The HeraldSun's mock draft has us selecting Jake Buller and Rye Penny.
AFL Mid-Season Mock Draft 2023: See who your club could takeHow will the mid-season draft play out? Our draft experts have played the role of club recruiters and taken every pick live. Check out every pick and watch the full video.
Dan Batten and Chris Cavanagh
HeraldSun
May 30, 2023 - 2:23PM1. West Coast – Ryan Maric (Gippsland Power)Medium Forward, 193cm, 18
Chris Cavanagh says: It’s hard to see the Eagles passing over Maric at pick 1. He’s widely regarded as the best talent in the pool and has shone brightly stepping up to VFL level with Box Hill over the past couple of weeks. At 193cm, Maric is more of that third-tall forward than a commanding key forward, but he’s got a beautiful kick and works hard leading up to the wings. He looks up to Melbourne’s Bailey Fristch and Geelong’s Jeremy Cameron, if you can picture a mix of those two players. Remarkably, Maric has dropped 24kg in less than three years so he has worked hard to earn his AFL opportunity.
2. North Melbourne - James Trezise (Richmond VFL)Defender, 188cm, 20
Dan says: Rival clubs have linked Trezise to North Melbourne and he would bring a promising mix of attacking and defensive traits to the Roos, who need some young stoppers and interceptors in defence. After slotting 26 goals from 20 games for Tooradin-Dalmore in the West Gippsland League last year, Trezise has been turned into a defender for Richmond’s VFL side and has shone, averaging 16 disposals, 5.4 intercepts and 4.9 tackles. Trezise is well rounded as a defender - he has good closing speed, a good leap and reads the play well. His breakout game came a fortnight ago in the VFL, where he finished with 29 disposals, 12 intercepts, 10 marks and 158 SuperCoach ranking points against Geelong.
3. Hawthorn – Ethan Stanley (Box Hill Hawks)Forward/Wing, 188cm, 19
Chris says: It didn’t take long for the Hawks to realise they might have found a player after Stanley joined Box Hill from Frankston YCW’s under-19s over the off-season. He’s a wingman or half-forward who hadn’t caught the eye of the Dandenong Stingrays as a junior but has versatility, a powerful kick, explosive speed and a great vertical leap. Stanley impressed in both of the Young Guns matches earlier this month and has averaged 13.7 disposals, 4.7 score involvements and a goal a game across his six VFL games for Box Hill this season. So he’s one that’s jumped out of nowhere but certainly has a lot of upside and he doesn’t turn 20 until November so he can come through with the rest of Hawthorn’s young group.
4. Richmond - Jack Buller (Claremont)Key forward, 199cm, 22
Dan says: The Tigers would be thinking of life after Jack Riewoldt and with pre-season rookie pick Kaelan Bradtke a developing type and Samson Ryan still raw, Buller shapes as a prospect who can be called on from the get-go. Buller, who turned 22 this month, had a breakout game earlier in the year where he finished with 22 disposals, 14 marks (five of those contested), 10 score involvements and four goals. Buller is athletic, ultra-competitive, has great hands overhead and has improved his tank, allowing him to be used in the ruck to great effect.
5. GWS – Clay Tucker (Eastern Ranges)Ruck/Forward, 204cm, 18
Chris says: He’s a towering tall at 204cm who has also had interest from North Melbourne and Hawthorn, but expect the Giants to snap up Tucker if he slips through to pick 5. He covers the ground well with his mobility and agility and has good ruck craft. He’s also shown an ability to go forward and hit the scoreboard at stages this year. Tucker’s spent time training with Hawthorn in recent weeks and particularly caught the eye in the second Young Guns game against Vic Country at Ikon Park earlier this month. He gathered 13 disposals, 14 hitouts and kicked two goals that day. So he’s certainly a promising young tall who is still just 18 years old.
6. Sydney - Oscar McDonald (Williamstown VFL)Key defender, 196cm, 26
Dan says: The Swans key defensive stocks have been decimated by injury this season – with Callum Mills and Nick Blakey forced to play on hulking key forwards at times - and former Blue and Demon Oscar McDonald can provide some immediate relief. McDonald struggled with back issues in his last two year’s with Carlton and told the Herald Sun last week he was “devastated” to be delisted at the end of last year. But after undergoing surgery, the 26-year-old has shone for Williamstown in the VFL this year, averaging 8.9 intercept possessions and four intercept marks per game. Sydney has been strongly linked to the 196cm defender with uncertainty surrounding the future of Paddy McCartin.
7. Geelong – Sam Naismith (Port Melbourne)Ruck, 205cm, 30
Chris says: This would be a remarkable story. Naismith previously played 30 games in nine years for Sydney before being delisted at the end of last year. Now just weeks shy of his 31st birthday, he is eyeing off a second chance. He’s had three knee reconstructions, the most recent being in 2021. But he hasn’t missed a beat for Port Melbourne in the VFL this season and has been the competition’s best performed ruckman. We know that Geelong has long lacked a dominant No.1 ruckman and with the reigning premiers still very much in contention, this could be a clever play for the second half of the season.
8. Fremantle - Robert Hansen (Subiaco)Small forward, 180cm, 19
Dan says: If he makes it this far, the smooth-moving Hansen would be a handy pick-up for the Dockers, who have shown interest in the clever small forward. Hansen Jr makes good decisions with ball in hand, is clean at ground level and has a burst of speed. After being overlooked in last year’s draft, the 19-year-old was elevated to Subiaco’s senior side after just one game in the reserves and he was among 12 players to undergo official medical testing - a sign of his interest.
9. Essendon – Jaiden Hunter (Perth)Forward, 196cm, 21
Chris says: Could this apprentice electrician provide an added spark to the Essendon forward line? The West Australian has had a horror run with injury in recent years, since originally being overlooked in his draft year in 2020. An elbow injury prematurely ended his 2021 season and he went on to rupture his ACL during a practice match at the start of last year, wiping out his entire 2022 campaign. But since he kicked four goals for Perth in the WAFL Reserves in Round 1 and has kicked 11 goals across the past three weeks in the seniors to really capture the attention of clubs. A five-goal haul against South Fremantle last weekend would have done his mid-season draft hopes no harm at all.
10. Western Bulldogs - Marty Hore (Williamstown)Medium defender, 190cm, 27
Dan says: We considered Footscray recruit and former Pie Caleb Poulter here but Hore, 27, has arguably been the best defender in the VFL this year - averaging a whopping 5.6 intercept marks per game and 10.4 intercept possessions. In his last match for Williamstown, was an intercept force, clunking 10 intercept marks and picking off 17 intercepts against Carlton’s VFL side on the way to 156 SuperCoach ranking points. Hore played 14 games in a promising debut season for the Demons as a mature-age recruit in 2019, but two injury-riddled seasons followed, which led to him being delisted at the end of 2021. The Bulldogs are among the clubs to show interest in the intercept defender and he can help bolster their sometimes leaky defence.
11. Port Adelaide – Noah Casalini (North Adelaide)Forward, 191cm, 21
Chris says: The Power are not certain to use a pick here, but one they might be looking at if they do is North Adelaide’s Noah Casalini. He’s the top mid-season draft prospect out of South Australia and he is another player who did his chances no harm last weekend. He actually played against Port Adelaide’s SANFL side and had 16 disposals, 10 score involvements and kicked five goals. He’s quite athletic, has good speed and a nice leap. He’s been a little bit up and down this year, but also kicked six goals in a best-on-ground performance against Norwood on Anzac Day. So there’s a bit to work with.
12. Hawthorn – Brandon Ryan (Northern Bullants)Forward, 200cm, 25
Chris says: Ryan was on North Melbourne’s VFL list a few years back but didn’t have a good run at it as he suffered some knee and ankle injuries. He was playing for Maribyrnong Park in the Essendon District Football League last year, where he kicked 38 goals in 17 games. But he’s bolted into contention after a good start to the VFL season with the Bullants, where he’s been kicking goals most weeks. He’s a nice left-foot kick and is quite athletic. He’s also the cousin of Fremantle defender Luke Ryan, who was plucked out of the VFL from Coburg as well.
13. Richmond - Rye Penny (Calder Cannons)Defender, 186cm, 19
Dan says: The Tigers may choose not to take a pick here but I’ve opted to go a long-term prospect in super athletic defender Rye Penny. The former volleyballer equalled the vertical jump record at last year’s state combine with a 109cm leap and that’s exactly what he does on the field, where he reads the play well and can fly for hangers. Penny also has speed to burn and has been used more through the midfield for Calder Cannons in the Coates Talent League as an over-age player. The 19-year-old was among the 12 players who underwent medical testing ahead of the mid-season draft and trained with Collingwood over the pre-season in pursuit of a list spot.
14. GWS - PASS15. Sydney - Harry Arnold (Brisbane VFL)Key defender, 194cm, 23
Dan says: The Swans are on the lookout not just for players who can help their AFL side, but ready-made prospects who can provide relief for their struggling VFL outfit. Arnold is player who can do both with his intercept marking, great leap and strong hands as a key back. The Suns Academy graduate has attracted interest from the Swans after a breakout VFL campaign where he has averaged 2.5 intercept marks per game. Arnold is also a neat user by foot, hitting the target with 83 per cent of his kicks this year.
https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/afl-midseason-mock-draft-2023-see-who-your-club-could-take/news-story/ed1728c8df7cb11cea73dd6ae224a1e1
