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Opinion Your big 3 players for 2026 - Who are you backing in?

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This is harder than it sounds as I have about 10 players who improve in 2026 but the three 'List impact' players:

Smith - Will completely change our midfield. Creative and quick. Exactly what we need.
Moir - Will thrive in the Curnow-less forward line. Ready to fly.
Kemp - Showed signs before injury and when he comes back will be a Kouta styled utility.

The others to shine in 2026: Dean, B Camporeale, Motlop, Chesser, Newman, O Hollands and Ainsworth.

TA
 
My big 3 are

Backs- must clear ball from defensive areas
Centre (including Followers) - must get ball and transition forward (or kick goals if already forward)
Backs - must kick goals

Special mention to VFL Reserves - provide pressure for spots on those plaeyrs in the seniors
 
Hard because there’s a few to choose from for different reasons…

Mine are youth who provide the next layer who are coming through…

1. Chesser : a fan in his draft year, has had a couple of setbacks but seems to have recovered well, with some good performances in the back half of the season…
High end speed combined with a great tank, great defensive work ethic, kicking skills, runs both ways & can break the lines with speed & overlap…
Multiple positional player…

2. Cowan: There were some nice flashes in the back half of the year in games, where you could see he was beginning to show the confidence like he felt comfortable & belonged at the level, great passages of play from a rebounding standpoint taking the opposition and game on…

Has the ability to also get higher up the ground, wing…

3. Moir: Another talented player who battled an injury throughout his draft year for which the club has taken the conservative approach, shown glimpses of his ability & potential last season when forward or in midfield rotations…

Obviously still building his body for strength/power while addressing the endurance which has improved, and needs to continue, wonderful skills particularly by foot, natural game/goal sense who is good in the air…

Jagga and Dean looking forward to seeing, Carroll Motlop Wilson Ollie Kemp O’Keefe O’Farrell Young Ison Frankie…
 

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Ollie Hollands
Jesse Motlop
Marc Pittonet

Time for the whipping boys to stand up.
 
Really interesting. Could be anyone this year. I tallied up the numbers and so far 27 players have been nominated (as of this post) for big years so that in itself is pretty incredible. I doubt that would have happened in previous years. The nominations so far are:
  1. Smith - 13
  2. Walsh - 9
  3. Moir - 8
  4. Cowan - 6
  5. Chesser - 5
  6. McKay - 5
  7. Dean - 4
  8. Evans - 3
  9. Motlop - 3
  10. Newman - 3
  11. O'Keefe - 2
  12. Wilson - 2
  13. Lord - 2
  14. Charleson - 2
  15. Ainsworth -2
  16. O. Hollands - 2
  17. Florent - 1
  18. Weitering - 1
  19. Haywood - 1
  20. Cerra - 1
  21. E. Hollands - 1
  22. Ison - 1
  23. Acres - 1
  24. Saad - 1
  25. Cottrel - 1
  26. Kemp - 1
  27. Pittonet - 1
 
1. Max Kondogiannis
2. Tom Anastosopoulos
3. Mitch Georgiades
4. Blake Threadgold (yes - he really is Greek).
 
1. Smith - is a point of difference. Creative. Light on his feet. Quick of mind. Will have immediate impact.

2. Walsh - if his body is right…watch out!! This fella has built his body up over the last 18 months and looks ready to explode.

3. Newman - most underrated player at Carlton, let alone the league. Great reader of the play. Brilliant decision maker. Excellent foot skills. Rarely loses one-on-one. Top 3 in our B & F in 2023 and 2024. Will be another leader, with a calming influence in the back line.

*SPECIAL MENTION - Lachie Cowan. Looked right at home in the last 10 games of 2025. Will be one of our first picked in 2026.

Great thread 👍
 
McKay.

Would have more Coleman's to his name if not for Curnow. Will add another in 2026.

Motlop.

Maybe a soft spot selection. His tenacity and work ethic surprised me last year. Slow burner. Far from the whipping boy he was first half 2025. Very keen to see him take another step in 2026.
I'm calling a zippier, Motlop 2.0 to surprise many.

Florent.

Reckon he'll have a filthy hunger to prove to the Sydney list team the quality they let go.
He'll be massive for us with his fearless overlap and link play.
Massive.

Honorable mention...

Cripps.

He's got a bit more rotational help now and will be able to return to playing his dominant clearance game at full capacity. Feed it out skip, let the runners deliver.

(Superb thread HCJ)
 

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Love the Drake said:
1. Smith - is a point of difference. Creative. Light on his feet. Quick of mind. Will have immediate impact.

2. Walsh - if his body is right…watch out!! This fella has built his body up over the last 18 months and looks ready to explode.

3. Newman - most underrated player at Carlton, let alone the league. Great reader of the play. Brilliant decision maker. Excellent foot skills. Rarely loses one-on-one. Top 3 in our B & F in 2023 and 2024. Will be another leader, with a calming influence in the back line.

*SPECIAL MENTION - Lachie Cowan. Looked right at home in the last 10 games of 2025. Will be one of our first picked in 2026.

Great thread 👍
Click to expand...
You and I are drinking from the same cup, my friend.
 
For me, some of real interest:

1. Brodie Kemp: Kemp looks like he has put on a lot of upper body muscle and strength in his rehab. That seems to suggest something that i've thought for awhile. That he will produce his best as a deep forward. I think he has looked most comfortable, natural and dangerous in his stints as a deep forward. He has always been a fantastic mark. And i think the less clutter upstairs the better for him. Love to see him settled down deep forward to use all of his mobility, overhead ability and now added strength.

2. Hudson O'Keefe: And to play alongside Kemp is Skull. I think he showed very nice forward aptitude last year. As our Forward/Ruck i think this guy is going to be good. A guy who will make a team better. Has some natural aggression, drive, and presence. But i think he has talent too.

3. Will Hayward: A really high level goalkicking plus pressure forward. This bloke is the real deal. No longer do we have to play substandard players just because they can "lock it in" now n then. Hayward is quality plus defensive effort. If we have other forwards up n about Hayward does the dirty work well. If we have other forwards out or down, Hayward steps up and becomes a target and lifter. Always admired him.

3. Lachie Cowan: Time for the coaches to empower this guy. Keep re-inforcing the defensive basics, but empower him to be dynamic more. He is a great modern package with great natural talent and power. Really rate.


With the first 3 i have some real confidence that that is our best chance at a functioning forward line going forward. Go Josh Fraser.
 
Harry McKay - Last time he played as the #1 target he was All Australian and won a Coleman medal.
Lachie Cowan - Showed enough to suggest he is on track to be a star.
Will Hayward - We have been crying out for his type of player and think we have got a star.
 
I’ve been lukewarm on Cowan for a period (he started well then stalled for a bit) but when he came back from injury at the end of last year he looked great. I can actually see a lot of potential in him to go to higher level again not just this year but his overall ceiling as a player over his career.

With Curnow gone replaced but the additions of Ainsworth and Hayward, and Moir and Evans emerging I think McKay will have a great season. He will the focal point of a forward line with more options than in the past so opposition teams won’t be able to double team him.

I have been loathe to join in the hype but if some of the stuff being said about Jagga is true then he sounds like he is going to be a game changer. Footy nous and attitude are critical and it sounds like he has lots of both. Also IMO the direction the game is heading though rule changes will suit the way he plays.
 

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Brodie Kemp - uber talented and had found his spot before his cruel injury. Looked absolutely built in the training footage I saw.

Sam Walsh - motivated and fit, and possibly our next skipper. This guy is going to win us games by sheer will next year.

Ollie Florent - I wanted Will Hayward as I have always rated him, but Florent has been ridiculed by AFL fans at large and had his value reduced to nothing. Watching his mic'd up session, he is a real leader out there and coaches out on the ground. I think he's going to be a massive asset for us.
 
Just a thought, we have half a list of senior players who automatically make a difference if fully fit and injury free, the seniors players Hayward Ainsworth and Florent we know what we’re already getting from them…

Really like the senior additions to the side this year, no question they’ll make an impact, what are peoples thoughts on who are the next batch of players, list wise who could take the next step?
 
The Old Dark Navy's said:
Ollie Florent - I wanted Will Hayward as I have always rated him, but Florent has been ridiculed by AFL fans at large and had his value reduced to nothing. Watching his mic'd up session, he is a real leader out there and coaches out on the ground. I think he's going to be a massive asset for us.
Click to expand...
That training open mic should be compulsory viewing for everyone on here. He is bringing leadership in spades.
 

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Opinion Your big 3 players for 2026 - Who are you backing in?

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