Draft Watch: Frankston star tipped to join best mate at West Coast

Frankston’s Jackson Voss is being tipped to be taken by West Coast in this year’s Mid-Season Rookie Draft.

AFL draft guru Mick Ablett believes the 25-year-old Dolphins half-back flanker is primed to join best mate Tom McCarthy at the Eagles.

The pair played junior footy together at Cheltenham Panthers before attending different secondary schools.

Ablett believes the Eagles will take two picks at next week’s draft including Voss who is the son of Brett, the 170-game former Brisbane and St Kilda player.

“If you look at the way the game is being played now, it’s being played off half-back,” Ablett said on SEN WA Breakfast.

“The likes of a Tom McCarthy, that type of player, is going to be important.

“I had some mail a couple of days ago around Jackson Voss, 25-year-old out of Frankston. Some people in Melbourne, that I really value their opinion in football, actually rated him higher than Tom Blamires last year. We’ve seen Blamires go on to do really great things at the Kangaroos.

“Jackson Voss is a left-footer who is extremely damaging by foot off half-back.

“A little add-on to that, he’s best mates with Tom McCarthy as well. So keep that one in mind. It would be smart by West Coast to build a bit of a group.

“You look at the Willem Duursma/Harley Reid connection. They’re starting to build a group that enjoys being together.”

Voss was tipped by many to find an AFL home in last year’s mid-season draft but was overlooked.

His form in 2026 has again warranted clubs to look his way, averaging 26 disposals and almost five rebound 50s across seven VFL games to date.

Ablett is expecting former WAFL young gun Jaxon Artemis, now with the Tasmania Devils in the VFL, to be picked up by Richmond with Pick 1, providing of course the Tigers don’t beat Essendon in the Dreamtime clash this Friday night.

“Pick 1, no doubt. He’s already been committed to,” said Ablett.

“He’s a great story. A kid out of the Jandakot footy club. He was the MVP for the WA state academy in their under-18 championships in the year that he played.

“Premiership player at South Fremantle, goes over to Tassie. He’s a rebounding, metres gained type defender who comes off half-back.”

As it stands the Tigers hold the first pick in next Tuesday’s mid-season draft with the Eagles next due to Essendon currently not having a free list spot.

10 clubs - Adelaide, Collingwood, GWS, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond, St Kilda, West Coast and Western Bulldogs - will likely take part.