Rookie Power Rankings 2026: The Complete Traffic Light Guide

Stop overthinking your rookies. We've rated every relevant SuperCoach 2026 rookie using a dead-simple traffic light system so you can build your team with confidence, not guesswork.

🟢 Green = lock it in. High confidence they play, score, and make you money. 🟡 Amber = promising but risky. Job security questions, unclear role, or small sample size. 🔴 Red = avoid or wait. Too many unknowns. Park them on your watchlist.

We've crunched the numbers on 30+ rookies across the 2025 draft class and existing players with under 20 games of AFL experience. The data doesn't lie — and neither do we.

How We Rate

Three things matter for SuperCoach rookies: job security, scoring potential, and price. A bloke averaging 90 is useless if he's stuck in the VFL. A guaranteed starter who scores 40 won't generate enough cash to matter.

Our traffic light combines all three. We weight job security heaviest because nothing else matters if they're not playing.

🟢 GREEN LIGHT: Lock These In

These are your set-and-forget rookies. High confidence they'll be in the Round 1 team, score well enough to generate cash, and hold their spot for the first chunk of the season.

Draft Class Green Lights

Willem Duursma is as close to a guaranteed SuperCoach pick as you'll find in 2026. Pick 1, at a club in full rebuild mode, with a brother already killing it at AFL level. West Coast need him in the midfield from Round 1 and there is zero chance he's sitting in the WAFL. At $113,500, the cash generation ceiling is enormous. If he averages even 60, that's a $200K+ price rise by Round 8. Do not overthink this.

Lock in Duursma's debut odds at Sportsbet before the market moves →

Zeke Uwland is the perfect complement. Gold Coast have been aggressive with playing kids for years now and Uwland's contested ball-winning profile fits their game plan. Pick 2 at basement price — he's locked in.

Harry Dean is your defensive gold. Defender rookies are harder to find than midfielder rookies, and Dean's intercept game should see him in Carlton's best 22 early. Pick 3 defenders who can mark and kick? They play.

Sam Cumming at Pick 7 lands at Richmond where the rebuild is in full swing. The Tigers are playing youth over experience and Cumming's midfield craft will get a long leash. He's the fourth midfielder you want.

Cooper Duff-Tytler is a rare beast — a ruck rookie at basement price. West Coast's ruck stocks are thin and Duff-Tytler was Pick 4 for a reason. Even if he shares the ruck role early, ruck scoring can be chunky and at $113,500, the risk-reward is heavily in your favour.

Latrelle Pickett at Pick 12 to Melbourne gives you forward-line coverage. The Dees need scoring power and Pickett's explosiveness should see him debut early. Forward rookies who kick goals are SuperCoach gold — 8 points per major adds up fast.

Existing Rookies Green Lights

These blokes have already shown they can score at AFL level. The data is real, not projected.

Tom McCarthy is the clear number one existing rookie. Averaging 93.3 from 10 games as a defender is genuinely elite — there are premium defenders who'd take that average. The catch? At $413K he's priced as a mid-pricer, not a rookie cash cow. You're picking him for scoring, not cash generation. He's still green because the output is that good, but understand you're paying for proven production here.

Ewan Mackinlay is the value king. An 80.0 average from one game at just $99K gives him a ridiculous 8.1 value-per-salary ratio. Yes, it's one game. But Port Adelaide's midfield has enough rotation that Mackinlay should get another crack, and if that 80 is anywhere close to his true level, you're looking at the biggest cash cow in the competition. The price tag means even a 60 average prints money.

Back Mackinlay's debut milestones at Sportsbet →

Nick Madden is your second ruck option. At $203K with an 86.0 average from 3 games, Madden offers legitimate scoring at a genuine discount. GWS need ruck depth and Madden has shown he belongs. A ruck averaging 86 at that price is a no-brainer.

Cooper Trembath is the quiet achiever. Averaging 71.7 from 3 games at $167K at North Melbourne, who are another club playing kids. He's a defender who can score — exactly what you want.

Jordan Croft at $120K with a 64.5 average from 2 games is a low-risk, high-reward play. The Bulldogs gave him a taste and he performed. At that price, even modest output generates solid cash.

🟡 AMBER LIGHT: Promising But Risky

These rookies have upside but come with genuine question marks. Job security, role clarity, or small sample concerns mean we can't give them the full green light. Pick 1-2 of these as speculative plays, not as foundational pieces.

Draft Class Amber

Samuel Grlj at Pick 8 to Richmond looks good on paper — rebuilding club, high pick. But Richmond already have Cumming (Pick 7), Hotton, and McAuliffe fighting for midfield minutes. That's a lot of mouths to feed. Grlj might debut but consistent games are no certainty.

Dylan Patterson at Pick 5 to Gold Coast is interesting — defenders at top clubs are tricky. The Suns are competitive enough that blooding a young defender means dropping a proven one. He'll play eventually, but Round 1? We're not confident.

Jacob Farrow and Sullivan Robey both land at Essendon, who are pushing for finals. Contending clubs are the worst place for rookies. They might get a game when someone is injured, but Essendon aren't dropping established players for development.

Lachy Dovaston at Pick 16 to North Melbourne has the right club situation — the Roos are rebuilding — but Pick 16 forwards don't always walk into sides. Monitor preseason closely.

Existing Rookies Amber

Zach Reid is amber purely because of price. At $439K with 19 games, he's barely a rookie anymore and priced as a mid-tier defender. His 79.8 average is solid but you're not getting cash generation — you're getting a mid-pricer with job security risk if Essendon make finals and want experience.

Clay Hall at $325K and Jai Culley at $244K have the same problem — they're priced into their averages. There's no value left. You're paying full price for what they've already shown. Unless you expect a significant scoring jump, the cash generation just isn't there.

Lucca Grego at $114K with a 59.0 average from one game is the ultimate coin flip. If that one game is his level, he's a screaming buy at basement price. If it was a one-off, you're stuck with a bench spot producing nothing. West Coast's open midfield gives him a chance, but we need more data.

🔴 RED LIGHT: Avoid For Now

These rookies either won't play early enough, are at clubs too competitive to blood them, or don't have clear paths to senior football. Don't waste a roster spot.

Draft Class Red Lights

Daniel Annable is the biggest name here and we know it'll be controversial. Pick 6 to Brisbane — the reigning premiers. But that's exactly the problem. Brisbane aren't dropping Lachie Neale, Hugh McCluggage, or Josh Dunkley for a first-year player. Annable will get the occasional game when someone is rested or injured, but consistent SuperCoach output? Not in 2026. Maybe 2027.

Cameron Nairn at Pick 20 to Hawthorn is a hard pass. The Hawks are a top-four contender with an established midfield. Pick 20 mids at elite clubs are VFL players in year one.

Harry Kyle at Pick 14 to Sydney is in the same boat. The Swans back experience in defence and aren't blooding a teenager when premiership points are on the line.

Existing Rookies to Monitor (Not Buy)

Taj Hotton and Harry O'Farrell aren't bad players — they're just bad value right now. Both are priced around $250K with averages in the mid-50s. That's a value score around 2.2. Compare that to Ewan Mackinlay (8.1) or Jordan Croft (5.4) and the maths doesn't stack up. You're paying $130K-$150K more for 10 fewer SuperCoach points per game. Watchlist them for a price drop, but don't start them. If you want to understand the case for both players, read our dedicated Second-Year Leap breakdown — the second-year trajectory data tells a different story.

The Sleepers: Under-the-Radar Picks

Every year a handful of rookies fly under the radar in preseason and end up being top-10 cash generators. Here's where we think the sleeper value sits.

Ewan Mackinlay ($99K, Port Adelaide, MID) — We gave him a green light above but he deserves a sleeper mention because nobody is talking about him. One game, 80 points, $99K. That's the kind of line that wins you leagues when it hits. Port Adelaide's midfield rotation means he'll get chances and at that price there is virtually no downside.

Campbell Gray ($174K, Richmond, DEF) — Three games averaging 64.3 as a defender at a rebuilding club. The Tigers will play youth and Gray's output has been quietly strong. At $174K, he's cheaper than O'Farrell with a higher average.

Lucca Grego ($114K, West Coast, MID) — The Eagles' midfield is an open audition and Grego's 59.0 from his one game suggests he can contribute. At basement price, he's essentially free to hold.

Nick Madden ($203K, GWS, RUC) — Ruck rookies are like finding a four-leaf clover. Madden averaged 86 from 3 games. If he gets the starting ruck gig at GWS, he could average 80+ all year at a fraction of the cost of a premium ruck.

Position-by-Position Summary

Here's your cheat sheet — the best rookie pick at each position line.

The Verdict: Our Recommended Rookie Squad

If we had to lock in a rookie squad right now, here's where we'd land:

Starting bench (high confidence):

• DEF: Harry Dean ($113.5K), Cooper Trembath ($167K)
• MID: Willem Duursma ($113.5K), Ewan Mackinlay ($99K)
• RUC: Nick Madden ($203K)
• FWD: Latrelle Pickett ($113.5K), Jordan Croft ($120K)

On-field rookie (premium pick):

• DEF: Tom McCarthy ($413K) — he scores like a premium, play him like one

Total rookie spend: ~$1.34M across 8 players. That leaves maximum cap space for premiums in your starting side.

The traffic light system is simple for a reason. Green means go. Amber means wait for more intel. Red means leave them alone. Don't fall in love with names and draft positions — follow the data, pick the green lights, and let the cash roll in.

We'll update these rankings throughout preseason as practice matches give us fresh data. Bookmark this page and check back before lockout.

Last updated: February 16, 2026