Preview 2026 AFL Draft General Discussion

[txbyhull]

I know you like to smoke a lot of Copium, like the shocking Baker trade where even your CEO had to hold a Press Conference to "explain" it to the supporters as it wasn't the first time they've done a shocking trade for a top 2-3 pick.

Please enlighten me as to either 1. Who we should’ve picked at pick 2, or 2. Who you think would’ve been better picks at 8 and 12 who were realistically in that range?

 

[ABAB]

Please enlighten me as to either 1. Who we should’ve picked at pick 2, or 2. Who you think would’ve been better picks at 8 and 12 who were realistically in that range?

Humphrey (clearly with hindsight now) but I would have gone with Wardlaw (cruel by injuries since joining North). I think Sheezel would have immediately left.

 

[txbyhull]

Humphrey, maybe Wardlaw (cruel by injuries since joining North). I think Sheezel would have immediately left.

Humphrey at 2 is the only one I could think of that would’ve been half decent compared to what we got.

Instead we’ve ended up with 2 very talented blokes that we will with all likelihood be in the club for their whole careers, or the majority of it.

just at a quick glance I can’t see any more than (no pun intended) 6 or 7 players that would be taken over Ginbey and barely any more than 11 players taken over Hewett.

I think we did much better than you’re insinuating

 

[ABAB]

Humphrey at 2 is the only one I could think of that would’ve been half decent compared to what we got.

Instead we’ve ended up with 2 very talented blokes that we will with all likelihood be in the club for their whole careers, or the majority of it.

just at a quick glance I can’t see any more than (no pun intended) 6 or 7 players that would be taken over Ginbey and barely any more than 11 players taken over Hewett.

I think we did much better than you’re insinuating

Humphrey is clearly in hindsight now but I would have gone with Wardlaw at that time, powerful midfielder who can go forward and kick goals much like Reid. He might have still picked up those injuries at West Coast. Ginbey was pretty good early but has stalled and question mark over Hewett.

 

[txbyhull]

Humphrey is clearly in hindsight now but I would have gone with Wardlaw at that time, powerful midfielder. He might have still picked up those injuries at West Coast. Ginbey was pretty good early but has stalled and question mark over Hewett.

Saying Ginbey was good early and has stalled shows me you have nfi what you’re talking about

 

[ABAB]

Saying Ginbey was good early and has stalled shows me you have nfi what you’re talking about

Shifted to defence........

 

[txbyhull]

Shifted to defence........

his natural position…. where’s he’s been 2nd only to MM for young tall defenders the last year….

 

[ABAB]

his natural position…. where’s he’s been 2nd only to MM for young tall defenders the last year….

Drafted as a midfielder, looked good playing there so the pick split would be more stomached had he continue his development into a very good midfielder even with Hewett being likely a bust. So you are telling me West Coast used pick 2 on a defender, you better hope he turns out to be the next McGovern and not just a very good defender.

 

[txbyhull]

Drafted as a midfielder

Junior backman going as far back as playing for Dunsborough

,looked good playing there

Matter of opinion, didn’t if you ask me

so the pick split would be more stomached had he continue his development into a very good midfielder even with Hewett being likely a bust.

Hewett not a bust, Ginbey has turned into a very good third tall and future captain.

So you are telling me West Coast used pick 2 on a defender, you better hope he turns out to be the next McGovern and not just a very good defender.

It’s all relative, given the other options it is a completely fine trade

 

[KanesBurner]

Bit different 2021 had JHF, Darcy, Finn and Daicos. JHF was neck and neck with Nick all under-age footy and you can't argue that Darcy wasn't highly rated/ worth a bid perhaps maybe at three but given gws had Collingwood pick they didn't feel the need to.

2019 was a super draft green doesn't get bid on a head of the likes of Rowell, Anderson or Jackson.

This year there is no clear cut open pool talent that can match Walker or cochrane. If there's a Anderson Rowell JHF level player the academy / fs doesn't come into pick one equations.

Both could take the year off and would almost certainly attract top 4 bids at worse

2021 had a very stacked top end but 2019 seems to be re-writing history a bit (from my memory anyway).

People were shocked Melbourne took a ruck at 3 (and a small fwd with the next pick) and people were filthy that Green fell to 10 without a bid. GWS paid a fortune to get pick 4 to get ahead of where they thought the bid would come.

 

[Half Back Pocket]

wtf is this crap....revisit history elsewhere

 

[Jen2310]

Season starts in 3 days.

Looking forward to the teams come friday.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Ticky009 or PMBangers.

Need a little tidy up here.

 

[Mutineer]

Please ignore ABAB folks, there's clueless and then there's ABAB.

 

[Jen2310]

2026 TALENT LEAGUE BOYS – ROUND 1​

Saturday, March 21
Oakleigh Chargers vs Northern Knights – Highgate Recreation Reserve, 10:30am
Bendigo Pioneers vs Tasmania Devils – Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval, 12:00pm
Calder Cannons vs Western Jets – Highgate Recreation Reserve, 1:00pm
Sandringham Dragons vs Eastern Ranges – RSEA Park, 2:30pm
Sunday, March 22
Dandenong Stingrays vs Geelong Falcons – Mars Stadium, 12:00pm
Murray Bushrangers vs Gippsland Power – Kennedy Community Centre, 1:00pm

​

Stream every game of the Talent League in 2026

The Talent League is back and footy fans can watch the next generation of stars by live streaming every game of the boys and girls seasons

www.afl.com.au

 

[Jen2310]

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Listed teams on the AFL site anywhere?

 

[Jen2310]

Listed teams on the AFL site anywhere?

tomorrow night they will be.
Clubs will drip feed them tomorrow.

 

[Yoda_]

absolutely appaling from AFL house

a struggle to find the links to the page on the AFL website, little to no fanfare of the best under age comp in the country and a little reminder that this league starts in less than 3 days and barely a mention of it

 

[Jen2310]

absolutely appaling from AFL house

a struggle to find the links to the page on the AFL website, little to no fanfare of the best under age comp in the country and a little reminder that this league starts in less than 3 days and barely a mention of it

The general public wouldn't know if it wasn't for this - But agreed. There is no media about it. No hyping up the first round.

 

[Jen2310]

 

[Jen2310]

 

[Jen2310]

TEAMS: Talent League Boys Round 1

The teams for Round 1 of the 2026 Talent League Boys season.

www.afl.com.au

 

[Adnico26Parker]

 

[spky1234]

Doesn’t always go that way though, Tom Green fell to 10, Daicos 4. Sometimes teams just take their best available.

If they are still the clear 1 & 2 at years end then yeah there’s very little chance they slide through. I think a lot of it comes down to strength of draft and I don’t know how this one rates.

Jamarra at 1.
Washcroft at 2
Uwland at 2.
Sam Darcy at 2.
Harry Dean at 3.

Also very different rules now. Not sure if you can still go into deficit, but if you can and Port/Carlton finish below you next year, you could then push their 2027 first rounder back and jump them?

Assuming Butters goes to the dogs, and the Dogs and Swans both make prelims they will be looking at 985-1100 points (could be compensation picks), so they would both need to finish bottom 4 to avoid going into that deficit.

500 point deficit can move them from pick 1 to 2. 2 to 4. 3 to 7.