# AFL Fantasy 2026 Practice Matches | Flanders 2G4P, Macdonald Midfield & Half-back Budarick

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-keeper-league-afl-fantasy-podcast-1154240/afl-fantasy-2026-practice-matches-flanders-2g4p-macdonald-midfield-half-back-budarick
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-keeper-league-afl-fantasy-podcast-1154240/afl-fantasy-2026-practice-matches-flanders-2g4p-macdonald-midfield-half-back-budarick.md
Podcast: [The Keeper League - AFL Fantasy Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-keeper-league-afl-fantasy-podcast-1154240)
Published: 2026-02-23T04:36:03+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/2dafa0f1
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/2dafa0f1/59235187.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-keeper-league-afl-fantasy-podcast-1154240/episodes/afl-fantasy-2026-practice-matches-flanders-2g4p-macdonald-midfield-half-back-budarick
Duration seconds: 4464

## Resource

Practice matches are done and the first real AFL Fantasy 2026 signals are on the board. In this episode, we break down the biggest pre-season practice match takeaways for keeper leagues, including role changes, usage shifts, and what actually matters heading into draft season. We deep dive into Sam Flanders’ monster performance , why he already looks like a genuine 2G4P keeper-league asset , and what his role tells us about Gold Coast’s midfield mix. We also analyse Connor Macdonald’s midfield role , plus Connor Budarick’s move into a half-back distributor role and how that impacts his fantasy ceiling. There’s also much, much more player analysis in this episode as we go through every practice match from the past week , discussing all the fantasy-relevant players , emerging roles, and performances worth paying attention to — and which ones are probably noise. If you’re building for the future or trying to identify early keeper league stars, this is essential listening. If you want to support the podcast and the work that goes into these episodes, becoming a member genuinely makes a huge difference. 👉 Sign up as a Keeper League Podcast member: https://keeperleaguepod.com.au/keeper-league-membership/ Links: Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/APjqvT22ze Join the Keeper Fantasy platform: https://keeperfantasy.com/ Play FootyNumbers: https://footynumbers.com Play FootyHeads: https://footyheads.com

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## Transcript

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