Righto, we’re eight games into the season and by now, we have a great sample size to start debating which players make the game more watchable,
Of course, there are still some that make me want to gouge my eyes out… or maybe gouge someone else’s eyes out. That sounds more fun. However, I am all about positivity, and right now, the league needs all the positivity it can get.
Taking into account that everyone sees things a little differently, here are my top ten most watchable players in 2026 so far – feel free to add yours in the comments, or on our socials.
1 – KYSAIAH PICKETT
There should be no argument as to having Kozzie at number one – he is the most electrifying player in the game at the moment, and has been a major factor in the revitalisation of Melbourne this season.
Working through the middle, he has evidently improved his fitness and is not only running hard forward, but putting in the hard yards to chase down opponents and apply pressure.
The highlights are one thing – and there have been plenty of them – but it is the hard work Pickett is doing that makes him such a must-watch player at the moment.
He and his Demon teammates have made the Dees one of the best teams to watch in the AFL this year.
2 – JOSH TREACY
Nobody attacks the contest like Josh Treacy.
He is not the biggest forward in the competition, but he plays like he is. He doesn’t just contest a mark – he crashes the pack and if you’re in it, either he marks it, or nobody else does.
There are a dozen big forwards in the competition that need to get footage of Treacy and the way he works with, and without the footy. Not only is he the most imposing contested mark in the game right now, but he is also the best defensive big forward in the game. What a combination.
3 – NICK WATSON
Every time he is near the contest, you feel like something is going to happen.
Well, something always happens, I guess, but when Watson is involved, you feel that something special could happen.
Hits the contest as hard as any small man in the game, and with that speed, combined with clean hands, he is one of the Hawks’ most important players.
Not bad for a little fella.
4 – ZAC BAILEY
It seems that every week, Bailey’s stocks rise that little more. Most see him as that player that drifts between the forward line and midfield and hits the scoreboard. That’s fine, but in watching him this season, there is something else to his game, as well.
There is an arrogance about the way he plays now. He knows he has developed the power to go along with the skill he always possessed, and now runs through tackles like they’re nothing.
He has 14 goals this season, and a 40-goal season is on the cards.
5 – JASON HORNE-FRANCIS
There are a number of reasons that Port are not the cellar dwellers many predicted them to be at this stage, but first and foremost amongst them is the work of Jason Horne-Francis.
He has been building into the 2026 nicely after an interrupted pre-season, and the last few weeks have seen him do both heavy work in the middle, as well as move forward to become a potent target.
He now has the strength to bust through those tackles that were sticking a couple of years back – a nightmare to matchup on.
6 – CALLUM WILKIE
Is there any player in the game that reads the ball off the boot quicker than Cal Wilkie?
Over the last couple of seasons, Wilkie has developed into not just an incredible player, but a fantastic leader. He currently leads the league in intercepts and plenty of them are whilst he is in direct opposition to a key forward. He is no standard zone-off defender – he is a pillar of strength.
7 – REUBEN GINBEY
Strange to have a defender in one of the worst defences in the league in this list, right? Without him, the Eagles would be blown out every single game.
He takes the best forward every week, works his backside off, and is rarely beaten. The funny thing is… I am still not convinced he is a key defender! If the Eagles can recruit a big bodied key defender to support this bloke, he will become a star.
8 – LUKE JACKSON
Continues to do things that big fellas should not be able to do. His run out of the centre following a goal is thrilling, and his work without the footy is improving out of sight, as well.
Did you know he is ranked equal seventh in the league in tackles? Right up there with perennial tackling machines like Willem Drew and Josh Dunkley. The bloke is a machine.
9 – ISAAC HEENEY
Makes the difficult seem easy, this bloke. Wins clearances, hits the scoreboard, creates for teammates, and when the Swans need a big play, it is inevitably Heeney that steps up to provide it.
On top of being spectacular, Heeney just does the basics beautifully, and he makes those around him better in the process.
10 – WAYNE MILERA
A little bit out of left-field, I know, but the re-emergence of this bloke over the last couple of seasons has been wonderful to watch.
Unlike many rebounding half-backs, Milera gets into the thick of it and wins his own footy, and I love that about him. Between him and Josh Worrell, the Crows have two stars in the back half, and with Mark Keane not all that far away now, I reckon they’re going to be tough to deal with in the back half of the season.
A couple that just missed the cut – Brayden Maynard, Cooper Trembath, Josh Worrell, Nick Daicos, and Logan Morris.
Okay, they’re nine – hit me with yours.
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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