Players that enter a new tier 2026

[Lingsface]

Which players do you see raising up a level in there football for 2026. It might be from unknown to best 22 or a solid player to a very good player or a very good player to a superstar.

These are all stabs in the dark but interested to see others opinions.

Mine are

Adelaide-
Michalanney goes from a good player to a very good player who is verging on AA squad.
Rachele becomes a consistent performer and a non-negotiable on the selection table.
Thilthorpe goes to superstar level.

Brisbane
Fletcher- Becomes an AA level player.
L Ashcroft- Steps up to a top 20-30 midfielder in the comp.

Carlton-
Reidy- Becomes a starting ruckman by seasons end.
Moir- Best 22
Hollands- good to very good

Collingwood
Ed Allen- becomes a very good player
Perryman- Re discovers his form leading into the trade.

Essendon-
Caddy- goes to AA squad
Duhram- Keeps elevating every year goes up to a Sam Walsh

18

Sam Walsh

Age

25

Ht

184cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.1

5star

K

13.5

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

5.1

5star

T

3.2

5star

CL

3.4

5star

No current season stats available

D

26.2

5star

K

15.4

5star

HB

10.8

5star

M

6.0

5star

T

3.2

5star

CL

4.8

5star

level.
Blakiston- Becomes a very good mature pick up.

Fremantle-
Serong- Already a superstar in my mind, but gets the recognition this year around the country.
Draper and Chapman- Step up defensively and become very respected around the league.

Geelong-
O'Sullivan- Becomes one of the best attacking CHB in the league at a very young age, with stints on the wing as well.
Dempsey- All Aus
Edwards- Gets games mid season and shows alot of promise in the ruck.
Miers- AA squad

Gold Coast-
Ballard- The forgotten man takes there defence to premiership standard.
Graham- Will Graham becomes a very good run with onballer.
Walter- Becomes a part of a very scary forward line.

GWS
Callaghan- Goes to superstar levels
Fonti- Becomes a very good player
Cadman- Top 10 in the coleman
Leake- Best 22 season end

Hawthorn-
Mckenzie- Top 5 b and f
Schubert- Plays 15 plus games.
Mcdonald- AA squad

Kangaroos
Mckercher- Top 3 b and f
Curtis- Top 3 small forward in the comp.
Whitlock- Best 22

Melbourne-
Pickett- Superstar
Windsor- Becomes an A grader

Port Adelaide

Sydney
Mills- Gets back to what he was an A grade half back
Rosas- Kicks 30
Co Warner- Becomes a more potent midfielder and is a very important rotation

St Kilda
Wilson- Becomes an A grader.
Flanders- Top 3 b and f.
Windhager and Tauru become very good players.

West Coast
Shanahan- Becomes a highly hyped kpf
Hall- Becomes a consistent best 22 player
Robertson and Mcrae reach their potential.

Dogs
Darcy- top 3 player by season end
Frejiah and Sanders more midfield time and become A grade
O'Donnel keeps improving
West- Recognized as the best 2 way small forward.

 

[The 747]

How many tiers are there?

 

[stallon]

For West Coast:

Harley Reid into genuine AA potential, hes been good but with a more mature midfied around him he shouldnt attract the attention he has been
Ginbey to get the competition-wide respect from fans and media he deserves as a defender, also AA potential either this year or next
Shanahan as you say, with Waterman alongside he can do a bit more than last year hopefully
Tom McCarthy to be a genuinely good midfielder, and regarded as our best alongside Harley Reid

 

[BRider]

Sheezel to get even better

 

[Lingsface]

For West Coast:

Harley Reid into genuine AA potential, hes been good but with a more mature midfied around him he shouldnt attract the attention he has been
Ginbey to get the competition-wide respect from fans and media he deserves as a defender, also AA potential either this year or next
Shanahan as you say, with Waterman alongside he can do a bit more than last year hopefully
Tom McCarthy to be a genuinely good midfielder, and regarded as our best alongside Harley Reid

Yes Mccarthy and Reid are a good shout.

 

[Lingsface]

How many tiers are there?

Up to you.

 

[Pomsta]

Why can't Geelong fans even mention the name Richmond in a positive thread? Even Port had their name written down.

 

[Lingsface]

Why can't Geelong fans even mention the name Richmond in a positive thread? Even Port had their name written down.

Sorry, It was late totally forgot haha.

Lalor- Becomes a very good player
Alger- Best 22
Trainor- Very good

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

Ldu goes from elite to top 10 players in the comp.

 

[Lingsface]

Ldu goes from elite to top 10 players in the comp.

Top 10 who does he push out?

 

[ferball]

Top 10 who does he push out?

Who's the top 10?

How is this even measured?

 

[Lingsface]

Who's the top 10?

How is this even measured?

Well it is your opinion...

 

[thistimeforsure]

For Freo it’s a couple of veterans actually, Sam Swittkowski and Alex Pearce

25

Alex Pearce

Age

30

Ht

201cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.4

3star

T

1.8

4star

MG

106.3

2star

No current season stats available

D

11.0

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.0

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

0.8

3star

MG

103.2

2star

if they (somehow) managed full seasons then I think they would be talked about as in the best handful of players of their type in the comp

Problem is both of them getting a full year in is 100/1

Most people probably wouldn’t have them in Freo’s top 10 most important but they are

As a side note Alex Pearce

25

Alex Pearce

Age

30

Ht

201cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.4

3star

T

1.8

4star

MG

106.3

2star

No current season stats available

D

11.0

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.0

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

0.8

3star

MG

103.2

2star

’s game from 10 mins before 1/2 time till 20 mins into the last qtr in the elimination final loss kind of got lost in the disappointment for Freo and excitement of GC’s first final win but I don’t remember too many teams who’ve (almost) been dragged across the line in a final by a KPD

One of the best patches of footy by a full back in a final of all time

 

[ferball]

Well it is your opinion...

No it was someone else's. (I assume you're refering to LDU being top 10.)

I'm wondering how its all measured.

According to everyone's favorite - Wheelo ratings - last year LDU was rated 30ish for the year but in his last ten and five games was rated sixteen and thirteen (IIRC).

So all he needs is consistency and a minor improvement on how he finished the year to go into the top ten. (That rating system has its issues tho, mainly around its focus on rucks and attacking footy. Its still better than other public systems.)

The vague idea of tiers and improvements is good enough because players at the top are already at the top. But below them its easy to see when a player goes up a level from one season to the next. At North Paul Curtis did it last year, Xerri the year before.

But a top 30 player moving into the top 10 on one rating system is much more specific. There's a bunch of players (maybe 50) who, if they go up a level, become the best (or in the best five) players in the comp. Its not so much who they push out as how they perform this year.

 

[TheUnicorn]

Feels pretty far fetched that LDU becomes a top 10 midfielder in the comp, let alone a top 10 player

 

[Robroy22]

Charlie West arrives.

 

[Not since 1910]

Matthew Carroll

 

[Cdog71]

Taj Hotton for the Tiges

 

[Mighty Eagles]

McCarthy and hopefully Bazzo.

 

[ferball]

Feels pretty far fetched that LDU becomes a top 10 midfielder in the comp, let alone a top 10 player

Facts don't care for your feels kiddo.

 

[Lingsface]

No it was someone else's. (I assume you're refering to LDU being top 10.)

I'm wondering how its all measured.

According to everyone's favorite - Wheelo ratings - last year LDU was rated 30ish for the year but in his last ten and five games was rated sixteen and thirteen (IIRC).

So all he needs is consistency and a minor improvement on how he finished the year to go into the top ten. (That rating system has its issues tho, mainly around its focus on rucks and attacking footy. Its still better than other public systems.)

The vague idea of tiers and improvements is good enough because players at the top are already at the top. But below them its easy to see when a player goes up a level from one season to the next. At North Paul Curtis did it last year, Xerri the year before.

But a top 30 player moving into the top 10 on one rating system is much more specific. There's a bunch of players (maybe 50) who, if they go up a level, become the best (or in the best five) players in the comp. Its not so much who they push out as how they perform this year.

I was trying to say, it's your opinion who is the top 10 players.
He has the ability to, whether he does is unknown. Has skills that are rare to find, Judd like pace and power out of a pack just needs to put it all together. More often than not players are in the what if category than they become that player but it's not out of the question. I see Mckercher, Sheezel and Larkey as more of a danger when my team plays the roos though.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Toby Pink.

Elevates from “barely on the list” to “solid if rather dour contributor”.

Of the non-North options, I reckon Callaghan and Darcy end up in the top 10 echelon.

 

[voorhees]

Taj Hotton for the Tiges

was just about to drop that name.
kids going to announce himself in a big way...

 

[RUNVS]

Ldu goes from elite to top 10 players in the comp.

Don't you need to be top 10 in the competition in order to be considered "elite"?

 

[Makeshift Park]

Don't you need to be top 10 in the competition in order to be considered "elite"?

Bit onerous that criteria.

I’d say Heeney is unquestionably elite, but I would not have him as one of the ten best players in the comp.