Taking a glance into the 2026 AFL season, we try to 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.
4Sam 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.
