The 2026 AFL draft will consist of the various periods where the 18 clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL) can trade and recruit players during and following the completion of the 2026 AFL season.
Key dates
+ Table of key datesEventDate(s)Mid-season rookie draft 26 May 2026Free agency period Restricted and Unrestricted: 2–9 October 2026 Delisted: October–November 2026Trade period 5–14 October 2026National draft 19–20 November 2026Pre-Season and Rookie draft23 November 2026 Pre-season supplemental selection period December 2026 – March 2027
2026 mid-season rookie draft The mid-season draft was held after the conclusion of round 11 of the 2026 AFL season on 26 May.
+ Mid-season draft selections Rd Pick Player Club Recruited from Pick due to Club League 1 1 Tasmania VFL Brayden Fiorini long-term injury 2 Geelong VFL Josh Gibcus long-term injury 3 SANFL Deven Robertson long-term injury 4 Carlton VFL Matt Carroll long-term injury 5 North Melbourne VFL Ivan Soldo retirement 6 Sandringham Dragons Talent League Blake Thredgold long-term injury 7 Southport VFL Passed selection at the 2025 Rookie Draft8 Frankston VFL Reef McInnes long-term injury 9 SANFL Sam Darcy long-term injury 10 Williamstown VFL Passed selection at the 2025 Rookie Draft 11SANFL Tom Campbell retirement 12 SANFL Passed selection at the 2025 Rookie Draft2 13 Geelong VFL Jacob Newton long-term injury 14 SANFL Ollie Lord long-term injury 15SANFLOscar Steene long-term injury 16 Williamstown VFL Jai Culley long-term injury3 17Passed — — Josh Sinn long-term injury 18 Coburg VFL Jamie Elliott long-term injury 19 Tasmania VFL Shane McAdam retirement
Player movements Previous trades
+ Table of previously traded selectionsNew ClubAcquired via1 Christian Petracca trade Charlie Curnow and Will Hayward trade2pick swap pick swap pick swap via (Liam Ryan trade)on-traded to (pick swap) Corey Durdin and Ben Ainsworth trade via (Christian Petracca trade)on-traded to (pick swap)3 via Brayden Fiorini tradeon-traded to (pick swap) pick swap Clayton Oliver trade Oliver Florent trade Jack Buller trade via Brodie Mihocek tradeon-traded to (pick swap) pick swap pick swap via (Jai Serong trade)on-traded to (pick swap)4 pick swap pick swap Changkuoth Jiath trade Finnbar Maley trade Jai Serong trade Jack Buller trade5 pick swap
Free agency
+2026 AFL free agency period signings Player Free agent type Recruited from New club Compensation Notes RefJoel Amartey Unrestricted Second round Toby Greene Unrestricted Second round Kieren Briggs Unrestricted Third round Lachie Neale Unrestricted Second round Jordon Butts Unrestricted Second round Dominic Bedendo Delisted (VFL) Delisted by in 2024Ben King Restricted TBC have 72 hours to match 's bid
Trades +Table of tradesClubs involvedTradeto (from )
Jesse Hoganto (from )
pick No. 75to (from )
Scott Pendleburyto (from )
pick No. 65to (from )
Zach Merrettto (from )
pick No. 15 pick No. 25 2028 second round pick ()to (from )
Nathan O'Driscollto (from )
pick No. 61to (from )
Jordan Ridley pick No. 60 2028 fourth round pick ()to (from )
Jack Bowes 2027 first round pick () 2028 second round pick ()
List changes Retirements + Table key R Rookie listed player B Category B Rookie listed player
+ Table of player retirementsNameClubNotes Retired but keen to play on Not offered a contract and retired. Medically retired over concussion issues
Delistings
+ Table key R Rookie listed player B Category B Rookie listed player
NameClubNotes Club and player mutually agreed to part ways. B Returned to Ireland
Essendon concessions
Due to the club's poor on-field results since 2025, the AFL announced draft concessions for which included:
Two extra Category A Rookie list spots.
Tasmania concessions As part of Tasmania's entry into the AFL in 2028, they have been provided with several draft concessions, including being able to sign up to eight 17-year-olds in each of 2026 and 2027, with a maximum of 12 total across the two years and being able to sign Tasmanian players from the 2026 draft class.
+ Table of Tasmania concession signingsPlayerRecruited FromLeagueRef WAFL Sandringham Dragons Talent League Sandringham Dragons Talent League Western Jets Talent League Western Jets Talent League Calder Cannons Talent League Eastern Ranges Talent League Tasmania Devils VFL
2026 national draft
+ Table of national draft selections Round Pick Player Club Recruited from Notes Club League 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 ← (2025) 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 ← 16 ← (2025) 17 18 2 19 20 21 22 23 ← (2025) 24 ← (2025) 25 ←← (2025) 26 Free Agency compensation pick (Greene) 27 ← (2025)← (2025) 28 29 ← (2025)← (2025) 30 ← (2025) 31 32 33 Free Agency compensation pick (Butts) 34 35 36 37 Free Agency compensation pick (Amartey) 38 39 40 Free Agency compensation pick (Neale) 3 41 ← (2025)← (2025) 42 43 44 45 46 ← (2025) 47 ← (2025) 48 Free Agency compensation pick (Briggs) 49 50 ← (2025) 51 ← (2025)← (2025) 52 ← (2025) 53 54 55 56 ← (2025) 57 ← (2025)← (2025) 58 59 ← (2025) 4 60 ← 61 ← 62 63 64 65 ← 66 ← (2025) 67 68 69 ← (2025) 70 71 ← (2025) 72 ← (2025) 73 74 ← (2025) 75 ←← (2025) 76 77 5 78 79 ← (2025) 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95
2026 rookie draft Category B Rookie selections The AFL introduced an additional Category B rookie spot for all clubs to be able to draft an Indigenous player to their lists for the 2027 season. Previously, clubs could only list up to two Category B rookie players, however they will be able to sign a third player, provided the player is of Indigenous or First Nations background.
+ Table of Category B rookie selectionsNameClubOriginNoteDate Signed UTS Balmain Tigers (AWPL) Three-year non-registered player (water polo) 5 October 2026 UT Tyler Patriots (NCAA) Three-year non-registered player (basketball) 28 May 2026
See also 2026 AFL Women's draft
References