Preview 2026 AFL Draft General Discussion

[weltschmerz]

Marlon Neocleous

Name of the year, following on from Jack Ough and Wes Walley

 

[Futbolista]

Name of the year, following on from Jack Ough and Wes Walley

Jamayson Ketchup (Perth/WA) ?

 

[weltschmerz]

Jamayson Ketchup (Perth/WA) ?

Forbes Gilmour missed out this year

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Isn't there also Hau-Tze Rock?

Meanwhile, Robert Farmer with the most boring name.

 

[Thunderstruck]

Haggas, if you had to make a player comparison against kids just recently drafted what would it look like?

At a guess:

Archie Van Dyk - D Sharp
Wil Malady - M.Marsh
Arki Butler - L. Dovaston
Gabriel Patterson - S.Cumming
Kodah Edwards - L.Carmichael
Jack Pickett - A.Ludowyke
Marlon Neocleous - T.Matthews
Cody Templeton - J.Murray
Kale Matthews-Hampton - H.Dean
Noah Williams - O.Taylor
Harry Van Hattum - L.Emmett
Heath Mellody - H.Barker

Granted these aren't recently drafted comparisons but

For me Van Dyk is more Will Day, less of a bull than Sharp, more wirey/lanky slower in congestion and a touch more balanced to the outside with his overhead marking. But not the talent of Will Day. He's special, shame he's got that foot that probably ruins him.

Edwards is very much Robbie Gray in style, he's quick, dangerous a a real weapon when on fire.

 

[PMBangers]

Haggas, if you had to make a player comparison against kids just recently drafted what would it look like?

At a guess:

Archie Van Dyk - D Sharp
Wil Malady - M.Marsh
Arki Butler - L. Dovaston
Gabriel Patterson - S.Cumming
Kodah Edwards - L.Carmichael
Jack Pickett - A.Ludowyke
Marlon Neocleous - T.Matthews
Cody Templeton - J.Murray
Kale Matthews-Hampton - H.Dean
Noah Williams - O.Taylor
Harry Van Hattum - L.Emmett
Heath Mellody - H.Barker

AFL Comparison for Butler would be early days Petracca for me, incredible in the FWD 50

 

[JasRulz63]

Stars of the future: 10 draft prospects to watch in 2026

Callum Twomey looks ahead to the best prospects for the 2026 Telstra AFL Draft

www.afl.com.au

Arki Butler (Vic Metro)
Dougie Cochrane (SA/Port NGA)
Cody Walker (Vic Country/Carl F/S)
Gabriel Patterson (SA)
Harry Van Hattum (Vic Metro)
Caylen Murray (Qld/Bris Academy)
Marlon Neocleous (Vic Country)
Lewis Houndsome (Vic Metro)
Koby LeCras (WA)
Archie Van Dyk (SA)

 

[RedmanWasHere]

THE MAD HATTER!

 

[#BallMagnet]

Stars of the future: 10 draft prospects to watch in 2026

Callum Twomey looks ahead to the best prospects for the 2026 Telstra AFL Draft

www.afl.com.au

Arki Butler (Vic Metro)
Dougie Cochrane (SA/Port NGA)
Cody Walker (Vic Country/Carl F/S)
Gabriel Patterson (SA)
Harry Van Hattum (Vic Metro)
Caylen Murray (Qld/Bris Academy)
Marlon Neocleous (Vic Country)
Lewis Houndsome (Vic Metro)
Koby LeCras (WA)
Archie Van Dyk (SA)

SA & VC look to be strong again next year looking at some of those names.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Stars of the future: 10 draft prospects to watch in 2026

Callum Twomey looks ahead to the best prospects for the 2026 Telstra AFL Draft

www.afl.com.au

Arki Butler (Vic Metro)
Dougie Cochrane (SA/Port NGA)
Cody Walker (Vic Country/Carl F/S)
Gabriel Patterson (SA)
Harry Van Hattum (Vic Metro)
Caylen Murray (Qld/Bris Academy)
Marlon Neocleous (Vic Country)
Lewis Houndsome (Vic Metro)
Koby LeCras (WA)
Archie Van Dyk (SA)

off course 2 players there whose dad played for us but not enough games for father son

 

[Joao]

off course 2 players there whose dad played for us but not enough games for father son

How short were they? There's at least 23 games between now and the draft.

 

[JasRulz63]

off course 2 players there whose dad played for us but not enough games for father son

Collingwood are only four games short of Patterson as a father/son.

 

[weltschmerz]

off course 2 players there whose dad played for us but not enough games for father son

Us with the Phillipous, the De Konings, Georgiades, Hanneberry, Ben and Sam Reid, and I think a few others

 

[tigs2010]

Collingwood are only four games short of Patterson as a father/son.

They should have rookied him yesterday and got the 4 games done

 

[lionshine]

Stars of the future: 10 draft prospects to watch in 2026

Callum Twomey looks ahead to the best prospects for the 2026 Telstra AFL Draft

www.afl.com.au

Arki Butler (Vic Metro)
Dougie Cochrane (SA/Port NGA)
Cody Walker (Vic Country/Carl F/S)
Gabriel Patterson (SA)
Harry Van Hattum (Vic Metro)
Caylen Murray (Qld/Bris Academy)
Marlon Neocleous (Vic Country)
Lewis Houndsome (Vic Metro)
Koby LeCras (WA)
Archie Van Dyk (SA)

Who are the notable omissions from this list at an early stage? Jack Pickett & Noah Williams?

I also really like the look of WC NGA Garrison Kenh

 

[tigs2010]

Stars of the future: 10 draft prospects to watch in 2026

Callum Twomey looks ahead to the best prospects for the 2026 Telstra AFL Draft

www.afl.com.au

Arki Butler (Vic Metro)
Dougie Cochrane (SA/Port NGA)
Cody Walker (Vic Country/Carl F/S)
Gabriel Patterson (SA)
Harry Van Hattum (Vic Metro)
Caylen Murray (Qld/Bris Academy)
Marlon Neocleous (Vic Country)
Lewis Houndsome (Vic Metro)
Koby LeCras (WA)
Archie Van Dyk (SA)

Based on the last 5 iterations 3 or 4 of these will go after 25+ or not at all lol.

 

[JasRulz63]

Based on the last 5 iterations 3 or 4 of these will go after 25+ or not at all lol.

For context, this is last year's one.

Stars of the future: 10 draft prospects to watch in 2025

Callum Twomey looks ahead to the best prospects for the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft

www.afl.com.au

Picks 1, 2, 4, 6, 13, 27, 49, 50, 56 and rookie draft pick 3.

 

[tigs2010]

For context, this is last year's one.

Stars of the future: 10 draft prospects to watch in 2025

Callum Twomey looks ahead to the best prospects for the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft

www.afl.com.au

Picks 1, 2, 4, 6, 13, 27, 49, 50, 56 and rookie draft pick 3.

Ahhh I watched a video as couldn't find article which I just realised it was from March.

Only 50/50 top 25.

 

[#BallMagnet]

For context, this is last year's one.

Stars of the future: 10 draft prospects to watch in 2025

Callum Twomey looks ahead to the best prospects for the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft

www.afl.com.au

Picks 1, 2, 4, 6, 13, 27, 49, 50, 56 and rookie draft pick 3.

Yeah it’s the 2nd & 3rd tier boys that everyone should be keeping an eye on.
They’re the ones that fly under the radar and elevate their game in the next 12 months.

However the media will roll with mostly these lads for a while.

 

[Futbolista]

Who are the notable omissions from this list at an early stage? Jack Pickett & Noah Williams?

I also really like the look of WC NGA Garrison Kenh

Kyan Perera, the Subiaco speedster and son of former Sri Lanka international cricketer Suresh, is another WCE NGA to watch.

He may choose cricket as his preferred sport but being named in the 2025/26 WAFL 18's summer squad will at least give him some encouragement to pursue footy.

Super quick small forward.

 

[Haggas]

Who are the notable omissions from this list at an early stage? Jack Pickett & Noah Williams?

I also really like the look of WC NGA Garrison Kenh

Lucas Robinson Frem NGA
Wil Malady
Kodah Edwards
Jack Pickett

The main ones

 

[Haggas]

My AFL Academy team with who was selected

 

[#BallMagnet]

My AFL Academy team with who was selected
View attachment 2483511

No Edwards or Armstrong?

Fwd line extremely tall.

 

[txbyhull]

Having not watched much of any of these boys outside of Cochrane, Walker and the West Coast boys, is Arki a pure small at AFL-level or more the Zac Bailey

33

Zac Bailey

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.9

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

CL

0.9

3star

D

12.9

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

5.6

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.4

3star

CL

0.7

3star

D

13.4

4star

K

6.6

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

2.8

5star

CL

0.6

3star

mould of being able to run through the guts

 

[PortAdelFC1997]

Haggas When are you gonna start doing your rankings again? I eagerly am looking forward to you putting "Port Adelaide (NGA)" next to Dougie Cochrane.