He’s the athletic, imposing goalkicker with a famous Magpie surname and a lifelong passion for the black and white. Now, he could be the subject of a Collingwood draft-day play.
But the Magpies aren’t the only club near the top of the draft order circling Gayfer, who could become the first key-position player selected from the open draft pool next week.
Gayfer is the nephew of Mick Gayfer, who played 142 games for the Pies, including the famous 1990 drought-breaking premiership victory.
Gayfer occasionally catches up with uncle Mick at family events, with the former Magpies defender clearly still in remarkable shape.
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“It’s quite ridiculous. There’s not much of him anymore, but he’s still got veins going everywhere,” Gayfer told foxfooty.com.au with a smile.
“He’s a fit man.”
With his uncle a premiership Magpie, Gayfer grew up a passionate Collingwood supporter. “There wasn’t much of a choice in my household,” he said.
And a romantic story is bubbling, with sources suggesting the Pies are keen on Gayfer with their first-round selection (Pick 11). Some rival recruiters would be surprised if Gayfer was still available beyond the Magpies’ pick.
The issue for the Pies, though, could be St Kilda (Pick 10).
Gayfer has spoken to all 18 AFL clubs in some capacity this season. But the Saints were among the first clubs to interview him earlier in the year – and links between Gayfer and the Saints have strengthened in recent weeks. The Saints, however, have also been linked to several other prospects in recent weeks, with the club holding a second first-round selection at Pick 16.
Multiple sources have suggested to foxfooty.com.au the Pies are exploring a move up the draft order. Port Adelaide (Pick 7) is seen as the most likely trade suitor, while there are also suggestions Sydney (Pick 6) and Gold Coast (Pick 8) could be open to a slide down the order if either of them believed they could land their preferred prospect a few picks later.
But clubs believe pointy-end trades will be harder to strike this year, given the heavily compromised nature of the 2027 draft, with Tasmania-linked picks and club-tied talent expected to dominate the top of the pool.
‘BIT OF A SHOCK’: WAKE-UP CALL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Gayfer’s draft night invite comes after an impressive and uninterrupted 2026 campaign.
He surged up draft boards after an outstanding showing on the national stage. He was the dominant forward of the championship-winning Vic Metro team, booting a team-high 10 goals and averaging 11.0 disposals and 4.2 marks (1.8 contested) from four games.
More impressive, though, was the way Gayfer responded to a “wake-up call” in the first game against Western Australia.
“I had (Claremont’s) Tom Brown playing on me and it was a bit of a shock,” Gayfer said.
“He was a very physical defender and didn’t give me much room. To his credit, he was relentless the whole game and made it very hard for me.
“I took a lot away from that game about what I need to do to beat these elite key defenders.”
Gayfer responded with two goals and nine score involvements against the Allies, four goals and 11 score involvements against South Australia before finishing with three goals and three contested marks against Vic Country.
“I had to work things out myself, finding different ways to create space when you have those elite defenders on you,” he said.
“The coaches also showed me vision (from the WA game) of how I was getting a bit too close to the boundary, which played into their hands.”
“I made sure I did my bodywork earlier to use my size and create space, then stuck to my weapons: My speed, my jump and my strength.
“I was able to show what I can do over multiple quarters of football throughout the championships.”
DRAFT BOLTER TO COMBINE RECORD-BREAKER
Gayfer’s performances at the championships further elevated his draft standing, with clubs particularly impressed by his “willingness to do the little things” that don’t always come naturally to key-position players.
But he found the extra publicity “made things a little bit harder” on the field once he returned to the Knights.
“I was getting a fair bit more attention from opposition key defenders than I had been earlier in the year,” Gayfer said.
“It was good to work well with my other key forwards at the Knights, Harry (Van Hattum) and Louis (Houndsome). I tried to bring everything I’d learned through the Vic Metro championships back to the region and use it in games.”
Gayfer finished the Talent League season strongly, booting 11.5 from his final five games to end up with 30.24 and selection in the Talent League Team of the Year.
At the national combine, he produced an incredible running vertical jump of 114cm, smashing the previous record held by Leek Aleer by 7cm. He also ranked first in the standing vertical jump (88cm).
‘HATE GETTING BEATEN’: EDGE THAT SETS HIM APART
Gayfer wants to be more than a traditional key forward who marks the ball and kicks goals.
He’s a fierce competitor in the air and on the ground, with blistering speed for a key forward of his size (194cm) and an impressive pair of hands. His appetite for tackling and willingness to compete are among his most appealing attributes.
Gayfer models his game on All-Australian Docker Josh Treacy, while his determination to apply pressure close to goal is reminiscent of Jed Walter in his draft year before joining the Gold Coast Suns.
“It’s not so much about disposals. I think it’s about the impact I can have,” Gayfer said of what a great game for him looks like.
“For a key forward, that means applying tackle pressure inside 50, getting the ball to ground and not getting beaten one-on-one.”
Gayfer described himself as “a very determined and competitive person”.
“You never want to let someone run the ball out of your 50 without having an impact or kicking goals,” he said.
“I’m definitely someone who hates getting beaten one-on-one and does everything he can to avoid it.”
‘ALWAYS BELIEVED IN ME’: GAYFER’S BIGGEST SUPPORTERS
While Gayfer will inevitably be linked to his uncle, it’s his dad David who has arguably had the biggest influence on his football journey, coaching him through his junior years.
“I think every kid here (at the combine) has probably had their dad coach them through the juniors,” Gayfer said.
“He’s made quite an impact on my football journey, whether it’s driving me to games or having a kick with me in the backyard.
“He stopped coaching me around Under 14s, I think. He wanted to hand it over rather than coach me all the way through.
“He’s always believed in me.”
Gayfer said it had also been a thrill to work closely with Anthony Rocca – a four-time Collingwood leading goalkicker who has helped him develop during his time as Northern Knights coach.
“His main message has been to believe in yourself and understand how good a player you can be when everything goes right and you play to your strengths,” Gayfer said.
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“We’ve done a lot of work on my marking and set shots together, so he’s helped a lot. He’s been massive in my football journey.”
Whether it’s at Collingwood, St Kilda or another club, Gayfer believes he’s “as ready as I can be” for life as a full-time AFL footballer.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. If it happens, I’ll put my best foot forward and do everything I can to put my hand up for selection,” he said.
Gayfer has a clear picture of the type of key forward he wants to become, with Treacy providing a compelling modern-day example.
Asked what he wanted fans saying about him in five years’ time, Gayfer said: “I want people to know I’m not just a player who played games and kicked goals as a key forward, but someone who changed the way key forwards play. Someone who’s willing to do all the tackling and competitive stuff that key forwards aren’t really known for.”