《悉尼晨报》公布了2026年AFL选秀班级的前30名新秀排名 [1]。该排名综合了来自10支AFL俱乐部招募人员、青年教练及媒体自身的评估意见 [1]，涵盖了澳洲各地表现突出的年轻球员。
Port Adelaide的Cochrane位列第1位 [1]。虽然Cochrane因膝伤错过了2026年初期的比赛，但他将于周日为Port Adelaide的SANFL队复出 [1]。被认为是这一届中天赋最高的球员Butler可能成为首位在非AFL俱乐部关联身份下被选中的球员 [1]。此外，Clancy Snell被列为该级别中共识最佳的关键后卫 [1]，而锦标赛射手领先者Jack Slattery以16球的成绩排名第23位 [1]。
The Sydney Morning Herald has released its ranking of the top 30 prospects in the 2026 AFL draft class, drawing on input from recruitment staff at ten AFL clubs, youth coaches, and the publication's own analysis [1]. The rankings assess players based on performance, potential, injury risk, and other factors to identify the most promising young talent across Australia [1].
Port Adelaide's Cochrane tops the list as the number one prospect, despite missing early 2026 matches due to a knee injury; however, he is expected to return for Port Adelaide's SANFL team on Sunday [1]. Butler stands out as potentially the first player from outside an AFL club affiliate to be selected, and is regarded as the most talented prospect in the pool [1]. Among other notable rankings, Jack Slattery—who leads the competition with 16 goals—is placed at number 23 [1], while Clancy Snell is considered the consensus best key defender in the class [1].