Draft Expert Davo-27's 2024 Draft Thread

Remove this Banner Ad

2024 Top 30 Rankings, Pre-season



1. Finn O'Sullivan - Oakleigh (VC) - 181cm - high marking, midfielder, with good centre clearances and general quality disposal of footy
2. Levi Ashcroft - Sandringham (Bris FS) - 179cm - quality small forw, who can also play as an accumulator midfielder, gathering over 30 disposals, good kick at goal, disposal and movement isnt as smooth as Brother Will, but has great flexibility of position
3. Leonardo Lombard - GCS A - 178cm - great movement and use of footy, moves around the ground well, looks elite at VFL level
4. Jagga Smith - Oakleigh - 181cm - accumulator mid with good accuracy at goal, can grass a few kicks, but works hard all over the ground to gather the ball and provide run
5. Sid Draper - Sth Adel - 180cm - another accumulator mid with amazing work rate, can kick the ball a bit flat and i would like to see more of, but everytime ive seen him i have rated him highly
6. Josh Smillie - Eastern - 194cm - he was the best player for VM at u16s as a mid and hbf, lacks a little speed, but just wins contests and is a good user of the footy, his height also gives him flexibility of roles
7. Jobe Shanahan - Bendigo (NSW) - 192cm - vice like hands like Stewie Loewe, contested mark specialist, good in the contest, his hands are so good that i think he will have no trouble at the next level playing KPF
8. Harry O'Farrell - Calder - 196cm - strong KPD player who has taken a big step last year and could be the best KPD option in this years draft
9. Jonty Faull - GWV - 194cm - made a big impression late last year also coming from nowhere to stake a claim as 1 of the best KPF options
10. Tyler Welsh - WWT (Adel FS)- 191cm - showed his worth dominating for SA as a mobile FF who really gave SA some punch up forward, his height is a concern as he doesnt have the vice like grip that Jobe has, but his athleticism is very good and could make up for it? if he doesnt grow could be a valuable 3rd forward which lowers his value a little, but still a high end talent
11. Tobie Travaglia - Bendigo - 187cm - i have seen a lot of him play in defence and he is just a competitive and skillful player, moves so smoothly for a tallish player and gives his all
12. Christian Moraes - Eastern - 182cm - has had an amazing 2023 and i hear he is on track to have a great 2024 season
13. Phoenix Hargrave - Sth Adel - 182cm - had a huge u16s year, won sanfl u18s mvp last year, smooth moving midfielder
14. Nathaniel Sulzberger - Sandringham/Tas - 184cm - strong inside mid who can play on the outside, can win his own ball and deliver it well, another Tassie player like Sanders playing for Sandy and he looks great, going a bit early, but he has great potential
15. Patrick Retschko - Oakleigh - 186cm - hbf who is moving into the midfield this season, beautiful kick and movement
16. Nash King - Calder - 181cm - love his toughness on the inside and run, but his kicking has dropped him down the rankings a little
17. Zak Johnson - Northern - 185cm - beautiful kicking midfielder, impressed at u16s with his kicking at goal and in general and also had a good year last year, so im expecting more of the same.
18. Joe Harrison - Syd A 179cm - small sample, but he was amazing in a state game, will have to see more
19. Xavier Lindsay - Gippsland - 182cm - he has always been very good in every team he plays, i really like his character too, he seems to be very confident and capable
20. Ben Camporeale - Glenlg (Carl FS) - 184cm - playing more midfield he has surpassed his brother in form
21. Lucas Camporeale - Glenlg (Carl FS) - 182cm - was fantastic at the u16s champs and has great potential
22. Murphy Reid - Sandringham - 181cm - he was huge for Sandy in the pre-season, in bursts he is super clean and skillful
23. Kayle Gerryn - West Perth - 198cm - ruck/kpf from WA, very talented tall player, had a huge growth spurt so plays with the skills of a small
24. Benny Barrett - Sth Adel (Port NGA)- 174cm - similar player to Ky Pickett, a strong player from the dominant SA team in the u16s
25. Tom Gross - Oakleigh - 180cm - tough midfielder, was not at his best this preseason
26. Otis Harvey - Swan Dist - 182cm - good midfielder from WA, he has a big job to carry a weak WA team this year
27. Ricky Mentha - Gippsland/NT - 179cm - hff who is strong and a good kick, clever player who wins 1 on 1s
28. Luke Trainor - Sandringham - 193cm - he looks in great form in preseason, already looks ready for AFL, rising up my rankings
29. Sam Lalor - GWV - 187cm - strong midfielder for VC, lacks a little pace
30. Isaac Kako - Calder (Ess NGA) - 175cm - quick goal kicking small forward

Is that the smallest top 5 ever ?
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Murray v Tasmania (100-73) *=2025 draft

Murray
Jack Whitlock 11 - 4 goals
*Riley Onley 9
Joe Berry 9 - 4 goals
Cohen Paul 7
Josh Murphy 6 - 4 goals
Ashton McPherson 6
*Ryder Corrigan 6 - 2 goals
Ben Kennedy 5
Jez Rigoni 5
Jack Glanvill 5 - 1 goal (19)

Tasmania
Geordie Payne 10 - 3 goals (19)
Max Mapley 10 - 2 goals (19)
Oliver Depaoli-Kubank 9 - 1 goal
Liam Ling 8
Connor Ling 7
Emig French 7 - 1 goal
Lenny Douglas 6 - 2 goals
 
Sandringham v Calder (110-60) *=2025 draft

Sandringham
Sam Marshall 13
Taj Hotton 13
Luke Trainor 12
Josh Dolan 11 - 3 goals
Nathan Sulzberger 11 - 2 goals
Levi Ashcroft 10 - 2 goals
Harrison Oliver 10
Murphy Reid 9
Zach Travers 7 - 1 goal
Ned Maginness 7 (19)
Harry Armstrong 5 - 2goals
Lennox Hofmann 5
Bailey McKenzie 5 - 2 goals
Ben Seers 5
Charlie Rozenes 5
Luke Kennedy 5 - 1 goal
Sam Linder 5

Calder
Damon Hollow 11 - 1 goal
Jayden Nguyen 9
Isaac Kako 7 - 2 goals
Thomas Legudi 7 - 1 goal
Harry O'Farrell 5
Ryan Eyre 5 (19)
 
Sandringham v Calder (110-60) *=2025 draft

Sandringham
Sam Marshall 13
Taj Hotton 13
Luke Trainor 12
Josh Dolan 11 - 3 goals
Nathan Sulzberger 11 - 2 goals
Levi Ashcroft 10 - 2 goals
Harrison Oliver 10
Murphy Reid 9
Zach Travers 7 - 1 goal
Ned Maginness 7 (19)
Harry Armstrong 5 - 2goals
Lennox Hofmann 5
Bailey McKenzie 5 - 2 goals
Ben Seers 5
Charlie Rozenes 5
Luke Kennedy 5 - 1 goal
Sam Linder 5

Calder
Damon Hollow 11 - 1 goal
Jayden Nguyen 9
Isaac Kako 7 - 2 goals
Thomas Legudi 7 - 1 goal
Harry O'Farrell 5
Ryan Eyre 5 (19)

Despite being skewed to mids I like this rating system. Do you take points off for poor bits of play?
 
my point system isnt based on disposal numbers, its based on clean play, so you can get 20 dirty, turn over, fumbly, nothing poss, or you can be involved in good play and thats what scores points for me, if you were curious?

winning 30 disposals can be good, but im sure you've seen some horrible 30 disposal games... poor 30 disposal games are more common in junior footy, but sometimes an 18 disposal game can be influential.
 
Last edited:
my point system isnt based on disposal numbers, its based on clean play, so you can get 20 dirty, turn over, fumbly, nothing poss, or you can be involved in good play and thats what scores points for me, if you were curious?

winning 30 disposals can be good, but im sure you've seen some horrible 30 disposal games...
Not a bad way to look at it, one player may only get it 10 times but is sensational for those 10 and that could give clubs enough to want to turn that 10 to about 20 at the next level with some good coaching and development
 
Oakleigh v Eastern (54-82) *=2025 draft

Eastern
Josh Smillie 14 - 2 goals
Christian Moraes 10 - 2 goals
Cooper Trembath 9 (19)
Jak Ryan 9 - 2 goals
Zac McGown 8
*Lachy Dovaston 8
Ry Cantwell 7 - 1 goal (19)
*Oliver Greeves 6
Remy MacLean 6 - 1 goal (19)
Mitchell Gamel 6 - 1 goal
Cody Anderson 5
*Oscar Cafiso 5 - 1 goal
Iliro Smit 5 - 1 goal (19)

Oakleigh
Tom Gross 12 - 1 goal
Jagga Smith 12
Kobe Askew 9
Pat Retschko 8
Finn O'Sullivan 7
Oliver Badr 6 - 1 goal (19)
Waylon Davey-Motlop 5 - 2 goals
*Louis Emmett 5
 
2024 Top 30 Rankings, Pre-season



1. Finn O'Sullivan - Oakleigh (VC) - 181cm - high marking, midfielder, with good centre clearances and general quality disposal of footy, i still think he is likely number 1 pick going into the season
2. Levi Ashcroft - Sandringham (Bris FS) - 179cm - quality small forw, who can also play as an accumulator midfielder, gathering over 30 disposals, good kick at goal, disposal and movement isnt as smooth as Brother Will, but has great flexibility of position
3. Leonardo Lombard - GCS A - 178cm - great movement and use of footy, moves around the ground well, looks elite at VFL level
4. Jagga Smith - Oakleigh - 181cm - accumulator mid with good accuracy at goal, can grass a few kicks, but works hard all over the ground to gather the ball and provide run
5. Sid Draper - Sth Adel - 180cm - another accumulator mid with amazing work rate, can kick the ball a bit flat and i would like to see more of him, but every time i've seen him i have rated him highly
6. Josh Smillie - Eastern - 194cm - he was the best player for VM at u16s as a mid and hbf, lacks a little speed, but just wins contests and is a good user of the footy, his height also gives him flexibility of roles
7. Jobe Shanahan - Bendigo (NSW) - 192cm - vice like hands like Stewie Loewe, contested mark specialist, good in the contest, his hands are so good that i think he will have no trouble at the next level playing KPF
8. Harry O'Farrell - Calder - 196cm - strong KPD player who has taken a big step last year and could be the best KPD option in this years draft
9. Jonty Faull - GWV - 194cm - made a big impression late last year also coming from nowhere to stake a claim as 1 of the best KPF options
10. Tyler Welsh - WWT (Adel FS)- 191cm - showed his worth dominating for SA as a mobile FF who really gave SA some punch up forward, his height is a concern as he doesnt have the vice like grip that Jobe has, but his athleticism is very good and could make up for it? if he doesnt grow could be a valuable 3rd forward which lowers his value a little, but still a high end talent
11. Tobie Travaglia - Bendigo - 187cm - i have seen a lot of him play in defence and he is just a competitive and skillful player, moves so smoothly for a tallish player and gives his all
12. Christian Moraes - Eastern - 182cm - has had an amazing 2023 and i hear he is on track to have a great 2024 season
13. Phoenix Hargrave - Sth Adel - 182cm - had a huge u16s year, won sanfl u18s mvp last year, smooth moving midfielder
14. Nathaniel Sulzberger - Sandringham/Tas - 184cm - strong inside mid who can play on the outside, can win his own ball and deliver it well, another Tassie player like Sanders playing for Sandy and he looks great, going a bit early, but he has great potential
15. Patrick Retschko - Oakleigh - 186cm - hbf who is moving into the midfield this season, beautiful kick and movement
16. Nash King - Calder - 181cm - love his toughness on the inside and run, but his kicking has dropped him down the rankings a little
17. Zak Johnson - Northern - 185cm - beautiful kicking midfielder, impressed at u16s with his kicking at goal and in general and also had a good year last year, so im expecting more of the same.
18. Joe Harrison - Syd A 179cm - small sample, but he was amazing in a state game, will have to see more
19. Xavier Lindsay - Gippsland - 182cm - he has always been very good in every team he plays, i really like his character too, he seems to be very confident and capable
20. Ben Camporeale - Glenlg (Carl FS) - 184cm - playing more midfield he has surpassed his brother in form
21. Lucas Camporeale - Glenlg (Carl FS) - 182cm - was fantastic at the u16s champs and has great potential
22. Murphy Reid - Sandringham - 181cm - he was huge for Sandy in the pre-season, in bursts he is super clean and skillful
23. Kayle Gerryn - West Perth - 198cm - ruck/kpf from WA, very talented tall player, had a huge growth spurt so plays with the skills of a small
24. Benny Barrett - Sth Adel (Port NGA)- 174cm - similar player to Ky Pickett, a strong player from the dominant SA team in the u16s
25. Tom Gross - Oakleigh - 180cm - tough midfielder, was not at his best this preseason
26. Otis Harvey - Swan Dist - 182cm - good midfielder from WA, he has a big job to carry a weak WA team this year
27. Ricky Mentha - Gippsland/NT - 179cm - hff who is strong and a good kick, clever player who wins 1 on 1s
28. Luke Trainor - Sandringham - 193cm - he looks in great form in preseason, already looks ready for AFL, rising up my rankings, very good KPD potential
29. Sam Lalor - GWV - 187cm - strong midfielder for VC, lacks a little pace, but he has his fans
30. Isaac Kako - Calder (Ess NGA) - 175cm - quick goal kicking small forward, excitement machine
Isaac Kako, very exciting player, a consistent season from him and I can see him jumping up most draft boards. Have you got a prediction on Asher eastham coming out of Gippsland Power ? Played for vic country in the under 16’s championships and should be around the mark again of playing in the National championships this year I’d say
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Isaac Kako, very exciting player, a consistent season from him and I can see him jumping up most draft boards. Have you got a prediction on Asher eastham coming out of Gippsland Power ? Played for vic country in the under 16’s championships and should be around the mark again of playing in the National championships this year I’d say
Vic Country were by far the worst team at the u16s champs, they had a lot of good talent that has recently been identified which were missing from that u16s team which could make it harder for Eastham to be selected for u18s, but Eastham was there at the u16s and he wasnt great, looking at my u16s notes he scored 2 and 5 while kicking 2 goals in his 2 games, so not great numbers, compared to Kako who kicked 6 goals and scored 6, 13 and 7, so i wouldnt have them close in draft talent from their u16s, Kako easily top 30, Eastham not draft worthy on u16s form imo, their CTL form is very different as well Eastham 10 gms 10 gls to Kako 16 gms 33gls before this season, not even going into the difference in pace and athleticism..... Eastham has to improve, simple as that.
 
Geelong v Dandenong (60-57) *=2025 draft

Geelong
Joe Pike 10 - 1 goal (19)
Angus Morrison 9
Noah Tullio 8 - 2 goals
Lachie Jaques 8
Xavier Ivisic 7
Cooper Ward 7 - 1 goal
Josh Sanders 6 - 1 goal
Brady Hall 5
Edan Ibbetson 5
Machlan Will 5 - 2 goals (19)

Dandenong
Cooper Hynes 15
Harvey Langford 11 - 3 goals
Harrison Doughton 10
Elwood Peckett 8
*Sam Lewis 7 - 1 goal
Jackson Muscillo 7 - 1 goal
Jordan Doherty 7
Charlie Rowe 7
*Tairon Ah-Mu 6 - 2 goals
*Max Lee 5
Ben Hopkins 5 (19)
Kane Hurst 5
 
round 1 thoughts

North v Western Game: Northern seemed the better team with a Western side who can counter attack quickly, which will win them a few games as they move the ball with speed when they can get a turnover, whereas Northern can beat a lot of teams with a more conventional form of football as they have more reliable talent.

most draft likely: Lucas McInerney(N), Zak Johnson(N), Lucca Grego(W), Thomas Sims(N), Jesse Dattoli(N)


Murray v Tasmania Game: Murray seemed the all round better team, but both teams got into a weird slog for the first half before Murray pulled ahead and won easily, Tassie are going to rely on a half dozen to really try and eeek out some wins

*(MSD) Geordie Payne(T) and Max Mapley(T)
most draft likely: Josh Murphy(M), Jack Whitlock(M), Oliver Depaoli-Kubank(T), Matt Whitlock(M), Joe Berry(M) Darby Wilson(M) Will McCarthy(M) Zac Harding(M)


Sandringham v Calder Game: Calder came out early with a 4-5 goal lead to start the game, but then Sandy took control of the game and it was done, too much talent at Sandringham and it might get them over the line for a 3-peat, Calder should have a strong year with a good squad

most draft likely: Levi Ashcroft(S), Harry O'Farrell(C), Nathan Sulzberger(S), Taj Hotton(S), Isaac Kako(C), Sam Marshall(S), Damon Hollow(C), Murphy Reid(S), Luke Trainor(S), Jayden Nguyen(C), Josh Dolan(S), Harrison Oliver(S), Harry Armstrong(S) Thomas Legudi(C), Bailey McKenzie(S)


Oakleigh v Eastern Game: injured players and a struggle to bond as a team has held Oakleigh back from being 1 of the major powers so far this season, they also struggle with scoring and dont have great KPP options who can give them a strong focal point, Eastern have a great midfield and thats without Greeves playing in there very much, Eastern have a lot of Key Position Talent from their 19s pool which helps in both ends and in the ruck and they should be strong again this year because of the KPP options all over the ground, unless some get picked up in the MSD.

*(MSD) Cooper Trembath(E), Ry Cantwell(E), Iliro Smit(E)
most draft likely: Finn O'Sullivan(O), Josh Smillie(E), Jagga Smith(O), Tom Gross(O), Christian Moraes(E), Pat Retschko(O), Luke Quaynor(O), Kobe Askew(O), Jak Ryan(E), Zac McGown(E), Doug Kerr(O)


Geelong v Dandenong Game: Dandenong dominated poss, but their forwardline is a shambles, now it was windy but they couldnt kick a goal to save their lives, Dandenong was playing with Geelong for the first 2 3/4 quarters and couldnt score, Geelong got some momentum in the rest of the game to kick 6 goals to win in a very low scoring game where Dandenong dominated, Geelong were helped by some umpire home bias to get them over the line.

*(MSD) Joe Pike(G)
most draft likely: Cooper Hynes(D), Harvey Langford(D), Elwood Peckett(D), Xavier Ivisic(G), Lachlan Jaques(G), Harrison Doughton(D)


GWV V Bendigo Game: the vision was too messy and i didnt want to mention less than half a game...
 
Last edited:
Plenty been made about the (former) dreadlocked pocket rocket tied to us, Isaac Kako. Jayden Nguyen is also tied to us via NGA. How'd you see his start to the year? Another solid game yesterday in the Cannons 10 point win.

Also, curious to hear your thoughts on Dante Iacovino (sp?), played a couple of games last year as a KPPF underage and showed something imho.
 
Last edited:
Cal had both Marshall and Ashcroft in he’s Top 6 draft rankings on Gettable the other week but you don’t have Sam in your top 30 what’s you knock on him ?
I said earlier in this thread that after rewatching the u17s futures on gf day i wanted to add Sam to the top 30, he also had a clean round 1 game this year albeit 18 disposals, I have put in some thought about this player in recent days and i think I rank him around the 20-25 atm, a person I respect the opinion of was harshly critical of Sam in the off season, so I took some of that on board, I'm not sure on his athleticism, but his performances at the high tier level of junior footy is very good, judging talent is a multi faceted thing, it's performance × potential × athletic ability × personality traits like drive, determination, composure ect, I thought he was a standout for Bris A last year, he then was a solid player for the Allies and QLD last year without dominating, he was a consistent part of those teams, playing 2/4 games for the champs winning Allies I believe and playing in a game where QLD nearly beat V C, he was one of the best at the u17s futures game on gf day, he uses the ball well and can usually find a bit of it, maybe lacks some speed or penetration to bypass defenses

I had him around 30-40 because I wasn't sure if he was a plodder inside mid or if he could improve his impact on games, the analysis of the futures game I did recently changed my mind a bit and his form so far has reinforced that, so I have taken that into consideration and have him now just outside the top 20...
 
Last edited:
Plenty been made about the (former) dreadlocked pocket rocket tied to us, Isaac Kako. Jayden Nguyen is also tied to us via NGA. How'd you see his start to the year? Another solid game yesterday in the Cannons 10 point win.

Also, curious to hear your thoughts on Dante Iacovino (sp?), played a couple of games last year as a KPPF underage and showed something imho.
Jayden is getting a lot of kick ins which really boost poss, he is slight and is playing half back, I would like to see him back on a wing and being more attacking, he has fallen out of favour with VM people it seems(not being in the initial squad) which could impact his exposure, I'm not sure about his place in the AFL, maybe at best he could be a Zac Fisher type? Love how he plays, but lacks physicality, has speed, skills are ok, needs to prove it at the state level and im not sure if VM pick him? Could go later than we all thought last year?
 
Jayden is getting a lot of kick ins which really boost poss, he is slight and is playing half back, I would like to see him back on a wing and being more attacking, he has fallen out of favour with VM people it seems(not being in the initial squad) which could impact his exposure, I'm not sure about his place in the AFL, maybe at best he could be a Zac Fisher type? Love how he plays, but lacks physicality, has speed, skills are ok, needs to prove it at the state level and im not sure if VM pick him? Could go later than we all thought last year?
obviously asking with draft prospects post 40 conditionally. If he slipped through the cracks and into the rookie draft, does he have more tricks than Mo Taha or Amin Naim who we overlooked last year as potential Cat B rookies?
 
obviously asking with draft prospects post 40 conditionally. If he slipped through the cracks and into the rookie draft, does he have more tricks than Mo Taha or Amin Naim who we overlooked last year as potential Cat B rookies?

I think Jayden should get drafted, he has a lot of ticks in the skill and athletics columns, his physique is an issue, but there are plenty like Harry Morrison or Zac Fisher, James Aish, even Bradley Hill who can carve out careers ect

Mo Taha changed a bit from his underage season where he looked quicker and had better ball use, to his draft year where he developed physically, but not in a way that helped his football in his draft year, Amin Naim looked like a good general forward, but the bombers thought he wasn't what they needed I guess?
 
I think Jayden should get drafted, he has a lot of ticks in the skill and athletics columns, his physique is an issue, but there are plenty like Harry Morrison or Zac Fisher, James Aish, even Bradley Hill who can carve out careers ect

Mo Taha changed a bit from his underage season where he looked quicker and had better ball use, to his draft year where he developed physically, but not in a way that helped his football in his draft year, Amin Naim looked like a good general forward, but the bombers thought he wasn't what they needed I guess?
What are your thoughts on the Cat B list? Naim seemed like a perfect situation for us. No Cat B rookies at Tulla, a position we could use troops in and seemed to have some tricks.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top