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.
60-41
60. Harper Banfield - MID/FWD - Claremont Tigers *West Coast F/S
Versatile inside/outside game with solid skills and goal kicking ability. Hard worker who can play forward, midfield and on a wing.
59. Sam Tassone - HALF BACK - North Adelaide Roosters
Plays best as an accumulating half back using his pace and kicking skills to break lines with the ability to move up to a wing. Dangerous with the ball in space.
58. Jack Gordon - MID/HALF BACK - Central District Bulldogs
Started the season as a big-bodied clearance winning midfielder before moving to half back and showing his intercepting ability and solid foot skills.
57. Anthony Long - FWD/MID - West Adelaide Bloods *Adelaide NGA
High x-factor prospect with a burst of speed and agility. Centre ball-up point of difference combined with forward craft to also play out of the square.
56. Archie Hill - HALF BACK/UTILITY - Gold Coast Academy
On-field leader, great versatility, running power and solid skills. Stepped up to VFL level with aplomb highlighting his high floor.
55. Mitch Toner - GEN. FWD - Dandenong Stingrays
Serious talent who can play any offensive position and be a match-up nightmare or have an impact on-ball. High-level speed, skills and marking ability.
54. Harry Franz - KEY DEF - Glenelg Tigers
Eye-catching athlete with solid kicking. Hard to beat on the lead and uses his length to great effect to spoil.
53. Aiden McCartney - GEN. FWD - Sydney Academy *North Melbourne F/S
Missing the whole year but can't be forgotten. Impressive skills and mobility, versatility to play taller or smaller.
52. Harrison Leeder - KEY FWD - Northern Knights
Modern athletic key forward who can take marks on the lead and on top of a pack. Solid work rate to get up and down the ground.
51. Lewis Houndsome - KEY FWD/RUCK - Northern Knights
Size to compete straight away, strong hands and a great kick. Uses his size well at talent league level both in the ruck and as an option forward.
50. Benji van Rooyen - RUCK - Claremont Tigers
Traditional ruck prospect who may not be as athletic as others but has great ruck craft and can take a strong mark down the line. Follows up well at ground level and has solid skills.
49. Blake Justice - FWD/MID - Calder Cannons *Essendon NGA
Only just made his return from injury recently. Justice showed last year that he is a smooth mover with high level skills, great size and positional versatility to play on-ball, on a wing or as a high half forward.
48. Toby Krasna - WING - Northern Knights
Natural wing who can impact at stoppage and work hard on the spread. Nice size, eye-catching breakaway speed with great skills and an impressive goal kicking ability.
47. Harvie Cooke - FWD/MID - Northern Knights
Cooke has shown that he is more than capable of playing as a tough inside midfielder for the Knights, and he has taken that intensity to a forward role with Vic Metro with great success. Bull-in-a-China-shop type of player.
46. Archie Elliott - GEN.FWD - GWV Rebels
Natural goal-kicker who is capable of doing whatever is required of him offensively. Can play small, medium, or tall using his surprising burst and strong hands to be a difficult match-up.
45. Jake Eime - HALF BACK - Central District Bulldogs
A weapon off half-back who looks to use his elite speed to break lines, Eime has a good frame and also has sound foot skills. Looking to put them both together more often.
44. Wil Antrobus - HALF BACK - Dandenong Stingrays
One of the best kicks in this year's draft crop. Plays his role as chief distributor really well, tries to take the game on with his kicking and is starting to have more of an influence further up the ground, too.
43. Keenan Boi - FWD/MID - Gippsland Power *Hawthorn NGA
Prototypical high half forward for the modern game with good skills, plenty of tricks and the versatility to play as a genuine small forward or as an extra midfielder.
42. Sam Harris - MID/FWD - Calder Cannons *North Melbourne F/S
A competitive midfielder for the Cannons who plays tough and works hard. A change in role for Vic Metro has allowed Harris to showcase his smart positioning and kicking skills to impact as a half forward.
41. Lachlan Hicks - MID/FWD - Western Jets
Huge numbers at talent league level in both disposals and goals playing primarily as a midfielder. Works hard on the spread and makes himself a marking option up forward with surprisingly strong hands.
