With the talent pathway season in the rearview mirror and the AFL Draft Combines also complete, there is nothing left physically for this year's prospects to prove.
Yet with the AFL Trade Period having concluded, chatter about the best juniors in the country and where they are placed has gone into overdrive.
AFL attention is heating up for some, while other names who had been touted as first rounders throughout the year have received cooling interest and could be available in the middle to later stages of the draft despite compelling attributes.
We've listed nine of the top bolters and 10 potential bargains based on industry intel.
Bolters
Zach Stevens
A strong showing at the AFL Draft National Combine showed off his blistering speed and agility which he showed throughout the season for Geelong. Has put himself among a strong throng of small forwards who could be selected early on night two.
Marcus Prasad
Missed four months of the season with an ankle injury but took no time to return to his best as a livewire small forward who gets under opposition's skin. His front and centre timing goal nous and athleticism are all standout traits for a player who watches Nick Watson closely and a strong finals series is fresh in recruiters' minds which will boost his stocks.
Sam Devers
His athletic upside has generated interest in the Eastern Ranges prospect who has had an injury-interrupted year. A defender who takes off and takes the game on, there remains some questions over how aggressively he goes at the footy, but the interest is spiking and he has modern AFL attributes.
Zac Antonellos
Another one who has been affected by injury, Antonellos played the back-end of the year and was impressive as a dynamic front half conduit who can get to stoppages and impact with his calmness, ball use and skillset. Played the last game of the National Championships for Vic Metro where he was impressive. Despite the injury, his production, when he has played, has been impressive and he could go despite playing limited footy.
Jake Soutar
Is looking increasingly likely to find a home in the top 30. There are the consensus top three key defenders – Mitch Harris, Tyson Bradley and Clancy Snell – and he seems to be the next best, particularly for clubs seeking a more readymade option. Xavier Ladbrook – referenced below – is also in this mix but will take two years to develop so Soutar could be more suitable for some clubs. Put together a stellar season at WAFL level as an interceptor who can control the backline and backs himself to take big marks. Could he go as early as Fremantle's selection late on night one?
Ollie Bartal
Put together excellent form at school level for Haileybury and backed it up by showing some strong one-on-one defensive intent for Sandringham, having been more of a rebounding interceptor at school level. Received a late State Combine invite which is always an indication of interest and would suit a club seeking a third tall type who can compete and backs himself with the footy despite queries about his ball-use – which he answered, as best he could, in the latter stages of the season.
Xavier Ladbrook
The prototypical player who benefits from his side's success in the talent pathway, Ladbrook use the post-season games Gippsland played en route to the Talent League premiership to provide a reminder of his capability as a defender. Having been thrown around the field for necessity throughout 2026, his last fortnight showed his aggressive intent in the air, willingness to take off and use his skills by foot and athleticism to float across and intercept. A best afield performance for the AFL Academy looked set to propel his stocks before a solid but unspectacular middle part of the year had his stocks floundering, but the last month of the season has boosted his status.
Jackson Watkins
An explosive midfielder who regularly hits the scoreboard and will likely start his career off half forward, he takes the game on, can bust his way through traffic and plays with confidence, and even swagger. Is not afraid of winning his own footy and doesn't panic when he gets it in congestion which has led to several clubs considering him as a worthy pickup with a point-of-difference through the middle stages of the AFL National Draft.
Kale Matthews-Hampton
There is no doubting Matthews-Hampton never really found his best footy in 2026 which led to the one-time top 30 prospect who was a late addition to the AFL Academy slipping down draft boards. But his name has started to come up again as a potential late bargain in recent weeks given he has shown athletic upside as a marking defender who sees the game well and plays with instinct.
Bargains
Marlon Neocleous
Was somewhat affected by playing at several different levels in 2026 and fell short of his very best footy consistently. He also was not helped by missing two Vic Country games with injury. Entered the year drawing Nick Watson comparisons, but played his better footy higher up the field as more of a Murphy Reid connector. Is a hard-working, high IQ player who makes good decisions in the forward half but does not have the blistering speed associated with modern day small forwards, and combined with his up-and-down form, will likely contribute to him sliding from the first rounder he looked like he would be in the first half of the year.
Kodah Edwards
Was in many top 10s at the start of the year and has long been viewed this year's best open-pool talent from South Australia, but has been usurped by Mitch Harris, Jake Eime and potentially some others. Was reasonably consistent at the National Championships, earning All-Australian honours and his leadership is another noteworthy attribute, as South Adelaide and South Australia skipper. He has, however, drawn criticism for his kicking effectiveness and will likely be a handy night two pickup whose hardness and goal-scoring complement his midfield craft.
Leo Steed
Not a ‘slider' in the traditional sense given he still projects as a likely first rounder but was bandied around as a potential top 10 prospect during a barnstorming National Championships, but is one who could instead go later on night one. Has all the attributes you would want in a hard-at-it midfielder and had 17 club interviews at the National Combine so the interest is clearly strong.
Harry Chapman
Noted for his athleticism, he was reasonable, without being a standout at the AFL Draft National Combine. There also remains some question over his contested ball-winning, but his frame and raw tools provide cause for optimism that he could be a high-upside player at the next level. Regardless, having been a first round prospect at times this year, he now seems more likely to be a later second or third round prospect. If he fulfils his potential, he suits the modern game as a metres-gained transition midfielder.
Darcy Szerszyn
Never quite found his best footy in 2026, but his bottom-aged year was so strong he should still find an AFL home as a athletically gifted rebounding defender who can impact aerially. A shoulder injury put a line through the first half of the season, and he was not his consistent combative self upon return, but he showed in flashes the chaos he can create running off half-back which got him into the AFL Academy. Also got a VFL opportunity for North Melbourne. Has not been spoken about but if a club backs itself to help him return to the trajectory he was on 12 months ago, he could be a surprise packet.
Koby Lecras
Was trending towards the first round when he sprained his ACL in the WAFL. A strong AFL Academy game was backed up by a promising senior WAFL debut as a hybrid marking forward who can dazzle at ground level. Could drift into the late second or third round despite being a high-upside prospect.
Jack Pickett
His range is hard to predict after an ACL injury wiped out virtually his entire top-aged season. Yet he was so good as a bottom-ager at APS and Talent League level, he remains, broadly, viewed as the second best key forward, behind only Sam Gayfer. Given he was trending towards being a top 10 prospect as a competitive crash-and-bash operator, his range as a likely pick in the 20s could prove to be a masterstroke for the club which chooses to select him.
Gus White
The one on the list who is no certainty to be selected. An ACL injury to the high-impact South Adelaide prospect wiped out most of his top-aged year after a promising Under-17s Futures match laid a strong foundation for 2027. The half forward can impact at the contest and has attacked his rehabilitation well, highly regarded for his response to the setback and could be a bargain late on night two or in the rookie draft. A National Combine invite is promising when considering his prospects.
Noah Williams
Played a third of his games this year through injury after starting off with a best afield performance in the AFL Academy which had him in top 10 considerations. Suits the list needs of some clubs in the later stages of the first round but is more likely to find himself picked up on night two which would be a bargain for a footy lover who has a terrific work ethic to go with his character and old-school competitiveness.
Jack Slattery
A tremendously tough one to place given his standout National Championships was bookended by solid rather than spectacular form at reserves and senior level for Woodville West Torrens. Should get a go somewhere, but is undersized and does not possess any brilliant athletic qualities which could give clubs cause for consideration before selecting him.
