Footy Tipping 2026: The Complete Guide to Setting Up, Picking Winners, and Winning Your League

There’s something about the first bounce of a new AFL season that turns even the most casual fan into a Monday morning tipster. Whether you’re chasing bragging rights over a few mates, a share of a prize pool, or simply the satisfaction of picking the right winners, footy tipping is a ritual that connects millions of Australians to the game. In 2026, the options are better than ever—from free official competitions to feature-packed apps that let you tip on the go. This guide walks you through everything you need to set up, compete, and win this season.

Official AFL Tipping competition: Free to play (AFL.com.au) ·
ESPN Footy Tips: Australia’s #1 tipping game (Apple App Store) ·
NRL Tipping competition opens: 2026-02-04 (NRL Tipping Help)

Five key resources, one pattern: every major platform offers a free entry point and a dedicated web or app interface.

How to set up a footy tipping competition

Choose a platform

• Official AFL Tipping — Free, hosted on tipping.afl.com.au, supports private and public leagues.
• ESPN Footy Tips — Australia’s #1 tipping game, available on web and mobile.
• SEN Tipping — Weekly prizes offered, web-based.
• NRL Tipping — Official NRL competition, covers all 2026 fixtures.

Create a league

1. Visit your chosen platform’s website or app.
2. Register for an account (NRL requires an NRL Account, AFL is free).
3. Select “Create a new competition” and choose private or public.
4. Set a league name and optional password.
5. Share the invite link with friends or family.

On NRL Tipping, you can also set auto/forgotten tip preferences that apply until the first match of the season.

Add participants

• Share the unique league code or link via text, email, or social media.
• Most platforms allow up to 50+ participants per league.
• Participants must register individually and join using the code.

Select rules (margin, straight pick)

• Straight pick: Simply choose the winner of each match. 1 point per correct tip.
• Margin tipping: Predict the winning margin range (e.g., 1-20, 21-40, 41+). Bonus points for accuracy.
• Some platforms also offer “confidence” tipping where you rank your picks.

Set prize pool

• Decide if the league has an entry fee (common in private groups).
• Platforms like SEN Tipping offer weekly prizes (reportedly $200 in footy tickets or vouchers).
• For private leagues, the commissioner collects fees and distributes prizes at season end.

What are the footy tipping predictions for 2026?

Expert predictions from The Age

The Age (Melbourne’s leading news outlet) publishes round-by-round expert tips throughout the season. Their panel includes seasoned AFL journalists who analyse form, injuries, and home-ground advantage.

Early 2026 season outlook

• Preseason predictions typically emerge in February, with Round 1 tips going live a week before the season opener.
• Key factors: pre-season form, player movements, and coaching changes.
• Follow AFL.com.au for official team lists and injury updates.

Key players to watch

• New recruits and emerging stars often tip the balance in early rounds.
• Track the availability of marquee players through official club channels.

What this means: no single source guarantees accuracy, so cross-referencing two or three outlets is the most reliable approach.

Which footy tipping app is best?

Three platforms dominate the conversation, each with a distinct trade-off between features, cost, and supported leagues.

The implication: choose Official AFL Tipping for pure AFL, ESPN Footy Tips for multi-sport flexibility, and SEN for casual web-only tipping.

How does family footy tipping work?

Setting up a family league

• Choose a platform that supports private leagues (all major ones do).
• Create a league with a fun name (e.g., “Smith Family Tipping”).
• Invite family members via email or text. No age restrictions — kids can join.

Involving kids

• Kids can pick based on team colours, mascots, or favourite players.
• Use the “straight pick” rule to keep it simple.
• Consider a small prize for the highest scoring child at season end.

Score tracking

• Most platforms automatically update the leaderboard after each round.
• Family leagues can be monitored on a shared device or printed each week.

Fun themes

• Assign a “tip of the week” where each member predicts one upset.
• Create a wooden spoon award for the lowest scorer.
• Host a family tipping night before each round.

The catch: keeping children engaged requires low stakes and visual tracking—a printed leaderboard works better than a mobile app for younger kids.

Who are the best AFL tipping experts?

The Age expert tipsters

The Age (Melbourne’s leading news outlet) publishes a dedicated expert tips page each round. Their panel includes journalists like Jake Niall, Caroline Wilson, and Sam McClure.

ESPN experts

ESPN Footy Tips aggregates tips from a range of analysts and former players. You can compare your picks against the consensus.

SEN tipping experts

SEN Tipping features tips from sports radio presenters and regular contributors.

How to follow them

• Bookmark each expert’s page and check before lockout.
• Use social media to get last-minute team changes.
• Track your own accuracy over time to identify which expert aligns with your style.

The pattern: expert consensus often outperforms individual tipsters, so treating aggregated picks as a baseline is a practical hedge.

2026 Footy Tipping Timeline

• January 2026: Footy tipping competitions open for registration on most platforms.
• 2026-02-04: NRL Tipping competition opens at 12:00pm AEDT (NRL Tipping Help).
• February 2026: Preseason predictions released by The Age, ESPN, and SEN.
• 2026-02-26: Footytips app updated with redesigned dashboard (Apple App Store).
• March 2026: 2026 AFL season begins, Round 1 tipping starts.
• September 2026: Grand Final and end of tipping season.
• 2026-10-04: NRL Tipping competition closes at 11:59pm AEDT (NRL Tipping Help).

The pattern: registration opens two months before the first bounce, giving tipsters ample time to set up leagues and test platforms.

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear in footy tipping?

The implication: rely on official sources for pricing and dates, but treat platform rankings and expert accuracy claims as promotional until independently verified.

What the experts say

“Our official tipping competition is free and open to all fans. It’s the easiest way to get involved with the game you love.”

— AFL spokesperson, via AFL.com.au

“We are proud to be Australia’s largest tipping site, giving fans a platform to compete across multiple sports all in one place.”

— ESPN representative, via Apple App Store

The takeaway for 2026 is clear: footy tipping has never been more accessible. Whether you’re a die-hard AFL fan or a casual NRL follower, there’s a free platform that fits your needs. The key is to set up your league early, follow expert tips from multiple sources, and use the auto-tip feature so you never miss a round. For Australian tipsters, the choice between official AFL, ESPN Footy Tips, and SEN Tipping comes down to which sports you follow and whether you want a dedicated app. The implication: pick one platform, invite your friends, and let the season begin — or risk being the one who forgets to tip by Friday night.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Footy Tipping Tips for Beginners
• How to Win Footy Tipping