\u201cIf you would have told me two and half years ago that Toby Krasna was going to be a first-round pick., I\u2019d probably laugh at you.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\nWhile Krasna\u2019s dropout from the NGA program looks a big miss for Carlton, it would have been difficult for the Blues to secure him alongside father-son gun Cody Walker anyway given his rise. <\/p>\n
Krasna has plenty of fans, with all but one club interviewing him across the year.<\/p>\n
A surfer like his father Steffan, who finished fourth in the Over 50s division at the 13th Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles at Bells Beach this year, Toby has a laconic way about him.<\/p>\n
But he definitely puts in the hard yards, as his blistering 6min 9sec 2km time trial at the national draft combine proved.<\/p>\n
And while he doesn\u2019t qualify as an NGA prospect, he still wants to be role model for First Nations footballers. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so excited to hopefully get drafted and be an Indigenous player that Indigenous boys can look up to,\u201d Krasna said. <\/p>\n
DONS PACKAGE DEAL?<\/p>\n
If Essendon selects Ethan Drever with the No.1 pick in this year\u2019s draft, could the Bombers also find a spot for his best mate? <\/p>\n
Drever and fellow Greater Western Victoria Rebels product Archie Elliott are very close and would both offer something different to Essendon. <\/p>\n
Drever is a 189cm Finn Callaghan-type midfielder dynamo, while Elliott is a 182cm marking forward who has been likened to Collingwood\u2019s Jamie Elliott. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s boarding at St. Pat\u2019s (College). He came across from Horsham a couple years ago and we\u2019ve become strong mates,\u201d Drever said of Elliott. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s obviously had an awesome year as well this year with the Rebels.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe train together a fair bit and then if we have a home game, he\u2019ll stay at mine the night before and we prep together, which is good. I think he\u2019s probably underrated in my opinion. I think there\u2019s no one else like him in the draft, with his overhead marking and he\u2019s really good in the ground as well. He\u2019s sort of that hybrid forward. So I reckon he\u2019s probably a bit under-hyped at the moment, Arch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elliott started this year as a halfback but was quickly swung forward to great effect. <\/p>\n
He finished as the leading goalkicker in the Talent League with 43 majors from 14 matches – including five hauls of four or more goals.<\/p>\n
Essendon is set to hold three other top-30 picks in the draft, on top of the No.1 selection. <\/p>\n
HVH READY TO GO <\/p>\n
Northern Knights coach Anthony Rocca believes Harry Van Hattum could step into an AFL side \u201cpretty early\u201d next year and has likened his leaping abilities to that of former Melbourne ruckman Jeff White. <\/p>\n
Van Hattum enjoyed some big highs during 2026, mixed in with some quieter games, but is viewed as a ruckman with enormous potential at the top level. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe played (AFL) Academy, played Vic Metro, he\u2019s been playing for school and then playing with us at Knights as well,\u201d Rocca said.<\/p>\n
![\"Will](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/6f6133bd5cf2866bda85c48008d28639.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a big year for him having had four different programs to be a part of. Sometimes that can either hinder or that can have great consistency among your form, but Harry\u2019s had a good year. He\u2019s had a year where he has impacted the scoreboard, his ruck work is pretty good, and his actual follow-up contest work after the ruck work has been a real feature of him this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some recruiters have questioned the idea of using a top-five selection on a ruckman, but Rocca said such suggestions were misguided. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf he doesn\u2019t go top-five in the draft, there\u2019s probably something wrong,\u201d Rocca said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see him playing AFL footy pretty early next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Van Hattum finished sixth in the running vertical jump test at the national draft combine with a leap of 95 cm, with former Collingwood champion Rocca likening the 205cm tall\u2019s jump to a former AFL opponent of his. <\/p>\n
\u201cI got to test out Jeff White real early,\u201d Rocca said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarry\u2019s bigger than what Jeff White was but has got a leap as well, so he\u2019s a very good prospect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Van Hattum is right in the frame for Richmond and Melbourne at the pointy end of the draft order.<\/p>\n
MALADY A GAME-CHANGER<\/p>\n
At halftime of the Talent League grand final last month, Gippsland Power forward Wil Malady had five disposals and one behind to his name. <\/p>\n
His side trailed the Dandenong Stingrays by seven points. <\/p>\n
\u201cI found myself pretty down from the first half,\u201d Malady said.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously I didn\u2019t have much of it and I missed an easy goal going into the half. But at halftime I kind of said to myself, \u2018Go back to what you do best\u2019 and went out there with aggression.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malady went on to kick three goals in just over three minutes in the third quarter, showing recruiters the type of game-changer he can be. <\/p>\n
He finished with five second-half goals as the Power won the premiership with a 35-point triumph. <\/p>\n
Measuring 190cm, Malady is an athletic third-tall forward type with lightning speed and perhaps the best set of marking hands in this year\u2019s draft pool. <\/p>\n
\u201cBack in juniors I always used to take hangers, or try to at least,\u201d Malady said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I feel like my grabs been always pretty good. I\u2019ve played forward most of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malady was also pushed up to a wing at stages this year, but most scouts see him as a pure forward \u2013 at least for now. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad and myself have been watching Ollie Dempsey closely, trying to develop that wing role in the future,\u201d Malady said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then down forward I watch Jack Gunston with his smarts around goal and ability to beat his opponent, which is definitely inspirational.\u201d<\/p>\n
Originally from Bairnsdale, Malady grew up kicking a footy in the backyard and fishing on the Nicholson River. <\/p>\n
\u201cI always go with mum,\u201d Malady said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a mad fisherman, so she always beats me in the fishing comp.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malady \u2013 who has boarded at Caulfield Grammar for his final two years of school \u2013 has strong interest within the top 12 picks, including from St Kilda and Collingwood. <\/p>\n
INVITES GO OUT FOR NIGHT ONE<\/p>\n
The AFL has already invited 13 players to the first night of the draft in a strong indication of which players will be snapped up early in the order. <\/p>\n
The seven players recruiters have long viewed as a standout group – Dougie Cochrane, Cody Walker, Ethan Drever, Arki Butler, Gus Teixeira, Harry Van Hattum and Heath Mellody \u2013 will all be there at Marvel Stadium on November 19. <\/p>\n
So, too, will Ethan Matthews, Caylen Murray, Mitch Harris, Leo Steed, Wil Malady and Sam Gayfer.<\/p>\n
Cochrane (Port Adelaide), Walker (Carlton), Matthews (GWS Giants) and Murray (Brisbane Lions) are all club-tied prospects who are expected to receive early rival bids. <\/p>\n
More players could be added to the invites in the lead up to the draft as club plans become clearer. <\/p>\n
There were 15 players invited to the first night of the draft last year, which saw 25 players selected in the first round. <\/p>\n
LATE BLOOMER READY TO ROCK<\/p>\n
Jack Slattery nominated for last year\u2019s AFL national draft, despite knowing he was no chance of having his name read out by a club. <\/p>\n
\u201cI did nominate, but I was never in the minds of recruiters,\u201d Slattery said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t have any meetings, so I just nominated for the sake of it. <\/p>\n
\u201cEven though last year I wasn\u2019t in the draft mindset, it was still a very good year for my footy and another building block towards this year, which is the first time I\u2019ve been seen by recruiters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slattery\u2019s top-age draft year in 2025 was his first in the SANFL talent pathways and while there were some good games for Woodville-West Torrens it wasn\u2019t a \u2018pick me\u2019 type of campaign. <\/p>\n
But this year has been a different story. <\/p>\n
Slattery was approved as an overage player for South Australia\u2019s under-18 national championships campaign and won the side\u2019s MVP award after kicking 16.2 from four matches at the carnival. <\/p>\n
The mobile 192cm forward quickly drew comparisons to Brisbane Lions star Logan Morris with his abilities on the lead, in the air and at ground level \u2013 as well as his impressive goal sense. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy output was certainly above what was probably expected from scouts and stuff like that,\u201d Slattery said of the championships. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut I kind of had a feeling I knew I had it in me. Whether or not I\u2019d be able to produce it, I didn\u2019t know. But I\u2019m really grateful for the opportunity and how it turned out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slattery finished school at Adelaide\u2019s Prince Alfred College last year and has been living and studying commerce at Aquinas College this year \u2013 just a few drop punts away from Adelaide Oval. <\/p>\n
\u201cI went to both the Showdowns and I like watching my footy,\u201d Slattery said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut even if I\u2019m not there, watching in my room you can still hear the crowd noises, so it feels like you\u2019re almost there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slattery met eight clubs at the national draft combine and is expected to be a second-round selection. <\/p>\n
He has had interest from both Adelaide and Port Adelaide, as well as the likes of Collingwood, Carlton, St Kilda and Melbourne. <\/p>\n
ACADEMY SQUAD UNVEILED<\/p>\n
Nine club-tied players headline a squad of 25 top draft prospects for 2027 who have been selected in the AFL National Academy. <\/p>\n
The squad was announced this week for what is the 30th intake of the boys program. <\/p>\n
Father-son prospects Koby Bewick (Essendon) and Louis Salopek (Port Adelaide) were both included, along with Northern Academy prospects Jackson Bridge (Brisbane Lions), Max Holden (Brisbane Lions) and Coen Hardy (GWS). <\/p>\n
Port Adelaide NGA prospect Zemes Pilot and Hawthorn NGA pair Zane Adams and Henry Allsop were also included, while Tasmanian Jake Beams is available to the Devils. <\/p>\n
Other familiar names include Jett Flower (grandson of Robbie) and James Artemis (cousin of Jaxon).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s less than three weeks to go until the 2026 AFL national draft. Here\u2019s the latest news and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":946476,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[437700,428813,408177,513875,513829,513872,513846,513882,513873,513897,513877,513887,513881,386027,513841,380489,513890,513827,513870,513893,377264,446609,513863,454356,436606,391933,638,513830,513852,513888,513880,64,63,55,639,111815,513847,3925,513859,513823,513895,513855,513850,62595,6856,23816,513894,405230,10990,339634,513868,496430,495680,3476,513838,513848,3028,513851,513891,380445,513857,513869,36393,513885,33285,100518,513856,101444,296472,513840,513853,415246,513861,379530,4082,513826,167867,513867,91805,513871,513822,38063,45755,404335,513883,513834,112293,647,34786,13052,513831,15700,155207,465328,419435,513889,307881,220114,6622,66801,7820,46677,131665,513842,513884,513845,157444,233993,513886,513844,513892,513828,513878,513874,513896,513879,411600,85,439567,79471,22410,74840,27460,393860,468634,513865,419414,409064,211101,387914,403685,382205,313300,379738,513835,215379,513899,513824,513820,391003,513900,380835,403687,377421,513864,470167,513832,513876,387322,513849,386315,385354,513833,387947,513821,22514,428192,378969,513862,513837,364611,513860,365332,3413,39,513825,513858,513866,381028,513854,479089,513843,513898,6857,513836,513839],"class_list":["post-946475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-s-draft","tag-s-father","tag-s-first-pick","tag-s-nga-zone","tag-s-top-afl-draft-prospects","tag-s-top-draft-prospects","tag-s-wildcard-round-loss","tag-2km-time-trials","tag-39-draft-prospects","tag-a-2025-carlton-nga-draftee","tag-a-breakout-2026-campaign","tag-a-carlton-tied-prospect","tag-a-club-home","tag-a-dream","tag-a-first-round-bolter-slip","tag-a-little-bit","tag-a-little-extra-spring","tag-a-mad-power-supporter","tag-a-make-up-2km-time-trial","tag-a-massage","tag-a-meeting","tag-a-pool","tag-a-small-number","tag-a-supporter","tag-a-survey","tag-a-tour","tag-afl","tag-all-the-little-fellas","tag-an-afl-list","tag-an-essendon-jumper","tag-any-afl-club","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-big-four","tag-big-miss","tag-blues","tag-bolteronce","tag-bombers-fans","tag-both-lifelong-essendon-supporters","tag-both-magpies-fans","tag-both-melbourne-and-adelaide","tag-butler","tag-carlton","tag-clubs","tag-clubs-supported-by-some-top-draft-prospectsmalady","tag-cochrane","tag-collingwood","tag-dons","tag-dons-eye-possible-package-deal","tag-draft-intel","tag-drever","tag-dyson-sharp","tag-eight-collingwood-supporters","tag-eligible-northern","tag-essendon","tag-ethan-drever-and-arki-butler","tag-every-second-monday","tag-every-time","tag-expected-essendon-targets","tag-first-round-calculations-midway","tag-foot","tag-four-richmond-fanatics","tag-gus-kennedy","tag-gus-teixeira","tag-gym-and-recovery","tag-hamstring","tag-high-end-picks","tag-his-clan","tag-his-father-stuart","tag-his-rise","tag-his-step","tag-his-time","tag-hospital","tag-how-blues","tag-ikon-park","tag-ison","tag-jack-ison","tag-knights-coach-anthony-rocca","tag-krasna","tag-land","tag-last-year","tag-late-august","tag-less-than-three-weeks","tag-make-up-testthe-afl","tag-meaning","tag-melbourne","tag-middle","tag-monday","tag-more-than-a-few","tag-next-generation-academy","tag-next-year","tag-northern-new-south-wales","tag-november-19","tag-november-7-and-8","tag-one-day","tag-package-deal","tag-part","tag-pies","tag-players","tag-plenty","tag-port","tag-port-adelaide-next-generation-academy-member-dougie-cochrane","tag-possible-one-two-punch","tag-potential-targets","tag-princes-park","tag-proper","tag-proud-cudgingburra-man","tag-recovery-and-stuff","tag-richmond-and-melbourne","tag-sam-gayfer-and-wil-malady","tag-short-term-injury-issues-butler","tag-similar-feelings","tag-six-essendon-fans","tag-some-first-round-picks","tag-some-interest","tag-sports","tag-strong-interest","tag-sullivan-robey","tag-support","tag-teixeira","tag-testing","tag-the-18-year-old","tag-the-2025-grand-final","tag-the-2026-afl-national-draft","tag-the-2026-season","tag-the-beans","tag-the-blues","tag-the-bombers","tag-the-brisbane-lions","tag-the-club","tag-the-country","tag-the-day","tag-the-earlier-under-17-futures-match","tag-the-end","tag-the-facilities","tag-the-familiar-surrounds","tag-the-first-night","tag-the-frame","tag-the-latest-news-and-mail","tag-the-likes","tag-the-mcg","tag-the-move","tag-the-national-combine","tag-the-national-draft","tag-the-national-draft-combine-multiple-clubs","tag-the-northern-knights-and","tag-the-pies","tag-the-smooth-moving-wingman-bolt","tag-the-stands","tag-the-top-10","tag-the-top-prospects","tag-the-track","tag-the-tweed-heads-region","tag-the-weekend","tag-the-western-bulldogs","tag-the-year","tag-their-childhood-clubs","tag-their-childhood-heroes","tag-this-year","tag-those-colours","tag-toby-kr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