The conclusion of the 2026 AFL National Championships has crystallised which players are at the top end of this year's draft crop and given cause for excitement about the depth of players on offer.
Several players have ensconced themselves in top 10 discussion off the back of an eye-catching carnival, with four club-tied prospects in that mix. But there is plenty of compelling talent in the next tier for the rest of the competition to choose from.
Three key defenders in the top 15 is a noteworthy feature with no more than one typically taken in the first round across the past decade.
There is also a mix of enticing inside and outside midfielders, half-backs and small forwards, with athleticism, as has become the way, a common denominator among the very best.
Claremont defender Tom Brown, South Australian pair Gabriel Patterson and Jacob McNicol, Sandringham Dragons interceptor Ollie Bartal, Essendon-linked Blake Justice, West Coast father-son prospect Harper Banfield and Eastern Ranges utility Sam Devers are among the names on the periphery of the top 40.
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10 - Caylen Murray (Brisbane Lions Academy) (+7)
We've got him towards the ceiling of current projections, with most having him somewhere in the teens, but his damaging speed and game-breaking ability is a significant point-of-difference as an athletically built utility. Has done his best work this year as a half-back who chains possession, and pleasingly has also shown a willingness to defend when required. In an underperforming Allies outfit, Murray also got midfield exposure where he showed breakaway ability. The upside is enormous with the football and athletic attributes he possesses. Another first round bid matched looks inevitable for the Lions.
JASON AKERMANIS ON CAYLEN MURRAY
9 - Mitch Harris (Woodville-West Torrens) (+6)
There are three key defenders in our top 20 and draft patterns suggest it is unlikely that many are taken so early in the draft. Regardless, Harris has the most upside of the trio, willing to accept the bruises that come with standing his ground in pack marking situations and virtually unstoppable when given free rein to run and jump at the footy. His intercepting is well-known and what has put him on the radar, but is increasingly a nightmare matchup one-on-one. He's progressing his ability to counterattack - using the footy more potently is the next evolution of his game.
8 - Leo Steed (Swan Districts) (+4)
Was a very close runner-up in the Larke Medal to Heath Mellody after an influential carnival through the midfield where he showed breakaway pace, clean skills and natural ball-winning. Might lay claim to being the most competitive player in the pool and has been compared to Caleb Serong, but has more scoreboard impact than the Fremantle star. As well as his midfield capability, has shown an ability to play in attack where he is a tough matchup.
7 - Ethan Matthews (GWS Giants Academy) (+1)
The Giants Academy prospect is a modern midfielder who GWS should not have any issues matching a bid on with their current assets - and they should be preparing for one to come in the middle of the first round. Off a very limited pre-season, pieced together a consistent season until it was stymied by injury midway through the carnival, but his ability to gain metres in transition alongside his ability to win clearance and get from inside to outside make him a sought-after proposition.
6 - Ethan Drever (GWV Rebels) (+1)
The GWV Rebels midfielder took out Vic Country's MVP after a carnival filled with compelling moments from the big-bodied on-baller. Can burst forward from contests and is balanced as a transition midfielder and around contest and puts himself in goal-scoring positions. He is set to get a run in the VFL for Footscray before the season's end, which will be a good showcase of how he goes when his size isn't the point-of-difference it is at junior level.
