In a new segment in 2026, Craft of the Draft's Jonty Ralphsmith will publish a Draft watch piece every Monday morning, synopsising the big performers and talking points from talent pathway footy on the weekend.
There have been plenty of statement-makers to start the year, as highlighted below in the first edition of Draft watch.
Ruck rising
North Adelaide's Ethan Herbert's stocks have risen across the first fortnight of 2026.
Industry sources have been impressed by his ball-winning ability, skill and ability to cover the ground to start 2026, appearing to have taken a major step forward in his game across pre-season.
He was a clear best on ground in North Adelaide's clash with Norwood, accumulating 28 disposals, and taking seven marks, to go with his ruck dominance which netted him 16 hitouts and seven clearances.
He backed it up in Round 2 with 22 disposals and 28 hitouts, again showing his breadth of skill.
Dandenong dazzler
Powerful Dandenong Stingrays forward/midfielder Jackson Phillips has been one to pop early in 2026.
His athleticism, competitiveness and skill have been on full display in both of Dandenong's wins to start the season.
A 19-disposal, two-goal Round 1 outing was backed up by a game-high 27 disposals against Gippsland where his dual threat as an inside-outside mover set him apart.
Meanwhile, Stingrays teammate Marcus Prasad has also had moments in the early rounds as a lively forward.
Contrary to some reports, the Vic Country U16s representative is not tied to Melbourne through the club's Next Generation Academy.
Richmond NGA ball magnet
Richmond Next Generation Academy prospect Tanner Armstrong has lit up the stats sheet in the first fortnight of the Talent League season.
Unleashed in the midfield, he has caught the eye with his footy smarts, cleanliness and ability to find the footy, piecing together back-to-back best-on-ground performances
He won 30 disposals against Bendigo, leading Murray's midfield after a workmanlike 36-disposal effort with little support against Gippsland where his running capacity stood out.
Played off half-back for much of last year, he has seized his chance in the midfield and will likely remain in there each time he lines up for the Bushrangers, and could be given the chance to show his versatility for the AFL Academy and Vic Country.
Noah Williams on fire
Another AFL Academy member to be given the keys to the midfield is Noah Williams.
The U17s Futures best on ground backed up a strong Round 1 outing for Geelong with another fine effort, combining 32 disposals and 11 tackles against GWV on Saturday.
Playing as a winger/half-back last year showcased his ball use and ability to punish teams on transition, and he has also showed his appetite for the contest and defensive will to start 2025.
The left footer stands at 177cm and has traits transferrable to a range of positions.
South Australian puts himself on radar
Sam Tassone has captured attention in South Australia early in the 2026 season.
A speedy half-back who uses the footy excellently, he has put up some big numbers to start the AAMI Talent League season.
A 28-disposal Round 2 performance backed up 27 touches in Round 1, with North Adelaide giving him every opportunity as their chief distributor out of defence, with his bold decision-making regularly setting up dangerous rebound.
Tassone missed South Australia's State Academy but is doing everything he can to push into the state squad for the National Championships.
Mid-Season Draft fancy?
It's early to be considering the Mid-Season draft, but Sandringham forward Ollie Griffin is making a strong case to be right around the mark.
A strong marking presence, Griffin has started the season on fire for the Dragons, given the opportunity to play deeper in attack.
His confident aerial skills are complemented by a thirst for the contest, high work rate to provide a target down the line and excellent pressure to lock the ball inside 50.
He has also made a habit of finishing his work, hitting the scoreboard regularly across Sandringham's first fortnight after a strong practice game against Oakleigh.
Tasmanian on radar
Another name to track ahead of the Mid-Season Draft is Tasmania VFL small forward Jed Hagan.
The hard-working livewire backed up a four-goal performance in Round 1 with two goals and nine tackles in Round 2.
Ahead of the season, Zero Hanger conducted three interviews with people around the Devils, with all referencing the strong pre-season of Hagan, who has added finishing polish to his game.
The 175cm Geraldton junior was around the mark in his top-aged year for East Fremantle in 2022, but was ultimately overlooked.
Before this year he spent time in the WAFL and SANFL and appears to have taken a big step forward in 2026 with recruiters tracking his progress.
Unknown forward's bag of seven
Oakleigh Chargers forward Seb Marsic finished with a bag of seven in his side's surprise win over Sandringham.
Marsic marked just about everything that came his way, playing a complete key forward's game after showing glimpses in a practice game against the same opponent a fortnight ago.
It's the top-aged Xavier College product's first year in the Oakleigh Chargers program and he has taken no time adjusting to the speed and skill of Talent Legue footy.
Vic Metro summer training squad member Flynn Woolhouse was another standout, looking dangerous when he launched for the footy and complementing Marsic with three goals and some big grabs.
Health check
Harry Van Hattum, Jack Pickett, Wil Malady and Clancy Snell were among the big names to miss Round 2 after promising first-up showings.
Van Hattum was ruled out by Northern Knights with a quad injury, Pickett heartbreakingly ruptured his ACL at training during the week, Malady was held over after experiencing hamstring soreness following his six goal outing, while Snell experienced back spasms after a practice match and Round 1 showing in defence which has him on the radar.
All injuries except Pickett's are expected to be short term.
Zero Hanger also revealed last week that Essendon Next Generation Academy prospect Blake Justice is set to miss the early part of the season with a hamstring injury.
