The best AFL draft picks out of South Australia in the last decade and the local clubs they came from
The AFL draft countdown is on and ahead of the big night we’ve compiled the top picks exported from local footy clubs since 2010. See how your club stacks up.
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The AFL draft will begin on Wednesday night, with thousands of talents around the country vying for a spot.
South Australia is no stranger to producing impressive young guns and has more than 100 nominees hoping to hear their name called out.
While this year’s talent pool is strong yet again, the state has produced some top-drawer AFL talent for years.
Ahead of Wednesday, we’ve listed the local clubs who have produced SA’s top AFL players since 2010, and their biggest prospects with a shot at draft success this year.
Walkerville (8)
Draftees: Will Hayward (Syd), Nick Duigan (Carl) Matt Wright (Adel), Jackson Hately (Adel), Luke Valente (Frem), Callum Wilkie (StK), Dylan Stephens (Syd), Jack Saunders (Haw).
Walkerville has had an immensely successful run of producing talent in recent years, with each of these players having an impact for their clubs at AFL level.
Wright and Duigan were both strong players for the Crows and Carlton respectively, while 2016 draftee Hayward has starred as a forward for the Swans and looks set to play his 100th AFL game next season.
Golden Grove (4)
Draftees: Daniel Menzel (Gee, Syd), Troy Menzel (Carl, Adel), Trent Dumont (North), Cam Shenton (Stk).
Top 2021 prospect: Harvey Harrison.
Golden Grove has continued to build strong prospects for the top flight, with these four all experiencing a form of success in the AFL.
While both Menzels are now at the Eagles in the SANFL, they had impressive AFL careers, with Daniel’s extraordinary potential impacted by a horror run of injuries.
Henley (4)
Draftees: Brodie Smith (Adel), Jack Lukosius (GC), Luke Edwards (WCE), James Rowe (Adel).
Top 2021 prospect: Jordan Lukac.
Henley’s dominance at both a school football and club football level has been reflected in the top talent to come through the area.
Smith is a 200-game star for the Crows, while recent Gold Coast draftee Lukosius looks to be one of the upcoming guns of the competition.
Edwards has also made his mark early for West Coast and Rowe was a handy small forward for the Crows last season.
Payneham Norwood Union (4)
Draftees: Tom Jonas (PA), James Aish (Bris, Coll, Frem), Orazio Fantasia (Ess, PA), George Horlin-Smith (Gee, GC).
Top 2021 prospect: Morgan Ferres.
PNU’s recent draftees have been some of the most talented in SA.
Jonas has cemented himself as one of the best defenders in the AFL and has become a strong captain of Port Adelaide, while Aish and Fantasia have performed consistently well despite injuries.
Unley Mercedes (4)
Draftees: Brodie Grundy (Coll), Callum Coleman-Jones (Rich, North), Tom Sparrow (Melb), Jack Saunders (Haw).
Unley Mercedes helped to produce one of the best ruckmen out of SA in Grundy, and their other three young guns are all beginning to make waves.
Coleman-Jones is being tipped to have a breakout year for North Melbourne, while Saunders continues to improve at the Hawks.
Sparrow – also out of Bridgewater-Callington – became a premiership player with Melbourne in just his third year with the club.
Brighton (3)
Draftees: Bailey Williams (WB), Cory Gregson (Gee), Ben Kennedy (Coll, Melb).
Top 2021 prospect: Cooper Beecken.
Williams was dominant for Brighton and Glenelg as a junior, and has continued his development for the Bulldogs at AFL level, becoming a key player in the club’s 2021 grand final team.
Gregson and Kennedy both had briefer stints at the top level but showed signs of the players they could have been – especially Gregson who experienced multiple injury setbacks.
Flinders Park (3)
Draftees: Izak Rankine (GC), Chris Burgess (GC), Cam Ellis-Yolmen (Adel, Bris).
Rankine is one of the most highly touted prospects in recent years and has recently began living up to his potential for the Suns as a forward.
Burgess has also had a solid career so far for Gold Coast while Ellis-Yolmen played a solid role at the Crows during the club’s premiership window.
Goodwood (3)
Draftees: Riley Bonner (PA), Will Snelling (Ess), Riley Thilthorpe (Adel).
Top 2021 prospect: Zac Becker.
Goodwood has a big reputation for producing top tier talent and their current group of young AFL stars underlines the club’s ability in this department.
Bonner and Snelling have been mainstays in their clubs’ first 22 and will undoubtedly play a significant part in the success of their teams, while Thilthorpe burst onto the scene for the Crows last season and looks to be the future of the club’s forwardline.
Mitcham (3)
Draftees: Lewis Young (Carl, WB), Charlie Ballard (GC), Sam Day (GC).
These three players have managed consistent game time since their entry into the AFL, and most will continue to develop as they mature.
28-year-old Day has been a strong contributor for the Suns since being drafted in 2010 and continues to play an integral role as a utility.
PHOS Camden (3)
Draftees: Matt Scharenberg (Coll), Ryan Burton (Haw, PA), Will Day (Haw).
Top 2021 prospect: Hugh Stagg.
Scharenberg was delisted by Collingwood at the end of the 2020 season but had six solid years beforehand, mainly playing as a defender.
If he can prevent injury he could still be a handy asset for any club.
Burton has performed strongly since returning to Adelaide from Victoria and promising player Day continues to develop for the Hawks.
Lucindale (2)
Draftees: Darcy Fogarty (Adel), Will Gould (Syd).
While Gould had a slow start to his AFL career with the Swans, he has shown moments of brilliance and is slowly progressing.
Forward/midfielder Fogarty has been in and out of the Crows line-up but is a major part of the club’s future.
Plympton (2)
Draftees: Alex Neal-Bullen (Melb), John Noble (Coll).
Noble’s last two years have been elite for Collingwood, as the 24-year-old defender begins to solidify himself as a Magpie mainstay.
Neal-Bullen has been immense for the Demons for years and played a big part in the club’s drought-breaking flag.
Port District (2)
Draftees: Kysaiah Pickett (Melb), Andrew McPherson (Adel).
Top 2021 prospect: Jase Burgoyne.
Pickett won a premiership in his first AFL season this year and was often dominant as a small forward, while McPherson managed to play consistent footy at the back for Adelaide.
Winger Burgoyne looks set to be another exciting star out of Port District as the club continues to produce talent.
Tea Tree Gully (2)
Draftees: Luke Brown (Adel), Jack Graham (Rich).
Top 2021 prospect: Cooper Murley.
Picked up by the Crows in his 2011 rookie year, Brown has been an immense small defender for his side, playing 178 games.
Graham has also been a marvel for Richmond and has played a big part in multiple premierships, namely against the Crows in 2017.
Edwardstown (1)
Draftees: Caleb Daniel (WB).
Daniel’s AFL career has been nothing less than sensational. The undersized defender has already won a premiership, an All-Australian selection and a Western Bulldogs Best and Fairest.
Kenilworth (1)
Draftees: Rory Laird (Adel).
The Crows Best and Fairest has become a star of SA footy in recent years and will undoubtedly remain one of the best midfielders the competition has to offer in 2022.
Kybybolite (1)
Draftees: Lachie Neale (Fre, Bris).
Neale needs no introduction. The 2020 Brownlow medallist is one of the biggest stars in the competition right now and looks set to take the Lions to a grand final level in the near future.
Murray Bridge - Imperials Football Club (1)
Draftees: Chad Wingard (PA, Hawthorn).
Wingard was a star for Port Adelaide – winning a Best and Fairest, making two All Australian teams, leading the club’s goalkicking twice and winning a mark of the year.
His Hawthorn career has had a slower start but he remains one of the big names in the competition.
Reynella (1)
Draftees: Sam Draper (Ess).
Draper made his debut in 2020 and has impressed since.
The hardworking ruck looks set to have a breakout year in the near future.
Robe (1)
Draftees: Jordan Dawson (Syd, Adel).
Dawson’s return to Adelaide for 2022 was highly anticipated throughout the end of the 2021 season and will add speed and efficiency to the Crows’ line-up.
He can play around the ground and was one of Sydney’s standouts this year.
Thevenard (1)
Draftees: Scott Lycett (WCE, PA).
A premiership ruckman for West Coast in 2018, Lycett has since been a strong ruck for Port Adelaide, moving around the ground with ease and dominating opposition.
Other SA clubs which have produced currently AFL-listed players are:
Ardrossan - Caleb Poulter (Coll).
Berri – Rhys Stanley (Geel).
Blackwood – Henry Smith (Bris).
Bordertown – Lincoln McCarthy (Bris.)
Bute/Paskeville - Lachie Jones (PA), Boyd Woodcock (PA).
Cove – Beau McCreery (Coll).
Gepps Cross – Oleg Markov (GC).
Happy Valley – Brayden Cook (Adel).
Ingle Farm – Wayne Milera (Adel).
Kingston – Luke Pedlar (Adel).
Loxton North – Aaron Francis (Ess).
Millicent – Mason Redman (Ess).
Mintaro-Manoora – Harry Schoenberg (Adel).
Modbury – Peter Ladhams (PA, Syd).
Morphettville Park – Phoenix Spicer (North).
North Gambier – Brad Close (Geel).
Portland – Michael Frederick (Fre), Martin Frederick (PA), Tyson Stengle (Geel).
Scotch OC – Jy Farrar (GC), Ashley Johnson (Coll), Shane McAdam (Adel).
SMOSH West Lakes – Jackson Mead (PA).
South Augusta – Connor Rozee (PA).
South Clare – Luke Dunstan (Melb).
Victor Harbor – Nathan Kreuger (Coll).
West Augusta – Tariek Newchurch (Adel).
West Gambier – Tim O’Brien (WB).
Western United – Kade Chandler (Melb).
Woodville South – Brennan Cox (Frem).
Wuddina United – Harrison Petty (Melb).
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