Preview 2026 National Draft Thread

[#BallMagnet]

From our point of view, if we say have a pick in the 5-10 range, it’s probably the year to try and split for some 10-20 picks if cards fall our way.

There’s going to be some truly elite support players in the 10-20 range this year.

I definitely agree.
All the talk in the media is only ever about those kids that have made the AFL Academy or club tied F/S, NGA or Academy etc.
If you do your homework, you'll uncover a large quantity of talented prospects that sit in the background without the exposure.
SA for mine in particular and I hope my club is thinking along the same lines.
Don't give up the farm to get early picks when there's equal value in the 20 thru 40 range.

 

[SWMD]

Sphynx - Can you pick two from the list below you would redo and how?

Future swap resulting in Powell
Daniel Trade
Whitlock trade
Phillips pick
Duursma pick or trade opportunity with Dees/Hawks

 

[The Nostradamus]

Sphynx - Can you pick two from the list below you would redo and how?

Future swap resulting in Powell
Daniel Trade
Whitlock trade
Phillips pick
Duursma pick or trade opportunity with Dees/Hawks

The first 2 are easiest
Serong vs powell
J whitlock or j shanahan vs c Daniel

I still have no issue going Wilphil the alternative at the time was hollands who has his issues some even wanted dgb

 

[chubbspeterson]

As mentioned a 2nd 3 degrees tall ITK in 2 years.

Heard he was 196cm in late 2024 so not sure re above height figure.

Yeah I haven't updated the heights on some of them. A few have grown apparently over preseason.
I think Van Hattum got a few cms taller.

 

[Sphynx]

Sphynx - Can you pick two from the list below you would redo and how?

Future swap resulting in Powell
Daniel Trade
Whitlock trade
Phillips pick
Duursma pick or trade opportunity with Dees/Hawks

I was on record as wanting Watson, but it was a simple recruiting decision, you win some and lose some. Duursma isn't done just yet.

Phillips was a Covid written off year, where we got completely ****ed by the NGA rules, which were then removed for 3-4 years, then reinstated.

If the NGA rules were changed to those a year later, we'd have Thilthorpe in our side, as JUH would have gone to Adelaide. Adelaide liked JUH and we really loved Thilthorpe from what I was told. We got ****ed by McDonald essentially sandbagging us also. We absolutely wanted a KPF that year, we had 3 options and basically couldn't draft any of them because of the rules and Adelaide preferring Thilthorpe over McDonald. Had that been a WA team below us, again, we'd have Thilthorpe.

Again, we got completed ****ed by Covid with the Powell trade. We traded out of that draft and into the following one, then covid hit post that decision. The irony now being that we traded out of what is one of the strongest drafts of the last decade. It looks horrible on paper, but there's some mitigating circumstances. I also think covid is a bit of a security blanket for that decision, as covid or no covid, the 2019 pool looks unbelievable.

In hindsight the Powell trade is arguably the most costly, as we could have taken any one of Serong, Pickett, Sam Flanders and Will Day and been happy. All genuine superstar top 30 players (Flanders aside). We only needed any of them. There's a possibility without holding both picks, we end up with Hayden Young if Fremantle select Serong if only having 1 option. He's arguably the best of all of them at the moment. Not only did we dilute our pick by 5 spots with Melbourne rebounding, we traded into a much weaker drafter. In real cost, it was probably like trading Pick 7 for pick 20-25 in the relative strength of 2019.

The very simple one is the Daniel trade, which I think is the truly worst and totally predictable outcome of all your list. It annoyed me the most, not because of the clear idiotic strategy but a snowball of bad decisions. He was in the VFL, he'd had a bust up with Bevo, he was on a massive wage relative to their side. It was the sort of trade that should have cost a 7th rounder, as it was a salary dump of a player they didn't want, that didnt want to be there, he was 30 years old... This is completely disregarding Daniel, his nosedive of form, the red flags he was in the VFL in the first place... Why we made this trade in the knowledge we really wanted to draft a KPP prospect, when that draft was brimming with the likes of Whitlock x 2, Shannahan, Sims right around the spot of this natural selection, I have absolutely no idea. Im not sure any recruiter in the league understands why we did this. It was 4-5 back consecutive bad decisions. Maybe it's why Scott Clayton is no longer there.

My other podium decision (probably close to my winner) and one you didn't mention is the Polec trade. Some of us at the time tried to tell many on here about the opportunity to double dip on the draft with the bidding process. This was very early in the NGA and bidding systems infancy. The club viewed the Thomas NGA selection and our Pick 11 as virtually disposable. I.E we were getting a top kid, so the pick was dispensable for a win now player for Brad Scott. We were desperate and willing to give overs for anyone, step up mercenary Jared Polec.

This has proven to be absolutely idiotic in hindsight. I don't think a club has done it since. Every club since has viewed this situation as an absolute gift from the gods and an ability to load up on young talent. It was in an insanely strong draft at the time, the even more baffling thing is we made the decision the following year to trade our R1 pick to the next draft. So seemingly we shouldnt have rated the pool in 2019 even in 2018. Meaning we should have been open to trading our F1 to get further up the board the 2018 board.

Not that Port needed a F1 to move up. Port traded #11 to Fremantle with only 2 x R2 picks. We could have easily serviced this.

They received pick #6. Port did some further manoeuvring to get pick #5 and Rozee.

We simply needed to not trade for Polec and attach our F2 and another minor pick to what we already had and we would have had Ben King for the last 9 years....

In a very close alternative universe we add Ben King and Caleb Serong in consecutive years. Who knows what that might have done for us in this period.

 

[Makeshift Park]

The first 2 are easiest
Serong vs powell
J whitlock or j shanahan vs c Daniel

I still have no issue going Wilphil the alternative at the time was hollands who has his issues some even wanted dgb

Depends how much of a hindsight hero we can be in this hypothetical.

Getting Max Holmes instead of WiPhi would've been pretty cool. Kozzie for Powell for mine.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Depends how much of a hindsight hero we can be in this hypothetical.

Getting Max Holmes instead of WiPhi would've been pretty cool. Kozzie for Powell for mine.

Trying to be realistic
As to what we were tossing up at the time

 

[chubbspeterson]

The kids in this draft were 11-13yo during covid so should've had 4+ straightforward development years leading in.

It might be getting back to a fully restored talent pool akin to pre-covid, though 2025 was probably almost there.

My hunch based on economics more than football:

• Clubs will scramble to buy in as you say
• This will trigger panic buying - reaches for talent, reaches for list fixes ie overreaching for talls
• It might resemble 2001where 'beauty in the eye of the beholder' prevails and lots of less recognised future talent slides

On that basis, my gut feel is this would be a draft I'd let others go nuts for 1st rounders in and I'd be mining in the mid and even late rounds. Using the logic the Tassie entry will panic even the usually calmest decision makers.

Again this is based on the scenario rather than football analysis. Let other teams try and find the next Buddy while we pick away later for the James Kelly, Brian Lake types.

I think sliding back in the order in R1 should be strongly considered if it gets us more selections inside 15-35.
We can try with two F2's to get into the order on night two most likely, but it might be hard.
I think there will be some gems in that 20-40 range, so the more picks the better this year.
We don't need to do much in the Tassie draft imo but match bids on F/S or NGA kids and/or just take one R1 kid.

 

[SWMD]

I was on record as wanting Watson, but it was a simple recruiting decision, you win some and lose some. Duursma isn't done just yet.

Phillips was a Covid written off year, where we got completely ****ed by the NGA rules, which were then removed for 3-4 years, then reinstated.

If the NGA rules were changed to those a year later, we'd have Thilthorpe in our side, as JUH would have gone to Adelaide. Adelaide liked JUH and we really loved Thilthorpe from what I was told. We got ****ed by McDonald essentially sandbagging us also. We absolutely wanted a KPF that year, we had 3 options and basically couldn't draft any of them because of the rules and Adelaide preferring Thilthorpe over McDonald. Had that been a WA team below us, again, we'd have Thilthorpe.

Again, we got completed ****ed by Covid with the Powell trade. We traded out of that draft and into the following one, then covid hit post that decision. The irony now being that we traded out of what is one of the strongest drafts of the last decade. It looks horrible on paper, but there's some mitigating circumstances. I also think covid is a bit of a security blanket for that decision, as covid or no covid, the 2019 pool looks unbelievable.

In hindsight the Powell trade is arguably the most costly, as we could have taken any one of Serong, Pickett, Sam Flanders and Will Day and been happy. All genuine superstar top 30 players (Flanders aside). We only needed any of them. There's a possibility without holding both picks, we end up with Hayden Young if Fremantle select Serong if only having 1 option. He's arguably the best of all of them at the moment. Not only did we dilute our pick by 5 spots with Melbourne rebounding, we traded into a much weaker drafter. In real cost, it was probably like trading Pick 7 for pick 20-25 in the relative strength of 2019.

The very simple one is the Daniel trade, which I think is the truly worst and totally predictable outcome of all your list. It annoyed me the most, not because of the clear idiotic strategy but a snowball of bad decisions. He was in the VFL, he'd had a bust up with Bevo, he was on a massive wage relative to their side. It was the sort of trade that should have cost a 7th rounder, as it was a salary dump of a player they didn't want, that didnt want to be there... This is completely disregarding Daniel, his nosedive of form, the red flags he was in the VFL in the first place... Why we made this trade in the knowledge we really wanted to draft a KPP prospect, when that draft was brimming with the likes of Whitlock x 2, Shannahan, Sims. I have absolutely no idea. Im not sure any recruiter in the league understands why we did this. Maybe it's why Scott Clayton is no longer there.

My other podium decision (probably close to my winner) and one you didn't mention is the Polec trade. Some of us at the time tried to tell many on here about the opportunity to double dip on the draft with the bidding process. This was very early in the NGA and bidding systems infancy. The club viewed the Thomas NGA selection and our Pick 11 as virtually disposable. I.E we were getting a top kid, so the pick was dispensable for a win now player for Brad Scott. We were desperate and willing to give overs for anyone, step up mercenary Jared Polec.

This has proven to be absolutely idiotic in hindsight. Every club since has viewed this situation as an absolute gift from the gods and an ability to load up on young talent. It was in an insanely strong draft at the time, the even more baffling thing is we made the decision the following year to trade our R1 pick to the next draft. So seemingly we shouldnt have rated the pool in 2019 even in 2018. Meaning we should have been open to trading our F1 to get further up the board.

Not that Port needed it. Port traded #11 to Fremantle with only 2 x R2 picks. We could have easily serviced this.

They received pick #6. Port did some further manoeuvring to get pick #5 and Rozee.

We simply needed to not trade for Polec and attach our F2 and another minor pick to what we already had and we would have had Ben King for the last 9 years....

We've got so much pinned on Duursma to even the ledger as there's not much that can be done about the others.

Duursma slide back for Watson and the Hawks pick, which ended up being Murphy Reid, wouldve got us the Tall in Whitlock, keeping the '25 R1.

Would you take Grlj or slide back for Dova ?

 

[Sphynx]

We've got so much pinned on Duursma to even the ledger as there's not much that can be done about the others.

Duursma slide back for Watson and the Hawks pick, which ended up being Murphy Reid, wouldve got us the Tall in Whitlock, keeping the '25 R1.

Would you take Grlj or slide back for Dova ?

I'd have taken Robey or Taylor ahead of Grlj.

Carlton on traded Pick 25 we traded to them to GC, who selected Avery Thomas, for another F2. To bank for Walker.

So to trade up for Dova would have taken essentially 2 x R2 picks (Ours and GC's natural), we kept our natural 2025 R2 for Thredgold. Im not changing that in hindsight, as I think it's going to arguably be a better value selection than Dova himself.

We obviously had the second R2 asset because of the Whitlock trade, which never would have eventuated, with no Daniel.

It could have been done (i.e getting a Robey or Taylor and Dovaston) with proper planning.



I think the biggest oversight, given our natural pick position and where they went, wasn't targeting both Whitlock brothers the year prior, prior to trade week. Which wouldn't have been particularly hard in a draft people wanted plenty of action in.

It's very evident there was a major **** up in the board and preplanning/intel. They clearly didn't think either of them would be there, which is all on the recruiting department tbh. It's one of the main requirements of the job.

Without doing the Daniel trade, we basically just needed to land pick 33 to secure both Matt and Jack as a pair. That is all. We could have taken Matt with our natural pick and with some pretty easy manoeuvring in trade week, Pick 25 before bids should have been pretty easy to acquire. It was draft night that proved a nightmare, it's pretty clear the club totally underestimated how much they were going to get reamed trying to live trade and totally ****ed up their draft board order.


With 4-5 smarter decisions it's very likely we could have walked away with FOS, Jack Whitlock, Matt Whitlock, Xavier Taylor, Dova, Thredgold and still very likely be in possession of our 2026 R1.

 

[noobermensch]

Kodah Edwards put a serious marker down in his first game of the season, although unfortunately his heroics were unable to lift his team to a win. Playing largely forward in the first quarter he was starved for opportunities with West Adelaide dominating the ball and territory as they took an early lead. Kodah exploded in the second quarter, kicking a couple of 1v1 goals playing deep forward in a setup that reminded a little of Pagans paddock. He started to find more footy through the middle and was the major factor in a big Souths comeback, however he missed some very kickable opportunities late in narrow loss.

 

[Lomas]

Leave the game alone ffs

Not me making changes.

 

[XU1-ROO]

Really would have liked Xavier Taylor. Is there another player like Taylor in this draft

 

[chubbspeterson]

Really would have liked Xavier Taylor. Is there another player like Taylor in this draft

Maybe Darcy Szerzyn or Billy Wigmore, but perhaps not as talented.
I'll keep an eye out if anyone looks a bit similar in the CTL.

 

[Passmore]

Maybe Darcy Szerzyn or Billy Wigmore, but perhaps not as talented.
I'll keep an eye out if anyone looks a bit similar in the CTL.

Sounds like a decent scrabble hand and drug dealer.

 

[hoffseason gains 01]

Just have to air my grievances with the AFL.

For an organisation hellbent on commercialisation, their butchering of the draft is dumbfounding… now you may think I’m talking about the rules, I’m not.

They get rid of the Coates League App which forgive me for being somewhat excited about - a move to the AFL app looked to be an upgrade on user interface and unlock the potential they have to actual cover this properly and grow it to the ‘casual’ supporter.

Instead, I go on today, excited to watch the talent league and of course, still no live stats, still no commentary. Seriously.. there would be a bunch of work experience kids or young journos who would die to cover it. it would cost next to nothing.

No coverage that the league had even started either, team lists being found via the clubs individual instagram pages.

For me to actually want to take time out of my day to watch it (which I would in a perfect world) just a little bit of time, money and effort would be appreciated.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Just have to air my grievances with the AFL.

For an organisation hellbent on commercialisation, their butchering of the draft is dumbfounding… now you may think I’m talking about the rules, I’m not.

They get rid of the Coates League App which forgive me for being somewhat excited about - a move to the AFL app looked to be an upgrade on user interface and unlock the potential they have to actual cover this properly and grow it to the ‘casual’ supporter.

Instead, I go on today, excited to watch the talent league and of course, still no live stats, still no commentary. Seriously.. there would be a bunch of work experience kids or young journos who would die to cover it. it would cost next to nothing.

No coverage that the league had even started either, team lists being found via the clubs individual instagram pages.

For me to actually want to take time out of my day to watch it (which I would in a perfect world) just a little bit of time, money and effort would be appreciated.

It’s beyond frustrating.

Building excitement around the junior comps is a no brainer to build the game an the draft up a bit.

Was a bit filthy when I put the Chargers/Knights game on only to have no commentary.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Just have to air my grievances with the AFL.

For an organisation hellbent on commercialisation, their butchering of the draft is dumbfounding… now you may think I’m talking about the rules, I’m not.

They get rid of the Coates League App which forgive me for being somewhat excited about - a move to the AFL app looked to be an upgrade on user interface and unlock the potential they have to actual cover this properly and grow it to the ‘casual’ supporter.

Instead, I go on today, excited to watch the talent league and of course, still no live stats, still no commentary. Seriously.. there would be a bunch of work experience kids or young journos who would die to cover it. it would cost next to nothing.

No coverage that the league had even started either, team lists being found via the clubs individual instagram pages.

For me to actually want to take time out of my day to watch it (which I would in a perfect world) just a little bit of time, money and effort would be appreciated.

Really frustrating and amateurish.
Basically have to wait until you see the players number on the back until you figure out who they are.
They bother to put some graphic that says goal but no player number.

Only caught the dragons v eastern game.
Arki butler is a freak. Angus brown looks an interesting prospect.
Liked a few of the half backs or defenders, couldn’t tell who it was, but think it was #20 Henry Thomas for sandy and #13 Will Waller or #10 beau garrett for eastern.
Harrison Chapman didn’t really get near it but got involved with some good attacking chains late as a tall wing/hbf.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

NGA product Archie Devine was really good for Tassie today. One of their best in a loss to Bendigo. 26 disposals and kicked 1.1.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Watched bits a pieces of the Jets/Cannons game this afternoon.

Close eye on Sam Harris, he was one Calder’s best with 16 disposals and a goal but they were comprehensively beaten by the Western Jets. Found the footy but not much go forward. Often shorter kicks and handballs out of congestion.

Going very very early on this one. But Western Jets CHF Jake Miller has all the hall marks of a future champion key forward. Kid is only 16 but he ended up with 21 disposals, kicked 3.2 and had 11 marks. Felt like he was involved in every goal scoring chain. Carey-like impact.

Genuinely think he is one of the best/most natural CHF’s I’ve seen come through juniors in a long long time. This far out and you can already see superstar traits. He has vice like hands, swagger, physicality and genuine forward craft.

 

[LB2Snake]

Watched bits a pieces of the Jets/Cannons game this afternoon.

Close eye on Sam Harris, he was one Calder’s best with 16 disposals and a goal but they were comprehensively beaten by the Western Jets. Found the footy but not much go forward. Often shorter kicks and handballs out of congestion.

Going very very early on this one. But Western Jets CHF Jake Miller has all the hall marks of a future champion key forward. Kid is only 16 but he ended up with 21 disposals, kicked 3.2 and had 11 marks. Felt like he was involved in every goal scoring chain. Carey-like impact.

Genuinely think he is one of the best/most natural CHF’s I’ve seen come through juniors in a long long time. This far out and you can already see superstar traits. He has vice like hands, swagger, physicality and genuine forward craft.

I like Western Jets players. Always tough.

 

[hoffseason gains 01]

Watched bits a pieces of the Jets/Cannons game this afternoon.

Close eye on Sam Harris, he was one Calder’s best with 16 disposals and a goal but they were comprehensively beaten by the Western Jets. Found the footy but not much go forward. Often shorter kicks and handballs out of congestion.

Going very very early on this one. But Western Jets CHF Jake Miller has all the hall marks of a future champion key forward. Kid is only 16 but he ended up with 21 disposals, kicked 3.2 and had 11 marks. Felt like he was involved in every goal scoring chain. Carey-like impact.

Genuinely think he is one of the best/most natural CHF’s I’ve seen come through juniors in a long long time. This far out and you can already see superstar traits. He has vice like hands, swagger, physicality and genuine forward craft.

Miller will be a Tassie great.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

I like Western Jets players. Always tough.

Tend to agree. I think Butters and Cal Ward are the prime examples of that.

Far too often their players are under valued. Dunno if it’s the lack of private school influence or because the western region is considered lower socio economic.

They’ll have plenty drafted this year. Hicks, Wigmore, El Souki and probably Marron to start with.

 

[spicerFanClub]

NGA product Archie Devine was really good for Tassie today. One of their best in a loss to Bendigo. 26 disposals and kicked 1.1.

Do we have full access to Archie or is there some stuffing around with Tassie?

 

[LB2Snake]

Tend to agree. I think Butters and Cal Ward are the prime examples of that.

Far too often their players are under valued. Dunno if it’s the lack of private school influence or because the western region is considered lower socio economic.

They’ll have plenty drafted this year. Hicks, Wigmore, El Souki and probably Marron to start with.

Pretty sure PC was a Western Jet