Five predictions for WA footy in 2026
Plus we award our first-ever player of the year.
G’day punchers!
Welcome to the final edition for 2025. Before we get into it all, I want to take a moment to show my appreciation for everyone who has got around us this year.
Jumper Punches is the type of project I’ve wanted to launch for quite some time, a one-stop-shop for WA football fans from the elite to the grassroots and a genuine community of WA footy tragics.
It took a while for everything to come together, but I’ve been humbled by the support since launching it in late August.
To everyone who has signed up as a free subscriber or got around us on Instagram, but especially those who support us at the paid tier, a heartfelt thank you.
We’ve got a lot of cool digital and in-person activations in the pipeline to help take this to the next level next season - but I’d love your feedback too.
What would you like to see from us in 2026? Events, merch, podcasts, giveaways or even areas of coverage - hit this button and let me know…
In today’s edition: We crown the 2025 Jumper Punches player of the year, plus give five predictions for WA football in season 2026.
Alright, let’s get stuck in.
At the beginning of October, we attempted to rank the individual seasons of every Docker, Eagle, WAFL, WAFLW and colts player to determine who had the best year in WA football.
It starts with a rating out of 10 for their season relative to the rest of their competition. That number then gets run through a formula with weightings given for higher levels of competition, whether a player won an individual medal for their efforts, team of the year selections and premierships.
Now, with the AFLW season done and dusted as well, we can crown a winner.
Congratulations Ella Roberts.
The West Coast gun turned 21 the other week, which is crazy.
She was the driving force behind the Eagles’ breakthrough AFLW finals campaign this season, and picked up the following accolades along the way:
🇦🇺 All-Australian selection for the second consecutive season;
🦅 West Coast Best & Fairest for the second consecutive season;
🫡 Captain of the AFLPA 22Under22 team
🥉 Third-placed finish in the Player’s Association MVP
🤝 Fourth-placed finish in the AFLW Best & Fairest Award
Ella narrowly pipped WAFLW gun Krstel Petrevski for the best individual season in WA football this year - pressure’s on the boys to step up in ‘26.
Jumper Punches is proudly supported by our launch partner Lightning Minds. Whether you’re ditching the drink entirely, or taking a breather mid-session, their non-alcoholic craft beer is here to help you strike a healthy balance this festive season. They also have a sick new collab with artist Kyle Hughes Odgers - it’s a limited edition so get in quick.
FIVE PREDICTIONS FOR WA FOOTY IN 2026
1. Harley Reid brains everyone
Harley’s 2025 was disappointing. Rough to say about a second-year player, but fair. Statistically he didn’t slide that much but his impact on games was down. It’s hard to impact games when your team only wins one game for the season, also fair, but we still expected more.
That will all change in 2026. He’s returned to pre-season training in better shape, he’s got a better haircut, the contract speculation has got a slight reprieve, he’s bought property in Perth and he’s now got a few other people around him to help out in the midfield. I’m not saying the Eagles will spike massively, but I am saying Harley will.
Over-under on Harley’s non-sponsored Instagram posts for season: 3.5
2. Luke Jackson All-Australian & Freo make a prelim
Two for the price of one here. Jackson has been in the 44-man All-Australian squad twice - first in 2023, then again this year. The change in ruck rules mean he can be even more effective at stoppages than he is already. A lot will come down to how the Dockers deploy Sean Darcy (and Mason Cox) but Jackson can genuinely damage the opposition as a ruck, mid or forward.
His versatility means if he is AA, he’ll likely be on the bench. But if he lifts another 10% and the team starts to move the ball with a bit more pace, I’m backing in both predictions here.
Over-under on Kane Cornes talking about Freo’s rucks: 13,487.5
3. Ella Roberts will win every medal in the AFLW
See above. She just turned 21 a week ago.
Over-under on Ella mentions in Jumper Punches: Slightly less than Kane and the rucks
4. East Perth finally get their flag
Whoa really bold call here hey. The mob that lost the past two WAFL grand finals might win the flag. It’s low-hanging fruit yes, but I’m happy with it. The Royals were meant to drop off this season after losing a lot of top-end talent but proved they are more than the sum of their parts.
With big recruit Cooper Stephens finally fit after an ACL injury and some other nice pieces coming on board, I’m backing them to get over the hump and win their first flag since 2002.
Over-under on ever mentioning the end of this year’s WAFL GF again: 0.5
5. We’re going to hear about Axel Walsh a lot
There’s a special talent out of East Perth who stands at 201cm, is athletic as all hell, covers the ground beautifully and uses the ball very well. His name is Axel Walsh and he’s turning 17 in January.
Walsh burst onto the scene at the U16 championships this year and is already looking likely to be wearing a Tasmanian Devils jumper in 2028. He’s a year away from being draft eligible, but the Devils can pre-list players in their 17th year and Walsh will be central to those discussions.
He’s the most exciting AFL draft prospect WA has had in some time.
Over-under on WA players drafted in 2026: 8.5
That’s us done for 2025. We’ll see you again mid-January.
Yours in football,
Nick.
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