\n The 25 players in next year’s Marsh AFL Academy Boys squad have been selected\n <\/p>\n
Cody Walker in action for Bendigo Pioneers during the 2025 Coates Talent League season. Picture: AFL Photos<\/p>\n
CARLTON father-son prospect Cody Walker and potential No.1 pick Dougie Cochrane headline the Marsh AFL Academy Boys squad selected for 2026.<\/p>\n
The group of 25 boys has been picked ahead of a reconfigured Academy schedule that will include a trip to New Zealand in December and back-to-back games against VFL opponents across a week next year as the highlights of the program.<\/p>\n
>> SEE THE FULL 2026 MARSH AFL ACADEMY BOYS SQUAD BELOW<\/p>\n
The players will also spend a week training at separate AFL clubs over the pre-season as they prepare for their draft year next season.<\/p>\n
Walker, the son of former Blue Andrew, has nominated Carlton as his preferred home and is shaping as a top-five pick next year after an excellent bottom-age campaign, while Port Adelaide is waiting on approval to list Cochrane as part of its Next Generation Academy, with the son of former player Stuart a brilliant talent who can play all over the ground.<\/p>\n
Dougie Cochrane in action during the 2025 Marsh AFL Futures Boys game on Grand Final Day, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos<\/p>\n
Among the other familiar names in the Academy group are Aidan McCartney (son of ex-Roo and current Giants football boss Jason), Gabriel Patterson (the son of former Magpie Stephen), Koby LeCras (the nephew of ex-Eagle Mark) and Benji van Rooyen (the younger brother of Melbourne’s Jacob).<\/p>\n
Dynamic forward Arki Butler, who shapes as one of the most exciting players in next year’s draft, is in the Academy, as is Brisbane Academy prospect Caylen Murray and Richmond Next Generation Academy player Tanner Armstrong.<\/p>\n
They will come under the tutelage of former Magpie Tarkyn Lockyer, who will steer the AFL Academy again next year.<\/p>\n
2026 MARSH AFL ACADEMY BOYS SQUAD<\/p>\n
PLAYER<\/p>\n
STATE<\/p>\n
STATE LEAGUE CLUB<\/p>\n
COMMUNITY CLUB<\/p>\n
Tanner Armstrong<\/p>\n
VIC C<\/p>\n
Murray Bushrangers<\/p>\n
Shepparton United<\/p>\n
Arki Butler<\/p>\n
VIC M<\/p>\n
Sandringham Dragons<\/p>\n
Beaumaris<\/p>\n
Harrison Chapman<\/p>\n
VIC M<\/p>\n
Eastern Ranges<\/p>\n
Boronia<\/p>\n
Dougie Cochrane<\/p>\n
SA<\/p>\n
Central District<\/p>\n
Port District<\/p>\n
Kodah Edwards<\/p>\n
SA<\/p>\n
South Adelaide<\/p>\n
Willunga<\/p>\n
Jack Gordon<\/p>\n
SA<\/p>\n
Central District<\/p>\n
Port District<\/p>\n
Ethan Herbert<\/p>\n
SA<\/p>\n
North Adelaide<\/p>\n
Walkerville<\/p>\n
Archie Hill<\/p>\n
QLD<\/p>\n
Gold Coast Suns Academy<\/p>\n
Broadbeach<\/p>\n
Tate Hodgson<\/p>\n
VIC M<\/p>\n
Northern Knights<\/p>\n
Park Orchards NRP<\/p>\n
Lewis Houndsome<\/p>\n
VIC M<\/p>\n
Northern Knights<\/p>\n
Yarrambat<\/p>\n
Garrison Kenh<\/p>\n
WA<\/p>\n
East Perth<\/p>\n
Ellenbrook<\/p>\n
Xavier Ladbrook<\/p>\n
VIC C<\/p>\n
Gippsland Power<\/p>\n
Nar Nar Goon<\/p>\n
Koby LeCras<\/p>\n
WA<\/p>\n
West Perth<\/p>\n
Manning<\/p>\n
Wil Malady<\/p>\n
VIC C<\/p>\n
Gippsland Power<\/p>\n
Bairnsdale<\/p>\n
Ethan Matthews<\/p>\n
NSW\/ACT<\/p>\n
GWS GIANTS Academy<\/p>\n
Ingleburn<\/p>\n
Aidan McCartney<\/p>\n
NSW\/ACT<\/p>\n
Sydney Swans Academy<\/p>\n
Willoughby<\/p>\n
Heath Mellody<\/p>\n
WA<\/p>\n
Claremont<\/p>\n
Wembley Downs<\/p>\n
Caylen Murray<\/p>\n
QLD<\/p>\n
Brisbane Lions Academy<\/p>\n
Maroochydore<\/p>\n
Gabriel Patterson<\/p>\n
SA<\/p>\n
Glenelg<\/p>\n
Plympton<\/p>\n
Jack Pickett<\/p>\n
VIC C<\/p>\n
Geelong Falcons<\/p>\n
Torquay<\/p>\n
Darcy Szerszyn<\/p>\n
VIC C<\/p>\n
Dandenong Stingrays<\/p>\n
Seaford<\/p>\n
Harry Van Hattum<\/p>\n
VIC M<\/p>\n
Northern Knights<\/p>\n
St Mary’s<\/p>\n
Benji van Rooyen<\/p>\n
WA<\/p>\n
Claremont<\/p>\n
Wembley Downs<\/p>\n
Cody Walker<\/p>\n
VIC C<\/p>\n
Bendigo Pioneers<\/p>\n
Echuca<\/p>\n
Noah Williams<\/p>\n
VIC C<\/p>\n
Geelong Falcons<\/p>\n
St Joseph’s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 25 players in next year’s Marsh AFL Academy Boys squad have been selected Cody Walker in action…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":267515,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85,83],"class_list":{"0":"post-267514","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-afl","8":"tag-afl","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-australian-football-league","12":"tag-australianfootballleague","13":"tag-sports","14":"tag-text"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267514"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267514\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}