Fremantle Head of Player Personnel David Walls has wrapped up the Club’s Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period, recapping Nathan O’Driscoll’s departure, Dom Bedendo’s arrival and the Club’s eagerness to get to the 2026 Telstra AFL Draft.

ON BEDENDO

“Dom Bedendo adds depth to our list and we think he can play a role for us,” Walls said.

“We tracked him in his 18th year when he was at Murray Bushrangers, before he went to the Western Bulldogs.

“He had a lot of injuries at the Bulldogs, so we tracked him again when he went back to the VFL at Port Melbourne.

“He improved out of sight working closely with Brendan McCartney and James Hird.

“The resilience he’s shown will hold him in good stead.”

ON THE DRAFT

“We’re keen to hit the Draft, and we are excited to have what is currently pick 19. The last time we had a pick in the teens, we got Murphy Reid," Walls said.

“We think the best way for us to get better is to add young talent to our list.”

ON O’DRISCOLL

“Ultimately, Nathan wanted guaranteed opportunities at AFL level, and we wish him well with his move to Richmond,” Walls said.

“With his departure, we think we have good coverage on our list with players at Peel.

“We are keen to go to the Draft and get some young talent in.

“A large amount of our playing group is in the 23 to 26 age bracket, so we have a relatively young list.”

KEY DATES

The first round of the 2026 Telstra AFL Draft will be held on Thursday 19 November, and the remaining rounds on Friday 20 November.

There will then be a gap over the weekend before the Rookie Draft is staged on Monday 23 November at 3pm AEDT.

The move represents a shift from recent years, where the National Draft has been held over a Wednesday and Thursday and the Rookie Draft on the Friday.

Fremantle now holds picks 19, 40, 60, 63, 78, 96 as of 5pm WST Wednesday 14 October.

Thu Nov 19 - Fri Nov 20: 2026 Telstra AFL Draft
Mon Nov 23: 2026 Telstra Pre-season and Rookie Drafts