Each week, Craft of the Draft’s Draft Watch will bring you the latest news from across the draft landscape.
The AFL Academy game was the headline act of the weekend’s talent pathway action, while one club highlighted a likely increased focus on mature-aged talent, and there were standouts from elsewhere in the talent pathway.
Mature-agers Pies’ panacea?
Has the cliff arrived? Of course if the season started poorly that question was going to be asked, but it is not that the Magpies are 2-3 that is most concerning, it’s their inability to put a score on the board.
With the game faster and higher scoring in 2026, an impotent forward line is cause for genuine concern.
Partially, it is a result of the club’s unapologetic desire to remain in premiership contention year after year. But with ageing veterans approaching the end and a significant gap of players in their mid-20s, a key stakeholder from the club has highlighted a solution the club will look to as it continues to evolve its list after this year.
Pies chief executive Craig Kelly’s criticism of the AFL fixture when speaking on Triple M on Friday has blown up; in the same interview, he revealed that the Pies will look to invest heavily in state league talent.
“The 22-23-year-old player is something we have to make sure we keep going back to. The kids at 17-18 who aren’t the Nick Daicoses of the world might take a couple of years to mature and we’ve seen it plenty of times,” Kelly said.
“The SANFL is a bloody good comp and we’ve got to keep digging in because they’re bloody good guys. Roan Steele is a great story.
“Clubs for some reason are not doing that and we’re going to do a lot more of that because it’s such a good story and they’re quality human beings.”
It follows Angus Anderson being taken from the SANFL and looking comfortable on debut on Friday night for Collingwood, while West Coast pair Milan Murdock and Tom McCarthy, North Melbourne’s Tom Blamires and Essendon’s Lachie Blakiston other mature-aged pickups from the state leagues to have contributed well when given an opportunity in the last 12 months.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 01: Harry DeMattia and Angus Anderson of the Magpies compete during a Collingwood Magpies training session at Olympic Park on December 01, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Another Territorian in the AFL?
There are just 13 AFL players from the top end on AFL lists, highlighting the difficulty of forging a career if you’re born and bred in the Northern Territory.
Since 2022, only untried Melbourne Demon Ricky Mentha has been selected from the Northern Territory.
But Mentha, like Zac Bailey and so many others moved away to pursue footy, recognising the many challenges of living up north and pursuing a career in the AFL.
Unlike them, Sonny Smiler is still living in Northern Territory and is capturing AFL clubs’ attention.
It was unsurprising to see the electric forward/winger added as a last minute addition to the AFL Academy given he has captured attention with his pace and x-factor and he showed glimpses of that talent.
He was not always clean, but looked to take the game on and worked hard on the wing, always looking likely to create something with ball in hand.
Taj Murray came close to being selected in last year’s draft, with Smiler, who is much more suited to the types of players taken in the national intake in recent years, the clear leading Territorian hope this year.
Full player-by-player breakdown from AFL Academy
Key defender backs it up
Gippsland Power defender Clancy Snell has gained traction early in the Talent League season as one of the best key defenders in the crop and again showcased why on Friday.
While much of his impressive work so far has been with what he’s able to do to lock down opponents and neutralise one-on-one contests, his intercepting was strong in Round 4.
He backed himself in the air while also keeping his direct opponent quiet.
Dandenong’s Jackson Phillips and GWV Rebels’ Archie Elliott were others to impress at the Vic Country triple header at Bendigo.
Western Bulldogs NGA rises again
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 07: Khaled El Souki of the Jets completes the 20m sprint test during the Talent League Boys 2026 Testing Day at La Trobe University Sports Stadium on March 7th, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Craig Dooley/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Western Jets forward made a big start to 2026 a huge one.
The Bulldogs-tied forward kicked six goals against a Northern Knights outfit which has established itself as the pace-setter of the Talent League competition.
Strong, powerful and crafty both inside 50 and playing higher as a link player, he’s arguably establishing himself as the next best small forward in the crop behind Gippsland’s Marlon Neocleous.
He will be an intriguing player to track throughout 2026.
Arguably, his profile as a small forward would be a perfect addition to a forward line spearheaded by Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton – notwithstanding they already have the underrated Rhylee West and injury-plagued Cody Weightman.
But given they are seeking to bring in Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters, the club may enter the draft with a significantly compromised hand.
Given the league is set to further tighten its grasp on NGA and father-son discounts, it could be a tricky situation for the Dogs to navigate.
Promising Dragon makes pleasing return
Sandringham midfielder Gus Teixeira had 20 disposals and two goals in his first game of the Talent League season.
The powerful first round prospect looked strong around the footy and played with his trademark burst in the Dragons’ big win over Calder.
He missed the first three games of the season with a foot injury.
Teixeira has captured headlines early in the season as the Saints failed to have him added to their Next Generation Academy.
The Vic Metro summer hub member will play only limited Talent League footy for the rest of the season due to school footy, and likely Vic Metro commitments.
WA star makes league debut
Swan Districts midfielder Leo Steed’s excellent 31-disposal, eight-tackle season opener was rewarded on Saturday with a league debut.
Playing against senior bodies for the first time, he finished with eight disposals, but held his own and had promising moments.
He was part of Western Australia’s state summer squad, with his tenacity, stoppage work and speed his most eye-catching attributes.
Clean in the wet
It was a dour and ugly Saturday night contest at Hawthorn’s Kennedy Community Centre in Dingley between Eastern Ranges and Oakleigh Chargers, but Ranges midfielder Jordan Knapp played it like it was a dry weather game.
His clean hands at the coal face helped get the ball going Eastern’s way, unaffected by the Oakleigh pressure nor the slippery footy.
The hard working on-baller racks up the footy at will as much due to his smarts and positioning as his clean hands and his ball security is also very good; the next iteration for the solid all-round player will be to add hurt factor to his many touches.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 27: Jordan Knapp of Team Docherty celebrates kicking a goal during the Marsh AFL National Futures Boys match between Team Boak and Team Docherty at Melbourne Cricket Ground, on September 27, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
South Australia Under-18s squad announced
South Australia has locked in its squad for the U18s National Championships which kicks off in June against Western Australia.
Dougie Cochrane
Central District/Port Adelaide
Port District
Jack Gordon
Central District
Salisbury
Jake Eime
Central District
Golden Grove
Harvey Croker
Glenelg
West Gambier
Harry Franz
Glenelg
Plympton
Jobe Janeway
Glenelg
Kongorong
Gabe Patterson
Glenelg
Plympton
Jacob McNicol
Glenelg
Goodwood
Kai Edwards
Glenelg
West Whyalla
Ben Copping
Glenelg
Penola
Ethan Herbert
North Adelaide
Walkerville
Memphis Webb
North Adelaide
Tea Tree Gully
Zack Young
North Adelaide
Port District
Sam Tassone
North Adelaide
Irymple (Victoria)
Kai Ivins*
Norwood
Payneham
Kodah Edwards
South Adelaide
Willunga
Cain Florance
South Adelaide
Kingscote
Zemes Pilot*
South Adelaide
Port Noalunga
Archie Van dyk
South Adelaide
Port Noarlunga
Hudson Boal*
South Adelaide
McLaren Districts
Harvey Chapman*
Sturt
Goodwood
Taj Garrett*
Sturt
Imperials
Hugo Jaeschke
Sturt
Glenunga
Kale Matthews-Hampton
Sturt
Strathalbyn
Jack Nelson
Sturt
Glenunga
Lachie Werts
Sturt
Mount Barker
Laurence Andriani*
West Adelaide
SMOSH West Lakes
Dean Hatedakis*
West Adelaide
Goodwood
Charlie Bradford
West Adelaide
Mitcham
Anthony Long
West Adelaide
Jervois
Lincoln Pitt
West Adelaide
Tailem Bend
Mitch Harris
Woodville-West Torrens
Kadina
Blake Karpany
Woodville-West Torrens
Kadina
Jack Leys
Woodville-West Torrens
Henley
Jack Slattery
Woodville-West Torrens
South Clare
State game standouts
Port Melbourne’s Charlie Clarke and Tasmania’s Jed Hagan both kicked two goals as the VFL got up against the SANFL by five points on Saturday at Glenelg.
Clarke was lively inside 50 and kicked the sealer for Victoria, while both of Hagan’s goals came at important junctures in a high scoring contest.
Both are gaining interest ahead of the Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
Williamstown’s Luke Parks also had some important moments in defence and is another gaining traction, as well as Clarke’s Port Melbourne teammate Josh Tovey, who did not play in the state game.
Tovey has impressed as a big-bodied powerful midfielder this year, having previously played virtually all his VFL and Talent League footy as a defender.
Representative game locked in
A VFL Under-22 representative side is set to take on a Victorian talent pathway side on Anzac Day to give the most promising mature-aged talent on the east coast a chance to push their AFL Draft prospects.
In recent years, Vic Metro and Vic Country have each played a game against a Young Guns line-up, usually filled exclusively with 19-year-olds on Talent League lists.
But with an increasing focus on prising out state league talent, the age threshold has increased to allow genuine mature-agers to put their best foot forward in front of recruiters.
Meanwhile, Vic Metro and Vic Country trial games are set to take place next Sunday, to help inform selection of the final Victorian winter squads for the Under-18s National Championships.