By day, I work as an exercise physiologist. By night, I moonlight as an AFL draft fanatic. I'm watching 6-10 games per week, and staying across all the statistics and highlights of games and players I may have missed.
When I watch games, I have my own ranking criteria that I stand by as a measure of a player's impact on the game. Something I can use to separate prospects aside from the stats, and outside of purely football knowledge and intuition.
When it comes to putting together rankings, it's not hard to end up with a huge list of players worth noting. I've limited myself to 100 names for now, but make no mistake, there are upwards of 200 names on my radar. Without further ado, let's get into the current top 100 players in the 2026 AFL draft.
80-61
80. Jack Nelson – MID – Sturt Double Blues
Elite running power and solid skills with good size.
79. Charlie Hanegraaf – MID – Geelong Falcons
Midfield bull with solid skills and ability as a forward.
78. Max Downes – FWD/MID – Northern Knights
Strong overhead forward option who has grown as an accumulator this year.
77. Chas Woodward – WING/MID – Northern Knights
Speedy inside/outside play-style suited to the modern game.
76. Clancy Stuart – MID/FWD – Dandenong Stingrays
Big-bodied midfield bull who is hard to beat forward, too.
75. Flynn Woolhouse – KEY FWD – Oakleigh Chargers
Smooth moving athlete capable of eye-catching moments.
74. Seb Marsic – KEY FWD – Oakleigh Chargers
Strong marking prospect who can also play behind the ball.
73. Sam Gayfer – KEY FWD – Northern Knights
Strong hands and a reliable kick. Gets separation easily using surprising speed.
72. Blake Newton – FWD/MID – Murray Bushrangers
Cruelled by injury, x-factor half forward with a huge ceiling.
71. Will Ekberg – MID – Sturt Double Blues *Adelaide NGA
Underrated midfielder who makes good decisions and hits his targets.
70. Matthew Owen – MID – Brisbane Academy
An impressive, smooth-moving midfielder with sound skills and a great work rate.
69. Lucas Robinson – MID – South Fremantle Bulldogs *Fremantle NGA
Big-bodied, natural clearance winner with senior level experience.
68. Charlie Bradford – KEY FWD – West Adelaide Bloods
Modern day high-flying forward who is also clean at ground level and is a beautiful kick.
67. Angus Tippett – MID – Western Jets
Hard working, big-bodied prospect who racks up possessions on the inside and on the spread.
66. Garrison Kenh – HALF BACK – East Perth Royals *West Coast NGA
Natural half back with great athleticism and a smooth kick.
65. Kai Parker – GEN. DEF/HALF BACK – Northern Knights
Can play tall or small in defence. Breaks lines with leg speed and foot skills.
64. Billy Wigmore – TALL UTILITY – Western Jets
Natural marking force who always back himself whether intercepting or playing as a forward.
63. George Dimer – FWD/MID – Sandringham Dragons
Speedy ball winner who can accumulate as well as play as a goal sneak.
62. Finlay Yeo – SMALL FWD/MID – East Fremantle Sharks *Fremantle NGA
Explosive x-factor player who can play small or impact higher up the ground.
61. Eamon Austin – SMALL FWD/MID – Bendigo Pioneers
Dynamo with awesome speed and agility. Natural ball winner and smart user.
