AFL GameDay Squad Round 21 Preview | Best Matchups, PODs & Key Trends

The AFL GameDay Squad Round 21 Preview is here, bringing you the latest insights to help you dominate this week’s matchups in your fantasy footy leagues.

After a chaotic Round 20 with fluctuating scores from meta premiums and a bunch of under-the-radar PODs standing tall, many coaches will be left scratching their heads heading into the final rounds. This is where season-defining calls are made.

Fortunately (or not), some of the juiciest fantasy matchups of the year await. Melbourne, St Kilda, Gold Coast, and Geelong offer premium scoring potential, making team selection both exciting and dangerously difficult.

DEFENDERS – AFL GameDay Squad Round 21 Preview

Last week was a horror show for defenders. Premiums like Lachie Ash, Jordan Clark, Bailey Dale, and Dayne Zorko all fell flat — a brutal reminder that form can flip quickly in fantasy footy. But onto Round 21, and things are looking up with some juicy matchups on offer.

First stop: Sydney vs Essendon. This is prime territory for the Swans to rack up uncontested ball, and I expect Nick Blakey and Callum Mills to be right in the thick of it. Over at Marvel Stadium, St Kilda take on North Melbourne, and with no obvious tag threats, Jack Sinclair and the North Melbourne DEF Bros should be free to rack up easy pill.

But the best matchup of the round? That belongs to Gold Coast vs Richmond. I’m backing John Noble to absolutely go bananas here — he’s primed for a massive one. Don’t sleep on the GWS halfbacks either against the Bulldogs — both are in solid form and have the ceiling to pop. Finally, if you’ve been burned by Jordan Clark, this could be the week he bounces back with a soft matchup.

MIDFIELDERS – AFL GameDay Squad Round 21 Preview

Let’s talk about the guy who’s straight-up taking the piss — Matt Rowell. He’s now posted 10 straight scores over 112 GDS, including monster games of 168 and 171. With Gold Coast playing Richmond, Rowell goes from POD to almost must-play. His teammate Noah Anderson has also been super consistent and is right up there for a strong matchup.

Feeling spicy? A genuine round-winner could be Christian Petracca. He comes up against West Coast, a side he put 134 GDS on earlier this season. He’ll be a popular target this week and rightly so.

On the other side of the ledger, Zak Butters might be one to avoid. If Geelong sends a tagger his way again — which they almost certainly will — he could be in for a quiet one. Two big watchlist names this round are Bontempelli and Jordan Dawson. If Bedford or Nash don't go to them, both could explode. But if the tags come? You’ll want to have dodged the bullet.

And don’t overthink Nick Daicos — playing Brisbane, chasing Brownlow votes, and unlikely to cop a heavy tag from Josh Dunkley. He’s as safe as it gets.

RUCKS – AFL GameDay Squad Round 21 Preview

As always, ruck selection is all about the matchups — and Round 21 gives us four elite options.

Let’s start at the top. Max Gawn gets West Coast under the roof at Marvel, and after last week’s letdown, expect him to come out with something to prove. He’s a prime captaincy option.

Rowan Marshall might be the most obvious pick of the week, taking on a North Melbourne side that essentially has no ruck presence. Lock and load.

Brodie Grundy gets a dream matchup with Essendon, who’ve struggled all year against dominant rucks, while Tim English has GWS, another side that doesn’t tend to shut down opposition big men.

All four are excellent options. But if one happens to flop — and you’re the coach who dodged them — it could swing your round in a big way.

FORWARDS – AFL GameDay Squad Round 21 Preview

Welcome to the wild west of GameDay Squad — the forward line. This line continues to be a rollercoaster, and Round 21 doesn’t make things any easier.

Start with the bloodbath waiting to happen at GMHBA Stadium, where Geelong face Port Adelaide. Expect a buffet of points here, with Bailey Smith, Gryan Miers, and Jeremy Cameron all serious threats. Mannagh could even be worth a sneaky look.

Elsewhere, Kysaiah Pickett shapes as a top-tier option against West Coast. His speed and pressure game should thrive against the Eagles' leaky defence. Gold Coast and St Kilda forwards have good matchups on paper, but trust is an issue. Risky plays, but potential ceiling is there.

Looking for a cheeky POD? Keep an eye on Bailey Humphrey. If he sees a bump in centre bounce attendances this week, he could go big against the Tigers.

POD Review – Round 20

1. Sam Flanders – 66 GDS: Yikes. That one hurt.

2. Aaron Naughton – 140 GDS: Huge. That’s a round-winner. Will Ben King or Cooper Sharman pull a similar trick this week?

3. Reilly Thilthorpe – 115 GDS: Brilliant. The big man delivered in tough conditions.

4. Jack Steele – 55 GDS: Gross. That was a tough Sunday watch.

5. Tom Powell – 125 GDS: Excellent. The kid’s having a seriously good year.

POD Picks – Round 21

1. Christian Petracca – Ceiling too good to ignore

2. Brayden Fiorini – Outside the box but the matchup is elite

3. Callum Mills – Can go big if given the right role

4. Joel Jeffrey – POD special, could surprise everyone

5. Shaun Mannagh – huge upside v a decimated port.

Team of the week:

Taggers:

Taggers are key and we have summarised the recent trends here.

Final Thoughts – AFL Fantasy Strategy Round 21

We’re officially in the business end of the AFL Fantasy season, and GameDay Squad coaches need to make every call count. With teams like Melbourne, Gold Coast, and Geelong offering mouthwatering matchups, this round could be high-scoring across the board. But that also means the margin for error is razor thin.

Play the matchups, consider the PODs, and don’t overthink it. It’s Round 21—backs against the wall, time to get aggressive. Bring on the fantasy chaos.

If you haven’t signed up for AFL GameDay Squad yet, use code BOBAFL at sign-up to unlock free packs and kickstart your squad.