26 bold predictions for the 2026 AFL season

It’s that time of year when crystal balling and theorising are at their most frequent ahead of a new AFL season.

What are some storylines to look out for in 2026? Who are the people set to shape the coming campaign?

We’ve listed 26 bold predictions for the 2026 AFL season…

Tassie land big fish to support Buckley

The Devils, and the AFL, have been staunch in their assertion that the early years of this expansion will not be reminiscent of the cursed inadequacy that the Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants put forth in their respective infancies.

The club’s appointments to date have been sterling, headlined by the salient appointment of Brendon Gale as CEO. Given that most believe the head coaching vacancy is Nathan Buckley’s, smart money says another coaching veteran will be brought in to support him in a director of coaching or general manager of football capacity.

Expect someone of the Adam Simpson, John Longmire or Ken Hinkley ilk to be announced as this support person at some junction of the 2026 season.

Managerial mafia force more trades, leading to a statement from the AFL executive team

In recent years, a litany of high-profile trades of in-contract superstars have been executed at the whim of player managers with an ever-increasing power at their disposal. Clubs are left in this impossible position, where they’re held over the coals to dole out contracts at a longer term than they’re often comfortable with, only to be shafted by the very same players and agents in a few seasons’ time when the player requests a change of scenery.

The real kicker is that the club often ends up pitching in salary for that player to represent another club.

Contracts are barely worth the paper they’re written on, as clubs lack the leverage to hold players to their signature.

More of the same can be expected this year, and every year, until the AFL grows the requisite backbone to stand up to the mafia that is the player management fraternity. With any luck, that growth will occur this season.

Ah Chee has a career-best year in front of the sticks

Following his defection to West Lakes, Ah Chee will look to carve out a starring role for himself in Matthew Nicks’ front half.

Given the potency of the Crows’ offence last year, it would not be a surprise to see the 28-year-old best his high watermark for goals in a season, which currently sits at 27.

Three-peat from outside the top four

The Brisbane juggernaut will roll on in 2026.

Chris Fagan’s men are the odds-on favourites for another flag at the time of writing, and have match-winners, future hall of famers and young studs on every line.

Still, another slow start may be on the cards, and the Lions could again be chasing the season. Expect them to get hot when it matters though, finalising their three-peat, despite failing to finish inside top four.

Christian comes under fire, as public distrust in the match review system reaches fever pitch

Public trust in the Match Review Officer may be at an all-time low as it is, but expect it to keep plummeting until a drastic overhaul of procedures is undertaken by those at AFL House.

More and more incidents appear to fall in the grey areas of an increasingly difficult to understand grading matrix. While the AFL’s commitment to protecting the head is admirable, many fear for the fabric of the nation’s pastime if a balance between protecting themselves from future legal proceedings and upholding the purity of the code cannot be struck.

Michael Christian will likely find himself in the crossfire once again.

Jagga Smith wins Rising Star

Carlton were understandably chuffed when their bold ploy to trade up in the draft order and land Jagga Smith came off on draft night in 2024. Smith was a noted accumulator, exceptional athlete and classy distributor in his draft year, and as such, the former Oakleigh Chargers skipper was in the mix for the No.1 pick – an honour ultimately bestowed upon Tiger cub, Sam Lalor.

Smith would miss his entire first season with an ACL rupture that sucked the oxygen out of last year’s pre-season, and will look to make up for lost time in Carlton’s midfield in 2026.

Expect the young man to feature prominently in Rising Star calculations.

Forgotten defender raises eyebrows with stellar scalps in first month

Forgotten man Reef McInnes was exceptional in his first two games for the black and white in 2025, before his season ended in the Pies’ third outing of the campaign.

McInnes tore his ACL against the Dogs after what had been described as a ‘monster’ pre-season for the young man, who had gained significant size and nailed down a key defensive post.

Determined to pick up where he left off, McInnes will see plenty of opportunity against quality opposition to begin the 2026 campaign. The Pies play the Saints, Crows, Giants and Lions in their first four fixtures, and the 23-year-old will remind the league of his wares with strong performances against the likes of Max King, Darcy Fogarty, Aaron Cadman and Eric Hipwood.

Caddy and Kako combine for 70 majors

Essendon have invested significant draft capital in their forward line in recent years, and in their second season together, youngsters Nate Caddy and Isaac Kako will reward that faith, combining for 70 goals.

Scoring is likely to again be an uphill battle for Brad Scott’s men, with the two exciting prospects shouldering much of this load.

Kyle Langford turns 30 in 2026 and will never be the number one key forward on a premiership team. Liam McMahon was a handy surprise packet in 2025 after his mid-season drafting, but the same can be said of his ability to lead an attack. Peter Wright has not been able to replicate the heights of his 2022 campaign in the three seasons since.

All of this is to say that Caddy and Kako will not exactly be bereft of opportunity, or overcome by competition, in front of goal.

Lachie Neale’s indiscretions affect his performance

A major period of adjustment is before this champion of the game, and these changes to his personal life will see him unable to meet the incredible standards he’s set for himself across a stellar 15-year career.

It’s an ugly scenario, and one of his own making. Expect the scrutiny to only intensify when Neale’s play suffers, and how can it not?

Mason Cox plays 10+ games

Mason Cox’s reunion with former Collingwood assistant-turned-Dockers head coach Justin Longmuir was viewed as an acquisition in the name of depth, and not much else.

However, given the extensive injury histories of Fremantle’s incumbent ruckmen in Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy, and ‘JL’s insistence on the two-pronged approach, it will not be a shock to see the lanky American don the anchor 10 times in 2026.

Better still, Cox is primed to relish these opportunities. At his most devastating, he plays with a chip on his shoulder, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a scenario more likely to give him one than his delisting from a club he loved so dearly, at the hands of his mentor, Craig McRae.

Buckley unlocks Cats’ midfield

Despite their surge to grand final favouritism, the Cats were ninth in the AFL for clearances, and below AFL average for first possession from stoppage in 2025, per Wheelo Ratings.

In their first year together, Max Holmes and Bailey Smith formed an effective partnership, and Chris Scott always knows what he’ll get out of Tom Atkins’ magnet, but as the numbers suggest, this unit is not one of the AFL’s elite.

Enter Nathan Buckley. In a bid to re-familiarise himself with elite environments before taking up his presumed post as the inaugural coach of the Tasmanian Devils, the Brownlow winner and Norm Smith medallist accepted the role of midfield coach at Kardinia Park.

Buckley will unleash this unit as a force in the league.

Petracca’s standards gift the Suns a harder edge

Christian Petracca arrives at Carrara with a reputation as one of the AFL’s hardest trainers, and these standards will suit a Damien Hardwick environment down to the ground.

Not only does this trait bode well for Petracca’s chances of excelling in new colours, but surrounded by young talent and midfielders entering their respective primes, there’s a real chance these standards are contagious.

Expect the Suns to go at least one better in 2026, featuring on preliminary final weekend, with Petracca’s influence no small factor in this achievement.

Origin will be a raging success, meaning the concept will be revived in earnest

The exceptional array of talent that has willingly signed on to play in next month’s Origin fixture has seen scepticism make way for enthusiasm.

The competition’s very best facing off for the pride of their respective states is sure to make for appointment viewing, with representatives from Victoria and Western Australia alike ensuring fans that this match will hardly be an exhibition.

Should their words ring true, the game will be a raging success, and the AFL will see dollar signs.

A fit Brent Daniels receives his AA blazer

Adam Kingsley loves Brent Daniels, and has heralded him as one of the Giants’ most important players. He has an exceptional understanding of his role, and executes accordingly. His utility, goalsense and tenacity make him a daunting matchup, despite a smaller stature.

The man they call ‘Binga’ was held to just six outings in 2025, as he battled lingering abdominal issues. With a clean bill of health, the rest of the league will finally catch on to his value in this side, and he’ll be rewarded with a maiden All-Australian blazer.

Hawthorn turn into AFL’s most potent attacking force

Sam Mitchell’s Hawks have an enviable suite of options ahead of the ball, with the likes of a renewed Jack Gunston, Mabior Chol, Calsher Dear and the luckless Mitch Lewis vying for key position opportunities.

Small forward goalsense and tackling pressure is provided by Jack Ginnivan, Nick Watson and one-time All-Australian Dylan Moore.

Mitchell has emerged as one of the league’s best coaches, and certainly one of its most lethally prepared. As such, expect him to have spent the summer plotting on maximising the damage his front six can inflict.

As a result, the Hawks will bridge the gap from seventh in scoring in 2025, to first in 2026.

Send off rule gains momentum after ugly incident, five on bench

In a change to the fabric of the game, the AFL scrapped the maligned ‘tactical sub’ rule ahead of the 2026 season, instead mandating five players on the bench.

Expect debate to rage once again about the legitimacy of this move, and the implementation of a ‘send off’ rule, if, or rather, when, an ugly incident results in a player being medically incapacitated for the rest of a given game.

Doyen of Australian Rules football, Leigh Matthews, has been viciously in favour of a send-off for some time, especially given that players can be medically barred from taking the field again after a head knock.

It’s rare that when ‘Lethal’ speaks, the AFL doesn’t listen. This year, something will happen that might force them to do just that.

Jai Culley scorns West Coast with breakout year

A myriad of factors contributed to Jai Culley having a limited impact in his time at West Coast. Billed as the next Mid-Season Draft success story, Culley was delisted after playing 12 games (without a victory), and rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during his time with the Eagles. A rollercoaster, with more troughs than peaks.

That looks set to change. Culley’s pre-season has been described as ‘unbelievable’ by incoming Demons coach Steven King, and track watchers alike.

With opportunity sure to be forthcoming given the changing of the guard in the Dees’ engine room, Culley looks uniquely positioned to thrive for his boyhood club, scorning the flailing Eagles in the process.

Clarko’s midfield learns to run both ways, spurring an improved ladder finish

When footy fans reminisce on the glory days of Alastair Clarkson-coached sides of yesteryear, words like ‘discipline’ and ‘accountability’ are among the first few to spring to mind.

Those are two traits that could hardly be applied to the North Melbourne midfield he’s coached in recent years, as unpacked here.

As lethal as they are at generating scores from the middle of the ground (second for scores from centre bounce, and fourth for scores from stoppage), they are so very vulnerable the other way, allowing the most points from stoppage in the league, and the second-most from centre bounce.

In 2026, that changes. A rising star of the coaching ranks, Michael Barlow has been handed the keys to an engine room bursting with elite talent, and it is high time that Sheezel, Wardlaw and co. develop an identity that makes them as hard to beat defensively as they are offensively. This will happen, and these joeys will bound up the ladder accordingly.

Despite new coach bounce, long tail anchors the Power to irrelevance

Ken Hinkley’s relinquishing of the reins at Alberton was talkback fodder for months in 2025. Josh Carr’s new dawn begins in earnest in 2026, with public opinion divided as to where he can steer a list that isn’t truly of his making, just yet.

Convincing Zak Butters that his future is teal is priority 1A, but outside of that, returning this Power outfit to relevance will be a tall task.

Unfortunately, despite elite talent in Butters, Rozee and Horne-Francis, the Power’s tail is just too long for them to truly contend. It will be a grim introduction to senior coaching for one of the Power’s favourite sons.

Longmuir and Voss tenures again hog headlines

Fremantle’s Justin Longmuir and Carlton’s Michael Voss spent large portions of 2025 justifying the continuation of their respective tenures amidst periods of on-field turmoil.

Expect more of the same if similarly subpar football is exhibited by their sides. Carlton lost significant talent in the off-season, with Charlie Curnow, Jack Silvagni and Tom De Koning leaving for greener pastures, so the courts of public and media opinion may be kinder to ‘Vossy’, but ‘JL’ may have nowhere to hide if Fremantle cannot make a sustained push for a top four finish, such is the embarrassment of riches at his disposal.

Josh Gibcus’ redemption story arrives

Presently, there are few harder luck stories in the AFL than Josh Gibcus. The talented key defender, and former top-ten draft pick was stellar in 2022, playing 18 matches and featuring in the Tigers’ elimination final loss, at the hands of the Brisbane Lions.

He’s played three matches since. A combination of ACL and hamstring issues have hampered what was the most promising of trajectories, and Gibcus will be out to right these most unjust of wrongs in 2026.

Expect him to capably support the emerging Ben Miller this year, warming the cockles in the process.

Ross Lyon anointed Coach of the Year

It is a truism wheeled out until pundits are breathless; few coaches have done more with less than Ross Lyon. He has poked and prodded and sprayed and cuddled a list that was bereft of top end talent since famously returning to Moorabbin in recent years, and now, the AFL landscape gets to see what he can do when his club lands big fish.

The prickly character saw Sam Flanders, Tom De Koning, Jack Silvagni and Liam Ryan buy into what he’s selling in the recent player movement period, while already having All-Australians Cal Wilkie, Jack Sinclair and the incomparable Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera at his disposal.

This Saints team will be the talk of the town in 2026, and Ross will get his flowers because of it. Expect the enigma that is ‘Ross the Boss’ to claim a second Coach of the Year nod, some 17 years after first receiving that honour.

Charlie paints the town red (and white) with 70-goal campaign

Charlie Curnow is simply too good to not excel in Sydney.

The combination of blue-chip midfielders supplying him silver service, in a forward line set up for him, on a small ground in the SCG, means he will see him back in Coleman contention, and powering the Swans back up the ladder.

Sam Darcy’s Coleman push powers Dogs to Bevo’s first top four finish

Sam Darcy has already arrived. A unicorn in the league, such is his skillset for a man of such stature, he has emerged as a nightmare matchup for most of the competition’s key defenders.

In 2026, with another pre-season under his belt, the third-generation Bulldog will contend for the league’s top goalkicking gong.

Couple this with a midfield that uncovered significant depth, out of necessity, last season, and Luke Beveridge is again in the box seat to achieve the one thing that eludes him as a head coach in the AFL – a top four finish.

McCarthy impresses in midfield, and stakes claim as future captain

Tom McCarthy has been one of the few shining lights for the Eagles in an otherwise putrid few years anchored inside the AFL’s cellar.

Nothing evidences this more succinctly than the fact that on debut, in Round 15 of 2025, he became the first Eagle to notch 30 disposals in a game that season.

He’s now poised to spend more time in ‘Mini’s engine room after emerging across half-back. Versatility, fearlessness by foot, endurance and an insatiable appetite for improvement will see him make headlines nationwide this season, and emerge as a leader of this dormant powerhouse in the process.

Skipper Jai goes sky high

Jai Newcombe has already established himself as one of the competition’s premier finals performers, with his September excellence propelling these young Hawks to consecutive, deep September runs.

Now, having been entrusted with the co-captaincy, Newcombe is poised to announce himself as one of the competition’s truly elite.

Expect him to finish top five in Brownlow polling this season, capping a magnificent rise from Mid-Season Draft bolter to one of the nation’s best footballers.

26 bold predictions for the 2026 AFL season

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