Footy's greatest rivals take centre stage in The Carlton Draft 2026

Six local football clubs from across Australia have been unveiled as the participants of the 2026 Carlton Draft, which will see them draft a former AFL legend for a special, one-off match day.

Committed to boosting grassroots footy across the country, the Carlton Draft gives registered senior men’s footy teams a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to recruit former AFL icons.

In line with this year’s theme, rivalry, each club will face their major rival with one player drafted to each side, resulting in three mouthwatering match days.

The participating clubs in the 2026 Carlton Draft are:

Tamworth Kangaroos and Tamworth Swans (AFL North West NSW,)

Newbridge Football & Netball Club and Bridgewater FNC (Loddon Valley Football Netball League, VIC)

Denmark Walpole FC and Royals FC (Great Southern Football League, WA)

Each of these rivalries has a history of fierce competition, while the clubs have faced recent challenges both on and off field.

Representatives from each club will travel to Melbourne next month for Draft Night, where they will welcome their newest recruit.

The 2026 Carlton Draft playing pool features:

• 2 x Brownlow Medalist and AFL Legend, Gary Ablett Jr

• Triple premiership Hawk, Josh Gibson

• Former Essendon Captain, Dyson Heppell

• West Coast Eagles’ all-time leading goalkicker, Josh Kennedy

• Dual premiership player, Lewis Jetta

• 2022 premiership Cat, Gary Rohan

Now in its fifth year, The Carlton Draft received over 160 entries from local football clubs across Australia, all vying for the chance to bring an AFL legend through the doors.

The Carlton Draft will take place on Thursday 7 May at the Palace Hotel in Camberwell. Limited tickets are available to purchase at https://www.palacecamberwell.com.au/#home-whats-on-section

The Carlton Draft nominee, Dyson Heppell said:

“I was thrilled to get the call up for this year’s Carlton Draft and now that the clubs are locked in, I’m even more excited to see where I may be heading!

“What an honour it will be to pull on a local jumper and hopefully give the footy clubs a day to remember.

“The impact you can have goes beyond the football club; it ripples through the entire community and that is a special thing to be part of.”

Jessica Johnson, Marketing Manager of Carlton, said: 

“The Carlton Draft is now in its fifth year, and its popularity shows no sign of waning. We received over 160 entries from across VIC, NSW and WA with so many compelling stories amongst them.

“We were blown away with the response, and we are excited by the opportunity to support these six amazing clubs and their communities.

“Carlton Draught has a long history of supporting grassroots footy and the Carlton Draft continues this tradition.”