Best 23 - 2026

[The Kings Ransom]

How we looking?

Uwland - Collins - Andrew
Noble - Ballard - Rioli
Powell - Miller - Fiorini
Humphrey - Curnow - Graham
Elliott - King - Read

Witts - Anderson - Rowell

Jeffrey - Long - Rogers - Weller - Davies


Fair bit of versatility
Numerous match winners
Bit of speed - would like a little more (Weller --> Patterson 2027)

 

[Morrell96]

How we looking?

Uwland - Collins - Andrew
Noble - Ballard - Rioli
Powell - Miller - Fiorini
Humphrey - Curnow - Graham
Elliott - King - Read

Witts - Anderson - Rowell

Jeffrey - Long - Rogers - Weller - DaviesUwland - Collins - Andrew
Noble - Ballard - Rioli
Powell - Miller - Fiorini
Humphrey - Curnow - Graham
Elliott - King - Read

Witts - Anderson - Rowell

Jeffrey - Long - Rogers - Weller - Davies


Fair bit of versatility
Numerous match winners
Bit of speed - would like a little more (Weller --> Patterson 2027)

Imagine if we could get petracca as well and put him in that foward line. Geez would look amazing

Uwland - Collins - Andrew
Noble - Ballard - Rioli
Powell - Miller - Fiorini
Humphrey - Curnow - petracca
Elliott - King - Long

Witts - Anderson - Rowell

Jeffrey - Read - Graham - Weller - Davies

 

[Bring Back the Wave]

If we don't get Curnow, I'd really like to see Mac forward and Read back.
Mac leads at the ball, has a massive leap and adds extra x-factor as the resting ruck.
Read is great 1v1 and has great closing speed.
Think we would get the best out of both those players that way

 

[DTLSchulzy16]

If we don't get Curnow, I'd really like to see Mac forward and Read back.
Mac leads at the ball, has a massive leap and adds extra x-factor as the resting ruck.
Read is great 1v1 and has great closing speed.
Think we would get the best out of both those players that way

I wanted Read back this year. Even have a look at him on the wing, Just exploring. We were developing on the fly anyway. wasn’t really to cost us in the short term. I don’t want Dimma start trying things like that in 40 games time when we should be favourties/contending

Read had looked good behind the ball intercepting at vfl level the couple times he did it. He reads the ball very well

 

[Billy ray]

king on a wing is my hope
lets redefine the wing position

 

[Southern Sun]

With ballard retuning next year I'd love to see Powell released into the midfield/ wing role. A bit like Port did with Bergman before he got injured he could play the defensive role but be a weapon running forward also. Probably takes Davies spot.

 

[The Kings Ransom]

V2. - updated


Uwland - Collins - Andrew
Noble - Ballard - Rioli
Powell - Rowell - Clohesy
Humphrey - Read - Miller
Long - King - Walter

Witts - Anderson - Petracca

Jeffrey - Rogers - Weller - Graham - Zeke.

VFL

Bell Graham xxxxxx
Patterson Adams Jepson
Murray Addinsall Coulson
Ainsworth Farrar Holman
Gulbin Himmelberg Knobel


Moyle Davies Lombard


Academy - academy - academy - academy

 

[DTLSchulzy16]

This news has my head doing spins

This is my go to for now. Will update rapidly

B: BUwland, Collins, Andrew
HB: Rioli, Ballard, Noble
C: ZUwland, Humphrey, Weller
HF: Miller, Walter, Graham
F: Long, King, Petracca
R: Witts, Rowell, Anderson
I: Jeffrey, Powell, Read, Rogers, Lombard

 

[kreglze]

Thought I'd quickly do a Humphrey-less team to see what it would look like, also including all the other rumoured departures:

Powell - Collins - B.Uwland
Andrew - Ballard - Rioli
Clohesy - Rowell - Z.Uwland
Petracca - Read - Rogers
Long - King - Walter

Witts - Anderson - Miller

Noble - Davies - Graham - Jeffrey - Lombard
​

It is still a pretty strong team all things considered, that defense just has so many good options. Lacking that elite small forward to play in the Rogers position on field and potentially a winger as well. But yeah, am not too disappointed with it.

​

 

[Jirik13]

Thought I'd quickly do a Humphrey-less team to see what it would look like, also including all the other rumoured departures:

Powell - Collins - B.Uwland
Andrew - Ballard - Rioli
Clohesy - Rowell - Z.Uwland
Petracca - Read - Rogers
Long - King - Walter

Witts - Anderson - Miller

Noble - Davies - Graham - Jeffrey - Lombard
​

It is still a pretty strong team all things considered, that defense just has so many good options. Lacking that elite small forward to play in the Rogers position on field and potentially a winger as well. But yeah, am not too disappointed with it.

​

What about depth? Pretty slim or kids.

 

[KaySwizzle]

What about depth?

Our academy players are our depth.

Really, we should have half a dozen B/A grade hopefuls in years 1-3 and a handful of C/B grade players in years 25+ as depth. The rest are too expensive to keep on a list running in the VFL long-term.

Young/developing:
Moyle
Lombard
Rogers
Gulbin
Adams
Jepson
Bell
2025 Academy picks

Mature depth:
Farrar
Holman
Davies
C. Graham
Himmelberg
Knobel

We have a few other players I’m not sure on contracts (Eastman, Lewis, Evans etc.)

So our youth is fine with our academy top up this year. The rest is not always the best depth in some cases. But it’s mostly cheap depth.

And that doesn’t account for any cheap state league players or delisted agents we might top up with on basement priced, one year deals.

 

[Jirik13]

Our academy players are our depth.

Really, we should have half a dozen B/A grade hopefuls in years 1-3 and a handful of C/B grade players in years 25+ as depth. The rest are too expensive to keep on a list running in the VFL long-term.

Young/developing:
Moyle
Lombard
Rogers
Gulbin
Adams
Jepson
Bell
2025 Academy picks

Mature depth:
Farrar
Holman
Davies
C. Graham
Himmelberg
Knobel

We have a few other players I’m not sure on contracts (Eastman, Lewis, Evans etc.)

So our youth is fine with our academy top up this year. The rest is not always the best depth in some cases. But it’s mostly cheap depth.

And that doesn’t account for any cheap state league players or delisted agents we might top up with on basement priced, one year deals.

I looked at players outside your 23. It's bloody grim, IMO. We can't rely on draftee kids. So it would be down to Weller, Moyle, Farrar, Holman, Adams, C Graham, Himmelberg (ACL), Knobel.


Then I look at Lions depth.

 

[KickinGoalz]

I looked at players outside your 23. It's bloody grim, IMO. We can't rely on draftee kids. So it would be down to Weller, Moyle, Farrar, Holman, Adams, C Graham, Himmelberg (ACL), Knobel.


Then I look at Lions depth.

Mate seriously… we have plenty of depth on every line, even with the outgoings.

Lions best depth is also being traded out, but will still have plenty.

Both our academy’s have set us up well over the past few years.

 

[Jirik13]

Mate seriously… we have plenty of depth on every line, even with the outgoings.

Lions best depth is also being traded out, but will still have plenty.

Both our academy’s have set us up well over the past few years.

Disagree. Just make your best 23 after departures and see what's left. 3-4 decent players with experience.

You usually need min 32-33 players who can play good standard AFL.

We get 5-7 injuries and we are in trouble.

Lions depth is fantastic (that's what I tried to say).

 

[LeeCarvallo]

B: BUwland, Collins, Andrew

HB: Rioli, Ballard, Noble

C: Powell, Rowell, Weller

HF: Humphrey, Walter, Petracca

F: Long, King, Graham

R: Witts, Miller, Anderson

I: Jeffrey, ZUwland, Read, Rogers, Lombard

Rotating Miller and Anderson to HFF and rotating Humphrey and Petracca in would be the dream

 

[KaySwizzle]

I looked at players outside your 23. It's bloody grim, IMO. We can't rely on draftee kids. So it would be down to Weller, Moyle, Farrar, Holman, Adams, C Graham, Himmelberg (ACL), Knobel.


Then I look at Lions depth.

Lions depth will be challenged a bit more by losing role players, but winning and playing in consecutive grand finals helps. But Academy/FS picks at the high end gave them a cheap 2-3 year boost until those players need proper contracts.

Another problem we have is we don’t have cheap players in the 30+ window who were once A grade.

But in a few years, Touk, Witts, Collins etc. will be in the cheaper contract bracket as (hopefully) our younger players need a pay rise.

I think our depth is fine. Not great. Not bad. Most teams don’t have a stack of talent in the twos.

Our top end is great. The question is, are the 20th-30th players on our list good enough to fight for spots or cover a couple of injuries? For the most part, I think so.

The rest of the list should be cheap early development, cheap speculative picks or cheap top-ups. Which again, I think we have mostly.

 

[KickinGoalz]

B: BUwland, Collins, Andrew

HB: Rioli, Ballard, Noble

C: Powell, Rowell, Weller

HF: Humphrey, Walter, Petracca

F: Long, King, Graham

R: Witts, Miller, Anderson

I: Jeffrey, ZUwland, Read, Rogers, Lombard

Rotating Miller and Anderson to HFF and rotating Humphrey and Petracca in would be the dream

Looking likely we add in JUH when fit, and Rowbottom may still eventuate (particularly if Ainsworth departs).

That’s a bloody strong best 23.

And still at least 2 role players for each line waiting for their shot in the reserves.

 

[DTLSchulzy16]

I look at 30 being the number

If you’ve got more than 7 missing from your best 23. It’s pretty unlikely you’ll be pointy end. You start heading into Sydney then Port and more extreme Essendon areas

Payne, Answerth, Coleman, Hipwood and Berry at Brisbane missed the GF (Linc and Doedee weren’t finding a spot)

Since everyone’s first 20 is practically the same here
The next 9 (because we don’t have 10)
Lombard, ZUwland, Rogers, Clohesy, Davies, Moyle, Addinsall, Patterson, Farrar

If we go any deeper than these guys we got troubles

Last years draft/trade is the one doing the damage (Himm, Knobel, Jepson, Eastham, Bell) because we still had some list clogging and at this stage none of these guys are better

If Fiorini stays and we get one other from another club I’d feel much better about a solid 30

At the end of next year. I think I’ll feel much better given how many depth guys run out at the end of 2026

 

[Jirik13]

I look at 30 being the number

If you’ve got more than 7 missing from your best 23. It’s pretty unlikely you’ll be pointy end. You start heading into Sydney then Port and more extreme Essendon areas

Payne, Answerth, Coleman, Hipwood and Berry at Brisbane missed the GF (Linc and Doedee weren’t finding a spot)

Since everyone’s first 20 is practically the same here
The next 9 (because we don’t have 10)
Lombard, ZUwland, Rogers, Clohesy, Davies, Moyle, Addinsall, Patterson, Farrar

If we go any deeper than these guys we got troubles

Last years draft/trade is the one doing the damage (Himm, Knobel, Jepson, Eastham, Bell) because we still had some list clogging and at this stage none of these guys are better

If Fiorini stays and we get one other from another club I’d feel much better about a solid 30

At the end of next year. I think I’ll feel much better given how many depth guys run out at the end of 2026

I liked your analysis. From your 9, 3 are draftees. Lombard had shoulder and still look raw. Realistically can't expect too much from them like last year from Lombard.

 

[DTLSchulzy16]

I liked your analysis. From your 9, 3 are draftees. Lombard had shoulder and still look raw. Realistically can't expect too much from them like last year from Lombard.

Those 3 I have more confidence in than any of the other draftees. Especially since they should just be playing roles

Depends where the injuries/suspensions hit also. If the top end A graders across the spine were all still available and the rest had to be filled with u21s I think we’d manage

Gets a bit bleak if you start losing AGraders at the same time anyway. But certainly agree we are no longer ahead of the pack with depth (Hawks, Dogs, Lions) we are well and truly back with some of the other teams

 

[Jirik13]

Those 3 I have more confidence in than any of the other draftees. Especially since they should just be playing roles

Depends where the injuries/suspensions hit also. If the top end A graders across the spine were all still available and the rest had to be filled with u21s I think we’d manage

Gets a bit bleak if you start losing AGraders at the same time anyway. But certainly agree we are no longer ahead of the pack with depth (Hawks, Dogs, Lions) we are well and truly back with some of the other teams

Most fans are optimistic about draftees in the offseason. I personally turned it dow a bit, haha. During last year off-season people were raving about Lombard (had VFL experience, etc).

My wild guess, 1 of those 3 plays significant minutes in 2026. Patterson for me. I bloody like how good he looks physically, is very smooth, got speed, got some arrogance too.

We need a decent injury run again

 

[DTLSchulzy16]

Most fans are optimistic about draftees in the offseason. I personally turned it dow a bit, haha. During last year off-season people were raving about Lombard (had VFL experience, etc).

My wild guess, 1 of those 3 plays significant minutes in 2026. Patterson for me. I bloody like how good he looks physically, is very smooth, got speed, got some arrogance too.

We need a decent injury run again

I’m probably more bullish on this group developing quicker due to none of them being key position. And they are all something different

I think Beau has the highest floor because he will just find footy and find a team mate. Patterson has the highest ceiling. Just depends on how erratic he gets. More than happy to live with the mistakes while he’s a kid

 

[kreglze]

There may also be other incomings we aren't aware of. Wait until the end of the trade period before we deride our lack of depth.

 

[sunsofanarchy]

If JUH completes a full preseason, there's no reason for him not to be in the team, what happened for the past 12 months was between him and the dogs

 

[sunsofanarchy]

Rogers King Long
Humphrey Walter Ugle-Hagan
Miller Petracca Z.Uwland
Andrew Ballard Rioli
B.Uwland Collins Powell

Witts Rowell Anderson

Read Lombard Noble Graham Jeffrey