2026 AFL National Draft

Rylee Ratkovic: 2026 AFL Draft profile

Aerial Structural Dynamic

SotaramAFL scouting view · Website profile expanded 26 October 2026 · Draft ranges from 19 October snapshot

2026 NATIONAL DRAFTTop 60 · EDITORIAL RANGEVIC

Position: Forward
Listed height: 189 cm
Club / region: Northern Knights (VIC Metro)
Projected range: Top 60 (editorial)

SOTARAMAFL SCOUTING VIEW

Rylee Ratkovic scouting report

Rylee Ratkovic is the 2026 draft pool's "aerial structural dynamic." Standing at a highly coveted 189cm, the Northern Knights and Parade College prospect is a versatile medium-to-tall target who plays with supreme vertical authority. Ratkovic put himself firmly on recruiters' radars last season by leading the Knights' goal-kicking list with 17 goals in 11 matches, including a string of high-impact three-goal bags. He has carried that clinical, front-half presence seamlessly into his 2026 top-age campaign, recently slotting a crucial 3-goal haul in a heavy clash against the GWV Rebels. Possessing a fantastic launch-and-clunk aerial trait, Ratkovic is famous for his ability to pull down spectacular "screamers" over packs, but backs it up with quick, soccer-style ground-level instincts and clean leading patterns that consistently stretch opposing backlines out of shape.

Ratkovic can make a forward contest interesting through the timing of his approach and his willingness to meet the ball in the air. His movement at ground level gives him another way to stay useful when the mark is not completed. We would look for those qualities to develop alongside consistent pressure and repeat leads, so his attacking contribution does not depend on a small number of spectacular moments.

AFL player comparison

Taylor Walker

the Taylor Walker "crafty, hard-leading spearhead" template highlights Ratkovic's mechanical strengths. At 189cm, Ratkovic functions with the exact same football brain as a classic leading forward. Like Walker, he knows precisely how to use clever bodywork and subtle nudges to completely disconnect his defender before exploding onto a lead. His 3-goal display against the Rebels was an absolute masterclass in this style—timing his leads perfectly to catch the ball out in front with outstretched hands, using his frame to protect the drop zone in a pack, and possessing a deep, thumping set-shot kick that makes him incredibly lethal anytime he marks within 50 meters of goal.

Scouting text, projected ranges and comparisons are SotaramAFL editorial assessments, rather than confirmed club decisions or predictions of career achievements.

Where could Rylee Ratkovic fit in the 2026 AFL Draft?

The simulator currently places Rylee Ratkovic 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.

Match statistics and combine testing

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 athletic profile

The numbers. The draft context. The bigger picture.

0/ 5core tests published

SOTARAMAFL SCOUTING VIEW

Top 60 projected band

74 profiles share this band · editorial snapshot, 19 October 2026

Pick 1Pick 30Pick 60

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.

No verified measurements to plot yet

We will add the bars when attributable results are available. Missing data is not a low score and does not establish whether a player tested.

20m sprint —Agility —2km time trial —Standing vertical jump —Running vertical jump —

How to read this profile

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 →