Inside Football's complete guide to the 2008 draft

[one-eyed]

Inside Football - Our Complete Guide to the 2008 Draft
Compiled by Ben Casanelia

TOM ALLWRIGHT - midfielder, Tassie Mariners, Tas.
DOB: 15/6/90 Ht: 185cm Wt: 83kg
"Tom's from North Hobart footy dub and he's a very strong bodied midfielder who comes from a rowing background.Very good overhead and very good at clearances. Played senior footy for North Hobart and also made his debut in the VFL with the Devils:" - Tassie Mariners coach Andrew Mello.   .
TAS rep 2008. From North Hobart FC.

MITCHELL BANNER - midfielder, Western Jets, Vic.
DOB: 5/6/90 Ht: 178cm Wt: 77kg.
"Talent-wise Mitchell is no doubt the best player in our squad - just an outstanding football talent. He reads the ball well, can kick the ball both sides, his aerial stuff is really good despite his size. You put Mitch in a game of footy and he's going to get 30-plus touches but the one thing he has to work on is his intensity for four quarters. He's had it pretty easy over the years so he needs to develop his approach to footy and his work ethic to step up to the next level:" - Western Jets coach Steve Kretiuk
Vic Metro rep 2008. From Werribee JFC.

DAYNE BEAMS - midfielder, Southport, Qld
DOB: 12/2/90 Ht: 184cm Wt: 81 kg
"Dayne's a midfielder who is a very natural footballer which gives him the ability to also play back or forward. You watch him play and he looks just so natural in the way he goes about it. Reads the play very well, has good skills, is a good size and I'd be very surprised is he didn't play a lot of AFL footy. A very level headed and competitive kid who puts everything into it all of the time:" - Qld under-18 coach Mark Browning Qld rep 2008.
From Southport FC

SAM BLEASE - mid, Eastern Ranges, Vic.
DOB: 19/2/91 Ht: 183cm Wt: 72kg
"Sam hasn't played a lot with the Ranges because of injury and school footy (Yarra Valley Grammar) but he's just got explosive speed and sensational skills. Just a super kick who plays generally on the wing, uses the ball well and makes good decisions. Suffered with osteitis pubis last summer and had a slight knee injury late 2008:" - Eastern Ranges manager Jan Flack
AIS-AFL Academy graduate. Vic Metro rep 2008.

JARRAD BLIGHT - medium defender, Swan Districts, WA.
DOB: 24/1/91 Ht: 191cm Wt: 75kg
"Blighty's a player who has come on really well for us this year. Plays mainly across half back but can go into the middle and is very, very athletic. Has a massive leap on him and takes a great mark for his size. One of his greatest assets is his courage. He shows amazing courage at times during games which lifts others. His other asset is his ability to win the ball at stoppages and win a contest. A pretty complete sort of player who is a good size and is very penetrating with his kicking on either foot:" - Swan Districts football manager Matt Peach

MATTHEW BROADBENT - tall defender, Eagles, SA.
DOB: 1/8/90 Ht: 189cm Wt: 81kg
"Matthew is very much a utility player who has played across halfback, centre and even played centre halfback in one of the senior games this year. Also played in the national carnival this year and went to South Africa with the AIS squad:" - Eagles football manager Kym Ireland
SA rep 2008. From Henley FC.

BEN BUCOVAZ - medium defender,  Geelong Falcons, Vic.
DOB: 2/11/90 Ht: 188cm Wt: 88kg
"Ben's a strong draft prospect. He played full forward, on the ball, he played back... he's just a kid that's a good size who is very lively and quick off the mark. He's got a strong build and he's had a few injury problems like a lot of kids do, but if he gets to an AFL club I think he'll be a good player:' - Geelong Falcons region manager Michael Turner
Vic Country rep 2008.

PAUL CAHILL - tall forward, Sturt, SA.
DOB: 19/8/90 Ht: 192cm Wt: 80kg
"Paul's a very exciting player with an amazing leap. He's a very strong and long kick buthas been hindered by a couple of minor leg injuries this year, nothing serious, but enough to restrict him a little. He's a bit of an enigma in that he can drop out of the game for 15 minutes then he'll just come in and kick two or three goals and take a screamer. Plays full forward, and did so for most of the year in our under 19 side this year, but could possibly play centre half forward:" - Sturt development manager Steve Rechner
SA rep 2008. From Mitcham Hawks FC

BRYCE CARROLL - medium forward, Western Jets, Vic.
DOB: 25/6/90 Ht: 184cm Wt: 72kg
"Bryce came to us pretty raw. He was originally roned to Calder Canons but didn't even make their training squad. He missed a fair bit of the pre-season but he showed a bit of natural talent. The one thing about Bryce is that he's got the X factor about him, he's really quick, he's got a great leap, he's a good kick and he's outstanding overhead for his size. He probably lacked endurance and tended to fade out of games a fair bit. In patches he was outstanding during games and I think he'll be a lot better with a pre-season under his belt. He can play wing or half forward and I suppose he might have come a little from left field, but you always get a couple of these in the draft:" - Western Jets coach Steve Kretiuk

AYCE CORDY - ruckman, Geelong Falcons, Vic.
DOB: 6/8/90 Ht: 203cm Wt: 77kg.
"Ayce is a very tall, developing kid. He got injured earlier in the year playing for Geelong College, so we didn't see much of him except for pre-season and some practice games. I still think if he had played all year he could potentially have been the No.l draft pick, he's that good. But. He will struggle with his  eight because he is very, very skinny. The people at the Western Bulldogs will poo themselves when they see him because he's so light. He'll have to work hard to develop his body:" - Geelong Falcons region manager Michael Turner
AIS/AFL graduate. From Geelong College.

AARON CORNELlUS - tall forward, Tassie Mariners, Tas.
DOB: 29/5790 Ht: 192cm Wt: 84kg
"Aaron's an inside 50 type forward who played senior footy for Glenorchy Football Club this season. He's played two years in the Mariners and is an extremely talented player. He's particularly strong overhead and was a little unlucky to miss out on the draft last year." - Tassie Mariners coach Andrew Mellor
TAS rep 2008. All Australian rep 2008. AIS-AFL Academy graduate. From Glenorchy FC.

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LANCE DALY - tall forward, Swan Districts, WA.
DOB: 26/4/91 Ht: 191cm Wt: 78kg
"Lance is just a freak up forward. He catches the ball really well, he's got a great ability at ground level for a player of his size and kicked a lot of goals for us this year. Played well for WA and we expect he'd feature somewhere in the draft given his size and ability to hold down a key position." - Swan Districts football manager Matt Peach
WA rep 2008. From Midvale FC

PHIL DAVIS - tall defender, North Adelaide, SA.
DOB:30/8/90 Ht: 192cm Wt: 83kg
"Phil didn't play a lot of footy this year because he injured his shoulder early on. Played a few reserves games early in the year up forward and kicked some goals, which was a credit to him because he played all his junior footy in defence. After injuring his shoulder the first time he came back and played, then did it again and required surgery in May, and didn't play again. Didn't do the testing at the draft camp but ran a 3.02 for his 20-metre sprint early in the year and 11 minutes for the 3km time trial so he's reasonably mobile for his size:" - North Adelaide development manager Neil Sanders
From St Peter's College.

MATTHEW DEBOER - midfielder, Claremont, WA.
DOB: 10/3/90 Ht: 187cm Wt 85kg
"Matt played the whole year in the senior side apart from the time he was playing with the state side at the national carnival. He's an onballer/wingman who finds a lot of the footy, runs and carries it well, is a strong mark... he's just a ball magnet. Skills can let him down a little bit at times but he is a really hard worker. He was vice-captain of WA this year:" - Claremont football manager Steve Calder
WA rep 2008. All Australian 2008. From Swanbourne FC

TAYLOR GILCHRIST - midfielder, Sandringham Dragons, Vic.
DOB: 19/10/90 Ht: 189cm Wt: 72kg
"Taylor was the Caulfield Grammar captain who won their best and fairest. His brother Renrue played for the Sandringham Zebras this year. Taylor is 190cm, is pretty quick and a beautiful kick. He's probably an outside halfback or half forward because he's got pace and can kick the ball very long. He's your modern player off half back:" Sandringham Dragons , region manager Wayne Oswald
Vic Metro rep 2008. From Caulfield Grammar.

MICHAEL GUGLlOTTA - tall defender, Nightcliff, NT.
DOB: 26/6/90 Ht: 194cm Wt: 82kg
"Michael was probably a prototype player for the AFL a couple of years ago when they put him in the AIS-AFL Academy. I guess he's been a little bit slow to develop to his full potential and he's still got a lot of improvement left in him. He's a good size, very athletic and he's got really good closing speed. Performed well in the sprints, repeat sprints at the draft camp and he was also top 10 in the time trial. Any club that takes him will look for him to play wing and running halfback with an eye to developing him into a key defender. He's someone who's got the pace and endurance to shut down the high-engine forwards down the track. Skills are OK and he's improved a lot in his contested ball. He might slip through the draft and go as a rookie where someone can put plenty of time into him:" AFL/NT game development and talent manager Jarrod Chipperfield
AIS-AFL Academy graduate 2007. From Nightcliff FC .

CHRIS HALL - midfielder, Eagles, SA.
DOB: 25/6/90 Ht: 175cm Wt: 70kg
"Chris is a small forward who can also play on a wing. Has very good goal sense, is very clean with his hands and just a clever sort of player. Started the year in the under-19's, worked his way through the reserves and played eight games in the seniors later in the year. Can play onball but was played across half forward at senior level:" - Eagles football manager Kym Ireland.
SA rep 2008. From Flinders Park FC.

DAN HANNEBERY - midflelder, Oakleigh Chargers, Vic.
DOB: 24/2/91 Ht: 182cm Wt: 75kg
"Daniel's first year in the program as a 17-year-old was an outstanding season, He played Vic Metro as a bottom age player. He's a superb endurance athlete who recorded the quickest time over 3km at the draft camp and the highest beep test at state based screening at the start of the season. Plays onball/half­back flank/wing and is a real utility in every sense of the word." - Oakleigh Chargers region manager Stephen Conole
Vic Metro rep 2008. From Xavier College.

HAMISH HARTLETT - midfielder, West Adelaide, SA.
DOB: 14/8/90 Ht: 182cm Wt: 74kg
"Hamish is the younger brother.of Adam at Carlton and he's an onball-cum-forward player who is fantastically skilled, with either foot. Just a very classy player who started the year in the under-19s then ended up playing some senior footy towards the end of the year after having also played five or six games at the end of 2007. Had a shoulder operation late in the season and didn't do any of the testing at the draft camp. He's well sought after and just a quality footballer. That's the only way to describe him:" - West Adelaide development manager Simon Hughes
SA rep 2008. All Australian 2008. From Edwardstown FC.

NICK HEYNE - medium forward, Gippsland Power, Vic.
DOB: 22/7/90 Ht: 187cm Wt: 79kg
"Nick had a really good year for us. He plays full forward, he can play midfield, he can play half forward, a wing - virtually anywhere. He won our goalkicking with 38 fcir the season and is an impressive type. He's a little bit freakish at times with his left foot, he's got great skills and is very, very strong overhead:" - Gippsland Power region manager Peter Francis.
AIS-AFL Academy graduate, From Orbost-Snowy Rovers FC.

STEPHEN HILL - midfielder, West Perth, WA.
DOB: 1/5/90 Ht: 182cm Wt: 72kg
"Stephen's a halfback/wingman type player who is an outstanding athlete. He broke the agility record at the draft camp and was top five in other testing. After the national carnival he came back to us and played senior footy and played in both our finals. Adjusted really well to senior footy and in the end was an important player in terms of our structures. He started the year as it third or fourth-round prospect but is now probably a first-round selection. Has just got so much growth-in his game both physically and ability wise, he's hardly scratched the surface." - West Perth football manager Ryan Lasscock.
WA rep 2008. All Australian 2008. From Quinns Districts FC.

TOM HILL - ruckman, Northern Knights, Vic.
 DOB: 7/4/91 Ht: 198cm Wt: 79kg
"Tom's athletic for his height, he's a good mark and had an outstanding game against Murray Bushrangers this year where he took 10 marks. Had an injury interrupted season with various things but he's an exciting prospect ITom the bottom-age players. He's quick for a big fella but he's a long term prospect given there isn't much of him at this stage. If someone was to take a punt with young Tom they'd need to give him three to four years." - Northern Knights coach Paul Satterley
AIS-AFL Academy graduate.

TAYLOR HUNT - medium defender, Murray Bushrangers, Vic.
DOB: 2/1/90 Ht: 182cmWt: 79kg
"Taylor is an interesting story because he is a shot put/discus thrower who excelled at both as a junior, winning Victorian titles. He's a half-back who is a one-percenter sort of player who tackles exceptionally well. Has a great technique with his tackling. Carries the ball well and has great pace, his skills are OK but needs to work on his kicking:" - Sandringham Dragons region manager Wayne Oswald
Vic Metro rep 2008. From Beaumaris FC.

MICHAEL HURLEY - tall defender, Northern Knights, Vic.
DOB: 1/6/90 Ht: 192cm Wt: 92kg
"From where we sit, Michael is one of the best defenders, if not the best, in the TAC Cup. He's just a strongly built young man who is hard at the footy and boasts outstanding foot skills - can kick it 50-­60 metres with accuracy on both sides. Very good player body-on-body and has the capacity to play either end. There were games where he went forward and kicked five and six goals. Came second in the best and fairest but could have won it, if not for state footy:" - Northern Knights coach Paul Satterley
Vic Metro rep 2008, All Australian 2007, 2008, From Macleod  FC.

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NEVILLE JETTA - medium forward, Swan Districts, WA.
DOB: 12/2/90 Ht: 178cm Wt: 75kg
"Neville is a relation to Leroy and plays a similar style game. He's got really good pace, he's really hard at the footy and reads the play very well. Got great disposal skills and is another one of our kids who played senior footy after coming back from the state under-18 carnival. Plays across halfback but can play pretty much anywhere because he reads the game so well." - Swan Districts football manager Matt Peach.
WA rep 2008. From Carey Park JFC

LEWIS JOHNSTON - tall forward, North Adelaide, SA.
DOB: 3/3/91 Ht: 192cm Wt: 87kg   .
"Lewis played mainly under-17s for us as well as a few reserves games in the middle of the year after the under-18 championships. Had to travel long distances to train so he got very tired as the year wore on. A very athletic player who plays mainly at centre halfforward. Ran 3.04 for a 20-metre sprint to underline his mobility and he's also got a good set of hands." - North Adelaide development manager Neil Sanders.
SA rep 2008. All Australian 2008. AIS-­AFL Academy graduate. From Port Bulldogs FC

JORDAN JONES - tall defender, Geelong Falcons, Vic.
DOB: 29/6/90 Ht: 190cm Wt: 90kg
"Jordan's a centre halfback/full back who reached his peak half way through the year. Played for Vic Country and was one of the better players on the ground against Vic Metro, but unfortunately after that he hurt his shoulder and it affected his form. We took the decision before the finals to give him a break because he's a marking and spoiling player and it's very hard to play when you've a crook shoulder. But, if you go back to his best form he certainly played very well:" - Geelong Falcons region manager Michael Turner.
Vic Country rep 2008. From Ocean Grove FC

LIAM JONES - tall forward, Tassie Mariners.
DOB: 24/2/91 Ht: 192cm Wt: 84kg
"Liam didn't play any Mariners footy this year because he did his knee. But he's a player that performed very well in the under-16s in 2007 and then went over to board at Scotch College in Melbourne on a football scholarship. He's a strong marking key-position player who we expect to go well but we didn't see the best of him this year because of injury. He's eligible for the draft again next year and is the son of Bob who played for St Kilda (1988-89,20 games). - Tassie Mariners coach Andrew Melior.
From North Hobart FC

KADE KLEMKE - medium defender, Murray Bushrangers, Vic.
DOB: 15/7/90 Ht: 180cm Wt: 78kg
"Kade was our captain and is a really strong, hard working, reliable half-back flanker who does most things pretty well. Kicks the ball really well, takes a good overhead mark, has a strong body, is hard at it, sweeps across halfback and reads the play. Once again he can get ahead of himself at times as a sweeper in terms of attacking before he defend, but is just a really, good solid player who I think should be able to play at AFL level:" - Murray Bushrangers coach Phil Bunn.
NSW/ACT rep 2008. All Australian 2008. From Culcairn FC

ZACH LEDIN - midflelder, Geelong Falcons, Vic.
DOB: 2/5/90 Ht: 181cm Wt: 74kg
"Zach came off a major shoulder reconstmction at the end of last year and missed nine months of football. Came back and played very well in some games and poorly in others, but there were reasons for that. His best is certainly good enough and I rate him really highly as a midfielder:" - Geelong Falcons region manager Michael Turner.
From North Warrnambool FC

JORDAN LISLE - tall forward, Oakleigh Chargers, Vic.
DOB: 12/7/90 Ht: 196cm Wt: 87kg
"Jordy had a fantastic year combining school footy with TAC Cup footy. He's predominantly played as a tall marking forward and this year we pushed him back to centre halfback, a role he also played for Vic Metro. For a guy his size, his skills and decision making are first class and he uses the ball very well. Has terrific hands and for a big bloke is good below his knees:" - OakIeigh Chargers region manager Stephen Conole.
Vic Metro rep 2008. All Australian 2008. From Carey Grammar.

TOM LYNCH - tall forward, Sandringham Dragons, Vic.
DOB: 15/9/90 Ht: 191cm Wt: 84kg
"Tom had a knee reconstruction as a 17-year-old and didn't play last year. Was the co-captain of Victoria, captained Haileybury College and was the best and fairest winner there. Got a lot of pedigree and is just a good player. Can play centre half forward or centre half back and is a very, very smart player:" Sandringham Dragons region manager Wayne Oswald.
Vic Metro rep 2008. AIS-AFL Academy graduate. From Haileybury College.

MATTHEW MARTIN - tall defender, West Adelaide, SA.
DOB: 23/2/90 Ht: 196cm Wt: 100kg
"Matty had a breakthrough yearcthis season. He's a big strong lad who's got some pace and is a lovely kick of the footy over distance. Started the year in the under-19s but played senior footy towards the end of the year. He played all his junior footy as a forward but our senior coach wanted to make a full back out of him so he played him there and he ended up playing eight senior games at full back taking on some of the SANFL's best full forwards. Had a few goals kicked on him at times but really learned a lot from the experience. He's a promising player who maybe needs to learn to be a little more physical- he doesn't realise how strong he is just yet:" - West Adelaide development manager Simon Hughes.
SA rep 2008. From Flagstaff Hill FC

BART McCULLOCH - ruekman, Tassie Mariners, Tas.
DOB: 23/9/90 Ht: 198cm Wt: 83kg
"Bart's a very mobile sort of player and we have high hopes for him. Played senior footy this year for South Launceston but didn't get a crack for the Devils at VFL level because of injury. Played well for the Mariners where he used his mobility and engine to advantage. A project ruckman who has above average ability in terms of running and skill below his knees:" - Tassie Mariners coach Andrew Melior
Tas rep 2008. From South Launceston FC

SAM McGARRY - medium-defender, Sandringham Dragons, Vic.
DOB: 21/4/90 Ht: 186cm Wt: 77kg
"Sam's quick and was probably our biggest improver this year playing in the midfield. Has a good motor and wins a lot of his own footy because he runs both ways." - Sandringham Dragons manager Wayne Oswald
Vic Metro rep 2008. From St Peter's FC

SHAUN McKERNAN - ruckman, Calder Cannons, Vic.
DOB: 1/9/90 Ht: 196cm Wt: 95kg
"Shaun is the younger brother of Corey and is a very similar player in a lot of ways. He's got massive hands, he's a prodigious kick, quick off the mark and he's one of those players who can grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Played a lot of good footy for us at centre halfback after the national carnival where he controlled the backline and rebounded well. Played in the ruck for Vic Metro and earned All-Australian honours, so he can play in a variety of spots. A very draftable player with all the attributes to have a long and distinguished AFL career." - Calder Cannons region manager Martin Stillman
Vic Metro rep 2008. All Australian 2008. From Tullamarine FC.

RILEY MILNE - tall defender, Murray Bushrangers, Vic.
DOB: 20/7/90 Ht: 192cm Wt: 78kg
"Riley played as a key defender for us but probably is best suited as a back pocket/half back flanker on the opposition's third tall forward. While he's six­foot-three he's very thin and doesn't have great body strength. He does provide great run and rebound off half back and has worked really hard at his spoiling and competing against his opponent. Had some trouble against Jack Watts in the nationals because he didn't make enough body contact but because he doesn't have a strong body he does a lot of things to avoid body contact. He's got some work to do but if he didn't get picked up I think he'd be a perfect rookie for someone. He's got a lot to offer." - Murray Bushrangers coach Phil Bunn
Vic Country rep 2008. From Mooroopna FC.

DYLAN McNEIL - midfielder, Murray Bushrangers, Vic.
DOB: 20/3/91 Ht: 178cm Wt: 77kg
"Dylan's a bottom age player who won our 17 ­year-old best player award for the year. He's a small midfielder who is a natural footballer with natural football instincts. Not super quick but makes up for that with his reading off the play. Plays midfield but could also play as a small defender and he did a good job on a couple of occasions when we needed a small defender. A good stoppage player and he was one of the reasons why we were probably the best stoppage team in the competition. I don't know whether he's quite ready for AFL yet but in a year where clubs are stocking up on younger talent because of the compromised drafts to come, Dylan might be one they look at. In a normal situation he might still be with us next year but you never know because of the current circumstances:" - Murray Bushrangers coach Phil Bunn
NSW/ACT rep 2008. From Lavington.

STEVEN MOTLOP - medium forward, Wanderers, NT.
DOB: 12/3/91 Ht: 181cm Wt: 68kg
"Steven is Shannon's little brother and is a very talented 17-year-old. Plays as a medium floating forward but can also go through the midfield. Carries the ball very well and in many ways is similar to Daniel with his cleverness around goals - can create something out of nothing. He's also good overhead and very adept at using his body to nudge an opponent out of the contest. Got a lot of tricks so there is a lot of upside to him but he is lightly framed at the moment so that needs to be worked on. The whisper is that his Dad said he is a better player than Daniel at the same age:" - AFL/ NT game development and talent manager Jarrod Chipperfield
NT rep 2007/08. From Wanderers FC. 

NICHOLAS NAITANUI - ruckman, Swan Districts, WA.
DOB: 4/5/90 Ht: 197cm Wt: 95kg
"Nicholas is just a freak. He's not a natural footballer but on pure athletic ability he is in a class of his own. Has great closing speed, is a great jump and is starting to learn more about winning the ball around the ground but there is plenty to come. Needs to work on his foot skills as they still have a way to go but his improvement has been pretty sharp over the last two years. He's certainly not a natural footballer and you'd expect whichever club takes him to spend a lot of time with him developing his decision making, but we think he could play some AFL footy next year, although probably not a whole season. We juggled things around with him later in the year and played him in some key positions, including full back, and he did it very effectively. There is really no one like him and I don't think anyone has seen anything like him. Athletically he's one of the best players ever to come through this club. Long term he'll probably be a ruckman but that's not to say a club couldn't develop another string to his bow because he has all the tools to work with." - Swan Districts football manager Matt Peach.
WA rep 2007/2008. All Australian 2007/08. From Midvale JFC

RHYS O'KEEFE - medium defender, North Adelaide, SA.
DOB: 8/7/90 Ht: 187cm Wt: 80kg
"Rhys has come from nowhere at the start of the year. He did a seniorpre-season and started the year in the reserves and ended up playing league footy towards the end of the year. Had a great under-IS carnival and won South Australia's best player. Plays mainly defence but did play onball at times during the national championships. Not an overly quick player but does have a good left foot that he uses well. Played all his junior football in defence so is very good defensively:" - North Adelaide development manager Neil Sanders
SA rep 2008. All Australian 2008. From Kilburn FC

CLANCEE PEARCE - medium defender, Swan Districts, WA.
DOB: 23/10/90 Ht: 183cm Wt: 85kg
"Clancee won WA's player of the under-18 carnival and was named captain of the WAFL Colts' team of the year. He shows great composure whenever he gets the ball and is very poised off half back. Has a strong ability to read the play and showed that all year for the Colts with his rebound off the half-back line:" - Swan Districts football manager Matt Peach
WA rep 2008. All Australian 2008. From Noranda JFC.

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JARRAD REDDEN - ruckman, Eagles, SA.
DOB: 27/12/90 Hgt: 202cm Wt: 88kg
"Jarrad didn't go to the draft camp because he played in our reserves grand final but he did go to the state screehing. A very new ruckman who comes from a basketball background and had played very little football until this year. He's developing nicely as a ruckman but can go forward as well. Got solid skills for a player of his size:" - Eagles football manager Kym Ireland
SA rep 2008.

DANIEL RICH - midfielder, Subiaco, WA
 DOB: 7/6/90 Ht: 183cm Wt: 83kg
"Daniel played in the league side all year so I only coached him in half a dozen games in the Colts last season. He played senior footy in a quality side with a quality midfield that is classes above anything else in the competition and he more than held his own. He mixed and matched through the midfield and half forward but because he played with onballers like Phil Read, Mark Haines and Daniel Chick he wasn't thrown in there and expected to play every minute of every game of every week. Scott Watters (senior coach) made it a point to bring him along slowly and didn't throw him to the wolves. His greatest attributes are he's smart, he just knows where to go, he's very quick by hand, he knows when to give off, he knows when to bring others into the game and he can kick 60 metres on the fly - that's what sets him apart from any kid of his age. He's just got a thumping left foot. I put him up there with (Rhys) Palmer as a player but the difference between them is that Rich can kick the ball a long, long way and turn defences around with it. He's got a man's body with big hips and strong shoulders. His other great quality is that he's a great listener and a great learner. He knows what's ahead and he's very grounded" - Subiaco Colts coach Tim Gossage
WA rep 2007/08 All Australian 2007/08. AIS-AFL Academy graduate. From Sorrento Duncraig FC.

IAN RICHARDSON - medium forward, Claremont, WA.
DOB: 14/10/87 Ht: 180cm Wt: 75kg
"Ian played the whole year in the senior side after playing all oflast season in the reserves. He's a small forward who is very smart, is a beautiful kick of the ball, has agood work ethic and has very strong hands for a small fella. He won our best and fairest and the Simpson Medal for WA as a small forward:" - Claremont football manager Steve Calder

MITCH ROBINSON - midfielder, Tassie Mariners - Tas.
DOB: 7/6/89 Ht: 188cm Wt: 77kg
"Mitch is a terrific midfielder with a great footybrain and is a great ball carrier. He won the medal for Tasmania's best player at the national carnival, the coach's award and the best and fairest for division two. Played most of the season in the VFL for the Devils and finished high up in their best and fairest count. Very hard at it, a very penetrating kick, got food pace, can play tall- the complete package really:" - Tassie Mariners coach Andrew Mellor
Tas rep 2008. All Australian 2008. Hunter Harrison Medal for Div 2 best and fairest. From Lauderdale FC.

TOM ROCKLlFF - medium forward, Murray Bushrangers, Vic.
DOB: 22/2/90 Ht: 183cm Wt: 83kg
"Tom is an interesting one. He was the leading goalkicker in the TAC Cup with 59 goals and won our best and fairest. He's not big, not quick, not athletic, he hasn't got super endurance, he's just an absolute natural footballer who tends to see things half a second before others see them. In other words, he'll take himself to the right spot just a bit quicker than what others do and that's a gift. It's a natural thing you can't coach. He's a very good one-an-one contested mark at TAC Cup level, but atAFL level that will be more of a challenge for him. The typical small forward at AFL level these days usually has blistering speed, but Tommy hasn't got that speed so that will be the challenge for him. But, Tom always seems to find a way. Whenever he's been asked to step up, he did. He badly broke his ankle at under-16 level and he hasn't really been able to do a full pre­season. He kicked his three and four goals a game at the national carnival to underline his ability to rise to every challenge. He's as footy smart a boy as I've ever coached. " - Murray Bushrangers coach Phil Bunn
Vic Country rep 2008. From Benalla FC.

JORDAN ROUGHEAD - ruckman, North Ballarat, Vic.
DOB: 3/11/90 Ht: 199cm Wt: 87kg
"The cousin of Hawthorn's Jarryd but he is taller at nearly 200cm. Played ruck with us and also for Vic Country. He's the captain of his school and vice captain of the Rebels and is coming off an outstanding year. Did a fine job against Nicholas Naitanui when Vic Country beat WA, which is a real feather in his cap given the wraps on Naitanui. Did play forward for us a few times but because of his height a club will likely take him on as a ruck prospect down the track." - North Ballarat Rebels coach Chris Maple.
From Lake Wendouree FC.

RYAN SCHOENMAKERS - medium forward, Norwood, SA.
DOB: 8/11/90 Ht: 193cm Wt: 85kg
"Ryan's a tall forward at 193cm who kicks beautifully off both feet - you can't tell whether he's a left or right footer. Got a good motor as well which enables him to leap and present up as well. Played all year for us in the reserves apart from the national carnival and was discussed later in the year in the senior mix but didn't get a game. He won the repeated sprint test at the draft, which underlines his mobility, and did a 2.9 secs for the 20-metre sprint." - Norwood development manager David Oatey
SA rep 2008. From Tea Tree Gully FC.

ZACH SENGSTOCK - tall defender, Sandringham Dragons, Vic.
DOB: 31/7/89 Ht: 191cm Wt: 85kg
"He is the son of former Australian basketball representative Larry. He was one of our 19-year-olds who played in a premiership for Caulfield last year, he plays in a band, he makes films, takes his guitar to draft camp - a different sort of kid but very likeable and very popular among the playing group. His marking is his strength and he's very athletic. He appears to be bigger than he is. Listed as 191cm but you'd swear he's 194 or 195, but in saying that he looks more of a flanker than key position and that will depend on how he comes on. 1 think he was the best mark in tlie TAG Cup!" - Sandringham Dragons region manager Wayne Oswald

STEELE SIDEBOTTOM - medium defender, Murray Bushrangers, Vic.
DOB: 2/1/91 Ht: 182cmrWt: 79kg
"Well, what do you say? He's a super player who has great natural football instincts and is superb on both sides of his body. Can take a really good overhead mark, reads the play very well and would be an absolute sensational half back flanker. When he wasn't down back for us he was up forward or on a wing and I suppose his grand final was a real statement, wasn't it? (Sidebottom kicked 10 goals). As much as it was one out of the box, he showed what he is capable of doing and elevated himself from a late first-round, early second-round pick to possibly a top 10. He and Jack Ziebell could potentially play AFL footy next year:" -  Murray Bushrangers coach PhilBunn
Vic Country rep 2008. AIS-AFL graduate. All Australian 2008. From Congupna FC.

CHARLlE SHARPLES - medium forward, Darwin, NT.
DOB: 16/2/89 Ht: 180cm Wt: 74kg
"Charlie didn't get to the draft camp because he was playing in the SANFL reserves grand final for Sturt. Had a great season because he played some senior footy for Sturt, for Northern Territory in the under ­18s and also for the SANFL team that beat Victoria. He is a small forward who can play midfield and he's got pretty good pace. One of his best attributes is that he will run and chase blokes down and AFL clubs like that in a small forward. I reckon he is just as good as Cameron Stokes and he played plenty of senior footy for Hawthorn this year. He might not be as skilled as someone like Cyril Rioli but he's got a bit of grunt and mongrel in him. He likes to use his body and he likes the physical stuff:" - AFL/NT game development manager Jarrod Chipperfield

JAMIE SHEAHAN - midfielder, Murray Bushrangers, Vic.
DOB: 11/8/90 Ht: 178cm Wt: 73kg
"We only had Jamie for seven or eight games because of his school commitments (he captained Assumption College to its Herald Sun Shield win) and he had a fantastic year for them. He played the first three or four games with us and was pretty good, but then having missed a big patch of games in the middle because of school, when he came back it took him time to get back into sync with our kids. Then he got injured and didn't play in the preliminary final after being really poor in the first final. We had a big decision to make whether to bring him back in for the grand final, but we did and he played a solid game. A small forward who goes through the midfield and knows where the goals are. Has good pace without being Brent Harvey quick, but needs to work on his kicking and his accountability. He's probably played a lot of footy as the main man and when it comes down to being accountable he needs to work on it. He seems to one they are all interested in:" - Murray Bushrangers coach Phil Bunn
Vic Country rep 2008. From Mansfield FC.

LUKE SHUEY - midflelder, Oakleigh Chargers, Vic.
DOB: 2/6/90 Ht: 185cm Wt: 84kg
"Luke's another one who combines school footy with TAC Cup footy and had a fantastic under-18 championships where he was named Vic Metro's best player. Plays onball, is a hard working player who is a very good athlete. Kicks the ball well with his right foot and was top 10 at the draft camp for pace, agility and endurance. A really good all-round athlete and importantly he's a really good team player. Very popular among his peers both at the Chargers and for Vic Metro this year:" - Oakleigh Chargers region manager Stephen Canole
Vic Metro rep 2008. From Marcellin College.

CASEY SIBOSADO - Tall defender, Oakleigh Chargers/Northern Territory, Thunder.
 DOB: 13/10/90 Ht: 191cm Wt: 85kg
"Casey's a tall boy who originally hails from Broome but was boarding at Xavier College the past couple of years. He played national championships footy for Northern Territory this year and did well. Plays predominantly as a tall marking forward but could also play back. Kicked five goals against the Murray Bushrangers in Round 19, which was easily his best game for the season. Very quick and a beautiful kick of the footy:" - Oakleigh Chargers region manager Stephen Conole
NT rep 2008. From Xavier College.

TOM SIMPKIN - tall defender, Geelong Falcons, Vic.
DOB: 7/8/90 Ht: 190cm Wt: 81kg
"He's the brother of Jonathan (formerly at Sydney) but is much taller and can play both in defence or on a wing. A strong draft chance because of his versatility. Played every game for Vic Country this year and did well. He's struggled with shin splints all year but there is a lot of development in him:" - Geelong Falcons region manager Michael Turner
Vic Country rep 2008. From Colac FC.

TYSON SLATIERY -  medium defender, West Adelaide,  SA.
DOB: 3/12/90 Ht: 189cm Wt: 81kg
"Tyson is the son of Wayne (St Kilda, 1982, 11 games) and is a very versatile sort of player. He's a fantastic athlete who started the year in the under-19s and ended up playing five senior games across halfback and pushing up to a wing. Just supremely fit, runs beautifully, can take a nice mark and importantly is a quality young man. Needs to work on his kicking, especially when he's running at full speed:" - West Adelaide development manager Simon Hughes
SA rep 2007/08.

RORY SLOANE - medium defender, Eastern Ranges, Vic.
DOB: 17/3/90 Ht: 182cm Wt: 76kg
"Rory won our best and fairest and had an excellent year including playing every game for Vic Metro. He's a midfielder who is just an all-round good player, His special thing is his kicking, which is just superb, and he's also an exceptional competitor. Got good pace and is very good one-on-one. He just wins contests basically:" - Eastern Ranges region manager Ian Flack
Vic Metro rep 2008. From Upwey-Tecoma FC.

ALlSTAIR SMITH - midfielder, Perth, WA.
DOB: 8/8/90 Ht: 183cm Wt: 80kg
"Ally is one of.the quickest kids in the country over 20 metres with a 2.79 sec for the distance, the quickest in the state. He's also run a 16.1 beep test for us so he can go all day - a great athlete. Had an injury interrupted season (quad and groin) and only played six games of Colts footy and a few state games. Plays in the midfield, and is a highly skilled player. Apart from his athletic ability his other great asset is his ball winning ability:" - Perth Colts coach Damian McMahon
WA rep 2008. From Northam FC.

ASHLEY SMITH - medium defender, Dandenong Stingrays, Vic.
DOB: 20/6/90 Ht: 185cm Wt: 84kg
"Ash is a half back/midfielder who is a quick and rebounds very well. I was talking to the Roos recruiting manager recently and I described him as a David King type of player with the way he runs and creates from defence. He's just got a good sized frame, he's got a lot of power and he's a real straight­ahead sort of player. Kicks the ball well and boasts a penetrating burst of speed. Had a reasonable year for us and played state footy but was slightly hampered by a groin problem. When he was fit in the opening three games of the year he was our best player twice:" - Dandenong Stingrays coach Graeme Yeats
Vic Metro rep 2008. From Berwick FC

RHYS STANLEY - ruckman, West Adelaide, SA.
DOB: 1/12/90 Ht: 200cm Wt: 84kg
"Rhys cam down to us full-time this year after moving from outside of Adelaide after playing only one game for us in 2007. Started in the under 19s and ended up playing two senior games late in the year. At 200cm he's a big lad and he has started to bulk up this year despite having late season surgery. Can run and chase, he's got some pace and some of his highlights this year were running down players' and laying tackles, which is great to see from a big bloke. Can take a good pack mark and there is a lot to work with there in terms of being a mobile ruckman:" - West Adelaide development manager Simon Hughes
SA rep 2008. From Southern Eagles FC

JAMES STRAUSS - midfielder, Oakleigh Chargers, Vic.   .
DOB: 14/6/90 Ht: 185cm Wt: 81kg
"James will be a very good AFL player. Plays onball, plays half back and even went forward andJicked goals at times as a small forward. A versatile player who has played everywhere over the years. He's got a very good rounded game, he's a good athlete, he's a good decision maker, kicks the ball beautifully and he's very strong over the footy:" - Oakleigh Chargers region manager Stephen Conole
Vic Metro rep 2008. From Scotch College.

NICK SUBAN - midfielder, North Ballarat, Vic.
DOB: 9/5/90 Ht: 179cm Wt: 82kg
"Nick's been an All-Australian two years in a row and was captain of Vic Country and the Rebels. He's a competitive player who is very good at one-­on-ones. He's a beautiful left foot kick who plays in the midfield but can also go back and do a job. During the carnival he did a great job in defence on the Western Australian kid Chris Yarran. He's a very hard player who showed great leadership this year - that was one area of huge improvement for in 2008. There's been a lot of interest in Nick:" - North Ballarat Rebels coach Chris Maple.
Vic Country rep 2008. All Australian 2007/08. From Bacchus Marsh FC

TOM SWIFT - midfielder, Claremont,  WA.
DOB: 6/7/90  Ht: 190cm  Wt: 84kg   
"Tommy's had a very interrupted year because of injury and he played only a few Colts games earlier in the season. Did a knee during one of the state trial games (didn't require a full reco) but it ruled him out for the rest of the year. He did the same thing last year so he hasn't had much hick. Went to the draft camp and tested well so everyone is confident he is over all his injuries now:" - Claremont football manager Steve Calder
AIS-AFL Academy graduate. From Swanbourne FC.

[one-eyed]

CALEB TILLER - medium forward, Murray Bushrangers, Vic.
DOB: 6/2/91 Ht: 187cm Wt: 77kg
"Personally I don't think Caleb is ready but he might get taken because of the Gold Coast situation in coming drafts. A tall forward who didn't get a game for us until about Round 4 but he had some real impact at times. He's got some areas he needs to work on, including being a bit stronger in the contest. He's a good overhead mark and he's a lovely set shot at goal but at the same time his general field kicking needs to improve - he often kicks the ball too high which happened a lot during the TAC Cup grand final. But he's athletic and there is something definitely there but I don't think he's ready for an AFL environment yet." - Murray Bushrangers coach Phil Bunn
Vic Country rep 2008. From Thornton FC.

JACKSON TRENGROVE - tall forward, Calder Cannons, Vic.­
DOB: 1/11/90 Ht: 196cm Wt: 77kg
"Jackson played only one game for the Calder Cannons this year because of school footy and injury but last year he played very well in the final series as a bottom-age player. He's a key-position player who is very aggressive, loves a challenge and contest and he's a fierce competitor. Very athletic for his size and has just got a bit of charisma about him that makes him a very popular figure around the place. He's very sure about his football abilities, not in an arrogant way, but in a confident, capable and very articulate fashion. He's the sort of player, who, if he got drafted to an AFL dub and they were playing the reigning premiers Hawthorn, he'd put his hand up to play on Lance Franklin and want that challenge. He's always looking to challenge himself. Jackson played very well in the first game for Vic Metro but unfortunately got injured in a training mishap and didn't way again for the rest of the season. He had a knee injury that wasn't a full reconstruction but he had surgery and they also found a bit of a problem with his hamstring. As a result he sat out of the draft camp because he just didn't have the fitness:" - Calder Cannons region manager Martin Stillman
AIS-AFL Academy graduate. Vie Metro rep 2008. From PEGS.

ADAM VARCOE - medium forward, Central Districts, SA.
DOB: 31/12/90 Ht: 184cm Wt: 64kg
"Adam plays a similar game to his brother Travis at Geelong. He injured his knee during the pre­season and had a knee reconstruction at the start of the year. Despite that he's come a long way in the past few years. He's a wiry type with good pace and importantly is a good finisher. During the state under-18s trials early in the year he played some very good footy and made some huge improvements:" ­Central Districts development manager Scott Stevens

TYRONE VICKERY - ruckman, Sandringham Dragons, Vic.
DOB: 31/5/90 Ht: 200cm Wt: 86kg
"He's exceptional. I'm sure Melbourne will have contemplated him as the No. 1 pick and if he doesn't go then, he'll go very high. Given what sides need, he could conceivably get through to Richmond but you never know what might happen. He's athletic, he's a good decision maker and he rarely turns the ball over. Right now I think he is a ruckman but that's not to say he can't be something else later on. He could well go forward and if he was a little taller then you could well be talking a Paul Salmon type:" - Sandringham Dragons region manager Wayne Oswald.
Vic Metro rep 2008. All Australian 2008. AIS-­AFL Academy graduate. From Haileybury College.

MICHAEL WALTERS - midflelder, Swan Districts, WA.
DOB: 7/1/91 Ht: 177 cm Ht: 75kg
"Michael came off the state under-18s championships and went into our senior side and did very well late in the year. Finished the year in the Colts side and played in the premiership. Played virtually all year through the middle of the ground and across half forward and he's got one of the best football. brains you could imagine. Unbelievable skills by foot:" - Swan Districts football manager Matt Peach.
AIS-AFL Academy graduate. WA rep 2008. From Midvale FC.

JACK WATTS - tall forward, Sandringham Dragons, Vic.
DOB: 26/3/91 Ht: 194cm Wt: 85kg
"Jack is just an exceptional player. It's hard to find an area he is isn't good at. He's an enormous reader of the game and,makes good decisions in no times whatsoever. Type of player who no-one can lay a hand on and has the ability to work in a phone box. Any cliche you care to come up with applies to Jack. If Melbourne was to take him with the No. 1 pick then they hopefully wouldn't allow the pressure of fans and whoever else to ruin a marquee player. I think if they are exceptionally patient then they will be repaid in spades. He's only 17 and has only played school footy. He's played more basketball than football. The one condition a side like Melbourne might have if they take him is that he doesn't play school football and he plays VFL next season. He blew the draft camp away with his testing. To watch him on the training track, we could nearly have charged to watch him train. Some of the thing he does in close in handball drills and the like - he dances. There is massive upside to a kid who played basketball up until this year but I think he might be up to playing next year but completing his VCE will take precedence over that:" - Sandringham Dragons region manager Wayne Oswald.
Vic Metro rep 2008. Larke Medal. All Australian 2008. AIS-AFL Academy graduate. From Brighton Grammar.

SAM WRIGHT - medium forward, Murray Bushrangers, Vic.
DOB: 1Sn/90 Ht: 188cm Ht: 76kg
"Sam's I think elevated his draft position in the back half of the year. Came into the team halfway through last year solely as aEorward and this year started as a forward and then played the last eight games as a half-back flanker. I just felt he needed to develop his footy and have more strings to his bow other than just being a forward. He became a fantastic defender and hopefully that's helped his cause a fair bit. Reads the play very well, has real natural football instincts, is a quiet, reserved sort of kid but I reckon he is a perfect running halfback at AFL lever:" - Murray Bushrangers coach Phil Bunn.
From Katamatite FC.

CHRIS YARRAN - medium forward, Swan District, WA.
DOB: 19/12/90 Ht: 180cm Wt: 84kg
"Chris is a really exciting player who knows where the goals are and knows how to find the footy. Has all the tricks you could imagine and played all over the ground for us but predominantly spent a lot of time up forward where he kicked plenty of bags. When he went into the middle he did some excitIng things and I think a lot of clubs think they are a chance to get him somewhere in the top 20:" - Swan Districts football manager Matt Peach.
WA rep 2008. AIS-AFL Academy graduate. From Midvale JFC.

WILL YOUNG - tall forward, North Ballarat, Vic.
DOB: 3/8/90 Ht: 192cm Wt: 83kg
"Will hadn't played footy for two years because of a stress fracture in his back from cricket then he went over to America on an exchange and played gridiron and basketball. Played really well for us and Vic Country. Plays key forward and back but at AFL level he is quick enough to play as a flanker. A really courageous player who some say might go top 20 and others have said later:" - North Ballarat Rebels coach Chris Maple.
Vic Country rep 2008. From North Ballarat JFC.

­DAVID ZAHARKIS - midfielder, Northern Knights, Vic.
DOB: 21/2/90 Ht: 180cm Wt: 73kg.
"David played onball this year and he was a co-­captain of Vic Metro. He's a very quick player with great agility who uses the ball very well. Apart from his footy David has great leadership skills and would bring great character to a footy club. An exciting prospect who unfortunately didn't participate in the draft camp because of a bout of glandular fever:" - Northern Knights coach Paul Satterley.
Vic Metro rep 2008. All Australian 2008. From Marcellin College.

JACK ZIEBELL - midfielder, Murray Bushrangers, Vic.
DOB: 28/2/91 Ht: 188cm Wt: 84kg
"Jack's been a star since he was 14 or 15. He played the last six weeks of the year with a banged up knee (an injury sustained during the national carnival) so he hardly trained at all towards the end of the year but got through on class alone. A well balanced player who is a strong penetrating kick and can take a strong contested mark. Not super quick, not super athletic, hasn't got a super motor, but is very strong, loves the physicality of the game and doesn't mind crashing into blokes. Jack is the sort of kid that to me who will get reported a few times over his AFL career because he is so hard. He's not silly in terms of whacking blokes but he pushes the boundaries a bit, which will get him into strife now and then. In a year when our kids were starting to get a bit tired, Jack almost single handedly became our main focal point and got us over the line a few times with five and six­goal efforts." - Murray Bushrangers coach Phil Bunn
Vic Country rep 2008. AlS-AFL Academy graduate. From Wodonga FC.