Every club’s current picks and the players linked to them ahead of the 2026 AFL National Draft

Here is every club’s current draft hand – and the players in their sights.

ADELAIDE

Not much changed for the Crows during the trade period.

They were seeking an extra top-20 pick for key defender Nick Murray, but North Melbourne didn’t come to the table with one so Murray stayed put.

Jake Eime is a player who has been strongly linked to Adelaide’s first pick, for obvious reasons.

He would have been in the Crows’ Academy if not for an administrative error by the SANFL, given his Indigenous heritage.

Regardless, Eime has spent time at the club this year, including working with Wayne Milera and playing two senior SANFL games for Adelaide late in the year.

A rebounding defender who offers elite run and carry, the local product models his game on GWS star Lachie Ash and would be a handy addition in the back half.

Sandringham Dragons first-round bolter Lochie Burrows could be another option at this mark as a similar tough and hard-running halfback, while the Crows have also shown some interest in Dandenong Stingrays runner Jackson Phillips.

With Adelaide’s two second-round selections, ruckman Ethan Herbert, marking forward Jack Slattery, livewire small Gabe Patterson and midfielder Archie Van Dyk are all in the mix as homegrown talent.

NGA forward Anthony Long could be secured out the back of the order or potentially as a rookie if no bid comes.

BRISBANE

The Lions have access to another Academy gun this year in Caylen Murray, who looks likely to attract a top-15 bid.

Murray is a damaging halfback with line-breaking speed and an elite kick, who could eventually replace Lions veteran Dayne Zorko.

Between picks 21 and 27, the Lions have the points to match a bid from around pick 14 – considering the 20 per cent loading they have to pay as a grand finalist.

If a bid came earlier than that, Brisbane could still match it and carry a small points deficit into next year.

With the remaining second-round selection, the Lions could look at a half-forward or strong-running midfielder.

They have been linked to Marlon Neocleous, who is a Murphy Reid-like half-forward connector from Gippsland Power.

Neocleous battled a back issue this year, but his best footy was eye-catching.

Midfield running players like Lachie Hicks, Jordan Knapp and George Gale are also expected to be in the equation.

But also keep an eye on Gus Kennedy, a rebounding defender who could help fill the hole that will be left when Dayne Zorko and Ryan Lester hang up the boots.

Kennedy is also a Lions supporter, who models his game on Darcy Wilmot.

CARLTON

It’s all about Cody Walker for Carlton.

A bid on the father-son prospect is expected to come from Richmond at No. 3, which would cost the Blues 2178 points.

Between picks 13 and 18, they have 1916 points.

However, Carlton can take a deficit of up to 412 points into 2027 if need be.

With the Blues’ second-round pick, don’t be surprised if a half-forward comes into focus.

Marlon Neocleous, Harvie Cooke and Gabe Patterson all sit in that range and are exciting talents who can both assist with the forward connection piece as well as being able to hit the scoreboard themselves.

South Australian Jack Slattery is another option who the Blues have had a look at, as a 192cm forward who models his game on Brisbane’s Logan Morris.

An athletic key forward like West Australian Harvey Spawton-Guy could also be a good fit if he was still available later in the order and the Blues did not grab a player like Slattery beforehand.

COLLINGWOOD

The Magpies are set to have their highest draft pick since Nick Daicos in 2021 and could go one of a couple of ways with it.

A midfield runner like West Australian Leo Steed or Victorian bolter Toby Krasna is one option, to help support Daicos long-term.

The other option Collingwood is weighing up is a key position player, who could develop alongside some more experienced players over the next couple of years.

At the defensive end, the Magpies got a good look at 196cm Gippsland Power interceptor Clancy Snell when he made a late-season VFL debut for the club and are understood to be big fans.

Sandringham Dragons product Tyson Bradley is also firmly in the mix as a no-fuss 196cm key back.

At the attacking end, Sam Gayfer and Wil Malady are both athletic third-tall forward types with impressive aerial abilities.

There is also some romance around Gayfer, who is the nephew of 1990 Collingwood premiership player Mick Gayfer.

Which way the Pies go with their first pick will likely have a big say in what they do with their second and subsequent selections.

Half-forwards like Marlon Neocleous, Harvie Cooke, George Dimer and Gabe Patterson are in the frame for Collingwood’s second-round selection if they aren’t snapped up earlier.

Patterson has a Collingwood connection, with his father Stephen playing 96 games for the club.

Dandenong Stingrays halfback Gus Kennedy – who also played a VFL game for the Magpies this year – is also right in the mix.

Later in the order, an athletic tall forward like Lewis Houndsome could also have some appeal, especially if the Pies go for a defender with their first pick.

ESSENDON

An expected bid on Port Adelaide NGA prospect Dougie Cochrane at No. 1 would net the Bombers’ an extra selection at the start of the second round, before they get to pick the best player in the open pool.

Ethan Drever looks set to be that player, as a dynamic and quick 188cm modern midfielder who has been likened to GWS star Finn Callaghan.

If it is not Drever – who looks the safest bet for the club – the Bombers have also done plenty of work on forward-midfielder Arki Butler and West Australian midfielder Heath Mellody.

With what would become three other top-30 picks, the Bombers have a great opportunity to address some needs and add some more high-end talent to their list.

If one of Clancy Snell or Tyson Bradley – both 196cm key defenders – were to slip to the Bombers’ second pick, they would likely be snapped up very quickly.

If not, someone like Xavier Ladbrook would have to be considered at pick 25.

The Bombers are also expected to look at bolstering their front half.

Geelong Falcons 194cm forward Jack Pickett would be a good fit, but so too would 182cm GWV Rebels high-flyer Archie Elliott.

If the Bombers do take Drever with their first selection, Elliott would have even more appeal given the pair are best mates.

Small and half-forwards in that range include George Dimer, Marlon Neocleous, Harvie Cooke and Gabe Patterson.

Hard-running outside midfielders like Jackson Phillips, George Gale and Albert Macgowan are also in the mix, along with the versatile Lochie Burrows.

Another young ruckman in Ethan Herbert could be a good fit as well.

Additionally, Essendon has access to NGA prospect Blake Justice, an exciting 190cm forward-midfielder who some recruiters think could attract a bid in the second round.

FREMANTLE

Fremantle was the best side for most of the year – and the grand final. But the Dockers could look to bolster their defensive end with key backs or lockdown smalls.

Tyson Bradley and Clancy Snell may not get to the Dockers’ first selection but would be great fits as tall defenders, while Noah Williams will likely start his career off halback and has strong defensive intent.

Would pick 19 be too early to nab WAFL intercept marking machine Jake Soutar?

The 190cm backman out of East Perth is coming with a bullet.

Dandenong Stingrays skipper Gus Kennedy has a ready-made frame as a balanced medium defender and may be available around their second selection.

If the Dockers look local, talents like 190cm Claremont midfielder George Gale and medium forward Koby Lecras would appeal at their first choice.

Alternatively, Northern Knight Toby Krasna has exciting scope and would relish running up and down the wing at Perth Stadium.

After picking up Geelong VFL forward Tobyn Murray last year, don’t be surprised if fellow Cats VFL forward Zach Stevens comes into Fremantle’s thinking after he ran the third-quickest 20m sprint time in AFL draft combine history.

Dockers NGA small Finlay Yeo broke Darcy Jones’ agility test record at the WA state combine with a remarkable 7.533-second time.

Fremantle also has South Fremantle bull Lucas Robinson, who played most of the year at WAFL level, tied to the club.

Robinson turned heads with a noticeably leaner physique at the state draft combine, finishing fourth in the 2km time trial with a solid time of 6 min 35 sec.

GEELONG

Geelong was initially reluctant to hand over its 2026 first-round pick, but soon relented to get Rowan Marshall to the club in the first week of the trade period.

It means the Cats won’t enter the draft until the second round, which won’t trouble them one bit with recruiting guru Stephen Wells’ ability to unearth a gem.

Geelong Falcons products Noah Williams and Jack Pickett will surely be gone by then, but South Barwon speedster Zach Stevens has created plenty of buzz in the back-half of the year, culminating in a sizzling 2.7880-second 20 metre sprint at the state draft combine.

It would shock no one if the Cats prised Stevens out of their VFL program, just like they did a decade ago with fellow South Barwon product Tom Stewart.

Other local options in the back-half of the draft include Geelong Falcons mid-forward Charlie Gray, a late addition to the state draft combine along with Stevens, 19-year-old forward-ruck Jett Elek, and Cats VFL goalkicker Jamieson Ballantyne.

With Jeremy Cameron turning 34 next year, Geelong’s first pick is a promising area of the draft for key forwards.

Fothergill-Round-Mitchell medallist Brady Wright, under-18 national championships bolter Jack Slattery and WA tall Harvey Spawton-Guy should all be around the mark.

Archie Van Dyk is another consideration as a taller 190cm midfielder who was best afield in the SANFL reserves grand final.

GOLD COAST

Gold Coast did most of its draft work last year, but received band-one compensation for losing free agent Ben King to Hawthorn.

The Suns may not replace King like-for-like given they added 19-year-old key forward Aidan Schubert from Hawthorn and already have top-10 talls Jed Walter and Ethan Read.

Instead, it may be the other end of the ground they look to bolster.

Key backs Mitch Harris and Clancy Snell are both right in the frame, along with Vic Metro MVP Tyson Bradley is another tall defender option.

If they do look at a tall forward, Wil Malady and Sam Gayfer both offer something different; Malady at 190cm with his speed and agility, and Gayfer with his soaring leap that broke the combine’s running vertical jump record.

But with the prospect of losing Brownlow medallist Matt Rowell next year, do the Suns invest in a midfielder?

Sandringham Dragon Gus Teixera, who could slide to the Suns, projects as a game-changing player in the future, while WA bull Leo Steed is clean, competitive and can also push forward.

Bids on Brisbane academy prospect Caylen Murray, from Maroochydore, or GWS academy midfielder Ethan Matthews are also possibilities.

After an Academy bonanza last year, Archie Hill was the only Suns Academy midfielder invited to the national and state combines.

The outside midfielder, who is the nephew of Geelong great Cam Mooney, represented the Allies and starred in his VFL debut for Gold Coast with 26 disposals, 12 marks and two goals.

Hill has dancing feet in more ways than one, winning a competition to dance on stage with Justin Beiber back in 2017.

GWS

GWS lost Lachie Whitfield and Toby Greene, but it appears certain to land academy prospect Ethan Matthews, a damaging midfielder with a raking left boot, after improving its second selection.

New draft rules this year mean that clubs must use their first two selections to match a bid, but bottom-10 clubs, like GWS, still receive a 10 per cent discount.

Now for the complicated part.

Picks 9 and 20, acquired from Brisbane, account for 2164 draft value index (DVI) points, meaning the Giants will be able to successfully match a bid with those selections even if it comes at pick two.

A bid is more likely to come from pick five onwards, and given GWS made the Swans pay up for Harry Kyle last year, it wouldn’t surprise if the Swans inflict a revenge bid on the western Sydney product.

Because the Giants’ first pick might only fall just a few selections after the bid, their second pick at 20 could hold close to its value.

For example, a bid at pick six requires 1493 points for the Giants to match, and pick nine on its own (1355) just about covers that.

Expect to see GWS get creative with their selections, but it is tougher to get ahead of a rival bid like in previous years with these tightened bidding rules.

GWS is tipped to use four selections at the draft and several forwards are around the mark in the 20s after the departures of Greene, and delisted duo Jesse Hogan and Jake Stringer.

Geelong Falcons key forward Jack Pickett may slide to that range after missing his draft year with an ACL and MCL blow, while small forwards Khaled El Souki (Bulldogs NGA), George Dimer and Gabe Patterson are around the mark.

GWS has also had eyes on athletic key defender Xavier Ladbrook, while Lewis Houndsome could be another key forward option later in the order.

The Giants have committed to adding former Carlton ruck Alex Mirkov after a strong season with Williamstown VFL.

HAWTHORN

After landing two big fish in Ben King and Zach Merrett during the trade period, Hawthorn is expecting to use two or three selections in the draft.

The Hawks have two prospects tied to them in clever Gippsland Power forward Keenan Boi (NGA) and Cooper Hodge, the son of Hawthorn legend Luke, who chose the Hawks over his Brisbane Lions Academy ties.

Hawthorn said during the trade period that adding both players was part of their off-season objectives.

Boi has spoken with around nine clubs across the year and had a strong finish in the Power’s premiership run, but a bid appears more likely to come in the back-half of the draft for the Indigenous talent.

Bids after pick 37 – which Hawthorn holds – can be matched with the club’s next pick

Hodge, a tough midfielder-forward, may attract a bid later on or slide through entirely. Father-son Will Darcy was taken with the Bulldogs’ last pick in the 2025 national draft, while other father-sons have been added as rookies in the past.

Assuming Boi doesn’t receive a bid before their first pick at 29, the Hawks should still have plenty of options to look for the best available talent.

With Lloyd Meek and Ned Reeves the only rucks on their list, the likes of South Australian Ethan Herbert and under-18 All-Australian ruck Benji Van Rooyen, brother of Jacob, could appeal if they are still on the board.

Dynamic forwards Gabe Patterson and Archie Elliott or ball-winners Jordan Knapp and Archie Van Dyk are others who could be around the mark.

The Hawks signed former Australian water polo player Ollie Purcell as a Category B rookie. He was a promising 195cm defender with St Kevin’s College before he committed to water polo.

MELBOURNE

The Demons managed to shuffle their first draft selection up the order during the trade period and now sit in a great spot to land one of the very top group of prospects.

Exactly what Essendon, Richmond and West Coast do before the Demons enter the frame will be key.

However, Melbourne is every chance to have access to one of Arki Butler or Harry Van Hattum.

Butler is a front-half excitement machine, while Van Hattum is a competitive 205cm ruckman with a giant leap.

Both would fit nicely, but so too would a key position player.

The Demons have been strongly linked to South Australian backman Mitch Harris, who is another player firmly in top-10 calculations.

But they could still have access to Sandringham Dragons key defender Tyson Bradley or Gippsland Power product Clancy Snell at their second pick, if they went another way first up.

Marking forwards Wil Malady and Sam Gayfer are also right in the mix at that second pick.

Two more first-round draft picks this year will make for eight first-round selections across the past four years for Melbourne in a well-timed raid before the Tasmanian takeover of the draft.

NORTH MELBOURNE

North Melbourne threw the kitchen sink at Nick Blakey and Nick Murray, but Adelaide was unwilling to budge on a deal for the latter.

Consequently, the Roos’ key defensive stocks remain depleted, but there are some options in the back-half of the draft.

North Melbourne is among a few clubs to have multiple interviews with East Perth defender Jake Soutar.

The intercept marking machine is 190cm, but plays taller and looks ready to step in at AFL level right away.

Western Jets defender Billy Wigmore isn’t a traditional key defender, but also reads the play to perfection and his range sits around the Roos’ first pick.

After taking Blake Thredgold last year, there are several other project key defenders available.

AFL Academy duo Xavier Ladbrook (201cm) and Tate Hodgson (198cm), Glenelg under-18 premiership player Harry Franz (194cm), and school footy bolter Jasper Williams (195cm) are tall defender options if the Roos are after some extra height.

Swans Academy product Aidan McCartney, son of North Melbourne great Jason, nominated North Melbourne as his preferred destination over Sydney in August.

The key forward has been sidelined with a hip injury for most of the season which means any bid is likely to come after pick 37 cut-off point, which can be matched with the club’s next selection.

PORT ADELAIDE

A few picks were flicked around by Port Adelaide during the trade period, with the club having an eye to both the 2026 and 2027 drafts.

NGA prospect Dougie Cochrane will find his way to the Power this year, with picks 7 and 12 effectively being enough to match an expected bid from Essendon at No.1.

Cochrane is a versatile 196cm who missed a lot of this year through injury but oozes talent.

He’s athletic, strong in the air and at ground level and boasts elite skills.

The son of former Port Adelaide player Stuart and younger brother of current Power player Tom, Cochrane played defence late in the season in the SANFL but considers himself to be a natural forward who could one day become a Marcus Bontempelli-type midfielder.

With their three second-round selections, the Power will have plenty of options – including a raft of South Australians.

Midfielders Kodah Edwards and Archie Van Dyk will both be in the mix, as would rebounding halfback Jake Eimie if he was still available.

Dynamic Glenelg forward Gabe Patterson is another local product around that mark who has had interest from both the South Australian clubs.

So, too, has marking forward Jack Slattery, who is a Power supporter.

Outside of South Australia, wingmen George Gale and Harrison Chapman have also attracted some interest from Port, with Albert McGowan another option.

Tough halfback or midfielder Noah Williams and athletic key defender Xavier Ladbrook shape as other potential targets.

RICHMOND

Richmond list manager Blair Hartley made his intentions clear that the Tigers would prefer to get back into the top-end of this year’s draft rather than the compromised 2027 pool.

The Tigers coughed up a lot on the surface for Port Adelaide’s pick five, but another two top-10 selections bolster their rebuild strategy and give them plenty of options.

Athletic ruck Harry Van Hattum has been strongly linked to the Tigers and makes sense from a list needs and talent perspective with either of their top-five picks.

But would he still be there at pick five, with Melbourne holding the previous selection?

That example shows the Tigers are likely to be strategic and assess club links to ensure they get the two players they want, but it is a very even top group.

Midfield speedster Ethan Drever, silky mid-defender Heath Mellody, dynamic Sandringham Dragons duo Arki Butler and Gus Teixera, and SA key back Mitch Harris all offer something different to their prized picks from the past two years.

Van Hattum and Harris fill arguably their biggest list needs – even with the arrival of free agent Kieren Briggs – but their midfield and forward half have also lacked spark.

Richmond wasn’t afraid to place consecutive bids on Dylan Patterson and Dan Annable last year, so Carlton fans will be bracing for an early Richmond bid on Cody Walker, who came through the Tigers’ Next Generation Academy.

They will earn a compensation pick at the start of the second round regardless when Port Adelaide father-son Dougie Cochrane receives an expected pick one bid.

The Tigers are fans of WAFL intercept king Jake Soutar, a 20-year-old who could fill the void of Nathan Broad from the get-go

Jack Leys, a state combine invitee, and Archie Daffy have been told they won’t be nominated as father-son prospects by Richmond.

However, NGA prospect Tanner Armstrong could still find his way to the Tigers as an Indigenous Category B rookie if a rival bid does not come at the draft.

ST KILDA

The departure of ruckman Rowan Marshall during the trade period improved St Kilda’s draft hand, giving the Saints two first-round picks as they search for another injection of young talent.

Those picks fall just outside the top grouping of players, but there are still some exciting types in the 10-20 range.

The Saints have done plenty of work on Wil Malady, an athletic 190cm marking forward from the Gippsland Power who is being linked to their first pick.

But 196cm Sandringham Dragons key defender Tyson Bradley would also be a nice fit to bolster the backline, along with Gippsland Power interceptor Clancy Snell.

Northern Knights product Sam Gayfer is another forward option as a powerful 194cm high-flyer, as is Geelong Falcons goalkicker Jack Pickett who should still be available at the second pick.

It also appears that St Kilda has its eyes on a running player, with midfielders Toby Krasna and Jackson Phillips in that range as well as rebounding defender Lochie Burrows.

If the Saints weren’t to grab a key defender like Bradley or Snell with one of their first two picks, Xavier Ladbrook could be an option if he was still available at the club’s third selection.

SYDNEY

The Swans are excited by the top-end of this year’s draft, and pick six is the perfect sweet spot to snap up a slider.

Sydney could go a number of different ways with the coveted selection acquired through the Nick Blakey trade.

There is one school of thought that the Swans select a key defender with this pick, to help address the loss of Blakey.

If they were to go down that path, Mitch Harris, Tyson Bradley or Clancy Snell would be right in the mix.

However, there are some other considerations at play.

Sydney has access to Aussie long-jump sensation Mason McGroder through its Academy, who is expected to be a later selection.

A silver medallist at the under-20 world athletics championships this year, McGroder is set to play footy despite saying he was still weighing up advances from US colleges earlier this month.

Described by one observer as ‘Nick Blakey with shoulders’, McGroder ran the quickest 20m-sprint at the combine (2.827), finished second in the running vertical jump and third in the vertical jump at the national draft combine.

If the Swans think he can be their Blakey replacement, they could instead look at a midfielder or half-forward with their first pick.

Chances are Heath Mellody, Arki Butler and Gus Teixeira will be off the board by then, as much as a Tom Papley-Arki Butler small forward pairing is certainly tantalising.

But players like Leo Steed, Toby Krasna or Lochie Burrows could be good fits.

There is also the chance to spoil the party for their cross-town rivals by placing a bid on GWS academy midfielder Ethan Matthews, who hails from western Sydney.

The Swans have some other Academy prospects available later in the order, including Henry Meaney and Jake Medved who both received state combine invites.

Fellow Swans Academy member Aidan McCartney, son of North Melbourne great Jason, nominated North Melbourne as his club of choice in August.

WEST COAST

After taking four top-30 picks in last year’s draft, the Eagles look set to grab another three this year.

Their No. 3 pick is expected to be pushed back to No. 5 after earlier bids on Dougie Cochrane and Cody Walker, which will provide a bonus selection at the start of the second round under new draft rules.

With the club’s first pick, Heath Mellody and Arki Butler are firmly in the frame.

Mellody is the local midfielder, who won the Larke Medal at the under-18 national championships for Western Australia and impressed playing senior football for Claremont in the second half of the year.

Butler is the highly-talented Victorian forward-midfielder, who could add some real X-Factor to West Coast’s front half.

With the second-round selections, a small forward like George Dimer would have plenty of appeal.

Running midfielders like Jackson Phillips, George Gale and Lachie Hicks will also be in the mix.

Father-son prospect Harper Banfield hasn’t yet been given any commitment by the Eagles, but the midfielder played some good footy this year and took out the 2km time trial at the WA state draft combine in a slick 6 min 11sec.

NGA prospect Garrison Kenh – an athletic rebounding defender – could end up as a Category B rookie if a rival bid does not come during the national draft – which is some chance.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

The Dogs’ current first pick is the final selection of the second-round after the club prioritised adding players in 22-27-year-old range – headlined by superstar Zak Butters – and strengthening their future draft hand.

It leaves Western Bulldogs NGA talent Khaled El Souki, who slotted three goals in his Footscray VFL debut this year, in a precarious position.

The club has said they will match a bid on El Souki at a “certain level”.
A bid in the early 20s would make things difficult for the Dogs, who receive no bid-matching discount given they finished top-10 on the ladder.

A bid at pick 21 equates to 721 draft value index (DVI) points, while their next two selections (42 and 53) covers just 230, more than the allowable 412 DVI deficit.

However, a pick 30 bid for the goalkicking small forward – a definite possibility given the tendency of tied players to slide a little – would require 454 points and could be successfully matched with picks 42 and 53 plus a small deficit.

One way or another, the Bulldogs should get it done.

The Dogs dearth of key defenders has been well documented, and some developing types may be available later in the piece like Northern Knight Tate Hodgson, South Australian Harry Franz and Brighton Grammer bolter Jasper Williams

The club is keen to add Footscray VFL gun Cooper Craig-Peters as a First Nations Category B rookie if he slides through the national and rookie drafts.

Originally published as Every club’s current picks and the players linked to them ahead of the 2026 AFL National Draft