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 7 - GWS: Ethan Matthews (Matched Melbourne Bid)
| 7 RANK |  | Ethan Matthews GWS Academy Midfielder HEIGHT: 185cm |
Ralphsmith: It's an interesting one... there aren't a whole lot of club-tied prospects (in the top 40), but there's three bids in the top seven. Ethan Matthews, that's the sort of player I'd lean towards for Melbourne; that burst midfielder. He's clearly one of the best in it.
Keating: The timing of that Matthews bid and whether it comes before or after GWS's first selection is going to be a big watch on draft night if they carry that selection into the count.
*GWS will not have their Pick 9 selection (originally Pick 7) in this exercise due to the Matthews bid.
