2026 AFL Draft

[ajGreen]

AFL Draft: September Power Rankings

Jonty Ralphsmith
zerohanger.com
September 4, 2026

1. Dougie Cochrane
2. Arki Butler
3. Cody Walker
4. Gus Teixeira
5. Harry Van Hattum
6. Heath Mellody
7. Ethan Drever
8. Ethan Matthews
9. Leo Steed
10. Mitch Harris
11. Caylen Murray
12. Clancy Snell
13. Wil Malady
14. Kodah Edwards
15. Sam Gayfer
16. Jake Eime
17. George Gale
18. Ethan Herbert
19. Tyson Bradley
20. George Dimer
21. Toby Krasna
22. Marlon Neocleous
23. Noah Williams
24. Jack Pickett
25. Khaled El Souki
26. Lochie Burrows
27. Harvey Spawton-Guy
28. Harry Chapman
29. Darcy Szerszyn
30. Jackson Phillips
31. Koby LeCras
32. Keenan Boi
33. Jack Slattery
34. Jordan Knapp
35. Albert MacGowan
36. Gus Kennedy
37. Memphis Webb
38. Cody Templeton
39. Hugh McCallum
40. Xavier Ladbrook
41. Wil Antrobus
42. Billy Wigmore
43. Blake Justice
44. Archie Elliott
45. Gabe Patterson

Full profiles here: https://www.zerohanger.com/afl-draft-september-power-rankings-181994/9/

Would like Tyson Bradley at our 2nd or compo.

Not sold on annand. Gray. Gibcus.

[Tiger Khosh]

Could trade compo and 2nd rounder for a pick that could secure us snell, or not worth it you rekn?

[the claw]

There is about 8 players id like to get a crack at after pick 20. There is others not even on that list.

There are state league players id give a spot to in a heart beat weather its ND  or thru the rookie drafts.

It would be a travesty if we do not cut hard this year.

[Hard Roar Tiger]

There is about 8 players id like to get a crack at after pick 20. There is others not even on that list.

There are state league players id give a spot to in a heart beat weather its ND  or thru the rookie drafts.

It would be a travesty if we do not cut hard this year.

We won’t

[the claw]

Could trade compo and 2nd rounder for a pick that could secure us snell, or not worth it you rekn?

Im thinking the other way about things.

I really believe we need to find a way to get more picks between 25 and 40.

There are also a few gems floating around in the state leagues we really should be looking to at least rookie if they are there.

Where does the need for another KPD thinking come from.

The last time i looked we have 6 kpd on the list.

Balta 27 - Yze seems adamant that this is where he will play. 134 games
Miller 27 - Has his critics and his admirers he is at worst servicable. 90 games
Annand 23 - we  got him this year at age 22  and hes played 11 games.
Gibcus 23 - Yes hes been cruelled by injuries but it really is incumbent on us to see what happens next year. Injuries may mean they don't get on the field but they dont mean players lose their talent. 22 games
Gray 23 - We got Campbell as a 21 year old state league recruit like Annand he too has had his share of injuries. 13 games
Trainor 20 - Still undersized and developing.32 games

Maybe we need a bit of quality maybe we dont. but there is only one way to find out and we have the time to find out. we have two experienced tall defenders but the numbers overall are good we can live with what tall defenders we have for another season. we have so many other glaring deficiencies that need to be addressed.

[Tiger Khosh]

I don’t think we’ve invested enough top end picks into our key defensive stocks.

Balta and Miller will both be the wrong side of 30 if/when we are a decent side again.

Annand and Gray are rookie picks.

Gibcus young top end pick but given what we’ve seen so far with his injuries, it unfortunately seems much more unlikely than likely that he lives up to his talent. Agree that once fit we need to be playing him at AFL level for an extended block and just see how he goes.

Trainor young top end pick - need to continue getting games into and stop dropping him at every chance.

Obviously as long as they are good players then who gives a tiddly twit what end of the draft they were picked at but statistically the top end have a higher chance of becoming stars or even solid players than those selected with later picks.

[ajGreen]

Could trade compo and 2nd rounder for a pick that could secure us snell, or not worth it you rekn?

Im thinking the other way about things.

I really believe we need to find a way to get more picks between 25 and 40.

There are also a few gems floating around in the state leagues we really should be looking to at least rookie if they are there.

Where does the need for another KPD thinking come from.

The last time i looked we have 6 kpd on the list.

Balta 27 - Yze seems adamant that this is where he will play. 134 games
Miller 27 - Has his critics and his admirers he is at worst servicable. 90 games
Annand 23 - we  got him this year at age 22  and hes played 11 games.
Gibcus 23 - Yes hes been cruelled by injuries but it really is incumbent on us to see what happens next year. Injuries may mean they don't get on the field but they dont mean players lose their talent. 22 games
Gray 23 - We got Campbell as a 21 year old state league recruit like Annand he too has had his share of injuries. 13 games
Trainor 20 - Still undersized and developing.32 games

Maybe we need a bit of quality maybe we dont. but there is only one way to find out and we have the time to find out. we have two experienced tall defenders but the numbers overall are good we can live with what tall defenders we have for another season. we have so many other glaring deficiencies that need to be addressed.

We got many small forwards too and that doesn't stop you always complaining.

1. Harris/Snell/Bradley
2. Trainor
3. Balta
---
4. Miller

Would be a near ideal launching pad to build around.

[the claw]

hmm compo pick 21 George Gale boy we need a quality wing and at 190 he is a nice rangy type to go with it and classy.

Pick 24 doubt he will be there but going by recent rankings would be wrapt if Noah Williams is here.

the following are two picks in a range id like to see us get our hands on.
30 Im not a fan of the smalls but they are coming into their own and i really like the look of Jordan Knapp yep a small mid but he sure knows how to find the footy accumulates well uses well is smart just what we need.
Koby LeCras again forward /wing think he will be a real player.

35 Gabriel Patterson medium forward with a bit of the old x factor we need to do better than the likes of Green and Rioli for starters.

Back to our pick
38 Billy Wigmore  im looking for a vlastuin type defender this kid will do nicely.

40 Archie Van Dyke just love the look of this kid. Cannot believe he is ranked so low atm

56 Tanner Armstrong acadamy pick a tough kid who knows how to get his hands on the ball.

82 Jack Leys looks a darn decent wing proposition to me.

Then there are a few mature state league types i really like the look of.
We probably don't need another kpf but Brady Wright is currently in front of all our young tall forwards coming off a 48 goal vfl season? He definately will go in the ND though and im looking more at real needs.
Jake Souter another WA lad i think he too will go in the ND somewhere just 21.

[the claw]

Could trade compo and 2nd rounder for a pick that could secure us snell, or not worth it you rekn?

Im thinking the other way about things.

I really believe we need to find a way to get more picks between 25 and 40.

There are also a few gems floating around in the state leagues we really should be looking to at least rookie if they are there.

Where does the need for another KPD thinking come from.

The last time i looked we have 6 kpd on the list.

Balta 27 - Yze seems adamant that this is where he will play. 134 games
Miller 27 - Has his critics and his admirers he is at worst servicable. 90 games
Annand 23 - we  got him this year at age 22  and hes played 11 games.
Gibcus 23 - Yes hes been cruelled by injuries but it really is incumbent on us to see what happens next year. Injuries may mean they don't get on the field but they dont mean players lose their talent. 22 games
Gray 23 - We got Campbell as a 21 year old state league recruit like Annand he too has had his share of injuries. 13 games
Trainor 20 - Still undersized and developing.32 games

Maybe we need a bit of quality maybe we dont. but there is only one way to find out and we have the time to find out. we have two experienced tall defenders but the numbers overall are good we can live with what tall defenders we have for another season. we have so many other glaring deficiencies that need to be addressed.

We got many small forwards too and that doesn't stop you always complaining.

1. Harris/Snell/Bradley
2. Trainor
3. Balta
---
4. Miller

Would be a near ideal launching pad to build around.

lol  just ignore Annnand Gray and Gibcus. They do exist but hey lets get another kpd were in desperate need of one its hilarious.

Lol when have i complained about Campbell, Peucker, Alger Hotton. Its only duds i complain about like Rioli and Green who have been around long enough.
I think ive been saying we have too many small forwards and need to cut the dead wood.
You see thats your problem you get all antsy because you have no comprehension.

[ajGreen]

 " Would like Tyson Bradley at our 2nd or compo.

Not sold on annand. Gray. Gibcus "

Gibcus was obviously very promising but it's a hard road back post injury.

I am not as enamoured with Annand as other supporters.

Gray has ticker but I'm not convinced he will be good enough yet.

Ideally Miller would be depth but we are long way from that reality.

An elite KPD from this draft and trainior. Balta gives me much more confidence in building a future flag winning back 6.

You are always talking about the 2017 -2020 team. Not sure if gray and annand are going to get that level

[one-eyed]

Ethan Drever - Talent League Finals Week 2

A loss in finals week two has brought the Rebels season to an end, and Ethan Drever signed off with one of the most Ethan Drever-like performances imaginable.  He was dynamic around stoppage, always on the move to swoop on hit outs or loose balls and rapidly closing on opponents to apply tackling pressure.  Drever hit the scoreboard as he almost always does, turning one of his stoppage wins into a goal via a snap from the pocket.  He also struggled with his kicking which has been the one consistent concern in his game, a number of miskicks leading directly to turnovers that hurt the Rebels on the day.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBaXfrmf26M

[Tommy_Wolfe7]

For anyone interested (feel free to ignore), my second last power rankings for the year dropped yesterday. There will be a couple more mock drafts pre and post trade period, and then a final mock a week out from the draft.

Current power ranking is at:


https://readingtheplay.wordpress.com/2026/09/07/2026-top-50-draft-power-rankings-v4-0/


More than happy to field questions or hear your thoughts here.

[Tiger Khosh]

For anyone interested (feel free to ignore), my second last power rankings for the year dropped yesterday. There will be a couple more mock drafts pre and post trade period, and then a final mock a week out from the draft.

Current power ranking is at:


https://readingtheplay.wordpress.com/2026/09/07/2026-top-50-draft-power-rankings-v4-0/


More than happy to field questions or hear your thoughts here.

Hey mate, thanks for the post. Keen to hear more of a breakdown on HVH. His elite vertical leap, tap work and field kicking are well documented but how would you rate the other aspects of his game:
- contested marking
- speed
- aerobic tank
- ground level game

I guess I’m just trying to understand why he wouldn’t potentially be taken with the first open pool pick in the draft. I know there’s a stigma around taking rucks so early in the draft - I’ve been of that opinion myself especially regarding CDT last year, but HVH just seems like the best ruck prospect in a long time with all the attributes to succeed as a modern ruck and his height/weight make me think he could come in and make an impact pretty quickly.

While the likes of Tex, Butler and Drever look like fine prospects in their own right, I just think that the top end of the draft is always filled with players of that profile and we already have a few mid/fwds (Lalor, Hotton, etc.) on the list.

If HVH is already gone or we’re not keen on him, I think I’d be inclined to go for Drever next as that quick/tall inside/outside mid type. I read I think it was on Twomeys latest phantom rankings that his kicking is questionable- would you consider that a big deficiency in his game?

[one-eyed]

"If Dougie Cochrane gets bid on at pick 1 then I think there is a world where the bid for Cody Walker doesn't come 'til pick 4 or 5"

Cal Twomey (via Gettable)

https://x.com/aflratings_GM/status/2097483879053672672

[ajGreen]

Will be sad day if we don't bid on him.