Stat Stuffer
Lachlan Hicks is the 2026 draft’s premier "stat-stuffer." A 183cm tireless midfielder from the Western Jets, Hicks has become the metronome of the Talent League, headlined by a massive 39-disposal, 10-mark masterclass in Round 2. Renowned for an uncompromising approach and an elite "work-to-space" engine, he is seemingly in multiple places at once. Unlike many high-volume ball-winners, Hicks is exceptionally gutsy overhead, often floating forward to take courageous marks on the lead or deep inside 50. While his kicking can occasionally be affected by his high-octane pace, his sheer volume of work and defensive appetite (averaging 5+ tackles) make him a "blue-chip" engine room prospect.
Hicks can keep a team connected through repeated movement, giving the player with the ball another option after the obvious first release has disappeared. The most useful version of that work combines availability with a disposal that improves the next teammate's position. We would look for his decisions to remain composed after hard running, while retaining the defensive effort that lets a midfield recover its shape when possession changes.
Jack Crisp
Hicks mirrors Crisp’s relentless "gut-running" and versatility. At 183cm, he possesses the mobility to burn opponents on the outside and the toughness to win his own ball in the clinches. Like Crisp, he is a high-volume accumulator who provides a vital link between the arcs and isn't afraid to put his body on the line in aerial contests.
Scouting text, projected ranges and comparisons are SotaramAFL editorial assessments, rather than confirmed club decisions or predictions of career achievements.
The simulator currently places Lachlan Hicks in the Top 60 group. Compare the role and scouting assessment with the players available at your club’s selection, then test an alternative in your own mock draft.
The scouting view is written for this website. Published measurements and their sources appear in the athletic profile below where available; a missing result is not a zero or proof of non-participation.
PROSPECT INTELLIGENCE / 2026
The numbers. The draft context. The bigger picture.
SOTARAMAFL SCOUTING VIEW
74 profiles share this band · editorial snapshot, 19 October 2026
Highlighted span: picks 1–60. A range, not an exact ranking or consensus score.
Dots show known results from the same event and protocol. Higher on the bar means faster or higher. This leader-biased sample does not represent the whole draft class.
Compare with a named historical mark. These are benchmark gaps, not all-time rankings or percentiles. National and state conditions can differ.
2026 national combine
10 / 17 published results in this event
0.198s from benchmark
Joel Wilkinson · 2010 · 2.75s
AFL published historical benchmark · AFL: combine records and test protocols ↗
2026 national combine
1 / 15 published results in this event
0.10s from benchmark
Darcy Jones · 2022 · 7.70s
National historical benchmark · AFL: combine records and test protocols ↗
2026 national combine
2 / 19 published results in this event
0:33 from benchmark
Harry Sharp · 2020 · 5:28
AFL published historical benchmark · 2020 event conditions · AFL: combine records and test protocols ↗
No published figure in this collection: Standing vertical jump · Running vertical jump.
Rankings use only published results collected for the same test and event, with competition ranking for ties. The denominator is the number of known results, not all participants. Preliminary and unofficial figures are shown without ranks or historical comparisons. Reaching-hand, side-specific and counter-movement protocols stay separate.
Scouting bands are the site's existing editorial view; no numerical skill ratings have been inferred from prose. Historical marks use the AFL's records reference. The 2km event began in 2017; no 3km, beep-test or Yo-Yo conversion is used. Harry Sharp's 2020 mark is a historical reference across differing event conditions. Finlay Yeo's WA agility result may surpass the national benchmark without changing that benchmark's event scope.
Research reviewed 26 October 2026. Read coverage and source discrepancies →
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Listed measurements and club connections come from the public simulator pool. See sources, methodology and corrections.