Preview 2026 National Draft Thread

[perplexed]

Well there could be, but again, from what Alastair said during the year about stabilising our team and having the stability to move this group forward it reflected in what we did in the trade period and then in the draft this year. At the trade we did not bring in three or four players & in the draft we did not draft five or six boys like some were saying mid way through the year.

From about that period, I said continuously that we would only be drafting three boys and maybe two depending what happens in the trade period and with Tassie coming in 2027 it would be a remarkable switch to be replacing five or six guys and drafting another four or five boys on top of that, I know some hate that word but "stability" is in work as of this year and I can't see us changing our strategy, we have had a plan and we are going to see it through to the end. By the time Tassie joins the AFL we will have the players we think can take us to where we want to go and the draft will be of no concern, winning games and getting more games into the youngsters will be the focus.

Also with Tassie coming in, the timing of our finished rebuild has come at the right time, we are being set up for the future and after next years draft it will be complete though as recruiters & list managers always say, we can always top our talent list, things are looking good.

Things are looking up. This year we cut or traded 8, but we were 4 over the max size to start with, so it was about as low as you could go. For comparison, over the last five years the average for the league is about 8, and no team has cut or traded out fewer than 6 in any of those years. With the low quality of the players OOC next year, I can't see us having another very low year. A few low years in a row and you just clog up the bottom end. With Tassie coming in the following year, it makes sense to do a small clean out. Nothing radical, or much more than average, but turning over something like 8-10 players. Stability is one thing, but you also need to churn through the guys at the bottom or you stagnate.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Things are looking up. This year we cut or traded 8, but we were 4 over the max size to start with, so it was about as low as you could go. For comparison, over the last five years the average for the league is about 8, and no team has cut or traded out fewer than 6 in any of those years. With the low quality of the players OOC next year, I can't see us having another very low year. A few low years in a row and you just clog up the bottom end. With Tassie coming in the following year, it makes sense to do a small clean out. Nothing radical, or much more than average, but turning over something like 8-10 players. Stability is one thing, but you also need to churn through the guys at the bottom or you stagnate.

We have a first and third rounder

We ain’t cutting deep

I’ve got us cutting 5 off the senior list and 2 rookies

But I expect a lot of 1 year contracts to those out of contract that survive

 

[perplexed]

We have a first and third rounder

We ain’t cutting deep

I’ve got us cutting 5 off the senior list and 2 rookies

But I expect a lot of 1 year contracts to those out of contract that survive

There isn't a great deal of difference between 7 and 8-10. And 8-10 isn't a deep cut, it's average, only 6 teams cut or traded fewer this year and it was a shallow draft.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Wasn't expecting to see 168cm small fwd Marlon Neocleous projected that high.
He is exciting to watch but the melts would be something else if we drafted him.

 

[chubbspeterson]

From what I've heard it's a weird draft. The best prospects aren't testing brilliantly on their athletic metrics and vice versa.

Interesting. Midfielders or the talls?

 

[pupstar]

Hey pup, Aidan, father/son I think will be talked about in footy circles next year, more so if he has a really good year. Next year will be the last chance to grab a key forward in the first or second round, we traded our second round pick to Carlton this year but I'm sure if we wanted to, we can get a second round pick from some club.

A whole year to go but like this year there wont be mass changes that some might be thinking, three picks and maybe a player or two to bring in through trade/free agency would be close, depending if Jy still wants to go at the end of next year will be the question, if we have a good year he might just change his mind, you just never know. Apart from a key forward I would say a midfielder/wingman and another running defender. As for great times ahead, 100%!

Yeah at this very early stage Hattum and Houndsome would be the obvious ones we would be looking at for next year i would imagine.

 

[Themanbun]

Interesting. Midfielders or the talls?

Comment mentioned to me was around talls

 

[chubbspeterson]

I quite like Darcy Szerszyn. He stood out as a 188cm hybrid defender for Vic Country this year, looked athletic to the eye at least and used the ball pretty well from memory in the few games he played for VC.
We don't have a lot of depth in that area either, but it would be behind a rebounding half back on the priority list.
But one to track his progress as looked like he could lockdown and provide some drive like a Xavier Taylor.

 

[year of the roo]

Szerszyns = the Four

 

[ToxicMegaPunts]

Wasn't expecting to see 168cm small fwd Marlon Neocleous projected that high.
He is exciting to watch but the melts would be something else if we drafted him.

Neocleous Meltdown.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Neocleous Meltdown.

Be very interesting to see where he goes in the draft with that height. Hope he grows a bit taller, got some talent.

 

[giantroo]

 

[The Talent Scout]

Wasn't expecting to see 168cm small fwd Marlon Neocleous projected that high.
He is exciting to watch but the melts would be something else if we drafted him.

More so after getting Banch in and then getting "The Magician", key forward will be the number one priority next year, take another three talented kids and one or two free agents, bingo, we're set!

Lachie is ...................

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Lucky that Port Adelaide has an academy otherwise Cochrane would’ve been lost to the sport….

 

[roos_fanatic08]

This guy would have to be a cert for the devils

Tazzi Faithfull | WAFL

wafl.com.au

Zurhaars best new partner at Bulls cooking

Jamayson Ketchup is a West Australian Football League (WAFL) player who was selected for the men's State 18's summer squad. He is from the Canning Vale JFC and plays in the Metro South league.

The names are getting more bizarre by the year!

 

[roos_fanatic08]

View attachment 2484424

Can’t quite wrap my head around Sam Harris not being included on that list. He was one of the most consistent under agers in the Coates League this year.

Lucky that Port Adelaide has an academy otherwise Cochrane would’ve been lost to the sport….

Laughable. He has been playing footy every year since 8 years old. He was never going to be lost to the system.

 

[StazMob]

Whats the main criteria for a third year in the CTL? Is it based on age? skill? experience in the game?

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Whats the main criteria for a third year in the CTL? Is it based on age? skill? experience in the game?

As far as I'm aware there is no set criteria. Can be a variety of reasons why a kid could get an opportunity as an over-ager.

Tends to be related to:

• lack of physical development (particularly for talls)
• injury history (i.e unable to play many games in their top age year)
• Experience (i.e if a player is late to begin their AFL journey)

Basically clubs will allow a few overagers who they believe have draftable qualities to stay on to give them another chance to get picked up/

 

[the big lebowski]

As far as I'm aware there is no set criteria. Can be a variety of reasons why a kid could get an opportunity as an over-ager.

Tends to be related to:

• lack of physical development (particularly for talls)
• injury history (i.e unable to play many games in their top age year)
• Experience (i.e if a player is late to begin their AFL journey)

Basically clubs will allow a few overagers who they believe have draftable qualities to stay on to give them another chance to get picked up/

My cousin is an afl footballer that did an u19 year at Coates/nab league

He wasn’t late to footy per se but was late to the stingrays program. Then went to the vfl for a year.

10 years later he’s got 2 top 3 b&f for finishes an afl club

 

[the big lebowski]

Should have been at north mind you, if it weren’t for Brad Scott and jasper pittard

17

Jasper Pittard

Age

34

Ht

186cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.8

4star

K

11.7

4star

HB

6.1

4star

M

4.7

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

388.2

5star

D

14.0

3star

K

9.9

4star

HB

4.1

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.8

3star

MG

310.9

4star

D

19.6

5star

K

14.6

5star

HB

5.0

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.2

4star

 

[Heaps of fun]

Should have been at north mind you, if it weren’t for Brad Scott and jasper pittard

That's very interesting Mr. Newman.

 

[The Talent Scout]

Should have been at north mind you, if it weren’t for Brad Scott and jasper pittard

Hey big, you know I'm rarely ever critical of our trades, even ones that people continue to go on about for the reason we did it for a reason and that it makes sense even if some can't see it, but there a a couple of trades that just screamed "NO, DON'T DO IT", Jaspers trade was one of the real bad ones this century for us coupled with Jared's. If you can, who is your cousin?

 

[My Left Foote]

Lucky that Rort Adelaide has an academy otherwise Cochrane would’ve been lost to the sport….

FIFY

 

[giantroo]

Cal on Aidan McCartney

View attachment D94D74E0-65AF-47BA-AB02-AF49749986C0.mp4

 

[the big lebowski]

Hey big, you know I'm rarely ever critical of our trades, even ones that people continue to go on about for the reason we did it for a reason and that it makes sense even if some can't see it, but there a a couple of trades that just screamed "NO, DON'T DO IT", Jaspers trade was one of the real bad ones this century for us coupled with Jared's. If you can, who is your cousin?

Nic Newman. Ryhse Shaw had convinced north to take him but that fell through when we got pittard