AFL Draft prospect Ethan Herbert has expressed confidence that he can play as a starting ruck at AFL level.
The South Australian has had a strong 2026 so far, playing mostly in the ruck, but was given exposure in attack at the Under-18s Championships and has also been shown there at times for North Adelaide.
Listed at 199cm, there has been conjecture about his size in an era where AFL rucks are becoming taller and taller, with a belief he is more likely to be a key-position player, potentially in defence where he has spent only minimal time.
“I feel like I like the ruck the most; it's where I feel I can impact the game the most,” Herbert told Zero Hanger.
The average height of each team's preferred ruck in 2026 is 203.7cm, with athletic phenom Luke Jackson and Richmond captain Toby Nankervis the only players under 200cm.
Herbert models his game on Jackson, who is also 199cm, and believes he has the required athleticism to compensate for his slightly smaller stature, pointing to the new ruck rules which he feels help him.
The North Adelaide tall is also often praised for his groundball impact – sometimes leading the Roosters for groundball gets per game - which adds another string to his bow.
“I'm not too worried about my height. My height will be what it will be and the way I play, I don't rely on my height,” Herbert said.
“It would be nice to grow a bit more, but I've shown this year I can impact the game in the ruck as well as my follow-up work without having to use my height solely, so my follow-up work is something I'm proud of.
“I've shown this year when I'm in the ruck, I act as an extra midfielder and take the pressure off the mids, so I feel that's where I do my best work.”
A first-round prospect who has pieced together one of the strongest seasons of any junior player in 2026, Herbert spent a week training at Adelaide in summer as part of his involvement with the AFL Academy and developed a strong connection with Crows ruck Reilly O'Brien.
O'Brien also served as South Australia's ruck coach at the Under-18s Championships and the pair have been in frequent contact throughout 2026 after O'Brien sourced Herbert's contact number following his time at West Lakes.
“Reilly has been unreal in assisting with my marking and my footwork, and I think my marking was something I really needed to work on and he's really big on getting there late and impacting the contest later so you don't get caught under the ball,” Herbert said.
“He also watches all my games, and it's super valuable. I've thanked him so much for it so it's something I don't take for granted.
“I think my marking has improved gradually as the year has gone on. At the start of the year I got caught under the ball a bit and wasn't timing my jumps. In Round 1, I thought my game was pretty good but had moments I wanted back aerially compared to now where I'm more confident.”
In between the time in the ruck, Herbert has been given time in attack for North Adelaide and particularly South Australia, where he was the starting ruck for only one of the four games.
Some recruiters also see a future for him in defence, which he is open to, having had minimal exposure there, save for some school games for St Peter's College when he was younger.
A four-goal game for North Adelaide ahead of the Under-18s Championships alleviated some pressure to perform in attack, and he had moments on the best defenders in the country, but Herbert is aware he has another step to take in that area.
Where some players fend off questions about their game with the same level of sure defence Steve Smith shows on the first morning of a test match, there is a refreshing openness to the way Herbert speaks.
He has great security about his identity as a player, as he should given his accolades include being named in the Under-16s All Australian team and 2026 AFL Academy, but has great self-awareness about where he can grow.
The detail with which he shares those rooms for improvement highlights his excellent footy IQ, attention to detail and clarity, which contributed to him being named in South Australia's leadership group.
“That exposure on those top-end under-18s defenders has given me confidence I can really match it with them. Although forward isn't my natural position at the moment, with a bit of work, I think I can definitely get to the level,” Herbert said.
“I think the next step is understanding game patterns. I think up forward you can get caught into leading into spots maybe I'm not supposed to lead into and calling for the ball when I shouldn't be there, where at AFL level you probably wouldn't get away with it.
“You have to play a lot smarter, and I have been trying to watch Jack Gunston types who rely on their leading patterns and footy smarts. I think that's something I could take to another level because at AFL level I feel it's something you want to have in your kitbag. That's something I will be trying to emulate.”
