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List Mgmt. 2022 Draft Thread

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Assuming we get Pick 7, which I doubt we will anyway.

Personally I would pick an high impact player, given our very vanilla team. So either an elite winger with pace and foot skills, a burst midfielder that can lace out the ball to a forward target, or half forward/mid who hurts teams. I feel there will be one of those types at pick 7. I assume Tsatas and Sheezel will be long gone. Personally Phillipou would be my preference. Even ahead of Busslinger. His pace and kicking skills are okay, and I haven't seen as much man on man ability as I would like to have seen that screams elite all round defender, hence the sliding. His intercepting is top level though, but something that can be found in others. If he was there at pick 11, I would consider. Phillipou can play the half forward role, and also in the middle equally damaging. Size, goal sense, strong mark and kicks well.

Weddle stands out to me as a type who will fill in a defensive need the most, given the ability to play man and strong is getting rarer these days. I would not panic into getting him at 11 if that is our first pick, as I feel he will still be there bouts come pick 15-20.

7. Phillipou + 11. Weddle (even if a slight reach) / Busslinger. Could even trade 11 back for two of GC early second round picks to improve hand in an even draft.

or

11. A top 10 slider + 15. Weddle

I feel this and next years draft, we will have early and very late hands. So nothing in the mid range. If we could trade future picks or late picks to get back into the second round I would. Cowan, Hayes and my personal favorite Charlie Clarke would be there bouts in the 20's to 30's. I wouldn't mind Clarke as a small forward pick up, his work rate and pressure is through the roof. Can kick goals and has a team first approach, where he likes to set up team mates. I personally don't think Konstanty is miles ahead of him as a small. Would compliment Weightman well.
 
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House_of_Dahl said:
Fair and Naughton was a first too..
Maybe it's slower KPDs with early picks that scare me
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I think solid defenders can be found anywhere, and if they don’t have elite traits you really shouldn’t be biting early. But the few that do have elite traits still end up going early like Naughty etc, if someone’s got that rare combination of speed, strength, marking & can read the play they don’t last very long. All though tbf anyone with those traits probably plays forward as a junior.

I think we probably learnt a lesson with Collins, and that’s why he slid - without knowing much about Buss I’d hope he has some of those elite traits you require if we were to pounce early.
 
doggies ftw said:
I think solid defenders can be found anywhere, and if they don’t have elite traits you really shouldn’t be biting early. But the few that do have elite traits still end up going early like Naughty etc, if someone’s got that rare combination of speed, strength, marking & can read the play they don’t last very long. All though tbf anyone with those traits probably plays forward as a junior.

I think we probably learnt a lesson with Collins, and that’s why he slid - without knowing much about Buss I’d hope he has some of those elite traits you require if we were to pounce early.
Click to expand...
Just saw a timely reminder that Geelong were considering McAsey at one point but settled on De Koening later on. I assume McAsey went before any Geelong pick anyway.
 

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_Cerberus_ said:
Assuming we get Pick 7, which I doubt we will anyway.

Personally I would pick an high impact player, given our very vanilla team. So either an elite winger with pace and foot skills, a burst midfielder that can lace out the ball to a forward target, or half forward/mid who hurts teams. I feel there will be one of those types at pick 7. I assume Tsatas and Sheezel will be long gone. Personally Phillipou would be my preference. Even ahead of Busslinger. His pace and kicking skills are okay, and I haven't seen as much man on man ability as I would like to have seen that screams elite all round defender, hence the sliding. His intercepting is top level though, but something that can be found in others. If he was there at pick 11, I would consider. Phillipou can play the half forward role, and also in the middle equally damaging. Size, goal sense, strong mark and kicks well.

Weddle stands out to me as a type who will fill in a defensive need the most, given the ability to play man and strong is getting rarer these days. I would not panic into getting him at 11 if that is our first pick, as I feel he will still be there bouts come pick 15-20.

7. Phillipou + 11. Weddle (even if a slight reach) / Busslinger. Could even trade 11 back for two of GC early second round picks to improve hand in an even draft.

or

11. A top 10 slider + 15. Weddle

I feel this and next years draft, we will have early and very late hands. So nothing in the mid range. If we could trade future picks or late picks to get back into the second round I would. Cowan, Hayes and my personal favorite Charlie Clarke would be there bouts in the 20's to 30's. I wouldn't mind Clarke as a small forward pick up, his work rate and pressure is through the roof. Can kick goals and has a team first approach, where he likes to set up team mates. I personally don't think Konstanty is miles ahead of him as a small. Would compliment Weightman well.
Click to expand...

Shifter commented that Clarke was the number 1 goal assist player in the NAB league, so he certainly does share it around and generates plenty of chances himself. One of Clarke or Konstanty would be ideal.

I'd be a very happy man if we walked away with one of the above plus Phillipou and Weddle.
 
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doggies ftw said:
I think solid defenders can be found anywhere, and if they don’t have elite traits you really shouldn’t be biting early. But the few that do have elite traits still end up going early like Naughty etc, if someone’s got that rare combination of speed, strength, marking & can read the play they don’t last very long. All though tbf anyone with those traits probably plays forward as a junior.

I think we probably learnt a lesson with Collins, and that’s why he slid - without knowing much about Buss I’d hope he has some of those elite traits you require if we were to pounce early.
Click to expand...

I think Weddle has an elite trait in his mobility. Hayes also has pace. Buss is very composed and reads the play well.
 
goodcop badcop said:
Shifter commented that Clarke was the number 1 goal assist player in the NAB league, so he certainly does share it around and generates plenty of chances himself. One Clarke or Konstanty would be ideal.

I'd be a very happy man if we walked away with one of the above plus Phillipou and Weddle.
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Phillipou, Weddle, Clarke would be a dream scenario for me. But we all know it won't play out that way haha.

Given these are our needs in my opinion. We would have covered three of our main list gaps if we pulled it off. Not counting Jones as covering the other defensive need, given his age and the long term list outlook.

A second actual small Forward :whitecheck:
Defender :whitecheck:
Defender
Impact Mid :whitecheck:
Wing
Ruck Depth
 
Northernsoul74 said:
Just saw a timely reminder that Geelong were considering McAsey at one point but settled on De Koening later on. I assume McAsey went before any Geelong pick anyway.
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Must admit I do get McAsey when I read about Buss,

Does anyone that watched them both in juniors have pros & cons of both?

Still though I’d really badly love to find a way to get both Buss & Weddle, then target a genuine FB to take over from Jones and we’d be stoked with that spine - we do need to start looking at the midfield again soon but that can wait if we can sort out two key pillars of our defence IMO
 
weltschmerz said:
I think Weddle has an elite trait in his mobility. Hayes also has pace. Buss is very composed and reads the play well.
Click to expand...
Weddles competitiveness too along with his mobility would leave me very confident he at least makes it as an AFL level defender, how far he goes not sure but those two things alone you’d think he wouldn’t bust
 

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doggies ftw said:
Must admit I do get McAsey when I read about Buss,

Does anyone that watched them both in juniors have pros & cons of both?

Still though I’d really badly love to find a way to get both Buss & Weddle, then target a genuine FB to take over from Jones and we’d be stoked with that spine - we do need to start looking at the midfield again soon but that can wait if we can sort out two key pillars of our defence IMO
Click to expand...

There's slight differences. McAsey is a better one on one player and contested mark. He is seen more as a No 1 or No 2 defender that has the size and strength to play on the bigger forwards like Tom Hawkins whilst still being able to intercept. Busslinger is a bit different in that he's more of a 3rd tall interceptor. He finds the ball easier and his ball use is far more damaging than McAsey. His penetrating kicking can break open the play, so you want the ball in his hands. McAsey not so much, his ball use wasn't always reliable or damaging. Athletically both are challenged, more so McAsey I think. Busslinger looks slightly quicker to me, but still looks below average for speed.
 
goodcop badcop said:
There's slight differences. McAsey is a better one on one player and contested mark. He is seen more as a No 1 or No 2 defender that has the size and strength to play on the bigger forwards like Tom Hawkins whilst still being able to intercept. Busslinger is a bit different in that he's more of a 3rd tall interceptor. He finds the ball easier and his ball use is far more damaging than McAsey. His penetrating kicking can break open the play, so you want the ball in his hands. McAsey not so much, his ball use wasn't always reliable or damaging. Athletically both are challenged, more so McAsey I think. Busslinger looks slightly quicker to me, but still looks below average for speed.
Click to expand...
Thanks, would you have a crack at McAsey On the cheap in the hope he turns things around?

I get he has some really nice attacking traits but geez 3rd tall interceptor with limited athleticism really doesn’t sound like something recruiters would be banging down the door for. Will be interesting to see where he lands
 
doggies ftw said:
Thanks, would you have a crack at McAsey On the cheap in the hope he turns things around?

I get he has some really nice attacking traits but geez 3rd tall interceptor with limited athleticism really doesn’t sound like something recruiters would be banging down the door for. Will be interesting to see where he lands
Click to expand...

McAsey looks like a bust to me.

Lever went high after doing his knee and probably isn't any more athletic then Busslinger. If a team can harness his strengths, he could be a very good player.
 

Tracking Jacob ‘Snapper’ Konstanty’s rapid rise to AFL Draft contention​

Recruited by Gippsland Power during a midweek trial, and just years after almost giving the game away, Jacob Konstanty is on the verge of being drafted by an AFL club, writes PAUL AMY.

Paul Amy
@paulamy375
5 min read
September 29, 2022 - 12:00PM
Jacob Konstanty has enjoyed a rapid rise.


Jacob Konstanty has enjoyed a rapid rise.

Yes, the story AFL recruiters have heard about Jacob Konstanty is true.

Gippsland Power did come across him when he was playing a mid-week scratch match for Drouin’s reserves.

It was on a “wet, mucky night” before the 2021 season, Power talent manager Scotty McDougal recalls.

His eyes opened to the speedy, 176cm Konstanty.

“He had clean ball-handling skills, but it was his spatial awareness that really stood out for me,” McDougal says.

“He was playing like he was playing soccer. He would lead up and create space behind him to dash back into to get a touch of the footy.

“He did it probably three times in a row. And I thought, ‘That’s not a fluke, that’s elite control of his space and his timing’. It just stood out that he had complete control of where his opponent was.’’

Konstanty was mostly on a wing.

When he was moved to the forward line, McDougal saw something else.

A “finger-breaking punt came smacking in, low and hard, spinning the wrong way,” he says.

Konstanty slipped in front of his opponent to mark the ball, 30m out. He went back, kicked the goal and had a little celebration.

Konstanty also had a run in the seniors’ practice match that night and impressed just as much as he had in the earlier game.

A contact had slipped McDougal the names of three players from Drouin who “might be worth a look’’, who “seemed to have some sort of potential’’.

Off he went to Drouin that Wednesday night to watch the game against Warragul Industrials.

By the time he left for home, the Under 18s talent tracker knew he wanted to snap up the kid they were calling ‘Snapper’.

Jacob Konstanty shone for the Gippsland Power this season. Picture: Jonathan DiMaggio/AFL Photos via Getty Images


Jacob Konstanty shone for the Gippsland Power this season. Picture: Jonathan DiMaggio/AFL Photos via Getty Images
****
A month after Jacob Konstanty joined the Power, the club put him up for a Vic Country Under 17 trial game.

He kicked three goals. He was away, and as McDougal sees it, “he’s done everything right since.”

Last Thursday he signed off on his top-age year with Gippsland Power by lining up for Vic Country against Vic Metro in the final of the national Under 18 championships at Marvel Stadium.

He had a highlights-reel moment.

Herald Sun draft watchers Chris Kavanagh and Dan Batten brought up Konstanty’s “handball nutmeg on his opponent, followed by a dashing sidestep past another defender that wowed the crowd.”

“A late checkside on goal when he could have gone the drop punt was a slight blip on an otherwise impressive performance,” they noted, putting Konstanty in the 15-40 draft range.

Not bad for a player who gave Aussie Rules away three years ago.

Jacob Konstanty impressed for Vic Country U17s. Picture: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos via Getty Images


Jacob Konstanty impressed for Vic Country U17s. Picture: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos via Getty Images

For a few years Konstanty, 17, had played junior footy on Saturdays (for Warragul Colts and then Warragul Blues) and soccer on Sundays (for Warragul United).

His Sunday sport, he thought, was going better for him.

By 2018 he had made a Victorian under-age soccer team and progressed from Warragul United and regional sides to Premier league clubs Kingston City and Dandenong City.

“I decided to stick with soccer and drop footy,” he says. “I just wanted to see where it could lead.”

The funny part, he says, is that he had started playing soccer to improve his footy.

“I thought it would help just with my pressure and my speed and agility,” he says.

Covid brought him back to Aussie Rules.

Jacob Konstanty thought his future would be in the world game.


Jacob Konstanty thought his future would be in the world game.

There was no soccer in 2020 because of the pandemic. But the Gippsland league scheduled some under-age football.

A few of Konstanty’s friends were playing for Drouin Under 16s and he joined them for three matches. They brought him eight goals and a desire for more.
He had to wait until the practice match that dragged McDougal out on a cold Wednesday night.

“Yeah, that night I played twos for the first half and ones the second half,” Konstanty says.

“Scotty was out there watching for some reason. I think he saw me going all right and he gave me a Power invite and gave me two weeks to get into their Under 17s. I did that and then I got into Vic Country Under 17s. It was quick.”

He also played three NAB League Boys matches for Power before Covid killed off the season.

It was a platform for his perky 2022: 14 outings for Gippsland, selection for Vic Country at the nationals (he had booted four goals in the trial game at Werribee) and two appearances for Drouin in the Gippsland league.

The Power played him as a midfielder and forward. Vic Country used him as a small forward.

Konstanty has played in the midfield and forward line. Picture: Jonathan DiMaggio/AFL Photos via Getty Images


Konstanty has played in the midfield and forward line. Picture: Jonathan DiMaggio/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“I see myself as that player who likes to tackle and create turnovers and kick a goal,” Konstanty, a VCAL student at Lowanna College in Newborough, says.
He likes the way Sydney Swan and fellow Gippslander, Tom Papley goes about his football.

They chatted before the season, a mutual friend arranging their pow-wow about the tricks of the inside 50 trade.

“He just talked about how he approaches it, what keeps him in the game, because obviously it can get quite lonely when the ball’s not coming down. He bases his game on pressure,” Konstanty says.

“That’s something I’ve kept in my mind. Pressure is a big thing for me.”

McDougal says that although Konstanty is on the small side, there are “concrete edges to him.”

[PLAYERCARD]Tom Papley[/PLAYERCARD] is someone Konstanty looks up to. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images


Tom Papley is someone Konstanty looks up to. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

When he tackles, “They stay tackled,” he says, remembering an incident at training this year when Konstanty brought down a 100kg teammate, who was so sore afterwards that he couldn’t work for a few days.

“He’s got real physical presence in his defence,” McDougal says. “But he’s quick to get up on his feet and get back involved in the game. That’s his number one attribute. He stays involved the whole time.”

Konstanty does like a goal. And he does like a celebration.

But he’s an unselfish player, McDougal maintains.

“I don’t like small forwards who are hungry and will burn blokes,” he says. “‘Snapper’ doesn’t do that. He’s the ultimate team player. It takes away moments where he himself could ice the game. But he’s a team man.”

*****
It was Jacob Konstanty’s tackling that brought him the nickname ‘Snapper’.

Someone at Drouin remarked that he “snapped on” to opponents.

It stuck at the local club and the handle followed him to the NAB League.

In November, it might be an AFL club snapping up the Gippy Power dasher.

AFL talent ambassador Kevin Sheehan on Jacob Konstanty​

“He’s one of the more exciting small forwards in this year’s pool, no doubt. He’s got some tricks. He’s prepared to take the game on, take his opponent on, even pop the ball between someone’s legs, something unusual and something freakish, as well as put enormous pressure on.

“He’s got some real spark about him, plays with lots of energy and zest, a bubbly player you want to see up in your forward line. Busy, creative, active, dangerous, all those things. The small forwards are in demand in the game, massively in demand, and he’ll be of great interest to the clubs.’’

www.codesports.com.au

CODE Sports

CODE Sports
www.codesports.com.au www.codesports.com.au

With the AFL Draft two months away, most footy fans are familiar with the top prospects in the draft.

But what about the off-Broadway prospects making their mark?
The budding talents who may have been hurt by a lack of exposure in their draft year, or those who have been doing everything right but still remain underrated and underappreciated.
Or even the late bolters and smokies, who might be out of the public spotlight but are setting recruiters’ tongues wagging as the draft draws closer.
We take a closer look at 17 draft prospects who are flying under the radar.

Harvey Gallagher​

Defender/forward, Bendigo Pioneers/Vic Country
Strengths: Class, kicking, endurance, speed
Since being overlooked in last year’s draft and in the 2022 mid-season intake, Gallagher has racked up disposals and kilometres at will in a roaming halfback role similar to Nick Daicos in his first year at Collingwood. Only 14 players in NAB League history have clocked 13km with 5km of high speed running and 750m of sprint in a single game – and Gallagher is among them, along with Sam Walsh, Dylan Moore and 2022 prospect Jaxon Binns (who we will get to soon). Gallagher, who turned 19 this week, achieved this feat while racking up a lazy 44 disposals, 31 kicks and a goal against the Northern Knights. He received a call-up for Vic Country in their final game and performed strongly with 23 disposals and seven marks. Nineteen-year-olds are often marked more harshly by recruiters, but Gallagher looks to have done enough to earn a spot on an AFL list.

Kaleb Smith​

East Fremantle
Strengths: Speed, power, kicking, clean hands
The bolter from WA in more ways than one, Smith has serious speed and power and has caught the eye breaking lines for Wesley College and East Fremantle this year. The 181cm skilful prospect battled injury earlier in the season before hitting his straps, averaging 24 disposals, nine intercept possessions, nine rebound 50s and 122 ranking points in his final four matches at Colts level across half-back. But he’s also been used as a goalkicking weapon further up the ground for Wesley, highlighting his significant versatility. Will test at WA’s state combine.

Jaiden Magor​

Forward/midfielder, South Adelaide/SA
Strengths: Power, marking, goal sense, inside game, clean hands
If it wasn’t for injury during the national carnival opener, the powerful 185cm teenager may have taken a bit more of the draft spotlight in South Australia. But he’s still getting plenty of attention from recruiters, and should find an AFL home in November. Magor booted two goals in the first half before he was injured in that game against the Allies, and his goalkicking feats, as a prospect who is equally as damaging inside 50 as he is in the midfield, is up there with any in this year’s pool.

Jaxon Binns​

Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country
Strengths: Endurance, outside-ball-winning, forward-half impact
The wingman has finished the season in fine fashion, where he allayed some of the knocks on his game. Binns’ kicking and contested ball-winning have been viewed as concerns from recruiters, but a strong NAB League finals series and a polished final game for Vic Country – where he went at 91 per cent kicking efficiency – should help his draft standing. Binns is a relentless runner up and down the ground and his forward half impact means he can be used as a high half-forward as well. And there’s no doubt he can find the footy, ranking second at the national championships for disposals – including a monster 39-possession display.

Ethan Phillips​

Key defender, Port Melbourne VFL
Strengths: Intercepting, overhead marking, ready-made
Clubs after a ready-made key defender, look no further. Phillips is coming off a breakout year for Port Melbourne, where he broke the all-time VFL record for intercepts per game (11.5) and ranked second all-time for intercept marks (5.1). His rapid rise earnt the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal as the best young talent in the VFL, which has been a golden ticket into the competition over the past decade – see Kane Lambert, Bayley Fritsch, Luke Ryan … the list goes on. The 23-year-old’s intercept game is his major weapon but his size at 198cm means he is capable of taking on AFL key forwards, which he has done successfully in the VFL already. Received a late call-up to the state combine as interest ramps up from at least five clubs.

Jack Cleaver​

East Fremantle/West Australia
Strengths: Intercepting, overhead marking, 1-on-1 defence
Cleaver didn’t receive a national combine invite but has been making waves at WAFL league level for preliminary finalists East Fremantle since breaking in late in the season. The medium defender has averaged 14.6 touches, 6.1 intercepts and 70 ranking points in his seven matches, showcasing his intercepting traits and defensive work in one-on-one contests against seasoned bodies. He hauled in 21 disposals, 10 intercepts and four intercept marks in his sole WAFL Reserves appearance and his leadership is highly rated.

Jed Hagan​

Small forward/midfielder, 175m East Fremantle/West Australia
Strengths: Footy IQ, ball-use, endurance
Hagan has hardly put a foot wrong this year, stepping up at every level he has played, yet he remains underappreciated – like many draft prospects under 180cm. But Hagan’s consistency, footy smarts and ball-use is worthy of recognition, especially after his eye-catching form as a small forward at WAFL senior level. Alongside teammate Jack Cleaver, Hagan slotted two goals and set up two other scores with sublime passes in their preliminary final loss. It capped a strong back-end of the year where he averaged 13.4 disposals, a goal and 4.5 tackles across eight league matches.

Bailey Macdonald​

Defender, 182cm Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
Strengths: Speed, power, agility, kicking
A draft bolter in more ways than one, Macdonald made his NAB League debut midway through the year after a hot start to the school footy for Wesley College. A lightning quick defender, who has competed in 100m, long jump and triple jump at national level, Macdonald earned a call-up for the Vic Metro in their final match and showed some exciting signs off halfback with his blistering speed. His athletic attributes alone have attracted interest from AFL clubs and he has nice skills by foot. A prospect with significant upside given he is fairly new to the pathways program, and it could see him drafted as early as the second round.

Jason Gillbee

Bendigo Pioneers/Allies
Strengths: Endurance, versatility, kicking
Gillbee has slid down the draft pecking order through little fault of his own, soldiering on through a sternum injury late in the NAB League season and a concussion in the national championships – but clubs are aware of the AFL Academy member’s capabilities. At 190cm, Gillbee possesses elite endurance, can be used all over the ground and has silky skills, making him an appealing proposition for clubs. The Balnarald product, who thrived earlier in the season for the Bendigo Pioneers after shifting to the region for school, is one who could improve his standing at the combine – particularly in the 2km time trial.

Will Verrall​

Ruck/forward, South Adelaide/SA
Strengths: Marking, athleticism, stoppage work
In last year’s under-18 semi-final, Verrall capped off a standout bottom-age season with 22 disposals, 20 contested possessions, 11 clearances and eight hitouts-to-advantage in a losing side. But it took him a little while to get going in 2022. Early, he proved his worth as a marking target inside-50, booting seven goals in the opening five rounds. But the 199cm prospect, who has great hands in the air and on the ground for a big man, then kicked two in his only national carnival appearance for SA and averaged 146 ranking points in the final six SANFL under-18 matches, to remind onlookers of his potential in a draft short on top-end talls.

Edward Allan​

Midfielder, Claremont/WA
Strengths: Endurance, size, inside-outside ball-winning
Allan is the son of former Hawk and Docker Ben, but he doesn’t qualify as a father-son for either club, falling an agonising two-games shy of eligibility with Hawthorn. The 195cm midfielder, who missed the first half of the year with a stress fracture in his back, has bolted up the board after impressing at WAFL Colts level for Claremont in his five matches. A player with his imposing size and running capabilities that can be used as a wingman or on the inside is rare, and it’s no wonder clubs have taken notice despite his lack of exposure.

Hudson O’Keeffe​

Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
Strengths: Ruck craft, physicality, upside
A developing ruckman, O’Keeffe has come on in leaps and bounds in the second half of the year, culminating in a promising performance in the final national championships match. The 201cm prospect won nine possessions, all of those contested, and seven hit-outs to advantage against Vic Metro. O’Keeffe’s physical presence around the ground and ruck craft have improved considerably, working closely with former Richmond and Hawthorn ruck-forward Ty Vickery at the Oakleigh Chargers. Shapes as a project ruckmen with upside, given he doesn’t turn 18 until December.

Jake Walker​

Glenelg/SA
Strengths: Power, clean hands, inside game, class
After an injury-plagued bottom-age year, the powerful midfielder built nicely into 2022, producing a number of standout performance across multiple levels – national carnival, SANFL under-18s, reserves and college footy for PAC. Walker is strong and clean at the contest, able to give himself time to find a teammate by hand. But he kicks long and has plenty of class on the outside, too. The 18-year-old earnt a state draft combine invite on the back of an impressive finish to the year for Glenelg and for South Australia, where he won plenty of footy in multiple roles at the under-18 championships.

Hugh Bond​

GWV Rebels/Vic Country
Strengths: Endurance, tackling, contested ball-winning, defending
A national rower with Ballarat Grammar, Bond chose footy over regattas this year and impressed at both NAB League and Vic Country level. Bond is a tackling machine through the midfield, leading the NAB League for tackles with 9.0 per game while thriving at the coalface as an inside ball-winner. At the national carnival he was swung into defence through necessity and his ultra-competitive nature translated nicely to a lockdown role, seeing him garner further interest from clubs. The North Ballarat prospect is strong defensively, a powerful athlete and has elite endurance. Another set to impress at the draft combine.

Jakob Anderson​

Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
Strengths: Overhead marking, bodywork, composure, intercepting
The highly-touted Bailey Humphrey threatened to pull the under-18 championships decider apart but it was Anderson who fought back for Vic Metro, out-bodying the powerful Vic Country prospect numerous times and taking four intercept marks while directly opposed to him. And Anderson took another five intercept marks in the opening two games of the national carnival – a campaign that highlighted his versatility as a defender, one that can play on different-sized forwards, as well as float across as the loose man.

Baynen Lowe​

Norwood
Strengths: Forward craft, goal kicking, clean hands, acceleration
Lowe was overlooked in last year’s draft as a hard-working midfielder, who had featured at senior level in Tasmania and finished runner-up in the Devils’ NAB League best-and-fairest. But after moving to the SANFL, the 19-year-old has made recruiters take notice of Baynen Lowe the forward. He booted 25 goals in 18 matches, including four in a match-turning preliminary final performance in the win over Adelaide. Lowe’s kicked them from the boundary and out of mid-air, but his 3.1 in 16 minutes of game-time against the Crows might have been the three that stamped his AFL ticket.

Toby McQuilkin​

South Fremantle
Strengths: Intercepting, decision making, kicking
The 21-year-old trained with the Eagles last summer, so he’s been on the mature-age draft radar in WA for a while. But what the lightly-built defender has done at WAFL level this year has travelled a little bit further. In the opening 11 rounds, McQuilkin averaged 24 disposals, 7 intercepts – two of them marks – and 123 ranking points for South Fremantle. The way the dashing and skilful prospect wins the ball back off the opposition, and set ups up play going the other way, just looks like it belongs at the top level.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...r/news-story/671462da74594405b64deddd0ca8898e
 

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Cal Twomey's rankings

1. Will Ashcroft
2. George Wardlaw
3. Elijah Tsatas
4. Harry Sheezel
5. Aaron Cadman
6. Bailey Humphrey
7. Jhye Clark
8. Reuben Ginbey
9. Cam McKenzie
10. Matt Jefferson
11. Mattaes Phillipou
12. Oliver Hollands
13. Elijah Hewett
14. Jedd Buslinger
15. Alwyn Davey Jnr
16. Jaspa Fletcher
17. Lewis Hayes
18. Jacob Konstanty
19. Oli Hotton
20. Henry Hustwaite
21. Brayden George
22. Josh Weddle
23. Lachie Cowan
24. Max Gruzewski
25. Max Michalanney
26. Coby Burgiel
27. Isaac Keeler
28. Ed Allen
29. Charlie Clark
30. Mitch Szybkowski

www.afl.com.au

Cal Twomey's Phantom Form Guide: Top draft prospects' September ranking

AFL.com.au's draft guru Cal Twomey rates takes a look at 2022's top 30 draft prospects
www.afl.com.au www.afl.com.au
 
Ashcroft & Wardlaw are by far the best two midfielders in this draft, so much more time with the ball in hand to make the best decision

Humphrey finds the ball & creates space but somehow rushes a fair amount of his disposals and I certainly think Phillipou is as good as him, if not a fraction better

So if neither Humphrey/Phillipou are at our picks and Busslinger/Weddle are both available. It should be very tempting to take both because they seem like they’d compliment one another really well and it would help to shape our backline for years to come

After that the only other player I like really is Konstanty and I feel as if he was bigger he would be talked up more often as one of the best in this years draft prospects
 
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