This is always a strange time of the year. The mornings are getting cold (location dependant, I know), the afternoons are still warm, and nature seems to be in a state of confusion.
Just like your average footy fan.
Teams are up one week and down the next, and it leaves us sitting here wondering what we’re they’re really at. In the midst of all this, we look at individuals and their standing in the game, and it is here we find ourselves today, as we look at which players have made the best start for each team.
Now, I know that opinions will differ – it is the nature of these types of articles, but there is reasoning behind each choice, and if you see things differently, then more power to you. You can always start your own website, right?
So, who have been the top three at your club through the first three games of 2026?
ADELAIDE
1 – JOSH WORRELL
2 – WAYNE MILERA
3 – RILEY THILTHORPE
Not unexpected to see the bloke banging down the door of the AA team last season ranked at number one. He has been a pillar of strength in defence for the Crows, combining with the rejuvenated Wayne Milera to underpin the back half.
Thilthorpe continues to be a monster, and was one of the few to stand up in the Crows’ loss at the Cattery.
BRISBANE
1 – WILL ASHCROFT
2 – JARROD BERRY
3 – ZAC BAILEY
For all he does, how is it possible that people don’t have Ashcroft as one of the best mids in the league? Beautiful, clean, and quick hands to rival those of Lachie Neale (who was fourth on this list) and gets better as the game progresses. Berry has been great, whether on the wing, or in a defensive mid role, whilst Bailey continues to demonstrate why he is going to be worth a bomb this off-season.
CARLTON
1 – JACOB WEITERING
2 – SAM WALSH
3 – PATRICK CRIPPS
The consummate defender keeps doing what he does. Has copped a few knocks, but remains the one thing saving the Blues from oblivion. Walsh is allaying the fears surrounding his back issues, with a great start to the season, whilst Cripps remains the inside bull that refuses to buckle in the wake of the “fast” game. He is just ahead of Jagga Smith for third.
COLLINGWOOD
1 – NICK DAICOS
2 – LACHIE SCHULTZ
3 – DAN HOUSTON
No second place for Nick, this time. He is cemented at the top, with consistent brilliance. Schultz at two may surprise some, but only if you haven’t watched him play closely. His pressure around the footy has been elite this season as he now looks completely comfortable in his role at Collingwood. And Dan Houston edges Josh Daicos for the third position, displaying why he was so highly-sought-after by the Pies.
ESSENDON
1 – ARCHIE ROBERTS
2 – ZACH MERRETT
3 – LACHIE BLAKISTON
A tough one, as I’m looking for consistency, and it is difficult to find at Essendon.
Archie Roberts works his backside off. If his passion could be transferred to teammates, the club would be in a better position. Merrett was well beaten in Round Three, but was amongst the Bombers’ best in the first two games, whilst I have so much respect for the job Blakiston is doing in the ruck. He is far from perfect, but he is another who plays the game with passion, and that is all you can ask of players in a team playing passionless footy.
FREMANTLE
1 – JOSH TREACY
2 – LUKE JACKSON
3 – CALEB SERONG
Treacy is cementing himself as the competition’s premier power forward. It may not be reflected in goals, but is reflected in how he impacts the game – as good a defensive forward as he is an offensive one. Jackson is close to unlocking his true potential, and if he does, he could be the best player in the game, whilst Serong continues to find a way to impact, even if he has a tagger hanging off him.
GEELONG
1 – TOM STEWART
2 – OLLIE DEMPSEY
3 – CONNOR O’SULLIVAN
The Cats keep winning… it’s what they do, and whilst we are used to seeing names like Jeremy Cameron and Patrick Dangerfield on these lists, it is a couple of younger players that take up positions two and three, below the reliable Tom Stewart. O’Sullivan is the best key defender in the league in the making, whilst Ollie Dempsey continues to grow into a player who knows how and when to impact games.
GOLD COAST
1 – CHRISTIAN PETRACCA
2 – SAM COLLINS
3 – BEN KING
Well, Trac will be out for a while, but his first three games left no doubt as to his intentions this season. His first two games were huge, and his third was on the way to that level, as well, before the injury.
Sam Collins is almost as important to the Suns as Harris Andrews is to the Lions, whilst Ben King continues to be the most economical forward in the game. Seriously, he looks set to challenge the perception that big forwards “need to do more” as he slots goal after goal.
GWS
1 – LACHIE ASH
2 – FINN CALLAGHAN
3 – HARVEY THOMAS
Lachie Ash and his running mate, Lachie Whitfield, control the footy from the GWS backline, but Ash has established himself as the preferred supplier out of defence now. Callaghan continues to grow into his role, whilst the inclusion of Tomas may come as a surprise, but his work out on the wing has been fantastic early for the Giants.
HAWTHORN
1 – JACK GUNSTON
2 – JAI NEWCOMBE
3 – NICK WATSON
Evergreen Gunston continues to produce at an alarming rate. Where would the Hawks be without him? He is continuing to defy Father Time. Newcombe is the engine room of the Hawks and is shouldering a huge load, whilst the fierce attack on the footy from Nick Watson is endearing him to Hawthorn fans all the more. Jack Ginnivan misses out due to a lost game. Ditto Tom Barrass, whilst Connor Macdonald is also in the mix.
MELBOURNE
1 – MAX GAWN
2 – KYSAIAH PICKETT
3 – JACK STEELE
Max Gawn has had at least 20+ disposals and 20+ hit outs in each of his first three games. Any way you slice it, that is elite. It was great to see him get a win in his 250th.
Kozzie Pickett has been electrifying, and if he continues this form, could be counted in the race for the best player in the game soon enough, whilst Steele has played a pivotal role in the middle for the Dees, in the wake of Jack Viney’s injury.
NORTH MELBOURNE
1 – TRISTAN XERRI
2 – LUKE DAVIES-UNIACKE
3 – LUKE PARKER
Xerri is still a beast. The new ruck rules may have worked against him, but his second efforts are still top notch. His hygiene… well, that’s another matter.
LDU has taken another step, and looks every bit the superstar, whilst Luke Parker has made a fantastic start to the season, punctuated by a brilliant Round Three performance against the Bombers.
PORT ADELAIDE
1 – ZAK BUTTERS
2 – JASE BURGOYNE
3 – ALIIR ALIIR
This is actually a tough one, and probably emphasises what Port fans already know – they’re lacking someone to support Butters. It was Connor Rozee, but his injury will see him miss significant time.
Jase Burgoyne has been steady between wing and half-back, whilst Aliir continues to hold down the defence. They need someone to elevate their game to become a star, quickly.
RICHMOND
1 – TIM TARANTO
2 – JAYDEN SHORT
3 – SAM LALOR
I wanted to populate this with the kids coming through, but it demonstrates how much you need senior bodies around to support the younger players. Taranto may waste the footy, at times, but he has cracked in both with and without the ball this season.
Lalor has had moments, and they seem to be increasing in frequency. This is exactly what you want to see from an emerging star.
ST KILDA
1 – CALLUM WILKIE
2 – JACK SINCLAIR
3 – BRAD HILL
At numbers one and two are the reliable defenders. Wilkie and Sinclair continue to provide the stability the Saints need in defence as they await the recruits to join them as consistent performers.
And Brad Hill’s form on the wing has been excellent thus far. He keeps Nasiah in fourth place.
SYDNEY
1 – NICK BLAKEY
2 – TOM MCCARTIN
3 – JUSTIN MCINERNEY
No Heeney, no Gulden, no Warner, no Curnow… but others have stepped into the top three positions. Blakey’s run and carry has been enhanced by the role of Callum Mills in defence (he was fourth), and the work of McCartin as the number one defender. I genuinely think McCartin could be the Swans’ most important player at this stage.
Meanwhile, Justin McInerney has emerged as a potent weapon out of the middle and will hold the fort until Heeney returns.
WEST COAST
1 – HARLEY REID
2 – JACK GRAHAM
3 – REUBEN GINBEY
Yep, Harley is The Man out west. After a disappointing 2025, he has hit 2026 like a man on a mission, and is looking every bit like a superstar, complete with the channelled, and sometimes unchannelled anger.
Graham has been incredibly important in the clinches, whilst Ginbey continues to grow into a powerful presence in defence. He is going to be something once he gets a few big, developed bodies around to support him.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
1 – ED RICHARDS
2 – BUKU KHAMIS
3 – MARCUS BONTEMPELLI
Bont at three?!?! Yeah, I like mixing it up a bit. Richards is living up to the expectations 2025 created, whilst Buku Khamis has jumped out of the box to become one of the season’s early surprise packets. His attack on the footy in defence has emphasised just how important he can be to this Bulldogs outfit.
As for Bont, am I trolling? No, he and Richards are very close in terms of output, and I had Buku’s efforts as just as important, particularly as the Dogs’ back six was flagged as a big issue.
So, there we go. I probably missed a couple of really obvious ones, and I am sure you’ll call me out on them if I have. I’m not prefect, y’know?
As always, massive thanks to those who support this work. You can see the amount of care that goes into it. I love footy, I love writing about it, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Without you, this whole thing falls over. Sincerely… thank you – HB
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