Port Adelaide, Carlton, GWS, Hawthorn and West Coast are among the AFL teams that will be keeping a close eye on their draft points totals for the 2026 intake as club-tied prospects continue to impress at the U18s National Championships.
The Blues' rise, and the simultaneous one of father-son Cody Walker, has become a talking point in recent weeks as the Princes Park club surge up the ladder, with Walker putting in a best-afield performance earlier this week.
If Walker doesn't fetch a rival bid at Pick 1, Power-tied teenager Dougie Cochrane is expected to, despite not playing a game this year. The Port Adelaide NGA talent has long been touted as the leading names amongst his draft class, with the Power well positioned to match an early bid given their low ladder placement and trading during the 2025 off-season.
Port Adelaide's hand of Picks 4, 22, 27, 40, 41 and 58 gives the club the second most draft points (3639) of any team prior to Round 18's proceedings.
The Power may need to look at packaging Picks 22 and 27 to enhance their place in the order, given only their best two picks can be used on an early bid, however the expected departure of Zak Butters could help their cause.
"Port Adelaide is one we haven't really discussed. They have Pick 4 and the second most points of any club," Craft of the Draft's Mitch Keating said on this week's episode.
"(Picks) 4 and 22, as it stands, would be the only two picks they can use (on a bid). But they do have Pick 27, and you'd think they'd be able to package 22 and 27, and that's before we even get to the whole Zak Butters situation."
Analyst Jonty Ralphsmith believes the Power's upcoming fixture - which includes games against St Kilda, GWS and Essendon - could result in Josh Carr's side rise up the ladder before the season's end, adding to the Cochrane situation.
"Port Adelaide are a team that I think will win three or four more games, at least, to finish the year," Ralphsmith said.
"They have a few of those winnable games against teams around them (on the ladder) and they could get into that 11th or 12th position. Then obviously the flow-on effects for what it means for their ability to match a bid for Dougie Cochrane, which we widely expect to be at Pick 1."
Behind Walker and Cochrane, GWS Academy talent Ethan Matthews is expected to earn the third bid come draft night, with the Giants potentially forced to make a call on the midfielder in the first 10 selections of the count.
The Giants only possess Picks 6 and 31, good enough for 2088 points.
"If he's not in top five calculations, I definitely think he's taken in the top 10 of the National Draft after what he's shown this year," Ralphsmith said of Matthews.
"GWS are a fascinating club, as it's hard to get a read on their form, and therefore where they're going to end up. They don't have a lot of picks at the National Draft."
Hawthorn, too, will be a key player over the off-season, with the Victorian club potentially needing to make a call on whether they pursue star talent from across the competition at the risk of damaging their chances of securing club-tied prospects.
Tied to the likes of Butters, Ben King and Zach Merrett, the Hawks' position in a "win-now" window raises fascination in their potential pursuit of NGA talent Keenan Boi and father-son figure Cooper Hodge.
"The Hawks, how much attention are they putting on their draft options or that win-now window with the type of talent (they've been linked to)?" Keating said.
"Do they use those picks on mature, known-quality talent instead of top draft selections or a player they have club ties to?"
West Coast have ties to a handful of Western Australian prospects in father-son Harper Banfield and NGA pair Lachie McGlade and Garrison Kenh, while cross-town rivals Fremantle also have a duo of promising priority prospects in Lucas Robinson and Finlay Yeo.
The Western Bulldogs have NGA star Khaled El Souki to consider amid their pursuit of the aforementioned Butters, while Essendon (Blake Justice), Sydney (Aiden McCartney, Henry Meaney, Mason McGroder, Ben Pignatelli, Jake Medved, Lachie Price and Guy Jenkin), Richmond (Tanner Armstrong, Jack Leys and Archie Daffy), Brisbane (Caylen Murray, Matthew Owen and Cooper Hodge), North Melbourne (Aiden McCartney, Sam Harris and Archie Devine), Adelaide (Anthony Long) and Gold Coast (Archie Hill) also have ties to promising draft names.
