At 24, Farmer Dylan is one of the youngest farmers to appear on Farmer Wants A Wife. But despite his age, the South Australian sheep farmer insists he knew exactly what he was looking for when he signed up for the reality dating series.
Speaking to marie claire Australia exclusively, Dylan revealed that settling down had been on his mind long before cameras arrived on the farm.
“I’ve come to a point in my life where I’ve kind of known where it’s headed, and I really want to share it with someone,” he said.
Having spoken with Dylan during our interview, I came away with a particularly favourable impression, which is perhaps why I was so surprised to discover just how passionately he feels about AFL—a passion that has since sparked plenty of debate among viewers.
On Tuesday night’s episode, Dylan and Farmer Zac invited their ladies to an AFL match, with the women joining a friendly game of footy alongside some of the farmers’ friends. While all of Zac’s women were keen to get involved, only Renae took to the field on Dylan’s team, with Scarlett, Ally and Lily opting to cheer from the sidelines instead.
“Renae was the only one who stepped up to the table. It was disappointing that the other girls didn’t,” Dylan told cameras.
He later admitted he found the situation “embarrassing.”
“I’ve been telling my mates that I’ve got a real good group of girls and they’re really keen to meet you all and my mates are keen to play footy with them. The fact they now don’t really get to meet them is really disappointing.”
Still, Dylan wasn’t ready to brush the incident aside.
“Disappointing looking out at the crowd and seeing them in there instead of out on the field with me,” he continued. “I don’t care if you’re playing footy or not, but I came on here to find someone that is supportive and if you can’t support me with something as little as this, well, yeah, I don’t know. It’s a bit annoying.”
To play devil’s advocate, it could be argued that Dylan wasn’t upset about the game itself, but rather what he interpreted as a lack of support from women he was trying to build relationships with.
He had previously told marie claire that he entered Farmer Wants A Wife looking for someone willing to embrace the life he has already built, which perhaps goes some way towards explaining his reaction.
“I was looking for a lady that is willing to be a part of my world,” he explained. “That’s the rodeo and cowboy world, because it is so pivotal in my life.”
When Dylan had raised his concerns later that evening, the women initially laughed, seemingly unsure whether he was serious. They quickly realised he was, and each offered their own explanation and apology.
Lily perhaps summed up the opposing perspective best.
“Just because someone doesn’t do an activity doesn’t mean their feelings for you are any less,” she told him, encouraging him to communicate his frustrations in the moment.
The incident was later shared on Instagram, where viewers were largely unsympathetic to Dylan’s position. Many argued that watching from the sidelines didn’t equate to a lack of support, with one commenter writing: “It’s just a footy game. She can support you on the sidelines like everyone else. She was there and she showed up. That’s what matters.”
Others felt the disagreement reflected more poorly on Dylan than the women involved. “I love Ally. I was really hoping that these two would be together at the end, but after watching this episode I’m now hoping she decides that he’s not the right one for her,” one viewer wrote, while another admitted: “I liked Dylan at the beginning but after tonight he’s sending off some bad vibes 🚩.”
The tension continued during a one-on-one conversation with Ally, who explained that laughing is often her response in uncomfortable or serious situations.
For his part, Dylan insisted the issue had little to do with football.
“It was more the backing me up,” he explained. “I was just a bit disappointed and then I was a bit rattled when I mentioned it and you just laughed…I felt belittled.”
Poor Ally appeared visibly flustered, shooting a nervous glance towards the cameras after already apologising and attempting to explain her reaction.
Speaking directly to cameras afterwards, Dylan admitted the incident could influence how he viewed the relationship moving forward.
“I guess going forward I have to see if Ally is going to put me as a priority and if she doesn’t then that will weigh heavily on my decision going forward.”
It’s a comment that some viewers interpreted as a reasonable expectation within a relationship, while others felt it was a surprising amount of weight to place on sitting out a community footy match.
It seems a willingness to play footy might be more important than we first thought. With that in mind, who is Farmer Dylan, and who are the women vying for his heart?
Who Is Farmer Dylan?
At just 24 years old, Farmer Dylan is one of the youngest farmers on Farmer Wants A Wife 2026. Based in Cherry Gardens, South Australia, Dylan is a sheep farmer and competitive saddle bronc rider whose passion for rodeo has shaped much of his life.
Away from the farm, he spends much of his time chasing his dream of becoming a successful rodeo cowboy, a pursuit that has seen him suffer several serious injuries and, by his own admission, contributed to the breakdown of past relationships. Despite the risks, Dylan says rodeo remains a non-negotiable part of his future.
When he’s not working with livestock or riding horses, Dylan has a creative side, designing workwear and rodeo clothing inspired by his time working on cattle stations in the Kimberley. Now, after years of prioritising his career ambitions, Dylan has joined Farmer Wants A Wife in the hope of finding a partner who shares his love of country life and is willing to support his dreams.
His biggest flaw? Dylan says it’s his tendency to become a little too obsessed with whatever he’s focused on. AFL games included?
“I’d probably say my biggest flaw is I get a bit overly obsessed with what I’m doing, but that’s also somewhat essential in the line of work I do with the horses and on the farm,” he says.
“I suppose my biggest flaw is balancing time between work and a relationship, but I’ve worked on that. The fact that I’m aware of it and actively working on it is something I find promising.”
Who Are Farmer Dylan’s Ladies?
Farmer Dylan is officially on his quest for love, and joining him were eight hopefuls. After a quick round of speed dates, he ultimately chose five women to bring back to the farm: Lily, Tennille, Ally, Scarlett and Renae.
Sparks flew early between Dylan and Ally, who he selected for his first 24-hour date. The chemistry was undeniable, with Dylan even sneaking in a cheeky kiss while Ally was mid-interview with producers.
Since then, Dylan has farewelled Tennille, leaving Lily, Scarlett, Ally and Renae still in the running for his heart.
Who Has Farmer Dylan Sent Home?
From the initial eight women, Farmer Dylan sent home Kiara, Rhianna and Jamie. Since arriving back at the farm, he has also farewelled Tennille.
Dylan admits that saying goodbye to the women is one of the most difficult parts of the experience.
“It’s real difficult. They’re putting their hearts on the line, and you feel dead terrible for it because unfortunately there might not be a connection there, and you don’t have enough time to really explore it in full depth,” he says.
“It’s one of those things where you’re constantly wondering, ‘Am I making the right decision?’ It’s a bit of head noise.”
In a recent episode, Dylan seemed somewhat conflicted about Renae. While he initially appeared mesmerised by her, her shy demeanour doesn’t seem to be quite his vibe, leaving viewers wondering whether she could be the next woman sent home.
