“Nice, Gary!” AFL royalty leads list of stars set to take the field in ‘The Carlton Draft’ 2026
AFL legend and two-time Brownlow medallist Gary Ablett Jr is pulling on the boots for one lucky local football club as part of the 2026 edition of The Carlton Draft.
Widely recognised as one of the game’s greatest ever players, Ablett, who played over 350 games for Geelong and the Gold Coast Suns, is a 2 x AFL premiership player, dual Brownlow medallist, inaugural Gold Coast Suns captain, 8 x All Australian, 5 x Leigh Matthews Trophy recipient, 3 x AFL Coaches Association Award winner and 6 x Best and Fairest winner.
He headlines this year’s draft class, which also features former Geelong teammate Gary Rohan, West Coast Eagles premiership duo Josh Kennedy and Lewis Jetta, triple flag-winning Hawk Josh Gibson and former Essendon captain Dyson Heppell.
For the fifth consecutive year, The Carlton Draft is giving registered senior men’s footy teams a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to recruit a star AFL player to take the field in a one-off, blockbuster match, uniting communities across Australia to support grassroots footy.
In a Draft first, the campaign will focus on one of sport’s most prominent themes - “rivalry” – with successful clubs to face off against their rival club of choice, adding an extra layer of feeling on match day.
Players will also be drafted in pairs; one to line up for the winning club and the other for their nominated rival.
With three match days – one in each of Victoria, NSW and WA – scheduled for this year’s Carlton Draft, participating clubs and communities involved have their sights set on more than just an on-field victory, with enormous crowds, financial incentives and a star-studded match day also on offer.
Entries for The Carlton Draft 2026 are now open. To nominate your club, head to http://www.thecarltondraft.com.au. Entries close late April, with the three winning clubs and their star draftees to be announced at The Carlton Draft night in Melbourne.
Gary Squared: Gary Ablett Jr vs Gary Rohan Facing Gary Ablett Jr is his former Geelong teammate, Gary Rohan. Playing over 200 games and kicking over 200 goals for the Cats and Swans, Rohan played in four grand finals. His sole premiership coming in 2022 for Geelong, against his former club.
Teammates turned rivals: Josh Kennedy vs Lewis Jetta They were teammates in West Coast’s famous 2018 premiership, but Josh Kennedy and Lewis Jetta will turn rivals in this year’s Carlton Draft. Josh Kennedy is West Coast’s all-time leading goalkicker, booting over 700 goals across his 271-game career. In addition to the 2018 flag, Kennedy is a back-to-back Coleman medallist and three-time All-Australian. Jetta played over 200 games for the Swans and the Eagles and is a dual Premiership player.
Kings of the (Celebrity) Jungle: Josh Gibson vs Dyson Heppell The fierce Essendon vs. Hawthorn rivalry is brought to life in the 2026 Carlton Draft with these two former I’m a Celebrity... contestants. Josh Gibson is a triple premiership player for Hawthorn, collecting 2 x best and fairest medals and an All Australian blazer along the way. Dyson Heppell played over 250 games for the Bombers and captained the club for six seasons. He was awarded the 2011 Rising Star award and named All Australian in 2014.
The Carlton Draft nominee, Gary Ablett Jr, said: “I love supporting local footy clubs and I jumped at the chance to do so through The Carlton Draft this year. Footy clubs are the cornerstone of our communities, and to unite them through a shared passion for footy and pride for the jumper is a special opportunity.
“Joining forces with some of the game’s greats to shine a spotlight on grassroots footy is something I’m proud to be part of. Not to mention the chance to reunite with Gaz (Gary Rohan) for the occasion – that’s pretty sweet, too. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Jessica Johnson, Marketing Manager of Carlton, said: “As we enter the fifth iteration of The Carlton Draft, we are thrilled that the appetite for the initiative remains as strong as ever.
“The focus on ‘rivalries’ for this year’s Draft provides an opportunity to share some of the great stories that live within local footy and the wider communities across Australia. With an iconic line-up of talent, I know community clubs and footy fans will be eager to come together and be part of the next chapter in these history books.
“Despite the on-field differences, The Carlton Draft is about uniting local clubs with their communities because, like Carlton Draught and Carlton Dry, footy is always better together.”
