How to solve AFL Player Cross puzzles

Every AFL Player Cross round has three AFL players: one easy, one medium and one hard. Their names cross each other in a small grid, so the real skill isn’t knowing every player straight away. It’s using the one you know to unlock the others.

1. Know what each tier means

The tiers are based on career games. Easy players have played 200 or more, medium players between 100 and 199, and hard players between 50 and 99. Most players in every tier have played in the last few seasons, so think recent first.

2. Read the clubs in order

Each clue lists the clubs a player has played for, in order. One club usually means a long-serving one-club player. Two or three clubs point to a trade, a free-agency move or a delisting and second chance. Old club names are shown in their modern form, so Footscray appears as Western Bulldogs. Our club names guide explains the rest.

3. Use the games count

Games counts are up to the end of the most recent season. A count close to a milestone, like 199 or 300, can jog your memory of a recent milestone game.

4. Read the enumeration

The numbers in brackets are the lengths of the first name and surname. “(4,6)” is a four-letter first name followed by a six-letter surname. Combined with the clubs, the shape often leaves only one candidate.

5. Start with the easy player

The easy player is usually the best known. Getting it in gives you crossing letters for the other two, which is often all you need to crack the hard one.

6. Use hints sparingly

There’s no limit on checking answers, so wrong guesses don’t cost you anything. A hint reveals a letter or two in each name, so save it for when you’re truly stuck.

7. Learn from past rounds

Working through older puzzles on More rounds builds up the names you’ll recognise on sight.

Ready to try it? Play today’s round.