VICTop 5
Arki Butler
Premier Game Breaker
Sandringham Dragons (VIC Metro)
Scouting profile
2026 AFL National Draft
Will Malady: 2026 AFL Draft profile
Marking Phenom
2026 NATIONAL DRAFTTop 15 · EDITORIAL RANGEVIC
- Position
- Tall Forward
- Listed height
- 190 cm
- Club / region
- Gippsland Power (VIC Country)
- Projected range
- Top 15 (editorial)
Will Malady scouting report
Wil Malady is the 2026 draft’s premier "marking phenom." A 190cm mobile forward, he is already a big-game legend after kicking the golden point to win the 2024 U16 title and a five-goal haul in the 2025 National Futures game. Malady is a clinical finisher who "clunks" everything at the top of his reach. Whether leading into space or rising for a "speccie" in a pack, his vertical leap and surgical set-shot accuracy make him a scoreboard-dominating weapon who needs minimal opportunities to destroy a defense.
AFL player comparison
Jack Gunston
A stylistic comparison from the scouting database, not a prediction of career output.
More from the scouting notes
Often described as a "Gunston clone," Malady mirrors Jack’s high-IQ mobile forward profile, utilizing elite leading patterns, "sticky" hands at his highest reach, and a deadly accurate set shot to punish defenders who are either too slow or too short to match his 190cm frame.
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 Will Malady 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
VICTop 5
Harry Van Hattum
Soft Hands Ruck
Northern Knights (VIC Metro)
Scouting profile
VICTop 5
Gus Teixeira
Human Highlight Reel
Sandringham Dragons (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.