With coaching changes, star trade moves, controversial calls and ongoing alterations at AFL House, 2025 was a year of headlines.
The next 12 months promise some sizeable stories too, with uncertainty surrounding more AFL coaches, the game's biggest names rising further, year-long trade speculation on stars, and some facing the heat in the aftermath of this year's twists and turns.
So, as we reach the turn of the new year, let's take a look at nine names set to shape the AFL and as certain headline makers for 2026.
5Dougie Cochrane
Picture: Chris Hyde/AFL Photos
Standout draft prospects often lead headlines for most of the year, with 'the race' for Pick 1 a significant tale with each new season.
That is usually a product of there being some uncertainty surrounding who will open the draft, but 2026 could see the first two teenagers picked being club-tied.
The 2025 draft haul was heavily impacted by matched bids and team-linked talent, and while 2026 may not have as many first-round quality teenagers already tied to a club, the two headline names are.
Port Adelaide NGA prospect Dougie Cochrane and Carlton father-son selection Cody Walker enter 2026 as the standout prospects for the new draft class.
Walker has caught headlines for several year given his long-known ties to the Blues, but Cochrane's journey has only recently seen his priority access with the Power confirmed.
After months of having his NGA application reviewed, Cochrane's ties to the Power were officially approved in November. The decision significantly shifted the shape of next year's draft class, leaving clubs currently rebuilding with another name they can't select.
The late call on Cochrane is set to be a story all year, while discourse on whether the club with Pick 1 makes bids for the South Australian and/or Walker will eventually arise.
