Select Cards Heritage: Every AFL & NRL Era from 1993 to 2026
33 Years of Select Cards: Why This Heritage Matters
Since 1993, Select has held the exclusive AFL trading card licence without interruption. That is 33 years as Australia's only official producer of AFL collector cards, a run unmatched by any competitor in any code. Combined with our NRL licence, regained in late 2025 after a 14-year absence, our AFL and NRL licensing history now spans close to 50 years.
More than 100,000 collectors have trusted Select across that journey, and the timing has never been more significant. The global sports trading card market hit approximately AUD 19 billion in 2024, with the Asia-Pacific region identified as the fastest-growing segment worldwide. Australian card culture sits right at the centre of that growth.
This article is the definitive era-by-era guide to every major Select product line, from the very first base set to the 2026 NRL League Heroes release. No one else has produced this reference, because no one else has this history.
The Foundation Era (1993–1999): Where It All Began
It started with a 192-card base set in 1993. Series 1 was simple by modern standards: no numbered parallels, no autograph inserts, no metal cards. Just clean photography, solid card stock, and the beginning of something that would reshape Australian sports collecting.
The 1994 AFL set expanded to 200 cards and delivered what many collectors now consider the most important rookie class in Select history. Nathan Buckley, James Hird, Shane Crawford, and Michael Voss all appeared as rookies in that set. These four cards are among the most sought-after vintage Select cards in existence, and condition is everything. PSA and BGS grading can multiply the value of a near-mint 1994 rookie by a factor most casual collectors would not expect.
That same year, Select released the Cazaly Classics set, a celebration of spectacular marks named after the legendary Roy Cazaly. It was one of the first thematic insert concepts in Australian cards, and it signalled that Select was thinking beyond simple base sets.
Then came 1996. To mark the 100th season of VFL/AFL football, Select created the Hall of Fame set. This release is widely credited with triggering the modern AFL card collecting boom. It brought new collectors into the hobby, gave existing collectors a premium product to chase, and established the template for the commemorative and limited-edition sets that would follow.
If you are hunting cards from 1993 to 1999 today, know that genuine scarcity is real. Print runs were modest, storage habits were inconsistent, and professionally graded examples in top condition command serious premiums on the secondary market.
The Growth Era (2000–2012): Premium Products and the NRL Arrival
The 2000s saw Select build out a product ladder that gave collectors clear tiers to choose from. Champions and Footy Stars served as accessible, retail-friendly releases. Prestige stepped up the card quality and insert ratios. Dominance pushed further into premium territory with lower print runs and harder-to-pull parallels. Each tier had a distinct identity, and collectors could find their level.
The investment-grade potential of Select cards became impossible to ignore during this period. A 2004 AFL Conquest Triple Brownlow Medallist signature card, featuring Nathan Buckley, Adam Goodes, and Mark Ricciuto, was valued at AUD 3,000 in 2018. A 2019 Supremacy insert card bearing the signatures of four-time VFL/AFL premiership coaches David Parkin, Leigh Matthews, Kevin Sheedy, and Ron Barassi reached a valuation of AUD 10,000. These are real transactions in a maturing market.
This era also marked Select's entry into rugby league. From 2006 to 2012, we produced NRL cards and stickers under the NRL Traders banner. Those products built a loyal following among league fans who had never had access to official collector cards at this level.
In 2012, the NRL licence moved to ESP (TGI), and Select's rugby league chapter closed for 14 years. Vault and un-vaulted NRL stock from 2006 to 2012 became genuinely rare in the meantime. Sealed product from that window now commands significant secondary market premiums, and collectors who held onto their sets are sitting on something increasingly valuable.
The Modern Premium Era (2013–2024): Hobby Boxes, Numbered Parallels, and the 2020 Boom
The premiumisation of Select cards accelerated dramatically from 2013 onward. Simple base sets gave way to multi-tiered hobby and retail configurations featuring metal cards, acetate inserts, and parallels numbered as low as 25. The product lines multiplied: Supremacy for ultra-premium collectors, Brilliance and Certified for mid-tier enthusiasts, Legacy for those chasing numbered scarcity, Optimum and GEM Football for collectors wanting distinct visual identities and insert sets.
The 2023 AFL Legacy release illustrates the demand curve perfectly. Priced at AUD 340 RRP per hobby box, with 8 cards per pack and 24 packs per box, it sold out entirely. Legacy Vortex cards were numbered to just 60. Legacy series cards were numbered to 35. That kind of scarcity, paired with premium presentation, is what drives modern collector behaviour.
Then 2020 changed everything. Box breaks and group breaks exploded on Facebook and YouTube. Collectors could buy a share of a box aligned to their AFL club and watch the rip live on camera. It brought thousands of new people into the hobby, many of whom had never set foot in a card shop. Roughly 45% of collectors globally are now aged 18 to 34, and that younger demographic is reshaping Australian card culture from the ground up.
This era also saw the inclusion of AFLW and NRLW cards across Select's product lines. Women's football cards created entirely new chase card categories and broadened the collector base in ways that reflect the growth of women's sport across Australia. New rookie cards, new signature targets, new parallels to hunt.
The 2026 NRL Return: League Heroes and What It Means for Collectors
The 2026 NRL League Heroes is a landmark release. It is Select's first mainstream NRL product since 2012, arriving after a 14-year gap that only sharpened demand. The base set spans 269 cards covering all 17 NRL clubs and all 12 NRLW clubs, printed on 400gsm artboard that feels substantial in hand.
The retail vs. hobby split gives collectors clear options. Retail packs sit at AUD 3.99, with approximately 8,200 cases produced. Hobby boxes unlock exclusive inserts unavailable in retail: TRYumph Black Signatures, Mercury Sterling, Gladiators Gold, Platinum Predictors, and metal base cards. The TRYumph Gold parallel, numbered to just 80 across a 102-card set, represents the kind of extreme scarcity that makes team set completion nearly impossible and individual cards highly desirable.
The 2026 Limited Edition Magic Round Series adds another layer for collectors chasing special releases tied to key NRL events.
Select's NRL return has also put fresh attention on vault-era 2006 to 2012 NRL stock. Sealed product from that window is genuinely scarce, and with renewed interest in NRL cards across the hobby, collectors holding sealed vintage NRL boxes may find that patience has been their best strategy.
How to Navigate Select's Product Ladder as a Collector Today
Select's range is designed to meet every collector where they are. Kids and casual fans can grab a AUD 3.99 retail pack and start building a set. Serious collectors can invest in hobby boxes at AUD 250 and above, chasing numbered parallels, autograph cards, and exclusive inserts that do not appear in retail configurations. Understanding the difference between retail and hobby before you buy is essential: retail gives you volume and base set completion, hobby gives you scarcity and premium hits.
The Select Collector Club (SCC), our rewards program, and the Select mobile app keep you across every new release, every ONE CHANCE limited drop, and every checklist update. About 60% of collectors globally report buying cards for both nostalgia and investment, and Select's catalogue reflects that split. Chase 1990s base sets for the memories and community connection. Target modern numbered parallels and autograph cards if long-term value is your priority. Engaging with the collector community through box breaks, social media groups, and the SCC is the fastest way to learn which eras and product lines match your goals.
Every Era Has Its Place: Start or Continue Your Select Journey
From 192-card base sets in 1993 to a 269-card NRL release with metal parallels and acetate inserts in 2026, Select's evolution mirrors the growth of Australian card culture itself. The hobby has gone from milk bar counter displays to live-streamed box breaks watched by thousands.
The cards are out there. A 1994 Nathan Buckley rookie waiting to be graded. A 2023 AFL Legacy card numbered to 35. A 2026 NRL League Heroes TRYumph Black Signature pulled live on camera. Select has produced every one of them.
Explore our current and vintage stock, join the Select Collector Club, and connect with a community that has been building collections for over three decades. With both the AFL and NRL exclusive licences now held under one roof, Select's next chapter is the most exciting we have ever written.