ISTS Footy Pools for 2026 - Round 6 

Round 6 produced just one major upset:

Melbourne def Brisbane – The biggest and only upset of the round came at the MCG, where Melbourne stunned reigning premier Brisbane by two points, 16.8 (104) to 15.12 (102). Only tipped by 6% of us.

New Injury Concerns
Round 6 brought a heavy injury toll across the league, with several major names either sidelined during games or facing significant time out.

Sam Darcy (Western Bulldogs) – The biggest concern of the round. Darcy suffered a suspected ACL injury after his left knee twisted awkwardly without contact against Geelong. He left the field in distress and the early signs were extremely concerning for the young star key forward.

Tom Liberatore (Western Bulldogs) – Returned from a hamstring issue only to be ruled out with concussion against Geelong, adding to the Dogs’ injury crisis.

Rory Lobb and James O’Donnell (Western Bulldogs) – Both key defenders finished the Geelong match early with hamstring injuries, severely depleting the Bulldogs’ backline.

Harry McKay (Carlton) – The Blues spearhead finished with a head injury concern in the close loss to Collingwood and will likely face concussion protocols depending on assessment.

Tim Taranto (Richmond) – Richmond’s acting captain was ruled out with concussion during the heavy loss to North Melbourne, another blow in a tough season for the Tigers.

Sam Banks (Richmond) – Suffered a serious collarbone injury in the opening minutes against North Melbourne after landing awkwardly in a tackle.

Maurice Rioli Jr (Richmond) – Left the same game with a hamstring injury as Richmond’s injury list worsened.

Jarrod Berry (Brisbane) – The Lions midfielder was ruled out during Brisbane’s narrow loss to Melbourne with a calf injury.

Harrison Petty (Melbourne) – Left the game with concussion symptoms after an unusual third-quarter incident and did not return.

Jesse Hogan (GWS) – A late withdrawal before the Sydney Derby due to a quad issue, leaving the Giants without their key forward target

So surely someone picked the upset and got the easy one right!?  Let's all look together!

ISTS AFL Pools 2026 - Round 6 Results for Tipsters

This week, you actually needed to get 9 correct for the round. There were 3 winners this week each earning $22.17.

Congratulations to Peter shillingford, Alice Betteridge and Kathy Lange.

This week's ladder is very reasonably static at the top. At the top of the ladder, we still have Catherine Nairn and Dale Grigg on 41 points. Next we have Juris Wulfius, Amy Challans, Ian Mills, Chris Cox, Christopher Blake, Vicki Allen and David Shaw on 40 points. Then the crowd of Bayden Smith, Anthony Beck, Leonie Challans, Garth Challans, Darren Garbin, Scott Ainsworth, Bernie Hoffmann, Ben Stevens, Kirsty Rogerson, Gary Wood and Grant Williams on 39 points. Still hopeful are the masses of Tristan Bibbo, Kathy Lange, Andy Duncan, Malcolm Parsons, Justin King, Sam Cooper, Brett Douglas, Mary Taylor, Si Michie, Chris Sleeman, Sandy Ellis, Ian Duncan, Lisa Holloway, Nicole King, Justin Faggotter, Randall Kiesewetter, Marek Pokorny and Adam Mather on 38 points.

This week's big movers and shakers begins with Kathy Lange up 32, Peter shillingford and Bruce Thomas up 14, Bob Ellis and Lynette Duncan up 11, Ed Jacobs and Scott Gage up 10, Alice Betteridge up 9, Peter Kiley, Sam Cooper and Michelle Ah Matt up 8, Tristan Bibbo, Justin Faggotter, Lisa Holloway, Malcolm Parsons, Karen Ayles and Andy Duncan up 7, Dominic Marafioti, Gary Wood, Heather Mander, Brett Douglas and Brian Quick up 6.

The current 33rd last place holder is Brian Simpson who rose 3 places. Last week it was Bob Ellis who rose 11 spots.

This week there were 21 distinct tips, 9 fewer than last week reflecting the lack of upsets.

The average total score is 35.7 and the average score this round was 7.4, up 1.4 from last week.

Adelaide Crows – 10th on the ladder after Round 6, Adelaide (3-3) travels to face Brisbane Lions on Sunday April 26 at The Gabba, aiming to build on their dramatic one-point win over St Kilda Football Club.Positioned in 11th on the ladder.  Adelaide take on St Kilda at home on Saturday evening, aiming to build consistency and climb the standings. But the Sainters are looking good at the minute.

Port Adelaide – 12th on the ladder after Round 6, Port Adelaide (2-4) hosts Geelong Cats on Saturday April 25 at 6:05pm at Adelaide Oval, looking to rebound after their narrow three-point loss to Hawthorn Football Club.

Next week is the ANZAC round where we still have 9 matches played from Thursday through to Sunday with 4 matches on ANZAC Day!

Rocky reporting for the ISTS AFL Pools - 2026

ISTS Footy Pools for 2026 - Round 5  GATHER ROUND 

Gather Round once again doubled as a statewide festival, with South Australia hosting a wide range of off-field attractions alongside the matches. Adelaide’s CBD and surrounding regions featured live music, fan zones, food and wine experiences, club activations, and family-friendly entertainment, while regional venues like Barossa Park and Norwood Oval added to the unique, community-driven feel of the round. Events tied into local tourism—particularly in the Barossa—helped create a carnival atmosphere beyond the games themselves.

Across the weekend, total attendance for Gather Round matches was just over 268,000 fans, continuing the event’s strong reputation for drawing large, engaged crowds both at major venues like Adelaide Oval and smaller suburban grounds.

Gather Round produced a few notable upsets, highlighted by lower-ranked or challenged teams knocking off in-form opposition:

• Essendon def. Melbourne – The Bombers snapped a 17-game losing streak with a shock win over the Demons, marking one of the biggest surprises of the round with just 1% of us picking it
• St Kilda def. Port Adelaide – The Saints upset the Power on their home deck, holding off multiple comebacks in tough conditions to secure an important 14-point victory and only predicted by 39% of us.
• Hawthorn def. Western Bulldogs – The Hawks handed the previously unbeaten Bulldogs their first loss of the season in a dominant 40-point win, controlling the game through midfield and clearances. Only slightly an upset as 46% of us predicted thee Hawks' win.

New Injury Concerns

Several big-name players were sidelined or hurt during Gather Round, with a mix of fresh concerns and in-game scares:

• Ed Richards (Western Bulldogs) – The star midfielder suffered another leg injury and was subbed out, a worrying setback given his history of knee issues.
• Dayne Zorko (Brisbane) – The veteran Lion left the field before half-time with a calf injury and is set for scans.
• Stephen Coniglio (GWS) – Concussed after a heavy knock and will miss the upcoming Sydney Derby under protocols.
• Aaron Cadman (GWS) – Also suffered concussion in the same match, ruling him out next week despite an impressive return game.
• Deven Robertson (West Coast) – Limped off with a knee injury in the final quarter against Geelong.

So back to tipping 9 matches for Gather Round with 3 upsets to tip this week!  How did you survive Gather Round?

Let's all look together!

ISTS AFL Pools 2026 - Round 5 GATHER ROUND Results for Tipsters

This week, you needed to get 8 correct for the round. There were 16 winners this week each earning $4.16.

Congratulations to Leonie Challans, Amy Challans, Darren Garbin, Ed Jacobs, Scott Ainsworth, Ian Mills, Juris Wulfius, Justin King, Bernie Hoffmann, David Jones, Garth Challans, Ben Stevens, Malcolm Parsons, Bayden Smith, Anthony Beck and Andy Duncan.

This week's ladder has Gathered Around!  At the top of the ladder, we now have Catherine Nairn and Dale Grigg on 33 points. A large crowd ensues on their heels with Bernie Hoffmann, Ben Stevens, Juris Wulfius, Amy Challans, Ian Mills, Chris Cox, Christopher Blake, Vicki Allen and David Shaw on 32 points. Still remarkably bunched up are David Cranefield, Bayden Smith, Anthony Beck, Leonie Challans, Garth Challans, Darren Garbin, Justin King, Scott Ainsworth, Si Michie, Kirsty Rogerson, Chris Sleeman, Grant Williams, Adam Mather, Gary Wood, Randall Kiesewetter and Marek Pokorny on 31 points.

This week's big movers and shakers begins with Darren Garbin up 38, Leonie Challans and Garth Challans up 36, Scott Ainsworth up 35, Malcolm Parsons up 34, Andy Duncan up 33, Justin King up 29, Bayden Smith and Anthony Beck up 27, Juris Wulfius, Ben Stevens and Amy Challans up 24, Ed Jacobs up 22, James Lipsham up 19, Anthony McAvaney, Ian Mills and Dominic Marafioti up 18, David Jones, Vaneet Dhiman and Bernie Hoffmann up 17, Nicole King up 15, Michelle Ah Matt up 14.

The current 33rd last place holder is Bob Ellis who fell 19 places. Last week it was Andy Duncan who rose 33 spots.

This week there were 30 distinct tips, 1 less than last round reflecting ease of predicting most matches despite having all 9 to tip.

The average total score is 28.3 and the average score this round was 6.0.

Port Adelaide – Currently sitting at 10th on the ladder.  Port Adelaide face the Hawks at Marvel on Saturday late affternoon, looking to rebound after their Gather Round loss.

Adelaide Crows – Positioned in 11th on the ladder.  Adelaide take on St Kilda at home on Saturday evening, aiming to build consistency and climb the standings. But the Sainters are looking good at the minute.

Next week is a normal round where we are back to the traditional home and away format for all 9 matches starting Thursday night as usual and featureing the Blues and Pies!

Rocky reporting for the ISTS AFL Pools - 2026

ISTS Footy Pools for 2026 - Round 4 

Hope you all had a good Easter under the circumstances.   It certainly was a feast of footy matches over 5 big days!  A few sides tried to resurrect themselves and failed (like the Crows in the final term going down to Freo) and others were successful (like the Hawkers rolling over the Cats by the barest margin!). 

Biggest upsets were really just these two

Melbourne def Gold Coast (boilover)

• Gold Coast had been in strong early-season form
• Melbourne produced what was described as an “epic boilover” win

A genuine upset given momentum and form only picked by 4% of us.

Dockers def Crows at Adelaide Oval

Melbourne Football Club vs Gold Coast Suns

• Adelaide had their now predictable slow start
• Freo built a 29 point lead but the Crows edged in front int he final term only to see the win slip away as Dockers steadied.

A home match upset for the Crows and picked by 24% of us.

New Injury Concerns
Collingwood
      Nick Daicos – corked calf (soft tissue), late withdrawal

Western Bulldogs
       Tim English – knee injury during the match
       Arthur Jones – hamstring injury in-game
Both occurred in the win over Essendon and are the Dogs’ main new concerns

Brisbane
    Noah Answerth – concussion (game incident)
    Entered concussion protocols following a knock in Round 4

Port Adelaide
    Ollie Lord – ACL injury (season-ending)
Occurred during the round (SANFL), but still a major new blow to AFL depth

Adelaide (carry-over from game incidents)
    Luke Pedlar – jaw injury after heavy collision
    Required assistance from the field after a late-game incident

North managed to stage a huge comeback to overhaul the Blues to allow the 64% of us who tipped them to be relieved!

Just the 8 matches to tip this week but the AFL ladder now shows all teams having played 4 matches so it is finally a fair comparison of where they sit!

How did you handle the two upsets and did you go for some that didn't come off?   Let's all look together!

ISTS AFL Pools 2026 - Round 4 Results for Tipsters

Believe it or not, you could afford to get just 1 tip wrong.  You needed to get 7 correct for the round. There were just 3 winners this week each earning $22.17.

Congratulations to John Boland, John Whittaker and Karen Hickman.

This week's ladder has thinned out a bit at the top. All own their own at the top of the ladder, we now have the Mesiah, Christopher Blake on 27 points. He is followed by the 4 Diciples in Catherine Nairn, Sam Cooper, Dale Grigg and Marek Pokorny on 26 points. The Alter attendants follow with Tristan Bibbo, Brett Douglas, Chris Cox, Vicki Allen, David Shaw, Randall Kiesewetter and Gary Wood on 25 points. They are followed by the plethora of cheesemakers (bless them!) in John Whittaker, Karen Hickman, David Cranefield, Si Michie, Tracey Goode, Kirsty Rogerson, Chris Sleeman, Bernie Hoffmann, Grant Williams, Bruce Thomas, Lynette Duncan, Lisa Holloway, Ian Mills, Justin Faggotter, Emerson Stevens, Ben Stevens, Juris Wulfius, Amy Challans, Adam Mather, Prairie Girl and Karen Teague on 24 points.

This week's big movers and shakers begins with Karen Hickman up 56, John Boland up 40, John Whittaker up 28, Melissa Williams up 25, Jason Allsopp up 23, Steven Burnett up 21, Bernie Hoffmann up 20, Neville Rankine and Karen Ayles up 16, Justin King and Scott Gage up 14, Jenny Quilliam, Ian Mills, Kathy Lange and Justin Faggotter up 13, Bob Ellis, Bruce Thomas, Lynette Duncan, Lisa Holloway and Anthony Beck up 12, Sandy Ellis and Trudi Bishop up 11.

The current 33rd last place holder is Andy Duncan who fell 8 places. Last week it was Nick Leidig who fell 15 spots.

This week there were 31 distinct tips, 9 more than last week reflecting the 8 matches this round vs 7 for last round.

The average total score is 22.3 and the average score this round was 5.2.

Port Adelaide – Currently sitting 8th on the AFL ladder after Round 4, Port Adelaide next play Essendon at Adelaide Oval on Friday night (Round 5) looking to consolidate themselves in the eight.

Adelaide Crows – Currently 13th on the AFL ladder after Round 4, Adelaide face Carlton at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night (Round 5).
 

Next week is Gather Round where all 9 matches with be played in Adelaide and the Barossa over Thursday night to Sunday evening.  Will the fans be able to get here from interstate?

Rocky reporting for the ISTS AFL Pools - 2026

ISTS Footy Pools for 2026 - Round 3 

Round 3 delivered a string of upsets or big comebacks, highlighted by dramatic momentum swings and unexpected winners.

West Coast def. Port Adelaide – The Eagles stunned Port at Adelaide Oval, coming back from 29 points down to win by two, continuing their rare winning streak and handing the Power an early-season setback under new coach Josh Carr.  Predicted by just 4%

Melbourne def. Carlton – In one of the biggest turnarounds of the round, the Demons overturned a 43-point deficit after conceding the first seven goals to run over the Blues, exposing Carlton’s recurring inability to close out games.  Not really an upset as 56% of us predicted this but definitely a big turn around/

North Melbourne def. Essendon – The Kangaroos broke a 10-year drought against the Bombers with a controlled win, maintaining the lead all day and deepening Essendon’s ongoing struggles.  Nearly all of us (94%) predicted this but did we realise the drought had been so long?

Round 3 saw several notable players suffer injuries, creating concern for their clubs going forward.

Port Adelaide – Key defender Esava Ratugolea left the field with a knee injury, with scans pending to determine the severity in a major concern for the Power’s backline.

West Coast Eagles – Veteran midfielder Elliot Yeo was hampered by a groin issue during the win over Port Adelaide, putting his short-term availability in doubt.

Carlton Football Club – Zac Williams suffered a rib injury, while young defender Harry Dean left the field with a side/hip complaint after an aerial contest.

Melbourne Football Club – Defender Changkuoth Jiath picked up a calf injury, adding to Melbourne’s injury watch despite their big comeback win.

Overall, the most concerning issues appear to be Ratugolea’s knee and Yeo’s groin, both of which could have lingering impacts depending on scan results

Another week of tipping just 7 matches.  I am guessing tipping the Eagles over the Power prevented a clean sewwp but as I like to say,  lets all look together!!

ISTS AFL Pools 2026 - Round 3 Results for Tipsters

Believe it or not, you really had to get all 7 correct for the round. There was just the one lucky winner this week earning $66.50.

Congratulations to John Whittaker.

This week's ladder has changed! At the top of the ladder, we now have Dale Grigg, Sam Cooper and Christopher Blake on 21 points. Hot on their heels are Gary Wood, Catherine Nairn, Marek Pokorny, Karen Teague and Tristan Bibbo on 20 points. Fighting hard are Vicki Allen, Juris Wulfius, Randall Kiesewetter, Chris Cox, Adam Mather, David Cranefield, Ben Stevens, Kirsty Rogerson, Chris Sleeman, David Shaw, Amy Challans, Darren Garbin, Prairie Girl, Brett Douglas and Bryanne Smith on 19 points.

This week's big movers and shakers begins with John Whittaker up 44, Ian Duncan up 43, Bayden Smith and Scott Ainsworth up 37, Dominic Marafioti and Ed Jacobs up 33, Adam Mather up 29, Randall Kiesewetter and Chris Cox up 25, Emerson Stevens up 23, Juris Wulfius and Vicki Allen up 22, Ken Sleeman and Mary Taylor up 16, Trudi Bishop up 15, Bruce Thomas up 14, Karen Teague up 13, David Cranefield up 12, Scott Gage up 11, Lisa Morgan and Nick Leidig up 8, Anne Petrie, Marek Pokorny and Chris Sleemanup 7. 

The current 33rd last place holder is Nick Leidig who rose 8 places. Last week it was James Lipsham who rose 1 spot.

This week there were 22 distinct tips, one less than last week.

The average total score is 17.0 and the average score this round was 4.8 which is 1.0 higher than last week. 

Port Adelaide – Currently sitting 11th on the ladder, Port Adelaide will face Richmond Football Club at the MCG on Easter Saturday, April 4 (twilight fixture) in Round 4.

Adelaide Crows – Currently 12th on the ladder, Adelaide will take on Fremantle Football Club at Adelaide Oval on Good Friday, April 3 at night in Round 4. 

Just the 8 matches to tip next week.  Byes for the Saints and Giants.

Rocky reporting for the ISTS AFL Pools - 2026

ISTS Footy Pools for 2026 - Round 2 

A chaotic round of AFL results has left tipping margins tight as several surprise outcomes split the field.

It was a bad round for injuries. 

Multiple hamstring injuries (big trend this round)

• Tom Lynch (Richmond) – Hamstring

• Toby Nankervis (Richmond) – Hamstring

• Callum Ah Chee (Adelaide) – Hamstring, likely several weeks

• Anthony Caminiti (St Kilda) – Hamstring

• Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide) – Hamstring

Other notable in-game injuries

• Mason Redman (Essendon) – Knee injury

• Dyson Sharp (Essendon) – Ankle injury

• Miles Bergman (Port Adelaide) – Ankle injury

• Daniel Turner (Melbourne) – Hand injury (left game early) (from match report)

• Nick Watson (Hawthorn) – Heavy knock (hamstring/hip concern but played on) (from match report)

Bryanne Smith leads the standings with 16 total points after topping the round with six winners, while a large pack of competitors followed with five or fewer correct tips as upsets—particularly West Coast over North (only 7% prediction), St Kilda’s win over GWS (just 12% prediction) and the Bulldogs’ late victory over Adelaide (26% prediction) caught many off guard.

Most tipsters correctly backed Hawthorn, Gold Coast and Fremantle, but the variation in selections across the other matches caused significant movement up and down the leaderboard, with some big positional jumps and falls throughout the table.

Overall, it was a volatile round that highlighted the unpredictability of the early 2026 season, tightening the competition and bunching the leaderboard.

So how did you fare in this environemnt?

Well there is only one thing to do and that is....  Lets all look together!!

ISTS AFL Pools 2026 - Round 2 Results for Tipsters

This week, you needed to get 6 correct for the round. There were 4 winners this week each earning $16.63.

Congratulations to David Cranefield, Bryanne Smith, Brian Simpson and Catherine Nairn.

This week's ladder is still evolving. At the top of the ladder, we now have the expert group of Bryanne Smith, Sam Cooper, Craig Jones and Christopher Blake on 16 points. Next we have advanced tipsters of Brian Simpson, Brett Douglas, Dale Grigg and Tristan Bibbo on 15 points. They are followed by the good tipsters in Catherine Nairn, Gary Wood, Bernie Hoffmann, Ben Stevens, Marek Pokorny, Steven Burnett, Prairie Girl, Si Michie, Kirsty Rogerson, David Shaw, Amy Challans, Karen Teague, Tracey Goode, Darren Garbin, Karen Hickman, Chris Sleeman and Patricia Coulthard on 14 points. It is still bunched up and will be for a while as this is a long season with more upsets to come!

This week's big movers and shakers begins with David Cranefield up 57, Lynette Duncan up 46, Catherine Nairn up 43, Justin Faggotter, Kathy Lange, Justin King and Vaneet Dhiman up 34, Ian Mills up 32, Emerson Stevens up 28, Prairie Girl up 27, Steven Burnett up 26, Grant Williams up 21, Brian Simpson up 20, Grant Wigley and Stephen Stone up 17, John Boland and Marek Pokorny up 16, Bryanne Smith and Kate Adriaans up 15, Robert Smith up 14, Simon Holt up 12, Gary Wood, Ben Stevens and Bernie Hoffmann up 11.

The current 33rd last place holder is James Lipsham who rose 2 places. Last week it was Scott Ainsworth who rose 1 spot.

This week there were 23 distinct tips as opposed to 36 last week due to two more matches to tip!

The average total score is 12.2 and the average score this round was 3.8 not quite down 2 from last week.

The Power are currently 16th on the ladder.  Port Adelaide: Port Adelaide will host West Coast Eagles at Adelaide Oval on Sunday (March 29, 12:00pm local time).

The Crows are currently 5th on the ladder.  Adelaide will face Geelong Cats at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday night (March 26, 7:30pm AEDT).

Still just the 7 matches to tip next week.

Rocky reporting for the ISTS AFL Pools - 2026

ISTS Footy Pools for 2026 - Round 1 

Well, we get one week of tipping 9 matches but next week in Round 2, we have just 7 matches with the Lions, Pies, Blues and Cats having Byes.   In Round 3, we also have 7 matches with the Suns, Bulldogs, Hawks and Swans having Byes.   Even round 4 has just 8 matches to tip with the Saints and Giants having a Bye so that we are back on the same matches played for all teams by Round 5.  But never fear, Thursday night footy (TNF) is still around all year so you need to get into the habit of tipping at least that match by 7pm on Thursdays!

According to our tipping, the biggest upset was the Demons beating St Kilda with just 13% getting that right.  Only 16% tipped the Kangaroos leaping over the Power with their new coach Josh Carr not having the first match he had hoped for.  Arguably, the cross town rival's in the Crows beating the Pies at the 'G for the first time since 2004, was also an upset which was predicted by 35% of us.

So do those upsets mean that it was too hard to get all 9 matches correct?

Well there is only one thing to do and that is....  Lets all look together!!

ISTS AFL Pools 2026 - Round 1 Results for Tipsters

This week, believe it or not, you really had to get  8 correct for the round. There was just the one lucky winner this week earning $66.50.

Big congratulations to Tristan Bibbo.

This week's ladder is evolving. At the top of the ladder, we have Tristan Bibbo, Chris Sleeman, Sam Cooper, Brett Douglas, Craig Jones, Dale Grigg, Christopher Blake and Patricia Coulthard on 11 points. They are closely followed by Melissa Williams, David Shaw, Amy Challans, Bruce Thomas, Karen Teague, Darren Garbin, Karen Hickman, Bryanne Smith, Si Michie, Kirsty Rogerson, Alice Betteridge and Tracey Goode on 10 points. Then we have the crowd of Gary Wood, Bernie Hoffmann, Ben Stevens, Jason Allsopp, Brian Simpson, Leonie Challans, Trudi Bishop, Garth Challans, Marek Pokorny, David Jones, Anna Parente, Nick Leidig, Bayden Smith, Vicki Allen, Juris Wulfius, Ian Duncan, Randall Kiesewetter, Lisa Holloway, Nicole King, Steven Burnett, Adam Mather, Prairie Girl, Ken Sleeman, Kristy Johns, Joanna Sundstrom, Chris Cox and Mary Taylor on 9 points.

The current 33rd last place holder is Scott Ainsworth. Last week it was Vaneet Dhiman.

This week there were 36 distinct tips.

The average total score is 8.4 and the average score this round was 5.7.

The Swans are on top of the AFL ladder care of the two big wins they have had just shading by percentage, the Suns with their two (almost as big) wins.  They separate the top 6 now and then another bar for the top 10 dur to that extra "Finals" round where 7 will pay 10th and 8th will play 9th.  It is essentially a top 10 now that play finals. 

The Crows are currently 5th on the ladder.  The Crows face the Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval on Friday 20 March 2026 at 7:10 pm in Round 2.

The Power are currently 16th on the ladder.  Port Adelaide hosts the Essendon Football Club at Adelaide Oval on Saturday 21 March 2026 at 9:15 pm in Round 2.

Yes - you read it correctly.  Two home matches at Adelaide Oval this weekend due to the time required to remediate the gound after the Ed Sheeran concert!

Rocky reporting for the ISTS AFL Pools - 2026

Welcome to the ISTS Footy Pools for 2026 . 

This competition is in its 16th year using a web site to help with the tips entry and results production!

I am still heavily involved in motor racing and Lions this year so match reports might be briefer at times.  This week and week-end I have been at Albert Park for the Australian F1 Grand Prix.  For my sins they made me Equipment Chief a few years ago.  The Equipment Team are 16 people who put out all of the things that the flag marshals, pit lane marshals and other volunteeers need to support the racing activities.  And I thought I had given up management when I retired from UniSA at the end of 2020.

While on that subject, UniSA is effectively no more.  It sounds like the University of Adelaide has really taken over my old Uni as they are pretty much using all of the UofA systems and processes. 

We still have the extra Round 0 this year with just 4 matches just to confuse everyone.  The 8 teams that play in Round 0 were meant to get a Bye  in Rounds 1, 2 and 3. 

Here is a summary of the major player trades that took place in October

• Charlie Curnow → Sydney Swans

  • One of the biggest deals of the period.

  • The Swans landed the two-time Coleman medallist in a huge trade involving multiple first-round draft picks and forward Will Hayward going to Carlton.

• Christian Petracca → Gold Coast Suns

  • Melbourne’s superstar midfielder moved north in exchange for three high draft picks, including picks 7 and 8.

• Clayton Oliver → Greater Western Sydney Giants

  • Another major Melbourne exit, with Oliver joining the Giants to strengthen their midfield.

 In summary:

• Melbourne was the most reshaped club, losing both Petracca and Oliver but bringing in Steele and other pieces.
• Sydney went all-in on a premiership push by landing Curnow.
• Gold Coast made a major statement by acquiring Petracca to lead their midfield.
• Overall, more than 30 players switched clubs, making it one of the busier AFL trade periods in recent years.

So we effectively have 25 rounds of footy for the Minor round part of the season and hence the fee is also $25 this year. 

Also - please remember that when you tap or click your chosen team to win, it is instantly recorded.  If it goes green it was seen!

There is no submit button for tips anymore.

In 2025, we had 101 punters.  This year we have 95.  The prize money looks like this.

So 5 matches to pick in the Opening Round this year.  Perhaps a decent chance to get them all right?  Let's all look together!

ISTS AFL Pools 2026 - Round 0 Results for Tipsters

This week, you needed to get 4 correct for the round. There were 17 winners this week each earning $3.91.

Congratulations to Tracey Goode, Chris Sleeman, Alice Betteridge, Kirsty Rogerson, Brett Douglas, Sam Cooper, Joanna Sundstrom, Craig Jones, Dale Grigg, Ken Sleeman, Christopher Blake, Mary Taylor, Si Michie, Patricia Coulthard, Robert Smith, Kristy Johns and Chris Cox.

This week's ladder is evolving with the top of the ladder being Si Michie, Kirsty Rogerson, Chris Sleeman, Ken Sleeman, Sam Cooper, Kristy Johns, Brett Douglas, Alice Betteridge, Joanna Sundstrom, Chris Cox, Mary Taylor, Craig Jones, Dale Grigg, Christopher Blake, Tracey Goode, Patricia Coulthard and Robert Smith on 4 points. Next we have Stephen Stone, Grant Wigley, Simon Holt, Bayden Smith, Vicki Allen, Anne Petrie, Scott Gage, Melissa Williams, Michelle Ah Matt, Juris Wulfius, David Shaw, Paul Sherlock, Ian Duncan, Amy Challans, Randall Kiesewetter, Bruce Thomas, Les Shalhoub, Kate Adriaans, Lynette Duncan, Cliff Sleeman, Lisa Holloway, Karen Teague, Tristan Bibbo, Darren Garbin, Nicole King, Steven Burnett, Adam Mather, Karen Hickman, Bryanne Smith and Prairie Girl on 3 points.

The current 33rd last place holder is Jason Allsopp.  

This week there were 20 distinct tips.

 The average total score is 2.6 and the average score this round was 2.6.

Rocky reporting for the ISTS AFL Pools - 2026

 The Grand Final!

Results for the Grand Final Round 4 of ISTS AFL Footy Pools for the year 2025!

92 Punters, 9 finals matches, who will be the top 5 punters of the Finals for 2025?

Welcome to the Grand Final round of the ISTS AFL Pools Finals competition for 2025.  Well - this was all tied up at half time after a full on pressure with scores locked together at half time!  But after the break the Lions ripped the game apart and kicked away doubling the Cats score at times but when it was clear the Liosn would win in the final term, they started to relax and enjoy the moment.  It ended up being a blowout by 47 points but  who knew!

This year, we had just 5 tipsters still in the Grand Final and Les Shalhoub picked a margin with the high ground so came first!

The Grand Final was won by the Lions over the Cats by 47 points.

So which of these five punters got the best chocolates?

Congratulations to Les Shalhoub for 1st prize of $184 with the closest margin of 31 points for the Lions.  He covered the high ground which he did very well!.   2nd Prize of $92 went the Alice Betteridge who tipped the Lions by 23 points.  Jason Allsopp tipped Brisbane without a margin but gets 3rd Prize of $47.84, while Tracey Goode tipped Geelong to get $25.76.   The 5th place consolation prize of $18.40 went to Len Colgan for tipping the Cats.

This year we had 92 punters in the finals and the 1st to 5th prizes are

So thanks for having some fun with us this year. Messages will come out shortly for those of you with large amounts to collect. I prefer to pay these using bank transfers.

If you would like to donate your smaller winnings, it will be the Australian Lions Childrens Cancer Research Foundation next year.  This was my wife's special project when she was a District Governor in Lions for 2009-2010.   

I'd like to thank Pete Kiley for caring for and feeding the web site.    

I hope all of you sign up again for next year's ISTS Footy Tipping competition. If you know of anyone who would enjoy being part of the competition next year, please get them to email, me at rocky.stone.15@outlook.com .

Until 2026,

Rocky reporting for ISTS AFL Footy Pools - Finals Edition  

(ps - in the table below - the web site does not calculate the prize money for 1st to 5th so please use the commentary above as the prize payout information for the finals)

Finals 2025 - Week 3 

Results for Preliminary Finals Round 3 of ISTS AFL Footy Pools for the year 2025!

92 Punters, 9 finals matches, who will be the top 5 punters of the Finals for 2025?

And then there were 2 teams left in the Quest for the Holy Grail!

Friday saw the Cats quell the Hawks who started well but couldn't sustain it.  Just 12 of us picked that.

Saturday was an epic clash bewteen the Pies and Lions and while Collingwood looked the goods at times, check out the worm to see how much time they spent in front!   Not much.  So the Lions deid a number on them and face off again with teh Cats who beat them at the MCG in the qualifying final.  This matched was tipped 50/50 but it just left 5 punters tipping for the Grand Final.

So the 5 winners for the Finals tipping are known, just not the order of who will win the top prize money!  We will all look together once they have tipped for the GF with margins next week!

Next week the Geelong take on the Lions at the MCG in the the BIG DANCE!   The 2025 Grand Final.

Congratualtions to Tracey Goode, Jason Allsopp, Len Colgan, Les Shalhoub and Alice Betteridge for making the Grand Final tipping!
 

Last year we were all back in the Grand FInal.  This year just 5!

Just a reminder that all finals participants will get a copy of the results each week.  But only those of you who are left in (with all correct tips) will have the ability to enter tips for the following week.  If you get reminded to tip - just do it!

Rocky reporting for ISTS AFL Finals Footy Pools

Finals 2025 - Week 3 

Results for Preliminary Finals Round 3 of ISTS AFL Footy Pools for the year 2025!

92 Punters, 9 finals matches, who will be the top 5 punters of the Finals for 2025?

And then there were 2 teams left in the Quest for the Holy Grail!

Friday saw the Cats quell the Hawks who started well but couldn't sustain it.  Just 12 of us picked that.

Saturday was an epic clash bewteen the Pies and Lions and while Collingwood looked the goods at times, check out the worm to see how much time they spent in front!   Not much.  So the Lions deid a number on them and face off again with teh Cats who beat them at the MCG in the qualifying final.  This matched was tipped 50/50 but it just left 5 punters tipping for the Grand Final.

So the 5 winners for the Finals tipping are known, just not the order of who will win the top prize money!  We will all look together once they have tipped for the GF with margins next week!

Next week the Geelong take on the Lions at the MCG in the the BIG DANCE!   The 2025 Grand Final.

Congratualtions to Tracey Goode, Jason Allsopp, Len Colgan, Les Shalhoub and Alice Betteridge for making the Grand Final tipping!
 

Last year we were all back in the Grand FInal.  This year just 5!

Just a reminder that all finals participants will get a copy of the results each week.  But only those of you who are left in (with all correct tips) will have the ability to enter tips for the following week.  If you get reminded to tip - just do it!

Rocky reporting for ISTS AFL Finals Footy Pools