Through two months of the junior football season there's a growing consensus amongst recruiters. While not doubting the top-end talent evidenced in performances across the country, clubs are once again concerned with the depth through the middle portion of the draft.
There were a lowly 58 selections in 2025 and this year's crop should pass that mark, but glimpses of the 2027 cohort are already turning heads. With Tasmania set to dominate next year's 2027 draft, there will be big expectations placed on the national championships set in June and July to unearth more quality to bolster the 2008-born group.
Western Australia will play host to reigning champs South Australia to kickstart the carnival on June 13th, with a match-up between Vic Metro and Vic Country set for July 19th.
A 'Big 3' has emerged early in the season, headlined by Power NGA Dougie Cochrane who remains out of action. Changing draft rules will have Port Adelaide scrambling to find points between two high draft picks to match a potential pick one bid for their key forward sensation.
As we enter the most important portion of the draft cycle these are ESPN's top 20 prospects for May.
National Championships schedule:
1. Dougie Cochrane (Port Adelaide NGA) (last month: 1)
Central Districts/South Australia
FWD/MID, 195cm
Dougie will watch from the grandstand for a while yet as he rehabilitates surgery on his patella. Clubs won't soon forget the talent he showcased for the best part of three years through the elite junior pathways with his ball skills, contest work and springy athleticism the makings of a truly unique package. Cochrane's draft stock won't be impacted by a lack of football in his draft year.
2. Harry Van Hattum (2)
Northern Knights/Vic Metro
RUC/FWD, 205cm
Talent League: 1 game, 19 disposals, 20 hitouts, 2 goals
The monstrous size of Van Hattum mixed with his leap and balance is enough for recruiters to take a keen interest in the ruck's form. Now, what he's doing with ball in hand has been enough to generate pick one buzz. Van Hattum is clean and classy, wielding a penetrating right boot and offering smart ball use going inside 50. He clunks marks deep forward, dominates junior rucks and starts scoring chains at stoppages.
3. Cody Walker (Carlton father-son) (3)
Bendigo Pioneers/Vic Country
MID, 184cm
VFL: 2 games, 25.5 disposals, 6.5 marks, 1.5 tackles
Walker has stepped up to VFL level with aplomb. Amongst the Blues' best in both outings to date, the son of high-flyer Andrew is explosive and prolific in the midfield with a lightning first step and clean hands below his knees. He's desperate to impact with every touch, biting off daring kicks through the corridor and inside 50 - sometimes to his detriment. There's a healthy arrogance in the way Walker takes on would-be tacklers and bursts into space.
4. Noah Williams (4)
Geelong Falcons/Vic Country
DEF/MID, 177cm
Talent League: 3 games, 23 disposals, 4.3 marks, 9 tackles
Williams has a slender frame but it doesn't stop him from attacking the contest with fervor. He's laying nine tackles per outing after recruiters were eager to see his contested work develop in a move on-ball this season. His spread and dash from the back half continues to be Williams' greatest strength, but the growth in his stoppage work has the Falcon in top five conversations.
5. Clancy Snell (13)
Gippsland Power/Vic Country
DEF, 196cm
Talent League: 5 games, 14.4 disposals, 7.6 marks
Snell's aerial prowess is best-in-class. The key defender gets his work in early, positioning himself down the line of attacking forays, dictating position and timing his bodywork to peel off and rack up intercept marks. He can play on talls and smalls, backing his judgement in the air to kickstart transition for his side. There are no holes to Snell's game in defence and he looms as a very early selection if his form carries into the championships for Vic Country.
6. Kodah Edwards (5)
South Adelaide/South Australia
MID, 183cm
SANFL U18s: 5 games, 23 disposals, 5.4 tackles, 2.2 goals
Edwards goes from strength to strength, attacking contested balls with the vigour befitting the game's best inside midfielders. His capacity to wrench the footy out of clinches and find teammates on the fly is remarkable, as is the damage he can wield as a target inside 50. Edwards should have no trouble stepping up to SANFL level soon.
Kodah Edwards is my favourite player to watch this draft cycle. 183cm mid that blends Sloane-esque doggedness with 1v1 ability in f50. Kicking is the question mark, but he consistently uses his left as he tries to round out his game.
— Jasper Chellappah (@Jasperc53) April 7, 2026
Footage courtesy of @FootyStuffYT #AFLDraft pic.twitter.com/zXeGfJvjk2
7. Arki Butler (6)
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
MID/FWD, 182cm
Talent League: 3 games, 17.3 disposals, 3.3 marks, 1.7 goals
Butler can do some mercurial things in the forward half with his aerial work and smarts under duress. His foot skills are damaging and he hits the scoreboard with regularity as a general forward, but is still trying to establish himself as a midfielder where he's struggled to impact in the heat of the contest. Butler can be fumbly on the move around stoppages.
8. Ethan Drever (new)
GWV Rebels/Vic Country
MID, 188cm
Talent League: 5 games, 29.6 disposals, 6 tackles, 1.2 goals
The rise of Drever has been a big storyline so far. The Rebels inside midfielder boasts a raking right boot he uses to great effect across the ground, but his running power has been the most impressive asset to date. Drever explodes from contest with short strides before elongating into a bounding gait in space where he eats up ground and drives his side forward. Long running goals have been a consistent theme in his games to date.
Fresh #AFLDraft rankings dropping tomorrow! Worth familiarising yourself with a name that'll feature prominently all season long - Rebels inside midfielder Ethan Drever.@ESPNAusNZ @FootyStuffYT pic.twitter.com/A2n7F5TOsX
— Jasper Chellappah (@Jasperc53) May 12, 2026
9. Ethan Herbert (9)
North Adelaide/South Australia
RUC, 200cm
SANFL U18s: 4 games, 23.5 disposals, 3.5 marks, 8.3 clearances
Herbert is a fantastic clearance player, either ripping the ball out of the ruck and getting it on the boot or showcasing clean hands below his knees to find outside runners. He presents as a Tim English type with strong running power to separate on leads around the ground and there's upside for the skilled tall to play at either end of the ground at the next level too.
10. Khaled El Souki (Western Bulldogs NGA) (new)
Western Jets/Vic Metro
FWD, 174cm
Talent League: 7 games, 20.9 disposals, 3.9 tackles, 3.3 goals
El Souki just keeps kicking goals. There's some untapped potential for him around the ground and his centre bounce work is potent at times, but he looms as a potential top 10 pick because of his innate sense around goals. He's kicked 23 goals to lead all-comers in the talent league; his left leg is penetrating and precise and he's finding a stack of the ball in dangerous areas.
Dogs fans should be pumped to watch Khaled El Souki develop this year. A dynamic small that wins his own ball up afield, came third in the Jets' b&f last year.
— Jasper Chellappah (@Jasperc53) March 24, 2026
Finished with 23 and two goals, his second half was sensational vs Calder #AFLDraft pic.twitter.com/45T9i2m9tJ
11. Heath Mellody (10)
Claremont/Western Australia
MID/DEF, 184cm
An outside midfielder who can run all day, Mellody's precise kicking off either foot is a trait highly valued in modern footy. His overlap run and want to chain up possessions in transition was on full display in Claremont's grand final triumph last year but he's yet to feature at Colts level in 2026 due to other football commitments.
12. Lucas Robinson (Fremantle NGA) (8)
South Fremantle/Western Australia
MID, 191cm
WAFL: 6 games, 17.7 disposals, 3.5 tackles, 1 goal
The step up to WAFL football has suited the bid-bodied frame of Robinson just fine. He's been his side's best midfielder in patches when exposed to centre bounces, and contributed up forward. There remains a limitation with Robinson's outside game including the run and spread necessary of modern on-ballers, but his frame and clean hands give him a pathway to being the best contested ball-winner at the championships.
Liked Fremantle Next Generation Academy talent Lucas Robinson's game for South Fremantle against Subiaco last night. Kicked two goals in the opening half playing predominantly as a forward before getting moving into the midfield to start the second half with coach Craig White... pic.twitter.com/TYUuhEp6xf
— Jordan McArdle (@jordan_mc12) May 3, 2026
13. Gus Teixera (new)
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
MID, 181cm
Talent League: 2 games, 22.5 disposals, 5.5 marks, 2 goals
Teixera reminded everyone of his class with a best afield display in Vic Metro trials, and he continued on that form at talent league level for the Dragons. The midfielder is a workhorse in his ability to get from contest to contest and he's clean and incisive with ball in hand, picking out targets with composure. His form will warrant a very high placing if it continues through to the national championships where he will spearhead the Metro midfield.
14. Marlon Neocleous (7)
Gippsland Power/Vic Country
FWD/MID, 168cm
Talent League: 3 games, 18 disposals, 5 marks, 2 goals
Neocleous has had some special moments amongst a quieter start to the season than he'd be hoping. His goal sense and capacity to create scoring opportunities out of nothing remain his best traits. He plays with bravado and attacks the ball unflinchingly despite his size, though doesn't look comfortable at centre bounces yet.
15. Cody Templeton (11)
Gippsland Power/Vic Country
MID/FWD, 180cm
Talent League: 6 games, 17.7 disposals, 4.2 tackles, 1.5 goals
Templeton is tough and determined in his attack on the ball and man, be it through the midfield or up forward. He's dangerous at forward 50 stoppage with the strength to break free in tight confines. Templeton can get a head of steam up barrelling inside 50, though can be erratic with his disposal at times.
16. Jack Pickett (12)
Geelong Falcons/Vic Country
FWD, 194cm
An early-season ACL rupture has put Pickett on ice this year. A traditional lead-up key forward, Pickett has kicked bags of goals as a bottom-ager in the talent league and will be one of the first key forwards off the board in November despite his setback.
17. Koby LeCras (20)
West Perth/Western Australia
FWD/MID, 192cm
WAFL Colts: 1 game, 19 disposals, 6 marks, 1 goal
LeCras has footy lineage through his uncle Mark but presents as a tall left footer with huge aerobic ability up the ground. He's looked at home on the wing where he can slide back to help aerially and push forward with size mismatches. His foot skills are silky and he kicks goals with regularity in a variety of ways in the forward 50.
18. Gabe Patterson (15)
Glenelg/South Australia
FWD/MID, 184cm
SANFL U18s: 1 game, 13 disposals, 4 marks, 1 tackle
Patterson is an aggressive forward-half midfielder, loving to take the ball north-south and set up attacking forays with dynamism. His power to separate from opponents is eye-catching, though he may be confined to forward roles at the next level without improving his contest work.
19. Xavier Ladbrook (16)
Gippsland Power/Vic Country
DEF, 201cm
Talent League: 5 games, 12.6 disposals, 7 marks
Ladbrook was best afield for the academy in a classy aerial display. He can lock down on key forwards and is showing wares up the ground as a target inside 50 and on the wing. His running power is impressive for his size but his need to build size may relegate him to peripheral roles early in his career.
20. Marcus Prasad (17)
Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country
FWD/MID, 167cm
Talent League: 3 games, 22.3 disposals, 4 tackles, 2 goals
Prasad's one-touch ball skills and movement through congestion is brilliant, keeping a low centre of gravity to agilely spin out of trouble and get onto his trusty left. He's damaging as a deep forward and provides energy through the midfield, though can struggle to impact in large patches at a time.