Taking a glance into the 2026 AFL season, we try predict who will take their game to new levels.
Will it be a rising star of the competition? Or a forgotten face? How about a player who was traded?
In no particular order, here are seven players who have the opportunity to take the next big step over the coming 12 months.
Harvey Langford
The Mount Martha native produced an outstanding debut season for the struggling Melbourne Demons, ultimately finishing fourth in a stacked Rising Star race. His considerable size meant the prolific ball-winning that characterised his draft year transferred to the top level almost instantly, and his penchant for hitting the scoreboard was evident, too. A 26-disposal, three-goal outing against eventual preliminary finalists Hawthorn provided Dees faithful with a promising glimpse of just how much of a jet the 19-year-old can be.
With mass changes afoot at the Dees, underlined by a change of head coach and a player exodus that saw premiership and best and fairest winning stars Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca find new homes, more genuine midfield minutes will be up for grabs. Langford is poised to be a beneficiary of this upheaval, and everything put on tape by the precocious Dandenong Stingrays product suggests he is ready to capitalise on this increased responsibility.
Beau McCreery
Collingwood's pressure animal already has a premiership to his name, but with an ever-improving tank, more midfield minutes could be available to the South Australian. McCreery shunned rival interest to remain at the AIA Vitality Centre, and presents as a point of difference in a Magpies midfield on the precipice of significant change.
Able to win possession in contested situations, ferocious in attempts to win the ball back for his side, and frequently involved in scoring chains, the 24-year-old McCreery has all of the attributes of an excellent foil to the remarkable Nick Daicos for years to come.
Deven Robertson
The West Australian is set to explode with consistent minutes in a struggling Eagles engine room. Strong tackling, clearance winning and a contested nous are hallmarks of his game, and are sure to be welcome additions to Andrew McQualter's midfield - a midfield that infamously lost contested possessions by 59 and clearances by 22 against a winless Carlton outfit in 2025's early sledding.
47 games in six years in Brisbane is not a true reflection of the midfielder's ability - the Lions' on-ball brigade is arguably the league's most settled, and therefore, the hardest to break into. Robertson requested a trade home after missing out on selection in both of the Lions' recent winning Grand Final sides. There, expect him to take on a leadership role of sorts, mentoring the floundering young Eagles after so many years in Chris Fagan's fabled culture.
Sam Flanders
Flanders is poised to return to his 2023 best, in a position better suited to his strengths, in his new home of Moorabbin. The Saints will arguably be the biggest watch of the 2026 season after the well-documented spending spree that hogged headlines at the conclusion of their 2025 campaign.
At his best, Flanders racks up possessions at will, and distributes the ball with swagger. Expect the Gippsland native to kickstart scoring chains for the Saints, working in tandem with Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. Flanders left the Suns for more midfield minutes, and is likely to thrive when those minutes are afforded to him.
Keidean Coleman
This forgotten Lion cub missed both of his side's premiership triumphs through injury, after starring en route to, and in, their losing 2023 Grand Final berth. Runner-up in both the Gary Ayres medal and Norm Smith medals in that campaign, expect 'Kiddy' and his lethal left peg to wreak havoc on the opposing team's defensive structures when a clean bill of health is finally attained.
It's scary to think these Lions still have room to improve.
Colby McKercher
In his final 12 matches of 2025, Colby McKercher averaged 29.5 disposals, recording an efficiency of less than 72% just once in this span. The second overall pick in the 2023 draft led the Kangaroos in handball receives in this period, too, evidencing more and more that his ball use and distribution are to be key pillars of Alastair Clarkson's game plan moving forward.
With another pre-season under his belt, in a system designed to utilise his skillset, the Tasmanian may take the leap from touted draftee to household name in his third season.
Mattaes Phillipou
At times in his young career, this young Saint has looked every bit a genuine match-winner. Still just 20 years of age, Phillipou has impressed with his aerial ability, flair in front of the sticks and a hunger to improve.
With a more mature team around him, thanks to an influx of elite talent, less will be expected of Phillipou individually, which may just unlock his best. The Saints rewarded his commitment to 'personal and professional growth' with an extension through till the end of 2028, and Phillipou oozes intangibles that inform the belief that he has the character to reward that good faith with excellence.
