"I WOULD love to be the No.1 pick."
Meet Bailee Martin, the frontrunner for this year's first selection in the 2026 Telstra AFLW Draft.
A 176cm key forward – the same height as Geelong's Jackie Parry and five centimetres taller than Chloe Molloy – Martin is a smooth mover with elite skills and a deadly set shot for goal.
She's dangerous across all four forward facets – on the lead, in the air, at ground level and in a one-on-one contest - and her set shot conversion is particularly eye-catching.
Some draft pools are more even than others, but the clear consensus among recruiters – even as early as the start of last year – is that on talent alone, Martin is the pick of the bunch.
St Kilda currently holds the first selection, and it remains to be seen whether the Saints opt for ruck Cara Dzigielewski as a needs-based choice. Either way - northern academy nominations aside - Martin won't be sliding far.
"There's obviously been a bit of talk about where I could go in the draft. I use that as a bit of fuel to get better and train hard, and play my best throughout the week," Martin told AFL.com.au.
"I try not to let it affect me too much – it's obviously in the back of my mind, and it's a dream to get there, but just letting it play out however it was.
"I would love to be the No.1 draft pick, that'd be a pretty cool dream to come true. But obviously, I'd be happy with whatever happens, and there's plenty to play out. It's in the back of my mind, but I'd be happy to go anywhere. We'll see what happens."
The Melbourne product grew up in the inner south-east, playing her junior footy with the East Malvern Knights, and graduating to Talent League side Oakleigh Chargers where she earned games in the under-18s as a 16-year-old.
A few niggling injuries, the AFLW national academy and Vic Metro commitments limited her Chargers season, but she still kicked 21 goals from eight matches, after 43 from 10 matches a year earlier (including bags of nine and seven).
"I've been managing it pretty well. It's hard when you get a bit of a niggle and you have to miss training or a game, but other than that, my body's been pretty good at adapting. The extra strength and conditioning work has been quite good to help my body get ready for that next level," Martin said.
"Alongside Oakleigh, I go to a gym called Pulse8 and do strength and conditioning there. They've been really good helping me set up for this year, but also for future in the AFLW – the gym work they do there is exceptional. Every now and then, there's a few kicks with dad, and some extra running.
"I practice my goalkicking quite a bit. I go down to the back oval the night before a game, or even at Oakleigh, practice my routine and get my eye in a bit. I enjoy it though, it's good fun."
AFLW DRAFT Get to know the next wave of talent
Like many elite footballers, Martin has a background in basketball, playing at representative level with Waverley Falcons, and only giving away the hoops midway through last year. She has also played cricket for her school, Caulfield Grammar (where her father Ashleigh is principal).
She looks up to another big-bodied dynamic forward, Carlton's Poppy Scholz, and is a self-confessed "footy nuffy", obsessed with watching the game through two different lens – as a fan and as a player.
"One of my best mates, Chloe Bown, got drafted last year to Adelaide. She's been a big help for me, telling me about the process of this year. I went through it with her last year, being at Oakleigh. She's still one of my best mates, we talk every day, and she gives me advice and [tells me] how her weeks are," Martin said.
"I'm a footy nuffy, I love watching AFL, and AFLW now as well. I watch probably every game over the weekend, and I really enjoy it. I still watch it a bit as a fan, but a bit more [around] how to play, especially with the AFLW, watching their game styles and the different types of ways they play their footy.
"Probably the start of last year, I thought AFLW could be something I hopefully do as a job, and it's been pretty cool to see how the game has [evolved] over the past 10 years. To think I could hopefully be there next year is pretty surreal."
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