Dukes Of Hurley
Team Captain
The AFL national draft is almost upon us. This year, I’ve tried to make this is most accurate phantom draft possible, so there’s only around 60 live picks as well as rookie upgrades and passes, so fans can have a clear idea of what their team will do.
1. Carlton – Jacob Weitering
Club: Dandenong Stingrays
Position: Key defender
Height: 195 cm
Weight: 94 kg
Player comparison: Alex Rance
Weitering’s got the whole package. His best asset is his intercept marking. He runs off his opponent and reads the play so well. He’s strong enough to not only compete at AFL level, but immediately win contests. He’s a terrific overhead mark and positions himself well, while he’s also a terrific rebounder. He’s got a classy raking kick and he often puts the ball out into space for his team mates to run into. Athletically, he’s got a good leap and he’s got great closing speed. I firmly believe he will be one of the two or three best key defenders in the league in years to come.
2. Brisbane – Josh Schache
Club: Murray Bushrangers
Position: Key forward
Height: 199 cm
Weight: 93 kg
Player comparison: Tom Lynch (Gold Coast)
Probably the most promising ‘true’ key forward of 2015, Schache kicked 27 goals from 15 games as a 17-year-old. Schache prides himself on his contested marking. His size allows him to bust through packs, but he also takes the ball out at full stretch. Schache is a great player below the knees, and unlike most key forwards, he is a reliable field kick and shot for goal. Schache has speed on the lead and he also likes to use his physicality. He can kick a goal from most places on the field, and can comfortably kick it 55 metres. In terms of agility, Schache is actually quite impressive for his size. He could potentially improve on the defensive side of his game, which is for me what separates him from Tom Boyd and Patrick McCartin, who are probably less likely to become well-rounded key forwards. Schache’s conversion rate this year has been impressive and he’s stood up in key games. Definitely the second best player in the draft for mine.
3. Sydney – Callum Mills (academy selection)
Club: North Shore
Position: Midfielder
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 80 kg
Player comparison: Lenny Hayes
Mills is the complete package, and he will head to Sydney through their academy. Mills is a ridiculous accumulator, having averaged 32 disposals at 65 percent through his six TAC Cup games last year as a 17-year-old. He’s missed a lot of football this year but that won’t hurt his stocks, given he was named in the bests in five out of his six games. Mills also averaged over six tackles and six marks per game in the TAC Cup. Mills is a beast of an inside midfielder. He’s fairly balanced, getting around 50 percent of his ball on the outside, as he finds space to take uncontested marks and get handball receives. But his courage to throw himself at the ball is incredible, and makes him impossible to tag. Mills is a leader and works hard defensively.
4. GWS – Jacob Hopper (academy selection)
Club: North Ballarat Rebels
Position: Inside midfielder
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 82 kg
Player comparison: Ollie Wines
Hopper is clearly the best pure inside midfielder in this draft. His extraction skills are supreme and he’s got a great understanding of where to position himself at stoppages to have an impact. Hopper is an excellent goal kicker – he heads forward and he can be effective both at ground level or as a marking target. He’s a terrific tackling presence and he never stops trying. His kicking is just okay but his vision and spatial awareness are excellent, so he doesn’t get caught out often. He’s very clean by hand in traffic.
5. Melbourne – Charlie Curnow
Club: Geelong Falcons
Position: Key forward/midfielder
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 95 kg
Player comparison: Jake Stringer
Curnow looks like a probable top five pick. He can be a bit lazy, often looking to engage in one on one contests, rather than leading up and using space. Having said that, he’s an elite runner with a very high beep test score, so clearly he’s got a strong work ethic. He gets by in under 18s with his strength, and obviously coming off that knee injury he wasn’t able to show his running strength. He’s a great contested mark, he wins his own ball on the inside, and his skills are usually pretty good. I think his 21/30 on the kicking test at the combine was a bit misleading. He’s a below average converter on goals, and he’s not a great field kick either. He’s got a very high upside with his great frame and the ability to grow into a big-bodied midfielder, but I personally see him as a forward in the Jake Stringer role.
6. Essendon – Darcy Parish
Club: Geelong Falcons
Position: Midfielder
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 73 kg
Player comparison: Lachie Whitfield
Darcy Parish is a classy outside midfielder, who – despite his flaws – should be a top five pick. Parish is a very slightly framed player who has great speed. He runs hard to receive a handball or take an uncontested mark, then will keep zipping past others to break lines. Parish loves to kick, and he can often have 20 or more kicks in a game. Most will hit the targets, as he prefers to do short sharp chips. He’s a good decision maker and with that comes a high disposal efficiency. I think at AFL level that efficiency may drop a little as he will be encouraged to be bolder. It’s scary that a player with so much hurt factor still has so much room to grow. Parish has become more of a goal kicker, and he has put on a bit of weight to increase his core strength. He’s got room to improve his defensive efforts, as his strong tank and speed should really see him taking down few more players. I see him growing into that Lachie Whitfield mould, but perhaps with a little more pace.
7. Essendon – Sam Weideman
Club: Eastern Ranges
Position: Key forward
Height: 195 cm
Weight: 91 kg
Player comparison: Levi Casboult
Weideman’s injury issues have made him an intriguing prospect, as he has so much that he must improve on. 2014 was an up and down year for the forward. He was able to play 15 games, but only kicked 19 goals and 15 behinds. His statline is poor, but recruiters will look to his best games to find out why he is so highly regarded. 2015 was much of the same: he struggled statistically, despite receiving very good delivery from a strong midfield group. Weideman is a terrific mark of the ball, with his contested marking a standout in pack situations. However, what is most impressive is his ability to take one grab marks on the lead, particularly in sticky situations. You know if the ball is within his long reach, then he won’t drop it. He’s a below average kick of the football, which stings to say. He’s probably one of only a handful of players in this draft class who have one truly dominant skill, but when you cannot convert simple set shots at goal, then it really hurts. Weideman plays as a true leading centre half forward, but he also has the size and skill set to play as a full forward.
8. GWS – Matthew Kennedy (academy selection)
Club: Collingullie
Position: Inside midfielder
Height: 187 cm
Weight: 84 kg
Player comparison: Elliot Yeo
Kennedy is a big-bodied inside midfielder with terrific endurance and a great overhead mark. He finished with a 14.12 beep tests and some really good scores in various leaping tests at the combine. He’s very hard at the contest, and while he’s not in that elite level for racking up the footy, you can tell he’ll be able to make that transition at AFL level with development. Kennedy looks damaging in the forward line and he’s got scope to improve there. He is clean with either foot, but if he sharpens up his kicking a bit more, you can see him as a chance to be one of if not the best player in this draft class.
9. Gold Coast – Aaron Francis
Club: West Adelaide
Position: Utility
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 89 kg
Player comparison: Adam Goodes
Francis is just a shade below the top two in my eyes. He’s a terrific intercept mark, has tremendous athleticism and literally plays in every position. Francis has played his best footy as a third tall or key defender, as his intercept marking and ability to rebound are his two best assets. He’s also extremely strong around the contest, so he can win his own footy on the inside. His kicking is above average, and he is fairly quick and extremely agile, so he’s a good player on the outside too. I liked his smarts when playing as a forward. He leads up consistently and he provides a great target. When the ball hits the deck, he is too big and strong for small defenders, and too agile for bigger ones. The one query I have on him is his goal kicking, but I haven’t seen a big enough sample size of him as a forward to say whether that’s a true weakness.
10. Melbourne – Wayne Milera
Club: Central Districts
Position: Outside midfielder/small forward
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 75 kg
Player comparison: Shaun Burgoyne (early career)
Milera has far exceeded expectations this year. He’s a creative midfielder/half forward with some of the best skills in this draft class. Milera is a terrific decision maker and he offers something a bit different to the rest of the midfielders in this draft class: where there seems to be one or two clear options, he’ll cut through the middle and pick a more damaging option that most players wouldn’t even consider. He’s very agile and hard to tackle, and he loves using his speed through the centre of the ground. Milera has been the best performed junior in the top flight of the SANFL, where he’s consistently found the football and chipped in for several goals on a few occasions.
11. Brisbane – Eric Hipwood (academy selection)
Club: Aspley
Position: Key back/forward
Height: 200 cm
Weight: 82 kg
Player Comparison: Harris Andrews
Hipwood will probably attract a top 10 bid, although his form doesn’t quite warrant it. He’s a project player who has terrific agility and a great overhead marking ability. He’s an okay user of the footy who finds it more than your traditional key backman, but he doesn’t really know his limitations. He looks a bit more at home as a key defender, although he’s showed spurts of form as a forward here and there this year. He’ll take a long time to develop, but then again, we thought that of Harris Andrews and look how quickly he’s adapted.
12. Carlton – Harry McKay
Club: Gippsland Power
Position: Key forward
Height: 200 cm
Weight: 85 kg
Player Comparison: Drew Petrie
Harry McKay is a raw prospect who has shown great signs for his age. He should basically be considered a 2016 prospect, as he is only a few days off being eligible for next year’s draft. For a 200 centimetre player, McKay is very quick and agile. He can twist and turn and crumb like a small forward, he’s a terrific overhead mark, and he continually leads up the ground to present as a link up target. He’s a pretty good kick for goal too. At this stage, he’s a long-term prospect: he’s going to need to put on plenty of size to be able to compete, but he’s got as much upside as anyone in this draft class.
13. Adelaide – Harley Balic
Club: Sandringham Dragons
Position: Forward/midfielder
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 80 kg
Player comparison: Jackson Macrae
Balic is a really classy half forward who can pull off some incredible things. He’s a terrific overhead mark who leads to the right places. His contested marking is incredible for a medium forward. He is a really intelligent forward who pushes up to create space for his full forward to lead in to. He has a very strong body and last year he lacked opportunity in the midfield. His inside game development is arguably the biggest leap of any top talent in the draft this year. Last year I would have said he was purely an outside player, but he has learnt the nuances of the inside game in terms of positioning himself at contests. His developmental curve is extremely encouraging and it’s one of the reasons I like him more than most. The fact he is now a balanced midfielder who can find the footy, as well as being a forward with flare makes me believe he has a sneakily very high ceiling.
14. Carlton – Clayton Oliver
Club: Murray Bushrangers
Position: Midfielder
Height: 187 cm
Weight: 86 kg
Player comparison: Luke Parker
Oliver is a big-bodied inside midfielder who has a few different tricks. He wins his own ball easily, and while he has a large frame, he needs to develop a bit more physically for his game to translate to the AFL. Oliver can go forward and take a strong mark, and his finishing around the goals is excellent. He is also a strong tackler and a hard worker who runs both ways. Interestingly, Oliver tested much better than most expected in the speed and agility drills, which perhaps raises his ceiling in the eyes of recruiters. He ran a 2.99 20 metre sprint which isn’t jaw dropping, but it’s pretty good for an inside midfielder. His agility time of 8.11 seconds was third in the entire AFL combine; an incredible feat that will no doubt be taken into account on draft night.
15. Brisbane – Ben Keays (academy selection)
Club: Morningside
Position: Forward/midfielder
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 78 kg
Player comparison: Christian Petracca
Keays is a gut-running type, who shows absolute class on the outside most of the time (although he does make some poor choices at times). Keays has the ability to kick it long or hit short targets with ease. He has a really strong body, and his work on the inside is outstanding: indeed, Keays’ most exciting ‘Petracca-like’ feature is his overhead marking and work as a forward. He can really dominate up forward with strength, but he can also kick freakish goals. He fends off players as he takes on the game and backs himself in to finish off with a goal. He’s increased his ability to rack up the football which has seen his disposal efficiency drop off a touch, which I think is why he hasn’t been talked about as much in that top 10 equation.
16. Richmond – Callum Ah Chee
Club: South Fremantle
Position: Forward/midfielder
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 69 kg
Player comparison: Chad Wingard
Ah Chee offers a bit of a different look this year, and though I suspect he has more potential than most of the players in the top 10, he probably hasn’t had the year he would have liked. Ah Chee is lightning quick, both in terms of acceleration and over a long distance. There are not too many ultra-fast players who have multiple strings to their bow in this year’s draft class. Ah Chee is an excellent distributor of the football getting a fair bit of penetration on his kicks, while his decision making has improved over the course of this year. Ah Chee is very dangerous around goals. He’s an excellent crumber, but as you’ve all seen with his mark in the AFL Academy game, he’s a high flier and a good over head mark despite his light frame. I’d love to see him build up his tank and also his core strength, as he’s struggling to win much of his own footy.
17. Adelaide – Rhys Mathieson
Club: Geelong Falcons
Position: Midfielder
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 79 kg
Player comparison: Jordan Lewis
Mathieson has a similar style to Jordan Lewis in the way he plays on the inside and outside. Mathieson is a big time accumulator, but it’s the way that he does it which really makes his 30-disposal games impressive despite being just an above average kick of the ball. Mathieson hunts the ball on the inside, throws himself at the contest, and despite not being the new prototype big midfielder, his body strength in packs is advanced for his age. He knows how to position himself on the inside, and once he has the ball, he executes handpasses in traffic and out of the bottom of a pack quickly and usually to the best outside option. Mathieson is terrific on the outside too, and this is what makes him such a likely type. Mathieson is surprisingly quick on the outside, with a solid 20 metre burst that breaks games open. He doesn’t have to run a long distance, because with the separation he creates in a short space, he gives himself enough time to launch a kick into the forward 50. Mathieson has above average skills by hand and foot, and he’s a solid overhead mark too.
18. St Kilda – Darcy Tucker
Club: North Ballarat Rebels
Position: Midfielder
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 73 kg
Player comparison: Sam Docherty
Tucker looks best as a half back in my eyes. He reads the play really well and he plays pretty wide of the contest, so he’s often in a dangerous spot on the rebound if the ball leaks out. He’s not a great individual defender, but I can see with his mindset and leadership that his defensive game will grow. As a midfielder, Tucker plays almost exclusively on the outside, but I can see scope for that developing as he seems to have good core strength. Tucker’s endurance is terrific, coming in with a 15.3 beep test. That gives me hope that he can be a midfielder, but he’s got a bit to learn in terms of stoppage set-ups and the general nuances of that position. Tucker is an excellent kick of the footy, and although he’s a bit down the pecking order, I don’t think there is a massive class difference between Parish, Ah Chee and Tucker.
19. Hawthorn – Kieran Collins
Club: Dandenong Stingrays
Position: Key defender
Height: 193 cm
Weight: 94 kg
Player comparison: Daniel Talia
Collins is the best lockdown key defender in the draft. He’s that classic disciplined Darren Glass type, where he doesn’t give his opponents any room to move. He’s got a very high football IQ and he doesn’t try to exceed his limitations. Collins is exceptional overhead and he can take plenty of intercept marks, but he’s not the type to take a massive risk and fly if he didn’t think it was the right time to do so. Collins won the handball test at the combine with an exceptional 29/30. His kicking is fine, but he’s not a great rebounder at this stage of his career. He’s not the quickest player, but his football smarts and spatial awareness make up for that. He’s also shown a little bit as a forward, but he looks like a 200 game player as a key back already.
20. Gold Coast – Riley Bonner
Club: West Adelaide
Position: Half back
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 80 kg
Player comparison: Grant Birchall
Bonner is your classic elite ball user off the back flank. He’s probably the best long kick in the draft, and he can use both feet to a very high level. Bonner can play on the wing or as a half forward too, but he’s played his best footy as a half back this year. Bonner isn’t super quick, but he’s agile and he runs hard all game to present as a link-up target. The biggest issue with Bonner is his complete lack of accountability, but that should get better with a few years of development.
1. Carlton – Jacob Weitering
Club: Dandenong Stingrays
Position: Key defender
Height: 195 cm
Weight: 94 kg
Player comparison: Alex Rance
Weitering’s got the whole package. His best asset is his intercept marking. He runs off his opponent and reads the play so well. He’s strong enough to not only compete at AFL level, but immediately win contests. He’s a terrific overhead mark and positions himself well, while he’s also a terrific rebounder. He’s got a classy raking kick and he often puts the ball out into space for his team mates to run into. Athletically, he’s got a good leap and he’s got great closing speed. I firmly believe he will be one of the two or three best key defenders in the league in years to come.
2. Brisbane – Josh Schache
Club: Murray Bushrangers
Position: Key forward
Height: 199 cm
Weight: 93 kg
Player comparison: Tom Lynch (Gold Coast)
Probably the most promising ‘true’ key forward of 2015, Schache kicked 27 goals from 15 games as a 17-year-old. Schache prides himself on his contested marking. His size allows him to bust through packs, but he also takes the ball out at full stretch. Schache is a great player below the knees, and unlike most key forwards, he is a reliable field kick and shot for goal. Schache has speed on the lead and he also likes to use his physicality. He can kick a goal from most places on the field, and can comfortably kick it 55 metres. In terms of agility, Schache is actually quite impressive for his size. He could potentially improve on the defensive side of his game, which is for me what separates him from Tom Boyd and Patrick McCartin, who are probably less likely to become well-rounded key forwards. Schache’s conversion rate this year has been impressive and he’s stood up in key games. Definitely the second best player in the draft for mine.
3. Sydney – Callum Mills (academy selection)
Club: North Shore
Position: Midfielder
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 80 kg
Player comparison: Lenny Hayes
Mills is the complete package, and he will head to Sydney through their academy. Mills is a ridiculous accumulator, having averaged 32 disposals at 65 percent through his six TAC Cup games last year as a 17-year-old. He’s missed a lot of football this year but that won’t hurt his stocks, given he was named in the bests in five out of his six games. Mills also averaged over six tackles and six marks per game in the TAC Cup. Mills is a beast of an inside midfielder. He’s fairly balanced, getting around 50 percent of his ball on the outside, as he finds space to take uncontested marks and get handball receives. But his courage to throw himself at the ball is incredible, and makes him impossible to tag. Mills is a leader and works hard defensively.
4. GWS – Jacob Hopper (academy selection)
Club: North Ballarat Rebels
Position: Inside midfielder
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 82 kg
Player comparison: Ollie Wines
Hopper is clearly the best pure inside midfielder in this draft. His extraction skills are supreme and he’s got a great understanding of where to position himself at stoppages to have an impact. Hopper is an excellent goal kicker – he heads forward and he can be effective both at ground level or as a marking target. He’s a terrific tackling presence and he never stops trying. His kicking is just okay but his vision and spatial awareness are excellent, so he doesn’t get caught out often. He’s very clean by hand in traffic.
5. Melbourne – Charlie Curnow
Club: Geelong Falcons
Position: Key forward/midfielder
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 95 kg
Player comparison: Jake Stringer
Curnow looks like a probable top five pick. He can be a bit lazy, often looking to engage in one on one contests, rather than leading up and using space. Having said that, he’s an elite runner with a very high beep test score, so clearly he’s got a strong work ethic. He gets by in under 18s with his strength, and obviously coming off that knee injury he wasn’t able to show his running strength. He’s a great contested mark, he wins his own ball on the inside, and his skills are usually pretty good. I think his 21/30 on the kicking test at the combine was a bit misleading. He’s a below average converter on goals, and he’s not a great field kick either. He’s got a very high upside with his great frame and the ability to grow into a big-bodied midfielder, but I personally see him as a forward in the Jake Stringer role.
6. Essendon – Darcy Parish
Club: Geelong Falcons
Position: Midfielder
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 73 kg
Player comparison: Lachie Whitfield
Darcy Parish is a classy outside midfielder, who – despite his flaws – should be a top five pick. Parish is a very slightly framed player who has great speed. He runs hard to receive a handball or take an uncontested mark, then will keep zipping past others to break lines. Parish loves to kick, and he can often have 20 or more kicks in a game. Most will hit the targets, as he prefers to do short sharp chips. He’s a good decision maker and with that comes a high disposal efficiency. I think at AFL level that efficiency may drop a little as he will be encouraged to be bolder. It’s scary that a player with so much hurt factor still has so much room to grow. Parish has become more of a goal kicker, and he has put on a bit of weight to increase his core strength. He’s got room to improve his defensive efforts, as his strong tank and speed should really see him taking down few more players. I see him growing into that Lachie Whitfield mould, but perhaps with a little more pace.
7. Essendon – Sam Weideman
Club: Eastern Ranges
Position: Key forward
Height: 195 cm
Weight: 91 kg
Player comparison: Levi Casboult
Weideman’s injury issues have made him an intriguing prospect, as he has so much that he must improve on. 2014 was an up and down year for the forward. He was able to play 15 games, but only kicked 19 goals and 15 behinds. His statline is poor, but recruiters will look to his best games to find out why he is so highly regarded. 2015 was much of the same: he struggled statistically, despite receiving very good delivery from a strong midfield group. Weideman is a terrific mark of the ball, with his contested marking a standout in pack situations. However, what is most impressive is his ability to take one grab marks on the lead, particularly in sticky situations. You know if the ball is within his long reach, then he won’t drop it. He’s a below average kick of the football, which stings to say. He’s probably one of only a handful of players in this draft class who have one truly dominant skill, but when you cannot convert simple set shots at goal, then it really hurts. Weideman plays as a true leading centre half forward, but he also has the size and skill set to play as a full forward.
8. GWS – Matthew Kennedy (academy selection)
Club: Collingullie
Position: Inside midfielder
Height: 187 cm
Weight: 84 kg
Player comparison: Elliot Yeo
Kennedy is a big-bodied inside midfielder with terrific endurance and a great overhead mark. He finished with a 14.12 beep tests and some really good scores in various leaping tests at the combine. He’s very hard at the contest, and while he’s not in that elite level for racking up the footy, you can tell he’ll be able to make that transition at AFL level with development. Kennedy looks damaging in the forward line and he’s got scope to improve there. He is clean with either foot, but if he sharpens up his kicking a bit more, you can see him as a chance to be one of if not the best player in this draft class.
9. Gold Coast – Aaron Francis
Club: West Adelaide
Position: Utility
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 89 kg
Player comparison: Adam Goodes
Francis is just a shade below the top two in my eyes. He’s a terrific intercept mark, has tremendous athleticism and literally plays in every position. Francis has played his best footy as a third tall or key defender, as his intercept marking and ability to rebound are his two best assets. He’s also extremely strong around the contest, so he can win his own footy on the inside. His kicking is above average, and he is fairly quick and extremely agile, so he’s a good player on the outside too. I liked his smarts when playing as a forward. He leads up consistently and he provides a great target. When the ball hits the deck, he is too big and strong for small defenders, and too agile for bigger ones. The one query I have on him is his goal kicking, but I haven’t seen a big enough sample size of him as a forward to say whether that’s a true weakness.
10. Melbourne – Wayne Milera
Club: Central Districts
Position: Outside midfielder/small forward
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 75 kg
Player comparison: Shaun Burgoyne (early career)
Milera has far exceeded expectations this year. He’s a creative midfielder/half forward with some of the best skills in this draft class. Milera is a terrific decision maker and he offers something a bit different to the rest of the midfielders in this draft class: where there seems to be one or two clear options, he’ll cut through the middle and pick a more damaging option that most players wouldn’t even consider. He’s very agile and hard to tackle, and he loves using his speed through the centre of the ground. Milera has been the best performed junior in the top flight of the SANFL, where he’s consistently found the football and chipped in for several goals on a few occasions.
11. Brisbane – Eric Hipwood (academy selection)
Club: Aspley
Position: Key back/forward
Height: 200 cm
Weight: 82 kg
Player Comparison: Harris Andrews
Hipwood will probably attract a top 10 bid, although his form doesn’t quite warrant it. He’s a project player who has terrific agility and a great overhead marking ability. He’s an okay user of the footy who finds it more than your traditional key backman, but he doesn’t really know his limitations. He looks a bit more at home as a key defender, although he’s showed spurts of form as a forward here and there this year. He’ll take a long time to develop, but then again, we thought that of Harris Andrews and look how quickly he’s adapted.
12. Carlton – Harry McKay
Club: Gippsland Power
Position: Key forward
Height: 200 cm
Weight: 85 kg
Player Comparison: Drew Petrie
Harry McKay is a raw prospect who has shown great signs for his age. He should basically be considered a 2016 prospect, as he is only a few days off being eligible for next year’s draft. For a 200 centimetre player, McKay is very quick and agile. He can twist and turn and crumb like a small forward, he’s a terrific overhead mark, and he continually leads up the ground to present as a link up target. He’s a pretty good kick for goal too. At this stage, he’s a long-term prospect: he’s going to need to put on plenty of size to be able to compete, but he’s got as much upside as anyone in this draft class.
13. Adelaide – Harley Balic
Club: Sandringham Dragons
Position: Forward/midfielder
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 80 kg
Player comparison: Jackson Macrae
Balic is a really classy half forward who can pull off some incredible things. He’s a terrific overhead mark who leads to the right places. His contested marking is incredible for a medium forward. He is a really intelligent forward who pushes up to create space for his full forward to lead in to. He has a very strong body and last year he lacked opportunity in the midfield. His inside game development is arguably the biggest leap of any top talent in the draft this year. Last year I would have said he was purely an outside player, but he has learnt the nuances of the inside game in terms of positioning himself at contests. His developmental curve is extremely encouraging and it’s one of the reasons I like him more than most. The fact he is now a balanced midfielder who can find the footy, as well as being a forward with flare makes me believe he has a sneakily very high ceiling.
14. Carlton – Clayton Oliver
Club: Murray Bushrangers
Position: Midfielder
Height: 187 cm
Weight: 86 kg
Player comparison: Luke Parker
Oliver is a big-bodied inside midfielder who has a few different tricks. He wins his own ball easily, and while he has a large frame, he needs to develop a bit more physically for his game to translate to the AFL. Oliver can go forward and take a strong mark, and his finishing around the goals is excellent. He is also a strong tackler and a hard worker who runs both ways. Interestingly, Oliver tested much better than most expected in the speed and agility drills, which perhaps raises his ceiling in the eyes of recruiters. He ran a 2.99 20 metre sprint which isn’t jaw dropping, but it’s pretty good for an inside midfielder. His agility time of 8.11 seconds was third in the entire AFL combine; an incredible feat that will no doubt be taken into account on draft night.
15. Brisbane – Ben Keays (academy selection)
Club: Morningside
Position: Forward/midfielder
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 78 kg
Player comparison: Christian Petracca
Keays is a gut-running type, who shows absolute class on the outside most of the time (although he does make some poor choices at times). Keays has the ability to kick it long or hit short targets with ease. He has a really strong body, and his work on the inside is outstanding: indeed, Keays’ most exciting ‘Petracca-like’ feature is his overhead marking and work as a forward. He can really dominate up forward with strength, but he can also kick freakish goals. He fends off players as he takes on the game and backs himself in to finish off with a goal. He’s increased his ability to rack up the football which has seen his disposal efficiency drop off a touch, which I think is why he hasn’t been talked about as much in that top 10 equation.
16. Richmond – Callum Ah Chee
Club: South Fremantle
Position: Forward/midfielder
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 69 kg
Player comparison: Chad Wingard
Ah Chee offers a bit of a different look this year, and though I suspect he has more potential than most of the players in the top 10, he probably hasn’t had the year he would have liked. Ah Chee is lightning quick, both in terms of acceleration and over a long distance. There are not too many ultra-fast players who have multiple strings to their bow in this year’s draft class. Ah Chee is an excellent distributor of the football getting a fair bit of penetration on his kicks, while his decision making has improved over the course of this year. Ah Chee is very dangerous around goals. He’s an excellent crumber, but as you’ve all seen with his mark in the AFL Academy game, he’s a high flier and a good over head mark despite his light frame. I’d love to see him build up his tank and also his core strength, as he’s struggling to win much of his own footy.
17. Adelaide – Rhys Mathieson
Club: Geelong Falcons
Position: Midfielder
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 79 kg
Player comparison: Jordan Lewis
Mathieson has a similar style to Jordan Lewis in the way he plays on the inside and outside. Mathieson is a big time accumulator, but it’s the way that he does it which really makes his 30-disposal games impressive despite being just an above average kick of the ball. Mathieson hunts the ball on the inside, throws himself at the contest, and despite not being the new prototype big midfielder, his body strength in packs is advanced for his age. He knows how to position himself on the inside, and once he has the ball, he executes handpasses in traffic and out of the bottom of a pack quickly and usually to the best outside option. Mathieson is terrific on the outside too, and this is what makes him such a likely type. Mathieson is surprisingly quick on the outside, with a solid 20 metre burst that breaks games open. He doesn’t have to run a long distance, because with the separation he creates in a short space, he gives himself enough time to launch a kick into the forward 50. Mathieson has above average skills by hand and foot, and he’s a solid overhead mark too.
18. St Kilda – Darcy Tucker
Club: North Ballarat Rebels
Position: Midfielder
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 73 kg
Player comparison: Sam Docherty
Tucker looks best as a half back in my eyes. He reads the play really well and he plays pretty wide of the contest, so he’s often in a dangerous spot on the rebound if the ball leaks out. He’s not a great individual defender, but I can see with his mindset and leadership that his defensive game will grow. As a midfielder, Tucker plays almost exclusively on the outside, but I can see scope for that developing as he seems to have good core strength. Tucker’s endurance is terrific, coming in with a 15.3 beep test. That gives me hope that he can be a midfielder, but he’s got a bit to learn in terms of stoppage set-ups and the general nuances of that position. Tucker is an excellent kick of the footy, and although he’s a bit down the pecking order, I don’t think there is a massive class difference between Parish, Ah Chee and Tucker.
19. Hawthorn – Kieran Collins
Club: Dandenong Stingrays
Position: Key defender
Height: 193 cm
Weight: 94 kg
Player comparison: Daniel Talia
Collins is the best lockdown key defender in the draft. He’s that classic disciplined Darren Glass type, where he doesn’t give his opponents any room to move. He’s got a very high football IQ and he doesn’t try to exceed his limitations. Collins is exceptional overhead and he can take plenty of intercept marks, but he’s not the type to take a massive risk and fly if he didn’t think it was the right time to do so. Collins won the handball test at the combine with an exceptional 29/30. His kicking is fine, but he’s not a great rebounder at this stage of his career. He’s not the quickest player, but his football smarts and spatial awareness make up for that. He’s also shown a little bit as a forward, but he looks like a 200 game player as a key back already.
20. Gold Coast – Riley Bonner
Club: West Adelaide
Position: Half back
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 80 kg
Player comparison: Grant Birchall
Bonner is your classic elite ball user off the back flank. He’s probably the best long kick in the draft, and he can use both feet to a very high level. Bonner can play on the wing or as a half forward too, but he’s played his best footy as a half back this year. Bonner isn’t super quick, but he’s agile and he runs hard all game to present as a link-up target. The biggest issue with Bonner is his complete lack of accountability, but that should get better with a few years of development.
