2026 Rising Stars and Emerging Talent?

[PowerfulPies2023]

Who will take the competition by storm this season? Players who will have a break out year?

 

[CURVE]

I'm really hoping Lachy Dovastson can be a Rising Star contender and be the dynamic small forward North have been searching for.

Unfortunately, we gave him the #1 jersey which has been a bit of a poison chalice over the last few decades.

 

[aussierulesrules]

From my club, the most obvious answer is again Phillipou.

This time last year he was dominating match sims and looked like he was going to go to the next level (after his dramatic improvement at the end of the previous season), but then he went down with a bad stress fracture- that had him off legs for a couple of months- and when he finally played, he was a shadow of his former self. Then did his plantaris (a tiny muscle in the calf) 3 or 4 times, so it was basically a write-off season for him.

Has been out there from day 1 of this preseason though and is again said to be looking a million dollars (playing mostly midfield), so we’re again hoping he’s ready to explode. Has only just turned 21, but is now in his 4th year.

Will be a harder midfield to crack this year though, so it will be interesting to see where he plays.

From other clubs- Harley Reid could really explode, as could Bailey Humphrey, and Nate Caddy will probably be ready to really step it up, ditto Connor O’Sullivan.

 

[Big Fresh]

I'm really hoping Lachy Dovastson can be a Rising Star contender and be the dynamic small forward North have been searching for.

Unfortunately, we gave him the #1 jersey which has been a bit of a poison chalice over the last few decades.

Not sure he's fast enough.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Joel Freijah another one. Third year now, could go bang. And obviously Darcy could go monster-mode if he gets a clear run at it.

And TDK has put it together for batches of games in the last year and a half (27 coaches votes in one 4 week patch and 21 from 6 in another), but if he happens to do so for a full year, he could have an AA type year.

 

[CURVE]

Not sure he's fast enough.

Speed is supposed to be one of his strengths, so I'm not sure where this comment is coming from.

Lachy Dovaston is an elite-speed small forward drafted by North Melbourne with pick 16 in the 2025 AFL Draft. He is renowned for his exceptional agility, recording 7.794 seconds at the 2025 National Draft Combine—the fourth-fastest time in Combine history. He also demonstrated high-level explosiveness with top-five finishes in both vertical jumps.

 

[Big Fresh]

Speed is supposed to be one of his strengths, so I'm not sure where this comment is coming from.

Just doesn't look that fast to me. What are his 20m and 2km times like?

 

[CURVE]

Just doesn't look that fast to me. What are his 20m and 2km times like?

No idea, if you want to know Google it.

 

[Pistol Night]

Scott Pendlebury

10

Scott Pendlebury

Age

38

Ht

191cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

26.5

5star

K

13.2

5star

HB

13.3

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

4.9

5star

CL

4.9

5star

D

25.1

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

12.9

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.3

3star

CL

3.6

4star

D

12.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

4.8

4star

M

5.8

5star

T

2.6

4star

might emerge this year

 

[Mighty Eagles]

I’m backing Tom McCarthy to have a breakout year at WC.

 

[the big lebowski]

The 19 year old that averaged the third most goals per game in the comp in 2025

 

[TheUnicorn]

Kako is looking very good Not sure any of them will take the competition by storm, but I reckon Sharp and Farrow will see a fair bit of footy this season even without injuries.


Darcy, Weddle, Rozee, Freijah, Fletcher, Flanders, Callaghan, Jagga, Lashcroft, Langford, Rivers, Curnow, TDK, McKercher.


Obviously some of these guys aren’t young or emerging, but they could “take the competition by storm”.

 

[Warwick]

Jaspa Fletcher is ready to move up another tier.

Hopefully Ty Gallop continues to get plenty of opportunities in a stacked line up. Has all the tools.

 

[Milanista28]

Hope Caddy can take the next step and push up to 40 goals.

Around the grounds, I liked Leo Lombard in his draft year, sounds like he's having a decent PS.

Moir showed some stuff last season as well, curious to see if he can fill the Curnow void, albeit differently.

 

[Elixuh]

Fletcher
Ashcroft x2
Morris
Gallop
Lohmann
Marshall
Annable
Wilmot
Reville
Smith

My god our young crop looks TALENTED and ready for a BREAKOUT YEAR. One or all of these players will TAKE the competition by STORM.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Fletcher
Ashcroft x2
Morris
Gallop
Lohmann
Marshall
Annable
Wilmot
Reville
Smith

My god our young crop looks TALENTED and ready for a BREAKOUT YEAR. One or all of these players will TAKE the competition by STORM.

No need to shout. We can hear you.

 

[Obeanie1]

No need to shout. We can hear you.

That's not shouting.

It strutting and bragging.

Are they all FS and academy pick ups? Or just most of them.

 

[Obeanie1]

Kako is looking very good Not sure any of them will take the competition by storm, but I reckon Sharp and Farrow will see a fair bit of footy this season even without injuries.


Darcy, Weddle, Rozee, Freijah, Fletcher, Flanders, Callaghan, Jagga, Lashcroft, Langford, Rivers, Curnow, TDK, McKercher.


Obviously some of these guys aren’t young or emerging, but they could “take the competition by storm”.

Jagga?

Breaking out in his debut season.

Not sure if that's a breakout year.

 

[KissKiss]

That's not shouting.

It strutting and bragging.

Are they all FS and academy pick ups? Or just most of them.

Bit over half are. Morris, Lohman, Wilmot and Smith I think are all normal picks. Reville was academy i think but wasn't picked up in his drafted year originally. Came through as a VFL top up player and then a rookie so not sure he counts.

We've definitely had a leg up but also drafted really well outside of that

 

[Warwick]

Fletcher
Ashcroft x2
Morris
Gallop
Lohmann
Marshall
Annable
Wilmot
Reville
Smith

My god our young crop looks TALENTED and ready for a BREAKOUT YEAR. One or all of these players will TAKE the competition by STORM.

1 top 20 academy kid in that mix. And he hasn’t played a game.

Terrific drafting and development.

 

[Obeanie1]

1 top 20 academy kid in that mix. And he hasn’t played a game.

Terrific drafting and development.

How many FS's.

3. Fletcher plus Ashcroft x 2.

All who trained with the academy?

So one third of that list.

 

[Elixuh]

How many FS's.

3. Fletcher plus Ashcroft x 2.

All who trained with the academy?

So one third of that list.

You should get some FS or academy picks onto the Eagles squad. You have the same access to FS and an academy!

Get the mining companies to supercharge your academy via funding. $1 from every kilogram of iron ore sold towards the WCE academy.

 

[Warwick]

How many FS's.

3. Fletcher plus Ashcroft x 2.

All who trained with the academy?

So one third of that list.

Didn’t realise the Eagles were denied those routes.

Do better with your drafting and development and you’ll win multiple games in a season.

 

[Obeanie1]

You should get some FS or academy picks onto the Eagles squad. You have the same access to FS and an academy!

Get the mining companies to supercharge your academy via funding. $1 from every kilogram of iron ore sold towards the WCE academy.

We have. But thanks for the advice.

And as you are no doubt aware the Qld academies encompass the entire state without the NGA restrictions.

Two totally different set ups. And the expansion clubs get much more access.

Strange the Lions need an academy since the Suns legitimately need one as they won't get any father sons for years.

Wasn't that one of the main areas the AFL wanted to equalise?

Well father sons are flooding in. So why do the Lions still get the same leg up as the Suns?

Double dipping AFL policies failing again.

 

[Obeanie1]

Didn’t realise the Eagles were denied those routes.

Do better with your drafting and development and you’ll win multiple games in a season.

Maybe understand the difference in academy access before posting again.