2026 AFL draft points and bid matching explained
A pick is both a place in the selection order and, in a bidding scenario, a source of draft points. Those two uses explain why a package can look valuable on paper but still be the wrong fit for a particular club.
Start with the 2026 rules
The AFL's April 2026 announcement sets the framework. Bids through pick 36 use at most two current picks; bids from 37 use the next selection. For bids at 1–18, ladder finishes 1–2 attract a 20% loading, 3–4 attract 10%, and 5–10 receive neither. Finishes 11–18 receive a 10% discount for bids at 1–36. A deficit is capped at 412 points and requires a future first-round pick. Clubs' pick holdings are limited by available primary-list places. Source: AFL, Changes to AFL Player Movement confirmed, 29 April 2026.
The same announcement describes second-round compensation for eligible bottom-five clubs whose natural first-round pick slides through a matched bid and is used. Awards are determined after night one, are limited to one per club, and can be traded before night two. Read the official announcement for the complete conditions.
What a points total does—and does not—tell you
The Draft Value Index assigns numbers to selections for bidding calculations. It is not a universal market price for a footballer. Two later selections can have a similar points total to one early selection while giving access to a very different group of prospects.
That distinction matters twice: when a club needs enough eligible capital to match a bid, and when another club wants a particular player who may be gone before its next pick. Evaluate those decisions separately rather than treating an equal points total as proof of an equal trade.
A worked example: a bid at pick 10
Hypothetical arithmetic, not a club forecast
The simulator's 2026 table values pick 10 at 1,276 points. Suppose an aligned club in the no-adjustment ladder band has two eligible picks currently valued at 1,024 and 257 points.
Those two picks cover the base cost by five points. Now compare a hypothetical adjusted cost of 1,532 points: the same package is short by 251. The club must check whether a deficit is available; owning another late pick does not by itself make a third pick available for this match.
The adjusted number is an example for testing the effect of a higher price. Use the app's displayed cost for its actual ladder band, rounding and settings. Pick values here are those at the moment of the calculation, before further board movement.
Why the live board can change your calculation
When a club matches a bid, it acquires the tied player and pays with its eligible selections. The order is then rebuilt around the picks used and the remaining board. A number copied from an earlier screen may no longer describe the same live selection.
Before matching, read the modal's base cost, adjustment, proposed picks and deficit. After matching, inspect the board and the club's remaining capital. Keep both the before and after state when comparing scenarios.
How to reproduce the comparison
- Open the current draft class and inspect the ladder and rules in Tools.
- Save a baseline, then select a tied prospect when another club is on the clock.
- Read the eligible match package and the displayed adjusted cost.
- Return to the baseline and change one assumption, such as the aligned club's ladder band or its pick package.
- Compare the resulting cost and the players available at the next selection.
The simulator's custom settings allow hypothetical variations. An outcome under custom rules is not a statement of official eligibility. See sources, assumptions and limitations before using a scenario as evidence in a draft discussion.
Further reading
For the AFL's own practical explanations, see Confused by the new draft rules? For a hands-on starting point, read your first mock draft.