AFL GameDay Squad Round 3 Preview | Best Matchups, PODs & Key Trends
- The Goal Practitioner
- Mar 27
- 6 min read
The AFL GameDay Squad Round 3 Preview
The AFL GameDay Squad Round 3 Preview is here, bringing you the latest insights to help you dominate this week’s matchups. Join us for Round 3 as we break down the best positional matchups, highlight the top PODs, analyse key AFL trends, and keep an eye on noteworthy venues and weather conditions. Plus, we’ll check in on BOBS team results and reveal our early starter squad for the round.
If you haven’t signed up for AFL GameDay Squad yet, now’s the time! Use our exclusive code BOBAFL at sign-up to unlock free packs and kickstart your squad.
Let’s get into the AFL GameDay Squad Round 3 Preview and identify the must-have players for the week!
Round 3 Matchups – Best Plays by Position
Each round presents fresh opportunities for AFL GameDay Squad coaches to exploit matchups. Here are the top positional matchups for Round 3:
Teams beat up on Richmond and forwards thrive, but surprisingly not as much as they have been feasting on every aspect of West Coast. Both teams can be targeted across the board, so load up for your PODs.
Defenders: This section remains unchanged after 2 rounds. Load up against the Saints. Surprisingly, Fremantle are looking to offer a good matchup. But as is the rule early in the season, we are working off small sample sizes. This is one to watch as we progress.
Midfielders: This week we have a number of teams with tough matchups. Carlton have been giving up plenty of points to mids, with Newcombe going massive. Libba is still the prime mover in there and, while he may get some Hewett attention, I believe he could go big.
Rucks: This is more player-focused – avoid picking against Gawn and Xerri – rule applies for when Gawn plays Xerri. So that’s the don’ts of rucks. The do’s? Pick against any team who isn’t playing a recognised or proven ruck.
Forwards: Fremantle and Port Adelaide are proving to be fruitful plays for teams seeking a FWD POD. Keep an eye on the data to see how this changes. Currently, both teams lack in the true big-man department.
AFL GameDay Squad Round 3 Preview - Top 5 PODs for Round 3
Every round, unique point-of-difference (POD) players can separate the best squads from the pack. Here are five left-field picks to consider:
Jayden Short – There will again be plenty of ball for Short v a St Kilda defence. He has not started how I expected him to, but if ever there was a week for him to explode, it’s this week.
Tom Liberatore – Has an elite matchup for an inside mid and is the number one guy for the Dogs on the inside.
Matthew Kennedy – Players love a revenge game, and I think on Friday night he could show Carlton just how much they miss him. This bloke was a great bit-part player for Carlton. They look hapless on their way to an 0-3 start. If his midfield minutes continue to tick up this year, he could be massive this week.
Oscar McInerney – Geelong is one of the best matchups for rucks. With the impending downpour, I would expect plenty of ball-ups. O-Mac could be on 50 points from hitouts before we even consider him scoring in other stat lines. In a week where our number one rucks have tough matchups, he presents real value.
Riley Thilthorpe – The big man is looking amazing. He’s hitting form and looks ready to kick a bag. In a great matchup for forwards, as long as he keeps getting plenty of supply, I believe he could be an excellent option to fill that F7 spot for us this week.
AFL Trends Noticed by BOBS
BOBS keeps an eye on emerging trends to help GameDay Squad coaches get ahead. Here are the key observations from recent rounds:
Taggers – Typically, we don’t see taggers come into play until closer to the mid-season byes. However, this year, specifically the NSW teams have been tagging – and tagging hard. GWS and Sydney are already a tough matchup, and this only adds more reason to avoid them.
JHF is lost – In a demolition job on Richmond, he barely fired a shot. Despite looking like a million-dollar buy in preseason, he’s rapidly turning into a pumpkin for GameDay Squad coaches. Here’s hoping, as a Port fan, that he decides to play this week.
Jordan Dawson is the fantasy king – He’s putting his hand up to be the M1. He’s big, he’s powerful, pads all stat lines, and he plays in a team with one of the softest draws in the league. It’s a brave man who fades him from here. His ability to beat up on lesser teams, especially at home, is second to none.
Weather & Venue Watch – Key Conditions for Round 3
Before locking in your squad, consider these weather and venue factors that could impact fantasy scoring:
Thursday, March 27
Essendon vs. Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium, 7:30 PM AEDT
Daytime: Partly sunny and pleasant, with a high of 21°C and a low of 12°C.
Game Time: Around 18°C, partly cloudy. Note: Marvel Stadium has a retractable roof, which may be closed in case of inclement weather.
Friday, March 28
Carlton vs. Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, 7:40 PM AEDT
Daytime: Mostly cloudy and warmer, with a high of 29°C and a low of 15°C.
Game Time: Temperatures around 24°C, mostly cloudy. As with the previous game, the roof may be closed.
Saturday, March 29
Melbourne vs. Gold Coast Suns at MCG, 1:20 PM AEDT
Daytime: Partly sunny and cooler but pleasant, with a high of 22°C and a low of 17°C.
Game Time: Around 21°C, partly cloudy with minimal chance of rain.
St Kilda vs. Richmond at Marvel Stadium, 4:15 PM AEDT
Game Time: Approximately 20°C, partly cloudy. The retractable roof may be closed depending on weather.
Brisbane vs. Geelong at The Gabba, 6:35 PM AEST
Daytime: Heavy showers in the morning; remaining cloudy and humid, with a high of 25°C and a low of 21°C.
Game Time: Around 24°C, humid, with a slight chance of residual showers.
Hawthorn vs. GWS at UTAS Stadium, 7:35 PM AEDT
Daytime: Some sun, then turning cloudy, breezy and cooler, with a high of 17°C and a low of 10°C.
Game Time: Approximately 15°C, mostly cloudy, with a slight chance of showers.
Sunday, March 30
Adelaide vs. Fremantle at Adelaide Oval, 1:10 PM ACST
Daytime: Mostly sunny and pleasant, with a high of 23°C and a low of 13°C.
Game Time: Around 22°C, mostly sunny with minimal chance of rain.
Sydney vs. North Melbourne at SCG, 3:20 PM AEDT
Daytime: Humid with clouds yielding to sun, with a high of 24°C and a low of 19°C.
Game Time: Approximately 23°C, partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers.
West Coast vs. Collingwood at Optus Stadium, 4:40 PM AWST
Daytime: Mostly cloudy, windy and very warm, with a high of 32°C and a low of 20°C.
Game Time: Around 30°C, mostly cloudy and windy.
Teams and Their Taggers
This will be an evolving area as we see trends develop. We’ve covered which teams employed taggers in 2024 here.We are continuing to see tagging emerge early this season, with some of the top teams employing them to great effect.
2025 Tagger Ranks
Toby Bedford – I don’t see him being dethroned in 2025 as enemy number one for fantasy coaches. The Hawks have a couple of options for the Bedford blanket. Will Day owners/coaches might be a bit worried this week. However, if Newcombe fires like he did last week, we could see him clamped. Dylan Moore would be the third choice. We’ve seen the Giants prefer to play Bedford in the on-ball rotation, so I think he’s less likely, but another small forward could be in line to do a job on him.
James Jordan – Since Sydney were towelled up by the Hawks in Round 0, Jordan has been stopping the opposition’s most damaging mid. Last week, he held Serong well. This week, he’ll be tagging Nick Daicos during the bye for sure.
Marcus Windhager – Employed for the second week in a row to do a job. This time, he was great, holding Max Holmes to a significantly reduced score. He’ll potentially be a player to avoid. Currently, he’s running at a 50% blanket rate. As a result, he requires more watching.
BOBS Early Starter – Team of the Round
Based on matchups, form, and GameDay Squad strategy, here’s an early look at a high-upside squad for Round [X]:
Final Thoughts
Round 3 presents some juicy matchups, high-upside PODs, and key trends to watch. Keep an eye on final team selections and late changes before locking in your squad. Stay tuned for more insights from Blokes on the Ball, and good luck in GameDay Squad Round 3!
Cheers,
The Goal Practitioner
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