AFL Prospectus Top 25 Draftees

[Whispering_Jack 27,960]

This year's AFL Prospectus contains an assessment made of the potential Top 25 2015 Draftees compiled by Greg Planner for Champion Data.

This list was drawn up at the start of the season and was therefore based on previous years' form and of course, is done without interviews, Combines, psych tests, medical references, profiles or social media phantom drafts.

The list doesn't pretend to be perfect as some players will have come into contention by way of their 2015 form while others will drop by the wayside and Planner in fact, goes back to last year's list to demonstrate this fact.

Champion Data's 2014 Draftees - Potential Top 25​

Drafted 1-25

1. Paddy McCartin

2. Christian Petracca

3. Angus Brayshaw

4. Jarrod Pickett

8. Peter Wright

9. Darcy Moore (F-S)

11. Liam Duggan

13. Lachlan Welter

14. Jake Lever

16. Sam Durdin

18. Isaac Heeney (A-S)

21. Hugh Goddard

Drafted 25+

30. Brayden Maynard

32. Tom Lamb

42. Billy Stretch (F-S)

44. Liam Dawson (A-S)

51. Jackson Nelson

60. Clem Smith

76. Alec Waterman

Rookie

17. Sean McLaren

Overlooked

Matthew Ah Siu

Daniel Caprion

Liam Griffiths

Jack Hayes

Ryan Lim

The AFL Prospectus selected 12 in the National Draft's first 25 and a further seven picked beyond that level. Sean McLaren was later rookie listed, whilst five missed out altogether.

They overlooked four of the first 10 selections. Jordan de Goey had only played four matches for Oakleigh therefore slipped down the list over the summer of 2014/5. Caleb Marchbank was left out because he missed the majority of the 2013 season with stress fractures to his back while Nakia Cockatoo was another one they didn't have high on the radar as he had stress fractures in his foot.

All things considered, it was a pretty fair effort given that it was compiled 12 months before the draft and Melbourne did well to pick up three players Petracca, Brayshaw and Stretch from the list of 25. Which makes it a terrific recruiting period for Melbourne when you add the likes of Alex Neal-Bullen and Aaron vandenBerg to the players traded into the club (Lumumba was a previous All Australian, Garlett consistently a productive goal kicker, and Frost and Newton who show promise) and the fact that Jesse Hogan made his delayed AFL debut this year as well. The cost to the club was minimal considering the only major player loss was Frawley whose input had diminished considerably since his All Australian year.

With the National Under 18 championships coming to an end today, I will post the Prospectus Top-25 2015 Draftees over the coming days.

I would imagine that whatever happens, it won't be easy emulating our recruiting performance of the last twelve months.

[CBDees 3,162]

WJ you are a master of under-statement!

[Whispering_Jack 27,960]

The first of the AFL Prospectus 2015 Top 25 draft prospects.

Harley Balic from the Sandringham Dragons first caught my eye late last year as a bottom ager who was playing as a half forward. He spent time at Melbourne during the pre season on the AIS programme and Terry Wallace has, on a weekly basis, linked him with Melbourne's first pick in his "phantom" draft on Nine's TAC Cup Future Stars. I'm not sure if that's due to some inside knowledge or the association of Balic with the Dragons where Paul Roos' son has played for the past two seasons and the TAC Cup club of Christian Salem and Angus Brayshaw.

Balic early form in the Under 18 championships was very good but that was followed up with a couple of quieter games before his performance on Wednesday in which he was instrumental in Vic Metro's come from behind win against SA after a slow start. He will probably make the All Australian team to be announced today.

Balic's not endowed with great pace but gets the ball and does good things with it and will most likely end up a midfielder in the AFL. As far as being picked up by Melbourne later in the year is concerned, I suppose it will depend on whether we are looking for someone like him or a player with pace who can play more outside like, say Darcy Parish.

"CALLUM AH CHEE South Fremantle Mid/Fwd 180cm Resembles: Luke Bruest

Ah Chee is a super quick medium midfielder/forward who is a penetrating kick and has great game sense, balance and agility. Also a good overhead mark, he represented Western Australia at the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships, also playing six WAFL Colts games that season, averaging 14 disposals, three marks, three inside 50s and three tackles per game for South Fremantle. His 2014 season was restricted due to an ankle injury. From his eight Colts matches, he averaged 16 disposals, five marks, three inside 50s and one score assist per game.

FREAKO: A great talent who ticks all boxes."

"HARLEY BALIC Sandringham Dragons Forward 186cm Resembles: Jake Stringer

Balic is an athletic medium forward who is strong in air and is very good one-on-one. He is also extremely agile and is a good decision-maker. In 2014, despite missing seven matches with a broken hand, he had outstanding TAC Cup season, averaging 14 disposals per game and rating elite for a general forward in contested possessions and marks. These performances saw him finish seventh in Sandringham's B&F.

FREAKO: From a basketball background with a lot of 'wow' factor. A class act."

"BRYCE BATTY Eastern Ranges Midfielder 182cm Resembles: Dylan Shiel

Batty is a left-foot midfielder who has good acceleration from the contest and uses his pace to push forward. He missed the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships due to injury, however, he played two TAC Cup Finals, averaging 11 disposals, seven contested possessions and two tackles per game. In 2014 he played nine matches in the first half of the season with averages of 15 disposals, seven contested possessions and three clearances per game, rating above average for inside 50s. He sustained a shoulder injury in Round 10 which required reconstruction and ended his season.

FREAKO: Hard as nails and nicely balanced. Looking forward to his 2015."

"RYAN BURTON North Adelaide Forward 189cm Resembles: Jarrad Waite

Burton is a classy key forward who reads the play well and times his leads and positioning to perfection. Extremely athletic with a good leap and a penetrating kick, he also has strong reliable hands when on the lead. In 2014 he played the first three NAB AFL Under-18 Championships matches for a return of eight goals including a haul of five in his first match against Western Australia. He averaged 104 Champion Data ranking points at the Championships - ranked fourth for South Australia. At SANFL level, he played one Under-18 match, two reserves matches and four League matches where he averaged 10 disposals and scored five goals. His season came to a premature end when he injured his knee in late August.

FREAKO: SA's No.1 key forward for 2015 if he successfully recovers from his season-ending injury."

"KIERAN COLLINS Dandenong Stingrays Defender 192cm Resembles: Ben Stratton

Collins is a reliable and strong key defender who competes extremely well either on the lead or in one-on-one contests. Astute at reading the play, he is a good decision-maker under pressure and can also win the ball back at ground level. Following on from his three matches at the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships, he played two NAB AFL Under-18 Championship matches in 2014. Around school commitments for Haileybury College, he also played nine matches at TAC Cup level where he averaged eight disposals, four contested possessions, three marks and three intercept possessions.

FREAKO: A solid performer, with his contested and overhead marking a highlight."

[poita 3,573]

2015 draft: Phantom form guide

There is an article on the AFL site listing the top 20 prospects after the carnival. 2 of the top 5, and 5 of the top 15 have ties to an academy - so much for a fair and transparent national draft.

[Whispering_Jack 27,960]

The second group from the AFL Top 25 Draft Prospects highlights the influence of the academies for the developing northern states. The flaw is that for some years we've been waiting for an uncompromised draft following the concessions granted to the new franchises. The academies might have been justified for Gold Coast and GWS Giants which don't have the benefit of the father/son system but why Brisbane and Sydney? And if the purpose is to foster AFL in the non AFL regions, why give GWS yet another leg up with a virtual zone in the Riverina district which has provided many VFL/AFL stars in the past?

In a year when the draft is supposedly shallow, there are four clubs enjoying an enormous advantage even with the operation of the bidding system and providing us with yet another compromised draft.

Hipwood and Hopper are both academy members while Dunkley is a potential father/son.

"BEN CROCKER​ Oakleigh Chargers Fwd/Def 185cm Resembles: Robert Murphy

A medium forward/defender with good competiveness and leadership skills, Crocker is strong overhead and excels in contests. He played one TAC Cup match in 2013 and around his commitments for Carey Grammar, played a further 11 TAC Cup matches in 2014. From these appearances he averaged 13 disposals and four marks with his best performance coming against Geelong, racking up 18 disposals, 10 contested possessions and one goal.

FREAKO: Under-exposed and has now finished school, so we're looking forward to a full-on 2015."

"CHARLES CURNOW Geelong Falcons Forward 187cm Resembles: Justin Westhoff

Curnow is a late developer with an athletics background and is the brother of Carlton midfielder Ed. He started the 2014 season at full back and was a more than competent performer, however with key position teammates Paddy McCartin and Hugh Goddard also juggling school and state commitments, Curnow was swung into the forward-line with occasional stints in the ruck. A good size and still growing, his 11 performances across the season were more then credible, averaging 11 disposals, six contested possessions, seven hitouts and four marks per game.

FREAKO: He will have a busy 2015 and we'll enjoy monitoring his progress."

"JOSH DUNKLEY Gippsland Power Mid/Def 187cm Resembles: Luke Parker

Son of former Sydney Swans Premiership defender Andrew, Josh is a midfielder/defender who thrives on the physical and competitive aspect of the game. With an emphasis on tackling, he is also a strong overhead mark who can shut down an opponent. At the 2014 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships he played five matches to average 16 disposals, seven contested possessions, four marks and four tackles, while from his 13 TAC Cup matches, averaged an elite 22 disposals, 12 contested possessions, seven tackles and five clearances.

FREAKO: Second in Gippsland's B&F. Tackling machine who can play at either end."

"ERIC HIPWOOD Forward 197cm Caloundra Resembles: Justin Koschitzke

Hipwood is a left-footed tall forward who played for Queensland in the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships. His 2014 was curtailed by a preseason injury that prevented him from training with the Queensland Under-18 squad as a bottom-ager. As a result he played again in the Under-16 Championships as an over-aged player averaging 16 disposals, eight contested possessions, three goals and four tackles. He led these Championships in contested marks and scoring shots. He completed the 2014 season with two matches at NEAFL level demonstrating his versatility by playing in defence. Against (he Sydney Swans he racked up 20 disposals, 16 uncontested possessions and five inside 50s.

FREAKO: Coming off a long run-up. Has a nice blend of attack and defence, and the size and build to go with it."

"JACOB HOPPER North Ballarat Rebels Midfielder 185cm Resembles: Jobe Watson

A GWS Academy player, Hopper is a very talented midfielder who has good speed and endurance and is very clean with the ball, particularly at ground level. He can win Lhe ball on both the inside and outside and is also a good decision maker. In 2014 he had an injury interrupted season, however, still played two games at the 2014 NAB AFL Under-18 Championship for NSW/ACT, along with six TAC Cup matches where he averaged an elite 21 disposals, 13 contested possessions, five tackles and six clearances per game.

FREAKO: A hard worker who we hope is over his injuries."

[Davos 734]

I hope the club has a really close look at Burton. Will be a steal for whoever picks him late in the first/early second.

[Whispering_Jack 27,960]

I hope the club has a really close look at Burton. Will be a steal for whoever picks him late in the first/early second.

Given that the head of the club's recruiting is a Taylor, I have no doubt Burton will be considered.

[Return to Glory 7,722]

Given that the head of the club's recruiting is a Taylor, I have no doubt Burton will be considered.

Alcohol bans may be a problem

[Moonshadow 16,162]

Alcohol bans may be a problem

?????

[ILLDieADemon 804]

HARLEY BALIC Sounds like a Jack Watts type player.

Do we really need another one of them?

[ChaserJ 3,964]

HARLEY BALIC Sounds like a Jack Watts type player.

Do we really need another one of them?

The first of the AFL Prospectus 2015 Top 25 draft prospects.

Harley Balic from the Sandringham Dragons first caught my eye late last year as a bottom ager who was playing as a half forward. He spent time at Melbourne during the pre season on the AIS programme and Terry Wallace has, on a weekly basis, linked him with Melbourne's first pick in his "phantom" draft on Nine's TAC Cup Future Stars. I'm not sure if that's due to some inside knowledge or the association of Balic with the Dragons where Paul Roos' son has played for the past two seasons and the TAC Cup club of Christian Salem and Angus Brayshaw.

Balic early form in the Under 18 championships was very good but that was followed up with a couple of quieter games before his performance on Wednesday in which he was instrumental in Vic Metro's come from behind win against SA after a slow start. He will probably make the All Australian team to be announced today.

Balic's not endowed with great pace but gets the ball and does good things with it and will most likely end up a midfielder in the AFL. As far as being picked up by Melbourne later in the year is concerned, I suppose it will depend on whether we are looking for someone like him or a player with pace who can play more outside like, say Darcy Parish.

"HARLEY BALIC Sandringham Dragons Forward 186cm Resembles: Jake Stringer

Balic is an athletic medium forward who is strong in air and is very good one-on-one. He is also extremely agile and is a good decision-maker. In 2014, despite missing seven matches with a broken hand, he had outstanding TAC Cup season, averaging 14 disposals per game and rating elite for a general forward in contested possessions and marks. These performances saw him finish seventh in Sandringham's B&F.

FREAKO: From a basketball background with a lot of 'wow' factor. A class act."

Don't think Jack was rated as elite in contested possessions. Balic loves the contest, so there's a massive POD to Watt's despite the similarities in skill level. His game style is more reminiscent of Pendlebury.

At this stage I'd rate Parish as the best of the available mids, but I like what I've seen of Balic and definitely think he could push into the mix. Especially if Parish is gone by the time we pick.

[Whispering_Jack 27,960]

Some handy players again in this selection and again, a couple of good ones from interstate academies.

"DANIEL HOUSTON Oakleigh Chargers Midfielder 186cm Resembles: Will Hoskin-Elliott

Houston is a leading forward who is good overhead and can push up into the midfield and have an impact. He has clean hands, is a good decision maker and reads the play well. He played one TAC Cup match in 2013 and in 2014 between school commitments, played a further 13 matches for Oakleigh including the Premiership, to end the season with averages of 11 disposals, five marks and three inside 50s. His best performance of the season came against Queensland in Round 4 where he had 15 disposals, five marks and a club season-high seven goals.

FREAKO: Has a bit of class and uses the ball extremely well."

"BEN KEAYS Morningside Midfielder 183cm Resembles: Brett Deledio

A member of the Brisbane Lions' Academy, left-footer Keays is a super competitive midfield ball-magnet who loves winning the contested ball, but can also hurt the opposition with his run-and-carry. He dominated the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships for Queensland, averaging 23 disposals and was awarded their MVP. At the 2014 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships his averages of 23 disposals, 15 uncontested possessions and five tackles were all elite, resulting in him again being named his state's MVP as well as earning All-Australian honours. He rounded off his season with 10 NEAFL matches with Southport (four games) and Redland (six).

FREAKO: Already a star. A standout in every competition we've watched him in."

"RHYS MATHIESON Geelong Falcons Mid/Fwd 183cm Resembles: Dustin Martin

Tough and competitive, with plenty of natural ability. Mathieson reads the game extremely well and competes equally well in the air as at ground level. In 2013 he won the Kevin Sheehan medal for the best Division One player at the NAB AFL Under-16 Championships. In 2014 he backed it up, playing 14 TAC Cup matches where he averaged 19 disposals, 11 contested possessions and five clearances. At the 2014 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, he played five matches and again produced elite averages of 21 disposals, 10 contested possessions and six clearances. These performances gained him All-Australian honours at the end of the Championships.

FREAKO: Absolutely love this kid. Has attitude and continue backs it up."

"CALLUM MILLS​ North Shore Midfielder 186cm Resembles: Dayne Beams

A natural leader who understands the game extremely well, Mills is a strong inside midfielder who thrives on the contest. He has clean hands and can push forward to impact the scoreboard. In 2013 as captain of NSW/ACT, he won the Alan McLean medal for the best Division Two player at the NAB AFL Under-16 Championships as well as his state's MVP. His outstanding form continued at the 2014 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, where his averages were all elite - 21 disposals, nine contested possessions and five clearances. He was included in the NAB AFL Under-18 All-Australian team and rounded off the season with six NEAFL matches for the Swans.

FREAKO: Heeney one year, Swans love their Academy!"

"NICK O'KEARNEY Calder Cannons Midfielder 179cm Resembles: Brent Harvey

O'Kearney is a left-footed natural midfielder who has a strong understanding of the game and reads the play extremely well. Hard at the ball and with good leadership qualities, he captained Vic Metro at the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships, averaging 23 disposals, 11 contested possessions and four marks per match. These performances resulted in him winning Vic Metro's MVP. In 2014 he played 17 TAC Cup matches with elite averages of 26 disposals, 10 contested possessions, 16 uncontested possessions and five clearances. He also played two NAB AFL Under-18 Championship games where he averaged 15 disposals, while on grand final day he starred against the Allies rackingup 22 uncontested possessions and 29 disposalsfrom limited game-time with the AIS team.

FREAKO: Very rarely does a bottom-ager win his TAC Cup club's B&F - he did! Gun!"

[rjay 23,888]

Don't think Jack was rated as elite in contested possessions. Balic loves the contest, so there's a massive POD to Watt's despite the similarities in skill level. His game style is more reminiscent of Pendlebury.

At this stage I'd rate Parish as the best of the available mids, but I like what I've seen of Balic and definitely think he could push into the mix. Especially if Parish is gone by the time we pick.

If we play out the season like we did yesterday then we could end up with a top 2 pick.

Would you take a tall or mid from this draft class 'Chaser'?

[whatwhat say what 18,899]

if we were unfortunate / incompetent enough to finish it that position, it'd be whichever of schache or weitering that wasn't selected i would expect.

or, better yet, do another tyson / #9 for #2 / our second second rounder trade again.

preferably without giving up the later pick too.

[ChaserJ 3,964]

If we play out the season like we did yesterday then we could end up with a top 2 pick.

Would you take a tall or mid from this draft class 'Chaser'?

If we had pick 2 I'd take Weitering or Schache.

I'm not wedded to a type with our first pick though, I'd be happy to down my rankings and take the first available. At this stage, I think we miss out on Weitering, Schache and Francis and excluding the academy selections (Mills, then Kennedy, then Hopper in that order), I'd have Parish, Weideman, Balic then Dunkley as the next best for us at this stage.

I'll be keenly watching McKay as someone who could come into consideration with a good finish to the year. Needs some production to go with his flashes of talent. Has a late year birthday, so plenty of potential development there.

I could be persuaded on Curnow and Burton if they get back before seasons end and show some form.

[manny100 1,010]

Best available will be the way to go. A young tall KPF would be good if available at our pick. It seems likely a number of tallish players will go top 10.

[dazzledavey36 48,708]

Here is a big list of video's on all potential draftees this year.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMd-2ImZ9wyAevqKBvTHvBLJ3tToGTMwD

[Whispering_Jack 27,960]

The next group in the AFL Prospectus 2015 Top 25 is my personal favourite.

I'm an optimist so I think the shack attack would be out of our reach but how good would the combination of Hogan and Schache be in years to come?

On the other hand, I think we're in the range that might allow us to secure a classy mid like Parish.

Then again, our recruiting people might trade and give up some draft positioning in order to get an established player so this could all be moot.

"DARCY PARISH Geelong Falcons Mid/Fwd 178cm Resembles: David Zaharakis

Parish is a midfielder/forward who has a great attitude and thrives on a challenge. A good decision maker, his endurance and work rate allows him to continually get to get to the contest and accumulate possessions. At the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships he averaged 19 disposals, six inside 50s and three clearances per game. In 2014 he played 14 TAC Cup games, averaging an elite 23 disposals, 14 uncontested possessions and four inside 50s. In five games at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, he averaged 16 disposals, 10 uncontested possessions, four inside 50 and an elite 378 metres gained per game. As a result, he gained All-Australian selection.

​FREAKO: Good on either side of his body. A proven performer so far."

"JAMES PARSONS Eastern Ranges Mid / Def 185cm Resembles: Mitch Duncan

An excellent student of the game, Parsons is a midfielder/ defender who reads the play well and uses his athleticism to great advantage. A good decision maker who knows when to zone off, he has clean hands and an excellent leap. In 2013, he played at the NAB AFL Under-16 Championships and also debuted for one late season TAC Cup match. In 2014 he played 14 TAC Cup matches where he averaged 13 disposals, five marks and three inside 50s. He also played one NAB AFL Under-18 Championship match against South Australia where he racked up 15 disposals and four marks.

FREAKO: Recruiters love the term 'upside', and he has plenty of it!"

"JOSHUA SCHACHE Murray Bushrangers Forward 196cm Resembles: Tom J. Lynch

A promising left-foot key forward who can also ruck, Schache is strong on the lead and has good hands. He is very athletic for his size, reads the flight of the ball very well and is a more than reliable set shot at goal. In 2013 he played three NAB AFL Under-16 Championship matches and also played two TAC Cup matches at the end of the season. In 2014 he played two matches for Victoria Country at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships while at TAC Cup level, he played a further 15 matches averaging 11 disposals, five marks, and booting 27 goals.

FREAKO: A big 2015 ahead. Needs to continue his improvement to ensure the game doesn't pass him by."

"SAM SKINNER​ Gippsland Power Defender 193cm Resembles: Jackson Trengove

A developing key defender who can also pinch-hit in the ruck, Skinner has great endurance and the ability to counter-attack. He reads the play well and knows when to zone off and contest. Averaging nine disposals and three marks at the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships, he was awarded Victoria Country's MVP award. He played three games at the 2014 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, while in the TAC Cup he played 14 matches, averaging nine disposals and three marks.

FREAKO: Improved again in 2014 and could even play forward. Bring on 2015."

"JORDAN SNADDEN​ East Fremantle Midfielder 187cm​ Resembles: Dyson Heppell

Snadden is a smooth moving left footed midfielder who is excellent in one-on-one contests and around the stoppages. He played three matches at Colts level in 2013 and in 2014 played a further 16 matches where he averaged 21 disposals, nine contested possessions, four marks and five clearances. When pushing forward, he kicked 11 goals for the season.

FREAKO: Level-headed, a great size, and has plenty of upside."-

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

More mids. We have seen what happens when you get a run of injuries.

Parsons sounds the goods.

I doubt he will be around when it's our turn.

Edited July 6, 2015 by Pig Dog

[BAMF 3,787]

I like the sound of Parish.

I think we were exposed by the eagles for a lack of polish and depth in our midfield.

[Moonshadow 16,162]

Parsons, Parish...... Is there a Priest, a Bishop or another Vickery in the draft?

[Whispering_Jack 27,960]

The last name on the list is likely to be the first to be picked.

“KADE STEWART​ South Fremantle Midfielder 179cm​Resembles: Matt Priddis

A hard and tough left-footed inside midfielder, Stewart is ultra-competitive with good skills, clean hands, and makes good decisions around stoppages. We first saw him at the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships where he averaged 20 disposals, 14 contested possessions and six clearances, winning his state's MVP. In 2014 he played four NAB AFL Under-18 Championship games, averaging 13 disposals, six contested possessions, five tackles and three clearances. Around these Championships, he played a full season at Colts level and from his 16 matches averaged 18 disposals, 11 contested possessions, four tackles and five clearances.

FREAKO: WA's No.1 2015 prospect. Love his competitiveness and tackling pressure.”

“STEPHEN TAHANA​ North Adelaide Defender 182cm​ Resembles: Brent Reilly

Tahana had an exceptional 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships, averaging 11 disposals, seven contested possessions and four tackles. He was subsequently recognised as his state's MVP. A lock-down and rebounding medium defender, he is very disciplined and competes well at both ground-level and in the air. In 2013 he also played 10 SANFL Under-18 games and two reserves matches. At the 2014 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships he played four matches with modest averages of nine disposals and four contested possessions, whilst at SANFL level, he played 14 reserves and two League matches with his best performance coming against Glenelg in the reserves, where he amassed 24 disposals, 11 contested possessions and four tackles.

FREAKO: Needs to improve his kicking but courageous and runs straight at the bail.”

“DARCY TUCKER​ North Ballarat Rebels Midfielder 180cm Resembles: Shaun Atley

Athletic and with a good turn of speed, Tucker uses the ball effectively on both sides of his body and can play in various positions. He wins his own ball in the contest, has good awareness and vision in traffic and is very composed. In 2013 he played at the NAB AFL Under-16 Championships and also played four TAC Cup matches at the end of the season. In 2014 he played three NAB AFL Under-18 Championship matches before getting injured, averaging an elite 21 disposals and 17 uncontested possessions. These performances saw him selected in the All-Australian team. At TAC Cup level he played eight matches where he averaged 19 disposals, five marks and 13 uncontested possessions per game.

FREAKO: Reads the play well and has speed and endurance to burn. Will be a jet!”

“JACK WATSON​ Swan Districts Defender 191cm Resembles: Scott Thompson (NM)

Watson is a strongly built key defender who is solid in a contest and has good closing speed. He played every match at Colts level in 2014, however, missed the grand final with glandular fever. His season averages included 15 disposals, four marks, six contested possessions and three rebound 50s. These performances resulted in him being selected in the Colts Team of the Year.

FREAKO: Consistently gets the job done. Haven't seen much of him but like what we see.”

“JACOB WEITERING Dandenong Stingrays Defender 190cm Resembles: Lachie Henderson

Weitering is a versatile and athletic tall defender who reads the game well and is very strong in mark contests. He has good endurance, is a good decision maker and can also play as a key forward. He averaged 15 disposals and five marks at the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships. In 2014 he played two matches at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and at TAC Cup level played 13 matches for Dandenong to average 16 disposals, six marks and six contested possessions.

FREAKO: Good in defence and also dangerous up forward one-on-one. A great balance!”

[whatwhat say what 18,899]

he's a fair bit taller than 190cm now, isn't he?

i guess it'll all depend on who finishes stone motherless. blues could use a weitering, lions would love a schache, gc17 would probably take either, and we would go schache, i guess (the real answer is callum mills, of course).

[Machsy 2,856]

Question for me is: with teams having to pay more for academy selections this year - will anyone pass on a Mills, Dunkley, Hopper, Keays, or Kennedy?

[whatwhat say what 18,899]

dunkley hasn't confirmed whether he wants to go to the swans yet.

he has plenty of time to nominate himself as a father-son, i believe?

he may prefer to go into the draft.