Draft Preview: The best defensive prospects in this year's crop

Draft expert Mick Ablett has delved into the best defensive prospects of the upcoming AFL National Draft.

A draft that boasts a number of quality defensive talents, Ablett believes that three key backs could potentially hear their names called in the first round, with several quality medium defenders backing up the talls.

Ablett explored all of the best tall prospects, commencing with Sandringham’s premium tall Tyson Bradley.

“He's a 195-centimetre, 92kg key defender out of the Sandy Dragons,” Ablett told SEN Mornings.

“He was the MVP for Vic Metro in the championships. Really strongly built, this kid, and I love the way he works oppo forwards under the ball and then takes intercept marks.

“He's just got this uncanny knack of reading that flight, getting them under the footy and winning the ball back.

“He’s got a little bit of Alex Pearce about him when you watch him play; he's got sound speed, his lateral movement is very good, he's powerful and he's a Talent League Team of the Year recipient as well.

“I think he's a genuine first-rounder. If we measure him on the benchmark of two guys like a Harris Andrews or a Jacob Weitering… if we go back a while, Harris Andrews was Pick 61, which staggered me because I was watching him play late in the year at Werribee, but he's now the benchmark of key defenders.

“And then at the other end of the scale, you've got Jacob Weitering who's a Pick 1 - as much as the talent's still there on the back end, if you do get an elite (key back), they will get snapped up early, especially the interceptors.

“Even Tom Barrass and the difference he's made at the Hawks... If you can find those guys that have got the ability to win the ball back, they will go early.”

A player that has been covered significantly entering this year’s draft is South Australian key defender Mitch Harris, who bodes as a likely top 10 selection.

“He's probably one that's vying alongside Tyson Bradley to go as the first key defender,” Ablett said.

“He's got the ability to play on the big bodies this kid. He's only 82 kilos, but he's just strong in the contest.

“He missed the combine with an ankle injury, but he's brave; he goes back with the flight of the ball, he's a really neat user and he's got that really good balance of when to come off his opponent and when to defend.

“He's a smart decision maker, reads the cues, the boy out of Woodville-West Torrens.

“I think he probably goes just before Tyson Bradley. I just think is decision making is probably marginally ahead.”

Beyond Bradley and Harris, Gippsland’s Clancy Snell could also have his name called in the latter stages of night one.

“He's a young kid out of Gippsland Power,” he said.

“He's marginally bigger than the other two; he's 197 centimetres, so there's not much in it, but it can come in handy that extra little bit of height.

“He is your out and out interceptor. He reminds me of Josh Battle when I watch him play - he's got a decent enough tank, he ran a 6:23 2km time trial.

“He can get up the ground a little bit and play on the higher forwards, he just reads it off the opposition boot very, very early so he gets himself in a position to attack, to win the ball back.

“It’s just that uncanny knack of seeing it unfold slightly before his oppo forward does.

“Any three of those guys you could make a case to push them up.”

Outside of the key defenders, two medium defenders caught the eye of Mick Ablett, starting with South Australian talent Jake Eime.

“I love watching this kid play,” he said.

“182 centimetres, he can play the game in both speeds. He can play tempo or he can take the game on.

“I love his ability to gain possession centre forward because he does hurt you. He is laser-like when he uses the footy. He takes risks, he takes the oppo on at times.

“The Adelaide Crows and their fans have been a little bit disappointed; they didn't nominate him early enough. He is actually qualified under the NGA rules.

“He's an Indigenous boy, but unfortunately the Crows didn't list him early enough in that piece and were denied access to him.

“Now he's part of the open pool and probably the best medium defender in this year's draft.”

The other of the two is Dandenong Stingray Gus Kennedy.

“He is one that people probably haven't heard as much about,” Ablett said.

“He's out of the Dandenong Stingrays, he's 187 so he's a bit of a hybrid type, a little bit taller than Jake but he's a really smooth mover.

“He plays with a headband, looks a bit like Bailey Smith at times and he takes the oppo on. When I say that - he's very, very good at the fend off. He sees them coming, he'll look him in the eye and go, ‘let's go’, and does take him on. He will push off.

“He's powerful. He was a top 10 in the 20-metre sprint. He ran a time at 2.96 seconds. Third overall in the standing vertical jump, equal third in the running vertical jump.

“He averaged 20 disposals, three marks and three tackles during the champs, so he is someone that can find a lot of the footy.

“Tends to find it from half back through midfield the majority of the time, so an accumulator, very, very nice mover and has the ability on both sides of the body too.

“Keep an eye out for Gus Kennedy - as I say he's one that people haven’t heard as much about.”

The next van Rooyen set to make his mark

There is plenty to like about West Australian Benji van Rooyen who is shaping up as a genuine draft bolter in 2026.

Standing at 203cm, van Rooyen has shown his class as a ruck, playing two games in the seniors for Claremont in the WAFL.

Van Rooyen impressed recruiters in a dominant display in the Reserves against East Perth where he recorded 22 disposals, three goals and proved he could hold his own as a ruckman.

“It was different to what I've been used to playing against kids my own age,” Van Rooyen told SEN Sportsday.

“I was kind of just adapting and changing my game a little bit to kind of suit that and have the best opportunities I could.”

Van Rooyen’s brother Jacob, who had a breakout season for Melbourne, has been a helpful guide in the leadup to the draft.

“Yeah, he's been good this year,” van Rooyen said.

“Throughout my draft year, he's kind of just told me to have fun and not overthink it so much.

“But I think when he said when he got to the AFL, it's just hard work and a lot more of it.

“It's kind of just every day at the club doing recovery, training, gym, meetings and all that.

“So, it's kind of just, adapting your lifestyle and trying to take as much out of it as you can.”

Van Rooyen has also spent time with former Fremantle and Essendon ruck Zac Clarke.

“He's been huge for me,” van Rooyen said.

“I've done a lot of work with him trying to improve my game, so he's been pretty big for me.”

There are a few key talls who loom as potential future superstars with van Rooyen going head-to-head in the ruck with Victorian Harry van Hattum. The pair faced off in the national carnival earlier this year.

“I did a lot of preview stuff watching what he did,” van Rooyen said.

"So I was kind of figuring out what I'd do. I did a lot of that before the game, kind of just took that into the game and tried to use it against him.

“I enjoyed the match-up a lot and obviously he's very highly rated, I thought he did pretty well against him, so I was pretty pleased with the result.”

Van Rooyen's stock continues to rise as a ruck, just how high he can go in the draft remains to be seen.

The bolter four games short of Pies father-son

South Australia enter the 2026 AFL National Draft with immense representation, boasting a number of talented youngsters expected to be taken across the early rounds.

One of their elite U18s talents is draft bolter Gabe Patterson.

Glenelg’s high damage forward starred in the latter stages of his U18s campaign, averaging 25 disposals, two goals and five clearances in the club’s premiership winning finals series.

However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Patterson. A shoulder injury saw him on the sidelines 10 weeks of his U18s season, playing late in the year despite remaining under some discomfort.

“It was a roller coaster of a year really,” Patterson told SEN SA.

“I came into the year with high expectations on myself and knew that Glenelg also had a good chance of winning the premiership.

“(The injury) impacted me quite heavily at the start of the year and I didn't get to play the football which I wanted to.

“But I was really pleased to finish off the year well and play some good footy.”

A natural small forward, Patterson enjoyed a substantial growth spurt over a number of years, exceeding six feet and as a result, shifting his game accordingly.

“I've grown about 8 or 10 centimetres in the past two or three years,” he said.

“I'm still developing into my body and hopefully there's a bit more growth there.

“I've had some really good conversations out at Glenelg and at State level to move high up the ground and that started with playing high half forward.

“I'd like to express my passion for playing a bit of midfield as well.”

With the change of role, Patterson has taken on advice from Adelaide’s superstar mid/forward Izak Rankine, while modelling his game on some seriously good talent.

“I've always prided myself on having impact and breaking the game open and I'm a front-half player,” he said.

“Being able to watch like Kai Lohmann and Zac Bailey in the final series, it was really pleasing to see them do well. Even Toby Greene (is a player I look up to).

“I got to spend a week in pre-season with the Crows and speaking closely with Izak Rankine - I've always looked up to him as a player and person and I take a few parts of his game into my own in terms of driving my legs, kicking goals and taking the corridor on.”

Despite growing up in South Australia, Patterson is a die-hard Collingwood fan – thanks to his father, Stephen.

Through the late 1990s, Stephen Patterson, a star for Norwood in the SANFL, joined the Magpies, playing 96 games for the club from 1995 through to 2000.

Unfortunately for Gabe, he falls just four games short of father-son eligibility.

“I've always been a massive Pies fan. My whole family is,” he said.

“I’m really flat (to miss out on father-son). I've probably let Dad know about it every day of the year this year!

“I've been really fortunate enough to speak to quite a few clubs and Collingwood has been one of them - they're all really good to speak to.

“I feel like all clubs sort of keep their cards close to their chest, so I've got no idea. I'd imagine other boys are the same.”

Patterson is currently expected to fall within the 20s of the upcoming AFL National Draft, with the first-round set for November 19th.

The only AFL club yet to interview star prospect

South Australia will be well represented at the upcoming National Draft, flaunting both the best hybrid tall forward in Dougie Cochrane, and the best key defender in Mitch Harris.

Harris, who stands around 196cm tall, is currently projected to be selected within the top 10 of this year’s draft after a stellar season in the U18’s and a few stand-out performances in the SANFL.

With his talent evident, the key back has spoken to every AFL club… bar one.

“I caught up with them all at the combine and I'm not sure (where I'll be drafted) to be honest. I’ve got no real indication at all,” Harris told SEN SA.

“I've spoken to 17 (clubs)… I haven't spoken to Hawthorn.”

The Woodville West-Torrens talent models his game around some of the best in his position, dominant in both the intercept and one-on-one aspects throughout his final junior year.

“I like watching Harris Andrews and the way he's able to intercept and bait his defender,” he continued.

“Also, Connor Sullivan, just in the recent years, the way he's able to read the ball and play on smalls and talls.

“He's exceptional at that so probably those two.”

During his draft year, Harris featured in the SANFL on five occasions, averaging a cool 10 disposals and three marks per game.

He also featured in all three of the Eagles’ finals matches, racking up six marks including two contested marks in their elimination final win over West Adelaide, and a season-high 14 disposals and five tackles in their semi-final win over Glenelg.

“It was such a cool experience,” he said.

“The one thing I noticed was the speed of the game, and the bigger bodies.

“It's definitely gave me confidence that I can play at that level. Those three league finals games were probably the most enjoyable footy I've ever played.”

SANFL U18 state coach Tony Bamford couldn’t speak higher of Harris' season.

“He has really had an excellent last 12 months,” Bamford told SEN SA Breakfast.

“I actually think he is more than 194cm – we had him down as 197 in our program.

“He was in our U16 state program, but just played, didn’t really excel.

“At the back end of last year as a bottom-ager, I watched some football late in the year and he did some really exciting things as an intercepting defender.

“He came into our program, and he delivered more than we expected on a national level. He was outstanding – only had one goal kicked on him in the whole nationals.

“For a key defender to be able to produce that at the highest level of his age group is very impressive. A very, very good year for Mitch.”

Harris is one of 13 draft talents invited to the first night of the AFL National Draft, with expectations of a selection in and around the 10th overall pick.

The draft commences on Thursday, November 19th.

Listen to Harris' full interview on SEN SA below:

The ‘wonderful’ WA talent in top five projections

The 2026 AFL Draft Class features a number of serious talents out of Western Australia.

Three of which featured for Claremont in the WAFL, performing against senior bodies as they prepare to shift into life as professional AFL footballers.

Claremont boss Ashley Prescott has provided an in-depth look at the talents, with all three expected to fall within the top 30.

The first of which is the highest rated U18 player in the state and one of the top prospects in the 2026 crop in Heath Mellody.

Currently ranked within the top five, Mellody shone across his final junior year, passing a number of challenges over the course of the year while featuring in Claremont’s WAFL Grand Final side.

“He’s a wonderful footballer,” former Richmond and Fremantle player Prescott told SEN Mornings.

“I think he’s got a beautiful, unique balance of being able to operate really well inside, but he has also got that outside ability to run, carry the ball.

“His decision making is fantastic – he is a really good prospect. Without knowing a lot about the other lads, you can see why he is ranked so highly, that’s for sure.

“Even strategically, we got him into the league team later in the year and there was a great opportunity for him to lay against West Coast.

“Over here in the West, the Eagles have got their own team, and the Fremantle Dockers are aligned to the Peel Thunder.

“There was an opportunity to get him in against the likes of Matt Flynn, Matt Schoenberg… it was an opportunity to get him in there against some AFL midfielders – albeit they were only young.

“He really stood out in that game. He showed that he had an ability against that calibre of player to not only help the team but to play a dominant game through the midfield.

“It was a really good opportunity to show people – and probably show Heath and his teammates – that he can operate at a high level in senior football.”

Another of the talents is ruckman Benji van Rooyen.

Brother of Melbourne’s Jacob, Benji enters as a high-level ruckman, earning high praise from Prescott after he too featured at WAFL level.

“He is a ruckman, but gee he is a likely type,” he said.

“A real pure ruckman, he is still developing his physical capacity which we know takes time for some of those younger tall guys.

“He is an absolute footy-head, and he is really competitive with really good instincts around the ground. He also got a taste of senior footy and acquitted himself enormously well.

“One thing that stands out with him is his capacity to want to learn and improve. An amazing clubman with a real appetite to work hard.

“Another really good, exciting prospect, and he’s got some good genetics going through the family, for sure!”

The final of the third is outside runner George Gale, who also featured in Claremont’s WAFL Grand Final.

The 191cm talent has the capacity to shift inside and out, and carries an elite pedigree of professionals within the family.

“(Father) Mark Gale was a Claremont product – played for the Dockers and also played at St Kilda Football Club. Grandfather Terry Gale was a professional golfer,” Prescott said.

“(Gale is) a high achiever, really easy to coach, self-driven to the point where he is always down at the footy club doing extra weights, running.

“He is one of those blokes that is going to leave nothing in the tank in regard to preparing himself, and he has prepared himself enormously well.

“He had a pretty good state U18’s carnival and showed some really good attributes at senior footy. We wanted to give these lads every opportunity to shine and show what they could do against senior players.

“Probably more of an outside winger/half-back flanker, but I reckon he has all the attributes to go inside. But we felt that with Mellody in there and the mix, we let him get up and down on the wing where he showed some great traits.”

The AFL Draft begins on November 19 with the first round before continuing the following day.

Listen to the full chat below:

From the projected number one pick, a ruckman that excels up forward and two pure key talls, Draft expert Kevin 'Shifter' Sheehan believes four key forward and ruck talents could hear their names called in and around the top 10 come draft night.

“I think there’s four here that could be in the top 15,” Sheehan told SEN Afternoons.

Harry Van Hattum (Northern Knights)

“You can’t ignore big Harry Van Hattum, the big ruckman at 205cm.

“He’s nearly as big as Max Gawn in terms of his height, and he’d be 105kg as well. He’s a big unit and he moves magnificently up the ground.

“At times, he moves like a ruck rover, how well he gets around the place. He looks a long-term ruckman and certainly is going to be taken early.

“How early? That’s up to the clubs, but he has done everything possible over the last three years to present as the most likely to be a successful, long-term, 200-game ruckman.”

Will Malady (Gippsland Power)

“Then you’ve got a couple of boys that fit the bill as the mobile types.

“Will Malady, who comes from Gippsland that is down at Caulfield Grammar. He has played so well in the big games that the kids have over the last number of years.

“We have a futures game when they are 17, that was on the MCG Grand Final day (2025). He kicked five in that just to remind him of where the big stage is.

“In the Grand Final this year, his U18 comp in the Talent League for Gippsland, he kicked five second-half goals.

“Back in the day, Adam Goodes kicked about six of about 10, so it’s always a great indicator. Gryan Miers kicked seven or eight too, so it’s a great indicator of who might go on.

“Malady did that, and he tested brilliantly recently, with his agility, endurance, all of those things. He is an elite, get on your bike, 190cm, third marking forward type.”

Sam Gayfer (Northern Knights)

“The other boy, Sam Gayfer. He broke the record at the Draft Combine with his vertical leap… he smashed it by seven centre meters!

“That gets back to his great athletic ability, but his work ethic to prepare to do that – he aimed to do it from months ago. That’s the way he plays. A jack-in-the-box, like a Logan Morris at times.

“A pack forms and some guy jumps straight up the middle of it and marks it centre meters above the others. That’s Sam Gayfer. That’s what he does.

“Kicked 40 goals for the year in about 17 games at rep and club level. It was no surprise to then see him test so well. He presents as an early draft choice rather than just a draft choice.

“He could be a pretty special player.”

Dougie Cochrane (Port Adelaide SANFL)

“We are looking forward to those three, and then of course, you’ve got Dougie Cochrane.

“We've listed him with the tall forwards. He can play tall back, he can play tall midfield, he's the likely No. 1 choice.

“He's right up there with the way he distributes the ball, the way he intercepts. He's probably like a James Sicily when he plays down back. He just reads it so well, he's got great hands and then sets the play up with his kicking.”

The AFL Draft begins on November 19 with the first round before continuing the following day.

Listen to the full chat below:

The incentive Essendon can capitalise on with potential bid

With plenty of changes to the AFL Draft this year, Sheehan has discussed how Essendon can increase its draft hand without having to trade for picks.

Having finished last on the ladder this year, the Bombers receive Pick 1 for only the second time in the club’s 154-year history, giving them free rein on the best prospects in this year’s draft class.

Out of those prospects, two names have stood out as the leading contenders to hear their name called out first and earn the Allan Aylett Medal: Dougie Cochrane and Cody Walker.

It is unlikely that either player will land at the Hangar, with Cochrane being tied to Port Adelaide’s Next Generation Academy and Walker being connected as a father-son to Carlton through his dad, Andrew.

However, as Sheehan notes, in this year’s host of changes to the draft, the Bombers can receive an extra pick at the start of the 2nd round should either the Power or Blues match a bid and push Essendon a pick back, helping get more talented youngsters into their side.

“Well, that's up to the clubs,” Sheehan told SEN’s Dwayne’s World.

“Those boys are right there in the mix in the top five. There's an incentive for Essendon to do it because this year, for the first time, they'll get a pick at the start of the 2nd round if they're pushed back in that top five and if they've finished in the bottom five the previous year as well.

“Essendon qualify for that. So, there's an incentive to call one of those names early, and you can get an extra pick, as I say at the start of the second night.”

But as to who Essendon should pick with its first selection, that question is a lot harder to answer.

“So, which one (do you bid on with Pick No. 1)? You could argue for both,” he continued

“They both look (like) fantastic players.

“Walker's a running machine. His production is just so good in terms of winning the footy; he gets it on the inside with his power, accelerates from stoppage.

“He could play early days. He could play at the wing, places like that as well, or across halfback.

“And he's had the advantage of being a father-son to Carlton, that he's played quite a number of games at the VFL level and been one of their better players every time he's played at that level this year, as well as training at the club.”

Sheehan was also quite high on Cochrane’s versatility.

“Well, he can play anywhere,” he added.

“We've listed him with the tall forwards. He can play tall back, he can play tall midfield, he's the likely No. 1 choice.

“He's right up there with the way he distributes the ball, the way he intercepts. He's probably like a James Sicily when he plays down back. He just reads it so well, he's got great hands and then sets the play up with his kicking.”

The AFL Draft begins on November 19 with the first round before continuing the following day.

Listen to the full chat below:

The Crows' NGA with Dudley-like talent

With the AFL season wrapped up and the Trade Deadline passed, only the AFL Draft remains on the league's 2026 calendar.

A night where dreams come true, the next crop of our game's best talents will land at their first AFL clubs in one of the competition's most exciting nights.

South Australia hosts a number of top talents, with a selection of this year’s draft crop made up of the finest from Adelaide and its surroundings.

Port Adelaide NGA talent Dougie Cochrane enters the draft as the clear favourite to be selected with the first overall pick; however, he might not be the only South Australian to be taken in the top 10.

The best of the rest boasts the title of the most dominant key defender in this year’s pool.

Mitch Harris, a 197cm lockdown defender from Woodville-West Torrens, played out an exceptional draft year, earning his place in the U18 All-Australian side after starring at state level.

SANFL U18 state coach Tony Bamford couldn’t speak higher of the year Harris played out.

“He has really had an excellent last 12 months,” Bamford told SEN SA Breakfast.

“I actually think he is more than 194cm – we had him down as 197 in our program.

“He was in our U16 state program, but just played, didn’t really excel.

“At the back end of last year as a bottom-ager, I watched some football late in the year and he did some really exciting things as an intercepting defender.

“He came into our program, and he delivered more than we expected on a national level. He was outstanding – only had one goal kicked on him in the whole nationals.

“For a key defender to be able to produce that at the highest level of his age group is very impressive. A very, very good year for Mitch.”

Beyond Harris and Cochrane, SA boasts a number of exceptional talents, with Bamford noting Archie Van Dyk and Kodah Edwards as two that should be of interest to AFL clubs.

Edwards is currently expected to land in and around the end of the first round, while Van Dyk's limited game time in 2026 could see him selected in the second or third round.

“They’ve been teammates for a while now, those guys, right back through to juniors. They know each other really well,” said Bamford.

“They’re both ball-winning inside mids, but they add a little bit of a gift of flair.

“Archie is very, very good overhead, and can also play half back.

“Kodah is more of your explosive, dynamic, inside to outside midfielder who really hurts opposition with his lateral movement and power in and out of stoppage.

“Both really talented young men, but great humans as well. Kodah was obviously our captain.

“Archie had a bad back injury at the start of the year so that really hampered his pre-season, and in the end, he only got up to play our last national game, which was a shame for Archie and for our team, because he is a great player.

“He came out and he was in the best players in game one at national levels, so that was a really good sign.

“To see him do what he did on Grand Final day in the reserves (33 disposals, seven clearances, best on ground) was just so pleasing. I was so happy for him after a tough year.

“Kodah has been alongside Dougie as the top two players in his age group for the past four years. He has been around and spoken about for a number of years.

“He has some real weapons – he has to get better at his transition, and he is aware of that, and he’s doing a lot of work to try and improve that part of his game.”

Another of South Australia's top talents is small forward Anthony Long.

The West Adelaide talent is an NGA prospect for the Crows and according to Bamford has the ability to make it at the elite level.

“The talent department is not a problem. He’s high-end talent and has been that way for a number of years,” he said of the Jervois native.

“He’s sort of had an interrupted off-field transition coming to live closer to West Adelaide to get more access to their program. So there was a disruption in terms of his living arrangements at the start of the this year.

“But once he settled and got regular training and exposure into our program you could really see the skillset start to flourish. He’s ability to win contest ahead of the ball is so prevalent.

“If you have a player who can win contest ahead of the ball, wow, they’re worth their weight in gold those type of players.

“He’s got genuine speed as the (Draft Combine) testing suggested."

Bamford says Long, the nephew of Bombers great Michael, has a similar game style to Fremantle's Isaiah Dudley who was drafted out of SANFL club Central District.

“He reminds me of Isaiah Dudley at the same age, but he’s a bigger body and he’s taller. But they both play in a similar way," Bamford added.

“He’s definitely good enough to play AFL and I hope he gets the chance to go in somewhere.”

General defender Jake Eime and speedy forward Gabe Patterson are also in the mix for a late first-round selection in the upcoming draft, with the first-round set to commence on November 19.

Listen to Bamford's full interview on SEN SA Breakfast below:

Jaiden Sciberras

Mick Ablett: The intrigue around the 2026 class

With just one month before Essendon are officially on the clock with Pick 1, draft expert Mick Ablett has previewed some of the talents making up the upper echelon of this year's class.

The 2026 class brings some serious excitement, with an even spread across the top 10 making it difficult to predict where each top talent will land at the National Draft on November 19.

While Port Adelaide NGA talent Dougie Cochrane all but locked in for a bid at Pick 1, and Carlton father-son Cody Walker widely regarded as the second-best talent on the board, the top two talents are fairly clear and have been well covered over the course of 2026.

However, it’s the depth of the remaining talents and the curiosity around the talents beyond that intrigue Ablett.

“This draft does bat deep,” Ablett told SEN’s The Captain’s Run.

“It’s a midfield, half-forward, half-back type of draft, and as we know, the game is being played quite significantly off half back these days, with the ability to run and overlap.

“It’s going to be interesting.”

Essendon currently holds the first overall pick in the draft, opting against splitting the pick over the trade period.

With the Dons expected to bid on Cochrane at Pick 1, their call on what will become the second pick is still up in the air.

“If you go back a few years now, I remember the Adelaide Crows had Pick 1 and called Jamarra Ugle-Hagan ahead of Riley Thilthorpe,” Ablett continued.

“It was the Bulldogs that ended up with the number one pick. I’m really hoping that Essendon this year do call Dougie Cochrane or Cody Walker with Pick 1. We are hearing it’s likely to be Cochrane.

“What that will then do is trigger compensation picks for Richmond, West Coast and Essendon at the start of Round 2.

“It gives them access to another pick in those early to mid-20’s, which will certainly help those three clubs under the new guidelines of what the AFL have put out with the bidding system.

“After they do potentially call one of those two players, they will have a number of guys in the mix.

“Whether it’s an Arki Butler, a Gus Teixeira, Ethen Drever is one that I’m really excited about. Or do they go for the number one ruckman in the draft in Harry Van Hattum?

“They will be mulling over a few different options. It won’t necessarily come down to need; it will come down to best available.”

The top 10 currently sees Richmond follow Essendon at Pick 2, with West Coast rounding out the top three.

Melbourne made a late trade with Port Adelaide to secure Pick 4, while the Tigers also traded with the Power to move into Pick 5, bringing two top five picks into this year’s draft.

Sydney, Port Adelaide, Gold Coast, GWS and St Kilda round out the top 10, with changes set to occur on draft night as a result of bid-matching early in the order.

INDICATIVE ORDER FOR THE 2026 AFL DRAFT

Outside of club-tied players, the order of talents from three and beyond remains to be seen.

“There was a bit of intrigue last year and not as much certainty – a lot of the phantom drafts play out as a lot of people expect them to,” Ablett said.

“Last year didn’t, and I think this year might be a little bit the same.

“There is some evenness around the top five to seven guys; any one of those guys could be taken at picks one through four, taking Cochrane and Walker out.

“There’s a good mix as well. Whether it’s a mid like an Ethan Drever that moves a little bit like Willem Duursma, or Heath Mellody, who won the Larke Medal for the MVP of the U18 Championships – he is a really smooth moving, high work ethic type of player out of Western Australia.

“And as I mentioned, Harry Van Hattum, who is the number one ruckman in this year’s draft. He’s probably a little bit similar to Cooper Duff-Tytler in how he can get around the ground and he’s more than adept at ground level as well as his aerial prowess.”

Van Hattum, clearly the best ruckman in the crop, is the talent that most intrigues Ablett.

The Northern Knights product stands at 205cm, and with his elite ability to cover ground, cleanliness below the knees and high athletic profile, Van Hattum boasts the perfect archetype for the modern game.

“I just love his instinctive follow-up at centre bounce,” Ablett continued.

“He is like a Luke Jackson in the sense that he will compete for the tap, and then he is one of the first down at ground level as well.

“His attack on the contest is absolutely outstanding for a big guy. He finished fifth overall in the running vertical jump at the AFL Draft Combine, so he is certainly an athletic type, and he’s just got these really soft hands at stoppage.

“When you talk about ruckmen and their ability to give the mids first use, he is really soft in that space and he does put it just about on a dime for the mids around him.

“He is exciting – the challenge of a lot of these clubs, as we’ve seen over the last seven to 10 years, clubs are reluctant to take big fellas early.

“Cooper Duff-Tytler was a bit of a unicorn – we know West Coast had multiple picks in that draft and could afford to take a big guy early, but history is littered with clubs that generally wait for them to develop at other clubs and pick them off 3-5 years into their careers.

“The Harry Van Hattum one is going to be very, very interesting to see how early he goes, whether clubs do think he is similar to a Cooper Duff-Tytler and can impact AFL football early.”

The first round of the 2026 AFL National Draft is locked in on November 19th, with the following rounds to commence on the 20th.

Listen to Mick Ablett’s full discussion on the 2026 AFL Draft below:

Jaiden Sciberras