Preview 2026 AFL Draft General Discussion

[baggersforflaggers]

Looks like Lachlan Hicks & Tate Hodgson dropped from the initial squad.

Injured not dropped.

 

[#BallMagnet]

Injured not dropped.

Excellent. Thankyou for confirming one of my earlier unanswered questions.

On Hodgson. What's his injury and from what I can see he's hardly played any football this season. Is this correct?
Therefore I'm surprised he was selected in the initial AFL Futures Squad at all.

 

[Thommo 42]

Can only assume Owen not available for some reason.

He played in a QAFL Senior premiership last Saturday and appeared to complete the game uninjured, so its a mystery why he wouldn't be there.

He's comfortably 1 or 2 in Queensland in this age group, with a decent gap to 3rd.

 

[Thommo 42]

He's playing and playing very well

That list must have just been an error

 

[Thommo 42]

I see alot of chat around about how Owen and Murray are so far ahead in QLD of everyone else in this age group, and I've often tended to agree.

But gee that Archie Hill from the Suns was good yesterday. Good runner, clean skills, willing to take the game on and oozes leadership. Great to see more QLD kids coming through.

Murray and Owen were also very good yesterday by the way, but credit where its due.

Side note, Cochrane who seems to be the undisputed #1 prospect looked almost disinterested?

 

[#BallMagnet]

SA just dropped their State U18 Academy Squad for it's assault on the 2026 National Championships.
Summer hub includes a 15 week training block commencing sometime in November.
No doubt a few player ins/outs along the way.

2026 SANFL U18 State Academy​

Player (*Denotes bottom age)	Height (CM)	SANFL club
Dougie Cochrane	195	Central District
Jack Gordon	184	Central District
Charlie Moss	184	Central District
Jake Eime	174	Central District
Hugo Semmler*	196	Central District
Jobe Janeway	207	Glenelg
Harry Franz	193	Glenelg
Gabe Patterson	182	Glenelg
Jacob McNicol	178	Glenelg
Harvey Croker	184	Glenelg
Zackariah Young	180	North Adelaide
Ethan Herbert	199	North Adelaide
Memphis Webb	184	North Adelaide
Kai Ivins*	181	Norwood
Kody Shortridge	180	South Adelaide
Kodah Edwards	182	South Adelaide
Archie Van Dyk	186	South Adelaide
Angus White	182	South Adelaide
Cain Florance	176	South Adelaide
Jackson Blacker	193	South Adelaide
Zemes Pilot*	193	South Adelaide
Hugo Jaeschke	187	Sturt
Kale Matthews-Hampton	187	Sturt
Harvey Chapman*	193	Sturt
Taj Garrett*	183	Sturt
Charlie Bradford	192	West Adelaide
Anthony Long	188	West Adelaide
Dean Hatedakis*	180	West Adelaide
Laurence Andriani*	172	West Adelaide
Jack Leys	181	Woodville-West Torrens
Blake Karpany	184	Woodville-West Torrens
Mitchell Harris	194	Woodville-West Torrens

 

[Mutineer]

 

[no talent id]

Does anyone know where we can watch a replay of the futures game on GF day?

 

[Jen2310]

Afl finally has common sense! No more Coates league app. Being included on the afl app - this will help streaming too

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Afl finally has common sense! No more Coates league app. Being included on the afl app - this will help streaming too

View attachment 2443285View attachment 2443286

 

[Jen2310]

Just took them 5 years to see common sense lol No more trying to stream from the phone. Can now stream to the TV via the afl app.

Is it too much to hope for that we also get live stats?

 

[Juice030103]

This draft looks stacked early days

Think this thread will be booming next year

 

[Haggas]

Afl finally has common sense! No more Coates league app. Being included on the afl app - this will help streaming too

View attachment 2443285View attachment 2443286

Awesome I wish they would add the SANFL u18's/u16's and WAFL Colts aswell!

 

[Yoda_]

Karled El Souki looks like a ripping little player. Dogs got a good one on their hands. Starred in the multi cultural game the other night

 

[giantroo]

Karled El Souki looks like a ripping little player. Dogs got a good one on their hands. Starred in the multi cultural game the other night

This was his goal

View attachment VID-20251002-WA0104.mp4

 

[footyfannatic]

wondering about jett kervin bottom aged for pioneers. Has nice pace and will probably look to debut this year in CTL

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Hi Jett.

 

[#BallMagnet]

This draft looks stacked early days

Think this thread will be booming next year

Agree this 2026 cohort looks to be very strong across the board and with a good coverage of all positional types.
No doubt plenty of discussion to come on this group across the next 12 months.

I would expect Vic C & SA should be strong come Nationals time.
WA should improve, Vic M competitive and Allies might drop off a little.

 

[BigSchlong9]

Anyone know any good prospects around a second and third round pick? Cheers

 

[briztoon]

Anyone know any good prospects around a second and third round pick? Cheers

We’ve got two academy kids who look to be mid and late first round talents, and a third that goes by the name of Cooper Hodge.

Unlikely any of them get to your second round pick though, so you shouldn’t have to factor them in on your big board.

 

[BigSchlong9]

We’ve got two academy kids who look to be mid and late first round talents, and a third that goes by the name of Cooper Hodge.

Unlikely any of them get to your second round pick though, so you shouldn’t have to factor them in on your big board.

Sounds like you could’ve used some points…. Cheers

 

[PortVic]

Anyone know any good prospects around a second and third round pick? Cheers

Yes I do, but I’m keeping it secret

 

[nineteen eighty]

Hi all - new to this forum and apologies if this has been covered previously in this thread...

Wondering what academy players the Swans, Brisbane and Gold Coast have for 2026? And how they are tracking? I know the Swans have given away a lot for Curnow but my thinking is they may have 1-2 academy players up their sleeve for next year.

 

[briztoon]

Hi all - new to this forum and apologies if this has been covered previously in this thread...

Wondering what academy players the Swans, Brisbane and Gold Coast have for 2026? And how they are tracking? I know the Swans have given away a lot for Curnow but my thinking is they may have 1-2 academy players up their sleeve for next year.

Suns. Archie Hill. Probably 3rd best kid in QLD in this age group.

Lions. Caylen Murray & Matthew Owen. Top two kids in the state.


As for the NSW kids, you could chase up the U17 futures squad, to see who played.

 

[briztoon]

Sounds like you could’ve used some points…. Cheers

Would have needed a team to trade us a top 25 pick to make it worthwhile.