AFL Mock Draft: Picks 1-43 (third edition)

With the 2026 AFL Draft now just over a week away, the shape of this year's intake is beginning to unfold as more whispers and intel surface, and it's time to deliver our third of four Mock Drafts for the year. This Mock Draft is an evolution of our most recent exercise, which also included a total of 43 selections across the first two rounds of the count. VIEW: FIRST EDITION MOCK DRAFT - PICKS 1-18 VIEW: SECOND EDITION MOCK DRAFT - PICKS 1-43 PLAY: AFL MOCK DRAFT SIMULATOR Pick 1 - Port Adelaide (Matched Bid): Dougie Cochrane [draft_top10_widget player_id="Dougie Cochrane" season="2026"] While we look to mix up the selections across our Mock Drafts, perhaps the one pick we can't move away from is Essendon's expected bid for Dougie Cochrane - and Port Adelaide's easy call to match it at the top of the board. While the Power may consider trading back one of their two early picks, their current position allows them to match a bid for Cochrane at Pick 1 and not impact their 2027 draft hand - requiring only 17 deficit points on top of Picks 7 and 12. The Power's 18 months of work to best position themselves for an early Cochrane bid will pay off next week when they land the Central Districts product, who looks to model his game off Marcus Bontempelli when in midfield and Charlie Curnow when playing in attack. MATCHED BID: Port Adelaide use Picks 7 and 12, as well as 17 DVI deficit points. Pick 2 - Essendon: Ethan Drever [draft_top10_widget player_id="Ethan Drever" season="2026"] Essendon has been most heavily linked to Essendon supporter Drever out of all the prospects in open pool Pick 1 discussions. His speed ensures there is enough difference between the Ballarat boy and the big-bodied midfielders Essendon welcomed in last year, Dyson Sharp and Sullivan Robey. The Vic Country MVP was ultra consistent across 2026, proving not only that he had contested ball-winning capabilities, but also that he was potent on the spread as a transition midfielder. He is also an esteemed character in this draft class, which is important for a rebuilding club seeking standard-setters under a new coach. Pick 3 - Carlton (Matched Bid): Cody Walker [draft_top10_widget player_id="Cody Walker" season="2026"] Confidence is growing in Richmond being the likely bidder for Walker at Pick 3, with the Blues currently in a position to match that play with their current hand. It'll cost Carlton two first-round picks and almost half of their allocated DVI deficit points, but it'll all be worth it to attain the match-winning midfielder. Walker looks set to start his AFL career across half-forward or on the wing before eventually maturing into an inside gut-runner, which onlookers have seen in the Vic Country star this year. MATCHED BID: Carlton use Picks 12 and 17, as well as 202 DVI deficit points. Pick 4 - Richmond: Arki Butler [draft_top10_widget player_id="Arki Butler" season="2026"] Richmond needs to add to its small forward brigade, with only Taj Hotton, who is likely to get midfield minutes in time, having been drafted recently in that area of the ground. Butler is a goalsneak, and that is an area Richmond lacked in 2026 - even when they got on top of opponents, they were unable to put them to the sword. Butler is a difficult matchup and is viewed as being AFL-ready, which the Tigers need, so it makes sense they have been linked to him. Pick 5 - West Coast: Heath Mellody [draft_top10_widget player_id="Heath Mellody" season="2026"] A consistent selection we've seen across our trio of Mock Drafts so far, with Mellody a hard name for West Coast to pass on at Pick 5. The local kid is seen by some as the best open pool prospect on offer, and was recognised as the Larke Medal winner at this year's U18s National Championships. A player keen to take the game on, Mellody is likely to start as a running defender, but has proven this year he can mix it with bigger midfielders as a competitive ball winner - traits that were on show when he suited up for Claremont's senior side amid their premiership tilt. Pick 6 - GWS (Matched Bid): Ethan Matthews [draft_top10_widget player_id="Ethan Matthews" season="2026"] The Demons make a play for the GWS Academy star earlier than our previous two Mock Drafts, forcing the Giants to cough up two first-round picks instead of one. The Giants do get an early second-round selection in return though, given their excess of DVI points. They also attain a hard-working ball magnet in Matthews, who will likely play across half-back or on the wing to start his AFL career before transitioning to the engine room. Some believe Matthews might've been in the conversation for Essendon's opening pick this year had he been part of the open pool. MATCHED BID: GWS use Picks 10 and 20, and receive Pick 25 in return. Pick 7 - Melbourne: Mitch Harris [draft_top10_widget player_id="Mitch Harris" season="2026"] Melbourne traded up to get this selection, and there are several in contention. Harris is persistently linked given their need to find the long-term successors to the retired Steven May and ageing Jake Lever. Harris is the consensus best available key defender, coupling athleticism and competitiveness and would allow the Dees' interceptors to play their natural game while doing the unglamorous role on the last line. Pick 8 - Richmond: Harry Van Hattum [draft_top10_widget player_id="Harry Van Hattum" season="2026"] The Tigers get their man after gambling on the hope he'll slip past West Coast and Melbourne after Richmond opted for Arki Butler with their first selection. The pairing of Van Hattum and Butler might just be the best-case scenario Richmond will be hoping for with their two top five picks, adding a 205cm ruckman and a mercurial forward half threat to aid their list build. Pick 9 - Sydney: Gus Teixeira [draft_top10_widget player_id="Gus Teixeira" season="2026"] This is right in the region Teixeira is expected to go. After battling illness and calf strains throughout 2026, he still managed to catapult himself into top 10 discussions as a dynamic forward/midfielder who performed consistently for Sandringham and Vic Metro, with his work rate and ability to hit the scoreboard standing out. It would be an ideal scenario if he is still available to the Swans given the interest they have shown in him as a small forward who will graduate into the midfield. Pick 10 - Brisbane (Matched Bid): Caylen Murray [draft_top10_widget player_id="Caylen Murray" season="2026"] The Lions are in the mix to trade some of their earlier picks on draft night in a plan that will still see them attain Murray and ideally be in a better position after the bid. As things stand, their earliest two picks will get them a matched bid at Pick 10, with the Suns circling Murray, but the reigning premiers will also be diving into next year's DVI total. MATCHED BID: Brisbane use Picks 19 and 25, as well as 146 DVI deficit points. Pick 11 - Gold Coast: Tyson Bradley [draft_top10_widget player_id="Tyson Bradley" season="2026"] The Suns have a critical choice to make, with their decision at this juncture of the draft set to heavily impact how the rest of the order pans out. They find themselves at the front of the queue for the next tier of players, with Sandringham Dragons skipper and Vic Metro MVP Tyson Bradley potentially both the best available talent and a list fit for the Suns. The tall backman looks to mimic Harris Andrews on the field with his shutdown ability, aerial strength, and leadership qualities. Pick 12 - St Kilda: Sam Gayfer [draft_top10_widget player_id="Sam Gayfer" season="2026"] St Kilda has been heavily linked to Sam Gayfer, for they need support for Max King. King's injury has exposed that they are overly reliant on undersized marking forwards to shoulder the load around King, with Gayfer genuine key-position height and able to play even taller than his billing given his freakish vertical jump. Gayfer is the consensus best key forward in the draft, can kick goals in a rush and has come on quickly in 2026. Pick 13 - Collingwood: Clancy Snell [draft_top10_widget player_id="Clancy Snell" season="2026"] Collingwood needs key position support at either end in the 2026 AFL Draft, and Snell is the best available key position player on the board. The Magpies have been linked to Snell, liking him when they got a look at him in their VFL program during the year. While the Gippsland co-captain tailed off in the back end of the season, his first half of the season proved his ability to crash packs and take intercept marks, which is what he does at his best. Would be an excellent acquisition for a side in need of a Darcy Moore successor. Pick 14 - Melbourne: Toby Krasna [draft_top10_widget player_id="Toby Krasna" season="2026"] A mover up the draft board from where he landed in our second edition Mock Draft (Essendon's Pick 20), with Krasna a player in Melbourne's sights as a hard-working outside runner. The Demons weighed up a similar play for South Australian Cam Nairn last year before opting elsewhere, but could pull the trigger on this Vic Metro wingman with their second selection of night one. Pick 15 - Adelaide: Jake Eime [draft_top10_widget player_id="Jake Eime" season="2026"] Adelaide has been closely linked to the local prospect who would be Academy eligible given his Indigenous ties if not for a SANFL administrative error. He played SANFL for the Crows and learned off star defender Wayne Milera and would add exciting run and gun off half-back if selected for a club which needs more speed. Falls right in the range of the Crows' first selection. Pick 16 - St Kilda: Wil Malady [draft_top10_widget player_id="Wil Malady" season="2026"] The Saints double up on tall forwards, with Malady a nice complementary piece to the addition of physical spearhead Sam Gayfer. Malady, a 190cm talent, is just as damaging in the air and can also push further up the field given his gut-running ability, with some clubs to consider him as a potential wing option as much as a forward target. Pick 17 - Essendon: George Dimer [draft_top10_widget player_id="George Dimer" season="2026"] Essendon needs an exciting front and centre player to assist Isaac Kako and Hussien El Achkar, and the best small forward in this year's crop would be an ideal selection. He has interest from an array of clubs in the second half of night one and also appeals with his character, having captained Haileybury's school side and been head of school this year. It's remarkable to think about what he has achieved when considering he did not take part in pre-season due to stress fractures. Pick 18 - Fremantle: Jackson Phillips [draft_top10_widget player_id="Jackson Phillips" season="2026"] The Dockers secured Phillips with their second selection in our previous Mock Draft, and in this edition they pull the trigger on the Dandenong Stingrays livewire to finish the first round. Phillips has been closely linked to Fremantle, who add some spark to their front-half in Phillips - a match-winning, high-impact player who can quickly turn a game off his own boot through the middle of the field. Pick 19 - Essendon: Jack Pickett [draft_top10_widget player_id="Jack Pickett" season="2026"] Essendon move to the front of the queue for night two of the draft thanks to their compensation selection, having bid on Dougie Cochrane in the top five to trigger an early second-round selection. With Brisbane holding Essendon's actual second-round pick, but having it absorbed in a bid for Caylen Murray, the Dons get the highly desired opening selection for the second round. Having added Ethan Drever and George Dimer to their list already, the Bombers make a move for some key forward support in the form of Jack Pickett - who might have been a top 10 asset this year had he not suffered a season-ending knee injury early into the season. Pick 20 - Port Adelaide: Noah Williams [draft_top10_widget player_id="Noah Williams" season="2026"] With Miles Bergman and Jase Burgoyne showing promise when given midfield opportunities and the former persistently linked to a move back to his native Victoria, it is essential the Power reinforce their half-back line. Williams is one they have been linked to and would be a handy pickup on the edge of the top 20, having been discussed as a potential top 10 prospect earlier in the year. He brings a competitive edge, is built for the biggest games and also offers professionalism to a rebuilding club. Pick 21 - Richmond: Harvie Cooke [draft_top10_widget player_id="Harvie Cooke" season="2026"] The Tigers rate Morrish Medal winner Harvie Cooke highly, and he looks a good chance to fall to Richmond's early second-round selection and third pick of the draft. Despite taking Arki Butler with their opening selection, the Punt Road powerhouse move for another forward-midfield hybrid, with Cooke his own match-winner with his one-on-one ability as a deep forward who can apply good pressure off the ball. Pick 22 - West Coast: Keenan Boi [draft_top10_widget player_id="Keenan Boi" season="2026"] Hawthorn elects NOT to match a bid for NGA talent Keenan Boi, who lands at West Coast in this exercise. The Eagles will have several small forwards in their sights with one of their two early second-round selections, and Boi looks to be toward the top of that group once Arki Butler and George Dimer are off the board. A physical and defensively strong small forward, Boi looks set to excite at the top level as a goal-scorer who can create scoring chances from nothing. Pick 23 - West Coast: Jake Soutar [draft_top10_widget player_id="Jake Soutar" season="2026"] The Eagles opt for the local mature-ager in East Perth, Jake Soutar, with their third pick of the draft, strengthening their defensive stocks and adding a player primed to have an immediate impact. Soutar's ability to play as both an intercepting defender and ground-level stopper is why he's on the fringes of the first round, while he has also proven to be a reliable user of the ball to alleviate pressure in defence. Pick 24 - Port Adelaide: Lochie Burrows [draft_top10_widget player_id="Lochie Burrows" season="2026"] One of the most versatile prospects in this year's draft class, Sandringham Dragons utility Lochie Burrows is the ideal kind of talent for a club early into a list rebuild. Able to play in the middle, across half-back or as a quick-moving forward, Burrows can fill a number of roles under Josh Carr, and could be best suited in attack if he were to find himself at Alberton Oval in 2027. Pick 25 - GWS: Xavier Ladbrook [draft_top10_widget player_id="Xavier Ladbrook" season="2026"] GWS has been closely linked to Ladbrook, who polarises clubs but has high upside as an aggressive aerialist who takes the game on by foot and looked an enticing prospect late in the season when he finally got continuity in defence, having been utilised in attack and the ruck throughout 2026. A best afield performance against senior bodies in the AFL Academy also reinforced his credentials. The Giants are in need of key position stock to complement the speedy players that have been added to the list in recent years, and although Sam Taylor, Jack Buckley and Connor Idun are an ideal trio down back, a youngster developing in the background would be ideal to add long-term depth. Pick 26 - Essendon: Archie Elliott [draft_top10_widget player_id="Archie Elliott" season="2026"] After welcoming in Drever, Essendon also added his close mate from GWV Rebels, Archie Elliott. Like Drever and Dimer, Elliott is highly regarded for his character and is right in this range for the Bombers to consider. Pairing him and Dimer as small forwards is interesting given both fit a similar profile, but both have different strengths as small forwards, with Elliott's ability to connect and play above his small frame, providing an aerial presence, adding a different dynamic to his game, whereas Dimer is a true ground-level threat. The Bombers have done work on Elliott, and getting him in with one of these selections makes sense. Pick 27 - GWS: Leo Steed [draft_top10_widget player_id="Leo Steed" season="2026"] The big slider in this exercise, with the top of Steed's range falling close to the top 10 mark of the draft. The Giants would have had to be confident the Bombers wouldn't have taken Steed one pick earlier when they weighed up their plans with Pick 25, with Xavier Ladbrook a name who could be in Essendon's sights. A number of clubs earlier in the order would have Steed toward the top of their lists, but if he's not No.1, then he can easily slide until he sits atop one club's list. Pick 28 - Brisbane: Marlon Neocleous [draft_top10_widget player_id="Marlon Neocleous" season="2026"] Brisbane has been linked with Neocleous, and the Gippsland small forward would make sense for the Lions, who have few list holes but could do with a young forward half connector. Has similarities to Murphy Reid with his delivery inside 50 and ability to hit the scoreboard, and although it has been an up-and-down year, the Caulfield Grammar graduate has clear AFL attributes. Pick 29 - Hawthorn: Lachie Hicks [draft_top10_widget player_id="Lachie Hicks" season="2026"] The Hawks have an interest in some outside run to complement their midfield and defensive stalwarts, with Western Jets ball magnet Lachie Hicks a player of interest as a potential wingman at the next level. They also like Eastern Ranges dasher Harry Chapman, and will have to weigh up if one of the two might be available at their second selection if they do choose to look elsewhere, while they could be forced into a larger pick shuffle should they match a bid for NGA talent Keenan Boi. Pick 30 - Collingwood: Gus Kennedy [draft_top10_widget player_id="Gus Kennedy" season="2026"] After adding the intercepting abilities of Clancy Snell with their first-round pick, the Pies double up on defence with Dandenong's Gus Kennedy - a line-breaking half-back who has proven to be an elite marking option and can also be accountable for his direct opponent. Kennedy was swooped on by GWS at Pick 27 in our previous Mock Draft - falling three spots before this pick for the Pies. If Kennedy is still up for grabs when Collingwood is on the clock come night two, it'll be hard to see the Victorians looking past the impressive Stingrays co-captain. Pick 31 - Western Bulldogs (Matched Bid): Khaled El Souki [draft_top10_widget player_id="Khaled El Souki" season="2026"] The Dogs opted against matching a bid for NGA talent Khaled El Souki in our previous Mock Draft, with West Coast lodging a successful bid at Pick 23. With a bid falling to 31, the Dogs' decision is much easier to make as they package a pair of later selections to secure the small forward. El Souki has proven himself at every level he's featured in 2026 - a campaign that included an eye-catching VFL debut for Footscray. MATCHED BID: The Western Bulldogs use Picks 42 and 53, as well as 174 DVI deficit points. Pick 32 - Carlton: Brady Wright [draft_top10_widget player_id="Brady Wright" season="2026"] Carlton will be weighing up a forward prospect with their second pick, and it's just a matter of going tall or small. With their bid for Khaled El Souki matched, the Blues pivot to a tall to aid Harry McKay and new recruit Joel Amartey, doing so with the acquisition of Werribee's Brady Wright. The 195cm key forward has kicked 62 goals from 30 VFL games, and will be just 23 at the start of the new season, having a solid runway to the top level after a pair of eye-catching campaigns for the 'Bees. Pick 33 - Adelaide: George Gale [draft_top10_widget player_id="George Gale" season="2026"] The Crows swoop on a talent who looks to mirror his game on young Adelaide star Dan Curtin, and you never have too many of the big-bodied utility. Much like Curtin, Gale - another Western Australian - is a hulking wingman who uses his physicality and running to create space and terrorise his direct opponents in space, while he can also move behind the ball and has also proven to be a player who can impact on the scoreboard. Pick 34 - North Melbourne: Wil Antrobus [draft_top10_widget player_id="Wil Antrobus" season="2026"] It's splitting hairs between Antrobus, the lethal left-footer with a defend-first attitude from Dandenong, and Billy Wigmore, the intercept marker from the Western Jets, with this selection for the Kangaroos. Both are needs for the Kangaroos - but is Wigmore a touch undersized to be the player North Melbourne needs him to be? Antrobus offers a different skill set and can generate counterattack, so the Roos use their first selection on him. Pick 35 - Port Adelaide: Gabe Patterson [draft_top10_widget player_id="Gabe Patterson" season="2026"] While the earlier acquisition of Lockie Burrows might boost Port Adelaide's front-half depth chart, South Australian Gabe Patterson is more of a pure small forward who utilises his footy IQ and speed to cause headaches for the opposition. At 184cm, Patterson has the ability to impact in the air as well as at ground level - where he does his most damage as a lively goalsneak. Pick 36 - Adelaide: Archie Van Dyk [draft_top10_widget player_id="Archie Van Dyk" season="2026"] Adelaide opt to keep the local boy local. The big-bodied midfielder has been questioned for his lack of speed but possesses elite stoppage craft, and he falls right around this range of the 2026 AFL National Draft. The South Adelaide prospect was hampered by injury in the first half of the season but showed his aptitude against senior bodies in the Panthers' run to the reserves SANFL premiership, taking out best afield honours in the grand final. Adelaide need to add midfield depth both for the present and future, and Van Dyk addresses the need. Pick 37 - Geelong: Zac Antonellos [draft_top10_widget player_id="Zac Antonellos" season="2026"] Geelong has shown interest in Antonellos and used their first selection on a dynamic front half player with composure and excellent decision-making. Has had a season punctuated by injury, but when he has been on the park, Antonellos has been a potent force and also showed plenty as a bottom-ager, playing in Eastern Ranges' premiership side. Antonellos' game for Vic Metro against Vic Country was an excellent synopsis of the sort of player he could become. Pick 38 - Hawthorn: Billy Wigmore [draft_top10_widget player_id="Billy Wigmore" season="2026"] The Hawks have an interest in adding to their backline, be that with running half-backs or taller aerial threats. With Wigmore, they get one of 2026's best intercepting defenders and a teenager who can also be accountable for smaller-framed, speedier forwards. Perhaps a long-term successor for skipper James Sicily, Wigmore could thrive in the brown and gold given the mentors currently occupying Sam Mitchell's defensive ranks. And, much like Sicily, Wigmore also has a background as a tall forward given his marking and competitiveness. Pick 39 - Sydney: Albert MacGowan [draft_top10_widget player_id="Albert MacGowan" season="2026"] The Swans are a no-nonsense operator when it comes to making a selection at the draft, opting for the best talent on offer no matter the stage of the count. MacGowan sits inside the top 25 of Craft of the Draft's latest Prospect Power Rankings, and would be among the top few on offer to most clubs in the second round. If he sits atop Sydney's list, they'll happily make a move for the hard-running midfielder, who makes up for his limited speed with great evasiveness and control at the coalface, as well as an elite aerobic capacity. Pick 40 - Sydney: Marcus Prasad [draft_top10_widget player_id="Marcus Prasad" season="2026"] Marcus Prasad is an antagonistic small forward who is lively and can find the big sticks. What better player to learn that skill set off at AFL level than Tom Papley? The Swans need a Papley successor, and the small forward is becoming one of the most important roles in the modern game, with Prasad offering electric crumbing ability in spades. Despite an injury-interrupted year, when he was on the park, Prasad proved himself to be one of the most adept small forwards in the crop. Pick 41 - Fremantle: Harvey Spawton-Guy [draft_top10_widget player_id="Harvey Spawton-Guy" season="2026"] Some would rightly see this as a steal for Fremantle at this stage of the draft, with the Dockers attaining one of the best key position players and Western Australians from the 2026 draft class. The Dockers don't want for much, and what Spawton-Guy can offer is versatility across all three lines as a marking key forward, pinch-hitting ruckman, and defensive tall with a clean field kick. Importantly, he'll have time to develop his craft over the coming years as Fremantle maintain their place toward the top of the competition. Pick 42 - Essendon (Matched Bid): Blake Justice [draft_top10_widget player_id="Blake Justice" season="2026"] Despite hardly getting on the park due to injury this year, Justice's upside as a midfielder-forward with explosiveness is clear. If he falls outside the top 36, it would be a dream scenario for Essendon as they would not need to worry about points for a prospect that, if he played a full season, would almost certainly have fetched a bid inside the top 30. Models his game on Sydney pair Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner and has similarities with his ability to mark, kick goals and break lines. MATCHED BID: Essendon use Pick 80. Pick 43 - St Kilda: Sam Devers [draft_top10_widget player_id="Sam Devers" season="2026"] Devers has a wide range and is every chance to go at some stage in the 20s given his high athletic upside. If he does slip into the 40s, it likely would have to do with his competitiveness, but the Saints have shown a tendency to favour players with athleticism in the past, and Devers is precisely that sort of player, while also addressing their need for intercepting in the backline. The club has done some work on and been linked to Devers, who, despite being injury-interrupted this year, has shown potential for the Eastern Ranges and got a run with Vic Metro.

		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	FRE	23	19	4	76	137.2
2	SYD	23	18	5	72	136.1
3	BL	23	16	7	64	121.7
4	HAW	23	15	6	64	120.1
5	GEEL	23	15	8	60	122.3
6	ADEL	23	15	8	60	117.3
7	MELB	23	15	8	60	109.6
8	WB	23	13	9	54	95.4
9	COLL	23	12	9	52	102.4
10	CARL	23	12	10	50	101.5

AFL Mock Draft: Picks 1-43 (third edition)

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