The first eight selections of the 2026 AFL Draft order have been locked following the conclusion of the home-and-away season, with Essendon to open this year's count at Pick 1.
With these selections in mind, Craft of the Draft ran through how the opening to the 2026 AFL Draft might unfold with a 'mini mock draft' on this week's episode.
Analyst Jonty Ralphsmith made picks for Essendon (Pick 1), West Coast (Pick 3), Melbourne (Pick 6, via Gold Coast) and GWS (Pick 7), with host Mitch Keating holding selections for Richmond (Pick 2), Port Adelaide (Pick 4), North Melbourne (Pick 5) and St Kilda (Pick 8).
By the end of the mock draft, a total of nine selections and three bids were made. Here's how it unfolded...
Pick 3 - Essendon: Arki Butler
| 2 RANK |  | Arki Butler Sandringham Dragons Midfielder/Forward HEIGHT: 180cm |
Ralphsmith: No more bids. Essendon will take Arki Butler as their first player in this mock draft, the first open pool player. He fits what they need quite well. They've been linked to Harry Van Hattum. There's no gap between Butler and Van Hattum. He adds to that forward line mix of Hussien El Achkar and Isaac Kako, who they've drafted in the past couple of years.
