Following the release of Craft of the Draft's final Top 50 Power Rankings, below is a list of nine players who are believed to be most ready to make an immediate impact for their club.
Dyson Sharp
With 14 games under his belt for Central Districts across the past two seasons, Sharp has an understanding of what it takes to go up against senior bodies.
A hard-nosed, old-school ball-winning inside midfielder, he shapes as the most likely to make an immediate impact.
As with all prospects, the amount of exposure he gets in 2026 will be dependent on where he gets drafted.
Still, he could play in his preferred midfield position early in his career, while also showcasing a more rounded skillset during a Larke Medal-winning U18s National Championships which should provide confidence that he can make a mark early.
Dan Annable
If he was going to a non-finals playing side, Annable would be as close to a walk-up start as you can get for a draftee - but how does he break into a premiership-winning side and one that had several starters missing due to injury?
He was comfortably Brisbane VFL's best midfielder in the second half of the 2025 season after a brilliant two-game stint for AFL Academy which included a best on ground effort and strong U18s National Championships.
Annable has great inside-outside balance to his game and will hope to follow in the footsteps of Levi Ashcroft who forced his way in this season after being similarly highly touted in last year's draft class.
Willem Duursma
Duursma has greater scope for development than the aforementioned duo as an athletic utility still filling out his rangy frame but he has plenty of tools at his disposal to impact early for West Coast, if all goes as expected.
Where he is played early in his career will be of great intrigue; midfielders usually do an apprenticeship on a flank or wing before getting promoted into the engine room, but with West Coast sorely lacking inside midfielders, could he get an early run in there?
Wherever he plays, he has the skill, balance and strength to make a mark, and has some experience at the VFL level for Casey.
Lachy Dovaston
Has been repeatedly likened to Hawthorn's Nick Watson, who played 18 games in a 25-goal first season at AFL level and Dovaston will hope to follow in his footsteps.
Expected to be selected in the top 20 of the AFL Draft, other recent top-end small forward selections played extended periods in their first year, with Josh Rachele taken at pick six and playing 13 games in 2022, while Kysaiah Pickett played 14 games in 2020 after being selected with pick 12 in the 2019 National Draft and fellow 2019 draftees Cody Weightman and Liam Henry were exposed in their first season.
More recently, Isaac Kako played all 23 games for Essendon this year after they matched a bid at pick 13 for him in last year's intake and Joe Berry and Murphy Reid were also well exposed - the latter winning the Rising Star.
Athletic and with a nose for the goals, he could be set to entertain early in his career.
Harry Dean
Told this masthead last month that he has his sights set on playing Round 1 in 2026 and has been backed to at least be ready to play footy next year by multiple people who have had a hand in his footy journey.
Like all talls, there's plenty of scope for improvement as he develops, particularly given his relatively new arrival on the scene this year.
But his toughness and athleticism provide cause for optimism that he could play a role for a Carlton side that next season could be lacking some depth in that area following the departure of Jack Silvagni.
Adam Sweid
Outside of second-year small forward Isaac Kako, the Bombers will be somewhat lacking in the small forward department entering 2025 and Sweid, along with fellow Essendon Next Generation Academy forward Hussien El Achkar look set to help solve that.
Sweid has played largely midfield at U18s level in 2025 but is expected to start his career as a powerful half forward.
It would be a remarkable rise given there was conjecture about exactly where he sat entering 2025 due to an ACL injury wiping out Sweid's bottom-aged season
Mitch Marsh
A general forward with a high work rate, strong hands, good field kicking and proven ability to kick goals, he could be one who surprises a few with his ability to make an impact early. He's a difficult matchup and his young legs could be a handy asset for a side looking to strengthen its forward line.
Xavier Taylor
The hybrid interceptor could go as high as the top five at the AFL National Draft after a great rise through the 2025 season.
Plays a position that a club tends to be more comfortable blooding youngsters and his speed and daring creativity will transfer to the next level comfortably, regardless of his age.
Richmond and Essendon at this stage being the most likely suitors, two clubs unlikely to be around finals in 2026, should strengthen his likelihood of appearing early.
Jevan Phillipou
The confident Woodville West Torrens prospect has a beautiful blend of athleticism, competitiveness and clean fundamentals and his absence at the U18s National Championships due to injury has possibly robbed him of some hype.
Close followers had him pegged highly early in 2025 prior to his arm injury, while his performances at the back end of 2025 further strengthen the belief that he has the skillset to match his hunger to make a statement early at the next level.
Gold Coast Academy quintet
In different ways, there is reason to believe each of the five Gold Coast Academy players could play a role at AFL level next season.
But with the Suns having such a well rounded lineup, how many will fit in and what role will they play? Zeke Uwland's professionalism is well noted and his profile suggests he could play a role early for Gold Coast - but he played only four games in 2025 due to injury.
There are two ways of looking at that - he will have had virtually 18 months to condition and prepare off the field for life as an AFL footballer without the stresses of playing, but equally, such limited game time might lead to the Suns preferring to build him through the VFL. Dylan Patterson has the attributes to make him a dangerous player early in his career - but, despite clear versatility, he's viewed as a player likely to start his career off a halfback line that is well established at the Suns.
Beau Addinsall consistently steps up to every level he plays so should put himself in a position to play at some stage in 2025 - though it will be interesting to see where he is utilised early given he is such a natural midfielder.
Koby Coulson is a hard working two-way player who could play a role, while Jai Murray is equally likeable, but a foot stress fracture ruled him out of most of 2025 so he would be less likely to appear early.
