Draft Expert Davo-27's 2024 Draft Thread

[master bate]

Because the AFL know they can't run development pathways as successfully as the clubs can. They did this prior to the northern academies being established and it didn't work. Remember the NSW Scholarship program? What about when Queensland used to compete in the TAC Cup? The AFL tried to make it happen and failed time and time again. The academies linked with the clubs has been, by far, the most successful model in that regard.

Only a handful have come out of Sydney, then it’s pretty much Harris Andrews and Heeney from Brisbane and regional NSW above the Barassi line.

And Sydney produced the likes of Lenny Hayes, Jarrad McVeigh, Kieran Jack types.

The biggest boom was when the Giants got the NSW Riverina and really that was just resourcing an under resourced footy area.

Similar Gold Coast have ever increasing success but the area is a huge footy area now.

It’s talent in + genuine investment of dollars. The club model helps with the reputation for the kids but it’s not afl clubs working some kind of magical development.

The scholarship program wasn’t proper investment. You could make a NSW academy and QLD academy and resource them with the current facilities (some of which would probably have to be at AFL clubs) and staff quality and get similar results.

 

[master bate]

Doesn't it apply for Vic metro players this year? From what I can see, Isaac Kako lives in Melbourne where he attends Parade College and played for the Calder Cannons + Vic Metro this year. We know he's NGA eligible for Essendon this year and the Bombers will match a bid for him. So why don't the SA & WA clubs also have NGA access to metro players like the Victorian clubs?

They are for SA and WA teams for multi cultural players like James Borlase (lol), they don’t for Indigenous players because it would make a complete mess of the draft.

So far there’s been more high quality multicultural talents from Melbourne (Kako, Quaynor, McKenzie, Mac Andrew). But Freo have Josh Draper and Brandon Walker and both WA teams are fighting over a Zimbabwean kid who might be a top 5 pick. The Eagles could’ve had Erasmus properly in their academy but his parents didn’t return their emails and he went top 20 when it was excluded so it didn’t matter.

Metro Melbourne raised Indigenous players are so rare they’ve been included.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Only a handful have come out of Sydney, then it’s pretty much Harris Andrews and Heeney from Brisbane and regional NSW above the Barassi line.

And Eric Hipwood, Keidean Coleman, Jack Payne, Jaspa Fletcher, Ben Keays, Mabior Chol, Bruce Reville and Samson Ryan.

The scholarship program wasn’t proper investment. You could make a NSW academy and QLD academy and resource them with the current facilities (some of which would probably have to be at AFL clubs) and staff quality and get similar results.

I agree, but the AFL won't get off their butts and do it themselves.

 

[tigs2010]

Samson Ryan.

 

[weltschmerz]

The Eagles could’ve had Erasmus properly in their academy but his parents didn’t return their emails and he went top 20 when it was excluded so it didn’t matter.

Around the same time, Arty Jones could also have been in their academy but didn't fully understand it and didn't sign the paperwork. Maybe they didn't explain it too well to candidates?

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Are Victorian clubs allowed to draft indigenous players from metropolitan areas through their NGA access? If so, then the rules should be changed for SA & WA too. The four clubs should band together and make the case to the AFL in the interest of fairness. Then Port would have access to Cochrane and the AFL should achieve one of their goals of increasing indigenous players participating in the AFL.

Cochrane will get drafted to another club so it's not a participation issue.

 

[GC2015]

Cochrane will get drafted to another club so it's not a participation issue.

In this case, you're right. How many other indigenous juniors from Adelaide and Perth would be developed into draftable talent if they were included in the NGAs?

 

[Futbolista]

In this case, you're right. How many other indigenous juniors from Adelaide and Perth would be developed into draftable talent if they were included in the NGAs?

I think the Noongar population in South Western Australia is far bigger than the advertised number I saw earlier. It would be closer to 8%. The census isn't always covering everybody. Some people don't participate.

Then add on the Indigenous numbers in most WA country towns and in remote communities and stations.

Has NGA helped them? Yes. In tandem with their WAFL clubs, it gives these fellas a window into what is required and they get to mingle with some big stars. A handful get a PSA scholarship.

As long as the WAFL clubs are in control (With NGA help), WA will continue to produce Indigenous stars.

 

[master bate]

And Eric Hipwood, Keidean Coleman, Jack Payne, Jaspa Fletcher, Ben Keays, Mabior Chol, Bruce Reville and Samson Ryan

I forgot about Kiddy, such a good player. And perhaps Eric. Not too worried about the rest. Although the extra development resources is important in the growth of talls like Payne, Chol and Ryan. The afl needs to find 200cm athletes wherever they can.

 

[master bate]

Around the same time, Arty Jones could also have been in their academy but didn't fully understand it and didn't sign the paperwork. Maybe they didn't explain it too well to candidates?

Fair to say maybe the Eagles recruiting and list team weren’t exactly smashing things out of the park in the last 5 or so years!

 

[Johnny Bananas]

I forgot about Kiddy, such a good player. And perhaps Eric. Not too worried about the rest. Although the extra development resources is important in the growth of talls like Payne, Chol and Ryan. The afl needs to find 200cm athletes wherever they can.

Agree with most of this, but Keays did just win a club champion award.

 

[BigFella!]

Agree with most of this, but Keays did just win a club champion award.

The fact Keays won a Club Champion award at the Crows who finished 15th this season, and Keays wouldn't even make Brisbane's best 22 highlights the disparity in the AFL, and just how shite the Crows list is. I am sure Keays is a great person and a great clubman who tries hard and gets the most out of his abilities, but this one observation highlights the abysmal season the Crows have had, where not one of their players would make it into a premiership squad.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

The fact Keays won a Club Champion award at the Crows who finished 15th this season, and Keays wouldn't even make Brisbane's best 22 highlights the disparity in the AFL, and just how shite the Crows list is. I am sure Keays is a great person and a great clubman who tries hard and gets the most out of his abilities, but this one observation highlights the abysmal season the Crows have had, where not one of their players would make it into a premiership squad.

I don't know, there are many Lions fans who regret that we delisted him.

 

[triple treat]

I am not sure I know what you are talking about, but I am positive that you don't know either

The proposed pick has been referenced both in the herald sun, and foxsports

a 2 minute google search will help educate you, that way you can stop wasting time fantasizing about Pick 11 going to hawthorn for pick 33 and Carltons F1

I said this before and it is true, Hawthorn could give Richmond every single draft pick they have available to them both this year, and next year, and that still would not be enough for Richmond to give them Pick 11

Pick 33, Carlton F1, F2, would not do it.

Its funny how supporters of clubs get on here(mine included) and go on like they know what there club are going to do!
I reckon West coast fans would have laughed everyone one off the page if it was suggested that they would trade pick 3 for what they did. But.........

 

[SteeleSaints]

I don't know, there are many Lions fans who regret that we delisted him.

Opportunity is everything at that level, Ben's game has grown significantly since moving to the Crows.

 

[Davo-27]

so i thought i would put a final list out there(unless the combine changes things), less speculating and putting names out there that i think have AFL traits and more basing the rankings on a 3 tier idea base, 1. where i rank them, 2. where i think they will go in the draft(clubs whispers and hype) and 3. how good i project them to be in the AFL

End of Season Top 50

1. Sid Draper - Sth Adelaide 180cm - i think he has had the best lead up to the draft, he burst onto the scene in 1 game at the u16s and left an impression, then went on to dominate for SA at the u18s as an underager winning all australian selection and being SA's MVP, he had a reasonable champs as a draft age player and ended the year with half a dozen 20+ disposal games in the sanfl, adding to his long resume, so i thought i would put him as pick 1

2. Levi Ashcroft - Sandringham 179cm (Bris FS)- nearly as good a junior career as his brother, where his brother was mostly seen as a pick 1 certainty if not for FS and GWS going Cadman instead of bidding, he hasnt had the same hype or the same impact, but he is a fantastic prospect in his own right and should go very early, i think pick 2 like his brother makes sense as he is undeniably a highly talented youngster

3. Jagga Smith Oakleigh 181cm - he knows how to win the footy, he has been an accumulator for Oakleigh, at the Champs for VM and for Richmond VFL, he also seems to have started being more direct with disposal which i have liked seeing as last year and early this year he was a bit of a ball hog and didnt play for the team or use it in a winning fashion, some are forecasting him to be pick 1, i see him more at 3 but either way he will go high because of his impressive resume on paper

4. Harry Armstrong Sandringham 194cm - every time i see him play which is most of his games, he is an impressive focal point for whatever team he plays for, 4 goals in a grand final is a great feat as most tall forwards get swamped in prelims and grand finals so for him to perform in modern day defensive structures as a KPF is impressive, he should be the first tall to get picked imo

5. Finn O'Sullivan Oakleigh 182cm - highly talented player who if he had an injury free season with over 25 disposals average wouldve gone at pick 1 with some quality traits in movement, marking ability, kicking action and footy IQ, but injury plagued his season and even when he did play he rarely played at the level he needed to prove himself, he could either come back and be a George Wardlaw story or fall off to mediocrity like Brodie Kemp, its hard to tell, i think he will come back and be a solid piece in a midfield at the AFL level, but he has caused a touch of doubt for his future with such a meh year, where he was to be measured against his peers.

6. Leonardo Lombard GCS A 178cm (GCS)- last year he came onto the scene at the CTL for Gold Coast really standing out from his team mates, he then went on to have a huge run as an underager for the SUNS VFL premiership winning team, he came into this year and kept up his speed and aggressive running style, he will be a fantastic player at the next level and the SUNS get another quality youngster coming through their academy

7. Tobie Travaglia Bendigo 187cm - a player that has been a joy to watch for 2 years at Bendigo, he is an intercepting machine and very flexible for a medium sized player, he can run and carry and his disposal is good also, he just stands out in games and has big influence on results, the next Tom Stewart/James Sicily/Redman type who could also push into the midfield with his running game

8. Sam Lalor GWV 187cm - another player troubled with injury this year, although when he played i did see signs he could be an impressive impact player in the future, so i have jumped on board the bandwagon and i think he is an exciting prospect that could go anywhere from 5-15

9. Harvey Langford Dandenong 190cm - he and Hynes were fantastic players last year and i mentioned they needed to work on fitness and speed and it seems they took that to heart, both coming out of the blocks having huge 2024 seasons and boosting their credentials, Langfords contested marking being a feature early in the CTL and Hynes bursting speed out of the middle being his feature early, Langford then went on to have the best carnival i have seen from an individual and shared honours with another gun in Lombard, he has rocketed up the rankings and deserves a top 10 placing

10. Josh Smillie Eastern 194cm - a player that won VM MVP in the u16s as a hbf, went on to learn midfield and competed decently, his mobility being a weakness, some got excited by the prospect of a tall mid and the absence of a pick 1 favourite with FOS injured, but after a less than average Champs for VM averaging 18 disposals as a full time midfielder, he came back to earth, i think he has talent, but he needs to work on that running game to make it at the next level imo

11. Taj Hotton Sandringham 182cm - if not for injury, i would have him at pick 1(shades of early Chris Judd), but with a knee on a running player i cant have him in the top 10

12. Murphy Reid Sandringham 180cm - a player i think is brilliant at times, but im unsure if he is driven enough?

13. Joe Berry Murray 180cm - i think small forwards with skill and good goal sense are vital for finals footy

14. Alix Tauru Gippsland 191cm - strong intercepting defender, tough as an Ox

15. Jobe Shanahan Bendigo 194cm - great hands in the contest, moves well for a key forward, good focal point

16. Isaac Kako Calder 175cm (Ess NGA)- quick small forward, goal kicking and pressure forward

17. Bo Allan Peel 191cm - has looked fantastic for Peel in the WAFL and during the finals, love his dash from midfield and because he came from hbf reminds people of what Will Day has done at the hawks

18. Kayle Gerreyn West Perth 199cm - he has been fantastic in the wafl colts and was big for WA at the Champs, one of the most consistent talls in the draft pool

19. Luke Trainor Sandringham 194cm - wonderful KPD, with an intercepting game and good disposal, good efforts in rep footy for AFL Academy and at the Champs, unfortunately has concussion issues and so has dropped down the order a little

20. Xavier Lindsay Gippsland 183cm - a player who has lifted this year to put his name up for 1st round consideration, his Champs games being a highlight



21. Jack Ough GWV 194cm - very similar to Bo Allan, he was a quality 3rd tall defender who now has transformed into a quality midfielder

22. Cooper Hynes Dandenong 190cm - explosive pace, kicked a few lovely goals this year, played well without dominating for Vic Country, he seems like a quiet type and lacks some confidence from his game of PIG in pre-season, but when he feels comfortable, he can play great footy

23. Ben Camporeale Glenlg 186cm (Carl FS) - i think Carlton will get their FS at a good price because of the depth of talent this year, Ben is a fantastic tough in and under prospect, in and under guys can kick chaos balls as they are under pressure a lot, but he does the hard yards that dont get you the fame that the running types get.

24. Sam Marshall Sandringham 185cm (Bris A) - a player that had a solid underage year winning the u18s Champs with the Allies, then he backed it up with a fantastic year for Sandringham winning the premiership and playing well and again for the Allies in a less successful team

25. Hugh Boxshall Claremont 187cm - a player that had a good u16s, then was unseen last year because of PSA school footy in WA, then came out and took some courageous marks and played great footy at the Champs, he has gone back to help Claremont win the WAFL Colts grand final, gathering a lazy 30 touches in the GF

26. Oliver Hannaford GWV 180cm - a player who struggled to gain attention as a hbf, but then his move forward saw him show off his speed and attacking flair as well as piling on some goals to rocket him up draft lists

27. Malakai Champion Subiaco 172cm (WCE NGA) - fantastic small forward, very quick, can fumble at times dropping his value a little, but should be an exciting prospect at the Eagles

28. Jesse Dattoli Northern 179cm - a player who has been a quality marking small forward for awhile, but this year he added some midfield and wing minutes during the champs which gave him a boost to his value

29. Alex Dodson South Adel 203cm - a player tossing up between Basketball and footy, he had a couple great games in the ruck and a couple average games in the ruck, i think he is the best pure ruck in the draft pool

30. Evan Bradley North Adel 174cm - small quick goal sneak, there are 4 top tier small forwards Berry, Kako, Champion and Bradley

31. Harry O'Farrell Calder 196cm - shut down tall defender, injured during the champs so lost a chance to prove himself

32. Jonty Faull GWV 195cm - injury interrupted year, unconventional KPF, but he knows how to kick bags

33. Luke Urquhart East Frem 190cm - fantastic burst player through the midfield, gave WA a chance by gaining ground and putting territorial pressure on opponents

34. Christian Moraes Eastern 183cm - obviously talented, but his disposal lets him down and that could be a problem at the next level

35. Josh Murphy Murray 190cm - goal kicking medium forward

36. Tyler Welsh WWT 191cm - played 1 game at u18s kicked 8 goals, then played most of the year in the SANFL Seniors for a return of a goal a game average, height is an issue as he has a KPF Body, might need to drop some kilos?

37. Thomas Sims Northern 199cm - contested marking forward, can pinch hit in the ruck, can also kick bags of goals

38. Lachie Jaques Geelong 184cm - intercept marking defender

39. Xavier Ivisic Geelong 180cm - a player who lost his way last year and earlier this year, but came back with avengence

40. Harrison Oliver Sandringham 181cm - good disposal on the small defender



41. Jack Whitlock Murray 200cm - tall forward with athlticism, disappointing year overall

42. Matt Whitlock Murray 200cm - tall defender with athleticism, disappointing year overall for the brothers

43. Tom Gross Oakleigh 181cm - inconsistent midfielder, manic, and when not manic is not very good.

44. James Barrat Bendigo 193cm - played better as a defender than a forward

45. Jasper Alger Oakleigh 182cm - had a few good Vic Country games

46. Lucas Camporeale Glenlg 185cm - good outside midfield, run and carry

47. Hamish Davis Claremont 190cm - had a good champs, got some WAFL experience and is on the up after a huge WAFL Colts GF

48. Rhys Unwin GWV 178cm - since moving from small forward to midfield has improved his value

49. Benny Barrett South Adel 175cm (Port NGA) - quick smooth moving forward/mid, was good at both u16s and u18s champs when given an opportunity, i think he has the talent to make it at the AFL level

50. Archer Day-Wicks Bendigo 186cm - he gets the final spot based on his xfactor plays and strong marking in the forward line

Top 52 prospects for 2025 so far, prediction of their groupings (early prediction, obviously things will change as players get tested and i see all of the talent in the 2025 draft pool, but these are my early readings, enjoy)

(23) 1st round - Dyson Sharp(likely pick 1), Sam Cumming, Fred Rodriguez, Cody Curtin, Basil Hart(Frem NGA), Zeke Uwland(GCS), Daniel Annable(Bris), Ryder Corrigan, Dylan Patterson(GCS), Liam Hetherton, Archie Ludowyke, Oliver Greeves, Thomas McGuane(Coll FS), Lachlan Dovaston, Sam Grlj, Jack Dalton, Cooper Duff-Tytler, Felix Kneipp, Riley Onley, Willem Duursma, Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves, Josh Lindsay, Louis Emmett

(29) 2nd round - Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier, Noah Roberts-Thompson, Aiden Schubert, Louis Kellaway(Rich FS), Jim Kelly, Marcus Cassidy, Jadd Hill, Taj Longmuir, Toby Whan(Frem NGA), Sam Swadling, Charlie Banfield(WCE FS), Darcy Montgomery, Wes Walley(WCE NGA), Koby Evans(WCE NGA), Noah Chamberlain(Syd), Lachlan Carmichael(Syd), Beau Addinsall(GCS), Kalani White(Melb FS/GCS), Giuseppe Posterino, Thomas Burton, Xavier Bamert, Mitch Moate, Jamie Gilchrist, Tairon Ah-Mu, Jobe Scapin, Zach O'Keefe, Jasper Russell, Sam Lewis, Harry Morphett

i should update 2026 a little, heres a few names i liked the look of for the 2026 draft, early draft potential


Matthew Owen - Bris A - 178cm (def/mid)
Doug Cochrane - Central Dist - 194cm (KPF) (his dad didnt play enough to be FS)
Arki Butler - Sandringham - 180cm (mid/forw) (skill and composure)
Max Downes - Northern - 180cm (mid)
Cody Walker - Bendigo (Carl FS) - 185cm (mid) (early pick 1 favourite)
Harry Van Hattum - Northern - 202cm (ruck) (one of the best young rucks in a few years, could be good enough to go top 10 as a ruck which is rare)


i need to catch up on the u16s from this year and ill update it when i finish...

i thought i would remind people of my 2024, 2025 and 2026 lists if you have trouble finding them with a lot of random talk that goes on, seeing as we are less than a couple of weeks away from this years draft, some might be looking for this information that was buried a bit...

 

[GoodoilBartul]

i thought i would remind people of my 2024, 2025 and 2026 lists if you have trouble finding them with a lot of random talk that goes on, seeing as we are less than a couple of weeks away from this years draft, some might be looking for this information that was buried a bit...

Hunter Wright looked a decent player for next year from some tape seen recently,

 

[THE_GUN]

Will you be doing an update soon Davo-27

 

[tenderwarrior]

Dyson Sharp looks the goods for next year.. how would you compare him to Harley Reid at a similar age?

Also, how do you compare Dodson to Goad last year as mobile raw ruck prospects?

 

[Davo-27]

Dyson Sharp looks the goods for next year.. how would you compare him to Harley Reid at a similar age?

Also, how do you compare Dodson to Goad last year as mobile raw ruck prospects?

Harley Reid wasnt a consensus pick 1 until he dominated in the finale of the u18s champs in his underage year, before then he was a top 10 or even top 5 type for most people, i think i had him at pick 2? and Watson or Walter at 1 before then? i cant remember, Dyson Sharp has been slated as pick 1 for awhile, i have toyed with the idea of Greeves and Ludowyke as challengers and recently Rodriguez, but he is the standout from my PoV so far, i know the media are pushing Zeke Uwland who i have been a fan of for 18months, but i think he is more top 10 type, he(Zeke) has grown in height a little which makes him a better prospect, but Dyson Sharp was a champion kid at 15 and it doesnt seem like things have changed, so we'll see how he goes in his pressurised draft year, see if he can handle the pressure or not.

i would say Harley is more dynamic as in he can take a big hanger, burst through congestion and has a passion to win which is a good trait which was obvious in his junior career, he is also a loyal team player another trait that was obvious in his draft year with Vic Country which makes me believe he wont leave WCE unless theres a serious issue, Sharp needs to face the pressure of his draft year to get his traits exposed more.

Dodson and Goad are similar ruck types, Goad might have had more runs on the board and a touch more consistency, but not much difference.

 

[The_General#1]

Not sure if this is the right thread but thinking back to last year Geelong pulled a couple of smokeys with Ollie Wiltshire and Lawson Humphries. Excluding CTL and State Leagues anyone heard of any smokey’s that may get called out?

 

[Thunderstruck]

Dyson Sharp looks the goods for next year.. how would you compare him to Harley Reid at a similar age?

Also, how do you compare Dodson to Goad last year as mobile raw ruck prospects?

I'm a big a Sharp fan as any but I'd take Reid every time. Both will be sensational players lets first be clear on that. The main differences as highlighted by Dave is that Reid is a longer striding, more powerful centre clearance player that likes to do all the work himself. Sharp probably is more elite in getting his hands on balls he shouldn't with shear strength and find players on the outside with clean hands. He is a see ball dish off type, whilst Reid will get it either first hand or second hand and then try and run past 10 blokes but his body lets him. He's quicker, faster, stronger in the legs.

Sharp himself is very strong and has a shimmy of the hips and shoulders that busts open packs and finds gaps and he's so clean with his hands as mentioned before. He's not quick but not slow either, he has what I'd call a limited burst from congestion and presents a slightly uncanny running gait. He's strong overhead, can kick it a long way and is impactful in forward, middle and defence. A supreme clearance footballer all over the ground and also very strong defensively, his tackling is first class and that is where he has Reid covered (and most if not all of his 2025 peers). He is very consistent week in week out for the most part. Reid overall is a more damaging player, but for mine there isn't a single player more damaging than Harley Reid in the AFL. He's just getting started.

It will be interesting to see how Sharp handles 2025. He's a very laid back country lad, but very mature as well. A real follow me type of player. Should play all his games at league SANFL level next year after a good finals campaign there this year.

 

[ABAB]

The fact Keays won a Club Champion award at the Crows who finished 15th this season, and Keays wouldn't even make Brisbane's best 22 highlights the disparity in the AFL, and just how shite the Crows list is. I am sure Keays is a great person and a great clubman who tries hard and gets the most out of his abilities, but this one observation highlights the abysmal season the Crows have had, where not one of their players would make it into a premiership squad.

I mean, you've heard of player development......???