Preseason Q&A: Ethan Matthews (Giants Academy)
AMONG another strong crop of club-tied talent this year is Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Academy standout Ethan Matthews. The smooth-moving defender is hoping to earn more midfield minutes as a top-ager, bringing Allies exposure and five games of VFL experience into season 2026. We sat down for an interview with Matthews at the Giants Academy’s […]
2026 Talent League fixtures revealed
THE AFL has today released fixtures for the upcoming Talent League boys and girls seasons. The competition continues to expand, with news that the Bachar Houli Senior Boys Academy will compete in two matches, while the four club-aligned Northern Academies will now play seven games each. >> SCROLL for all the details TALENT LEAGUE BOYS […]
TOP 5s | 2026 NSW/ACT Preseason Testing
JUNIOR athletics star Mason McGroder has showed out at the recent Swans Academy preseason combine, achieving three top five finishes. A long jump bronze medalist at the 2024 U20 World Championships, it was no surprise to see the top-ager top the running vertical jump leaderboard. >> SCROLL to see the Top 5s for each test […]
TOP 5s | 2026 Queensland Preseason Testing
BRISBANE Lions Academy prospect Jethro Grills had a day out at the recent Queensland preseason testing combine, achieving top-five results in every event. What’s more, the 176cm top-ager finished first on the leaderboard in four of those tests to showcase his all-round athleticism. >> SCROLL to see the Top 5s for each test Grills notched […]
Preseason Q&A: Archie Hill (Suns Academy)
FOOTBALL fans, no less Gold Coast fans, can thank the 2018 AFL Grand Final for Archie Hill‘s love of the game. After being “glued to the TV” for West Coast’s dramatic defeat of Collingwood, the mad Geelong fan and nephew of Cameron Mooney is well on his way to reaching the big leagues. Hill, a […]
Preseason Q&A: Will Jenkin (Swans Academy)
FROM playing Auskick in Hong Kong to earning selection in last year’s National Futures match, Will Jenkin is traversing a unique path through his footballing career. What’s more, he’s doing it alongside twin brother Guy, with the pair being equal parts inseparable and impossible to tell apart. Jenkin did not partake in the Futures match […]
AFL Draft | Top club-tied prospects for 2026
AFTER what was pegged as the most compromised draft in history, the consensus top two prospects for next year are both already tied to AFL clubs. There is plenty of value for all clubs, though, with a range of father-son, Next Generation Academy (NGA), and Northern Academy prospects showing their wares. >> 26 for 2026: […]
Academy Update: The graduates in line for promotion
WITH the 2025 season quickly drawing to a close, the pieces are close to being set in stone on how club-tied players will impact the draft order. Inevitably, many will be scattered throughout the order in what is being labelled as the most compromised draft in history. We run through where the leading top-age prospects […]
VFL Player Focus: Zeke Uwland (Gold Coast Suns)
IT WAS a long time coming, but pick one contender Zeke Uwland finally took the field for his first appearance at any level this year. The Gold Coast-tied prospect returned from back stress fractures for the Suns’ VFL side, which was undone by a mighty Brisbane fightback in Saturday’s Q-Clash. Having watched the entire Under […]
VFL Player Focus: Tyan Prindable (Brisbane Lions)
FOR ALL the early talk about Northern Academy prospects dominating this year’s draft, perhaps one going under the radar is Tyan Prindable. The Brisbane-tied midfielder made his VFL debut with the Lions on Saturday, impressing with 20 disposals and six clearances in a typically reliable performance. The 18-year-old played 20 senior QFA games with Coorparoo […]
