A poster called vandelay on BF has done a potential top 20 at the start of the year. Pretty close to the mark at this stage and a good guide to reflect back on...1. Tom Scully (15-5-91 / 182cm / 74kg / Dandenong Stingrays, Vic)For me, Scully’s the deserved number one prospect coming into the new year. It’s hard to split him with Butcher and Lucas at this stage, but ultimately, I think Scully’s got the most points on the board at this stage. He’s got a great attacking mindset which is backed up by a good skill set and good pace. He wins the ball in close, and he can receive brilliantly. Also, I love his football instincts, he’s just so natural. Scully was very impressive throughout the Champs, found the ball in tough situations and generally finished well, making him a worthy All-Australian. He didn’t play much TAC Cup football due to school commitments, but when he came into the side later in the season, he did so with immediate effect and was one of the driving forces behind the Stingrays’ good form with some very big numbers.
2. Kane Lucas (26-6-91 / 188cm / 79kg / East Fremantle, WA)Lucas is the ultimate in class. He’s a very smooth mover, who delivers the ball with absolute precision and runs and runs and runs. He didn’t prove himself to be a big feeder of the ball in the Champs, but that may have had something to do with his light frame, and it’ll be great watching him with more responsibility this year. However, even if his inside game doesn’t come on much, I can’t see him slipping too far down the order. After all, clubs are always after tall, quick, good users of the ball. My main impression of Kane is that he’s a player you always notice, and that’s why he comes into the year rated so highly. He was unlucky to miss out on All-Australian selection last year.
3. John Butcher (3-7-91 / 197cm / 83kg / Gippsland Power, Vic)After his performances in last year’s Champs, he rightfully shot to serious contention for the number 1 pick. His performances at the Champs weren’t where it ended with Butcher though; he well and truly took a few TAC Cup games apart, his 7.6 against Bendigo his main highlight. He matches the trend of key position players getting bigger and bigger at 197cm and more and more athletic, which will no doubt make him a very appealing prospect. He takes a strong contested mark, even up against much more developed bodies, and his recovery skills are impressive. His kicking isn’t perfect, but it’s still very workable, with few obvious technical problems. Obviously he’s got some filling out to do, and it’ll be interesting to see what kind of shape he turns up in at the start of the TAC Cup season.
4. Jack Fitzpatrick (26-6-91 / 199cm / 82kg / Western Jets, Vic)This ranking is probably more of a reflection of where he could be, as opposed to where he actually is at the moment. He boasts a 7 goal haul against the Northern Territory in the TAC Cup, but at the same time he has some low possession, goalless performances next to his name. He’s a tall, athletic kid with plenty of physical development ahead of him but what’s most promising is his ability to take a contested mark and finish off with goals. It’s hard to doubt his talent, and if he can play a consistent, full year with the Jets, he could well feature around this mark come draft day. He suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but from all reports he’s well on top of it at this point in time.
5. Mitchell Duncan (10-6-91 / 187cm / 81kg / East Perth, WA)He didn’t have a massive impact at the Champs, so he hasn’t received a hell of a lot of hype around here, but Duncan’s one of Western Australia’s absolute best prospects. Some will remember him from the Under 16s a couple of years ago where he had a big impact as Western Australia’s captain. He absolutely dominated Colts football, never slipping below 20 possessions and 4 times having more than 20 kicks, including 28 in one game. He’s an immaculate user of the ball, a hard runner and doesn’t seem to have troubles with pace. I imagine he’ll step out of defence for Western Australia in this year’s champs and have a real impact through the midfield. He’s meant to be a real quality kid as well.
6. Koby Stevens (18-6-91 / 186cm / 78kg / Gippsland Power, Vic)Koby is definitely one to watch. He came of age for Gippsland last year, and his selection in the TAC Cup Team of the Year was well deserved. To put it simply, he played consistently good football. He’s got good size about him, just about the best frame possible for a kid his age, and to go with that he’s just an incredibly natural footballer. He’s a good user of the ball, his pace is good and I like his work rate. He didn’t have a massive impact with Vic Country at the Champs, but I’ll back him to rectify that this year. I’ve picked my brain looking for a weakness, and I can’t think of anything that’s of any great concern at this stage.
7. Anthony Morabito (29-10-91 / 192cm / 93kg / Peel Thunder, WA)As an athlete, he cuts a fine figure. He’s quick, he’s big and he’s a pretty good user. Personally, I see him as a bit of a David Myers type at the same age in being most effective as a rebounding defender. However, I’m not as sure of Morabito making the step up to being a full time midfielder; he’s got plenty of work to do on his positioning. Didn’t have the greatest Championships, but did perform well against Tasmania at Casey Fields. He didn’t absolutely take Colts football apart either, but wasn’t without impact. Given more responsibility next year, he could be one that rockets up the order; he’s got most of the attributes of a high pick.
8. Declan Bevan (30-11-91 / 196cm / 90kg / Sandgate, Qld)He’s a Queenslander, so like I’m sure a number of others, it’s been hard to see much of him. However, what I have seen, I’ve liked. He’s played a lot of football in the ruck to date, but hopefully Queensland can settle him in a key position come this year’s Champs. He’s been highly rated for a long time and I think he’d make a good Full Forward with his strong hands, seemingly good pace off the mark and finishing skills. At 196cms, he’s obviously a big lad as well and is well placed for the physical contest. He’s another kid who’s meant to have a terrific attitude. There has been talk of the Gold Coast snapping him up, but I’m hoping he follows Dayne Beams’ lead and jumps straight into the draft pool rather than waiting round for his AFL opportunity.
9. Jordan Gysberts (11-6-91 / 189cm / 81kg / Eastern Ranges, Vic)Jordan’s probably one that will need to add a bit more x-factor to his game if he’s going to go around here come November, but right now, he has some serious points on the board that make him stand out from others. He averaged over 20 touches a game in the TAC Cup and made the Team of the Year with only 12 matches, and that’s pretty impressive in itself. He wins the ball in tight and receives well, then finishes off with very clean disposal. He’s got excellent height and a pretty good frame to back that up. Jordan was a solid contributor for Vic Metro in last year’s Champs and I look forward to seeing what he can do with some more time in the midfield.
10. Ben Griffiths (17-9-91 / 197cm / 92kg / Eastern Ranges, Vic)Griffiths is probably one of the hardest players to rate coming in to the year. He’s done some pretty spectacular things at TAC Cup level, with some especially big marks, but hasn’t really had any really big impacts on matches apart from a good opening game against the Knights. However, he missed 3 months of the season with a groin injury, so he hasn’t played too many matches, and has clearly been underdone when he has. The months he missed also included the Champs, so he probably missed the biggest chance to stand out as well. All things considered, he comes with big raps, he’s an AIS boy and he’s got great size, good athleticism and takes a big mark. So ultimately, he’s pretty hard to look over as a very high prospect, although he’s got a fair bit to prove this year. On potential, he could be one to threaten the top 3 at this stage.
11. Allen Christensen (19-5-91 / 175cm / 69kg / Geelong Falcons, Vic)I found Allen a really hard one to rate to be honest. Some think he’ll go right up amongst the absolute best in this draft whilst others seem to think he’ll follow in the footsteps of others of a similar ilk and slide a bit. I’ve settled for the happy middle. He certainly doesn’t have any trouble finding the football, he got big numbers consistently for the Falcons in the TAC Cup, and he did get a bit of it for Vic Country at the Champs. He’s quick, he’s got flair and he’s got some pretty handy skills. The big question mark is his size. At 175cm, is he tall enough to handle the midfield at AFL level? Will he be resigned to a flank?
12. Alex Carey (27-8-91 / 180cm / 73kg / Glenelg, SA)I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen a heap of Alex, or at least not as much as I would’ve liked to. However, like Declan Bevan, there’s a lot to like upon first glance. He’s not that big, although he could well be bigger than 180cms as listed, but he’s quick and has a really nice kicking action. He’s one that’s been fast tracked all along in his junior career, and has generally stood up to the pressure. Last year, he started out in Glenelg’s Under 17s, quickly moved to the Under 19s and ended up playing most of the year in the SANFL Reserves as a 16 year old. He was in the SA squad for the Championships, but as far as I’m aware, he didn’t play. Also meant to be an absolutely exceptional junior cricketer, and if he ends up at Adelaide, one would think they’d have a reasonable side with James Moss and Brad Symes there already!
13. Jesse Crichton (18-6-91 / 183cm / 66kg / North Launceston, Tas)If there was one benefit of the restructuring of the Championships, it was allowing Division 2 teams to play Division 1 teams. In the past, we may have looked at Crichton’s performances and thought ‘it was only Div 2’, but he well and truly backed up his form against Division 2 teams against Division 1 teams, if anything he went up a gear. He took the opportunity to stand out, and you’ve got to like that. He’s very skinny, and has many an hour ahead of him in the gym, but he’s a real dasher, has quite a leap, he uses it pretty cleanly and he’s really got some x-factor about him. I’d liken him a little bit to Sam Blease.
14. Joseph Groenewegen (25-10-91 / 196cm / 77kg / Launceston, Tas)Big Joe is a player with a big future ahead of him. The son of Robert (although he doesn’t qualify for the Father/Son rule) is a ruckman at this stage, and one would hope he’ll keep growing and reach an ideal ruckman’s height. However, much like Jackson Trengove this time last year, if that doesn’t happen, it shouldn’t be a problem. He’s a really athletic kid, who moves around the ground well and seems to have a good grasp of the game; I think he’d adapt to a key position just fine. I can’t comment on his form back in Tassie, but he had a good Champs. He probably was a bit out of his depth in Division 1, with size a bit of an issue, but he was more than effective in Division 2.
15. Jake Melksham (29-8-91 / 182cm / 69kg / Calder Cannons, Vic)Jake only played a few TAC Cup games this year, mainly due to his school commitments at PEGS and some injury problems, so he’s one that’s probably flown a little under the radar over the past year. However, there was nothing wrong with his form when he did play, named in the best for 2 out of 3 games. As far as the Champs go, he was apart of the Vic Metro squad and that’s as far as it went. From what I’ve seen of him, his endurance looks top notch, and he backs that with pace and skill. He’s obviously going to need a bit of work in the gym, but his other attributes should see him become a high pick should a good year ensue.
16. Matt Thompson (2-5-91 / 184cm / 83kg / Sturt, SA)At the moment, Matt looks like one of the safest midfield bets in the draft, and he’s a player that will probably have a big impact at the Champs. He’s well developed and a true inside player who gets a heap of the ball and generally uses it alright. He didn’t see any action in the SANFL Reserves, but absolutely took apart the Under 19s being named in the best for 13 out of his 17 matches. South Australia didn’t take him to Melbourne for the Champs this year, but he was apart of the squad and to the best of my knowledge played a part in the earlier matches. He’s not flashy, but he’s a real quality workman type.
17. Ben Cunnington (30-6-91 / 184cm / 78kg / Geelong Falcons, Vic)Cunnington was one of the real finds for the Falcons this year; he just grew and grew as the season went on. He’s tough around the football – a good inside player, but at the same time, he’s pretty quick and can be damaging on the run. The one thing I really like about him is his ability to lift his game to another level, this is what makes him a top prospect, and could see him go higher than here come draft day. I don’t think he quite got the opportunities he deserved with Vic Country this year, although he did play some part later in the carnival which is more than some, although he practically forced his way in. He still needs plenty of development, but he comes into the year in good shape. He and Christensen should be a pretty handy combination for the Falcons this year.
18. Kyle Hartigan (7-11-91 / 194cm / 82kg / Western Jets, Vic)Kyle was one that really jumped out and shone for the Jets this year, and he’s every bit deserving of the AIS Scholarhsip that ensued. He spent the year down back and played consistently good football; he was rarely beaten and he stood up when he was needed to, I remember him taking some crucial contested marks. He’s got a fairly athletic look to him, although I’m not sure think he’s quite using it to full advantage just yet; I think he could be more damaging on the rebound. At the absolute ideal height of 194cm, he starts the year as the best genuine key defender in the draft in my book. He ran second to Jayden Post for the Jets’ Best and Fairest, so that’s an indication that he’s fairly highly rated down that way.
19. Ryan Harwood (8-7-91 / 182cm / 74kg / Glenorchy, Tas)The third of a very talented bunch of Tasmanians in this year’s draft pool. Harwood really impressed me at the Champs for Tasmania with especially his evasive skills; he’s a really good mover through traffic. On top of that, he works pretty hard and there’s nothing obviously wrong with his skills at all. I’d like to see him get more of the ball, but I expect that will come with the increased responsibility he’ll have for Tassie at the Carnival, not to mention more attacking roles. He doesn’t have the absolute class of a Scully or a Lucas, but his ability to effectively play inside and out as well as finish off should make him a first or early second round prospect at this stage.
20. Ryan Bastinac (22-6-91 / 182cm / 71kg / Dandenong Stingrays, Vic)If Tom Scully’s Batman at the Stingrays, Ryan Bastinac is Robin. Scully’s the big shot, but Bastinac is the sidekick who’s very talented in his own right. Ryan’s really got a knack for finding the ball and then doing the right thing with it, and that alone makes him very likable. On top of that, his skills are solid and he’s not lost for pace. He didn’t dominate the TAC Cup, but he was a really consistent player for Dandenong and, in an underage player, I really like that. It should also be considered that Dandenong had quite a side last year, and being a real stand out every week wasn’t easy. Ryan’s one that should go up a gear next year and I look forward to see what he produces.
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