The AFL season is done and the trade and draft season has arrived.
If you have not followed our rankings throughout 2026, this Power Rankings is for you as we overview the key information about the top players in AFL clubs' sights.
For the first time this year, the list extends to 50, with the crop characterised by a great evenness after the first round.
There is a nice blend of the types of players available
Among the players to just miss out were: Andrio Sousa, Harry Franz, Kaie Sullivan and Lachie Hicks.
5-1
5 - Cody Walker (Bendigo Pioneers)
| 5 RANK |  | Cody Walker Bendigo Pioneers Midfielder HEIGHT: 184cm |
One of the most touted names in the draft class, Walker represented Echuca, Bendigo Pioneers, AFL Academy, Vic Country and Carlton VFL in a busy 2026. Ultra-competitive and hard-working, he has proven the step up to senior bodies has been no impediment for him and he has benefitted from not being at school this year and being able to develop under the watchful eye of Carlton. Has been challenged on his kicking but always backs himself. Also won a premiership recently for his local club.
4 - Arki Butler (Sandringham Dragons)
| 4 RANK |  | Arki Butler Sandringham Dragons Forward HEIGHT: 180cm |
It turned into a frustrating season for Butler. Had established himself as a bona fide Pick 1 contender - before a collarbone injury kept him to just two games after the National Championships. One of those was a schoolboy premiership for Brighton Grammar, the other a preliminary final for Sandringham where he struggled to reach his absolute best. A Toby Greene-like forward-midfielder who just finds ways to kick goals with athleticism and smarts.
BUTLER ON CAPTAINING SCHOOL FOOTY PREMIERSHIP
3 - Ethan Drever (GWV Rebels)
| 3 RANK |  | Ethan Drever GWV Rebels Midfielder HEIGHT: 188cm |
Momentum is coming for Drever at the right time of the year with the big-bodied midfielder mixing explosive speed and power with combative ball-winning. Can get forward and hit the scoreboard and has become a dangerous transition midfielder to complement his stoppage work. The Vic Country MVP and GWV Rebels best and fairest has made every post a winner in 2026 and has not always been in successful teams this year so has done a lot of his work with attention and responsibility.
ETHAN DREVER ON THE CONVERSATION WHICH CHANGED HIS SEASON
2 - Heath Mellody (Claremont)
| 2 RANK |  | Heath Mellody Claremont Midfielder HEIGHT: 184cm |
Momentum has come at the right time for the Western Australian who arguably has the largest piece of the most even Pick 1 pie of this generation. After missing the early games this season, he returned with a bang for the AFL Academy, took out the Larke Medal at the U18s National Championships and then scintillating senior footy for Claremont put him well and truly in the Pick 1 race. His elite kicking has always been an attribute of the half-back midfielder and he has mixed that with ferocity and smoothness and has upside as he grows into his frame.
1 - Dougie Cochrane (Central District)
| 1 RANK |  | Dougie Cochrane Central District Forward HEIGHT: 196cm |
Played four late-season SANFL games for Port Adelaide and spent time in the backline for a weak lineup but is more likely to play forward long term. Covers the ground gracefully for a player of his size and has a stylish skillset. Fans have questioned how a player who has hardly played this year can be the consensus top pick, but his work ethic, star power and character have him as a clear top of the crop who has an abundance of AFL attributes.
