Preview 2026 AFL Draft General Discussion

[Rash]

lovely

 

[Grockadoc]

2 best kids in the draft now linked to clubs in Walker and Cochrane.

 

[txbyhull]

Open pool top 5 now looks like?

What is an open pool

 

[JimmyBC]

Ripper

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Who’s now No. 1 non club affiliated?

Malady?
Van Dyk?

 

[txbyhull]

Who’s now No. 1 non club affiliated?

Malady?
Van Dyk?

Would suggest Van Dyk or Butler probably

 

[T4P]

Port doesn't go through the process for his older brother, but goes through the process for the number one pick. Look forward to the pro-academy people try to make the 'clubs should get academy access because they invest money and time into their development pathway' argument.

What a shitty system

 

[eaglevision]

Who’s now No. 1 non club affiliated?

Malady?
Van Dyk?

Arki Butler, by some distance for mine.

AVD, HVH, Malady, Robinson I rate and thought Williams and Mellody showed a lot in the futures game.

 

[Crow till I die]

Port doesn't go through the process for his older brother, but goes through the process for the number one pick. Look forward to the pro-academy people try to make the 'clubs should get academy access because they invest money and time into their development pathway' argument.

What a shitty system

Well, they are still not a lock to get him without some heavy wheeling and dealing now the system to match bids has changed. They will have their natural 1st which will be anywhere from pick 4 to pick 12 based on what they might do next year. They have their 2027 1st which will hold stuff all value for trading back in due to that draft being the tassie draft. They could go into points deficit with their 2027 1st when matching a bid but if their natural 1st is not a low one, they might need extra 1sts next year and how do they get them???? Butters may go and that will solve that problem but if he doesn't? it might need some extra special gymnastics to make sure they have the points if a bid comes in at pick 1 next year and it could if things don't change from current projections.

I bet that trade of their 2025 1st for Lukosius last year is not looking all that appealing right now. be handy to have a top 10 pick this year to trade into next year....

 

[T4P]

Well, they are still not a lock to get him without some heavy wheeling and dealing now the system to match bids has changed. They will have their natural 1st which will be anywhere from pick 4 to pick 12 based on what they might do next year. They have their 2027 1st which will hold stuff all value for trading back in due to that draft being the tassie draft. They could go into points deficit with their 2027 1st when matching a bid but if their natural 1st is not a low one, they might need extra 1sts next year and how do they get them???? Butters may go and that will solve that problem but if he doesn't? it might need some extra special gymnastics to make sure they have the points if a bid comes in at pick 1 next year and it could if things don't change from current projections.

I bet that trade of their 2025 1st for Lukosius last year is not looking all that appealing right now. be handy to have a top 10 pick this year to trade into next year....

if your argument is 'they have to pay up so therefore it's fair', there's actually an easier way for that to be a reality.

you have a fair draft without 'dibs'. Port paying a fair price involves paying the club who has pick 1 for pick 1. Not paying the AFL an arbitrary amount for arbitrary favouritism.

 

[Crow till I die]

if your argument is 'they have to pay up so therefore it's fair', there's actually an easier way for that to be a reality.

you have a fair draft without 'dibs'. Port paying a fair price involves paying the club who has pick 1 for pick 1. Not paying the AFL an arbitrary amount for arbitrary favouritism.

Yeah I agree, but in this case, they are still going to have to burn multiple 1sts to get him so its much better than the old system where clubs banked a bunch of junk picks to match.

 

[Traveling_Power]

Minor correction.
View attachment 2358561

you were right

 

[#BallMagnet]

Arki Butler, by some distance for mine.

AVD, HVH, Malady, Robinson I rate and thought Williams and Mellody showed a lot in the futures game.

This draft looks especially deep talent wise so no doubt others will be rising in the next 12 months.
Edwards from SA also another.

 

[Traveling_Power]

Yeah I agree, but in this case, they are still going to have to burn multiple 1sts to get him so its much better than the old system where clubs banked a bunch of junk picks to match.

we might not have to use multiple 1st to get him.

If the last place team put a bid on him, we would have to match 3000 points minus the revised discount of 10% (or 300 points) so we would need to find 2700 points

If he goes pick 2 (after Carlton's Walker) - the 2nd last team put a bid on him we would have to match 2481 points minus the revised discount of 10% (248pts), so we would need to find 2233 points

note: - the AFL did reduce the discount from 20% to 10% starting this year

Currently we have for 2026
1st round pick - (which could be between 1659points - pick 6 or 1140 - pick 12)
2nd round pick - (which could be between 621 points - pick 24 or 454 - pick 30)
2nd round pick (Carlton's) - (which might be between 561 points - pick 26 or 454 - pick 30 - but hopefully it is more)
3rd round pick - (which could be between 202 points - pick 42 or 102 - pick 48)

With this (above) we could have between 3043 points - 2150 points for the 2026 draft night.

If it is the later, we might need an extra 2nd & or 3rd round pick to make up any difference (of 550pts) if he goes at pick 1

This is why we haven't taken much interest in the 2025 draft & am going into the night with pick 45 & 85 (& pick 45 is on the table if another team wants it on the night - if they do that would be another 150pts)

Our aim would to get Dougie Cochrane without using our 2027 draft picks

 

[Cosmicwinduptoy24]

we might not have to use multiple 1st to get him.

If the last place team put a bid on him, we would have to match 3000 points minus the revised discount of 10% (or 300 points) so we would need to find 2700 points

If he goes pick 2 (after Carlton's Walker) - the 2nd last team put a bid on him we would have to match 2481 points minus the revised discount of 10% (248pts), so we would need to find 2233 points

note: - the AFL did reduce the discount from 20% to 10% starting this year

Currently we have for 2026
1st round pick - (which could be between 1659points - pick 6 or 1140 - pick 12)
2nd round pick - (which could be between 621 points - pick 24 or 454 - pick 30)
2nd round pick (Carlton's) - (which might be between 561 points - pick 26 or 454 - pick 30 - but hopefully it is more)
3rd round pick - (which could be between 202 points - pick 42 or 102 - pick 48)

With this (above) we could have between 3043 points - 2150 points for the 2026 draft night.

If it is the later, we might need an extra 2nd & or 3rd round pick to make up any difference (of 550pts) if he goes at pick 1

This is why we haven't taken much interest in the 2025 draft & am going into the night with pick 45 & 85 (& pick 45 is on the table if another team wants it on the night - if they do that would be another 150pts)

Our aim would to get Dougie Cochrane without using our 2027 draft picks

Bet your house that Port trades pick 45 on draft night for a pick in the 2026 draft.

 

[Traveling_Power]

Bet your house that Port trades pick 45 on draft night for a pick in the 2026 draft.

that might not be a smart bet

we could use it in this draft for a Tasmanian player develop him for a year and trade him to Tassie for a pick to use in the 2027 draft to help us get Pilot & Salopek

 

[Crow till I die]

we might not have to use multiple 1st to get him.

If the last place team put a bid on him, we would have to match 3000 points minus the revised discount of 10% (or 300 points) so we would need to find 2700 points

If he goes pick 2 (after Carlton's Walker) - the 2nd last team put a bid on him we would have to match 2481 points minus the revised discount of 10% (248pts), so we would need to find 2233 points

note: - the AFL did reduce the discount from 20% to 10% starting this year

Currently we have for 2026
1st round pick - (which could be between 1659points - pick 6 or 1140 - pick 12)
2nd round pick - (which could be between 621 points - pick 24 or 454 - pick 30)
2nd round pick (Carlton's) - (which might be between 561 points - pick 26 or 454 - pick 30 - but hopefully it is more)
3rd round pick - (which could be between 202 points - pick 42 or 102 - pick 48)

With this (above) we could have between 3043 points - 2150 points for the 2026 draft night.

If it is the later, we might need an extra 2nd & or 3rd round pick to make up any difference (of 550pts) if he goes at pick 1

This is why we haven't taken much interest in the 2025 draft & am going into the night with pick 45 & 85 (& pick 45 is on the table if another team wants it on the night - if they do that would be another 150pts)

Our aim would to get Dougie Cochrane without using our 2027 draft picks

Re matching bids, have they now limited that to using for example a player bid on in the 1st round, 1st round picks and 2nd round picks? or is it just the value of all picks has changed to reduce later picks from being used in all reality

 

[Traveling_Power]

Re matching bids, have they now limited that to using for example a player bid on in the 1st round, 1st round picks and 2nd round picks? or is it just the value of all picks has changed to reduce later picks from being used in all reality

not sure as this will have to come in slowly to allow clubs to plan a few years in advance on how they will get the picks

For Dougie we will have to use our 1st round pick (without splitting it). but i am not sure if we can use the 2 x 2nd round draft picks or if we have to try and upgrade them both to get another first round pick

 

[txbyhull]

I’d have just assume it’s sell Butters, match Dougie and try and take another first or even 2 more firsts in a great draft before tassie

 

[Crow till I die]

not sure as this will have to come in slowly to allow clubs to plan a few years in advance on how they will get the picks

For Dougie we will have to use our 1st round pick (without splitting it). but i am not sure if we can use the 2 x 2nd round draft picks or if we have to try and upgrade them both to get another first round pick

Yeah, i am not sure either. I bet there are a few of you rueing the use of the 2025 1st last year for Lukosius. It would have been a top 10 pick that could have been flipped into next year and job done.

 

[eaglevision]

not sure as this will have to come in slowly to allow clubs to plan a few years in advance on how they will get the picks

For Dougie we will have to use our 1st round pick (without splitting it). but i am not sure if we can use the 2 x 2nd round draft picks or if we have to try and upgrade them both to get another first round pick

Assuming you finish in the same position I suspect you will also need pick 13 at a minimum to get Dougie.

 

[Traveling_Power]

Yeah, i am not sure either. I bet there are a few of you rueing the use of the 2025 1st last year for Lukosius. It would have been a top 10 pick that could have been flipped into next year and job done.

A few of us Port supporters are ... we should have used a 2nd & 3rd round pick for Luko, and we should have never taken Atkins. it was probably Ken trying to be smart in saying that is what he wanted the deal
personally, if I had known we were going to have a difficult year (with the injuries / draw) I would have kept the 1st round pick and used it in this draft to get a midfield player (to cover in case Butters goes)

 

[Traveling_Power]

Assuming you finish in the same position I suspect you will also need pick 13 at a minimum to get Dougie.

if we finish in the same position our 2nd pick will be 24 (621pts) and hopefully the Carlton 2nd round pick will be close to the same around 26 (561pts) ...
if that is the case together that 1182pts which is pick 12

 

[eaglevision]

if we finish in the same position our 2nd pick will be 24 (621pts) and hopefully the Carlton 2nd round pick will be close to the same around 26 (561pts) ...
if that is the case together that 1182pts which is pick 12

Yes but if the mooted 2 picks only to match comes in.

 

[Shueygod]

Going to be harder than ever to move up the draft with the two pick rule.

Not all of Walker, Cochrane, Robinson will be able to be matched unless those three teams finish bottom 6.