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Preview 2026 MSD Draft Prospects

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GRIFFIN IN KANGAROOS’ CALCULATIONS

A powerful medium forward looks set to get his chance at AFL level after attracting interest from more than half a dozen clubs.

Ollie Griffin has been linked to North Melbourne, which could be his starting point in the mid-season draft.

A 186cm marking forward, Griffin returned from a week off with a sore thumb to make a second VFL appearance for Sandringham on Saturday night.

Ollie Griffin has attracted interest from more than half a dozen clubs. Picture: Craig Dooley/AFL Photos

Ollie Griffin has attracted interest from more than half a dozen clubs. Picture: Craig Dooley/AFL Photos


He took five marks in the match against Frankston, including three contested grabs.

“He’s very strong overhead,’’ Sandy coach Daniel Ward said of Griffin, who turns 19 next month.

“He’s a tough match-up. He clunks them really well and kicks it a mile. He has some really good attributes for the next level.’’

Griffin’s Talent League coach – Sandringham Dragons mentor Rob Harding – recently described him as “ready to go” at the next level, with another six months of development since last November’s national draft having been invaluable.

Griffin kicked four goals for the Dragons in an eye-catching round 2 performance in the Talent League earlier this year.
 

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Would be hard for me to be stoked about getting a 19 year old medium forward.

Teams can only play one, max two, depending on forward line setups. We’ve got 3 playing AFL (with 3 keys + mids playing forward) and 1 playing VFL that we’d hope to get some run in the snrs at some point.

Also have a bad taste in my mouth regarding the last 19 year old medium forward we took in the MSD who barely fired a shot.

I didn’t really want Bamert for the above reasons. But I’d much prefer him over Griffin.
 


Logan Morris-like trait propelling Mid-Season Draft prospect​


The Sandringham Dragons player is attracting significant interest.​


Sandringham Dragons forward Ollie Griffin is one of the early names stamping his credentials as a Mid-Season Draft contender.

The teenager kicked four goals in Round 2 against Oakleigh, firmly putting his strengths on show as a 186cm aerialist.

“(Marking is) his real standout weapon,” Sandringham Dragons coach Rob Harding said.

“He's similar to Logan Morris who I coached at Vic Metro a couple of years ago, in that he marks the ball at its highest point: he times his leap really well.

“He might be in matchups with players taller than hi,m but gets to the ball at the right time, which is a handy skill to have.”

His form spike comes after a noteworthy pre-season where he split his time between the Dragons and VFL club Sandringham Zebras.

While his marking was effectively shut down on Saturday, he laid nine tackles, highlighting his thirst for the contest and defensive side to his game.

“As that mid-sized marking forward, you need to be able to play both sides of the ball, which he's shown in the last couple of weeks,” Harding said.


“He's played like a man amongst boys, which is what you hope to see from your 19-year-olds.”


Griffin has added considerable size to his frame since last season and taken 40 seconds off his two-kilometre time trial.


“I think he can play higher now as well. I had him pegged as a deeper player, but he's shown his ability to get up and get back - he's got the running patterns you need to play higher at the next level,” Harding said.


“He's added layers to make him more versatile, which is why he's generating so much interest from clubs.”
 

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Kye Annand from the Geelong VFL program shapes as a potential MSD option for teams looking to bolster their key defender stocks. In this game he showed his ability to shut down an opponent, take intercept marks and run off to rebound with efficient disposal.


How tall is Annand noobermensch ? Looks quality. I like that he comes from the cats program too.

Edit: saw above. 200cm.
 
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Would be hard for me to be stoked about getting a 19 year old medium forward.

Teams can only play one, max two, depending on forward line setups. We’ve got 3 playing AFL (with 3 keys + mids playing forward) and 1 playing VFL that we’d hope to get some run in the snrs at some point.

Also have a bad taste in my mouth regarding the last 19 year old medium forward we took in the MSD who barely fired a shot.

I didn’t really want Bamert for the above reasons. But I’d much prefer him over Griffin.
Tend to agree hoffseason gains 01

Griffin doesn’t do it for me. He is mercurial, but he is closer to Curtis Taylor than he is Logan Morris? Seems to me he is beating up on smaller kids as an overager but is still a bit off VFL level.

Bamert is a different beast, while likely to start his career as a half forward he can play half back but will eventually develop into a midfielder in time.

If Marcus Herbert is still available at our pick we’d be very silly not to take him. IMO he has just as much upside as anyone in this MSD pool and has already proven he is above VFL level.

Annand make sense as key defender, but I wonder if he is actually that far ahead of Tom Barnett or Ryan Eyers? The latter two have a far superior body of work and are both still young enough to have plenty of upside as well.
 

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Tend to agree hoffseason gains 01

Griffin doesn’t do it for me. He is mercurial, but he is closer to Curtis Taylor than he is Logan Morris? Seems to me he is beating up on smaller kids as an overager but is still a bit off VFL level.

Bamert is a different beast, while likely to start his career as a half forward he can play half back but will eventually develop into a midfielder in time.

If Marcus Herbert is still available at our pick we’d be very silly not to take him. IMO he has just as much upside as anyone in this MSD pool and has already proven he is above VFL level.

Annand make sense as key defender, but I wonder if he is actually that far ahead of Tom Barnett or Ryan Eyers? The latter two have a far superior body of work and are both still young enough to have plenty of upside as well.
Seems to me that the extra names seem like back up options for Bamert.
 
186cm forward. Just what we need 🤣
Never go full Norf!
Might be a red herring..

The Snoz playing chokers while the others are playing Chessers perhaps?..
 
I've liked most of our recent MSD work:

RHJ
Teakle
Banch
Trembath

Didn't understand Payne then slightly warmed to the selection only for him to be cut anyway.

But hopefully our list management and recruiting are maturing and we are picking up less Edwards/Hams and more Trembaths.

Will back us in.

Funny had a feeling about Port-Bamert before reading it.
 

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