Preview 2026 AFL Draft General Discussion

[RedmanWasHere]

2025 SANFL U18 State Academy​

Player (*Denotes bottom age)	Height (CM)	SANFL club
Dougie Cochrane*	194	Central District
Jack Gordon*	184	Central District
Matthew LeRay	188	Central District
Cameron Nairn	186	Central District
Joshua Reichelt	180	Central District
Aidan Schubert	196	Central District
Dyson Sharp	188	Central District
Luke Candy	183	Glenelg
Harry Franz*	192	Glenelg
Sam Cumming	184	North Adelaide
Ethan Herbert*	198	North Adelaide
Taj Murray	200	North Adelaide
Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier	181	North Adelaide
Noah Daw	192	Norwood
Jim Kelly	179	Norwood
Fergus Myall	192	Norwood
Bayln O'Brien	185	Norwood
Will Prescott	180	Norwood
Elliott Duffield	192	South Adelaide
Kodah Edwards*	182	South Adelaide
Archie Van Dyk*	186	South Adelaide
Angus White*	182	South Adelaide
Cain Florance*	189	South Adelaide
Harley Barker	187	Sturt
Jett Dahlitz	186	Sturt
Louis Kellaway	182	Sturt
Kale Matthews-Hampton*	186	Sturt
Noah Roberts-Thomson	180	Sturt
Blake Thredgold	193	Sturt
Mitchell Marsh	189	West Adelaide
Jack Cook	180	Woodville-West Torrens
Logan Hughes	192	Woodville-West Torrens
Jevan Phillipou	181	Woodville-West Torrens
Lachlan Sands	178	Woodville-West Torrens

Posted also in the 2025 thread with * = 2008 births.

 

[#BallMagnet]

2025 SANFL U18 State Academy​

Player (*Denotes bottom age)	Height (CM)	SANFL club
Dougie Cochrane*	194	Central District
Jack Gordon*	184	Central District
Matthew LeRay	188	Central District
Cameron Nairn	186	Central District
Joshua Reichelt	180	Central District
Aidan Schubert	196	Central District
Dyson Sharp	188	Central District
Luke Candy	183	Glenelg
Harry Franz*	192	Glenelg
Sam Cumming	184	North Adelaide
Ethan Herbert*	198	North Adelaide
Taj Murray	200	North Adelaide
Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier	181	North Adelaide
Noah Daw	192	Norwood
Jim Kelly	179	Norwood
Fergus Myall	192	Norwood
Bayln O'Brien	185	Norwood
Will Prescott	180	Norwood
Elliott Duffield	192	South Adelaide
Kodah Edwards*	182	South Adelaide
Archie Van Dyk*	186	South Adelaide
Angus White*	182	South Adelaide
Cain Florance*	189	South Adelaide
Harley Barker	187	Sturt
Jett Dahlitz	186	Sturt
Louis Kellaway	182	Sturt
Kale Matthews-Hampton*	186	Sturt
Noah Roberts-Thomson	180	Sturt
Blake Thredgold	193	Sturt
Mitchell Marsh	189	West Adelaide
Jack Cook	180	Woodville-West Torrens
Logan Hughes	192	Woodville-West Torrens
Jevan Phillipou	181	Woodville-West Torrens
Lachlan Sands	178	Woodville-West Torrens

Posted also in the 2025 thread with * = 2008 births.

Likely to be a handful of in/outs before locking down the actual U18 State squad in the early part of 2025.

Notable bottom age absentees from this initial list who might come into calculations include:
Webb
Croker
Moir
Young


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[RedmanWasHere]

Gonna bump this to give it some love.

The Vic state academy would surely be named soon-ish.

Looking forward to it dropping whenever it does do so.

 

[Yoda_]

Any underages made any Coates Talent League squads? Should be named shortly if not already

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Going early (and will bookmark to see how many I get right) but my predicted 28 man 2025-26 AFL Academy squad as follows:

Tanner Armstrong.
Charlie Bovill.
Arki Butler.
Dougie Cochrane.
Seamus Doherty.
Max Downes.
Kodah Edwards.
Cain Florance.
Jack Gordon.
Ethan Herbert.
Archie Hill.
Guy Jenkin.
Garrison Kenh.
Koby LeCras.
Aiden McCartney.
Wil Malady.
Jermaine Miller.
Caylen Murray.
Marlon Neocleus.
Matthew Owen.
Lucas Robinson.
Hau-Tze Rock.
Thatcher Simmons.
Leo Steed.
Jack Surkitt.
Harry Van Hattum.
Cody Walker.
Levi West.


Look forward to be mostly wrong and your predictions.

 

[GC2015]

Going early (and will bookmark to see how many I get right) but my predicted 28 man 2025-26 AFL Academy squad as follows:

...

Archie Hill.

Interested to hear more about Archie Hill if you have any information. From memory, he was stiff to not be named in the U15 AA team in 2023 and was then rightfully named in the U16 AA team this year and was awarded the Suns Academy MVP award. I've heard he plays as an attacking rebound defender, but I don't know much else beyond that. No doubt playing CTL games this year is going to help him in the long run.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Interested to hear more about Archie Hill if you have any information. From memory, he was stiff to not be named in the U15 AA team in 2023 and was then rightfully named in the U16 AA team this year and was awarded the Suns Academy MVP award. I've heard he plays as an attacking rebound defender, but I don't know much else beyond that. No doubt playing CTL games this year is going to help him in the long run.

If there are videos on him (plus Jarvis and the like) I'd be keen on watching them.

Now, I have nothing to report on for Archie.

 

[Thommo 42]

you can watch him play in some Broadbeach QAFL Senior games on Youtube, he was picked 3-4 times in senior footy. I think against Wilston Grange away is at least one of them. No idea what number he wore and I haven't watched the game online, but they would all be avalialble

He's a much more mature body than most kids that age, and has strong endurance and neat skills - only seen him play a handful of times, but was always a bit ahead physically, so will be interesting to see him advance as that advantage dissipates.

 

[GC2015]

If there are videos on him (plus Jarvis and the like) I'd be keen on watching them.

Now, I have nothing to report on for Archie.

you can watch him play in some Broadbeach QAFL Senior games on Youtube, he was picked 3-4 times in senior footy. I think against Wilston Grange away is at least one of them. No idea what number he wore and I haven't watched the game online, but they would all be avalialble

He's a much more mature body than most kids that age, and has strong endurance and neat skills - only seen him play a handful of times, but was always a bit ahead physically, so will be interesting to see him advance as that advantage dissipates.

After a little bit of research, he played in the #46 jumper in his senior QAFL debut for Broadbeach against Wilston Grange in May this year. Looks like they put him on the wing, where he kicked a goal and was named in Broady's bests for this game.

 

[Miller1971]

geez, doesn't look 16!

 

[scouter number 1]

Jermaine Miller SA Gun one of the players above listed on project U17 All AUST TEAM

 

[scouter number 1]

Max Downes another one on the u17 All Aust projected list above.
Found these on tik tok is this your page redman and your continued scouting of 2026 DRAFT CLASS

Max Downs Vic Metro Video Click on link

Must say GOAL OF CENTURY - HARLEY REID GOAL OF YEAR WHO

 

[scouter number 1]

noah williams - Vic Country

Another unlucky one id say on your projections of U17 All Aust

 

[Haggas]

Going early (and will bookmark to see how many I get right) but my predicted 28 man 2025-26 AFL Academy squad as follows:

Tanner Armstrong.
Charlie Bovill.
Arki Butler.
Dougie Cochrane.
Seamus Doherty.
Max Downes.
Kodah Edwards.
Cain Florance.
Jack Gordon.
Ethan Herbert.
Archie Hill.
Guy Jenkin.
Garrison Kenh.
Koby LeCras.
Aiden McCartney.
Wil Malady.
Jermaine Miller.
Caylen Murray.
Marlon Neocleus.
Matthew Owen.
Lucas Robinson.
Hau-Tze Rock.
Thatcher Simmons.
Leo Steed.
Jack Surkitt.
Harry Van Hattum.
Cody Walker.
Levi West.


Look forward to be mostly wrong and your predictions.

No Archie Van Dyke?

 

[RedmanWasHere]

No Archie Van Dyke?

If it was a 30 man squad he'd be in there.

Otherwise, take West out and put Van Dyk there.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Let the next phase of this group's progression be given an update.

All to jostle for underage spots in next year's U18's carnival.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Potential draft contracts for this crop.

Picks 1-20: 2027-29.
Picks 21-Mr Irrelevant: 2027-28.
Rookie: 2027.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Also, with the 2025 crop's storylines being the NGA and academy dominance, and 2027 being primarily focused on the Tassie Devils, what's this crop's storyline?

 

[#BallMagnet]

Also, with the 2025 crop's storylines being the NGA and academy dominance, and 2027 being primarily focused on the Tassie Devils, what's this crop's storyline?

Might be the last time for a while for all the clubs to load up on junior talent before the Tassie concessions kick in.
I’m also wondering if the AFL will instigate clubs have bigger list sizes from 2026 to offset eventually losing players to support the building of the Tassie playing list.


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[Jeremias]

Also, with the 2025 crop's storylines being the NGA and academy dominance, and 2027 being primarily focused on the Tassie Devils, what's this crop's storyline?

The Rise of Skywalker

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

The Rise of Skywalker

 

[Jen2310]

Might be the last time for a while for all the clubs to load up on junior talent before the Tassie concessions kick in.
I’m also wondering if the AFL will instigate clubs have bigger list sizes from 2026 to offset eventually losing players to support the building of the Tassie playing list.


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Thankfully some of us have NGA/FS in 2027 to offset the tassie draft pool.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Thankfully some of us have NGA/FS in 2027 to offset the tassie draft pool.

Or 1st round FS possiblity.

 

[Jen2310]

Or 1st round FS possiblity.

who's that?
Hard to say yet which of the pies will be first round. Maybe Eli. Plenty water to go under that bridge.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

who's that?
Hard to say yet which of the pies will be first round. Maybe Eli. Plenty water to go under that bridge.

Koby Bewick for the Dons.