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In last year\u2019s Brisbane premiership side alone, there were five Academy products: Harris Andrews, Jaspa Fletcher, Ty Gallop, Sam Marshalll and Bruce Reville.<\/p>\n
Another three \u2014 Keidean Coleman, Jack Payne and Eric Hipwood probably would have been in that side if not for injuries. Then there\u2019s a host of others who are at rival clubs including Hawthorn forward Mabior Chol, Port Adelaide defender Aliir Aliir and Adelaide forward Ben Keays.<\/p>\n
Annable is the next product on the conveyor belt and he\u2019s ready to head down the same path those previously have blazed before him.<\/p>\n
But not only has the Academy produced AFL-listed players, it\u2019s produced AFL premiership players.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve shown the way of how to get into a premiership team. It was pretty cool to see those guys get to work. They\u2019ve paved the way, hopefully I\u2019ll be able to follow,\u201d Annable told foxfooty.com.au.<\/p>\n
Daniel Annable of the AFL National Academy. Picture: Josh Chadwick\/AFL Photos\/via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Annable believes the Brisbane Academy has played an integral role in his development as both a person and player.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been very important. I\u2019ve been there since I was 12 and they\u2019ve given me heaps of resources, opportunities and facilities to help me become the player I am now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m forever grateful for the coaches that have helped and continue to do that, they\u2019ve been huge for my development\u2026 the Academy has definitely fast tracked my development and I\u2019ve learned heaps.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unlike some draft prospects who will start 2026 at ground zero, Annable has already spent time training and learning from some of Brisbane\u2019s biggest superstars. <\/p>\n
Annable already has a close relationship with Fletcher off-field, while he\u2019s been fortunate enough to watch and analyse vision alongside the likes of Hugh McCluggage and Josh Dunkley this year, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou learn a lot. You\u2019re in touch with AFL players and can do vision with them. They check in and give you guidance, the coaches and facilities are unreal too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got a wealth of knowledge, to be able to pick their brain and see what they see from their experiences is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Annable has made the most of that opportunity, just like he did when he received the call up to play for Brisbane\u2019s VFL side earlier this season.<\/p>\n
Not only did Annable prove he could match it with the bigger bodies in the engine room, but he also showed he is more than capable as a winger or half-forward. <\/p>\n
Annable averaged 21.3 disposals, 3.6 tackles and 2.3 marks across eight matches.<\/p>\n
Daniel Annableand Taj Stanley of the Allies celebrate victory. Picture: Jenny Evans\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get to play the level below AFL and with AFL-listed players, it was a great experience. I learned heaps and performed well, so I was happy how that went,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve played a lot of senior footy the past two years prior, so I felt like I was able to compete with the bigger bodies. The coaches put a lot of trust and faith in me to let me play midfielder where I\u2019m pretty comfortable. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think with my work rate, the high forward role or wing role will be well suited to me. Levi (Ashcroft) did it this season, so hopefully if my chance comes I can take it with both hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
Annable\u2019s output this season has hardly been surprising given his work ethic, which he says stems from his father, Dean. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always been a hard-working person, I love seeing the rewards of what it can do for you. Probably comes from my dad, he does a lot of work for our family and in his job as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dean Annable used to work a FIFO job when Daniel was growing up and now delivers materials to construction sites. It\u2019s pretty clear that his willingness to work hard has translated into Daniel\u2019s life.<\/p>\n
Daniel Annable during the Telstra AFL Draft Combine Headshots Session. Picture: Graham Denholm\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
As one draft class graduate, the footy world\u2019s focus quickly turns to the next. Annable has always been one of the most highly rated of this current crop.<\/p>\n
In the ever growing world of social media, it\u2019s hard to escape draft power rankings and analysis and with that comes expectation, both internally and externally. Annable never let any of that get to him this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty cool to have that expectation. You always want to be rated amongst the best, so it\u2019s pretty cool,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew I had a lot of work to do throughout the year to maintain that or be better than that. My family helps me with that, come back to ground level, coaches, you just continue to do what you\u2019ve been doing. <\/p>\n
\u201cNot much changes, you\u2019ve just got to have the right support system behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Annable has grasped every opportunity that has come his way in 2025 at every single level. <\/p>\n
Daniel Annable of the AFL National Academy and Lachlan Wilson of the Tigers after being presented best on ground medals. Picture: Josh Chadwick\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
He was a crucial cog in the Allies\u2019 National Championships campaign, where he averaged 24.8 disposals, 4.3 clearances and 3.8 tackles per game to earn an All-Australian nod. He was also a strong performer for the AFL Academy and last year dominated on the MCG as a part of the under 17 Futures match. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was unreal. Playing on the \u2018G on Grand Final day is a pretty rare thing and it\u2019s something I\u2019ll cherish forever\u2026 then to pull on the Australian jumper was unreal too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Annable\u2019s consistency has been a highlight of his campaign, but so too has his desire to improve with every new day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was happy overall (with the National Championships). I think my first two games were fairly good, I got a little bit fatigued in the last two games, legs were a bit heavy and I probably needed a week off. I got it after and felt refreshed,\u201d he began.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a good Allies group and had good connections off the field. We probably didn\u2019t have the performances we wanted on the field, but definitely enjoyed it and had a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Annable rarely, if ever, plays a bad game.<\/p>\n
The secret to his consistency? Being the hardest worker in the room.<\/p>\n
Daniel Annable at the draft combine. Picture: Asanka Ratnayake\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of it is done before game day. A lot of it is done with the review, making sure you\u2019re still learning so you don\u2019t plateau and getting to work on your craft. Making sure you\u2019re prepared and have ticked all the boxes throughout the week so you\u2019re confident in yourself that you can perform gameday,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s something I pride myself on, being consistent and reliable. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m self-driven, I just want to get better and get to work. It comes pretty naturally\u2026 I don\u2019t really need other people to tell me what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Annable isn\u2019t just determined to be the best player he can be. He\u2019s determined to make those around him better as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think leadership comes more naturally for me. I think I\u2019m fairly good at creating connections with people off the field and using those connections to get comfortable using them on field. I think I have a good understanding of the game and can see what\u2019s happening,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
When you watch Annable play, you can often hear him from the sidelines directing teammates and setting up around stoppages. He\u2019s also one who always leads from the front with his actions.<\/p>\n
\u201cConnections off the field are really important and knowing the game plan and being able to direct guys, but you\u2019ve got to action that as well. Put your head over it when it\u2019s time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
When Annable\u2019s name is read out on November 19, what sort of player are the Lions getting? Yet another superstar midfielder. <\/p>\n
Daniel Annable of Team Heppell. Picture: Daniel Pockett\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve already got dual Brownlow Medalist Lachie Neale, midfield beast Josh Dunkley and the smooth-moving Hugh McCluggage. Then there\u2019s the Ashcroft brothers, Will and Levi, who are two of the most promising youngsters in the competition. Throw in the likes of Zac Bailey, Cam Rayner, Sam Marshall and Jarrod Berry and Chris Fagan\u2019s midfield is absolutely stacked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really clean, one touch with the footy around contest and stoppage. I\u2019m composed, can use it well by hand. I can win it on the inside and get it out to the runners but also get it on the outside and be damaging going inside 50,\u201d Annable said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love watching Lachie Neale and Will Ashcroft\u2019s clean hands and Nick Daicos\u2019 kick. I take bits and pieces from everyone and try to put that into my game.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s less than a month now until Annable\u2019s AFL dream will be realised.<\/p>\n
\u201cEver since I joined footy, I have loved it. It was always a dream to become an AFL player,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be a dream come true. It\u2019s hopefully a really good night for my family and friends, hopefully I can bring them along and continue the journey with them. It\u2019s something I\u2019d be really proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Potential top five draft pick Daniel Annable is one of the hardest workers you\u2019ll find. Whether it\u2019s on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":249727,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[100204,54604,638,64,63,689,55,3449,148186,639,25880,27726,3244,148184,148179,3429,148178,148180,93812,39189,37348,659,20924,18664,49317,12138,148182,82577,54621,19101,12098,25875,14402,148183,677,6082,110635,47876,103825,148181,3537,148185,1124,85,69398,71127,126250,21380,15630],"class_list":["post-249726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-academy-products","tag-academy-program","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australian-football-league-academy","tag-australian-jumper","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-ben-keays","tag-bruce-reville","tag-chris-fagan","tag-construction-sites","tag-conveyor-belt","tag-daniel-annable","tag-draft-class-graduate","tag-draft-power-rankings","tag-draft-prospects","tag-engine-room","tag-eric-hipwood","tag-footy-world","tag-game-day","tag-game-plan","tag-grand-final-day","tag-hugh-mccluggage","tag-integral-role","tag-jack-payne","tag-jarrod-berry","tag-jaspa-fletcher","tag-josh-dunkley","tag-lachie-neale","tag-mabior-chol","tag-midfield-beast","tag-oceania","tag-port-adelaide","tag-premiership-players","tag-premiership-side","tag-premiership-team","tag-right-support-system","tag-sam-marshall","tag-sam-marshalll","tag-south-australia","tag-sports","tag-superstar-midfielder","tag-ty-gallop","tag-wing-role","tag-work-ethic","tag-work-rate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249726"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249726\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}