Top 25 from AFL Prospectus 2008

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Predicted Top 25 from the AFL Prospectus 2008 ( in alphabetical order )

Sam Blease
Midfielder 182cm
Eastern 19/02/1991 70kg

Blease was one of the leading midfielders at the 2007 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships, averaging 19 disposals per game. His disposal efficiency of 83% was elite and he showed an ability to read the play by winning the equal third-most loose ball gets of any division one player. He scored 5 goals at the carnival and also averaged 3 clearances and four inside 50s.


Matthew Broadbent
Midfielder 187cm
Woodville-West Torrens 1/08/1990 77kg

Broadbent is a midfielder who is damaging as both an inside and outside player. His best performances as a junior came in the 2006 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships where he ranked third in division one for handballs, equal fourth for hardball-gets and equal sixth in the handball-receives. In 2007 he played two games for South Australia in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and also made seven appearances in the SANFL reserves for Woodville-West Torrens.


Ayce Cordy
Ruckman 200cm
Geelong 6/08/1990 72kg

Cordy is eligible to be taken by the Western Bulldogs under the father son rule in 2008 after his father, Brian, played 124 games for the club from 1981-88. He spent most of 2007 playing school football, but appeared 3 times for Geelong in the TAC Cup where he showed his mobility by averaging 14 disposals per game. He was strong in the air with an average of two contested marks in those games and despite standing over 200cm he was also good at ground level where he averaged 5 hard ball gets.


Aaron Cornelius
Key Forward 191cm
Tasmania 29/05/1990 81kg

Cornelius has proven in his junior career to date to be one of the best marks for his age. Since taking nine contested marks for Tasmania in the opening game of the 2006 NAB AFL Under 16 Championships, Cornelius has continued that form to average more than three per game in 14 games of under-age football for his state in the past two years. At age 17 he made his debut for Tasmania in the VFL late last season and took the equal most marks of anyone in the 2007 NAB AFL Under 18 Championships.


Tyson Davis-Neale
General Forward 184cm
South Adelaide 20/03/1991 74kg

Davis-Neale averaged 12 disposals and scored four goals in the 2007 NAB AFL Under 16 Championships for South Australia. While not a huge ball winner, he showed signs across half forward that he could potentially be a high selection in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft. He booted 20 goals in 13 games at SANFL Under 17 level for South Adelaide last season.


Matthew DeBoer
Midfielder 183cm
Claremont 10/3/1990 77kg

DeBoer bypassed the 2007 NAB AFL Draft despite being one of the leading junior midfielders in 2007. In 17 games at WAFL colts level for Claremont he averaged 25 disposals, 5 hardball gets and 3 clearances per game and had a kicking efficiency of 73% which was in the average category. At the 2007 NAB AFL Under 18 Championships DeBoer averaged 17 disposals and five hard ball gets per game.

Steven Gaertner
Utility 196cm
Dandenong 2/01/1990 83kg

Gaertner played 11 games for Dandenong in the 2007 TAC Cup but was surprisingly overlooked in the 2007 NAB AFL Draft. He averaged only 13 disposals per match for the stingrays after starting the season well before struggling towards the end. He averaged 16 disposals in his first six games, but that average dropped to less than 10 per game in the final five rounds. In a sign of his ability he had 27 disposals, took 14 marks and scored 4 goals in the round 5 game against Tasmania, but struggled to settle in one position throughout the season which hindered his development.


Hamish Hartlett
Midfielder 181cm
West Adelaide 14/08/1990 67kg

Hartlett is the younger brother of Adam who has been on Carlton's list for three years. But Hamish is a completely different player. While his brother is a key position type, Hamish is a midfielder who was prominent for South Australia in the 2006 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships. In that carnival he averaged 31 disposals and ranked No.1 for hardball gets and uncontested marks. He averaged 17 disposals in last years NAB AFL Under 18 Championships and made his senior SANFL debut late last season.

Tom Hill
Key Forward 196cm
Northern 7/04/1991 73kg

Hill is predominantly a key forward who scored six goals for Vic Metro at the 2007 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships. He averaged 13 disposals, five marks and three inside 50s per game at the carnival, and also totalled 4 score assists in the three matches. He had elite disposal efficiency of 82% and was strong overhead with a total of five contested marks.


Michael Hurley
Key Defender 192cm
Northern 1/06/1990 88kg

Hurley is a proven performer at both ends of the ground and produced impressive numbers in the 2007 season. In 17 games for Northern in the TAC Cup he averaged 18 disposals per game playing in key positions at either end of the ground. When up forward he was always a threat, being a multiple goal kicker five times including a haul of 6. He spent most of his time in defence, however having six or more rebound 50s on seven occasions and averaging four spoils and two marks from opposition kicks per game. He is strong overhead highlighted by his tally of 29 contested marks, of which he took at least one in all games. He dominated at full back for Vic Metro in the 2007 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, totalling four more rebound 50s than any other player.


Lewis Johnstone
Key Forward 192cm
North Adelaide 3/03/1991 87kg

Johnstone is a power forward who averaged 13 disposals and three marks at the 2007 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships. While his numbers at that carnival were only modest, he spent the 2007 season in the SANFL U-17's where he produced some impressive performances. He kicked 31 goals in 20 games and was named in the best players on seven occasions, proving to be not only strong overhead but also at ground level.


Kieran King
Midfielder 181cm
East Fremantle 05/03/1991 80kg


King is an Australian junior running champion but proved in the 2007 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships that he is also a talented footballer. He averaged 19 disposals in the three games playing across half forward using his pace to full effect by ending the carnival with the second most running bounces of any division one player (13). He was able to do so because only 26% of his possessions were won in a contest, and he posed a threat pushing forward with an average of five inside 50s and two goals per game.


Tom Lynch
Utility 190cm
Sandringham 15/09/1990 75kg

Lynch missed the majority of the 2007 season after undergoing a knee reconstruction but impressed enough in the opening three rounds of the TAC Cup season to be considered a likely early pick. In that time he averaged 24 disposals, nine marks, six hard ball gets, six inside 50s and two goals per match and looks capable of filling a number of roles.


Shaun McKernan
Key Forward 195cm
Calder 1/09/1990 87kg

McKernan is a similar player to his older brother Corey, spending time both up forward an in the ruck for Calder in the 2007 TAC Cup. He scored 17 goals in his 12 games last season and was a multiple goal kicker on five occasions. He averaged one contested mark per match, while in the ruck he averaged 15 hitouts with an elite 29% hitout to advantage rate.


Nicholas Naitanui
Ruckman 196cm
Swan Districts 4/05/1990 79kg

Naitanui is a developing ruckman of Fijian decent. He was first seen at the 2006 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships and improved considerably throughout 2007. He was the No.1 hitout winner in division one at the 2007 NAB AFL Under-18 championships where he averaged 11 disposals and five hardball gets per game. At WAFL colts level he was part of Swan Districts premiership team, scoring 11 goals in his 14 appearances. He averaged 13 disposals per match and was again impressive at ground level with an average of four hardball gets. His hitout to advantage rate as a junior ranks in the average category.


Daniel Rich
Midfielder 180cm
Subiaco 6/07/1990 75kg

Rich's impressive performances for Subiaco in the WAFL seniors late in 2007 stamped him as a likely high selection in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft. He has 16 disposals and booted three goals in the preliminary final before picking up another 13 disposals and two goals in Subiaco's grand final win. Possessing one of the best kicks of anyone his age, Rich ranked No.1 for effective kicks at the 2006 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships and has maintained an elite kicking efficiency in his junior career to date. He was named in the All-Australian team after the 2007 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and has the numbers to suggest he's going to be an elite goal kicking midfielder at AFL level.


Steele Sidebottom
Midfielder 181cm
Murray 2/01/1991 74kg

Sidebottom was one of Vic Country's leading players at the 2007 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships, proving dangerous through the midfield and up forward. He averaged 20 disposals per game and totalled the third most kicks of any player (46). He showed strength overhead for his size with two contested marks in each match and was also good at ground level where he averaged eight groundball gets. He was a threat when pushing forward averaging six inside 50s and two goals in the three games.

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Ashley Smith
General Defender 184cm
Dandenong 20/07/1990 83kg

Smith played five games across half back for Dandenong in the 2007 TAC Cup, averaging 21 disposals. He had an elite disposal efficiency of 79% and produced impressive averages of four rebound 50s and three marks from opposition kicks per game.


Nick Suban
General Defender 179cm
North Ballarat 9/05/1990 78kg

Suban averaged 19 disposals per game in the 2007 TAC Cup where his kicking efficiency of 76% ranked in the elite category. He can play all over the ground and works hard when not in possession, averaging five tackles per game last year. Suban was named in the All-Australian team at the 2007 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships where he ranked in the top three in division one in kicks, long kicks and rebound 50s and won a large portion of his possessions in an uncontested manner.


Tom Swift
Midfielder 183cm
Claremont 6/07/1990 75kg

Swift underwent a knee reconstruction in April last year and as a result missed the remainder of the season. He is still a likely early draftee for 2008 after producing amazing numbers as a midfielder for Western Australia in the 2006 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships. He began the carnival with 40 possessions, followed up with 24 in the next game and racked up a whopping 45 disposals in the final game against Vic Metro. He led division one in handballs, marks, short kicks, contested possessions, uncontested possessions, handball receives, clearances and frees for and looms as a prolific ball winner.


Jackson Trengrove
Utility 196cm
Calder 2/11/1990 77kg

Trengrove was one of the best players in the 2007 TAC Cup finals series, putting in four dominant performances in the ruck for premiers Calder. He averaged 17 disposals, six marks, six groundball gets, 19 hitouts and three clearances in those four games, winning plenty of possession around the ground along with an eilte hit out to advantage rate. While he impressed in the ruck towards the end of the year, he was versatile enough to play in defence early in the season when he averaged six rebound 50s and six spoils per game in his opening four matches.


Tyrone Vickery
Utility 198cm
Sandringham 31/05/1990 78kg

Vickery is another potential draftee in 2008 who suffered a long term industry last season. He underwent a knee reconstruction after only one TAC Cup game for Sandringham but showed enough in the 2006 NAB AFL Under 16 Championships to suggest if he returns well from injury he'll be in consideration. He averaged 10 disposals and 11 hitouts per game in that carnival, taking three contested marks and booting four goals in one game as a forward/ruckman.


Michael Walters
Midfielder 175cm
Swan Districts 7/01/1991 68kg

Walters may stand only 175cm, but he proved at the 2007 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships he could be an elite goalkicking midfielder at the highest level. He not only led division one in disposals with 87 in the three games, but his tally of 10 goals was also the equal most. He had an elite 85% kicking efficiency, led the carnival with 40 effective kicks, and was most damaging as an inside player as he won the second most contested possession and most clearances of any player.


Chris Yarran
General Forward 179cm
Swan Districts 19/12/1990 82kg

Yarran is a talented general forward who booted 26 goals in 12 games for Swan Districts in the 2007 WAFL colts. He scored at least one goal in each game he played and was also a threat around the stoppages where he averaged four clearances. He played all three games for Western Australia at the 2007 NAB AFL Under 18 Championships where despite limited game time he totalled four goals and three score assists.


Jack Ziebell
Utility 188cm
Murray 28/02/1991 82kg

Ziebell is a utility who performed well in a variety of roles for Vic Country in the 2007 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships. He averaged 17 disposals per game with his ball use the feature of his play, hitting the target with an elite 89% efficiency. He laid the third most tackles of any division one player and will play for Murray in the 2008 TAC Cup.

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