Mega Thread The Father-Son Mega thread - 2026 update

[Strapping Young Lad]

Not over yet but gee it will sicken me watching young Hodge running around in Brissy colours if it eventuates

Lions currently have two more highly rated academy players that they have to match bids on.

They will be challenged to try and grab three from the draft with the new rules.

 

[GinniAndTonic]

Lions currently have two more highly rated academy players that they have to match bids on.

They will be challenged to try and grab three from the draft with the new rules.

To further this they also have a really highly rated player next year so they won’t want to go into points defect this year as it will make it nearly impossible next year.

 

[Minnesota Wisdom]

Just a general question/thought. What's the situation with father/son or academy players should they be selected by their nominated club before they're bid on.

For example, if Hodge nominates Brisbane and they choose to select him at 15 or 33 (their current picks) do they need to pay the 20% or 25% points loading (assuming they finish top 4)? Or can they just take him there without the loading because nobody bid on him?

If there's no loading, could we see clubs taking their F/S or academy kids before they're bid on to avoid the loading and also to make it easier to secure them ensuring they have the capital needed to

Actually, I've found the answer. No the loading doesn't apply in that situation

 

[Dewnior]

Just a general question/thought. What's the situation with father/son or academy players should they be selected by their nominated club before they're bid on.

For example, if Hodge nominates Brisbane and they choose to select him at 15 or 33 (their current picks) do they need to pay the 20% or 25% points loading (assuming they finish top 4)? Or can they just take him there without the loading because nobody bid on him?

If there's no loading, could we see clubs taking their F/S or academy kids before they're bid on to avoid the loading and also to make it easier to secure them ensuring they have the capital needed to

Actually, I've found the answer. No the loading doesn't apply in that situation

There's no loading if an academy nominee is not bid on and taken with one of their live picks

 

[Coburghawk]

Just remember the live draft matters as well. Even if he nominates the lions and they then take one of the other academy players. We can still bid on him and make the lions make a hard decision to match. Collingwood got Prindable from the academy last year this way.

 

[kazzooka]

Lions currently have two more highly rated academy players that they have to match bids on.

They will be challenged to try and grab three from the draft with the new rules.

Who are the 2 players? Are they also mids?

I think another factor for Cooper is that if both clubs show they are keen it's already a hard jump into Brisbane midfield and if they have 2 more top prospects joining ahead of him he may not get a look in.

It's also important for both clubs that while he is draftable and there is a chance to grab him, If a bid comes before our pick and a player we like more is still on the board, we need to make a tough call.

You don't give up a chance for Jacob Koschitzke if Irving Mosquito. Sydney traded us the pick pick for Weddle because they wanted to get Cooper Vickery out of our NGA.

 

[FootyScope]

Who are the 2 players? Are they also mids?

I think another factor for Cooper is that if both clubs show they are keen it's already a hard jump into Brisbane midfield and if they have 2 more top prospects joining ahead of him he may not get a look in.

It's also important for both clubs that while he is draftable and there is a chance to grab him, If a bid comes before our pick and a player we like more is still on the board, we need to make a tough call.

You don't give up a chance for Jacob Koschitzke if Irving Mosquito. Sydney traded us the pick pick for Weddle because they wanted to get Cooper Vickery out of our NGA.

The 2 players are Caylen Murray and Matthew Owen, Owen a mid and Murray was more a defender leading into the year but is starting to move into the midfield now.

If Cooper see's himself predominately in the midfield at the next level he'd have to be really backing himself in to get a game in his first couple seasons at Brisbane. Would be most likely behind the 2 boys this year, Annable and Marshall who can barely crack into the side.

 

[Miller1971]

for Hodge to have any chance, he needs to play half forward. He is a poor kick and just dumps it deep. Can't play half back or mid the way he uses the footy

 

[mustang]

Cooper Hodge Rookieme Profile

Talent League Player Focus: Cooper Hodge (Lions Academy)

Dual club-tied prospect Cooper Hodge impressed with his ball winning ability as the Lions Academy knocked off Sandringham.

central.rookieme.com

 

[FootyScope]

for Hodge to have any chance, he needs to play half forward. He is a poor kick and just dumps it deep. Can't play half back or mid the way he uses the footy

Yeah I think at least to start his career it will be on a flank. Think he would be better suited as a half back though, cracks in hard defensively and has enough athleticism to be damaging on the rebound. Kicking isn't great at the moment but looks decent when given space.

 

[hr_23]

for Hodge to have any chance, he needs to play half forward. He is a poor kick and just dumps it deep. Can't play half back or mid the way he uses the footy

Needs to get into the backyard & play some kick to kick with the old man

 

[unitedhawk2]

Just remember the live draft matters as well. Even if he nominates the lions and they then take one of the other academy players. We can still bid on him and make the lions make a hard decision to match. Collingwood got Prindable from the academy last year this way.

We won't do that, though - not to a son of a club legend.

If Cooper's preference is to join the Lions, we won't be trying to hijack that by bidding on him. We're not that kind of club.

 

[theiaofseed]

We won't do that, though - not to a son of a club legend.

If Cooper's preference is to join the Lions, we won't be trying to hijack that by bidding on him. We're not that kind of club.

We will if we believe he's the best talent at that pick.

 

[BigTonkaTroy]

We will if we believe he's the best talent at that pick.

No we won’t lmao. If he nominates Brisbane and Brisbane want him hawks will not interfere with that. They wouldn’t try and ruin that connect to the club.

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

for Hodge to have any chance, he needs to play half forward. He is a poor kick and just dumps it deep. Can't play half back or mid the way he uses the footy

I find it hard to believe that Cooper is as bad a kick as we’re being shown. He has trained with his dad since he was a young boy, Luke is teaching his kid the basic essentials to footy.

I believe their is a tactic behind the skill we’re being shown.

Watch Cooper quickly improve after he has been drafted.

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

No we won’t lmao. If he nominates Brisbane and Brisbane want him hawks will not interfere with that. They wouldn’t try and ruin that connect to the club.

Disagree, footy is a business. If the Hawks deem Cooper the best at their next pick they will bid on him.

Clearly you know little about our coach, his is called ruthless for a reason!

 

[BigTonkaTroy]

Disagree, footy is a business. If the Hawks deem Cooper the best at their next pick they will bid on him.

Clearly you know little about our coach, his is called ruthless for a reason!

I will guarantee that hawthorn will not select him if he’s available at one of our picks and if he’s already chosen Brisbane. I can say that for absolute certainty.

 

[Miller1971]

I find it hard to believe that Cooper is as bad a kick as we’re being shown. He has trained with his dad since he was a young boy, Luke is teaching his kid the basic essentials to footy.

Watch any bit of footage of him.

He is either a really bad kick, or a really really poor decision maker.

I've never seen a kid in an elite program make the same mistakes so often, and not have it coached out of him or be removed from said program.

Legitmately 90% of the kicks he gets, he just kicks it as far as he possibly can in the direction of goal.

 

[Davo-27]

At the moment we have picks 17, 32, 34, 40, we could get a first rounder in a strongish draft, bid on Cooper Hodge at 32 which Brisbane might not be able to match OR an earlier pick with pick trades if he ends up being what we want? Or a bunch of good picks in the last uncompromised draft for 3-4 years that Tassie will dominate the draft 2027-2030

 

[Davo-27]

Watch any bit of footage of him.

He is either a really bad kick, or a really really poor decision maker.

I've never seen a kid in an elite program make the same mistakes so often, and not have it coached out of him or be removed from said program.

Legitmately 90% of the kicks he gets, he just kicks it as far as he possibly can in the direction of goal.

You also said Sam Marshall wasnt very good , (bad kick, bad decision maker, over rated, not worth drafting) he played for Brisbane 2025 premiership team in his first year.... cmon mate get your hand off it

 

[Mercy Seat]

At the moment we have picks 17, 32, 34, 40, we could get a first rounder in a strongish draft, bid on Cooper Hodge at 32 which Brisbane might not be able to match OR an earlier pick with pick trades if he ends up being what we want? Or a bunch of good picks in the last uncompromised draft for 3-4 years that Tassie will dominate the draft 2027-2030

Will be hard-pressed to do that when we're clearly going after mature talent like Bailey H and Merrett.

And yes, I know that failed last year, but hopefully the club have learnt from that and get at least one of them done a little easier this time.

 

[kazzooka]

Watch any bit of footage of him.

He is either a really bad kick, or a really really poor decision maker.

I've never seen a kid in an elite program make the same mistakes so often, and not have it coached out of him or be removed from said program.

Legitmately 90% of the kicks he gets, he just kicks it as far as he possibly can in the direction of goal.

Then the solution is simple. Work out how far he can kick, and keep him that distance from goal so then every kick he gets will be a goal.

 

[Elhawko]

Disagree, footy is a business. If the Hawks deem Cooper the best at their next pick they will bid on him.

Clearly you know little about our coach, his is called ruthless for a reason!

I don't know. If Cooper nominates Brisbane would we really try to bring him here? He clearly wouldn't have a strong connection to our club in that case and we would be drafting him against his will. It's not like any other kid who might be asked to move interstate as a result of the draft; he'd be openly stating a preference to stay put, which we would be ignoring. A decision like that could cause a lot of ill-feeling. Either his whole family would have to uproot itself to come to Melbourne or he'd have to come here alone, with the inevitable pull to go home only heightened by separation from his parents and siblings, as well as his friends. Who is to say in that case he wouldn't request a trade back to Brisbane after a year or two, leaving us to negotiate with the Lions who are likely to have pretty lousy picks to offer in exchange, given they are perennial top four finishers and Tassie will significantly disrupt the draft around that time.

In my opinion, if he nominates Brisbane we don't want him. If they don't pick him with their early picks because he's not as good as their academy prospects then we doubly don't want him. If we select Cooper and Brisbane can't/wont match then in a sense we are taking their cast-offs. I'm only interested in him if he wants to come here and wants to come here because he has a connection to the club, not because he thinks we are more likely to take him because Brisbane will preference better prospects ahead of him.

Ruthlessness works both ways. He's just a kid in the draft; his surname isn't worth much if he doesn't want to be here or he's not particularly good.

It does suck that Brisbane are able to get between us and the son of a 300 game champion of our club, simply because Cooper lives in their catchment. Adelaide, Port, the Eagles or Freo couldn't do the same thing if Hodgey had gone to SA/WA in his final years. But that's a different issue.

 

[arupist]

I will guarantee that hawthorn will not select him if he’s available at one of our picks and if he’s already chosen Brisbane. I can say that for absolute certainty.

Are you willing to put your nuts in the line?

 

[hardway]

I will guarantee that hawthorn will not select him if he’s available at one of our picks and if he’s already chosen Brisbane. I can say that for absolute certainty.

If the shoe was on the other foot the Lions wouldn’t blink twice to snap a father son up. Would go as far to say that the AFL would demand they do so.