MELBOURNE has a dominant JvR. Now, who will snag BvR?

After a year in which Jacob van Rooyen has emerged as a genuine goalkicking gun to spearhead the Demons' forward line, his younger brother Benji is now hoping to cap the family's memorable 2026 by ending it on an AFL list himself.

Van Rooyen has enjoyed a top-age draft year in which his form at both senior WAFL level with Claremont and leading Western Australia's ruck division has seen him leap up recruiters' watch lists across the country.

A vastly different player to Jacob – who kicked 42 goals as a mobile key forward in a breakout campaign this year for Melbourne – the younger van Rooyen has established himself as an old-fashioned 203cm ruck that's dominated games this season.

But his rise up draft boards, and his ability to adapt to the new ruck rules that have been introduced across 2026, has been inspired by his older brother. Both have had to go through reinventions this year, sparking their hot form.

Benji Van Rooyen during the U18 Boys match between Western Australia and Victoria Metro at Cockburn ARC Oval, June 20, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

"It's been really cool watching Jacob," van Rooyen told AFL.com.au.

"You put on the TV and you're seeing him kick four or five. It just gives you a lot of confidence in yourself. To see him do it, it makes me feel like I can do it as well. It's really cool watching him play.

"Plus, getting to go into the changerooms after games when he's in Perth or when we travel over, it's such a good experience to be able to get close to the boys and get around them.

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"A lot of his messages to me have been around adapting to the game as best as possible. He's had to change a lot this year. He's got a lot leaner and quicker, and that's the same for me.

"With the new ruck rules, I've had to work a lot on my jumping and my speed and all of that sort of stuff. It's about adapting to best suit yourself for the game and what it brings up every time it changes."

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Jacob's time at Melbourne has been beneficial in multiple ways for van Rooyen. Not only does he get to watch his older brother on TV every week, but it also gives him an opportunity to study arguably the game's best ever ruck in Demons captain Max Gawn on a consistent basis.

"I see myself as a good tap ruck," van Rooyen said.

"I'm able to win taps and give my mids first use. Then, around the ground, I hope to be a great follow-up ruck. I lay tackles, I'm competitive. I've been working on the marking aspect a lot, because obviously it's really important. I've been doing a lot of work on that and I feel like I've improved a lot. But there's still a lot of room to grow there.

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"I watch a lot of Max Gawn, just because I watch a lot of Melbourne because of my brother. I see the impact he has around the ground, taking marks and having 30 touches every now and then. It's something I try to emulate."

It's been a fun year for the van Rooyen family. Not only has Benji been able to watch Jacob dominate, but he's also been able to enjoy the experience of playing with fellow older brother Sam at WAFL level for Claremont.

Elevated from Colts to Reserves this year, van Rooyen dominated in a clash against East Perth where he finished with 22 disposals and three goals alongside 17 hitouts in the ruck. He was quickly promoted to make his senior WAFL debut, where he was partnered alongside Sam for games against Swan Districts and Subiaco.

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"It was a really good experience," van Rooyen said.

"I played two reserves games for Claremont, then moved into the senior team and played two more there. It was pretty good, just running out against bigger and more experienced and stronger bodies. Learning off those guys, you prepare yourself as best as possible.

"I got to play with my brother there as well. I'd played a Reserves game with him, then two in the League. It was my first time playing with him, which was pretty cool. I've played against him a couple of times in state practice games, but it was the first time I'd played with him."

But arguably the biggest test for van Rooyen came in leading Western Australia across the under-18s carnival, where he would pit himself against a potential top five pick in Vic Metro's Harry van Hattum.

It would prove to be perhaps van Rooyen's best performance to date. He broken even with van Hattum to finish with 11 disposals, 17 hitouts and four clearances in the tussle, ultimately winning All-Australian honours in the ruck as a result.

Benji van Rooyen during the National Draft Combine Testing, October 3, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

"I did a lot of review work around what I'd learned from the Academy," van Rooyen said.

"I figured out what would work for me the best and how I could stop him. I watched a lot of clips of every ruck contest he did, just to see how I could mitigate him. He is obviously the best ruck in the class. But to do what I did against him, I felt pretty good with how I went."

Van Rooyen's draft position is still up in the air. While clubs believe he is now firmly among the best rucks in the pool alongside van Hattum, the volatile and unpredictable nature of where rucks get selected means there are a host of unknowns.

But, whether it's early or late, clubs are confident van Rooyen will join his older brother Jacob in finishing the year on an AFL list. For the talented teenager, that would be a dream come true.

"It's been my dream ever since I was growing up," van Rooyen said. "I'd love it so much. I'm just hoping and waiting at the moment. Nothing is a guarantee, so I'm just waiting to see what happens."