Northern Knights defender Kai Parker is firming as a likely selection for AFL clubs as a First Nations Category B rookie if he is unselected in next week's AFL National Draft.
Industry sources expect Parker, who missed the end of 2026 with a shoulder injury after promising Talent League and National Championships form, to be rookie-listed if clubs forego him in the National Draft.
Collingwood is a club he has been linked to throughout 2026 and is one of nine clubs to have spoken to Parker after he trained as part of their Next Generation Academy.
Like Knights teammate Toby Krasna, Parker was part of Carlton's Next Generation Academy last year, learning off Greg Williams, before his region was rezoned to Collingwood this year.
He was not part of either Academy for long enough for the Blues or Pies to gain priority access, but will be eligible for any club to list him as a Category B rookie.
Like star Carlton father-son prospect Cody Walker, his paternal ancestry traces to the Yorta Yorta tribe in north eastern Victoria.
"It's been cool to learn more about my heritage and where I come from. It's a cool thing to represent," Parker told Zero Hanger.
"It's cool, especially because the numbers are a bit slim, and Indigenous people sometimes don't get a lot of opportunity, so it is cool to represent my culture with Toby.
"If I go through Cat B, it would be cool to learn more about it and teach. With younger kids coming through, I want to give Indigenous kids belief that they can pursue footy and make it."
Parker's physicality and power make him a difficult matchup, and he was rarely beaten this year despite playing just "two or three games" at 100 per cent fitness, with Adelaide Academy prospect Anthony Long, Jordan de Goey-like forward Mitch Toner and inaugural Tasmanian AFL-listed Jake Miller among his coups.
A Magpies supporter, Parker models his game on Brayden Maynard and Jordan Clark and was pleased to showcase his ability to play on a range of different types of forwards.
Playing through a shoulder injury he sustained in Round 4, and glandular fever which developed soon thereafter, gave him an insight into the resilience demanded if he wants to reach the next level.
"I battled glandular fever for six to eight weeks with fatigue and losing six kilos in about three weeks made it tough," Parker reflected.
"It was a real battle trying to go to school, train, and then I was sleeping. It took a lot out of me.
"It was a rough patch trying to play footy through it; I just felt slow and off, so it was a setback.
"I would get to school late because I physically couldn't get up, then I would go to school, training, then after training I would go straight to sleep. I wasn't hungry.
"Everything I did took a massive toll. I played a game in the middle of glandular, and it was like having concrete in my legs, so it was a good feeling after that to get my speed and power back.
"I learned a lot this year – (Knights coach) Anthony Rocca just told me no player plays at 100 per cent, and being able to learn resilience and play with a positive mindset has been really important.
"The way I face adversity has been a big learning this year and is something I pride myself on."
Parker conceded the shoulder injury also changed the way he played, but he is just two to three weeks away from resuming full training.
That followed a diligent rehabilitation process after dislocating his shoulder following one of his best performances of the year, keeping goal machine Toner without a major and has him confident he will be able to attack pre-season without restriction.
"I would second-guess going for a tackle or not wanting to put my shoulder in an awkward position, but now I have done the work for my shoulder to be better, I don't think it will be an issue for the rest of my footy career," Parker asserted.
Despite battling the ailments, Parker showcased his capacity to impact both offensively and defensively as a 189cm defender, particularly against Western Australia when he took 13 marks and finished with eight intercept possessions, proving impenetrable.
The Black Swans matchup was the climax of a strong National Championships where he gave clubs a glimpse of his AFL attributes after using his time as part of the Blues and Pies Academies to grow his footy.
"At Carlton through Greg Williams, I improved my kicking so much. I'd go in on a Monday and do so much kicking and learning off such good players helped refine my skills," he said.
"I met up with Neville Jetta a few weeks ago, and he has been so good for the mental side of my game. It's not the be-all and end-all, so he's been an important part of my mental journey."
Parker is one of several First Nations prospects in contention for the new Category B rookie list spots.
Northern Territory native Sonny Smiler is a chance to be selected in the National Draft but may instead be rookie-listed, while Western Bulldogs have been linked to Footscray VFL midfielder Cooper Craig-Peters and Academy 19-year-old Kobe Williams.
Western Australian Robby Farmer is another in contention, with Richmond linked.
Meanwhile, First Nations trio Dougie Cochrane, Cody Walker and Caylen Murray are all expected to be selected in the top 10, and Hawthorn-tied Keenan Boi, Crows-linked Long and Krasna are other First Nations players set to be picked up.
