A squad of 48 players in contention for selection for the 2026 Smithy’s VFL Team of the Year has been selected.

The squad features the leading players across the Smithy’s VFL home and away season in all positions on the field.

The final team of 24 players will be named at the 2026 VFL and VFLW Awards on Monday, September 14. A captain and coach will also be selected.

Players must have played a minimum of 11 home and away matches this season to be considered for selection in the 2026 Smithy's VFL Team of the Year.

The full list of club representation is: Box Hill Hawks (four), Brisbane Lions (two), Carlton (one), Casey Demons (one), Coburg (six, including Mitch Podhajski), Collingwood (two, including Harrison Coe and Mitch Podhajski), Essendon (two), Footscray (two), Frankston (six, including Harrison Coe), Geelong Cats (four), Gold Coast Suns (one), GWS Giants (two), Port Melbourne (two), Richmond (one), Southport Sharks (two), Sydney Swans (two), Tasmania (three), Werribee (four) and Williamstown (three). North Melbourne, Sandringham and St Kilda do not have a representative named.

The 2026 VFL and VFLW Awards will be streamed live and free on AFL.com.au and AFL Live Official App from 7:00pm on Monday, September 14.

The 2026 Smithy’s VFL Team of the Year squad, listed in alphabetical order by club then surname:

Stu Horner, Box Hill Hawks
17 matches this season, 1 goal
Averages 19 disposals, 88.2% disposal efficiency, 7.9 intercepts

Henry Hustwaite, Box Hill Hawks
11 matches this season, 4 goals
Averages 28 disposals, 8 clearances, 6.2 tackles

Finn Maginness, Box Hill Hawks
11 matches this season, 8 goals
Averages 28.8 disposals, 6.1 clearances, 5.9 tackles

Brodie McLaughlin, Box Hill Hawks
17 matches this season, 47 goals
Averages 9.9 disposals, 6.2 score involvements, 2.8 goals

Darragh Joyce, Brisbane Lions
15 matches this season, 1 goal
Averages 19.7 disposals, 7.5 marks, 6.1 intercepts

Will McLachlan, Brisbane Lions
11 matches this season, 35 goals
Averages 12.8 disposals, 7.4 score involvements, 3.2 goals

Lachie Fogarty, Carlton
16 matches this season, 13 goals
Averages 22.4 disposals, 17 effective disposals, 15.2 uncontested possessions

Riley Bonner, Casey Demons
13 matches this season, 2 goals
Averages 29.1 disposals, 20.6 kicks, 19.9 uncontested possessions

Jack Bytel, Coburg
18 matches this season, 3 goals
Averages 29.9 disposals, 19.6 uncontested possessions, 5.7 clearances

Ingo Dammersmith, Coburg
18 matches this season, 2 goals
Averages 17.8 disposals, 9.1 marks, 8 intercepts

Cooper Keogh, Coburg
18 matches this season, 0 goals
Averages 18.2 disposals, 28.4 hitouts, 8.7 hitouts to advantage 

Jaidyn Stephenson, Coburg
18 matches this season, 49 goals
Averages 11.8 disposals, 6.6 score involvements, 2.7 goals

Donovan Toohey, Coburg
18 matches this season, 2 goals
Averages 27.3 disposals, 20.8 kicks, 7.4 rebound 50s

Harrison Coe, Collingwood/ Frankston
17 matches this season, 4 goals
Averages 15.3 disposals, 25.1 hitouts, 4.1 clearances

Mitch Podhajski, Collingwood/Coburg
16 matches this season, 50 goals
Averages 11.6 disposals, 5.4 marks, 3.1 goals

Tyler Sellers, Essendon
18 matches this season, 1 goal
Averages 17 disposals, 8.3 marks, 8.1 intercepts

Elijah Tsatas, Essendon
12 matches this season, 5 goals
Averages 33.3 disposals, 18.4 uncontested possessions, 7.6 clearances

Jack Billings, Footscray Bulldogs
18 matches this season, 26 goals
Averages 23.2 disposals, 4.1 inside 50s, 3.2 clearances

Cooper Craig-Peters, Footscray Bulldogs
15 matches this season, 8 goals
Averages 27.4 disposals, 15.3 contested possessions, 7.8 clearances

Corey Ellison, Frankston
18 matches this season, 52 goals
Averages 10.8 disposals, 5.6 score involvements, 2.9 goals

Darby Hipwell, Frankston
18 matches this season, 6 goals
Averages 25.2 disposals, 4.7 tackles, 7.9 ground ball gets

Tyson Milne, Frankston
18 matches this season, 4 goals
Averages 25.9 disposals, 8.2 rebound 50s, 6 marks

Trent Mynott, Frankston
16 matches this season, 17 goals
Averages 26.8 disposals, 15.6 uncontested possessions, 5.6 clearances

Jackson Voss, Frankston
18 matches this season, 5 goals
Averages 25.4 disposals, 4.3 intercepts, 4 rebound 50s

Nathan Kreuger, Geelong Cats
13 matches this season, 0 goals
Averages 13.1 disposals, 6.7 marks, 5.5 intercepts

Mitch Knevitt, Geelong Cats
15 matches this season, 11 goals
Averages 25.8 disposals, 14.5 uncontested possessions, 7 score involvements

Jesse Mellor, Geelong Cats
17 matches this season, 40 goals
Averages 12.8 disposals, 7.1 score involvements, 2.4 goals

George Stevens, Geelong Cats
16 matches this season, 11 goals
Averages 30.6 disposals, 7.8 clearances, 9.3 score involvements

Ben Jepson, Gold Coast Suns
14 matches this season, 5 goals
Averages 28.1 disposals, 81.2% disposal efficiency, 18.7 uncontested possessions

Harvey Hooper, GWS GIANTS
18 matches this season, 22 goals
Averages 23.7 disposals, 15.1 uncontested possessions, 6.1 inside 50s

Jack Ough, GWS GIANTS
13 matches this season, 4 goals
Averages 31.8 disposals, 19.4 handballs, 17.1 uncontested possessions

Kaine Baldwin, Port Melbourne
18 matches this season, 34 goals
Averages 12.5 disposals, 4.9 marks, 1.9 goals

Ben Hobbs, Port Melbourne
16 matches this season, 4 goals
Averages 28.4 disposals, 13.9 contested possessions, 7.7 clearances

Mutaz El Nour, Richmond
18 matches this season, 1 goal
Averages 16.3 disposals, 8.4 intercepts, 6.7 marks

Jacob Dawson, Southport
17 matches this season, 11 goals
Averages 34.8 disposals, 24 effective disposals, 19.1 contested possessions

Zac Foot, Southport
18 matches this season, 16 goals
Averages 26.4 disposals, 18.2 uncontested possessions, 7.3 score involvements

Joel Hamling, Sydney Swans
12 matches this season, 20 goals
Averages 17.9 disposals, 8 marks, 1.7 goals

Mitch Mellis, Sydney Swans
15 matches this season, 14 goals
Averages 21.3 disposals, 6.5 score involvements, 5.7 tackles

Hugh Dixon, Tasmania
18 matches this season, 32 goals
Averages 14.8 disposals, 2.6 contested marks, 1.8 goals

Jed Hagan, Tasmania
18 matches this season, 37 goals
Averages 13.7 disposals, 9.1 kicks, 2.1 goals

Jye Menzie, Tasmania
17 matches this season, 29 goals
Averages 20.1 disposals, 13.4 kicks, 1.7 goals

Ajang Kuol Mun, Werribee
18 matches this season, 7 goals
Averages 14.2 disposals, 33.7 hitouts, 8.9 hitouts to advantage

Louis Pinnuck, Werribee
18 matches this season, 4 goals
Averages 21.1 disposals, 6.9 marks, 4.9 intercepts

Jack Riding, Werribee
18 matches this season, 19 goals
Averages 23.6 disposals, 7.1 score involvements, 1.1 goals

Brady Wright, Werribee
15 matches this season, 45 goals
Averages 9.9 disposals, 5.7 marks, 3 goals

Jake Greiser, Williamstown
16 matches this season, 4 goals
Averages 28.8 disposals, 23.9 kicks, 8.2 rebound 50s

Luke Parks, Williamstown
16 matches this season, 0 goals
Averages 17.9 disposals, 81.8% disposal efficiency, 8.9 marks

Jack Toner, Williamstown
13 matches this season, 5 goals
Averages 26.8 disposals, 16 uncontested possessions, 5.8 inside 50s