The Telstra AFL Draft is just over a week away, which means it is time for AFL.com.au's draft guru, Cal Twomey, to rank the best 30 players in the pool.
After monthly updates of the Phantom Form Guide since July, this is the final edition of the best players in the 2026 draft crop. Remember, this is not a Phantom Draft and is purely a ranking of the prospects.
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Since the middle of 2024, when he tore apart the under-16s carnival, Cochrane has been viewed as the best player in this year's draft pool. That hasn't shifted this year despite only playing a handful of games in the SANFL late in this season after his ongoing knee tendinitis issues. Cochrane is a special mix of talents – he's tall so can play as a key-position prospect at either end, he's a sublime kick of the footy, he loves big moments, he kicks goals and sees himself playing as a midfielder shifting forward in the future. Cochrane is a likable and humble prospect with a competitive edge who is bound for Port Adelaide as a Next Generation Academy prospect.
Walker played for five teams this year – Bendigo Pioneers, Carlton VFL, the AFL Academy, Vic Country and Echuca – and at all levels showed himself to be a consistent, tough inside midfielder with the capacity to step out of traffic with power. But the layer below those games was the fact the son of former Blue Andrew was able to spend a full season training at Carlton, learning the ropes and an AFL system. Walker can run and run – he finished fourth in the 2km time trial at the Telstra AFL Draft Combine with a time of 6:04 minutes – and he's a contested ball-winner all the time. Understated but driven, Walker has had an excellent year to prepare himself for the big time.
The Arki-tect is the most fun player in the draft to watch. He is a highlights reel and as talented as anyone in the open pool, with his forward half game setting him apart. Butler had a disjointed season, particularly in the second half of the season when he suffered a broken collarbone, but he returned for his school team's Grand Final and Talent League finals as well. Butler is a half-forward with game breaking abilities, class, skills, speed and a hunger for the big moment. He has some strut and plays with confidence and has been compared for several years to a young Toby Greene.
The run-and-gun midfielder with an edge, Drever has Sam Walsh-like qualities with his inside and outside mix. He ran at 2.90 seconds in the Draft Combine's 20-metre sprint, having also placed in the top 10 for the vertical jumps tests and running a very solid 6:30 minutes for the 2km time trial. Essentially, it showed him to be a strong all-round package of traits. Drever grew as a player as the season went on and his carnival with Vic Country was excellent. A look-you-in-the-eye character who has clubs viewing him as a future leader.
The top prospect out of Western Australia had a brilliant season at all levels as he continued to rise up the ranks. Having come into the year as an attacking half-back, and also playing that role early in his state's under-18 carnival, Mellody shifted into the midfield and was excellent, winning the Larke Medal as the best player in the championships. He went on to star for Claremont's senior side in the WAFL, with his penetrating kicking, attack on the contest, class by hand and versatility standing out.
Teixeira is a half-forward who can go into the midfield and create immediate action. He's got power and a step through traffic, as well as a fend-off, and he enjoys pushing forward to hit the scoreboard. A standout game in Vic Metro's trial match earlier this year saw Teixeria lift into top-five contention and despite an interrupted second half of the year, he remains in the top rung of prospects. A quieter personality, Teixeira lets his footy do the talking and he performed well in his follow-up fitness testing on Saturday, running a 6:27 2km time trial as well as a 3.1 second 20-metre sprint.
The leading ruckman in the draft class and a prospect who has developed his game as the season has gone on. Van Hattum had a taste of under-18 action last year as a bottom-ager but entered this year as a hyped top-five talent. He is a ruck who is genuinely big already at 205cm and his leap adds to the mix as well (he finished sixth in the running vertical jump test at the Combine). His kicking and skills for a player of his size are excellent and he will probably start his career with some time in the forward half of his AFL home.
A footy head who knows the game and how it's played, Matthews has grown up a Collingwood fan. But he is bound for the Giants, having been tied to their Academy via the western Sydney region. Matthews is a left-footed midfielder who has poise, control and a good inside-outside blend. He can win his own ball, as he did many times throughout the season with the Allies and Giants Academy, but is also adept at precisely finding teammates by foot and hand. He missed the second half of the season with a foot stress fracture.
The leading key defender in the group is an intercept star in the back half and he plays with a minimum of fuss. An ankle injury ruled him out of testing at the Draft Combine but he had shown his wares at the end of the season with a run of strong performance at senior SANFL level with the Eagles. He can shut down opponents whilst also keeping an eye on attacking opportunities and will be viewed by clubs as being a player who can walk into a club and help in 2027.
Composed and polished, Murray rose up the board during a run of strong performances for the Allies at the mid-year carnival. He was a standout off half-back and his ball use, kicking and reading of the game stood out. The Brisbane Academy prospect has spent plenty of time with the Lions learning the game's best system. Murray is lightly framed, meaning it will likely take some time for him to grow into a senior spot, but he has a nice skillset that takes the eye.
A jack-in-the-box forward with speed to burn, a springy leap and a fun highlights reel to match. Malady stood up in some big games late in the year, kicking four goals in his school Grand Final for Caulfield Grammar and then five goals in Gippsland Power's Talent League premiership win. He finished fourth in the 20-metre sprint and although he will take some time to develop physically, there is loads of talent in Malady's game waiting to be unlocked.
There was a stack of draftees who had clubs raving about their interviews at the Draft Combine, and Steed was one of them. The Swan Districts midfielder is a tough, hard-running, ball-getter who did it at all levels this year. He's a smaller option but covers the ground well, which was evidenced in his 6:09 minute 2km time trial, and he was impressive with the Black Swans' senior team at WAFL league level.
Gayfer is a key forward who clubs have had their eyes on as his season gathered momentum. The thing about the Northern Knights prospect is his aggression – Gayfer loves flying into contests, crashing packs and causing mayhem and he does it without shirking the physicality. The 18-year-old is powerful and explosive and showed that at the Draft Combine when he broke the vertical jump test all-time record and he is a gym junkie prospect who is confident he can make an impact next year.
One of the leading key defenders in the draft and a player who enjoys intercepting kicks and having an attacking flair in the back half. Snell is tall enough to play on the big opposition key forwards and will in time, but his ability to read the ball in the air and in flight is a real asset. He was a key member of Gippsland Power's premiership team and also impressed with Collingwood in the VFL for a debut late in the season.
Burrows spent this season being thrown around in a stack of different roles and enjoyed the variety. So too did clubs watching him, with the strongly built prospect having a breakout game at half-back with Vic Metro where his run and dash stood out. He has also shown himself to be a rugged, tough and competitive midfielder as well as a dangerous forward option with his aerial traits. There's a buzz about the 'Buzz' and Burrows is a popular teammate who plays with a physical approach that will win people over quickly.
A key defender who knows his job is to stop. And he stopped plenty of forwards throughout this year. Bradley plays his opponent with physicality and discipline and he has proved hard to get around for clubs all the year through. Athletically Bradley also appeals to clubs and he was excellent at the Combine, finishing in the top 10 for the agility and standing vertical jumps tests and producing a 3.0 second 20-metre sprint. He was Vic Metro's MVP and is a studious character who is ready for the next level.
A smooth customer through the midfield, Krasna enjoyed a steady rise across the season as a potential first-round pick. The Northern Knights prospect will have some time in the gym when he walks into an AFL club but he has the endurance and speed combination down pat, which he showed at the Draft Combine with a 2km time trial of 6:10 minutes and a 3.0-second 20-metre sprint. Krasna is a personable prospect with some spark – literally with his double earrings – and he has a nice set of skills to make an impact.
He's the school prefect who is ready to hit the AFL. Dimer is a high achiever – aiming for a 99 ATAR score and the school captain at Haileybury College. But the leadership elements he brings to the table only cover off some of the traits that he showed through this season, with Dimer's performances for the Sandringham Dragons and Vic Metro showing his clean hands at ground level, his propensity to be in the right spot at the front of a pack and his delivery inside-50 deliberate and classy. Dimer has grown up a midfielder but with his height and pace he will start his career as a small forward.
Let him Cooke. The Northern Knights midfielder did just that at Talent League level this year, winning the Morrish Medal as the competition's best player. He averaged 25 disposals, six clearances, five tackles and four inside-50s a game for the Knights, but also showed he could push forward and be a threat there, including when he played for Vic Metro at the carnival. He has strong footy IQ and just gets it done most weeks, while also having excellent athletic scope, which he proved at the Combine.
Phillips carried a back injury through stages of the end of the season, having spent a year working as a groundskeeper while juggling his under-18 footy commitments. The Dandenong Stingray's qualities are there to see – he has pace, he kicks the ball with precision on both feet, he can mark overhead and he's clean with the ball in his hands. He likely starts his AFL career as a wingman.
El Souki is a small forward with a bit of pizazz. He certainly knows where the goals are and his hauls this year included a six-goal game late in the season with the Western Jets, as well as kicking three for Footscray in his VFL debut. He's a left-footer who can lay a tackle, but his best trait is that when there's a goal to sniff out, he's there. The Lebanese talent is tied to the Western Bulldogs' Next Generation Academy and is hoping to follow recent draftees Adam Sweid and Hussien El Achkar as Muslims into the AFL.
There were injury niggles that Williams had to manage this year, including a hip/groin injury that ruled him out of testing at the Draft Combine. However, clubs are aware of Williams' traits as a hard-edged midfielder who gives it everything every week. The left-footed ball-getter has had a strong run of leadership roles, including captaining Geelong, the AFL Academy and being a co-captain of Vic Country.
Eime is a dashing half-back who won All-Australian honours at the under-18 championships with South Australia. He averaged 20 disposals at an efficiency of 77 per cent and was the preferred player for his side to take the ball out of defence and run with it. He has speed and kicks well.
A key forward who entered the year with big wraps but only has a small sample size to lean on in 2026 after a knee reconstruction ruled him out in the opening weeks. Pickett came into the season having kicked 31 goals from eight Talent League games last year and started this season well before the injury struck and saw him sidelined for the rest of the season. He has remained a constant with all his under-18 programs since the injury and through his rehabilitation and clubs are still well aware of his abilities.
A half-forward flyer who has been around this mark since some eye-catching displays mid-year with Vic Country and the Rebels. Athletically Elliott is strong and he performed well at the Draft Combine in the 2km time trial (6:26 minutes). He has good forward craft and can mark well above his head for a player his size, including a big day out against Bendigo when he kicked seven goals. Has real tricks and some upside as a clever half-forward option.
A taller midfielder with real running ability to cover the ground and clock up the kilometres. Gale had a strong finish to the season with Claremont's senior League team all the way to the WAFL Grand Final. The 191cm midfield prospect uses his height to his advantage and has a strong aerobic base, which was seen at the Combine with his 6:12 minute 2km time trial.
Edwards started his season off with a bang, kicking four goals in a South Adelaide under-18s game, and he continued to hit the scoreboard at various stages of his campaign. He also had a taste of higher levels following South Australia's carnival, playing five SANFL League games. He has some pace – he ran 2.90 seconds at the South Australian Draft Combine after missing the national Combine with illness – and is also agile with his footwork as a midfielder and small forward.
A versatile forward who can read the ball off the pack with precision and make something out of nothing. Some of Boi's best moments happen in a flash – you watch a contest and he quickly flicks out with the ball and creates a goal or scoring opportunity. Boi won the Gippsland Power best and fairest in their run to the Talent League premiership and he has power, which is a trait clubs are always looking for.
Spawton-Guy is a competitive tall forward who some clubs also think could play as a key defender in the future. He marks well and has shown he can stand up in a contest, and his run of games late in the year with West Perth's senior side, where he kicked nine goals over four games, was another good test of his mettle. Across the season he kicked 33 goals in 19 games and showed his marking prowess in all of them.
Wigmore has a weapon in his marking and he isn't afraid to use it. The 189cm interceptor loves to read the ball off an opponent's foot and create havoc in the back half by sliding in and taking the grab. He models his game on Geelong champion Tom Stewart and has been working on his game so that he can play as a third defender at the next level. Had some standout games this year, including a cracking 35-disposal and 16-mark effort against the Greater Western Victoria Rebels late in the year.
