Best players and predicted first-round picks, top prospects before national championships, results, Cody Walker Carlton, Harry Van Hattum Essendon

The ‘Big Three’ (or should it be ‘Big Four’), a third early bid that could cause Giant chaos and the prospects that have left recruiters both gushing — and questioning.

Foxfooty.com.au assesses the talent landscape in AFL Draft Watch ahead of the 2026 AFL national draft – with the first round to be held on Thursday November 19, followed by the remaining rounds on Friday November 20.

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The AFL Grand Final is over three months away. But for the best draft prospects in the country, their grand final time is now.

The National AFL Under 18 Championships – arguably the most important annual event for aspiring AFL players as part of their draft campaigns – began last weekend.

Western Australia held off a fast-finishing South Australia by 12 points in Perth on Saturday, while an injury-hit Vic Country defeated the Allies by 13 points in Blacktown on Sunday, with the latter clash considered a particularly high-quality game in good conditions.

In the lead-up to – and in the aftermath of – the weekend’s champs games, club recruiters who spoke to by foxfooty.com.au firmly believe it’s a stronger and deeper draft class in 2026 compared to last year. One scout said they’d have confidence in up to 50 players making strong contributions at AFL level.

Importantly, there’s “something for everyone” in this year’s pool, especially at the top-end. A 204cm ruck-forward is considered the best open-draft player, while a 196cm intercepting key defender isn’t too far behind him. There’s a good mix of hybrid midfielders in top-10 calculations, while forwards and defenders of different sizes have also been touted as first-round chances.

BIG THREE AT THE TOP OF THE CLASS

As was the case heading into this season, the two most highly-touted draft prospects are club-tied players: Dougie Cochrane and Cody Walker.

And for most recruiters surveyed, the Power-tied Cochrane is the No. 1 prospect.

Cochrane, the son of former Port Adelaide and North Melbourne utility Stuart Cochrane, is a tantalising, athletic and well-rounded 195cm utility out of Central District. He’s a terrific runner, neat by foot and has strong marking ability, while he has the size and versatility to play across all thirds of the field. South Australia Under 18 coach Tony Bamford recently said Cochrane had “all the tools you’d want in a modern AFL player”.

The Power received a huge boost in November last year when they were granted Next Generation Academy access to Cochrane, whose older brother Tom is in his second season on Port Adelaide’s rookie list.

Cochrane has been sidelined this year after undergoing knee surgery in March due to dealing with tendinitis. But Bamford last week told the Checkside Chats podcast Cochrane was some chance to feature for SA later in the championships – although that would have to be ticked off by Port Adelaide, which is managing his rehabilitation and return to play timeline.

“We just keep our fingers crossed that his rehab keeps on going well and he stays healthy and happy and he tracks towards a return to play somewhere in the middle of July,” Bamford said on the Checkside Chats podcast.

Meanwhile, Walker is tied to Carlton under the father-son rule, as his dad Andrew Walker played 202 games for the Blues and was their leading goalkicker in 2011. Andrew was taken with Pick 2 in the 2003 draft – and there’s every chance Walker gets selected with the same pick 23 years later.

Walker in July last year formally agreed to join the Blues as a 2026 father-son selection – around 15 months before the deadline – rather than nominate Richmond as part of its Next Generation Academy. Since then, Walker has worked closely with the Blues, continuing his development in the revamped Carlton Academy, training with the AFL squad and playing four games for the Blues’ VFL side.

And Walker looked like a ready-made player at state league level with his body shape, core strength and movement, averaging 22.0 disposals, 5.5 marks, 3.5 inside 50s and 3.0 clearances. Scouts believe the next step in his development is to improve his kicking efficiency.

Walker collected 16 disposals and four clearances in Vic Country’s champs opener on the weekend, but he was ruled out midway through the match due to an AC joint injury. The setback, however, isn’t expected to sideline Walker for too long.

The AFL in April confirmed a significant shake-up of its draft bidding system from this year onwards, with a new compensation provision within the draft designed to ensure a “fairer price” when paying for top-end talent tied to father-son, northern Academy and NGA pathways.

Clubs will only be able to use two picks in the current draft to match any bid up to – and including – Pick 36, therefore limiting the ability for clubs to bundle later selections and accumulate draft points to match bids. Teams, however, that finish in the bottom-five on the ladder will be awarded second-round compensation picks if their first-round pick is pushed down the order by a matched bid – as long as they still use that selection on a player.

The awarding of compensation picks makes it more enticing for clubs to bid early on club-tied players.

Bids on Cochrane and Walker are expected to come early. Cochrane has been tipped to attract a Pick 1 bid, while Walker won’t be too far behind.

Whether Walker’s name is called before Northern Knights star Harry Van Hattum, though, remains unclear.

An athletic, hard-working and skilful 204cm ruck-forward with a great vertical leap and ruck craft, Van Hattum is widely considered the best prospect in this year’s open draft pool. While a calf issue has recently kept him sidelined, Van Hattum’s early-season form was eye-catching, booting two goals from 19 disposals, six inside 50s and 20 hit-outs for the Knights against Oakleigh, while he starred for Ivanhoe Grammar in school footy.

It was joked in the lead-up to the Dreamtime at the ‘G clash that Essendon and Richmond were playing for the ‘Van Hattum Cup’, as the loser would put itself in Seat 1A for the wooden spoon and Pick 1 in the national draft. The Tigers won that clash by three goals – and Essendon remains on the bottom of the ladder.

PUSHING TOWARDS POINTY END

Some would suggest it’s a ‘Big Four’ rather than a ‘Big Three’ if Sandringham Dragons forward-midfielder Arki Butler is included. Others, however, would like to see a larger body of work and a strong national championships campaign for Vic Metro before elevating him into that bracket.

Nonetheless, there’s no denying Butler’s talent, athletic traits and upside. A highly-skilled and classy 182cm prospect with freakish talent around goal, Butler has had a few standout games so far this season. He kicked off his Talent League season with 4.2 from 26 disposals against the Eastern Ranges, while he recently booted a whopping 8.6 from 33 disposals in a school game for Brighton Grammar.

Some big games for Vic Metro will have Butler firmly in the top-five mix.

There’s a decent group of prospects, too, in top-10 calculations.

The emerging wildcard in the pack is Ethan Matthews, who looms as the Giants’ best academy graduate since Tom Green in 2019. After booting eight goals and averaging 35.3 disposals, 6.3 marks and 5.7 clearances at Talent League level for the Giants, Matthews produced a colossal champs game against Vic Country, finishing with 35 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 11 clearances, 11 inside 50s, nine score involvements, eight marks, six tackles and 691m gained. There’s an argument Matthews could already be playing on a wing for the Giants’ AFL side, which highlights just how ready-made he appears for the top level.

A classy left-footed midfielder with high footy IQ who wins his own ball with aplomb and controls the tempo of matches, Matthews is now firm in the top-10 conversation. In fact multiple scouts suggested he’s trending towards a top-five pick – and a bid in that range would almost certainly wipe out the Giants’ first and second-round picks, considering Adam Kingsley’s team is now right in wildcard contention.

Elsewhere, GWV Rebels midfielder Ethan Drever has lots of fans at AFL club level, for he has few holes in his game and is arguably the most well-rounded open-pool prospect. He’s strong in the contest, versatile, aerobically powerful, clean with ball in hand and, just as importantly, consistent game-to-game, booting seven goals and averaging 29.0 disposals, 7.4 clearances, 6.3 inside 50s and 6.1 tackles from his seven Talent League games so far. Drever could’ve had a massive day out on the weekend, finishing with 0.4 from 21 touches and seven inside 50s against the Allies, but was still among Vic Country’s best players.

Butler’s Sandringham teammate, 181cm forward-midfielder Gus Teixera, might end the season with one of the best highlight reels, for his speed, kicking skills and goal sense are eye-catching. He’s played two Talent League games so far this season, booting 2.1 from 20 disposals against Calder and 2.0 from 25 disposals against the Brisbane academy. But recruiters would like to see more game-to-game consistency.

Gippsland Power’s Clancy Snell looms as the best key-position defender in the class. A 196cm prospect who had 14 touches and eight intercepts for Vic Country, Snell is renowned for his ability to balance his assertive intercept skills with his defensive one-on-one competitiveness. He’s still raw, but his upside is enormous and his week-to-week reliability has been noted by club talent-watchers.

Geelong Falcons 177cm defender-midfielder Noah Williams is also highly rated by AFL clubs for his mix of speed, ball use, consistency, competitiveness and combativeness. Williams, who was named Team Boak’s best player in the Under 17s futures match on AFL Grand Final day last year, had averaged 23.0 disposals, 9.0 tackles and 5.7 inside 50s from his three Talent League matches for the Falcons. He was on track for a decent game against the Allies on the weekend, but was ruled out mid-match due to a hamstring issue with 12 disposals and three clearances to his name.

SA captain Kodah Edwards, who had 19 disposals, six score involvements and four clearances against WA, could be the state’s best prospect as a contested ball-winning midfielder. But some scouts stop short of declaring the 183cm South Adelaide product a definite top-10 prospect this year due to uncertainty around his role at AFL level, with clubs believing he’s more of a forward.

It’s a similar story for SA teammate and North Adelaide product Ethan Herbert, who’s another player with freakish groundball cleanliness and aerobic capacity for a guy of his size. Herbert relishes ruck craft, but recruiters believe the 200cm big man may ultimately be better suited to a key forward role at AFL level. Herbert, too, has been given ample opportunities at various levels inside 50 this season, but he’s still at his most influential when playing on the ball as a roaming ruck. Could he play a Rowan Marshall-like role at an AFL club? Or could he reach for the stars and aim to follow in Luke Jackson’s versatile footsteps?

In WA, co-captain Leo Steed is challenging a highly-rated teammate as the state’s best available prospect. A competitive, speedy, physical and hard-working 176cm forward-midfielder with an improved kick, Steed starred for the Black Swans against SA on the weekend with one goal from 30 disposals and 13 contested possessions. It comes after an impressive six-game WAFL league stint for Swan Districts where he’s kicked 6.4 and averaged 13.3 disposals from seven games.

But others believe 184cm Claremont defender Heath Mellody is still WA’s best. Mellody came into this season with high external expectations after an excellent bottom-age season that saw him average 25.8 disposals, 6.2 marks and 5.6 tackles in the final five games of Claremont’s Colts premiership campaign. On the weekend against SA, Mellody collected 21 touches against SA. Mellody is a beautiful distributor by foot who seems well suited for the modern game. But his strong WA trial match performances as an on-baller suggested he has scope to become an inside midfielder.

And then there’s the ‘Nuke’: 168cm Gippsland forward Marlon Neocleous, who’s coming with a rush. On-lookers were reminded of Neocleous’ reliability and professionalism on the weekend when he stepped up on the ball for Vic Country in the absences of Walker and Williams, finishing with one goal from 21 disposals, 11 score involvements and five clearances against the Allies. It comes after his strong start to the season for the Power, highlighted by a four-goal, 20-disposal outing against the Eastern Ranges. A disciplined half-forward who makes good decisions, Neocleous is in the first-round mix.

We won’t see 175cm Western Jets forward Khaled El Souki (Western Bulldogs NGA) nor 194cm Geelong Falcons forward Jack Pickett during the champs due to ankle and knee injuries respectively. But they’re both in the mid first-round calculations.

MORE EVIDENCE NEEDED

Then there’s a group of prospects who have a huge chance to boost their prospects during the champs.

Gippsland Power’s Will Malady took a big step on the weekend, booting 2.3 from 14 disposals against the Allies. The 190cm forward, who booted five goals in the Under 17s future game on AFL Grand Final day last year, has sticky hands and is a great aerial presence, but recruiters wonder how big an impact he can have inside 50 at AFL level.

Power and Vic Country 180cm teammate Cody Templeton didn’t play on the weekend due to a foot issue, but is well regarded by AFL clubs for his character, attack on the ball and offensive ability.

Speaking of Power/Country players, there’s ample intrigue around Xavier Ladbrook – a supremely athletic and aerobically powerful 200cm prospect who can play anywhere on the ground. Where his best position will be at AFL level remains uncertain, but scouts are pleased he’s settled in defence next to Snell this year after playing on the wing in his bottom-age year. But Ladbrook kicked one goal from 14 disposals and seven marks for Country on the weekend.

Dandenong Stingrays’ Jackson Phillips impressed against the Allies, recovering from a slow start to boot two goals from 17 disposals. Skilful, versatile and a clean user by hand and foot, Phillips has had many clubs interview him across the first half of the year, despite some doubts over his inside midfield potential at AFL level.

Glenelg’s Gabe Patterson reminded on-lookers of his sublime talent in SA’s game against WA, booting three goals from nine disposals. Patterson, a powerful and dynamic 184cm forward-half player, was sidelined earlier this year due to injury.

Teammate Mitch Harris is also pushing up draft boards. A tough and courageous 196cm defender out of Woodville-West Torrens, Harris has shown off his one-on-one defensive capabilities this year to complement his intercept game that blossomed in his bottom-age year.

Brisbane’s top academy prospect is Caylen Murray – an aggressive, line-breaking 183cm defender-midfielder who had 22 disposals, four intercepts and 455m gained for the Allies on the weekend. Murray is speedy and a polished distributor of the footy, but scouts would like to see improvement in his defensive capabilities.

Eastern Ranges 190cm midfielder Harrison Chapman has ample AFL traits with his aggressive transition ability and outside run. He’s averaged 23.7 disposals and 5.3 marks from seven Talent League games so far this season, but clubs are looking forward to seeing him against the country’s top talent at the champs.

WA co-captain George Gale looked like an AFL player on the weekend. A hard-working 188cm midfielder, Gale had 27 disposals and five inside 50s against SA to back up his strong early-season Colts form for Claremont.

South Fremantle’s Lucas Robinson is your quintessential inside midfielder, which was on display for WA on the weekend with 25 disposals, 16 contested possessions and eight clearances. The 191cm prospect – who’s tied to Fremantle via its NGA – has no issues finding the footy, but scouts have some doubts over his ceiling at AFL level.

Two others who caught the eye on the weekend were South Australia’s Jake Eime (18 disposals) and Vic Country’s Andrio Sousa (1 goal, 14 disposals, 6 marks). Eime has AFL-like run and carry ability, while Sousa is classy and efficient forward of centre.

AND A FEW OTHERS TO KEEP TABS ON …

Dandenong Stingrays 188cm defender Darcy Szerszyn is slowly returning to his best after a recent shoulder injury. Szerszyn is a great runner and ball user, while his intercept game is held in high regard.

Teammate Will Antrobus, who like Szerszyn had 14 touches against the Allies, has been one of the class’ big improvers so far this season. Antrobus (182cm) is a competitive defender with a beautiful left-foot kick, although there’s a slight question mark over his speed.

The Swans have several academy prospects pushing their cases, including Jake Medved, Mason McGrover, Henry Meaney and Guy Jenkin. Medved and McGrover are terrific athletes but raw footballers. The 184cm Meaney, who kicked one goal from 27 touches and six clearances for the Allies, is a shrewd midfielder with good hands, while Jenkin is a smart winger who uses the ball well with both feet.

Richmond NGA prospect Tanner Armstrong – a tough, competitive 178cm defender – continues to find plenty of the footy at every level. After 22 and 27-disposal outings for the AFL Academy against VFL opposition, Armstrong had 29 disposals and game-high intercepts (9) and rebound 50s (7) against the Allies. Again, clubs remain curious over his ceiling at AFL level.

WA’s Benji van Rooyen – the brother of Melbourne forward Jacob van Rooyen – thrived as his state’s No. 1 ruck against SA, finishing with 11 touches, five clearances and 18 hit-outs. While van Rooyen has had ample chances to impress as a forward, his game on the weekend suggested he has AFL potential as a 203cm ruck.

And keep an eye on Jett Elek – a 19-year-old Geelong Falcons prospect who’s shown rapid improvement in his over-age year. After being overlooked in his draft year, Elek’s game has evolved this year, improving his strength, consistency and confidence. He kicked one goal from 12 disposals and nine marks against the Allies.