Dougie Cochrane is the consensus top prospect in the 2026 AFL draft, though he missed much of the season with knee tendinitis.
Top Prospects and Academy Bids
Port Adelaide has spent 18 months preparing to match an expected bid for Cochrane at pick No. 1. Right behind him on the board is Cody Walker, a talented midfielder tied to Carlton via the father-son rule.
About 60 draftees will buy their AFL dreams across November 19 and November 20. The 196cm Indigenous forward aims to pattern his midfield play after Marcus Bontempelli and his forward craft after Charlie Curnow. His status as the projected No. 1 pick comes despite playing only a handful of games in the SANFL late in the season after his ongoing knee tendinitis issues.
During the trade period, Essendon let Port Adelaide know they planned to make a selection at pick No. 1. The Power hold picks No. 7 and 12 and can go into a points deficit to match it, requiring 17 deficit points. If matched, Cochrane would be the Power’s first ever No. 1 pick.
The draft will also revolve around two players bottom clubs will not get access to, alongside other standout prospects such as Cody Walker, an Indigenous midfielder tied to Carlton via the father-son rule. Ethan Drever is firming as the first open-pool player taken, emerging as a target for Essendon.
The 188cm midfielder grew up a passionate Bombers fan and is a powerful midfielder capable of winning the ball on the inside or the outside of stoppages under coach Mark McVeigh.
Sam Gayfer smashed the AFL’s running vertical jump record at this year’s Draft Combine by 7cm. Gayfer is a rare athlete who can take big marks and is projected to fall somewhere in the first round, likely just outside of the top 10, after training with both the Hawks and the Lions over multiple pre-seasons.
Combine Testing and Selection Order
State Draft Combines were held in Melbourne (October 3), Adelaide (October 10) and Perth (October 11). The 2026 Telstra AFL Draft will take place at Marvel Stadium, with the first round on Thursday, November 19, followed by the remaining selections on Friday, November 20.
The rookie and pre-season drafts will be broadcast exclusively on AFL.com.au on the afternoon of Monday, November 23. Ahead of the event, AFL Talent Ambassador Kevin Sheehan released profiles on the top prospects.
Richmond holds picks two, five, 44 and 76 alongside a likely beginning-of-second-round compensation pick under new rules introduced for the first time in 2026. All players profiled attended either the 2026 Telstra AFL Draft Combine or the 2026 Telstra AFL State Draft Combine in October.
Among them is Lochie Burrows, a powerful and strong midfielder and forward from the Sandringham Dragons and Bentleigh who stands at 180cm, was born on 11/04/2008, and brings energy and personality to the locker room while adding versatility when swung back during Victoria Metro trials.
With the AFL Draft just one week away, AFL Media's draft guru, Cal Twomey, has ranked the best 30 players in the pool. Click below to read ⤵️https://t.co/LJphzbfTQf
Burrows missed testing at the national Draft Combine due to illness but performed a week later at the state Draft Combine in Adelaide, recording 2.91 seconds for the 20m sprint and an 8.18-second agility test.
Additional draft coverage is available on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App. Tuesday morning marks the return of Gettable Draft Countdown with Cal Twomey and Riley Beveridge across three consecutive mornings, offering exclusive interviews with list managers and coaches, along with Cal’s first take of his famous Phantom Draft.
On Thursday, November 19 and Friday, November 20, Cal Twomey, Riley Beveridge, and Nat Edwards steer Draft Night Live starting at 6.45pm AEDT each night with live reaction from draftees and clubs, while the rookie and pre-season drafts broadcast exclusively on November 23 from 2.55pm AEDT. From Monday, November 16, 2026, users must log into the AFL Live App with a free AFL iD to access news, video, highlights, and expert opinion.