Following on from Part 1.
In brief, I’ve gone through every list and picked out just the high-end talent. I have identified the superstars, stars, and the potential stars and given each tier of player a certain number of points. From there, I’ve stacked teams by total points to tier premiership contenders heading into the 2026 season based on list talent alone, not taking into account balance, coaching or anything else.
Tier 3: Teams that don’t suit the exercise
Hawthorn ($8.00)
Superstar: N/A
Star: Jai Newcombe, James Sicily, Will Day (injured – not for season), Dylan Moore, Blake Hardwick, Massimo D’Ambrosio, Jack Gunston, Josh Weddle, Josh Battle, Nick Watson, Tom Barrass (22)
Possible star: Josh Ward, Cam Mackenzie, Connor Macdonald, Calsher Dear (4)
Total: 26
Geelong ($8.00)
Superstar: Jeremy Cameron, Max Holmes, Bailey Smith (15)
Star: Tyson Stengle, Ollie Dempsey, Tom Atkins, Gryan Miers, Patrick Dangerfield, Mark Bilcavs (12)
Possible star: Lawson Humphries (1)
Total: 28
Adelaide ($12.00)
Superstar: Jordan Dawson, Riley Thilthorpe, Izak Rankine (15)
Star: Ben Keays, Josh Rachele, Josh Worrell, Mark Keene, Darcy Fogarty (10)
Possible star: Dan Curtin, Jake Soligo, Sid Draper (3)
Total: 28
Sydney ($10.00)
Superstar: Chad Warner, Isaad Heeney, Errol Gulden, Nick Blakey (20)
Star: Brodie Grundy, Tom Papley, Dane Rampe, Charlie Curnow (8)
Possible star: Braeden Campbell (1)
Total: 29
These teams are oddly out of place.
For instance, I’d have Hawthorn, Geelong and Adelaide, as genuine tier 1 contenders probably above the teams that I have in tier 2 outside of Brisbane. On the other hand, I’d have Sydney far lower than that.
And yet, if I go by my own scoring system, the Swans are the best of the group and Hawthorn are the worst.
This tells me two things:
- Hawthorn is more like a HBO show, where they drop talented but not superstar level people into a great infrastructure and let them flourish. It’s a team full of Silvio Dante’s.
For the whole season, even if this exercise favours the Swans, I’d prefer to be the Hawks.
I bloody love The Sopranos.
Tier 2: Stacked teams
Brisbane ($5.00)
Superstar: Hugh McLuggagae, Will Ashcroft, Harris Andrews (15)
Star: Jaspa Flether, Josh Dunkley, Lachie Neale, Logan Morris, Dayne Zorko, Zac Bailey, Oscar Allen (14)
Possible star: Levi Ashcroft, Darcy Wilmot (2)
Total: 31
Western Bulldogs ($17.00)
Superstar: Marcus Bontempelli, Sam Darcy, Ed Richards (15)
Star: Rhylee West, Tom Liberatore, Joel Freijah, Bailey Dale, Aaron Naughton, Tim English, Matt Kennedy (14)
Possible star: Ryley Sanders, Artie Jones (2)
Total: 31
Fremantle ($17.00)
Superstar: Caleb Serong, Andy Brayshaw, Luke Jackson (15)
Star: Jordan Clark, Luke Ryan, Shai Bolton, Patrick Voss, Alex Pearce, Hayden Young, Josh Treacy (14)
Possible star: Murphy Reid, Jye Amiss, Josh Draper (3)
Total: 32
These teams are star laden and are also genuine contenders.
The one with the biggest question mark over them is the Bulldogs who, like last year, are full of scoring power and stoppage excellence but don’t have much in the way of key defenders.
Of the three teams in this category, they’re the only one without at least one key defender in the star category which likely precludes them from doing any damage despite their scoring power.
I have no such concerns about the other two. We are in three dragon meme territory with this tier.
Tier 1: Is it expansion grand final time?
Gold Coast ($8.00)
Superstar: Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson, Christian Petracca (15)
Star: Touk Miller, Daniel Rioli, Ben Long, Sam Collins, Jarrod Witts, Ben King, Bailey Humphrey (14)
Possible star: Mac Andrew, Bodhi Uwland, Joel Jeffrey, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Jed Walter, Ethan Read (6)
Total: 35
GWS ($13.00)
Superstar: Tom Green, Sam Taylor, Finn Callaghan, Jesse Hogan (20)
Star: Darcy Jones, Stephen Coniglio, Toby Greene, Lachie Ash, Josh Kelly, Connor Idun, Jack Buckley, Clayton Oliver, Lachie Whitfield, Aaron Cadman (20)
Possible star: Harvey Thomas (1)
Total: 41
This is just a column about list talent, so credit to me for not mentioning that Adam Kingsley’s obsession with playing unserious footy back half only footy. Maybe he has had an epiphany and decided it would be good to get a front half turnover, but I’m not holding my breath.
Anyway, that isn’t the point. The point is that these two teams, in my view, are the two most talented lists in the AFL.
Gold Coast especially is primed to play the sort of serious footy that could win a premiership if the lack of a home ground advantage doesn’t hurt them.
The other point to make is how well Gold Coast is set up for the future as well as the present. Mac Andrew could already be in the star category while Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has shown genuine superstar potential.
Gold Coast is in Chalamet areas right now as the team for the present and the future.