Every club has its stars and it’s… guys who are good to have in the locker room.
But as fantasy coaches those are the important guys to us. It’s not the 10, 15 or 19 guys we know are locks for the team; it’s the last one that we agonise over, and in hindsight makes us wonder what-if we’d selected differently. Be it age, role, job security, injury history or just not liking the player, there are plenty of reasons why we may hold or fold on a player when we shouldn’t.
So without further ado, here’s a very unqualified opinion on that last keeper of each team who may have raised the eyebrows (or at least caught the interest) of other coaches.
Contentious Keeper: Angus Clarke
This is juicy mostly because he traded a 3rd round pick to get him. One of a raft of youth to likely be given a decent crack in 2026, mostly because Essendon’s injuries and lack of depth. However Clarke ended last season strongly and with the team in flux there is opportunity there. But a good draft hand (and likely another next year) will put pressure on Clarke to lock down a spot, and does he provide more value than some of the other names already on this list that have since been cut.
Eligible Suitors: Ed Langdon, Josh Battle, Ryan Angwin
Last Seasons Contentious Call: Brodie Kemp
Contentious Keeper: Jarrod Witts
Can’t put Dev Robertson and Erasmus every year, so taking a different angle with this one. A lot of rule changes have put pressure on Witts’ role in the team as one of the least mobile ruckmen in the competition. He is also 33 and doesn’t quite fit the trajectory (or at least the preferred age profile) of this list. Coach Rowan certainly sees Moyle as the young blood ready to take over and there are certainly others whose remaining lifespan in the AFL would appear to be much longer than Witts.
Eligible Suitors: Eliott Yeo, Nick Vlastuin, Reuben Ginbey
Last Seasons Contentious Call: Neil Erasmus
Contentious Keeper: Bo Allan
He cost a first round pick, but can he make it in the AFL. Seemed like a sure fire thing based on his level of senior experience before he’d even been drafted, but while opportunity in this West Coast side (and indeed in the Soloman’s Soldiers side) is abundant there is definitely still a question mark over his role and scoring ability. With plenty of other young options in contention for this spot being cut and likely some pretty good ones to be drafted in 2026, this is looming as a make or break year for Allan.
Eligible Suitors: Zach Reid, Ellijah Hewett, Hugo Garcia
Last Seasons Contentious Call: Nate Caddy
Contentious Keeper: Lachie Cowan
I was wrong about Cerra who had a stellar 2025, so Adam will be hoping I will likewise bless his team mate with this article. The scrutiny on Cowan’s performance is intensified due to a late trade which saw the Roughnecks trade out a higher averaging defender. What will the scoring difference be between Cowan and Farrell? Coach Adam will hope it’s small or in Cowan’s favour to justify this trade, especially with eyes firmly on the premiership cup. Moreover, with the likes of a Macrae having to be the odd man out, there is a big points differential for Cowan to make up to justify this list decision. He did end the season in hot form, so the Roughnecks will hope this continues into 2026.
Eligible Suitors: Jack Macrae, Willem Drew, Luke Parker
Last Seasons Contentious Call: Adam Cerra
Contentious Keeper: Jake Riccardi
There was an odd man out on what is a well constructed keeper list with no other keepers averaging under 76. But Riccardi feels like insurance policy with RUC/FWD status and a respectable projection of a touch under 70. Does a Sparkles staple in Lipinski out score him? There were plenty of higher averages readily available that did not make the cut, and in a win now mode, Riccardi will have a lot to prove to justify this selection.
Eligible Suitors: Matt Flynn, Jake Lloyd, Patrick Lipinski
Last Seasons Contentious Call: Sam Clohesy
Contentious Keeper: Dan Houston
Coach Jordan is reading my mind as I had Cooper Lord and Ryan Maric in the firing line only for them to either be traded or cut. But the narrative around Dan Houstan should have made him the obvious choice all along, as he well could have been Josh Daicos. Daicos was shipped out for pick 3 in a move that raised eyebrows for a win now team. But coach Jordan is confident in the strength of the depth in his squad and meant he believed in the likes of Houstan enough to pull the trigger on that trade. A lot is riding on Houstan reclaiming his best at this Collingwood side to fill a Daicos-sized hole and hope that if he doesn’t, that it’s not the difference between winning a back-to-back premiership medal.
Eligible Suitors: Ben Keays, Cooper Lord, Steele Sidebottom
Last Seasons Contentious Call: Arie Schoenmaker
Contentious Keeper: Sam Draper
Snaffled up from the wire only a few months ago, and injured to start the season, it’s not the most common way for a player to find themselves on a keeper list. That being said, Draper feels emblematic of the Pukekos, a team with so much talent but injuries are holding them back. Once fit he offers great flexibility and fills a need at Brisbane in what could be a lucrative ruck role. But how does he come back from yet another injury and can coach Nelson afford to take another injury prone player into next year? Especially considering he traded away Pukekos life member Justin McInerney?
Eligible Suitors: Jake Rogers, Justin McInerney, Kane McAuliffe
Last Seasons Contentious Call: Jackson Mead
Contentious Keeper: Hugo Garcia
This is mostly interesting because it cost access to the top tier of draft picks by trading pick 5 back to pick 11. Admittedly this is very on brand for the Vipers so maybe it’s not that interesting, but it does put a lot of pressure on the kid to become a star of the competition before the player selected by the pick he traded away does. And Garcia has shown scoring potential in the past, so this is not out of the realms of possibility however there is added midfield competition at St Kilda, which makes this a taller mountain to climb. All this to say it would be hard to watch the next Matt Rowell-esque player and think ‘he could have been mine’. Here’s hoping Garcia is that player (or otherwise whoever the Viper’s pick at 11).
Eligible Suitors: Tom Atkins, Liam Duggan, Jack Ross
Last Seasons Contentious Call: Will Setterfield
Contentious Keeper: Jack Viney
This feels like twisting the knife that’s already stabbed him in the back, but like all good disaster movies, you want to look away but you can’t. The narrative seemed clear; trade out a frustrating forward for an upgrade in the midfield. There is no midfield competition at Melbourne and at worst it’s a 10 point upside on scoring. Simple. But the cracks were present in this veneer with Viney already rehabbing an Achilles injury through preseason. However if he gets past that and plays some match sim, we’ll be back on track. That is until his recovery wasn’t progressing. And then required surgery. And now he’s out until mid-season. All that avoided if he’d kept a frustrating forward (and a 3rd round pick). Sometimes the best trade is the trade you don’t do. But hindsight is 20/20 as they say. And the opportunity in that midfield will likely still be there when he gets back.
Eligible Suitors: Jordan Ridley, Conor Nash, Harry McKay
Last Seasons Contentious Call: George Hewett
Contentious Keeper: Dante Visintini
Is this just because he wanted to ensure he got maximum value out of the Matt Johnson trade? But realistically I could have put any of the 3 unproven ruckmen to make coach Rowan’s keeper list. Given shrewd moves to secure Daicos and Farrell, this list has been shaped up to win finals, so these keeper selections seem to contrast this direction of ready, proven talent; which was otherwise available to them in the likes of ROB and Sweet on their list. Not to mention you only have 1 ruck spot to play them in. But specifically, for Visintini he’s having a great preseason and it’s currently a tight battle for top ruck spot at Port, so it could translate into fantasy output in 2026. Regardless it will be fascinating to watch these young ruckmen jostle like crabs in a bucket for that top job.
Eligible Suitors: Jordan Sweet, Lachie Cowan, Cam Rayner
Last Seasons Contentious Call: Josh Worrell