WHILE the 2026 AFLW Draft crop is shaping up to be one of the deepest in recent years, there is no shortage of premium talent at the pointy end. In the return of our Race to #1 series but this time for the women’s draft, we highlight the leading contenders vying for the top honour.

>> RACE TO #1: Bailee Martin

Next up in this year’s series is South Australian clearance machine Emma Charlton. The South Adelaide midfielder is the younger sister of Adelaide’s Teah and bears similar traits – evasive, competitive and relentlessly consistent. A best on ground performance in the SANFLW Grand Final and South Australia’s MVP at the Under 18 National Championships as a bottom-ager underlines just how polished Charlton already is. A member of the Marsh AFLW National Academy, Charlton is as safe a selection as there is in the entire crop.

>> Ones to watch: Top 26 AFLW Draft prospects in 2026

South Adelaide Women's, South Australia GirlsMidfielder-Forward

Emma Charlton

Height: 160cm

Weight: -

DOB: 19-06-2008

BY THE NUMBERS:

2025 AFLW U18 National Championships (4 games)
24.5 disposals | 2.5 marks | 7.3 tackles | 6.5 clearances | 3.5 inside 50s | SA MVP | All-Australian (Rover)

2025 AFLW U18 Championships – Game 1 vs Vic Metro
31 disposals | 10 clearances

2025 AFLW U18 Championships – Game 2 vs Western Australia
17 disposals | 12 tackles | 5 clearances

2025 AFLW U18 Championships – Game 3 vs Queensland
24 disposals | 7 clearances

2025 SANFLW League (11 games)
21.1 disposals | 2.8 marks | 7.6 tackles | 5.2 clearances | 3.1 inside 50s

2025 SANFLW Grand Final
26 disposals | 3 marks (1 contested) | 7 tackles | 10 clearances | 4 inside 50s | 5 rebound 50s | Unanimous BOG (15 votes)

ACCOLADES:

– 2026 AFLW National Academy member
– 2025 AFLW U18 All-Australian (Rover)
– 2025 South Australia U18 MVP
– 2025 SANFLW Grand Final Best on Ground (unanimous)
– 2025 SANFLW Powerade Breakthrough Player nominee
– 2025 SANFLW Team of the Year (Interchange)
– 2025 Rookie Me Central SANFLW Team of the Year
– 2025 National Futures Girls representative
– 2024 AFLW U16 All-Australian
– 2024 SANFLW League premiership player (South Adelaide)

STRENGTHS

+ Consistency
+ Clearance work
+ Tackling and defensive pressure
+ Evasiveness
+ Ball winning ability
+ Decision making under pressure

If you looked up the word ‘consistent’ in the AFLW Draft dictionary, a photo of Charlton would accompany it. The distance between her best and worst performances is practically non-existent, and the evenness of her overall profile is the best of any player in the crop. That level of reliability is an incredibly rare trait for a player having only finished their bottom-age season.

Charlton is a natural ball winner who dominates at the contest. Her clearance numbers are elite, racking up 10 clearances in the SANFLW Grand Final and consistently hovering around five per game in senior football as a 17-year-old. She wins the ball cleanly at the coalface and has the composure to make the right decision under pressure – whether that be a quick handball to a teammate pushing forward, or driving her legs to transition the ball herself.

Her tackling is ferocious and relentless. Averaging 7.3 tackles at the Under 18 Championships and 7.5 in the SANFLW, Charlton never stops hunting the ball carrier. Her defensive pressure is among the best in the draft class and speaks to a two-way game that is incredibly mature for her age.

Much like her sister Teah, Emma possesses slick evasive techniques that allow her to slip tackles and find space in congestion. Despite standing at just 160cm, she packs a punch around the ball and refuses to shy away from the physical contest. She is a proven performer at senior level having won back-to-back SANFLW premierships and excelled in the Grand Final spotlight.

QUESTION MARK(S)

It is near impossible to find any real knock on Charlton given the ridiculous level of consistency. While not something that has stopped her commanding the play around the stoppages at senior level in the SANFLW, at 160cm, she is on the smaller end of the spectrum for an inside midfielder at AFLW level. It is unlikely to be a concern, but will likely mean given her lighter frame, she will likely start as a small forward and build size and strength to compete against the bigger bodies.

While Charlton arguably has the fewest flaws of any player in the draft crop, she is also the most readymade so it will be fascinating to see if she can go to another level again. Charlton’s game is built on doing everything well rather than one freakish attribute, and for some clubs that elite consistency will be exactly what they want at the top of the draft. For others chasing a higher ceiling, the conversation may shift.

OUR SCOUTS SAID…

“The midfielder was incredible around the ball and set up numerous scoring plays, while providing vital extraction from congestion. The sister of Crows-listed star Teah, Charlton has similar evasive techniques and does not shy away from the contested elements of the game. Her consistency in 2025 has been phenomenal, and the young star showed it with a unanimous 15-vote best on ground”

– Peter Williams, SANFLW Player Focus

“Best on ground even in a losing side, Charlton’s performance mirrored that of her very best this season. The Eagles kept rotating fellow State Academy members onto her at the stoppages, but Charlton just found a way through her see-ball, get-ball attitude. Often at the bottom of packs or laying bone-crunching tackles, Charlton not only impacted through midfield, but went forward and kicked back-to-back goals to keep her side in it.”

– Peter Williams, 2025 SANFLW Semi-Finals Scouting Notes

“No one would have disputed Charlton as best on ground and deserving of the medal, having dominated the stoppages and really all around the ground. She racked up the most disposals and clearances in the match, and was able to set up two goals directly and many more indirectly.”

– Peter Williams, 2025 SANFLW Grand Final Scouting Notes

“She is the safest selection in the draft crop, but she is also one of the most damaging. A bonafide Rolls Royce with a V8 engine. Does it all.”

– Peter Williams, 26 in 2026: AFLW Draft Prospects to Watch

WHERE SHE SITS

Charlton is among the safest prospects in the 2026 AFLW Draft crop, and depending on a club’s list needs, could easily be the first name called on draft night. Her resume is as stacked as anyone’s in the class: SANFLW premiership player (twice), Grand Final best on ground, South Australian MVP and All-Australian at Under 18 level – all as a bottom-ager.

Her older sister Teah’s presence at Adelaide creates a natural storyline, with the Crows having secured Gold Coast’s first round pick for the 2026 draft. Whether the sisterly link comes to fruition remains to be seen, but clubs picking at the top of the order will have Charlton firmly in their sights.

As it stands, Charlton is comfortably in the top three. A continued dominant showing as a top-ager will only strengthen her case, and she has the proven consistency to deliver exactly that. She may have set a high bar in her bottom-age season, but while some look to ceilings for the future, Charlton’s readiness and floor, place her as the benchmark.