Carlton, Port Adelaide and Essendon are set to be affected by a potential change to the father-son, Next Generation Academy and northern academy rules at the 2026 AFL Draft.
Those clubs all have players viewed in the top echelon of either the 2026 or 2027 AFL Drafts – or both – and could be set to miss out on accessing their talent.
A first-round lockout of club-tied players is on the agenda for the 2026 AFL Draft and beyond, according to a report by respected The Agenda Setters journalist Caroline Wilson.
“Footy bosses have been warned by the new AFL footy boss Greg Swann that there will be changes to father-son and academy rules next year,” Wilson said.
“Sharpened up this year, next year, most footy bosses, some happily, some very angrily, believe there'll be no father-son or academy picks for the whole first round of the draft, which is what St Kilda, Fremantle and other clubs have been pushing for.”
Cody Walker, the son of former Blue Andrew, has already committed to nominate as a Carlton father-son prospect, but is currently viewed as a top-five contender for next year's draft.
The Echuca native was the only bottom-aged player to line up in every game for Vic Country and is averaging 26 disposals in the Coates League in 2026.
Port Adelaide is pushing hard to have 2026 pick one contender, Dougie Cochrane, added to its Next Generation Academy, while 2027 prospects Zemes Pilot (Next Generation Academy) and Louis Salopek (father-son) are already viewed in the top handful of prospects following the U16s National Championships.
Blake Justice (2026 prospect) and Koby Bewick (2027) are among the players on the radar, potentially at the pointy end for the Bombers.
It comes ahead of what is widely acknowledged as the most compromised AFL Draft in history, with four club-tied players – Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson, both Gold Coast, Dan Annable, Brisbane and Harry Dean, Carlton - viewed by several clubs as being among the top five players available.
Willem Duursma and Cooper Duff-Tytler are the best openly available prospects.
The first round of the draft is expected to exceed 30 names as a result of clubs matching bids for linked talent.
Brisbane, Gold Coast, Collingwood and Western Bulldogs have been the big winners of the existing system.
The Lions acquired Norm Smith Medal winner Will Ashcroft, brother Levi, a contender for the Rising Star, and first-round Academy talent Sam Marshall over the last two years.
Collingwood have had discounted access to the Daicos brothers and Isaac Quaynor, while father-son trio Sam Darcy, Tom Liberatore and Jordan Croft were all part of Western Bulldogs lineup for its last game of the home and away season.
