After 10 West Australians were selected in the AFL’s national and rookie drafts or signed as Category B rookies in each of the last two years, up to a dozen may achieve their dreams of graduating to the top level in 2026.
That is the hope of WA Football’s talent manager Adam Jones, who says a wide range of prospects from across the State have garnered interest as the process accelerates ahead of its conclusion on November 19 and 20.
A total of seven Sandgropers headed to Melbourne to participate in the AFL national draft combine late last month, including top prospects Heath Mellody (Claremont) and Leo Steed (Swan Districts).
A further nine were in action across Sunday’s State draft combine in Perth, including players linked to WA clubs West Coast and Fremantle as father-son and academy prospects.
Of the first 36 selections in last year’s draft, only one was raised in WA — Jacob Farrow, who went from West Perth to Essendon at pick No.10.
Despite a lean top-end, five players were picked up within seven selections with Sam Swadling (Collingwood, pick 37), Koby Evans (Brisbane, pick 38), Tylah Williams (West Coast, pick 39), Charlie Banfield (St Kilda, pick 41) and Cody Curtin (Brisbane, pick 43) all taken late in the national draft.
The State is set to be more productive in the earlier range this year. Mellody and Steed are virtual first-round locks, while winger George Gale, forward Koby LeCras and ruckman Benji van Rooyen could all be picked up late on the draft’s first night or early in the second.
Jones said he was also optimistic on the chances of a number of players considered to be closer to the draft’s fringes.
“Hopefully, the depth might squeeze out to 10-12 kids drafted from WA,” Jones said.
“There’s a number of guys that I think are a really good chance to end up on an AFL list.
“Obviously, we can’t predict what’s going to happen, but we certainly feel three, four or five (players) should end up on a list from this (State combine) group.”
Among the WA players to produce impressive State combine results were Fremantle Next Generation Academy graduate Fin Yeo, who set what would have been an all-time national draft combine record by producing a 7.533sec agility test, and West Coast-linked prospect Garrison Kenh, who ran a time of 2.931 in the 20m sprint.
And while Jones was full of praise for both the results of his players and how they had attacked their preparation for the combine, he said how they had performed in the testing was not the be-all and end-all for their AFL hopes.
“This is only a small part. I feel like the athletic testing on combine days is almost becoming less and less important, with the GPS data clubs get now,” Jones said.
“But certainly, the guys have done some great time which will hold them in good stead.”
WA players taken in national draft, rookie draft or signed as Category B rookies
2025: 10
2024: 10
2023: 14
2022: 14
2021: 17
WA players to test at AFL draft combines
National: Heath Mellody, Benji van Rooyen, George Gale (all Claremont), Koby LeCras, Harvey Spawton-Guy (both West Perth), Leo Steed (Swan Disticts), Cameron Maynard (South Fremantle).
State: Garrison Kenh, Lachlan McGlade, Jake Soutar (all East Perth), Tom Brown, Harper Banfield (both Claremont), Hudson Graham, Lucas Robinson (both South Fremantle), Kane Johnston (Perth), Fin Yeo (East Fremantle).