6 Queenslanders selected in AFL National Academy squads

Fifty prospective future AFL and AFLW stars have been selected to take part in the 2027 AFL National Academy during their Draft year. 

The National Academy squads for boys and girls each feature 25 players who will be eligible for next year’s Telstra AFL and AFLW Drafts. 

The program combines football education and personal growth in a high-performance environment and provides elite young players with new opportunities and learnings they wouldn't experience in other programs they feature in throughout the Talent Pathway. 

The 2027 campaign marks a milestone year for the AFL National Academy, being the 30th intake of the boys program and 10th intake of the girls program. 

More than 800 players who have featured in the National Academy have gone on to be drafted by AFL and AFLW clubs. 

Graduates include modern-day AFL greats Lance Franklin, Joel Selwood, Shaun Burgoyne, Patrick Dangerfield, Nick Daicos and Will Ashcroft, along with AFLW stars Ella Roberts, Charlie Rowbottom, Maddy and Georgie Prespakis, Matilda Scholz and Zippy Fish. 

The 2027 AFL National Academy squads include a host of players with strong AFL and AFLW family connections. 

Father-son prospects Koby Bewick (son of Darren) and Louis Salopek (son of Steven) have been named in the boys squad, along with Jett Flower (grandson of Robbie) and James Artemis (cousin of Jaxon). 

The past two AFL Life Members Education Assistance Award recipients have also been included, with Port Adelaide NGA product Zemes Pilot and Tasmanian Jake Beams both selected. Beams is the son of AFL Tasmania Hall of Famer and former Melbourne player Ben. 

The girls squad features three representatives of the 2026 AFL National Championships U18 Girls All Australian Team, with Lani Cocks, Matilda Lange and Olivia Leslie all selected in the National Academy after receiving All Australian honours as bottom-age players this year. 

Talent League best and fairest winner Peggy Rock has also been named in the squad, along with Scarlett Bown and Ameleia Murray whose siblings Chloe and Caylen were both members of the National Academy across the past two years. 

The 2027 AFL National Academy program will start with a with a high-performance camp at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS) in December. The boys camp will run from December 1-6, followed by the girls camp from December 8-13. 

The NZCIS is the training centre for New Zealand Rugby, hosting the All Blacks and Super Rugby club the Hurricanes, along with A-League club the Wellington Phoenix. 

It will be the second-consecutive year the National Academy will host its opening camp at the Wellington-based facility. The 2026 squads also commenced their program at the NZCIS in what was the first National Academy international camp since 2018. 

The National Academy squads will each also come together for two football camps in Melbourne throughout the 2027 season. Both camps will feature matches where the National Academy represents the Australia U18 team. 

The boys squad will head to Melbourne for two camps during April, which will each include a talent showcase game against a VFL opponent.  

The girls squad will feature in a three-day camp in Melbourne in April, before returning for another camp across the King’s Birthday weekend in June. On both occasions they will play a match against an All Stars team. 

In addition to taking part in the high-performance camps, players in the National Academy will also be involved in an inner-sanctum experience at an AFL/W club. The opportunity will provide a week-long insight into the professional demands of an elite athlete. 

AFL National Academy Manager Tarkyn Lockyer said: “We are thrilled to confirm the squads to take part in the 2027 AFL National Academy program and congratulate all 50 players on their very deserved selection. 

“Some of the game’s biggest names have graduated from the National Academy over the years and we look forward to working with another highly talented group of emerging stars to best prepare them for the next phase of their football journey. 

“The program’s framework has been designed to give players new football and life experiences that provide an insight into the habits and elite standards required to make it at the highest level.” 

Below are the 2027 AFL National Academy squads. 

2027 AFL NATIONAL ACADEMY GIRLS SQUAD

2027 AFL NATIONAL ACADEMY BOYS SQUAD