THE COMPLETE PLAYER

All eyes were on Adelaide as the Crows grabbed a potential top five pick in last year’s AFLW Trade Period, and it’s fair to say that the sister of Teah would have to be high up on their wishlist. Charlton is that star you can lock in for however many hundreds of games, as the South Adelaide midfielder is what has quintessentially become known from the boys’ draft as the ‘200-game player’. She does it all offensively and defensively, is a massive big game star winning the Croweaters’ MVP as a bottom-ager, earning All-Australian honours and also best on ground in the SANFLW Grand Final despite her age and size. She’s not big, but Charlton has enormous heart, and with her skills, smarts and defensive pressure, she ticks just about every box.

BUILD A STAR

While Martin might be first picked on form and Charlton is the all-round complete star, the other South Adelaide top-end talent in Maxwell is the one you take on pure potential. Don’t get it wrong, she has the runs on the board, but injuries at the end of last season and to start this year have kept her from really dominating out on the field. Picture creating your own player. Say 184cm, strong but still mobile, able to play forward, back, ruck or midfield, ie. the perfect utility. Then you start to get greedy and want them to be a penetrating kick on both sides of their body, not just that, but a lovely ball user. Impossible? You’d think so, but that’s exactly what Maxwell offers. She is potentially the most unique ‘unicorn’ to come through the pathways, and if you’re picking on traits and upside, it’s hard to deny she could be number one.

MODERN RUCK

The West Australian ruck earned All-Australian honours in her bottom-age campaign with the Sandgropers, and bounced back so well from game one where she had a tough finish against Georja Davies kicking the winning goal from a ruck stoppage to essentially dominate after that. She has long been one of West Perth’s most important players, and even though she was rested from the National Academy match with hamstring soreness, she returned to be best-on for the Sandgropers in the loss to South Australia. She easily won the battle against a quality opponent in Miyu Endersby, and is already looming like a two-time All-Australian. Great overhead and a lovely kick of the footy, she is a point of difference to a lot of other lighter, athletic rucks coming through as she impacts more around the ground and is readymade having played against senior bodies.

SMOOTH OPERATOR

A third South Australian inside the top five indicates why the Croweaters are the favourites to take out the national title. Mableson is a different player to Charlton, and though both have great defensive abilities and similar impact offensively, the West Adelaide prospect is more of a tuck the ball under the arm and burst away player. She glides around the field, and while not the most explosive, she can still run and it is more her sidestep and high-level footy smarts – akin to the Scott Pendlebury slowing time – that enables her to work through traffic. She is an elite user who can play half-back, wing or on-ball, and she’s the player that teammates actively look to get the ball in the hands of regularly. Won the Croweaters’ MVP at Under 16s level with this group, and has the traits that every AFLW club would love to get their hands on.

GIANT HAUL

GWS Giants have been crying out at AFLW level for some support inside 50, trialling plenty of players through the tall forward role over the last few years. Their answer is waiting in the 2026 AFLW Draft, with Day being a strong aerial player and very smart forward. She remains active at all times, and if there was a stat on goalline marks from set shots falling short, the Giants Academy member would likely be top of that list. She’s played in defence on occasions, but Day is a natural forward who causes all sorts of problems once the ball is in her area and kicked some ridiculous goals over her junior career. Booted four majors in the Allies’ tight win over Vic Country including the sealer in the last few minutes.

WELL-BALANCED UTILITY

The first of the Victorians enters the chat and it is Eastern Ranges’ Anderson. The younger sister of Hawks-listed Cody, Brylee has shown she just does everything across the board right. Similar to Charlton, her mix of offensive and defensive traits are great, she won the Vic Metro Under 16s MVP a couple of years back and has already represented the ‘Big V’ as a bottom-ager. Able to play back, forward or in her more predominant on-ball role, Anderson can crash and bash through the stoppage, and also be the one to clear long withe a booming kick. Doesn’t have one standout trait, but is rather incredible across the board and the gap between her best and worst is slim such is her consistency.

ENORMOUS UPSIDE

Happy to back in a fourth South Australian inside the Top 10, Endersby is easily able to draw comparisons to now West Coast player, Charlotte Riggs. Capable of holding down a key position spot across all three lines like Riggs, Endersby hails from the same SANFLW club in Central District. She is a more potent kick than her predecessor, and while her consistency can waver a little, when she is up and about she is very hard to quell. Her best work is done as an intercepting half-back, but was given the number one ruck role on the weekend in a really stiff test against Dziegielewski. When she can read the ball in flight, intercept and then hit a target 45m down the field, Endersby is at her most damaging. Strong overhead and boasting a ridiculous leap, she will play against a ruckless Allies outfit this weekend which could mean a huge bounce back game.

DIFFERENT GEERE

When Geere made her QAFLW debut a few years back, it was not hard to predict she was going to be amongst the top-end of the 2026 AFLW Draft class. A damaging ball user who can play in any position and is incredibly strong overhead, Geere knows how to influence games. An early injury in the first term of the National Academy contest last week put a spanner in the Queenslander’s national championships campaign before it got going. It won’t affect her draft chances though, she’s right at the top of a really competitive Lions Academy group and is the first of up to half a dozen prospects in the top 20 or so. A star in the making whatever position she ends up playing.

POWER PUNCH

The second West Perth prospect inside the top 10, Strachan is a very different player to her close friend, Dziegielewski. More of a powerful inside midfielder who has a fast first few steps out of the contest, the contested prospect has also played forward and off a wing such is both her strength overhead and repeat contest work. She has a booming right boot that has kicked a number of long-range goals, while also being clean on the inside and able to weight long handballs to extract from the contest to a free number on the outside. Her first-up performance at the national carnival was not ideal – she simply had a down one much like many of her teammates – but her class is permanent, and she has shown that numerous times across multiple representative platforms from the state side to the Under 17 Futures and National Academy.

RUN-AND-GUN

The first of many Swans Academy prospects in and around the top 30, Tidemann is similar to Mableson in the way that she demands the ball and teammates love to get it in her hands. Capable of playing inside or off a wing, the North Shore product – where she won a senior flag last season under coach and dad Craig – has settled well as a half-back because of her ability to read the game well, cut inside or burst away via quick hands and look for the one-two to break lines and opposition defensive zones. She is a natural ball-winner and complements more contested players well, because though she can win her own ball, Tidemann is suited to an outside game where she can punish opponents with her run and disposal. Won the MVP for the National Academy in the most recent trial after a relatively quiet first-up appearance against Carlton VFLW, albeit in a one-sided contest. Was among the Allies’ best in the win over Vic Country too.

UNDERRATED STAR

There were more than a few eyebrows raised and heads scratched when Ferguson missed out on the National Academy. The Maroochydore product and Lions Academy member is a genuine first-round talent and though she had her injury interruptions to finish 2025, was always going to respond in 2026. She’s had some mammoth games this year including a 40-disposal performance, and is the class and toughness around the ball. She can play in other positions too as her work rate to get into ball-winning positions is terrific, but her clean hands, neat skills and smart decisions usually lead to beneficial outcomes for her side. Won the most touches of any Queenslander on the weekend, and while like many of her teammates it was far from her best performance, she never stops trying and just brings the heat to go with her offensive ability.

LIMITLESS CEILING

When Pritchard burst onto the representative scene for the Lions and Queensland last year, there was no shortage of highlights. Her natural athletic gifts – having been a promising athlete growing up – were evident, but so was her knack for playing on instinct. She didn’t always pick the most logical choice when it came to decision making, but you could see what she had conjured up. It was just the consistency within games and consistency with her fundamentals that still had a way to go. In 2026, that has changed, with both areas having improved significantly, and she is now not only that project tall forward, but a player who can push up and run off a wing to great effect. Her speed-endurance mix stands out, and with a high leap she can usually either win or neutralise a contest. Can still build on her kicking at speed, but all the traits are there to be an ultra-exciting player for likely the Lions going forward.

BRILLIANT BILYK

Another player who is really hitting her straps thanks to continuity in her top-age season, Bilyk has had a big past fortnight. Among the better players on the All Stars side against the National Academy a week earlier – perhaps second to only MVP winner Frances Walsh – there were no doubts that the Geelong Falcons star was best-on for Vic Country in teh tough loss to the Allies last Sunday. She kicked two goals in that mid-forward rotation, and does hit the scoreboard, though her defensive attributes and all-round game stacks up just as well. Bilyk’s clearance ability and knack for not only finding the ball but utilising it in transition help the talented prospect influence games. One of the most surprising omissions from the National Academy given her Vic Country MVP in 2024, Bilyk is proving plenty of doubters wrong with some massive games, and has put her injury-impacted 2025 season behind her.

BIG GAME PLAYER

The two-way power and skill that Semple provides is what makes her the player she is. While others have had greater four-quarter impact, Semple is the type of player who can win a game off her own boot in a short space of time. Having started as a forward for the Eastern Ranges, she worked into the midfield role and has split between the two ever since. Strong overhead and at ground level, boasting a powerful burst out of the contest and an ability to use both sides of her body, Semple has the full package when it comes to her athletic and footballing smarts. She won the MVP for the AFLW Academy in the high-performance program’s big win over Carlton VFLW earlier this year, and continues to just have those ‘moments’ which catch the eye. A player who with 15 disposals could kick three goals and just rip the game from an opposition’s grasp. More to come from her, but what she offers from a modern footballing perspective ticks all the boxes.

TWO-WAY TALL

McIlwain is yet another tall forward in the top 20 and the second from the Lions Academy after Pritchard with both players complementing each other well. Breaking onto the scene with a ridiculous 10-goal haul at the Under 16s Championships against the Suns Academy, McIlwain is capable of hurting teams on the scoreboard. For the National Academy she booted three goals – albeit all in the second half after a one-touch first half – but such is the life of a tall forward. She plays deep and in a crowded front half where she doesn’t need to be the only focal point. When she is at her best, she is flying for the mark then following up at ground level. Her point of difference compared to a lot of others is in her defensive pressure. Yes, she can clunk a great contested mark and is a deadeye kick for goal, but she is just as dangerous once the ball hits the deck. Coaches love talls who tackle, and that is McIlwain who will regularly pick up half a dozen or more tackles. If she continues to build on that four-quarter consistency, watch out. Didn’t really get a look at it for Queensland on the weekend, but will only get better from here.

SPECIALIST WING

Walsh is the second Swans Academy member on this list, and both she and Tidemann provide similar impact, but in different ways. While the latter is best known for her full-blown offensive drive, Walsh is more well-rounded from an offensive-defensive standpoint even though she has spent the bulk of her time off a wing. The Sydney Uni prospect – who lost to Tidemann’s Bombers in the AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division Grand Final last year – won the All Stars’ MVP in the recent clash against the National Academy (where Tidemann won best-on for the opposition). There’s not too much to fault in her game, she runs hard, has a nice mix of speed and especially endurance, and sees the game early to distribute effectively. Her defensive pressure and contest-to-contest work is great, and she has shown she can hit the scoreboard as well. Another player whose floor is higher than most, simply because she brings the required non-negotiables each and every match. Has risen plenty in the past 12 months and impressed for the Allies on the weekend.

PANTHER PRIDE

It’s an incredible achievement for second-year QAFLW club Morningside to have two players inside the top 20 for our rankings, but Petrides and McIlwain have done just that. For a player of her size – 165cm – Petrides is ultra competitive overhead and can clunk some great marks. She times her leaps, and even if she doesn’t mark it, is quick on the scene at ground level. As she has spent more time further afield, fans can appreciate how good her field kicking, combined with her vision actually is. She can be that distributor in a high half-forward role, but also be the player who crumbs at ground level, and ticks the defensive pressure box as well. Similar to McIlwain, she really does it all from an offensive-defensive standpoint, and is just a really neat player with tricks and an ability to contribute in multiple ways. Was okay first-up for Queensland against Vic Country, but will benefit from getting more opportunities in the front half.

CLASSY CARLSHAUSEN

A third West Australian sneaks into the top 20 with Perth product Carlshausen kicking off her AFLW Under 18 Championships with a bang. She was one of her side’s best in the heavy defeat to South Australia, and showed off the traits that she has displayed both at WAFLW and for the National Academy. Her kicking skills are sublime, she generally makes good decisions with ball in hand, knowing when to go and when to slow it down. What stands out as a point of difference is her aerial strength, where at 171cm, she can take some really strong grabs even under pressure. Though she has played further afield at different points – between midfield and wing – she has honed in on that defensive role where she is often tasked with the kickouts or being the next player in the chain to distribute from the back half of the ground. Another prospect who teammates love to get the ball in the hands of in transition, Carlshausen is ultra-damaging and her smarts and skill stand out on the big stage.

RARA ROUGHIE

Everyone loves a unique story, and ‘Rara’ Russell might have the best one of the draft crop. Hailing from the Hunter Central Coast, Russell is a name that anyone from the region knows. She has won multiple best and fairests and tears games apart. Stepping up to the Swans Academy, she produced some jaw-dropping performances earlier this year, and honestly on traits alone should be a first-round lock. Her size – at 160cm – is always going to be questioned for a high pick, but just completely forget about it because when the ball is in her hands, good things happen. Her lateral movement can ankle-break opponents, she’s slick through traffic and then hits teammate lace out with only a split second view. She gets forward and hits the scoreboard with reliable consistency, and just oozes class. While the talented midfielder/forward – whose traits suggest she could play anywhere – does not necessarily have the exposure or runs on the board compared to others prior to 2026, you take one look at her game and should be sold. A bonafide star and another Swans Academy young gun.

PROMISING TALL

Just the fifth Victorian in the rankings so far, McKeegan earns her spot on upside as much as what she has already accomplished. Having played as a tall forward and wing, the 176cm December-born Falcon has the scope to explode over the next 12-18 months. A member of the National Academy, McKeegan is terrific in the air and her long, penetrating kicks can influence a game. While like many talls she can be rough around the edges at times, her experience moving on-ball showed she is capable of playing in there and using her size to advantage. Has the potential to play off a wing and kick a couple of goals a game, and her running capacity and overall athleticism are big ticks. She was pretty handy for Vic Country in the first-up loss to the Allies on the weekend, and she has the potential to be a nightmare for opponents given her leap and subsequent ball use once it’s in her hands.

PHYSICALITY PERSONIFIED

Curry is a tricky player to rate, because on one hand, she is tied to the Giants Academy and it would be a shock not to see her go there, but on the other hand, residing in Victoria while she captains Oakleigh Chargers, it means Victorian clubs would be watching very closely. On footballing ability she is a first-rounder – like probably 25-30 players in this draft are such is the depth of it – and while not explosive as such, she is powerful which helps her break tackles through strengths. One of the most penetrating kicks in the draft crop, it is not an understatement to say her right leg can launch a ball more than 50 metres, and her strength both overhead and at ground level is fantastic. Her leadership is another great quality, and had it not been for injury that has unfortunately kept her out of recent matches, she no doubt would have been higher. She will be a key inclusion for the Allies, and she showed against Carlton VFLW how much she can impact with her metres gained through her disposals, and will be one to watch in the second half of the year.

STOCKS RISING

The fifth Panther – if you include both South Adelaide and Morningside – in the rankings, with Vizgaudis hailing from the former and already a premiership player. She missed out on making the Under 17 Futures squad last season which was a bit of a shock, but it did come after a relatively quiet national carnival – albeit as a forward. She is a bonafide midfielder who can push inside 50 and hit the scoreboard, something she has done more of this season. Stepping up in the absence of the injured Maxwell and others who had departed the Panthers’ program, Vizgaudis has hit 20-plus disposals in four of her six SANFLW games – with 17 being her lowest tally – while crucially lifting her averages to be 22.7 disposals, 5.7 clearances, 3.2 inside 50s and booting three goals from her past three games. Her skills are elite, and she weaves in and out of congestion so well. Had promising starts with both the All Stars and South Australia the past two weeks, but is best suited when in a full-time midfield role.

NEED FOR SPEED

Explosive. That is the one word to describe Northern Knights’ Meagher who quite honestly has that ‘next level’ speed. She is one of those players who you watch and think has hit top gear, and just as someone is about to catch her, she throws it into another gear and explodes away. That ability to dig deep and increase her speed when already seemingly at top speed is incredible, but it is what has underpinned her game. In the past, Meagher has been a lower-volume, but higher-impact player. She might only have between 10-15 touches, but her metres gained are off the charts, and her defensive pressure – much like her line-breaking – is what underpins her game. Her kicking has been a point of conjecture, but that is one element that has most notably improved in 2026, and she is reaping the rewards. Her performance for the All Stars a fortnight ago, followed by a really impressive showing for Vic Metro, has Meagher’s stocks rising. On athletic traits alone, she is a first-rounder, and if she continues to build the rest of her game, the sky is the limit. One of a number of really even players who were in the mix for the first top 20.

BANG FOR BUCK

A fourth Swans Academy member in the list, Bowie is the inside-outside balance that enables her to not only influence a game around the stoppage, but also go forward and hit the scoreboard. She applies the defensive pressure required, and with ball in hand, has the ability to break from the stoppage and transition the ball forward. Her impact-per-possession is ultra-high and she has started to really rack up some big numbers in 2026. While she still has areas to work on when under pressure, her impact forward or centre is undoubted. She sets up teammates, breaks into space, and from there can hit passes inside 50 that lead to scores. One of Walsh’s Sydney University teammates, Bowie was a name touted as a ‘one to watch’ heading into her top-age season after an injury-interrupted 2025, and she has lived up to that billing. Is highly talented with upside.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Anyone who watched the AFLW Under 16 Championships back in 2023 saw a bottom-age prospect running around the midfield and forwardline making a mess of older opponents. That player was West Australian Bonadeo who looked for sure a top 10 lock. Since then, injuries have not been kind to her, and she has missed repeated championships and the chance to really dominate the WAFLW, and instead has taken the slower route through the Rogers Cup. Now an easy choice for Claremont coach Jack Schwarze each week, Bonadeo has fitted in well as an intercepting defender. On the weekend, the talented tall was clunking them consistently, with her reading of the play and left-foot a couple of eye-catching pieces. Her composure under pressure can still improve, but with ball in hand she is superb, and has the capacity to play forward or even through the midfield. Given what she showed as a 14-year-old all the way back in 2023, there is every chance she lands far higher in the draft order, but regardless seeing her out there and playing consistent footy is the first step.

ATHLETIC STAR

There’s no other way to describe Stevens’ freakish athletic abilities, with the Giants Academy member breaking the vertical jump records in preseason, and starring in both the 20m sprint and agility test. As a lockdown defender, sometimes her athletic gifts felt a little wasted, but in 2026, she has spent time on a wing – and even as an undersized ruck – but when in her predominant defensive role, has been more aggressive with her running, and provided greater impact offensively. She is a lovely ball user, with a penetrating kick that can hit targets long down the line or cutting into the middle, and time and time again she will proactively come out to meet the ball, not break stride and then thump it long inside 50. Strong overhead, accountable defensively thanks to her development over the years, and now able to hurt her opponents the other way, Stevens is not necessarily a massive accumulator, but her ‘moments’ that she has make a world of difference, and you know exactly what you’re going to get from the tall, who is the first ACT prospect in our rankings.

DUAL-TIED UTILITY

The daughter of former Crow and Blue Peter has attracted plenty of AFLW club interest over the last couple of years as the dual-sport prospect chose Aussie rules over basketball. No doubt the aforementioned clubs will be excited about that choice, though as a member of Adelaide’s Next Generation Academy and living in South Australia, it is fair to say that many expect it to benefit the Crows. On-field, Turner can play up both ends, having transformed into a tall defender last year, and is now back to her roots up forward. She is an elite contested mark, strong one-on-one and a lovely kick of the ball particularly over longer distances. But that ‘basketball background’ continues to bob up with her ability to sidestep opponents and find space where very few can. While not as explosive as some other talls in this list, she moves well and is arguably the best mark of the lot. She rarely drops anything within her grasp, and she can run hard and impact further afield as much as close to goal. Will be an interesting watch for the Croweaters after a pretty strong performance in the win against Western Australia.

FIELDING INTEREST

While Glenelg’s top draft prospect has not played since Round 4 in the SANFLW due to injury, her class is permanent. She can win it on the inside or outside, and realistically is higher than this, but it is just a case of getting back on the park and getting a chance to match it with the best. She’s a really valuable midfielder who has shown she can run all day off a wing with a nice endurance-speed base and smarts to match her skills. While there were plenty who could have filled this spot, in the end what Fielder has achieved over the past 18 months outweighs others who have come up with a bang. Has the senior experience already and is strong enough to match it with senior bodies. No doubt Glenelg will be looking forward to her return, having averaged 20.5 disposals as well as 3.5 marks, 5.8 tackles and 2.3 clearances, constantly getting involved in transition.

CONSISTENCY WITH A CAPITAL ‘C’

Eastern Ranges skipper Rankin leads by example and hardly ever plays a bad game. She was one who was a touch unlucky to miss out on the National Academy, but has put that behind her to produce some starring performances in 2026. A natural inside ball-winner, Rankin is ultra-clean with her hands, neat with her skills and has some untapped potential with a 3.165 20-metre sprint time suggestion she can have even more impact out of a stoppage when not doing the team thing with a feeding handball. She can go forward and hit the scoreboard, starting her national campaign with a bang, racking up the most ball in the win over Queensland, and being a key contributor both on the inside and outside. Just a good all-round player with room to improve, she grabs a place in our initial rankings because her floor is exceptionally high, and she is well-balanced across the board.