VICTop 3
Cody Walker
Hurt Factor Midfielder
Bendigo Pioneers (VIC Country)
CarltonScouting profile
2026 AFL National Draft
Cooper Hodge: 2026 AFL Draft profile
Uncompromising Engine
2026 NATIONAL DRAFTTop 60 · EDITORIAL RANGEQLD
- Position
- Midfielder /Forward
- Listed height
- 183 cm
- Club / region
- Brisbane Lions Academy
- Projected range
- Top 60 (editorial)
Cooper Hodge scouting report
Cooper Hodge is the 2026 draft’s "uncompromising engine." Standing 183cm, the son of triple-premiership legend Luke Hodge has become the focal point of one of the most intriguing draft stories in years. Whether he chooses the Brisbane Academy or a Hawthorn Father-Son path, the player himself is a "coalface specialist." Renowned for his dogged competitiveness and a "see ball, get ball" mentality, Hodge recently exploded with a 32-disposal, 9-clearance, 21-contested possession masterclass in Round 7. He is a high-volume tackle machine who thrives in wet, heavy conditions, utilizing an elite set of clean hands to extract the ball from the teeth of a stoppage where others get trapped
AFL player comparison
Matt Rowell
A stylistic comparison from the scouting database, not a prediction of career output.
More from the scouting notes
Hodge mirrors Rowell’s "clearance-at-all-costs" archetype. At 183cm, he possesses a relentless appetite for the contested ball, as evidenced by his staggering 21 contested possessions in a single game. Like Rowell, he isn't the flashiest runner, but his work rate between the arcs and his ability to remain upright while three opponents are hanging off him is elite. He plays with a level of physical maturity that suggests he could walk into an AFL midfield tomorrow and immediately register double-digit contested touches and a handful of tackles.
Club connection
Brisbane draft hand · Academy in the scouting database. A listed connection does not confirm nomination or matching eligibility.
Where could he fit in your mock draft?
Use the projected range as a starting point, then compare the role with other available players. A range is an assessment of the pool, not a community average or a confirmed club preference.
Compare every club’s draft hand before trying your selections.
See where Cooper Hodge lands in your mock draft
Choose players, explore pick trades and see how bids change your draft in the existing SotaramAFL simulator.
Compare similar roles
CarltonVICTop 5
Arki Butler
Premier Game Breaker
Sandringham Dragons (VIC Metro)
Scouting profile
VICTop 5
Harry Van Hattum
Soft Hands Ruck
Northern Knights (VIC Metro)
Scouting profile
Source: the existing SotaramAFL 2026 scouting database, republished as a dated editorial snapshot. Listed facts have not been independently re-reported for this page. See methodology and corrections.