How can you figure out styles of team play in AFL?

Its all about watching games to be honest. As you watch different games you will notice the type of gameplan that different teams might have. For example these are the main styles used at the moment

Geelong: Have an attacking gameplan that revolves around attacking from HB and moving the ball as quickly by disposal along the centre corridor. They love setting up they attacks with Scarlett, Enright and Taylor in the defence.

Collingwood: They play the forward press which involves keeping the majority of the team pushed up in midfield and their half forward line. This stops teams from exiting their back fifty and puts pressure on each kick. Always kick to the boundary as well.

St.Kilda: Generally use a series of short kicks and hit up targets, thus keeping opposition from having possession. You will notice players like Fisher, Gilbert and a few others setting up from hb by switching play from one side to the other.

Sydney: Use to have a gameplan which involved having as many numbers around the stoppages as posssible. This has kind of changed but generally it still revolves around this style of play.

Hawthorn: Chip to chip in the backline in an attempt to work through the forward press. Players like Suckling, Guerra and Birchall will rack up the marks.

Essendon: Have also adopted the Collingwood press and try to hug the boundary line. Very similar to Collingwood but their excecution is obviously lacking in comparision.

Melbourne: Like to link up with handball via the middle but have been critisized for this approach as it has been ineffective against the forward press

Defensive sides throw more players on the defensive side of the ball (St Kilda is the best example of that), where as an attacking side spreads their players across the middle and runs the ball through the midfield (collingwood are brilliant at spread and running the ball, before an accurate kick into the forward line)

The more games you watch, the more you will pick these sorts of things up, i don't really bother with all that stuff, the team that kicks the most goals still wins the games, some sides like st kilda and sydney like to lock sides down so they play a defensive game, other teams like Collingwood, geelong and hawthorn go for all out attack, so they play attacking games.

Like gfc barracker said, watch. watch and watch, you will soon pick these thing s up.

All I have to say to pick up the game is watch, watch, study, watch. That is how I picked up the game from nothing in 1983. Been to Oz 6 times since then, 38 senior matches.