AFL Fantasy Draft Track Watch 26/01/26

Want to stay ahead in your AFL Fantasy Draft? We’ve gathered the latest track watch updates from all 18 AFL clubs to give you key insights into player form, role changes, and preseason buzz.

With AFL pre-season games just around the corner, the smell of real hard data for our AFL Fantasy Draft teams is also just around the corner. Until then we have to rely on the AFL Draft Pros insiders to help get the job done.

All this information shared below is being incorporated into the AFL Draft Pros Fantasy Rankings. Make sure to subscribe to our mailing list to have exclusive discounted access to the rankings prior to the preseason matches kicking off.

Let's get into it, with the updates from the track this week.

There’s a bit of a curse hovering over Adelaide’s midfield at the moment, with anyone linked to midfield minutes seemingly dropping like flies. Daniel Curtin was seen hurting his knee, Rachele picked up a knock, and Soligo was not part of the main training session during the week.

James Peatling is a name to keep a close eye on if Adelaide do end up depleted through the middle, as opportunity may open up quicker than expected.

Reilly O’Brien also spoke to the media about the new ruck rules, noting they’re going to “suit the jumpers”.

There really isn’t much to report out of Brisbane this preseason. It’s business as usual, and they remain one of the easiest teams to predict from a role-based perspective.

Unless there’s a major injury or another Coleman update, there’s unlikely to be much change worth reacting to. Worth noting though that Josh Dunkley, Jaspa Fletcher and Jarrod Berry are all still on the comeback trail from shoulder injuries.

The biggest watch from match simulation was Matthew Cottrell, who absolutely killed it off half-back. He told the media post-session that he feels capable of playing a number of roles, though he’s unsure where he fits right now, a role to track closely.

Harry McKay stationed himself at full forward, while Jagga Smith did more than enough to have track watchers comparing him to Nick Daicos. Unlike many debutants, Smith is absolutely draft-relevant this year.

Lachie Fogarty talked up Ben Camporeale and Hudson O’Keeffe, but from a fantasy perspective, there’s not enough there yet to get excited.

Nick Daicos continues doing Nick Daicos things at training.

The big watch is Josh Daicos, who is starting to move into the midfield during match simulation. This has significant implications for Dan Houston as well. If those positional changes stick, both could become very handy fantasy defenders (once Houston is fit again).

Jordan De Goey is being absolutely pumped up both internally and externally as he builds toward full fitness.

Kyle Langford flagged Peter Wright as a potential ruck option this season, which is something to monitor given Essendon’s structural flexibility.

Like most fantasy players, we’re still waiting on Darcy Parish’s return to full fitness.

Jy Caldwell continues to do everything right and is putting his hand up strongly as a Tier 3 midfield option.

There may actually be enough points to go around in Fremantle’s ruck division after all. Sean Darcy is reportedly looking lean again (yes, we heard that last year too), while Luke Jackson is running around as a full-time midfielder.

McVee is playing more as a distributor out of half-back and through the midfield than first thought, but he’s simply too good as a lockdown defender for us to get overly excited yet.

Fremantle are throwing things around heavily in match simulation. Hayden Young is spending a worrying amount of time at half-forward, and even Caleb Serong was stationed forward at times. Both are simply too good not to be used as primary midfielders once the real stuff begins.

Luke Ryan remains in non-contact drills.

Not a lot to report out of Geelong this week. Worpel is settling in nicely, while Tom Stewart continues to build following wrist surgery.

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was used as a second ruck to give Jarrod Witts a chop-out, which is worth noting.

Bailey Humphrey and Petracca both dominated through the midfield, though there are plenty of mouths to feed in that engine room.

Interestingly, Touk Miller wasn’t spotted in the middle during match simulation.

Oliver remains out of training with a calf issue but is expected to resume shortly.

Also still on modified programs are Jesse Hogan and Toby Greene, who both have a little bit to go before returning to full training.

Similar to Adelaide, Hawthorn seem to be dropping like flies at the moment. Will Day was the latest injury concern, with much of the focus turning to Conor MacDonald potentially filling the void.

We’re as excited as anyone about that prospect as there’s more upside here than Josh Ward or Cam Mackenzie if MacDonald gets a genuine opportunity.

James Sicily won’t return to full training until February following shoulder surgery.

It took until the second half of preseason for Langford to finally get the much-talked-about midfield minutes.

From all reports, Jack Steele has not put a foot wrong and is dominating training, an early draft slider worth targeting.

Kysaiah Pickett is again being talked up for his midfield time in match simulation, but it’s worth remembering this isn’t new territory for him.

The hype around Jai Culley continues after another strong week on the track.

Tom Powell admitted he doesn’t even know where he’ll end up playing this year, which makes him a big avoid at this stage.

Jy Simpkin is spending match simulation on the wing, while Colby McKercher is starting to see more time back in defence.

Todd Marshall has been taking kick-ins, which is a big watch for fantasy relevance

Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Miles Bergman all played through the midfield during match simulation, while Jason Horne-Francis remains sidelined.

Sam Banks continues to be the main distributor off half-back and is shaping as the best fantasy defender option at Richmond, potentially overtaking both Nick Vlastuin and Jayden Short.

Lalor is continuing to receive plenty of midfield minutes in training.

In a year where we’re desperate for forwards, the Saints might actually have a few answers. Sam Flanders and Mattaes Phillipou are both playing strong midfield minutes during match simulation.

Jack Sinclair is back to making the half-back flank his own.

Tom De Koning and Rowan Marshall are still working out their chemistry, but it feels more like Marshall is living in TDK’s world rather than the other way around.

Max King playing in Opening Round is back on the table.

Riley Bice is back in defence.

Justin McInerney has been everywhere through the midfield.

Callum Mills is back in full training, floating between defence and midfield — a great sign.

Errol Gulden is reportedly dominating all drills and match simulation.

Brodie Grundy will miss the next couple of weeks due to concussion protocols.

If West Coast were at the peak of their powers, the noise around Tom McCarthy, Harley Reid, Clay Hall and Jake Waterman would be impossible to ignore. However, given the current state of the team, it’s hard to take any of the reports too seriously.

At this stage, we’re not convinced anyone can be a truly great scorer in the current setup.

Adam Treloar continues to trend toward Tier 2 forward territory as his preseason builds. Like Darcy Parish, we’re waiting for bad news, but until then, he remains a high-risk, high-reward option.

Ed Richards has now returned to full training.

Final Word – Stay Ahead with AFL Draft Pros Track Watch

This preseason track watch gives AFL Fantasy Draft players a distinct edge. With each club's key updates covered, you're in the best position to fine-tune your draft list. Remember, preparation is key to dominating the competition.

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