Bid twists and an open five-player draft choice: Inside Bombers’ defining Pick 1 call
Ben Waterworth
Fox Sports
September 16th, 2026
Sources spoken to by foxfooty.com.au believe it’d be a major surprise if the Bombers used Pick 1 this year to take an open-pool player.
The awarding of compensation picks, therefore, makes it more enticing for clubs to bid early on club-tied players.
That’s because Port Adelaide NGA prospect Dougie Cochrane is still widely regarded as the best player in this year’s draft class – despite barely playing in 2026.
So could the Bombers bid on both Cochrane and Cody Walker?
The likelihood has diminished as the season has progressed, but it’s something that still can’t be ruled out.
But the sense among scouts surveyed by foxfooty.com.au in the past few weeks is the Walker bid could slide, especially if the Bombers forced Port Adelaide to match for Cochrane at the start of the draft. The Cochrane bid would automatically trigger second-round compensation for the Bombers, so there’s not as much incentive from that perspective to ask Carlton to match for Walker. Plus some recruiters firmly believe Walker isn’t a clear No.2 player in the class.
THE TOP FIVE OPEN-POOL PROSPECTSWhile it’s still regarded as an open race, GWV Rebels on-baller Ethan Drever is now firmly in the mix to be the first open-pool player taken.
Drever has stepped up at all levels in 2026 and produced one of the most consistent and impressive draft years of all top-end candidates. He took out Vic Country’s MVP award and was named in the Under 18 All-Australian team after a dazzling national carnival, while he took out the Rebels’ best and fairest award.
Drever’s all-round profile makes him one of the most complete open-pool prospects. He’s strong and agile in the contest, versatile, aerobically powerful, clean with ball in hand and has a penetrating kick – traits that have seen him draw comparisons to Giants star Finn Callaghan. Like Jagga Smith and Sam Walsh in their respective draft years, Drever would provide a sense of security and reliability to the club that ultimately picks him.
That profile is why multiple sources believe Drever is firmly in Essendon’s thinking at Pick 1. And considering the acquisitions of inside bulls Robey and Sharp last year, Drever would complement the Bombers midfield nicely.
But another midfielder, Heath Mellody, has come with a rush off the back of a Larke Medal-winning national carnival, followed by a brilliant WAFL league stint.
Mellody ended up as the No.1 ball-winner of the Under 18 champs to claim the Larke Medal as the competition’s best player, as well as WA’s MVP award and the All-Australian captain title. He’s also played the past five WAFL league games for Claremont, booting four goals and averaging 20.8 disposals.
Mellody showed how classy, balanced, athletic and efficient by foot he is as a rebounding defender earlier this year. But his move into the midfield highlighted his centre bounce craft and ability to stand up in contests.
It’s very hard now to see Mellody slipping past West Coast’s first pick on draft night, but don’t discount him going earlier than that, either.
Then there are three Vic Metro prospects who’ve been in the top-end mix all year.
Northern Knights’ Harry Van Hattum has been touted as a “generational” ruck talent by some scouts. An athletic, hard-working and skilful 204cm prospect with a brilliant vertical leap and impressive stoppage craft, he looms as a big man who’ll thrive at AFL level with the new ruck rules introduced in 2026.
As one recruiter pointed out to foxfooty.com.au this week, if it clicks for Van Hattum at AFL level, he has all the talent, athletic traits and upside to be the best player of this draft class. But whether he’s the standout open-pool prospect – and whether a club would be prepared to use such an early pick on a ruck, albeit one with huge upside – remains a point of contention in the industry.
The Bombers lost Sam Draper 12 months ago, so relied on the combination of Nick Bryan, Peter Wright, Lachie Blakiston and Vigo Visentini as their rucks throughout the year, with Bryan – clearly the club’s preferred big man – missing the early part of the season due to injury. Wright and Blakiston, however, were pinch-hitters as they usually roam the forward and defensive arcs respectively.
Visentini just turned 21 and Bryan turns 25 next month, so there’s still hope the duo can emerge into reliable AFL rucks. But Van Hattum has them both covered for talent.
Then there’s two forward-midfielders out of the Sandringham Dragons with ample X-factor: Arki Butler and Gus Teixeira.
Butler, the grandson of 250-gamer and 1966 premiership Saint Allan Davis, is a tantalising prospect. He has freakish talent, athleticism, clean hands, class and a strong goal sense, while his ability to play above his 183cm height has seen him draw comparisons to Giants star Toby Greene.
Butler isn’t the complete player yet, but if the club that drafts him can help him live up to his full potential, they’ll be greatly rewarded via his on-field output.
Like Butler, Teixeira has great goal sense and strong marking ability, but it’s his speed, powerful kicking skills and vision that give him a point of difference. Scouts believe he’ll likely start his AFL career as a forward that pinch-hits in the midfield, but he showed off his on-ball potential for Vic Metro, both during trial games and at national championships level, this year.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/draft/afl-draft-2026-essendon-pick-1-options-revealed-as-ethan-drever-heath-mellody-emerge-could-bombers-bid-on-dougie-cochrane-and-cody-walker/news-story/58b8fbd7a3db5a95de071b64e5f5bf1b
