AFL Draft 2023: Keep up to date with all the latest intel
A father-son gun starred on the weekend, and his recently drafted brother has said he is only just ‘scratching the surface’. And there is an area where he has the edge.
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Brisbane Lions midfielder Will Ashcroft says his younger brother Levi is just “scratching the surface” of his abilities after the exciting draft prospect played a starring role for the Sandringham Dragons last weekend.
A father-son prospect for the Lions in the 2024 national draft, Levi excited recruiters as a 15-year-old last season as he played six games for the Dragons, including in the club’s Grand Final win alongside Will.
Playing through the midfield, Levi began his bottom-age campaign in the Coates Talent League on Saturday with 24 disposals, five marks, four clearances, nine score involvements and two goals for a total of 149 KFC SuperCoach ranking points.
His two goals were among the best of the day.
Will – who was the AFL’s Rising Star nominee for Round 2 – watched the live stream of his younger brother’s game on Saturday from his home in Brisbane and was left impressed.
“I’m really excited to see what Levi can do this year and next year, his top-age year,” Will told News Corp.
“He hit the scoreboard a couple of times and found a lot of the ball playing through the midfield so that was really exciting for him.
“He’s only just scratching the surface, I think. He had a good game but me personally watching him, I’m really excited to see him grow and develop and build on that game and have even more impact than he did. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting to a couple of his games throughout the year and seeing how he goes.”
Will said that Levi’s ability to kick goals from the midfield set him apart, but there were some clear similarities between the brothers.
“From playing mainly in the midfield, he was awesome at getting forward and creating chances for himself and being really dangerous,” Will said.
“He had four or five shots. He could have easily ended up with a big bag from the midfield but still ended up with two goals and a behind. I think his ability to do that and create chances for himself is something that definitely helps him stand out among the rest. But I think we have a lot of similarities at the same time. We play a similar game through the midfield.”
Will and Levi Ashcroft ar both the sons of three-time Brisbane Lions premiership player Marcus Ashcroft.
HOW GOOD IS THIS YEAR’S DRAFT CROP?
It was considered a potential ‘Super Draft’ at one stage, but expectations have since been tempered a little about this year’s draft crop.
While most drafts have a lot of high-end midfielders, many of the top-10 prospects this year are talls – including the likes of Nate Caddy, Daniel Curtin and Archer Reid.
While some talls kick on and become superstars, there are also plenty of stories of key position players who have been high draft picks and have struggled to impact at AFL level.
“I don’t think there’s the midfield depth that we’ve got in other drafts,” one recruiter said.
The player in this year’s draft who recruiters are particularly excited about is Harley Reid, who shapes as the No. 1 pick and has drawn comparisons to Richmond superstar Dustin Martin.
Reid is widely viewed as an “unbelievable” talent.
BOTTOM-AGERS SHINE
Levi Ashcroft wasn’t the only budding bottom-age talent to catch the eye in the opening round of the Coates Talent League.
Fellow under-16 All Australians Jagga Smith, Finn O’Sullivan, Josh Smillie and Leo Lombard shone brightly as they asserted themselves as players to watch over the next 18 months.
O’Sullivan - who took out the Kevin Sheehan Medal as the best player at the under-16 national championships for Vic Country - and Jagga Smith won 24 and 28 disposals respectively on debut for the Oakleigh Chargers against the Brisbane Lions Academy.
Vic Metro under-16 MVP Smillie, an imposing 194cm prospect who has been likened to Patrick Cripps, had 26 disposals, 13 contested possessions and five clearances as an inside midfielder for the Eastern Ranges.
Smillie earned All-Australian honours across halfback last year, highlighting his versatility as a player.
Suns Academy talent Lombard tallied a team-high 25 disposals and nine marks.
TOP 10 LIVEWIRES TURN HEADS
Potential top-10 picks Ashton Moir and Nick Watson are two of the most exciting prospects in the 2023 pool, and both have started their draft year with a bang.
Freakish South Australian goalkicker Moir booted 4.3 along with 10 marks and 18 disposals – all kicks – in his first outing for Glenelg’s under-18 side, while Watson showcased his lightning speed with his two goals and 17 disposals as he opened his Coates Talent League account in style.
Among his four goals, Moir slotted a crafty left foot snap and later in the match kicked a stunning goal on the run from outside 50 on his right.
Moir has said he doesn’t have a preferred foot, such is his elite kicking on both sides, with the 188cm prospect taking set shots on both sides of his body last year.
Moir is set to be used primarily at SANFL League level this year as the season kicks off this weekend, having dominated the under-18s competition as a bottom-ager with 30 goals in 10 games in 2022.
Following an eye-catching bottom-age year as a forward, Watson was used further up the ground against the Sandringham Dragons, where the diminutive talent’s burst of speed stood out – highlighted by a blistering run from a centre clearance to his side’s attacking 50 when the game was on the line in the final term.
The Ranges livewire stands at 169.6cm - the AFL’s smallest player Caleb Daniel is 168cm - and his midfield craft will be a point of interest for clubs considering him as an early selection in November.
Fellow top-10 fancy Archer Reid, a key forward who is the brother of Essendon first-round pick Zach, also impressed with three majors and nine marks for the Gippsland Power.
TOP PROSPECT MAKES SUCCESSFUL RETURN
Highly-rated inside midfielder George Stevens made a successful return to the field last weekend in his first official match since 2021.
The Greater Western Victoria Rebels product missed the entire 2022 season after rupturing his ACL in late 2021, but did a power of work over the summer to get himself fit ahead of his top-age Coates Talent League campaign this year.
Hailing from South Warrnambool, Stevens is a member of the AFL Academy squad.
While he is likely to find an AFL home as an inside midfielder, he is starting the year across halfback for the Rebels to help build some fitness and confidence in his body.
Stevens said the recovery from the ACL had been “pretty brutal” but he was glad to be back.
“This year I’m hoping to enter into the midfield and be an inside mid,” Stevens said.
“I think one of my strengths is that I can play a variety positions, which will help me throughout the year to play a bit of midfield, hopefully a little bit of halfback and a little bit forward as well. The strengths of my game are I like to use my foot skills and my clean ground balls inside the contest. With that comes quite good decision making, that’s one of my strengths. And then I’m trying to develop the defensive side of my game with defensive positioning and some tackling stuff as well.”
Stevens trained with the Western Bulldogs over pre-season as part of the AFL Academy program.
His brother, Archie Stevens, is on Carlton’s VFL playing list.
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