Choose your mode

Keep rotations for the whole match

• Teams pace their 75 rotations across the playing clock, retaining options for the final quarter.
• Severely tired players can borrow up to two rotations from the upcoming budget when a fresher replacement is ready.
• Stopped time still affects fatigue and recovery, without releasing later quarters’ rotation budgets.

Hall of Fame points for every career

• Every 15 accumulated career Brownlow votes earns one additional honour point, alongside points for medals and other honours.
• Browse all players on the All-time Hall of Fame points screen, including active careers and players who have not been inducted. Search and filter by status or career club.
• Hall of Fame records show recorded career votes and their point contribution. Existing retired careers are reassessed automatically.

Watchlists and the Hall of Fame

• Save a watchlist for each controlled club. Track players across drafts, transfers, free agency and retirement, with ratings, upside and contracts.
• Outstanding retired players enter the Hall of Fame automatically. Browse career totals, honours, premiership flags and legends, with search and club filters.
• Watchlists and Hall of Fame inductions travel with saved and exported Dynasties. Profiles provide watchlist controls and Hall of Fame recognition.

Draft history and premiership flags

• Player summaries and full profiles show draft year, overall pick and original club when recorded.
• Premiership flags show the winning years and clubs for players who appeared in the victorious Grand Final team.
• Draft details and flags remain available after transfers and retirement. Older saves recover them from recorded draft history and Grand Final appearances.

Market-value contract extensions

• Extension salaries can fall when a player’s current market value falls. Strong veterans still command strong salaries.
• Lower pay starts after the existing deal ends. Already guaranteed salaries are preserved, including across trades and releases.
• Contract screens show future salary changes; cap checks use the correct salary in every year.

• Physical decline drives retirement pressure through the thirties; productive veterans receive reduced risk instead of complete protection.
• Good veterans can continue into their late thirties, while 40-year-olds are exceptional. Players cannot continue at 45 or older.
• Ratings and badge development now apply after the completed draft when starting the next season. New draftees, undrafted prospects and new rookie cover signings skip that progression.
• Saved offseasons keep the eligible player list, and older saves avoid applying progression twice.

• Removed the forced retirement age: useful veterans can keep playing and sign contracts beyond 35.
• Players can retire after ability decline or sustained lack of opportunities; productive starters, useful reserves and developing prospects receive protection.
• Physical attributes decline faster with age, particularly speed, agility and jumping. Football skill lasts longer, including late-developing rucks.
• Retirement decisions and reasons are saved in career history.

• CPU clubs prioritise their best 22 with 8–10 useful reserves, instead of filling every available list place.
• Free agency, rookie renewals, draft decisions and trades consider core upgrades and positional cover; redundant players can remain unsigned and picks can be passed.
• Salary-cap reserves fund the planned core and depth rather than all 35 optional places.

• Salary cap increased by 30% to $17.784m per club.
• Club lists expanded from 30 to 35 players. Existing saves gain five available list places; new leagues start with deeper squads.

Team strength and finals history

• Club history separates regular-season wins, losses, draws and ladder position, and records the finals stage reached or missed finals.
• Team OVR shows the best available starting 18, with the fully fit rating in brackets. Ratings use each player’s OVR in their assigned position and respond to injuries, recovery, list changes and development.
• Ratings appear on fixtures, ladders, club pages, upcoming matches, selection, scoreboards and match reports. Completed games retain their match-time ratings.
• Old finals outcomes are recovered where complete match logs exist. Unrecorded historical team ratings remain unavailable.
• Dynasty saves can load when an injury crisis leaves a club with fewer than 18 fit players, allowing the existing forfeit rules to operate.

Club history and Brownlow night

• Every Dynasty club has a history page with club-only all-time statistical leaders, games played, premierships and annual best and fairest winners, including former players.
• Club best and fairest awards use total match ratings across league games and finals. Shared winners and winning clubs are recorded in player profiles.
• Player yearly career tables include Brownlow votes. Season awards retain the Grand Final matchup, score and winning margin.
• Replay Brownlow night round by round with a running leaderboard and highlighted controlled-club players, or skip to the final count. Previous round and restart let you revisit the count.
• Existing saves recover historical votes and best and fairest awards when complete match logs are available; missing records remain unavailable.

Clearer match animation

• Kicks and handballs show a wind-up, travel and reception. Longer kicks have higher arcs, with subtle ball rotation and shadows.
• Tackles show approach and contact before the release or pinned ball. Pinned packs hold the ball until the ball-up.
• Marks and spoils have small aerial lifts, with reception and deflection timed to the ball arriving.
• Players carry movement into the next event and show a subtle direction indicator.
• Important moments get brief emphasis without doubling every event. Set-shot preparation stays at the selected playback speed.

More pressure around stoppages

• Opposing rovers set up closer together at centre bounces and ball-ups.
• Contested gathers take time to control, giving nearby defenders a chance to tackle.
• Multiple defenders can pin the carrier. Free arms need a reachable handball outlet, while hurried kicks need room for the boot.
• A pinned ball stays locked in briefly before the umpire calls a ball-up. Repeated fumbles in a tight pack can also trap the ball.
• Genuine attempts without prior opportunity lead to a ball-up; holding-the-ball decisions still account for prior opportunity and incorrect disposal.

Less compounding of skill advantages

• Attribute differences have gentler match effects, reducing excessive dominance across repeated contests and passages of play.
• Low attributes remain weaknesses, while stronger players retain better decisions, contests and execution.
• Players settle ordinary marks for longer before disposing, giving leads and defensive coverage time to develop.
• Midfielders recover at running pace to cover receiving options.
• Displayed ratings, player generation, form, badges and shooting rules are retained.

More continuous ball movement

• Matches now play four full 20-minute quarters. Restart setup pauses the match clock while players keep moving and recovering.
• Players release to useful outlets sooner, with fewer repeated carries. Good runs into space and escapes from pressure remain available.
• Kick-ins have shorter setup waits. Ordinary marks mix quick play-on with a brief hold; set-shot preparation remains realistic.
• Action timing uses fractional seconds. Kicks reach early contests sooner, and handball travel moves the surrounding players too.

Passing decisions and kicking errors

• Players compare their shot with the likely chance after a teammate receives, including protected marks, closing defenders and imperfect decision-making.
• Failed kicks can fall short, carry too far, pull or slice. Error size reflects kicking ability, power, movement and pressure.
• Smaller misses remain available for players to chase and recover.

Set-shot accuracy and range

• Protected set shots use a separate distance and angle curve. The player standing on the mark no longer removes the close-shot accuracy benefit.
• Set-shot range reflects a settled kick, with power and fatigue still affecting the chance of reaching goal.
• Kicking accuracy has a moderate effect on set shots, giving stronger kickers an advantage on difficult attempts.
• Deadeye provides a consistent 2.5 percentage-point set-shot accuracy bonus.

Team pressure, cover and attacking support

• Defenders recognise pressure and cover requests across the ground, with delayed handovers and continued cover after a disposal.
• Outnumbered defenders can contain a carrier; spare players can screen the next release.
• Defensive depth follows opponents and developing threats. Matchups remain consistent during each movement update.
• Attackers can continue a give-and-go run, exploit a helping defender’s vacated lane and offer a close forward handball release.
• Rebounders stagger their overlaps, wings recover on the open side, and rucks vary their support with mobility and fatigue.
• Stoppages separate the ball-winner, blocker and sweeper. Small forwards support the actual marking contest.
• Useful forward holds and lower-intensity recovery runs reduce unnecessary sprinting.

Forward movement and lead timing

• Forwards work upfield and recover depth ahead of the ball, remaining connected as play advances, retreats or switches sides.
• Rolling outlets alternate a check towards the ball with a recovery run into a separate lane, including when the ball is at the other end.
• Leading and pressure forwards assess clear receiving runs alongside the deep key forward.
• Leads retain their target until reached, blocked or timed out; turnovers and restarts cancel the run.
• Awareness and offensive decisions influence lead timing. Players check carrier pressure, passing lanes and teammate spacing before committing.
• The high key forward remains the nearer link, the second key forward provides the next option, and the crumbing forward stays available for the spill near goal.
• Passes anticipate the receiving run actually used by the forward.

Saved optimal lineups

• Save a custom pre-game team as the club’s optimal lineup, including field positions and interchange.
• Optimal Lineup recalls the saved team and replaces injured or departed players automatically.
• Player dropdowns show who is already on field and their slot number, or their interchange place.

Leads from the deep forward

• The deep key forward offers timed leads towards open kicking lanes as the ball carrier approaches, then resets deep if unused.
• Awareness and offensive decisions influence lead timing and lane choice. Physical movement, defensive contests and passing decisions still apply.

Position matches in selection menus

• Player dropdowns highlight natural position matches with a star, colour and a dedicated top group. Options show role-fit ratings and OVR differences.
• Strong role-fit alternatives follow the position matches. Injured players remain unavailable in a separate group.

Pitch-side interchange and smoother set shots

• Both interchange groups appear beside the live oval in club colours. Click a bench marker to inspect the player; markers update as players rotate.
• Set-shot preparation follows playback speed and glides to the final positions, removing the forced multi-second pause and rapid internal repositioning animation. Simulation time and outcomes are unchanged.
• Standing-mark display separation now adjusts gradually to avoid a visible snap.

Pick your team on the oval

• Selection starts empty, with 18 positions laid out on a football oval and four interchange places outside the boundary.
• Youth fill prioritises age within each position; Optimal Lineup prioritises role OVR. Both exclude injured players.
• Cold-to-hot outlines show suitability relative to each player’s best role. A red downward arrow shows any role OVR difference, without an extra skill penalty.

Clearer Dynasty ladder

• Club names align left, form bars sit consistently beside them, and ladder numbers use matching column alignment.
• Points receive emphasis; losses use the normal text colour. Narrow screens can scroll the ladder without squeezing names.

Injuries and match-day team selection

• Post-match medical assessments can rule players out for 1–16 club matches. Playing exposure, age and fatigue affect risk. Recovery follows club matches, with ten matches of recovery over the offseason.
• Choose your Dynasty team before watched or simulated matches: Auto Team, manual swaps between all positions, four interchange slots and reserves, with injured players unavailable.
• Selections carry forward and repair unavailable players. CPU clubs choose healthy replacements, including players out of position when specialist cover is absent. Injury shortages can reduce the bench. Fewer than 18 fit players triggers a disclosed forfeit so recovery and the season can progress.
• Bulk simulations can optionally auto-select remaining games. Competition selection lets you edit both clubs.

Ruck depth and longer development

• Squads require two rucks, including a backup for interchange. Recruitment, draft and rollover cover respect that requirement.
• Good rucks (70+ OVR) carry a 25% premium in trade value and CPU recruitment assessment.
• Ruck prospects start a little less ready and develop more slowly early, with continued growth into their late twenties and early thirties and a gentler decline from 32.
• The salary cap rises 20% to $13.68m, matching the increase from 25 to 30 squad places. Retirement remains at 35.

30-player squads and rolling interchange

• Clubs can carry 30 players and select 22 for match day: a starting 18 and four interchange players.
• Automatic rotations use fatigue, time on ground and positional cover. Bench players recover energy and can return, with a 75-rotation ceiling per club.
• Live benches show players, energy and rotation counts. Match statistics show time on ground; club lists distinguish starters, interchange and depth.
• Drafting, trades and contract reservations support the larger lists. Fresh squads fit the existing salary cap.

Rare elite specialists

• Six elite badges add situational strengths: Deadeye, Thread the Needle, One-Touch, Iron Grip, The Clamp and Big Moment.
• New leagues and existing saves receive a rare starting distribution of nine elite badges across an 18-club league, scaled for other league sizes.
• Career unlocks require relevant skills, match experience and season performance. Each elite badge already held halves the chance of another; no collection cap applies.
• Ordinary badges remain common and keep their earning chances. Elite badges have distinct labels and show their effects on player profiles.
• Elite effects respect normal reach, contest, foul, fatigue and accuracy rules. Big Moment activates only in close fourth quarters.

More common career badges

• New Dynasty clubs start with 18 badges spread across their squads, and Match Lab sides start with 14.
• Badge earning chances no longer fall with the number of badges a player or club already has. Players can collect every distinct badge they qualify for.
• Career earning opportunities are more frequent. Bench players can also develop badges, while match experience and age improve the chance.
• Generated established players are more likely to arrive with a badge; rookies can occasionally start with one.
• Existing badges stay permanent. Current saves use the increased earning chances from their next offseason.

Smarter club building and defensive recognition

• CPU free-agent bids compare actual lineup upgrades, contract affordability and player preferences, with new targets considered each round.
• Free-agent demands fall gradually across rounds. Elite asking prices retain an ability-based floor as club budgets fill.
• CPU clubs review important players for early extensions before expiry, reserving money for future list needs.
• Recruitment and trades value assigned-role upgrades and scarce positions, including specialist rucks.
• Match ratings give more credit to spoils, tackles and contested marks. Interceptions now earn their own credit and contribute to defensive All Australian selection.
• Players have more opportunities to earn badges through their careers, with experience and age contributing. Further badges remain harder to earn.

Forward scoring balance

• Sim quarter advances to the next quarter break, resolving any set shot after the siren.
• Players value the next carry or forward outlet after a handball, compare release times under pressure, and offer nearby support. Handballs can lead moving receivers within their reach.
• Reduced duplicate territory rewards balance short links with useful long kicks. Wing overlap runs offer a closer return option within handball range.
• Key forwards use separate high-link and deep-target positions rather than sharing a deep lane.
• Key defenders stay attached to forwards leading within shooting range, using spare deep cover when their opponent leads further upfield.
• Defenders favour spoiling dangerous forward contests; contested catches are harder to hold. Open reception and shooting accuracy are unchanged.

Faster season simulation

• Sim to finals finishes the regular season without playing finals. Trade club directions and team asset lists can be collapsed and retain their state as days advance.
• Shared positioning calculations make quick simulation faster while preserving seeded match outcomes.
• Simulation progress updates after every match. Visible tables refresh after each round, with full screens refreshed when simulation finishes or stops.
• Completed match ratings are processed without repeatedly recalculating earlier fixtures. Every completed match still saves on this browser.

Flexible leagues, club building and career records

This entry brings together updates released since 0.2.10.

• Choose a league of 8–30 clubs, with 18 as the default. Fictional club identities now match their Australian locations; schedules, finals and drafts adapt to league size.
• A 10-day trade period lets you build deals or respond to other clubs. Player and pick values reflect performance, potential and each club’s direction.
• Restricted players can be re-signed or delisted before open free agency. Contract screens show cap room and roster spots, while draft picks and minimum list needs are reserved when checking offers.
• Club lists and recruitment screens have clearer navigation, search, sorting and filtering. Your team’s transactions and free-agency outcomes stand out.
• Form now reflects the last five games. Young players develop faster; badges remain rare, accumulate through development and stay with players across teams.
• Defenders cover dangerous runs and hold their shape more reliably, while attacks rely less heavily on elite key forwards.
• Each completed season records an 18-player All Australian team. Player profiles show selections, and a separate all-time leaders view covers goals, disposals, games and other career totals.
• Dynasty saves and exports use a smaller format while retaining match reports and career logs. In-game bug reports use private delivery and CAPTCHA verification.

Specialists and defensive help

• Eight rare specialist badges, usually nine per fresh 25-player Dynasty squad and no more than two per player. Hover or focus badge labels for their effects.
• Rookies occasionally arrive with a badge; rare young-player development unlocks remain limited by club badge density. Badges follow players through saves, transfers and retirement archives.
• Defenders can leave their opponent to intercept a clear run toward goal, with intelligent teammates rotating behind them.
• Badges affect specific situations rather than displayed attributes. Active match cues identify their use.

League stories and more responsive form

• Form builds more easily, with recovery memory limited to the current season and previous four. Undated recovery memory from older saves starts fresh; current form is retained.
• 40 form contributes about +1.9 effective skill points before fatigue. Combined form and match form cap at +5, with the existing skill ceiling retained. Bars remain capped at 100 and recovery speed at +35%.
• Browse every round and filter by club. Completed games open player-stat match reports; current-round fixtures retain Watch and Resume.
• Overview shows upcoming fixtures and a league roundup drawn from recorded results.
• Round highlights cover recent player form, goal hauls, disposals, close games, winning streaks and passing efficiency. Historical round summaries exclude later performances.

Contracts at a glance

• Contract badges use colour, symbols and text to distinguish final-year deals, two-year deals, longer commitments and uncontracted players.
• The club list shows salary, contract status and average match rating out of 10, including finals.
• Contract badges also appear in contract management, free agency and player profiles.

A home for every Dynasty feature

• A mode-selection menu opens first. Dynasty has a persistent sidebar for fixtures, rosters, contracts, players, free agency, drafting, transactions, history and saves.
• Unavailable offseason sections explain when they open.
• Watch opens Match Lab automatically. Back returns to your previous section and fixture round, retaining the match for Resume.
• Match rules, development and player ratings are unchanged.

Experience and individual form

• Senior appearances give players aged 18–24 a small extra development benefit, capped at 14 appearances per year and strongest through age 21. Potential and uncertain development still matter.
• Every player has match form and longer-term form. Useful actions build match form; errors drain it faster. Strong individual performances build form slowly, while poor games quickly reduce it.
• Sustaining form accumulates recovery memory, capped at 35% faster rebuilding. Memory persists through seasons and transfers, but never increases maximum strength. Offseason form drops to 40%; match form starts fresh each game.
• Small red bars beside player and team names show form. Team bars average the selected 18; hover or focus for details. Live bars combine form and match form. League bars show form.
• Combined effects are capped at 2.5 effective points in handling, tackling, awareness, decisions and marking. Displayed ratings, speed and kicking accuracy are unchanged.

Contracts, free agency and draft surprises

• Three-round free agency before the draft, with salary offers, contract terms and competing clubs.
• A $12m salary cap, guaranteed contracts, release costs and reserved draft places.
• Contract details in player profiles; free agents retain their career history.
• More uncertain rookie potential, breakthroughs and setbacks allow late picks to flourish and early picks to disappoint.

20-minute display clock

• The scoreboard clock and commentary timestamps now display 20-minute quarters.
• Visual change only: the same actions, simulation timing, fatigue and outcomes.

Space, movement and simulation controls

• Deeper key-position structure, more spread on set shots and wider kick-in leads.
• Acceleration and turning affect chases, with diagonal carrying routes and improved close, clear shots.
• Boundary crossings show ball travel instead of jumping to the boundary.
• Match statistics collapse by default. Stop season simulation after the current match; fixtures follow round progress.

Natural set-shot movement

• Watch actual preparation paths instead of a whole setup compressed into one short jump.
• Role-based leads, crumbing positions and cover retain the existing spread and vary with each shot.

Reduced elite rating effects

• High attributes have gentler match effects: a displayed 99 maps to an internal ceiling of 85.
• Smaller elite speed and kicking bonuses reduce easy separation and runaway scoring.
• Displayed attributes, overall grades, colours and development remain on the same scale.
• The previous 18-a-side release is now numbered 0.2.

18-a-side football

• Six defenders, six midfield players and six forwards, with lists up to 25.
• 28% more playing area, preserving pitch proportions and physical rule distances.
• Updated formations, restarts, selection, drafting, stats and match playback.
• A fresh 18-a-side Dynasty starts with 25 players per club. Previous 13-a-side saves are not loaded.

Cleaner possession and clearer match presentation

• More reliable short handballs, attribute-based range capped near 20m, and smaller execution-error spills.
• Protected marks favour disposal over risky play-on; short kicks explicitly call play on.
• Shorter loose-ball response windows preserve an open receiver’s advantage.
• One ball-up lift animation, forward stoppage crumbing and a visible set-shot positioning phase.
• Scoring-line crossings, kick-in spreading, forward-50 shot choices and ruck rating/recovery adjustments.
• Distinct club colours across the pitch, commentary and ladder, plus a larger name pool for new players.

Dynasty match identity

• Opening the match screen from Dynasty loads your controlled club’s current-round fixture or resumes it.
• Your club’s statistics are selected automatically, including away games.
• Unrelated standalone matches no longer replace Dynasty viewing through the New match control.
• Match player profiles link directly to their Dynasty career records.

Watch Dynasty matches

• A horizontal slider above league statistics keeps wide columns within reach.
• Round fixtures now include Watch buttons, using the existing match screen and playback controls.
• Completed watched matches update the Dynasty ladder, player statistics and saves.
• Quick simulation continues a match already in progress, and finals retain extra time.

Draft scouting and league players

• Draft panel shows the team on the clock, pick, round and your controlled club.
• Click prospect names for profiles and attributes before drafting.
• League-wide player statistics with club filters and sortable columns.
• Controlled-team selector moved to the top and remembered in saves.

Club pages, careers & honours

• Clickable ladder clubs with team sheets, ratings and performance views.
• Player match ratings out of 10, with exceptional performances needed for a 10.
• Brownlow, Coleman, Rising Star and Norm Smith awards with winning years.
• Full player pages with yearly statistics and match logs, including archived players.
• League history with premierships, final ladders and award winners.

Dynasty begins

• A separate multi-season league with lists up to 20 and automatic selection of 13 players.
• Annual ageing, uncertain development, veteran decline and retirement after age 35.
• Reverse-ladder drafting, rebuilding/contending list strategies and role-aware delisting.
• Season history, career totals, browser saves and portable export/import.
• Existing match engine, Match lab and Competition are unchanged.

Boundary throw-ins

• Boundary ruck contests now take place 18 metres infield. Rucks and support players set up around the landing point.
• Out-of-bounds shows a stationary ball; one throw-in animation then travels to the contest and follows the tap.
• Removed repeated boundary setup animations. A quarter-ending siren cancels the pending throw-in.

Outward leads and smarter finishing

• Central players lead diagonally into space, with separate support behind and a forward link ahead.
• Passes lead moving receivers and value the next forward option. A safe carrier can briefly wait once for a promising lead to develop.
• Smart players continue toward close range when the whole running path and kick-release window remain safe. Closing defenders and the quarter clock can trigger an earlier shot.
• Normal accuracy still decides the kick; an open goal is not a guaranteed goal.

Switch, recycle and overlap

• Players look for an open-side switch when the forward route is crowded and there is no clean forward option.
• Rebounders and balanced midfielders offer support behind the ball. Recycling is rewarded when the receiver has a reachable forward outlet on the open side.
• Wingers run outside and ahead after passing, offering a useful return pass. The opposite wing holds width for a switch.
• Switch, recycle and overlap completions appear on the oval. Existing interception, range and pressure rules still apply; repeated backward exchanges remain discouraged.

Wider ground, better options

• The oval is 15% wider in both the simulation and the display. Running speed, ground length and physical pitch markings are unchanged.
• Shots account for the chance of reaching goal. Players favour a reachable open teammate when the pass offers a better scoring opportunity.
• Players reassess attacking runs more often, seek clearer passing lanes and spread into available space.
• Removed the flag symbols after scores. GOAL +6 and BEHIND +1 remain visible on the oval.

Read the game on the oval

• On-field contact animations distinguish tackles, broken tackles, spills and disposal under pressure.
• Ball-up and throw-in cues show where play restarts. Free kicks show the ruling on the field.
• Goals and behinds animate to the scoring end with +6 / +1 and two / one umpire signals. Marks, spoils and play-on have distinct cues.
• Major moments get a short viewing pause at your chosen playback speed. Previous/next replays the recorded cues. Reduced-motion preferences are respected.

Man on the mark

• One opponent approaches and holds the mark after marks and free kicks, including out on the full. Kick-ins place the marker 15 metres beyond the goal-square edge.
• Other opponents clear a simplified protected area. Set-shot takers can retreat behind the mark.
• The taker never waits for the marker to arrive. Removed the forced kick-in setup event; playing on releases the marker.
• Ordinary out-of-bounds still leads to a throw-in, with no man on the mark.

Release numbering starts here. Updates increment the patch number: 0.1.1, 0.1.2 and onward. Earlier prototype changes remain part of the game.