News

2026 PSD Key Dates & Deadlines


Retentions

  • Retentions are due by Tuesday 3rd March 2026 at 8am AWST
    • Enter your Retentions into the 2026 Drafts sheet. You will obviously need to sign in with your google account to edit.
    • Within that Drafts sheet you will find your HFFL Squads from 2025 to select from.
    • Highly recommend you enter a set now that is your best guess and then edit it closer to the deadline when you’ve had more time to look at your stats
    • Note the 2025 Squads and Stats are available in The Hub on the main HFFL homepage.

No Pre-PSD this season

  • As advised last year, the previous Pre-PSD has been discontinued. Round 1 of the 1st Compo Round and 1st Standard Round will be as per the combination of the Lottery Ball draft for the first 5 picks then the reverse finishing order in finals for the last 5 picks of round 1.
  • If anyone has a very strong wish to drop their pick lower please advise and we can discuss.

Final PSD Order

This will be released by the evening of Wednesday 4th March. It will contain the compensation picks that you receive where you choose not retain a specific ranked retention. Compensation picks are designed to be mildly generous so if you have a player in a particular rank (e.g. Elite, 11-20, 21-30, Sub-30) that you do not expect to finish this season fairly high up within the same rank or above that rank, do not retain him.

The Pre Season Draft

  • Sunday 8th March at 1930 AWST
  • The 1 min rule will be strictly enforced. If you fail to take your pick, you simply move down 1 pick. i.e. the next player has their pick. After them, you then have only 10 seconds to select your delayed pick. If you fail to, you move down another pick, having 10 seconds at the end of that player’s pick to make your selection … and so on.

Post PSD Free Drafting Period (FDP)

  • This will commence immediately following the conclusion of the PSD i.e. it will be continuous withe PSD.
  • All picks in the PSD will need to be completed before anyone can select a player in the FDP.

2025 MSD, Trade Period & Delisting & Deadlines

Below are the MSD, trade and delisting dates and details:

Dates:

  • Trade Period opened: at the end of Round 9.
  • Delistings & Trade Deadline: Tuesday 20th May 2100 AWST.
  • Release of the final MSD Draft order: likely by Wednesday 21st May by 1100 AWST
  • 2025 MSD: Wednesday 21st May at 1900 AWST
  • Post MSD Trade Period Opens: as soon as the MSD ends
  • Post MSD Trade Period Ends: at the start of AFL Round 12 (when the main bye rounds begin)

Details:

  • Delistings must be submitted on this Delistings Sheet at the bottom (it is part of our 2025 Drafts sheet in the new “Squads & MSD Delistings” tab.
  • Trades should be announced in writing in the Bench Banter section. After that you can either submit a trade on the bench or delist anyone you trade out and then draft who you trade in.
  • MSD Draft Order (provisional, subject to trades/delistings) can be seen in our 2025 Drafts sheet on the “Drafts” tab (to be completed post completion of R9)
  • All trades made are final at the time the trade (unless both coaches agree otherwise). So if you trade after R9 and your player traded is then injured in Round 10, that’s too bad. Ensure you check the AFL injury lists on Tuesday arvo to check you don’t have any newly injured players before you finalise your delistings.
  • Squad Sizes Increase by 2: squad sizes increase from 21 to 23 at the MSD to help coaches manage the bye rounds. So even if you delist no one, you will still have 2 picks at the MSD. e.g. if you delist 3 players you will have 2+3 = 5 picks.
  • Good Faith, “Fair Value” Trading
    • Trades should be made in good faith and be “approximate fair value” based on value in the current season.
    • The value of players who may be retained in future seasons is not taken into account in this assessment e.g. if coaches trade a young average player (who may become a great player in the future) for an established great player in a straight swap, that would be deemed to be not approximate fair value. 
    • There is wide allowance given in the determination of approximate fair value. However trades that are clearly one-sided that appear to unreasonably advantage one team or make one team uncompetitive may be declared as “nefarious trades” and disallowed by the Administrator.

Original Rookie Rule Restored

The Rookie Rule Amendment has been overturned and the Original Rookie Rule Restored

The amended Rookie rule (with rookies being retainable for more than 1 year based on different criteria) has created much confusion and extra work for the Administrator every single year for almost zero benefit. I’ve reviewed the last 2 seasons, and the amended rule has been utilised only once out of 20 potential opportunities. Yet it creates the constant need to remind people how to comply with the set of qualifying criteria and folks routinely fail to comply every year by writing a qualifying comment or screw it up due to confusion. Further work is then created trying to establish the facts for almost zero benefit.

Consequently by Administrative Decision the Original Rookie Rule has been restored – this will apply from next season 2026 PSD (though I could just as easily apply it retrospectively to this season given everyone this season would comply with it anyway).

Original Rookie Rule
A coach can retain a player as a “Rookie Retention” if he has played less than or equal to 27 career games.
Rookie Retentions are exempt from statistical ranking-based restrictions on retentions. E.g. if a Rookie Retention is an elite, this does not prevent the coach from also retaining 1 elite player.

With the return of this rule, I now also relieve the coaches of any obligation to write a qualifying comment. The rule is simple and impossible to screw up so it will be assumed your Rookie Retention complies based on an honour system. If it later found he did not comply (and you lack honour and/or the most basic diligence) he will simply be removed from your squad (even if the season has already started).

2025 PSD – Key Dates & Deadlines


Retentions

  • Retentions are due by Monday 24th February at 8am AWST
    • Enter your Retentions into the 2025 Drafts sheet. You will obviously need to sign in with your google account to edit.
    • Highly recommend you enter a set now that is your best guess and then edit it closer to the deadline when you’ve had more time to look at your stats
    • Note the 2024 Squads and Stats are available on the main HFFL homepage in The Hub

Pre-PSD

(aka the “Roofa shenanigans”)

  • starts at Monday 24th February at 1900 AWST
  • Each coach will only have 30 min to select their pick.
  • If they don’t select a pick it will default to the “next highest available pick”.
  • They can provide prior instructions to the group re their pick choice if they want e.g. “I’ll take the lowest pick available”

Final PSD Order

This will be released by the morning of Tuesday 25th Feb. It will contain the compensation picks that you receive where you choose not retain a specific ranked retention. Compensation picks are designed to be mildly generous so if you have a player in a particular rank (e.g. Elite, 11-20, 21-30, Sub-30) that you do not expect finish this season fairly high up within the same rank or above that rank, do not retain him.

The Pre Season Draft

  • Saturday 1st March at 2000 AWST
  • The 1min rule will be strictly enforced. If you fail to take your pick, you simply move down 1 pick. i.e. the next player has their pick. After them, you then have only 10 seconds to select your delayed pick. If you fail to, you move down another pick, having 10 seconds at the end of that player’s pick to make your selection … and so on. This worked excellent the last 2 years.

Post PSD Free Drafting Period

  • This will commence immediately following the conclusion of the PSD i.e. it will. be continuous withe PSD.

2024 MSD Trade Periods, Delistings & Deadlines

Below are the MSD, trade and delisting dates and details:

Dates:

  • Trade Period opened: at the end of Round 9.
  • Delistings & Trade Deadline: Monday 20th May 2100 AWST.
  • Release of the final MSD Draft order: likely by Tuesday 21st May by 1100 AWST
  • 2024 MSD: Tuesday 21st May at 2000 AWST
  • Post MSD Trade Period Opens: as soon as the MSD ends
  • Post MSD Trade Period Ends: at the start of AFL Round 12 (when the main bye rounds begin)

Details:

  • All trades made are final at the time the trade (unless both coaches agree otherwise). So if you trade after R9 and your player traded is then injured in Round 10, that’s too bad.
  • Draft Day Injury allowance: late delistings will be allowed for players who are reported in the Tuesday 21st May AFL injury lists (draft day) as having a medium to long term injury – a coach can apply to Logistix to make a late delisting that day. If application granted, they will receive an extra pick at the very end of the MSD.
  • Squad Sizes Increase by 2: squad sizes increase from 21 to 23 at the MSD to help coaches manage the bye rounds. So even if you delist no one, you will still have 2 picks at the MSD.
  • Good Faith, “Fair Value” Trading
    • Trades should be made in good faith and be “approximate fair value” based on value in the current season.
    • The value of players who may be retained in future seasons is not taken into account in this assessment e.g. if coaches trade a young average player (who may become a great player in the future) for an established great player in a straight swap, that would be deemed to be not approximate fair value. 
    • There is wide allowance given in the determination of approximate fair value. However trades that are clearly one-sided that appear to unreasonably advantage one team or make one team uncompetitive may be declared as “nefarious trades” and disallowed by the Administrator.

Reminder re the Rookie Rule qualifying criteria

The qualifying criteria changes depending on whether you are retaining the rookie for the 1st, 2nd or 3rd time:

  • 1) Can retain any player as a rookie at 1st PSD if played 27 career games or less. This rookie can be of any quality (including Elite)
  • 2) Can continue to retain same player as a rookie at a 2nd consecutive PSD as long as their top rank is 11-20 or less. 
  • 3) Can continue to retain same player as a rookie for a 3rd consecutive PSD as long as their top rank is 21-30 or less.
  • Only 1 rookie can be retained in a squad at any 1 time

If coaches want to retain a rookie, they must add a “Comment” to the same or cell of the Draft sheet where they retain him that clearly states how the rookie qualifies for retention.

e.g.
“I’m retaining at 2nd PSD and his top rank is 11-20 or less”
” I’m retaining at the 2nd PSD and his top rank is 25″
“I’m retaining at the 1st PSD and he has played 23 career games only”
” I’m retaining at the 3rd PSD and he’s ranked “Sub 30″”

If no accurate qualifying criteria is recorded as a Comment in the relevant cell by the retentions deadline, the retention will automatically be deleted by the Administrator.

Summary of HFFL 2024 Drafting, Positions & Scoring

Drafting

Coaches coaches select a squad of 19 players at the PSD.

They then can freely draft 2 more players from the remaining available players anytime starting 3hrs post the end of the PSD and ending as indicated in the 2024 Key Dates & Deadlines post.
This will give a total squad size of 21 (1 less than last year and 2 less than years prior).

Then after the MSD, this squad size will be increased by 2 to 23.

Positions

Each week coaches name 10 starting players on field and 4 bench players

The starting field players are:
– 2 Forwards
– 1 Half Forward
– 1 Marker
– 1 Extractor (specialised midfielder)
– 2 Midfielders (accumulators)
– 1 Tackler (specialised midfielder)
– 1 Half-Back
– 1 Utility

Scoring


The players score as follows, noting all positions have 2 x Frees Against removed from their score except forwards who are exempt:
– Forwards: 6 x goals + 1 x behinds + 1 x I50
– Half Forwards: 4 x goals + 4 x I50
– Markers: 4 x marks
– Extractor: Disposals/2 + 2.5 x Clearances
– Midfielders: 1 x disposals
– Tackler: Disposals/2 + 3 x Tackles
– Half Back: 3 x R50 + 2 x I50
– Utility: 4 x Goals + 2 x marks + 2 x tackles + 0.5 x kicks + 0.25 x handballs + 0.3 x Hit Outs

Note:
R50 = Rebounds from 50 and
I50 = Inside Fifties.

Changes for season 2024

  • Ute: HO multiplier decreased back to 0.30 (from 0.4)
  • Half Back: I50 multiplier increased to 2 (from 1)

For the full rules see the HFFL Rules document

2024 PSD Key Dates & Deadlines

Retentions

  • Retentions are due by Tuesday 5th March at 12 noon AWST
    • Enter your Retentions into the 2024 Drafts sheet. You will obviously need to sign in with your google account to edit.
    • Highly recommend you enter a set now that is your best guess and then edit it closer to the deadline when you’ve had more time to look at your stats
    • Note the 2023 Squads and Stats are available on the main HFFL homepage

Pre-PSD

(aka the Roofa initiated shenanigan)

  • starts at Tuesday 5th March at 1900 AWST
  • This year, each coach will only have 30 min to select their pick this year.
  • If they don’t select a pick it will default to the “next highest available pick”.
  • They can provide prior instructions to the group re their pick choice if they want e.g. “I’ll take the lowest pick available”

Final PSD Order

This will be released by morning of Thursday 7th March. It will contain the compensation picks that you receive where you choose not retain a specific ranked retention. Compensation picks are designed to be mildly generous so if you have a player in a particular rank (e.g. Elite, 11-20, 21-30, Sub-30) that you do not expect finish this season fairly high up within the same rank or above that rank, do not retain him.

The Pre Season Draft

  • Saturday 9th March at 2000 AWST
  • Like last year the 1min rule will be strictly enforced. If you fail to take your pick, you simply move down 1 pick. i.e. the next player has their pick. After them, you then you have only 10 seconds to select your delayed pick. If you fail to, you move down another pick, having 10 seconds at the end of that player’s pick to make your selection … and so on. This worked excellent last year and was only actually applied once as coaches were prompt.

Post PSD Free Drafting Period

  • This will commence at 0800 AWST the next morning after the PSD concludes and finish at 9am on Wednesday 13th

Rule change: bye round players have ‘played’ at the end of the round

After observing the problems the bye rounds caused for a few coaches this season and considering how to make coaching as easy as possible for coaches during the bye rounds, given our busy lives, the following rule change will be implemented from season 2024.

As always a HFFL coach may make coaching changes to their team during a round as long as all the players being changed have not played in the AFL yet. 

Currently a player in a team that has a bye in a AFL round was considered to have “played” at the start of that AFL round.

The rule change: from season 2024 they will be considered to have played at the end of that round.

This effectively means that the player on a bye will be able to be replaced anytime up until the start of the last game of the round, but as always, only with players who have not yet played in that round. 

This rule change has been made by Administrative Decision.

The RGC were consulted on this rule change and were in general agreement and other coaches such as Lyle and Twadds were also in agreement making a formal vote unnecessary. The risk of gaming is minimal and outweighed by the benefit to coaches. 

Administrative Ruling on R8 Rapid Sossage v Bilbo Baggers Match

*Announcement re Administrative Ruling on R8 Sossage v Baggers Match*

I’ve taken a lot of time and consulted widely on this matter including with the RGC and then all parties who attended the MSD in person.

It appears a general consensus has formed on the necessary course of action and after discussion, there was no staunch objection to this proposed course of action (other than Mick).

Background

  • the game was a draw at the end of the round.
  • as late as Friday after the round had completed we have evidence the game was still a draw and it seems sometime during the next round, the Bench changed the scores to increase Sossage by 3 points.
  • There is a long standing rule that all scores/results must be finalised by 48hrs post the end of a round. This is critical to the orderly function of the HFFL so that matters such as assigning of draft picks and allocations of finals fixtures can occur. To allow scores to be changed after this 48hr period (and as late after the next round commences) would make HFFL Administration completely unworkable.
  • The Bench was contacted for an explanation but they did not reply

Ruling

  • The score change by the bench breaches this longstanding HFFL 48hr rule.
  • It sets a precedent that is unworkable for the future of the HFFL

Consequently Logistix has changed the R8 score back to a draw and the ladder has automatically updated.

Additional Comments

  • To Mick I can see how you may feel hard done by this. However I ask you consider the fact that Logistix has consulted widely with your fellow coaches and they felt there was no alternative. Like democracy this is the “least bad solution” to this problem. I would also ask you to consider how allowing such a precedent to breach the 48hr rule would make the administration of the HFFL unworkable. We must have an agreed time when we decide that the stats and the scores ARE FINAL. That is the 48hr rule.
  • To Mick – you have insinuated in messages that this ruling is biased and self serving on my part due to my team being a competitor with your team at the top of the ladder. In fact this decision does very unfortunately result in the Dark Side displacing Sossage on top of the ladder which would feed a conspiracy theory such as yours. I would only ask you to consider the history of my administrating of this league and how I have always acted impartially in the interests of the comp and often directly to my detriment (e.g my recently freely giving away my statistical advantage at drafting by sharing my live spreadsheet with all coaches at the 2023 draft so they could always easily tell in real time which top players were remaining in the draft). I care little about winning – I care most about having a great comp that binds a bunch of mates together for life and that operates and functions with the highest efficiency and integrity. I also consulted widely and at length to ensure the coaching group was supporting this decision.
  • This case serves as a reminder to all coaches that you must request all your subs promptly after a game. In addition, if you feel you wish to challenge the scores in a close game, you need to do so by the 48hr time limit.