THE future picks market is becoming increasingly prevalent at each AFL Draft, and with tighter rules around matching bids, preparation is proving key. Gold Coast has become the pick swap king and frantically did so throughout trade and draft period to secure five academy graduates this year.

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>> MORE: The top club-tied prospects for 2026

Heading into 2026, Carlton and Port Adelaide are among the clubs to have already bolstered their hands with top prospects Cody Walker (father-son) and Dougie Cochrane (Next Generation Academy) respectively aligned. Both are considered early pick one contenders for next year.

The Blues are stocked up with two first round picks across the next two drafts, thanks to the Charlie Curnow deal. They also played their live trades perfectly at the draft just gone, shifting down the order thrice to land second-rounders from North Melbourne and Gold Coast, and Brisbane’s third-rounder.

Having secured priority access to Cochrane, Port made history by becoming the first club not to make a live National Draft selection this year. Instead, they traded out of their 2025 picks to end up with six overall selections next year, including one in the first round, two in the second, and two in the third.

The Power still have some work to do on their unchanged 2027 haul, with a slew of potentially high-end talent tied to them. NGA prospect Zemes Pilot could be the best of the lot, while father-sons Louis Salopek and Tevita Rodan were also Under 16 All-Australians this year out of Victorian regions.

West Coast is another club with beefed up 2026 selections. The Eagles added a third round selection from Hawthorn and fourth-rounder from the Western Bulldogs on top of their own untouched hand. NGA product Garrison Kenh and father-son Harper Banfield will be front of mind for the WA club.

There are still many more teams with potentially some negotiating to do come next year. Although, some of that pends on the decisions of players tied to multiple clubs. Namely, Aidan McCartney (North Melbourne and Sydney) and Cooper Hodge (Brisbane and Hawthorn) will highly sought after.

The Lions will hope to obtain Hodge’s nomination to go with academy star Caylen Murray, who shapes as a first round talent. Similarly, Sydney may have some work to do if McCartney opts to stay put, having cleared house of its first round picks for the next two years.

On the flip side, North Melbourne could have access to McCartney and fellow father-son candidate Sam Harris, along with Tasmanian NGA prospect Archie Devine. The latter pair will likely be later picks at this stage, with the Roos holding a third-rounder and two fourth-rounders to go with their round one pick.

Gold Coast is the club with the least amount of future stock, only holding later selections for next year. Archie Hill is an academy standout the Suns may wish to move for, while GWS, armed with only a round one and round two pick next year, will likely view Ethan Matthews as a priority academy selection.

Meanwhile, Essendon is in a similar boat to Port Adelaide with its 2027 crop potentially booming. Father-son star Koby Bewick is already drawing comparisons to Nick Daicos with his prolific nature and footy smarts, while Rodan is also aligned via the NGA along with Moustafa Darwish.

The Bombers’ 2027 and 2028 crops remain unchanged, and Blake Justice is their main target for 2026. Currently, they hold a first, second, and fourth round pick to do business. The likes of Fremantle and Richmond also have promising NGA prospects in Lucas Robinson and Tanner Armstrong, but are among three clubs with unchanged 2026 hands.