Footy Tipping: Bulldogs, Freo and the AFL roll out competitions as 2026 season nears
footy tipping is back in multiple forms for the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership season, with the Western Bulldogs, Fremantle and the AFL each opening competitions and offering a mix of weekly prizes, branded rewards and new game formats.
What does Footy Tipping look like for 2026?
The Western Bulldogs have confirmed their official tipping competition will return for the 2026 season, inviting fans to register and compete for a series of Bulldogs-branded prizes. The club says the entrant with the highest score in each round will win the weekly prize, and that further details of the season’s prizes will be communicated to the eventual winner. The Bulldogs also note that first-round tips are due by Opening Round on Thursday 5 March.
Fremantle has likewise opened registrations for its 2026 tipping competition, backed by Pirate Life Brewing. The Fremantle prize package for the season winner includes a 2026 Fremantle AFL team signed jumper, a $300 Pirate Life venue voucher, a $300 Pirate Life e-comm voucher, a 45L Yeti Tundra Cooler and four cases of Pirate Life beer. Each round will feature weekly prizes consisting of a case of Pirate Life South Coast Crisp Lager and a South Coast cap.
The official AFL Tipping competition is also active for 2026 and offers a major prize of $25, 000 cash plus a Toyota AFL Grand Final package for two. The national competition retains cash prizes for the top three overall finishers and offers weekly awards such as an official Sherrin football and a $100 AFL Store voucher to the tipper with the most correct selections and the closest margin each week. New and returning game formats have been introduced, including Streak and The Gauntlet.
Who can win what?
Prizes vary by organiser. The AFL’s national offering centers on a large cash prize and a Grand Final package while adding new gameplay incentives: Streak rewards long runs of correct tips with $2, 000 prizes for the longest streak and for the longest active streak at season end, and The Gauntlet — returning from prior seasons — will award $2, 000 to its winner after a knockout-style sequence beginning in round seven.
Fremantle’s package is focused on branded gear, vouchers and premium cooler and beer prizes supplied through Pirate Life Brewing, with weekly Pirate Life product and merchandise awards. The Bulldogs’ competition will run weekly round-by-round prizes for the highest-scoring entrant in each round and has indicated additional prize information will be provided to the ultimate season winner.
What are the key dates and entry details?
Registrations are open for the Western Bulldogs tipping competition, for Fremantle’s competition, and for the AFL’s national tipping game. The Bulldogs specify that first-round tips are due by Opening Round on Thursday 5 March. The AFL notes Opening Round falls on March 5 and highlights the first match of the season between Sydney and Carlton at the SCG. Weekly prizes will be awarded each round across the competitions, and some games introduce mid-season elements — for example, The Gauntlet will begin in round seven in the AFL Tipping format.
The 2026 roster and match updates also appear alongside club tipping announcements: the Bulldogs have named a 24-player squad for a practice match against Carlton, and several clubs have news items about player debuts and coaching briefings tied to the Opening Round build-up.
These parallel launches give fans multiple footy tipping choices for 2026, from club-level pools with branded prizes to a national competition with large cash rewards and new game mechanics.
