How they should fall1. GOLD COAST - David Swallow
Height: 186cm
Weight: 83kg
DOB: 19/11/92
Club: East Fremantle (WA)
Draft range: 1
The Suns showed their hand when they persuaded Swallow to join their program a year early, having guaranteed his selection in the top three in the 2010 draft. The midfielder excelled to the extent that he finished fourth in the VFL's Liston Trophy. He's got endurance, speed, toughness and skill on both sides. There really does seem no limit to what he could do.
2. GOLD COAST - Harley Bennell
Height: 185cm
Weight: 74kg
DOB: 02/10/92
Club: Peel Thunder (WA)
Draft range: 2-3
Bennell has that rare quality of being able to read the ball off a pack several seconds before all around him. With his pace and vision, he also has the ability to bring spectators forward in their seats, in the same way that crowds sat up whenever Gary Ablett went near the ball during his teenage years. Expect to be delighted.
3. GOLD COAST - Sam Day
Height: 196cm
Weight: 96kg
DOB: 06/09/92
Club: Sturt (SA)
Draft range: 2-3
Day has height, spring, marking ability, goalkicking ability and he's of sound character. If not for footy, he could have pursued a professional baseball or basketball career in the US. He's never dominated a game for four quarters, but then footy's always been a lark to him. Rapid improvement should follow when he knuckles down.
4. WEST COAST - Andrew Gaff
Height: 182cm
Weight: 78kg
DOB: 16/06/92
Club: Oakleigh Chargers (Vic)
Draft range: 4-5
Gaff is not so much an excitement machine as he is an accumulator who finds and distributes the ball from the first minute to the last. He won the three-kilometre race at the draft combine in 10 minutes and finished equal second in the beep test with 15.3. He's not flashy; he's just effective. You see 200, or even 300 no-fuss games written all over him.
5. BRISBANE LIONS - Dyson Heppell
Height: 189cm
Weight: 80kg
DOB: 14/05/92
Club: Gippsland Power (Vic)
Draft range: 5-6
Heppell went from being a lolloping half-back halfway through the season to the most dynamic midfielder in the TAC Cup before the season was out. His range of abilities was shown at the combine when he ran 14.3 in the beep test, finished second in the clean-hands test, and excelled in the standing vertical jump. The Lions are said to be wavering but should take him.
6. RICHMOND - Jared PolecHeight: 189cm
Weight: 80kg
DOB: 12/10/92
Club: Woodville-West Torrens (SA)
Draft range: 5-6
The silky wingman has the ability to burst clear of a pack before spotting up a teammate or kicking a long left-foot goal. His two seasons of senior footy in the SANFL have included two finals series in which he excelled. His otherwise inconsistent form suggests he needs a challenge. Richmond has a history of offering those.
7. GOLD COAST - Josh Caddy
Height: 186cm
Weight: 82kg
DOB: 28/09/92
Club: Northern Knights (Vic)
Draft range: 7-8
Given the Suns' list is choc-a-block with fast, outside midfielders, Caddy offers the perfect antidote with his bulldozing work around stoppages. He won the clean-hands contest at the draft combine and finished in the top 10 in the three-kilometre run, mainly through grit rather than an abundance of slow-twitch muscle fibres. It's the grit that wins admirers.
8. ESSENDON - Shaun Atley
Height: 189cm
Weight: 81kg
DOB: 13/09/92
Club: Murray Bushrangers (Vic)
Draft range: 7-9
The Bombers need fast, top-line midfielders and Atley fits the bill. He wins the ball inside and outside. His attitude is superb. You imagine he'll benefit from living near Windy Hill rather than driving five hours from his home in Corryong to fulfil representative duties in Melbourne, as he's done during his junior years.
9. GOLD COAST - Dion Prestia
Height: 175cm
Weight: 82kg
DOB: 12/10/92
Club: Calder Cannons (Vic)
Draft range: 9-12
It's been noticeable in junior matches that Prestia clears the heads of leading forwards who underestimate his kicking strength. His ability to scoot away from congestion is also obvious. Prestia offers pace and drive, inside and outside. The only doubt is hamstring injuries, which should be ironed out through more targeted training regimes and the medical facilities at the Suns.
10. GOLD COAST - Tom Lynch
Height: 199cm
Weight: 91kg
DOB: 31/10/92
Club: Dandenong Stingrays (Vic)
Draft range: 9-12
Last year Lynch played as a midfielder in the under-18s at Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. This year he's the draft's biggest bolter after finding his feet as a key forward midway through the season with the Vic Country team. He's not fast; in fact he's slow. But he can run all day and he can mark and kick goals. There's oodles of development in him.
11. GOLD COAST - Seb Tape
Height: 191cm
Weight: 81kg
DOB: 06/08/92
Club: Glenelg (SA)
Draft range: 9-14
Tape is a negating defender. Under normal circumstances he would be lucky to go so high, but the Suns have early picks to play with, and it makes sense to round out the bevy of midfielders and ruckmen with a player who'll cut out the opposition's best forward. Tape's only senior game in the SANFL, when he was Glenelg's best in a final, impressed many.
12. MELBOURNE - Daniel Gorringe
Height: 200cm
Weight: 88kg
DOB: 02/06/92
Club: Norwood (SA)
Draft range: 9-14
If Gorringe gets through to 12, the Demons have a bargain. His ability to find teammates with deft tap work is his trademark. He can also go forward. He's played senior footy in the SANFL and you imagine he'll adapt to the AFL quicker than most young ruckmen. Was tipped to be top 10 all year, but the cards have fallen differently.
13. GOLD COAST - Jayden Pitt
Height: 188cm
Weight: 70kg
DOB: 07/10/92
Club: Geelong/St Albans (Vic)
Draft range: 12-20
Pitt dropped away late in the season, when his slight body gave out after a gruelling schedule, but the Suns' recruiting boss Scott Clayton loves his pinpoint kicking and his ability to avoid trouble. His star rose early in the under-18 championships. It'll rise again.
14. ADELAIDE - Brodie Smith
Height: 189cm
Weight: 78kg
DOB: 14/01/92
Club: Woodville-West Torrens (SA)
Draft range: 12-20
After drafting key position players in recent seasons, the Crows are ready to acquire elite midfielders who show leadership skills. Smith strikes as just the player. He's a midfielder or half-back who runs 20 and kicks 50. He's quiet; he gets things done. It's a style that would appeal to Neil Craig.
15. GEELONG - Billie Smedts
Height: 189cm
Weight: 76kg
DOB: 08/06/92
Club: Geelong Falcons (Vic)
Draft range: 12-20
The Cats have been strongly linked with Isaac Smith but look likely to go for Smedts despite his injury-interrupted season. Smedts finished first in the agility test at the draft combine. Mostly he offers versatility (half-forward, half-back and midfield) as well as a competitive edge. Several clubs with picks in the teens have been linked with him.
16. PORT ADELAIDE - Scott Lycett
Height: 202cm
Weight: 98kg
DOB: 26/09/92
Club: Port Adelaide Magpies (SA)
Draft range: 15-25
Sometimes the best selections are under your nose. Lycett broke into senior ranks at the Port Magpies this season, having left his hometown on South Australia's far west coast to concentrate on footy in Adelaide. He showed a strong nerve and willingness to compete. They're very Port Adelaide qualities.
17. NORTH MELBOURNE - Isaac Smith
Height: 187cm
Weight: 75kg
DOB: 30/12/88
Club: North Ballarat Roosters (Vic)
Draft range: 15-25
Smith is a 21-year-old stringbean wingman with untapped ability. He started 2010 with Ballarat league club Redan and ended it a member of North Ballarat's VFL premiership team. North has plenty of in-and-under midfielders with grunt. They need a midfielder with pace and class.
18. CARLTON - Matthew Watson
Height: 195cm
Weight: 101kg
DOB: 16/07/92
Club: Calder Cannons (Vic)
Draft range: 15-30
The Blues have a glaring weakness in key defenders and Watson is the best-credentialled player in the draft to fill the breach. Unlike Michael Jamison, who struggles to get the ball, Watson is adept at winning the ball and kicking it 60 metres to position. He has a knack of beating the best opponents by nudging them out with his heavy frame.
19. HAWTHORN - Jed Lamb
Height: 181cm
Weight: 79kg
DOB: 19/10/92
Club: Gippsland Power (Vic)
Draft range: 15-25
Lamb is a natural forward who's also able to pick up his share of kicks on a wing. In years to come, he'll play in the centre square. He's got a touch of magic and a dash of cheek. He won the kicking drill at the draft combine. There's a lot to like.
20. FREMANTLE - Reece Conca
Height: 185cm
Weight: 79kg
DOB: 12/08/92
Club: Perth (WA)
Draft range: 15-25
Conca has this week been linked to Richmond at six but he seems more likely to be a late first-round pick. He was unable to test in running events at the combine because he was on crutches; spurs had been removed from his ankle. But he excelled at the one test he was able to do: the reflexes test. He's level-headed and ready to go. In these strange times, they're very Freo traits.
21. SYDNEY SWANS - Ben Jacobs
Height: 186cm
Weight: 82kg
DOB: 09/01/92
Club: Sandringham Dragons (Vic)
Draft range: 10-30
Jacobs strikes as a half-back with the ability to go forward or into the midfield. He's had sprint coaching to round out a set of qualities that starts with footy smarts. He sets up play. He could go higher, say to Hawthorn at 19, and it wouldn't surprise.
22. WESTERN BULLDOGS - Mitch Wallis (father-son)
Height: 185cm
Weight: 80kg
DOB: 24/10/92
Club: Calder Cannons (Vic)
Draft range: 22
The father-son pick earned an elephant stamp of the highest order when he claimed 47 possessions in the TAC Cup grand final and won the medal for best on ground. His performance preceded those of Dale Thomas and Steele Sidebottom in this year's AFL grand finals. Thomas (2005) and Sidebottom (2008) were named best on ground in their TAC Cup grand finals, so Wallis is in good company.
23. GEELONG - Pat McCarthy
Height: 196cm
Weight: 84kg
DOB: 11/03/92
Club: Glenelg (SA)
Draft range: 15-35
Tall utility who can take a mark and hare downfield. Height enables him to play on tall opponents, but he's also handy on smaller opponents. Sees himself as a forward or back but he seems best suited to playing as the third defender. The Cats like his leadership potential.
24. ST KILDA - Cameron Guthrie
Height: 186cm
Weight: 79kg
DOB: 19/08/92
Club: Calder Cannons (Vic)
Draft range: 15-35
Tough-minded player who's clearly the best midfield stopper in the draft, as he showed against quality opponents in the under-18 championships and when he shut out Dyson Heppell in the TAC Cup grand final. He's got pace, which is a Saints requirement for this pick, and he can kick goals when thrown forward. Essendon would love him to fall to 31 but it's not likely to happen.
25. BRISBANE LIONS - Kieran Harper
Height: 187cm
Weight: 80kg
DOB: 15/06/92
Club: Eastern Ranges (Vic)
Draft range: 15-35
Supremely talented utility with a big leap and speed who's prone to inconsistency. His testing confirmed his physical capabilities, especially in the vertical jump events. He also finished third in the repeat sprint. The best indication of his ability was his four superb goals with Vic Metro in the final game of the under-18 championships.
26. WEST COAST - Jack Darling (priority)
Height: 191cm
Weight: 87kg
DOB: 16/06/92
Club: West Perth (WA)
Draft range: 15-30
Darling is the most intriguing prospect in the draft. He has the talent to go higher, perhaps to Carlton at 18, but the limited development in his mannish frame and his penchant for landing in trouble are likely to see him fall in the 20s. The Eagles, at the end of the first round, would snap up a WA boy with massive competitive drive.
27. NORTH MELBOURNE - Lucas Cook (compensation)
Height: 196cm
Weight: 81kg
DOB: 03/03/92
Club: North Ballarat Rebels (Vic)
Draft range: 25-35
Key forward with a clean pair of hands whose endurance was indicated by his top-10 finish (10.34) in the three-kilometre time-trial at the combine. He also finished in the top 10 in the kicking drill. Cook would have been a monty for the top 20 before his form fell away in the second half of the under-18 championships. He'll build up and become more durable.
28. BRISBANE LIONS - Jamie Cripps
Height: 183cm
Weight: 75kg
DOB: 23/04/92
Club: East Fremantle (WA)
Draft range: 20-35
Exciting half-back who might go higher, say to Freo at 20. Cripps' ability was exemplified by his five goals in a senior game for East Fremantle. By the end of the season, he was in the Sharks' best three players. His running goal in East Freo's only final, when he bounced the ball from half-back before kicking from outside 50, was among the highlights of the WAFL season.
29. WEST COAST - Kirk Ugle
Height: 171cm
Weight: 69kg
DOB: 06/05/92
Club: Swan Districts (WA)
Draft range: 25-40
Small forward who spent most of the 2010 season with Carey Park in Bunbury in south-west WA, where he once kicked seven goals from eight kicks on a wing. Played four colts games with Swan Districts and was best on ground in three. Short but dynamic. Superb left foot.
30. RICHMOND - Mitch HallahanHeight: 184cm
Weight: 81kg
DOB: 23/08/92
Club: Dandenong Stingrays (Vic)
Draft range: 20-35
Vic Country captain who showed his toughness by playing the entire 2010 season with an injured ankle. Known for boring into packs, Hallahan's reputation for ruggedness is enhanced by his status as a junior boxing champion. The only criticism - and it's minor - is that he's not got one outstanding trait, just a lot of excellent ones.
47. RICHMOND - Arryn SipossHeight: 188cm
Weight: 82kg
DOB: 25/11/92
Club: Dandenong Stingrays (Vic)
Draft range: 40-60
Strong-marking and smart-moving forward who could play third-string in attack. Not known to be the hardest worker on a footy field, but his talent has ensured interest from a range of clubs.
51. RICHMOND - Justin MonacoHeight: 192cm
Weight: 86kg
DOB: 07/11/92
Club: East Fremantle (WA)
Draft range: 40-60
Powerful defender who works hard to spoil his opponent and rebound. Played good footy with East Freo reserves and almost cracked a senior game.
63. RICHMOND - Ariel SteinbergHeight: 191cm
Weight: 83kg
DOB: 26/08/92
Club: Bendigo Pioneers (Vic)
Draft range: 35-65
Jack-in-a-box full-forward whose testing at the combine suggested a large motor with midfield capabilities. (Like Cameron Ling without red hair.) Steinberg last year played American football while his family was on exchange in Canada, and he began this season playing for Mildura Imperials in Victoria's Sunraysia League. Selection here would round out a fairytale.
79. RICHMOND - David Gourdis (promoted rookie)http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/105263/default.aspx
