There are a lot of AFL podcasts. Some are excellent. Some are a broadcaster replaying radio segments and calling it a feed. Finding the right one depends on what you actually want.
This guide covers the landscape honestly. Network shows, independent shows, specialist shows. Then it tells you where BC Network’s shows fit. They’re independent. They’re Perth-based with national reach. And they’re hosted by people still inside the game, not just commenting on it from the outside.
If you want match day analysis from people with real credentials
BackChat is the pick.
Will Schofield played 194 AFL games for the West Coast Eagles and was on the field when they won the 2018 premiership. He co-hosts with Dan Const, a journalist and the producer who built the network from scratch, and Hamish Brayshaw, who captains East Perth in the WAFL and won the 2023 Sandover Medal. Hamish’s brothers are Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle co-vice-captain) and Angus Brayshaw (Melbourne premiership player, 167 games). He is still inside AFL circles in a way no retired TV pundit can match.
BackChat publishes daily and goes live on YouTube twice a week at 4:30pm AWST. It has 4.6 out of 5 on Apple Podcasts from 187 ratings. Guests have included Jonathan Brown, Warren Tredrea, David King, and Mike Sheahan. The tone is unfiltered. It is not shaped by a broadcast agreement or an editorial team in Melbourne.
Find it on the BackChat show page.
For match day analysis with professional broadcast quality, SEN Breakfast (Garry Lyon, Tim Watson, Kane Cornes, David King) is the network benchmark. It was ranked Australia’s number one breakfast radio podcast in February 2026 by SEN. Fox Footy’s podcast lineup, built on the AFL 360 and On The Couch brands, is also strong. Both are excellent. Both are also shaped by the same editorial and commercial relationships you’d expect from broadcast rights holders.
If you want WA footy coverage
Shelter FootyCast is the dedicated WA AFL podcast.
Schofield brings the on-field West Coast knowledge, and Mark Readings brings 30-plus years of broadcast credibility. Readings has won a Walkley Award and a Logie, covered Olympic Games and domestic cricket for Nine Network, and currently calls AFL on 6PR. That is a legitimate combination of insider knowledge and broadcast craft.
The show focuses on both the Eagles and the Dockers. It publishes twice weekly (Mondays and Thursdays), has 240 episodes on Apple Podcasts, and holds 4.4 out of 5 from 37 ratings. The tone is described as straight-talking and refreshingly unpolished.
Most AFL podcast production sits in Melbourne. Ten of the 18 AFL clubs are there. Shelter FootyCast is one of the few shows built specifically for Perth supporters.
Find it on the Shelter FootyCast show page.
If you want national coverage from an independent voice
Footy Interchange covers AFL from around the country, not just from one city.
Adam Papalia hosts. He is a Fox Sports commentator who covers roughly 60 games a season across AFL, NBL, and A-League, and is part of 6PR’s AFL commentary team. The show runs a rotating panel of former players including Tom Rockliff (Brisbane Lions captain), Callum Sinclair (Sydney Swans), and Dom Cassisi (Port Adelaide). No single club lens. National perspective.
The show is published within the BackChat feed during the AFL season and also available as a YouTube playlist. It covers injuries, player movement, MRO debates, rule changes, and structural AFL issues. The listener Q&A segment runs regularly.
The difference from Fox Footy and SEN: Papalia brings the same broadcast-level analysis but within an independent framework. The show is not obligated to a network’s editorial policy or advertiser relationships.
Find it on the Footy Interchange show page.
If you want trade period and draft coverage
Gettable from AFL.com.au is the go-to. Cal Twomey and Riley Beveridge have inside access to clubs and player managers. If something is moving in the trade room, Gettable usually knows first.
AFL Daily (Damian Barrett, Nat Edwards) covers breaking news and stories on weekday mornings. Twenty minutes, clean, reliable.
Both are official AFL productions. The access they have is a genuine advantage. Neither show can be fully unfiltered for the same reason.
If you want something different from the broadcast bubble
Footyology with Rohan Connolly and Rodney Eade has run since 2017 and is presented by ESPN Australia. Eade is a four-time premiership player and grand final coach. The show does genuine analysis without the talk show format.
The Outer Sanctum is an all-female AFL podcast covering the game’s cultural impact, representation, and inclusion. It is the right show for a section of the football community that is consistently underserved by mainstream AFL media.
JunkTime AFL with Adam Rozenbachs and Michael Chamberlin treats AFL as comedy material. If you want to laugh more than analyse, this is the show.
Why the independent shows exist
SEN, Fox Footy, Triple M, and AFL.com.au are all good at what they do. They also all have broadcast rights deals, editorial sign-off processes, and commercial relationships that shape what gets said on air. That is not a criticism. It is how broadcast media works.
Independent shows exist because some listeners want analysis that is not filtered through those relationships. BackChat’s “unfiltered” positioning is a direct response to that gap. The show says things that network shows cannot, with hosts who have genuine credentials and are still connected to the current game.
According to Podpoll 2025, YouTube podcast usage in Australia jumped from 30% to 44% year-on-year. BC Network’s AFL shows are video-first on YouTube, which is where the audience is heading. The network publishes on Spotify and Apple Podcasts too, but the live YouTube broadcasts twice a week on the BackChat channel give it a presence that most independent podcasts do not have.
FAQ
What is the best AFL podcast for match day analysis?
BackChat on BC Network for independent, unfiltered analysis from a premiership player and a WAFL captain. SEN Breakfast for broadcast-quality morning discussion. Fox Footy’s podcast lineup for TV-level production. All three are strong. The right choice depends on whether you want an independent or a network voice.
Are there any free AFL podcasts?
All of the shows mentioned in this article are free. BackChat, Shelter FootyCast, and Footy Interchange are all free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. AFL Daily and Gettable are free on AFL.com.au and major podcast platforms. SEN Breakfast is free on the SEN app and podcast platforms. None require a subscription.
What AFL podcasts are on YouTube?
BackChat publishes live twice a week on YouTube (@BackChat) and has 923 episodes across its feed (as at 20 July 2026). Shelter FootyCast and Footy Interchange also publish to the @BackChat YouTube channel. AFL.com.au’s On The Inside (Tom Mitchell, Patrick Cripps, Lachie Neale) is available on YouTube. Triple M Footy and Fox Footy both publish clips and full shows to YouTube.
Are there any AFL podcasts from Western Australia?
Yes. Shelter FootyCast is built specifically for WA AFL supporters, covering the Eagles and Dockers twice weekly. BackChat and Footy Interchange are also produced in Perth but take a national angle. The Game: AFL Podcast with Glen Quartermain and Adrian Barich is another Perth-based option.
What AFL podcasts have ex-players as hosts?
BackChat features Will Schofield (194 AFL games, 2018 premiership) and Hamish Brayshaw (West Coast, currently playing WAFL and captaining East Perth). Shelter FootyCast also features Schofield. SEN Breakfast has Garry Lyon, Kane Cornes, and David King. Fox Footy podcasts draw on the AFL 360 and On The Couch talent pools. Footyology features Rodney Eade. AFL.com.au’s On The Inside is player-hosted by Tom Mitchell, Patrick Cripps, and Lachie Neale.
BackChat, Shelter FootyCast, and Footy Interchange are part of BC Network. Explore every show on the network at backchatnetwork.com.au/shows.
