Position 2026 Rookies

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Sharp, lock him in & start him on ground.

Yeah he looks the most ready draftee to me. Hard to see why they won't put him straight in.

 

[Deliverance]

Hawks rooks most likely stay in the neat early this season. Hard to see any of them breaking in for significant roles. Dalton, maybe. Endurance beast, wins plenty if possessions, decent size to him, but is a bit slow and were all probably gunshy after Hustwaite last season.

 

[Floating Doughnut]

Yeah he looks the most ready draftee to me. Hard to see why they won't put him straight in.

Manchild who trained with Crows, could have played last year is so advanced is ready to go.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Chose Sydney for opportunity, lock him in Eddie.

Having followed his head over his heart, this new Swan could be ready to launch

After being unable to break through for regular opportunities at the Hawks, Jai Serong tells AFL.com.au how he made the call to join the Swans

www.afl.com.au

 

[Nelso]

Ramm and Mackinlay at Port. Ramm will play ahead of BZT. Mackinlay getting heavily involved in the midfield group at traning.

Keep an eye out for Josh Lai. Could be a smoky to get a spot on the half back flank.

 

[Cactus_]

Reading the Tiges board most of our rookies are fit and training well but most don’t seem to have any except for Gibcus in the R1 starting 23

(I don’t want to jinx Gibcus but it sounds like he’s fit and training well at the moment)

Smilie had quad surgery a few weeks ago but it sounds like it was a success — sound like they’re building the training loads, but unlikely to be ready to debut at the start of the season (downgrade option)

Reports sound promising on Cummings and Grjl but not many predicting R1 debuts

Jasper Alger is still rookie priced and might not be too far away from best 23 — I liked the bits I saw of him last year, but he’d be playing small forward so not much use for SuperCoach

There is probably a wing up for grabs and some talk that Retschko is a chance for it but a few other names are also being mentioned

 

[Jiska]

Locks (will be named R1):

• Sharp
• Marshall
• Phillipou
• Gibcus

Locks if named Round 1:

• Brodie
• Reidy
• Lindsay
• Carmichael

Uwland in 200k is in most teams I’ve seen.

Jack Carroll 119k mid a chance to take the open half back spot for us.

Impressing at training so far in that role BrutThough

If he ain’t “training the house down” in December, it’s a hard pass.

 

[Jiska]

Someone should pin a list to the top of the thread

Sure. Create one and I’ll pin it

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Sure. Create one and I’ll pin it

I think TempletonTheRat is our man with his spreadsheet?

 

[Jiska]

I think TempletonTheRat is our man with his spreadsheet?

Yeah but Cactus_ has graciously offered to start it. Temples spreadsheet only really becomes relevant mid-Feb.

 

[Cactus_]

Yeah but Cactus_ has graciously offered to start it. Temples spreadsheet only really becomes relevant mid-Feb.

I’m a bit “technologically challenged” but I’ll give it a go . . . gotta learn some time

 

[stevebbb]

stevebbb are there enough good rookies this year?

2025 still...

Wake me up in Feb...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year BF community. Take care and all the best. See yas in 2026!

 

[Soapy V]

Was at Blues training couple of times over last week

Jagga building well and will play mid/fwd. Resumes full training after new year. He’s a lock
Ison looks AFL ready. Could play early
Dean will play a lot next year
Reidy real chance to be No 1 ruck w Pittonet injury set back.
Names to watch for Rd 1 are Wilson Ben C & Moir

No other “rookies” really pushing at this stage

 

[King Max]

Yeah he looks the most ready draftee to me. Hard to see why they won't put him straight in.

He will play rd1, he’s exactly what Ess needs.

 

[Northernsoul74]

The players at each AFL team most likely to earn a debut in 2026

See who's yet to get a game, and who could finally break into the side, at your club next season.

www.zerohanger.com

 

[cybajedi]

The players at each AFL team most likely to earn a debut in 2026

See who's yet to get a game, and who could finally break into the side, at your club next season.

www.zerohanger.com

Well that’s a horrible site to navigate on mobile.

 

[A Bit Dusty]

Jack Dalton (MID) — $113,500​

Club: Hawthorn
Price: $113,500
Type: Ready-made rookie mid
Dalton is one of the more AFL-ready midfield rookies in the pool. Strong runner, good work rate, and plays a role that naturally accumulates possessions rather than relying on goals.
SuperCoach-wise, he profiles as a safe 55–70 type if he gets midfield rotation. Not explosive, but reliable — tackles, handballs, repeat efforts.
• Averaged 27.9 disposals across nine Coates Talent League games in 2025 and made the CTL Team of the Year.
• Posted big junior numbers — e.g., 37 disposals, 7 marks, 7 I50s & 2 goals in a CTL game — showing he can fill the stats sheet like a midfield accumulator.
• Won Sandringham Dragons B&F and was Vic Metro MVP at U16s, highlighting consistent ball-winning and work rate.
• Elite fitness: fastest 2km time trial (5:53) at the Draft Combine.
Role is everything. If Hawthorn give him inside minutes, he’s viable on field early. If he’s parked wide, he’s bench-only.
Verdict:
Cheap, ready-made, role-dependent. One to track closely through preseason match sims.

 

[A Bit Dusty]

Josh Lindsay — DEF — $122,500
Kicking is king in SuperCoach, and Lindsay profiles as the elite ball-user of the 2025 draft class. His precise left foot should be an immediate asset in a West Coast defence short on reliable distributors.
Lindsay was the designated kicker for Vic Country at the National Championships, posting 22.3 disposals, 17.3 kicks (76.4% efficiency), 4.8 intercepts and 94 SuperCoach points per game. He regularly handled kick-ins at junior level, and with the Eagles previously handing those duties straight to Ryan Maric and Tom McCarthy after defensive role changes, there’s a clear pathway for Lindsay to do the same.
SuperCoach take:
Role + kicking efficiency + possible kick-ins = genuine rookie scoring upside. At basement pricing, he’s firmly on the early watchlist.
Verdict: Watch / Strong rookie contender if named Round 1

 

[A Bit Dusty]

Dylan Patterson — DEF — $185,500
Explosive pace, aggressive ball use and genuine line-breaking ability make Patterson one of the more exciting defensive prospects in the pool. While he didn’t rack up huge disposal numbers as a junior, his impact per touch is elite — exactly the type of profile that can pop for SuperCoach when things click.
The blistering half-back showed his ceiling at higher levels late in the year, averaging 76 SuperCoach points across four VFL games. His standout performance came in Round 20 vs Carlton VFL, where he exploded for 121 points from 21 disposals, hitting 16 of 17 kicks. Earlier in the season, Patterson tore Vic Metro apart with 126 points from just 17 touches, using speed and rebound to break the game open.
A former multi-sport athlete, Patterson had several NRL clubs chasing his signature despite limited rugby league exposure — a strong indicator of his raw athletic upside. That speed and attacking mindset should translate quickly at AFL level and could see him trusted to take the game on from defence.
SuperCoach take

Not a high-floor accumulator, but the ceiling is real. If he earns a rebounding role, his efficiency and metres gained can turn modest possession counts into strong scores.
Verdict

Watch / POD rookie defender with upside. Riskier than your safe 70-type, but capable of match-winning SuperCoach spikes if role and confidence align.

 

[A Bit Dusty]

Harry Schoenberg – $119,900 MID (West Coast)
West Coast moved quickly to secure Schoenberg after his delisting from Adelaide, and it’s easy to see the appeal. The inside midfielder brings 62 games of AFL experience and has already shown he can score when given responsibility.
Schoenberg’s best football came early in his career, playing all 22 games in 2021 and averaging 72 SuperCoach points as a second-year Crow. He backed that up with 16 games in 2022, but opportunities dried up thereafter, managing just 16 senior appearances across the next three seasons. Despite that, his SANFL form remained strong.
His final two games at state-league level were particularly eye-catching. Across Adelaide’s two SANFL finals losses, Schoenberg averaged 27 disposals, 13 contested possessions, eight clearances, five tackles, six inside 50s and 136 SuperCoach points — numbers that underline his ability as a contested ball-winner when played on-ball.
At $119,900, the price is right, but the question is role and opportunity. West Coast has invested heavily in young midfield talent, and Schoenberg will need to force his way past a group the Eagles are keen to develop.
SuperCoach verdict:

Basement-priced mid with proven scoring history

Strong contested profile suits SuperCoach

Role not guaranteed in a youth-focused midfield
Pick/Fade: Watchlist — viable only if named Round 1 with a clear midfield role.

 

[Obese Arachnid]

Dylan Patterson — DEF — $185,500
Explosive pace, aggressive ball use and genuine line-breaking ability make Patterson one of the more exciting defensive prospects in the pool. While he didn’t rack up huge disposal numbers as a junior, his impact per touch is elite — exactly the type of profile that can pop for SuperCoach when things click.
The blistering half-back showed his ceiling at higher levels late in the year, averaging 76 SuperCoach points across four VFL games. His standout performance came in Round 20 vs Carlton VFL, where he exploded for 121 points from 21 disposals, hitting 16 of 17 kicks. Earlier in the season, Patterson tore Vic Metro apart with 126 points from just 17 touches, using speed and rebound to break the game open.
A former multi-sport athlete, Patterson had several NRL clubs chasing his signature despite limited rugby league exposure — a strong indicator of his raw athletic upside. That speed and attacking mindset should translate quickly at AFL level and could see him trusted to take the game on from defence.
SuperCoach take

Not a high-floor accumulator, but the ceiling is real. If he earns a rebounding role, his efficiency and metres gained can turn modest possession counts into strong scores.
Verdict

Watch / POD rookie defender with upside. Riskier than your safe 70-type, but capable of match-winning SuperCoach spikes if role and confidence align.

I'm looking fwd to watching this kid play.

He is the epitome of that yank term Quarterback vibes about him.

He would be so SC sexy if he was at another club.