberra, the squad has continually embraced a physical, blue-collar standard of football designed to thrive in high-stakes territory battles. Anchored by the relentless engine of multi-time All-Australian Alyce Parker alongside the electrifying, game-breaking prowess of young superstar Zarlie Goldsworthy, the female Giants continue to refine a combative edge aimed at converting hard-nosed work ethic into deep finals impact.
AFL News
MEN’S LEAGUE
Across the men’s competition, the AFL announced a historic milestone in broadcast reach, confirming that the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership home-and-away season reached more than 370 million viewers to establish an all-time league viewership record.
In major player honors, the league officially unveiled the 2026 AFL All-Australian team, celebrating the season’s standout performers and making history with five First Nations players selected—the highest Indigenous representation ever recorded in a single All-Australian squad.
WOMEN’S LEAGUE
In the women’s competition, league officials confirmed that the 2026 NAB AFLW Grand Final will break new ground on Friday, November 27, marking the first time in competition history that the season decider will take place under prime-time Friday night lights.
Meanwhile, reigning premiers North Melbourne suffered a significant setback as star midfielder Mia King was ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 AFLW campaign after undergoing spinal fusion surgery on her neck, though club medical staff expect her to make a complete recovery ahead of the 2027 season.
The Footy Focus
Jarrod Berry serves as an uncompromising, physical engine across the Brisbane Lions’ midfield and wing rotations. Blending endurance running with strong contested ball-winning capabilities, his defensive pressure and positional versatility have made him a vital tactical cog in Brisbane’s campaigns.
Across his 202 senior AFL appearances, Berry has averaged 17.9 disposals, 4.7 marks, and 3.5 tackles per contest. A 2024 AFL Premiership player with the Lions, his off-field dedication and sporting character also earned him selection as a finalist for the 2024 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award.
Outside of match days, Berry channels personal experience into community advocacy alongside the Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA). Honoring the memory of his late mother, Jedda, he organizes grassroots community runs and spearheads national awareness fundraisers that have directed hundreds of thousands of dollars toward supportive medical care and cancer research initiatives.
In the Arena
WF: The AFL Wildcard Finals delivered high-stakes knockout drama at the MCG, finalizing the bracket for the major finals series.
The Western Bulldogs held their nerve in a frantic, down-to-the-wire finish to edge out Collingwood 14.12 (96) to 14.9 (93) by just three points, while Carlton produced a disciplined performance to pull away from Melbourne 11.8 (74) to 7.13 (55) with a 19-point victory. These crucial triumphs propelled both the Bulldogs and the Blues directly into elimination finals, while abruptly bringing an end to the 2026 premiership campaigns of Collingwood and Melbourne.
The QE starts on the 3rd of September with Fremantle facing the Hawks.
Moment of the Week
WF Picture: AFL Photos
In the AFLW Arena
ROUND 3: Indigenous Round featured decisive statement victories alongside several thrilling finishes across the competition. Melbourne delivered a powerhouse performance by dismantling the Brisbane Lions 89 to 33, while North Melbourne maintained their imperious form with a commanding 47-point victory over the Western Bulldogs (70 to 23). Adelaide secured a steady 17-point win against West Coast (60 to 43), Sydney comfortably handled St Kilda 38 to 15, and Hawthorn controlled their clash against Collingwood to finish 28-point winners (54 to 26).
The remainder of the round was defined by frantic, down-to-the-wire contests that significantly shaped the middle rungs of the ladder. Port Adelaide edged Greater Western Sydney by just four points (52 to 48) despite the Giants kicking a flawless eight goals straight, while Geelong held off a surging Gold Coast outfit 64 to 57. Carlton strengthened their top-four credentials by claiming a six-point thriller against Fremantle (48 to 42), and Richmond capped off the round under the lights in Darwin with a gritty five-point Dreamtime victory over Essendon (38 to 33).
Moment of the Week
ROUND 3 Picture: AFL Photos
AFL Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996 to coincide with the VFL/AFL centenary, serving as the ultimate recognition for those who have made significant contributions to the sport. The Hall enshrines players, coaches, umpires, administrators, and media figures based on their ability, integrity, and character, rather than just raw statistics. The highest echelon of this institution is “Legend” status, a title reserved for those who fundamentally changed the game for the better. As of 2026, this elite group has grown to 34 members, with Western Australian icon and four-time Sandover Medallist Bill Walker being the most recent great elevated to the status
In recent years, the Hall of Fame has evolved to formally mirror the growth of the women’s game. A historic milestone was reached in 2025 when Daisy Pearce and Erin Phillips became the first AFLW players ever inducted. This breakthrough was supported by a specific criteria change that allowed women to be eligible for induction just one year after their retirement, acknowledging the shorter history and unique structure of the professional women’s league compared to the five-year requirement for the men’s competition. Their inclusion, alongside trailblazer Debbie Lee, has solidified the Hall of Fame as a truly national and inclusive institution that celebrates the entire landscape of Australian Rules football
The League Gallery
That Funko never made: AFL mascots
AFL memorabilia can be so cute!
The Rules of the Game
Find Your Team
TCC’s Collection
Our journey doesn’t stop here. Explore the other corners of our digital library where we dive deep into the specific worlds of Pokémon, Funko, and more.