With less than two weeks remaining until the start of the AFL Draft, the direction clubs are thinking of taking at the November intake is starting to crystallise.
Find out all the latest industry whispers for every AFL team below.
Adelaide
The Crows have been strongly linked to Jake Eime with their selection on night one. It is a pick which would make sense, given he is a South Australian half-back who played in the SANFL for Adelaide this year but did not qualify for the club's academy as he was not part of it for long enough, with Adelaide only finding out earlier this year of his eligibility due to an administrative error. Western Australian co-captain George Gale is another who has been linked to Adelaide and would be right in their sights if he slips through to their second selection at Pick 32. Adelaide is also at the start of Dandenong winger Jackson Phillips' range, so he is one to keep an eye on.
Brisbane
The Lions have been linked to small forward Marlon Neocleous. With Charlie Cameron turning 33 next year, it is time for the club to start considering his successor, with the Gippslander right in their range given their selections in the 20s. The Lions' first two selections, however, will be absorbed by matching a bid on Caylen Murray. That bid could come from Sydney, which holds Pick 6 - which would fall to Pick 8 or 9 following Dougie Cochrane, Cody Walker and Ethan Matthews bids - or could fall as far as Melbourne's second selection, Pick 14. There is also a chance the Lions will list Reece Thompson as a Queenslander Category B rookie. He represented the Academy as a 19-year-old this year, but the Lions would not get priority access at the National Draft as this was his first year in the Academy following an ACL rupture last year. Meanwhile, look out for Brisbane's Pick 21 to be traded, with the Lions set to use three selections, including one later in the piece.
Carlton
Carlton has been linked to South Australian Jack Slattery, and he is a chance to get to the Blues after they match a bid on Cody Walker. Richmond is every chance of putting a bid on for Walker at Pick 3. If not Slattery, Harvey Spawton-Guy has also received strong interest from the Blues, who have done work on a number of key forwards. Slattery's South Australian teammate, Gabe Patterson, is also in the mix for the Blues.
Collingwood
The links between the Magpies and Sam Gayfer are strong, but whether the athletic key forward reaches the Pies at Pick 11 - which will slip a few spots following bids - remains to be seen. Gus Kennedy is viewed as a strong chance of becoming a Magpie if he is still on the board at their Pick 30 after the Mornington Peninsula local and Dandenong Stingrays captain played a game for their VFL side earlier in the year, showcasing his strong one-on-one defence. Smooth-moving wingman Toby Krasna's range starts at the Magpies' first pick, while Archie Van Dyk is another possibility as a different type of midfielder later in the draft for the Magpies. Defender Clancy Snell is another the Pies could look at after seeing him play VFL earlier in the year, and his Gippsland teammate Wil Malady is also right in that mix.
Essendon
Ethan Drever is looking increasingly likely to be taken with the first open pool selection by Essendon, though Arki Butler remains in that mix given the club's need for front half firepower. They could get that spark inside 50, though, via Archie Elliott, Drever's best mate, with a later selection, which remains a live option. Elliott led Vic Country's goal-kicking at the Under-18s National Championships. The Bombers would love if one of the big three defenders - Mitch Harris, Clancy Snell, Tyson Bradley - fell to their second selection, though that is more unlikely than likely. Gus Kennedy's name has also been linked to the Dons, and his highly-regarded character would make sense for a rebuilding club. The Bombers have also done work on key forwards, including Harvey Spawton-Guy and Jack Pickett.
Fremantle
Local lad Jake Soutar is persistently linked to Fremantle's first selection and would add key defensive reinforcement. It is looking increasingly unlikely Clancy Snell will still be on the board here, but if he is, he is a strong option. George Gale is also among the players to have been linked to the Dockers as a strong-bodied, long-kicking utility. The club has priority access to small forward Finlay Yeo, and that is an area they could do with reinforcement in, while Lucas Robinson is also club-tied.
Geelong
The Cats are always a hard one to get a read on, but local bolter Zach Stevens and Eastern Ranges prospect Zac Antonellos have both been linked, which gives an indication they may be after a small forward. Stevens burst onto the scene in the second half of the year and impressed at the AFL Draft Combine, while Antonellos has been injury-interrupted in 2026.
Gold Coast
It's tough to get a read on what the Suns will do with their top 10 selection. If Gus Teixeira slips, which is not out of the question, they would snap him up. Tyson Bradley and Clancy Snell are other options, with the Suns needing to add defenders.
GWS
A bid for Ethan Matthews could come as high as Pick 6 from Melbourne. The Demons have been linked to placing a bid for Matthews, the GWS Academy midfielder who dominated early in the year before the National Championships. Xavier Ladbrook is one who has been often linked to the Giants. The polarising defender will take some time but has excellent upside as a clean-using defender who is aggressive in the air. Forward Brady Wright is a ready-made tall they have been linked to, while Jack Pickett would be enticing if he slid, and his Geelong teammate Noah Williams is also around the mark. South Australian half-back Sam Tassone is also in consideration for the Giants. The Giants will list Williamstown ruck Alex Mirkov following the departure of Kieren Briggs.
Hawthorn
A bid for Hawthorn Next Generation Academy forward Keenan Boi could come as high as West Coast's picks in the 20s but is more likely to come after Hawthorn's first live selection, Pick 29. A club is also expected to bid on Cooper Hodge late in the National Draft, but it would come after Pick 37, so the club would only need a selection in order to match the bid rather than having to worry about points. South Australian Ethan Herbert or Western Australian Benji van Rooyen could enter calculations for the Hawks, which have only two rucks on their list following the delisting of Max Ramsden, who has signed at St Kilda.
Melbourne
Melbourne is being heavily linked to key defender Mitch Harris with its Pick 4 selection. Of course, they also may consider Arki Butler or Harry Van Hattum if they are still on the board, while they are considered quite likely to put a bid on for GWS Academy gun Ethan Matthews. Forwards Sam Gayfer and Wil Malady are in the mix at their second selection, as is Leo Steed.
North Melbourne
North Melbourne is almost certain to target defensive reinforcements after missing out on Nick Murray in the player movement period. Billy Wigmore is one who has been heavily linked, and, although undersized, he plays taller given his intercept marking ability. Jake Soutar may be another available at their first pick and is in the mix given he is more ready-made. Half-back Sam Tassone is also in the mix as a player capable of generating transition. The Roos will have priority access to Aidan McCartney, who is not expected to fetch a bid until after Pick 37, so the club will not need to worry about points.
Port Adelaide
It feels like the Power have been linked to all and sundry, which makes sense given the club has a host of selections through the middle part of the draft. Locals Gabe Patterson and Archie Van Dyk, a small forward and big-bodied midfielder respectively, are both in the mix. Eastern Ranges outside mover Harry Chapman is another to have been linked to the Power, while Port Adelaide is viewed as one of the more likely destinations for Gippsland captain Cody Templeton if he is to get a chance. Jack Pickett is also in the mix with the Power's second-round selection, with the Power having done work on him, while his Geelong Falcons teammate Noah Williams is also a live chance. Harvie Cooke is another option to add some front-half spark, while Eastern Ranges utility Archie Spencer has also been linked. Gus White, who has missed almost the entire season with an ACL rupture, is in the mix to be rookie-listed by the Power. Port Adelaide is well-positioned to match a bid on Dougie Cochrane at Pick 1.
Richmond
What will Richmond do with its two top-five selections? That will shape the pointy end of the draft in a lot of ways. Harry Van Hattum has been strongly linked after the Tigers delisted a pair of rucks, while Arki Butler would fill their need for a small forward. So too would Harvie Cooke, who is being linked to the Tigers' third selection. The Tigers have considered some key defensive options - Mitch Harris is viewed as an outsider for their Pick 5, but Jake Soutar is a chance with a night two selection. Next Generation Academy prospect Tanner Armstrong is a chance as a Category B rookie given his Indigenous heritage. Western Australian Robby Farmer is also a chance here as a Category B rookie.
St Kilda
The Saints are another club to have been linked to a host of players. With their first selection, competitive and athletic forward Sam Gayfer is right in the mix alongside the undersized, hard-running Wil Malady. They have also been linked to Toby Krasna, more so with their second selection if he is still available, while Lochie Burrows also appeals as a utility. With a later selection, Eastern Ranges interceptor Sam Devers is right in the mix.
Sydney Swans
The Swans will be at the mercy of what clubs above them do with their first selection at Pick 6, but they are every chance of firstly putting a bid on for either the GWS-linked Ethan Matthews or Brisbane-tied Caylen Murray if one has not been put on. Gus Teixeira has been linked here and would likely be the best remaining available if he is still on the board. Mitch Harris is also a chance for the Swans as an athletic defender. The club has priority access to Mason McGroder, who has just picked footy over athletics and will likely fetch a bid on night two.
West Coast
West Coast are almost certain to add a small forward with their second-round selection if they overlook Arki Butler at Pick 3 or he is off the board. They have some chance of putting a bid on for Hawthorn-tied forward Keenan Boi and would love it if George Dimer fell to them - though that seems exceedingly unlikely. Marlon Neocleous and Gabe Patterson are other small forwards in their range. With Pick 3, local Larke Medallist Heath Mellody is viewed as the favourite, but Butler is some chance. The Eagles have also done some work on Jack Pickett. Garrison Kenh is one they will hope to add to their rookie list as a flashy but raw half-back.
Western Bulldogs
The Dogs are a chance to look to trade up and get more points as they look to ensure they can match a bid for Khaled El Souki and still have presence in this draft. Beyond the small forward, the Dogs have also been linked to several other players. Eastern Ranges utility Archie Spencer is among them. After playing as a midfielder-forward for most of his Talent League career, he played in defence for Vic Metro and thrived with his competitiveness and overlap run. Sam Tassone is a South Australian half-back with no clear weakness who the Dogs have also been linked to. There is also noise the Dogs are interested in VFL team of the year player Jack Riding as a ready-made front-half energiser. Cooper Craig-Peters and, to a lesser degree, Kobe Williams, have also been linked as rookie options, with their Indigenous heritage giving both the ability to be added to the Category B rookie list. Craig-Peters was named best afield in Footscray's victorious grand final last year and is a hard-at-it midfielder who would add depth, while Williams is a utility who has been ultra-consistent for Western Jets in the Talent League.
