Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.<\/a><\/p>\nCooper Duff-Tytler of Victoria Metro. Picture: Stefan Gosatti\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
A bankable, ready-to-play midfielder with strong leadership traits, Sharp for months had been regarded among the top-10 players in this year\u2019s draft class. Yet many scouts were hesitant to put him too high on draft boards, citing other players in the pool could have a higher ceiling at AFL level.<\/p>\n
But Sharp couldn\u2019t have been more impressive across his four games for SA \u2013 especially his middle two matches against Vic Metro and WA \u2013 with scouts impressed by his leadership and improved outside game. He now has to be in the top-five conversation, especially if he carries his form into Central District\u2019s SANFL league team.<\/p>\n
Brisbane Lions academy star Daniel Annable \u2013 a well-balanced 183cm midfielder with clean hands, great vision and coalface strength \u2013 has only solidified his top-five contender status too, averaging 24.8 disposals, 7.0 score involvements, 5.5 inside 50s and 4.2 clearances. The prospect of him joining the reigning premiers next year \u2013 and linking up with Will and Levi Ashcroft, as well as academy graduate Sam Marshall, in the midfield for years to come \u2013 would be tough for opposition scouts and fans to stomach.<\/p>\n
Top-10 pick’s gobsmacking moment | 00:24<\/p>\n
And if you had any doubts over Dylan Patterson\u2019s top-five credentials prior to the championships, you\u2019d be close to jumping on the bandwagon now. The Gold Coast Academy star has had some breathtaking moments \u2013 including a match-winning run against WA \u2013 across his four games, which saw him average 19.8 disposals, 5.0 rebound 50s, 4.8 score involvements and 400m gained. Patterson\u2019s explosive speed and penetrating kick are massive weapons.<\/p>\n
Eastern Ranges big-bodied 191cm midfielder Ollie Greeves would be a strong chance to take out Vic Metro\u2019s MVP award, averaging 25.7 disposals, 12.0 contested possessions and 4.7 clearances from three games. Greeves has been a standout at the coalface in all three matches, showing off clean hands in congestion. Clubs like his footy smarts, kicking skills and toughness at the contest.<\/p>\n
Like Greeves, Geelong Falcons defender Josh Lindsay looms as a top-10 pick, showing off terrific composure and pinpoint ball use out of the back-half. He\u2019s averaged a team-high 24.3 disposals, 4.7 intercepts, 4.0 marks and 467m gained in a consistent campaign for Vic Country.<\/p>\n
And Fred Rodriguez \u2013 a tough, bankable and team-oriented midfielder with a great workrate out of South Fremantle \u2013 had a strong carnival, showing off an improved inside game to compliment his outside traits. Rodriguez took out WA\u2019s MVP award, averaging 18.0 disposals, 4.5 tackles and 4.3 clearances across the four games. Whether he\u2019s still WA\u2019s top prospect, however, remains a point of contention among AFL clubs.<\/p>\n
Willem Duursma, Archie Ludowyke and Zeke Uwland are also in the top-picks category, but more on them in the below categories \u2026<\/p>\n
THE CHAMPS \u2018BOLTERS\u2019<\/p>\n
Amid South Australia\u2019s undefeated campaign emerged a few first-round contenders, and possibly top-10 chances, depending on which clubs you speak to.<\/p>\n
For some, Sam Cumming was already in the top-10 conversation prior to the champs. Four games later and he\u2019s only strengthened that status, kicking four goals and averaging 17.0 disposals.<\/p>\n
After dominant displays at SANFL Under 18s level, recruiters were pleased Cumming stepped up on the national stage, with one talent-watcher labelling him \u201cthe prototype AFL midfielder\u201d. Even better, Cumming has made a splash for North Adelaide\u2019s league team since the champs, racking up 16 disposals against Sturt before a brilliant display against South Adelaide last weekend, booting 3.1 from 21 disposals, six inside 50s, five clearances, five tackles and five marks.<\/p>\n
Sam Cumming (vc) of South Australia. Picture: Mark Brake\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Another potential top-10 prospect is West Adelaide\u2019s Mitch Marsh \u2013 an exciting 191cm forward who spearheaded SA\u2019s forward line. Marsh was the Croweaters\u2019 top goalkicker, booting five goals against Vic Country in SA\u2019s final match to finish with 12 for the tournament. His competitiveness in the air, strong marking on the lead, forward craft and accurate kicking \u2013 combined with his speed and athleticism \u2013 make him a tantalising prospect.<\/p>\n
Central District 198cm big man Aidan Schubert, too, was a constant forward-half presence, kicking 10 goals for the carnival. His mobility, aerobic capacity, competitiveness and ground-level cleanliness \u2013 which helped him rack up 21 and 19 disposals respectively in his final two games \u2013 now have him in first-round calculations.<\/p>\n
And Sturt\u2019s Harley Barker also has fans. A damaging, run-and-carry winger with an athletics background, Barker kicked four goals and averaged 16.0 disposals, 5.8 score involvements, 5.5 marks and 335m gained. Unfortunately for Barker, he ruptured his ACL returning for Sturt a fortnight ago, but not before making a champs statement.<\/p>\n
WA, too, has a few players surging up boards, most notably West Perth 189cm prospect Jacob Farrow, who\u2019s mounting his case to be the first WA player picked. Farrow, who\u2019s been likened to Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson, averaged 19.0 disposals and 4.8 marks from his four matches, with his best outing coming against the Allies at Marvel Stadium where he was WA\u2019s designated distributor out of the defensive 50. He finished with a game-high 29 disposals, nine marks, six intercepts and a whopping 803m gained. <\/p>\n
Sam Swadling \u2013 a hard-working, composed and clean 187cm midfielder out of West Perth \u2013 also has lots of fans at AFL club level. He kicked three goals and averaged 19.0 disposals, 7.5 contested possessions and 6.0 score involvements to be arguably WA\u2019s most consistent player across the champs.<\/p>\n
At the Allies, Lachlan Carmichael put his hand up to be recognised as this year\u2019s top Swans Academy prospect. He averaged a team-high 24.8 disposals, 6.0 score involvements, 5.0 marks, 4.8 rebound 50s and 382m gained. There\u2019s a bit of Liam Baker about 183cm defender Carmichael with his composure, toughness and balance, while he also generates back-half drive to go with his elite footy IQ and positioning nous.<\/p>\n
‘Save $1m, take the draft pick’ | 02:17<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Carlton father-son prospect and Murray Bushrangers defender Harry Dean \u2013 the son of dual premiership Blue Peter Dean \u2013 continued to impress recruiters with his power, toughness and competitiveness. He\u2019s averaged 13.0 disposals, 6.7 intercepts and 5.7 marks from three games to become, arguably, the No.1 key defender in the draft class. The Blues now will almost certainly have to match a bid on Dean in the first round \u2013 which makes a potential first-round compensation pick for free agent Tom De Koning so crucial, considering the Blues as it stands don\u2019t hold a first-rounder.<\/p>\n
The wildcard to keep an eye on is Eastern Ranges forward Lachy Dovaston, whose past two games for Vic Metro have been eye-catching. After booting 2.3 from 18 disposals against WA, Dovaston turned it on against the Allies booting 4.1 from 18 disposals, five inside 50s and five tackles. Likened to young Hawthorn star Nick Watson, Dovaston has outstanding forward craft, with flair and poise around goal.<\/p>\n
THE LINGERING QUESTIONS<\/p>\n
The versatile Willem Duursma remains a strong top-end prospect with big upside at AFL level. But whether he\u2019s at the pointy, top-five end of the class type remains a point of contention among recruiters.<\/p>\n
At 192cm, the silky Duursma has an elite kick, great lateral movement and the flexibility to play in multiple positions on the field. His ability to explode from congestion after receiving handballs has been likened to Giants star Finn Callaghan.<\/p>\n
Duursma \u2013 the youngest of the four Duursma\u2019s \u2013 started the champs as a midfielder against WA (27 disposals, 11 contested possessions, 4 clearances, 3 contested marks) before settling in defence for his most recent two games against SA (24 disposals, 5 intercepts) and the Allies (19 disposals, 5 intercepts). While he\u2019s been prolific in all games, some recruiters spoken to by foxfooty.com.au noted some inconsistency with his kicking and had some question marks around his defensive work.<\/p>\n
Willem Duursma of Victoria Country. Picture: Paul Kane\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Other scouts, however, noted that while it\u2019s been good to see Duursma spend time in all thirds of the ground this year, the positional shifts throughout the year might\u2019ve hindered his draft campaign momentum. Most of Duursma\u2019s best performances this year have come for the Gippsland Power playing as an on-baller pushing forward to hit the scoreboard.<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s Vic Metro\u2019s Archie Ludowyke and Swans Academy prospect Max King, and the uber-talented duo struggled to make a big splash in the championships.<\/p>\n
Ludowyke has had some standout games this season \u2013 he\u2019s kicked bags of four and five goals for the Sandringham Dragons, while he kicked five goals across two AFL Academy games against VFL opposition \u2013 but went goalless against SA and WA before suffering a knee injury against the Allies on the weekend.<\/p>\n
King \u2013 an athletic 191cm prospect who\u2019s strong overhead and clean at ground level \u2013 has top-five talent, but didn\u2019t catch fire for the Allies during the carnival. He threatened to against WA at Marvel Stadium \u2013 he took a spectacular mark and ultimately kicked the match-winner \u2013 but missed several opportunities in front of goal, booting 2.3 from eight disposals and five marks. That performance was sandwiched between games of 0.2 against SA and 0.0 against Vic Country, while he didn\u2019t play in the final match against Vic Metro due to illness.<\/p>\n
Scouts have seen glimpses of Metro duo Sam Grlj and Louis Emmett\u2019s best, but probably need a greater sample size to declare they\u2019re bona fide top-end picks.<\/p>\n
Renowned for his burst away from congestion, Grlj has averaged 17.0 disposals from three matches, but has yet to produce a genuine \u2018pick me\u2019 game, although scouts are excited by his great combination of speed, power and endurance.<\/p>\n
Ruckman Emmett, meanwhile, has struggled to hit the same heights this year as he did as a bottom-ager, putting his first-round prospects in some doubt. But scouts were encouraged by Emmett\u2019s most recent outing against the Allies, finishing with 14 disposals, six marks (two contested) and 12 hit-outs.<\/p>\n
Another player scouts would like a greater sample size on is Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves.<\/p>\n
Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves of Victoria Country. Picture: Paul Kane\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
The silky 186cm Dandenong Stingrays player a clear standout in Vic Country\u2019s tight loss to WA, booting four goals from 18 disposals where he started on a wing before pushing more forward as the game progressed. Most importantly, he hit the scoreboard when the game was up for grabs.<\/p>\n
But a few weeks later, Hibbins-Hargreaves was well held against SA, finishing with one goal from seven disposals. It\u2019s why AFL clubs are keen to see greater game-to-game consistency from Hibbins-Hargreaves, who was sidelined earlier this season with a shoulder injury.<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s Riley Onley, who\u2019s been one of Vic Country\u2019s best players during the carnival so far. His most recent performance against the Allies was eye-catching, finishing with a team-high 28 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 13 score involvements, seven clearances, six marks and six inside 50s fans.<\/p>\n
Fans of Onley (195cm) reckon he has all the traits of a modern-day midfielder: Size, speed and endurance. Others point out he needs to work on his outside game and defensive pressure. So whether he\u2019s in the first-round mix remains unclear.<\/p>\n
And then there\u2019s 200cm Claremont big man Cody Curtin \u2013 the younger brother of Adelaide\u2019s Daniel Curtin.<\/p>\n
An excellent one-on-one mark and a penetrating kick, Curtin played as a forward-ruck for WA. He started his carnival with three goals against Vic Country then went goalless against SA and the Allies, before finishing with three majors against Vic Metro. <\/p>\n
While Curtin\u2019s glimpses have been impressive, scouts would really like to see how Curtin fares playing reserves or league WAFL footy later in the year.<\/p>\n
IN THE MIX<\/p>\n
Several club-tied prospects certainly boosted their draft stocks throughout the National Championships, including a pair of Next Generation Academy Bombers and a couple of young guns tied to the Pies.<\/p>\n
Hussien El Achkar of Victoria Metro. Picture: Stefan Gosatti\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Calder Cannons small forward Hussien El Achkar was one of those, dazzling onlookers with his nous around goal, creativity and liveliness with ball in hand. El Achkar kicked 0.4 from 10 disposals to open his carnival, but booted two and three goals in the two games after that. <\/p>\n
His performance against the Allies in Metro\u2019s third game was perhaps most impressive, but his consistency as a stay at home small forward should be applauded. His pressure is solid and he often brings teammates into the game as well. <\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s his Metro teammate Adam Sweid, another Essendon NGA prospect. Sweid missed last year due to an ACL injury, but has picked up where he left off and shown plenty this season.<\/p>\n
The Cannons gun booted four goals from 16 disposals against the Allies in what was the breakout performance that would no doubt have got Essendon fans\u2019 tongues wagging. Sweid has shown an ability to hit the scoreboard, but he\u2019s also strong at the contest and loves to get his hands dirty. In his previous National Champs clash against Western Australia, Sweid had 20 touches and eight tackles. <\/p>\n
Collingwood NGA prospect Zac McCarthy has also boosted his prospects as the season has progressed. The Oakleigh Chargers tall has shown he can thrive as a forward and as a ruck, and looms as a fantastic addition to Collingwood\u2019s squad.<\/p>\n
The 199cm jet is great in the air and composed with ball in hand, a rare trait for players his size. Given Collingwood\u2019s key position stocks forward of centre are ageing, his addition would be a huge boost to Collingwood\u2019s future. The talented tall has booted five goals in his two most recent Champs outings playing primarily as a forward given Metro\u2019s plethora of ruck options.<\/p>\n
Zac McCarthy of Victoria Metro. Picture: Albert Perez\/AFL Photos via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
And don\u2019t sleep on Tom McGuane, who is the son of Collingwood champion Mick. McGuane has absolutely stuffed the stats sheet for the Western Jets this season, averaging 29.3 disposals per game, ranked fifth in the competition for players who have played multiple games. He\u2019s clean with the ball and crafty around the stoppage, also averaging five marks and 4.3 inside 50s per game. He hasn\u2019t quite reached the same heights for Vic Metro, where he has averaged 17 disposals and four marks a game. McGuane is a hard worker and is a good leader among his peers. <\/p>\n
ON THE SIDELINES<\/p>\n
While many prospects use the National Championships to boost their draft credentials, there has been a host of talented youngsters who didn\u2019t have that opportunity this season.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the best of those is Gold Coast Suns Academy prospect Zeke Uwland, who genuinely shapes as a top five prospect. Uwland has missed the entire carnival with a back injury, but that hasn\u2019t stopped him from finding other ways to improve his game, whether that be watching vision or helping out in the coaches box.<\/p>\n
Uwland, the brother of Gold Coast\u2019s Bodhi, spent time with the Suns AFL boys over pre-season and is also studying a law degree as he prepares himself for life after footy. Uwland is a great decision-maker who is excellent by foot and his leadership has also come on in leaps and bounds. He\u2019s targeting a return via the Suns VFL team in the coming weeks assuming all goes to plan. <\/p>\n
Another member of the Suns Academy production line is Jai Murray, who hasn\u2019t taken part in the National Championships because of an ankle injury. Murray does some of his best work as a smooth-moving operator on the outside, where can use his endurance and line-breaking ability. A composed user, Murray can pick apart opposition sides with his ball use by foot.<\/p>\n
Jai Murray of Team Sloane. Picture: Daniel Pockett\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Murray Bushrangers key forward Liam Hetherton also hasn\u2019t featured throughout the Championships due to a back injury. Hetherton still looms as one of the pool\u2019s best forwards, having shown plenty of promise during the Coates Talent League season before injury struck. The 197cm tall booted 11.3 from just three matches to put his name up in lights.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s a strong contested mark and is clean at ground level, making him a tough matchup for opposition defenders. A member of the AFL Academy, he was highly-rated pre-injury, but given the time off it\u2019s likely clubs have him in a range of different spots on their draft boards. <\/p>\n
Another familiar name to footy fans will be Jevan Phillipou, the brother of young Saint Mattaes. The younger Phillipou also comes from an elite basketball background and idolises the likes of Isaac Heeney and Christian Petracca. Those comparisons are pretty apt, given his ability to find the footy, hit the scoreboard and take a big mark in the air. He\u2019s an impact player that will excite fans for many years.<\/p>\n
Given he missed South Australia\u2019s Champs win with a broken arm, the Woodville-West Torrens product has flown somewhat under the radar this year, but he\u2019s got plenty of upside. In a recent SANFL U18s clash, Phillipou had 31 touches, six tackles, six clearances, eight inside 50s and two goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One game remains in this year\u2019s National AFL Under 18 Championships \u2013 one of the most important 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