The coming national draft is going to be extremely difficult for AFL clubs given that the last two years have been compromised by Covid-19.

The big issue for recruiters will be the inability to travel and see players playing live and the limited football for the Victorian players in the NAB league not only in 2021 but also 2020 and this will require clubs to use video analysis and intel from local part time staff as I have done this year, it is definitely not ideal.

I will be the first to put my hand up and say it has been a hard exercise to rate the best 50 kids in the coming national draft because they have not played a lot of games.

Relying on intel and feedback is not ideal.

For clubs it present problems because, as far as I am concerned, watching the talent play live is the only way to form opinions — if you know what you’re looking for and have a great eye for talent.

You would then form talent charts using video and stats as a backup only.

You cannot actually pick up everything about a player by analysing videos and stats and relying on these two forms of analysis is lazy recruiting.

If clubs or their recruiters go down this path they are bound to make mistakes as stats in AFL often lie and don’t paint a true picture.

In my opinion the Moneyball-type recruiting process only works in a sport such as baseball.

Baseball it is a pitch, hit, catch and throw game so stats can be analysed.

But there are so many different aspects involved in the game of AFL.

One example I like to use is that effective kick percentages can lie — a 20m sideways kick

with no pressure that is marked is judged effective.

What about players hitting targets under pressure?

Or a player who kicks under pressure to a teammate who doesn’t take the mark but the ball has been placed to his advantage? This is classed as an ineffective kick, but I beg to differ and watching a game live means you can pick these things up better than relying on videos and stats.

While clubs will have some exposed form from when these kids were playing as 15 and 16-year-olds, a lot can change in two years.

That’s why picks later in this year’s draft will be harder than ever to judge and nail, but there could very well be some gems unearthed and missed.

Once we return to normal and learn to live with the virus, I predict that we will have many players in Victoria who have been missed in the draft and who will be playing local, country or VFL football and will be discovered as 20-plus year old gems.

So clubs will need to have good networks with good intel to ensure they discover some of this talent in coming years.

There could also be a trend in the coming national draft of clubs using later picks to grab mature players (21-plus) from the SANFL or WAFL because they have had continuity to their seasons over the past two years.

This year will be tough for me to make judgments as I have also been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and border closures.

I have looked at the younger players in my top 50, but have also included a list of mature age players that should be considered.

While I don’t expect my top 50 will necessarily be accurate in terms of the exact draft order, I will judge myself on how many in the list are drafted or rookie listed.

I have had a good record, even last year, of listing more than 40 players each year who go on to be drafted or rookie listed.

But, as I said earlier, this is the hardest year so far and club recruiters have a tough job trying the get the crop of 2021 right.

Good luck to all the young men hoping and dreaming of an opportunity to get drafted into the AFL.

BUCKY’S TOP 50

1. JASON HORNE-FRANCIS

184cm, 78kg, South Adelaide/South Australia, midfielder

I like this lad and I think he is an ideal pick up for the Kangaroos. He is a midfielder with very few weaknesses. He has been playing senior SANFL football and looks to be a genuine future A grader once he reaches that 21-plus age bracket — an age when you eventually rank these players on your list rankings. I think he could have an immediate impact in the same way as Matt Rowell, but let’s hope he has better luck on the injury front than the Gold Coast midfielder.

2. NICK DAICOS (Collingwood father-son)

183cm, 72kg, Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro, midfielder

The Kangaroos could nominate Daicos and force Collingwood to pay more in points, but

regardless the Magpies will want to lock him away. He looks to have star qualities and is a real playmaker who has dominated football at a junior level. He looks certain to become a future A grader and the Pies will have spent a lot of time ensuring they have points required to secure him.

3. JOSH GIBCUS

195cm, 84kg, GWV Rebels/Vic Country, tall defender 

I like the way Josh goes about his football. He is an intercept marking defender who reads the play well and has good athletic ability. He is still a bit raw but I feel he has so much upside and can improve to become a very good defender. He reads the play well, shows great anticipation and his ability to judge the ball in flight should allow him to become that intercept marking defender that is highly sort after in today’s modern game.

4. SAM DARCY (WB father-son)

204cm, 75kg, Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro, tall utility

Get excited Bulldogs fans, Sam Darcy is a very exciting prospect. Like many players he has had to put up with limited football over the past few years, but the son of Luke shows some fantastic signs. The Bulldogs can expect an early bid on Sam and they will match it to secure him. The club has been blessed with some talented father-son selections over the years and it is great to see these young players come through and don the jumpers of their fathers.

5. FINN CALLAGHAN

189cm, 82kg, Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro, balanced midfielder

Finn is an ideal modern midfielder with a good combination of speed and endurance. He should develop into a powerful midfielder who will win the inside ball but also prove dangerous with his outside speed. He is a very clean by hand and by foot, so I expect he will be very high on clubs’ talent flow lists. He looks to be a player of the future and I will be surprised if he is not a top 10 selection.

6. JOSH WARD

181cm, 79kg, Northern Knights/Vic Metro, midfielder

Josh is a hardworking player who competes hard inside and works hard outside. He accumulates possessions and creates opportunities for players outside. I see him as a genuine footballer with footy smarts — a playmaker who can be damaging with the ball by foot because he generally makes good decisions to advantage his teammates. He will give his all and make a good fist of any opportunities that he gets so I don't believe he will be a player who has regrets.

7. BEN HOBBS

183cm, 80kg, GWV Rebels/Vic Country, inside midfielder

Ben is another inside mid who has shown a great ability to compete with a fierce capacity. Although he had an interrupted start to the year, his numbers on return and that fierce competitiveness will surely have impressed recruiters. Any club looking for a hard-nosed future inside mid will have Ben high on the inside midfielder list.

8. NEIL ERASMUS

188cm, 80kg, Subiaco/Western Australia, midfielder

Neil is arguably WA’s best prospect. He has proved to be a very good midfield playmaker, but he could also prove to be a dangerous mid-sized forward. He has some exciting athletic traits and has a bit of an X-factor about him. I am sure recruiters will take a long-term view of Erasmus. He still has a bit of development to come physically and in football terms, but the potential is there for sure.

9. JOSH SINN

186cm, 82kg, Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro, defender/midfielder

I think Josh will develop into a nice rebounding defender in time as he has good speed and is a good penetrating kick that will make him dangerous coming off half back. These types of players are highly sought after in the modern game as they can turn defence into attack very quickly. I am sure Josh will be highly regarded in this draft because he certainly brings some nice traits to the table for clubs to consider.

10. MAC ANDREW 

200cm, 70kg, Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country, ruck/tall utility

Mac certainly is a bean pole at present but he has shown great improvement to play key position roles as a defender and forward as well as in the ruck. He is a Melbourne next generation academy player, but given the rules he will be not available for Melbourne to take. He shows some wonderful traits but he will take time. Clubs will need to take a long-term view with Mac but players of this size and athleticism are very hard to find.

11. JOSH RACHELE

180cm, 78kg, Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country, forward/midfielder

Josh looks to be a player of enormous potential, a real footballer with a touch of class in everything he does. He is a playmaker and he can also provide spectators and recruiters with some special moments. He has a bit of on-field presence and carries himself with confidence and belief in his abilities to impact games. I like him and I will be surprised if he is not a first-round selection.

12. MATTHEW ROBERTS

183cm, 81kg, South Adelaide/South Australia, midfielder/forward

Not many players can come out of under-18 football and skip reserves, play league football (SANFL) and look really comfortable at that level. I think Matthew will be well thought of because he has shown that ability to adapt from a junior level to senior level without looking out of place at all. He needs to tidy up his disposal by foot but I feel he will be able to address this at the AFL level with a good development coach. He finds the footy and this is important and having played that senior SANFL level gives him a good grounding.

13. TYLER SONSIE

181cm, 76kg, Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro, midfielder

Tyler is a very neat midfielder with a touch of class about him. He reads the play very well and is a goalkicking midfielder who finds good positions forward of the contest. He can get caught going back the other way at times as he looks to be that playmaker. But he anticipates very well and uses the ball well. I am sure clubs will look at him closely as a classy midfielder or even in time as a rebounding defender off half back.

14. JYE AMISS

195cm, 85kg, East Perth/Western Australia, tall forward

Jye is a nice key forward prospect of the future and his form over 2021 has seen him definitely push up into top 20 calculations. He reads the play coming forward well, he has good anticipation, he has a good set of hands in marking contests and he converts well in front of goals. So there is a lot to like about him from what he showed in 2021. Key forwards are hard to find, but there are areas he needs to improve such as his agility at ground level — this is where a club’s development program can put the polish on him. Hopefully the injury sustained late in the year will not disrupt him too much for his preparation in 2022.

PREDICTIONS: MOCK DRAFT: HOW EVERY PICK COULD FALL

15. NASIAH WANGANEEN-MILERA

188cm, 70kg, Glenelg/South Australia, outside mid

What a combination — Wanganeen & Milera. Nasiah has been a bolter in 2021 and has already played senior football. He shows some magic and looks ready to become an AFL player. He has all the moves and can break apart a game with his brilliance. I think he can become a very good player as he matures but there are areas of physical development, game craft and maturity to come — so he will need a good program put in place with a bit of patience from the club that calls out his name on draft night.

16. ARLO DRAPER

185cm, 71kg, South Adelaide/South Australia, midfielder/forward

Arlo is a classy midfielder who can also make his presence felt playing forward. He has played senior SANFL football and is another talented South Adelaide player coming through. He is a smart footballer who reads the play well, has a quick-thinking footy brain and is a playmaker who rarely wastes the ball. So, I would expect that he should be a top 25 selection.

17. JOSH FAHEY

186cm, 76kg, GWS GIANTS Academy/Allies, medium defender

Josh is a very well balanced and composed player and a typical left footer who uses the ball

extremely well. He looks a great prospect in the future for GWS as an academy player. He

has unfortunately had a disjointed season due to Covid-19 but he has played some senior

football already and has looked comfortable at that level. I would expect the Giants to ensure he is on their list for 2022.

18. ZAC TAYLOR

180cm, 74kg, Calder Cannons/Vic Metro, small midfielder/forward

Zac is a ball magnet who works extremely hard and he looks to be a real competitor who has a great combination of speed and endurance. Although he will need to add strength to his frame, I think he will develop into a very good midfielder/forward in time. He also has good footy smarts and rarely wastes a possession which is a great trait. I am sure he will be a top 25 player in this draft.

19. JACOB VAN ROOYEN

194cm | 88kg, Claremont/Western Australia, tall forward/defender

Jacob is an interesting player as he has already played senior WAFL football but a bout of glandular fever knocked him around. He is a nice mover and is a strong player with neat skills so he will have admirers. He will be able to be a swingman type who plays back or forward so I would think a lot of clubs will like this about him.

20. MATTHEW JOHNSON

193cm, 80kg, Subiaco/Western Australia, midfielder

Matthew is the ideal modern midfielder who possesses a good combination of speed, endurance and skill by foot, especially with some good football nous. He has played senior WAFL football and would have played more if it had not been for an injury. He is probably going to be a top 20 player but he could be snapped up earlier and it will not surprise me if he is. He does look a good prospect coming out of the west.

21. CONNOR MACDONALD

193cm, 80kg, Dandenong/Vic Country, midfielder

Connor is a goalkicking midfielder who has good skills and finds the ball well. He is a good competitor and is a great size for the modern midfield. He works extremely hard in games and is a dangerous player because he hits the scoreboard as a midfielder. He is sure to have a lot of clubs looking at him closely and I am sure he will be a top 30 selection.

22. CAMPBELL CHESSER

186cm, 83kg, Sandringham Dragons/Vic Country, outside midfielder/defender

Campbell is an outside midfielder or rebounding defender who possesses good speed and can break the lines. He also has good kicking skills so he is the ideal developing rebound defender to bring into a club. He certainly has shown these traits and he does like to take the opposition on and this will be a trait that clubs like to see in a young player. I am sure Campbell will be a top 30 player.

23. JACK WILLIAMS

195cm, 91kg, East Fremantle/Western Australia, tall forward/defender

Jack is a potential key forward or defender and although he was used in the ruck at WAFL Colts’ level, he would need to grow another five or six centimetres to play ruck in the AFL. He is a nice size and is quite mobile so he will have admirers. But Jack will take time so some patience will be needed and a good development program put in place. He showed some good signs in the academy game when playing against the Geelong VFL side.

24. JOSH GOATER

190cm, 79kg, Calder Cannons/Vic Metro, midfielder/defender/utility

Josh is another modern-day midfielder type who is a clean ball handler. But it will be his impressive athletic traits that will allow him become a hard-running tall midfielder who is comfortable winning the ball inside or outside. In time, I think he will become a handy utility player who is capable of playing anywhere. I expect Josh will have plenty of clubs looking at him on draft night.

25. BLAKE HOWES

190cm, 79kg, Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro, forward/outside midfield

Blake is a similar prospect to Josh Goater with his impressive athleticism and that 190cm-plus size. He has a good leap and good skills, so I expect he will have plenty of clubs looking closely at him. Like many NAB league players over the past few years the lack of continuity in his football has not been ideal, but he did become one of Sandringham’s prime movers in 2021 when they played.

26. LEEK ALLEER

196cm | 85kg, Central Districts/South Australia, key defender

Alleer has really come on in 2021 and played down back at senior level for Centrals. He is typical of a tall young player because he is a later developer and I think his rate of improvement will get better in a full-time AFL environment. I am sure clubs will have noticed his rise and although he is a couple of years older, he is still in a development stage and his size will make him an interesting discussion point for clubs looking for a future intercepting tall defender. (Who is not looking for one!)

27. HUGH JACKSON

181cm, 70kg, North Adelaide/South Australia, midfield

Hugh has impressed with his ability to find the footy and make something happen when he has the ball in hand. He is a nice prospect of the future but he will need to develop his body. So I expect clubs will be looking at the typical three-year development program for him in the AFL system. He does have the quality to become a future A-minus or B grader so I will be surprised if he is still there after pick 30.

28. RHETT BAZZO

195cm, 81kg, Swan Districts/Western Australia, key defender/forward

Rhett has certainly shot to prominence after his key defensive game earlier this month for Western Australia against South Australia. He showed very good composure and was able to provide WA with good rebounding football as well as bringing other defenders into the game. He is a nice size and looks a future key defender or forward — but he still has a way to go and will need time.

29. TOBY CONWAY

204cm, 90kg, Geelong Falcons/Vic Country Ruck

Toby is one of the best young ruckmen in the draft and he is mobile around the ground so he does look like a good prospect as a developing ruckman in this draft. I am sure clubs that are looking to bolster their ruck stocks for the future will be mindful these types of players are hard to find.

30. TOM BROWN

186cm, 71kg, Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country, defender

Unfortunately for the Cats, Tom does not qualify as a father-son selection as his father, Paul, did not hit the 100-game barrier at Geelong. Tom is a half-back suited to the modern game as he is competitive and loves to compete and beat his opponent. He An ankle injury disrupted his year but he has shown enough to me that he would be a very good type of player to bring into any club.

31. DARCY WILMOTT

183cm, 75kg, Northern Knights/Vic Metro, rebound defender

Darcy is a tough competitor as a half-back who loves the contest and his aggressive attack on the ball and opponents is something clubs will really like to see. He also loves to take on the opposition with run and carry, so I see him as a good future rebounding defender or midfielder as he develops. He is young as he only makes this year’s draft by a day.

32. MARCUS WINDHAGER (Possible Saint NGA)

183cm, 82kg, Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro, midfielder

As a member of St Kilda’s Next Generation Academy, Marcus’s progress this season would have caught the eyes of other clubs’ recruiters, I am sure of that. It will be touch and go if he is available for the Saints — if another club picks him top 20, the Saints will not be able to bid. He has really improved and although he has had an interrupted program following a knee reconstruction, he has showed enough to be at least a top 30 pick.

33. JESSE MOTLOP (Possible Fremantle NGA)

176cm, 74kg, South Fremantle/Western Australia, midfielder

Jesse is a smart small forward who has an X-factor. He is a Fremantle NGA prospect but the Dockers can only match a bid for him after pick 40 as he is a metropolitan Indigenous player. He is the son of Daniel so he has a great pedigree. He will need time to develop and can drift in and out of the play, but if a club is prepared to be patient with his development he can make special things happen.

34. SAM BUTLER

184cm, 73kg, Greater Western Victoria Rebels/Vic Country, midfield/forward

Unfortunately an injury to Sam’s sternum interrupted his progress — as season as well as the Covid-19 lockdowns — but he has shown enough of older brother Dan Butler’s traits to convince clubs he is work taking. He has speed, competitiveness and a good work ethic to go with some smart decision making and a polished skillset. But he will need time to develop his body, so patience will be required.

35. MITCH KNEVITT

193cm, 81kg, Geelong Falcons/Vic Country, inside midfielder

Mitch is going to be a big-bodied midfielder in time. He dominates the under-age level with his size but he will find it tougher at a VFL/AFL level when he meets bigger stronger bodies. But I think he will develop very quickly and has the frame to quickly add even more size.

He competes really hard and has good skills, so there is a lot to like about him.

36. JUDSON CLARKE

179cm, 69kg, Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country, small forward/midfielder

Judson is another clever small forward who brings energy to his team. Although he will take time to develop, he has all the traits to make a clever small forward with speed, footy smarts and goal sense. He is always on the move, which keeps his opponents guessing, and he does read the ball well in the air and off hands. I expect he will be on clubs’ lists that are in the market for a smart, small forward.

37. JOSH BROWNE

185cm, 77kg, East Fremantle/Western Australia, midfielder

Josh is another nice moving midfielder who can win his own footy and he generally makes good decisions when the ball is in his hands. Josh won the Jack Clarke medal this year for the best player in the WAFL Colts’ competition and this should hold him in good stead when it comes to draft night. I am sure many clubs will have noticed his development in 2021.

38. NED LONG

193cm, 93kg, Oakleigh Chargers/Victoria, midfielder

Ned is another big bodied midfielder available in this draft. Like many Victorian players he has lacked exposure and games over the past few years, but he can be dangerous as a goal kicking midfielder and he competes well inside. He also tackles well and reads the play well. So there is a lot to like about his potential.

39. COOPER MURLEY

178cm, 70kg, Norwood/South Australia, midfielder/small forward

Cooper is a player who has had to battle injury and this has affected his draft year. But he is a smart footballer with a quick football brain, so while he is small and needs to add strength, I think in time he might develop into a wonderful playmaker (Caleb Daniel type). He just needs continuity to his football. With some good development I think he might be a little beauty in two-three years’ time.

40. COREY WARNER

182cm, 74kg, East Fremantle/Western Australia, midfielder/rebound defender

Corey is a good prospect who moves well and has good penetration in his kicking. But sometimes he can get a bit too ambitious with his decision making. He is the type of player who can develop into a nice outside midfielder or rebounding defender if he takes the time to polish up areas of his game. He knows how to win the ball, has some dash and likes to take on opponents. He did play senior WAFL football in 2021 so that is a good sign.

41. JAKE SOLIGO

180cm, 74kg, Eastern Ranges/Victoria, midfielder

Jake looks to be a midfielder of quality and although his past two years have been interrupted, I think recruiters will have seen enough to believe he has a lot of upside. He played VFL for Richmond in 2021 and did not look out of place or overawed by the occasion and that would earn him a tick from recruiters. He finds the footy well, looks to use it well, seems to make good decisions and is composed and calm in possession.

42. OSCAR MORRISON

193cm, 86kg, Geelong Falcons/Victoria, defender

I like Oscar and I think that clubs looking for a tall competitive defender will certainly spend a lot of time assessing him. He already has a strong frame and if he can grow a few more centimetres over the next few years, a club that drafts him may well have a very good key defender on their hands. There is a lot to like about him – he loves to compete, reads the ball flight well and positions his body well.

43. JASE BURGOYNE (FS Prospect Port Adelaide)

185cm, 68kg, WWT Eagles/South Australia, outside midfielder/rebound defender

Jase is the son of Port Adelaide premiership star Peter and I would expect Port Adelaide to take him as a father-son selection. He is slightly built and will need time to develop, but I do not think he will ever become a big-bodied player. He has some exciting traits, uses the ball well and is a playmaker. He needs to improve his running power, but if Port are patient I think he will develop into a very good AFL player.

44. LEWIS RAYSON

182cm, 75kg, Glenelg/South Australia, outside midfielder/rebound defender

Lewis has come into draft calculations on the back of some impressive performances during 2021. He looks a nice outside midfielder/rebounding defender as he uses the ball well and has a penetrating kick. He will also need some time to develop and polish up areas of his game. Coaches will need to instil some belief in Lewis to utilise his playing strengths as he can become a bit opponent conscious at times and hesitant to be a playmaker. He is reluctant to leave his opponent to attack the ball or fly to spoil as a third man up when he should. A nice prospect and clubs are sure to consider him.

45. SAM BANKS

187cm, 75kg, Tasmania, midfielder/rebound defender

Sam would be Tasmania’s best draft prospect in 2021. He is a midfielder who uses the ball by foot well and I see him developing into a rebounding defender because he has flair and is willing to take on opponents and use his kicking skills to set up teammates further down the field. He does not often take the easy kicks and is prepared to try and hit targets that are in dangerous positions, so recruiters will like that trait.

46. MITCH OWENS

191cm, 85kg, Sandringham Dragons/Victoria, midfielder/rebound defender

Mitch is a big midfielder who has really developed physically over the past few years and this has seen him go from playing small/medium forward roles to progressing into the midfield. While the lack of games over the past few years have probably not been ideal for his exposure, I definitely think that he has good football traits — a strong work ethic and polished skills that are sure to see him on clubs’ recruiting talent flow lists.

47. MORGAN FERRES

191cm, 81kg, Sturt/South Australia, forward/midfield

Morgan looks to have a bit of class and has shown good improvement over the past couple of years as a tall forward or midfielder. He should continue to grow to a good size with a strong body and having had some continuity as an SA player will allow recruiters to better assess his form. He has talent and footy smarts to work with and does show enough to think he might be drafted or rookie listed.

48. WILL BRAVO

182cm, 77kg, Dandenong Stingrays/Victoria, midfielder/forward

After missing out on being drafted last year Will would have again been frustrated by the lack of football being played this year. He is a strong, tough inside midfielder with good leg speed, but his kicking needed to improve and hopefully he has been working hard on this part of his game. He did drift in and out of games too much but hopefully some maturity will help this. He looks to be an ideal late pick or rookie selection and he did train with the Hawks during last year’s pre-season, so hopefully he gets his name read out this year.

49. LIAM PODHAJSKI

202cm, 100kg, Calder Cannon/Victoria, Ruck

Clubs in the market for a developing ruckman will certainly be looking closely at Luke. He is a big lump of a lad and has some footy smarts. The depth of ruck stocks is a bit thin across the competition so clubs need to take a long-term view with this sort of player as many don’t blossom until their mid-twenties. I can see Liam being a big powerful ruckman in time and I see a club at least rookie listing him.

50. ALASTAIR LORD

178cm, 70kg, Half Back/Midfield

Alastair is a half-back who finds the ball very well in traffic and likes to take them on with his speed once in possession. He can also play through midfield and I am sure clubs will like his footy smarts with ball in hand. If he can put on another few centimetres and kilograms in the next few years then he’ll develop nicely into a quality AFL footballer.

MATURE AGE PLAYERS TO CONSIDER IN 2021

Nathan Freeman (Frankston, VFL) – Age: 26 – Position: Midfielder (183cm, 88kg)

Charlie Dean (Williamstown, VFL) – Age: 20 – Position: Key defender (195cm, 86kg)

Brayden Crossley (Southport, VFL) – Age: 22 – Position: Ruck/forward (199cm, 105kg)

Jack Hayes (Woodville-West Torrens, SANFL) – Age: 24 – Position: Utility (192cm, 91kg)

Tom Lewis (Sturt, SANFL) – Age – 21 – Position: Midfielder (179cm, 77kg)

Blake Schlensog (South Fremantle, WAFL) – Age: 21 – Position: Key fwd/key def (199cm, 99kg)

Greg Clark (Subiaco, WAFL) – Age: 24 – Position: Midfielder (193cm, 94kg)

Noah Pegoraro (West Perth, WAFL) – Age: 24 – Position: Key defender (194cm, 90kg)

Mitch Cox (Frankston, VFL) – Age: 24 – Position: Utility (190cm, 81kg)

Casey Voss (Sturt, SANFL) – Age: 20 – Position: Defender (182cm, 80kg)

Bailey Rogers (Claremont, WAFL) – Age: 24 – Position: Midfielder (185cm, 85kg)

Bailey Lambert (Frankston, VFL) – Age: 22 – Position: Forward (184cm, 82kg)

Jacob Dawson (Southport, VFL) – Age: 22 – Position: Midfielder (182cm, 80kg)

Eamon Wilkinson (South Adelaide,SANFL) – Age: 20 – Position: Small forward (179cm, 75kg)

Vincent Adduci (Box Hill Hawks, VFL) – Age: 23 – Position: Small forward (177cm, 84kg)

Angus Baker (Essendon/GWS Giants, VFL) – Age: 23 – Position: Defender (191cm, 86kg)

FATHER SON OPPORTUNITIES IN 2021

Nick Daicos will go to Collingwood.

Port Adelaide has access to Jase Burgoyne (son of Peter) who should be a top 30 selection, and Tex Wanganeen (son of Gavin), who can also join Essendon.

Essendon has priority access to big midfielder Josh Misiti (son of Joe), Alex Hird (son of James) and Nyawi Moore (son of Nathan Lovett-Murray).

North Melbourne can draft Jackson Archer, the son of club great Glenn, and also have first call on Darby Scott, the son of 1996 premiership player Robert.

Geelong also has access to Scott as a father-son and has the opportunity to take Will Kilpatrick, son of former Cat Glenn.

Bendigo Pioneers prospect Louis Thompson, the son of former Hawthorn and North Melbourne forward Nathan Thompson, only qualifies for Hawthorn as a father-son selection because Nathan played 119 games for the Hawks but only 60 for North Melbourne. 

Taj Woewodin, son of 2000 Brownlow medallist Shane, is based in Western Australia but can join Melbourne under the father-son qualifications.

The Western Bulldogs have been blessed by the father-son rule in the past and will use an early pick to take top five contender Sam Darcy, son of former skipper Luke, who trained with the club over the pre-season. Billy Kolyniuk (son of Steve) and Ewan MacPherson (son of Stephen) will also be available.

Carlton has Dane Whitnall, the son of former goalkicker Lance, Charlie McKay (son of Andrew), Tom Silvagni (son of Steve), Thomas Gleeson (son of Adrian) and Mackenzie Hogg (son of Matthew).

Brisbane is eligible to take Noah Bradshaw, the son of premiership player Daniel.

Sydney has Jake Cresswell (son of Daryn) available in the draft.

OTHER PLAYERS TO CONSIDER:

Arthur Jones – WA

Zac Becker – SA

Ronald Frejo – NT

Angus Sheldrick – WA

James Tunstill – WA

Blayne O’Loughlin – SA

Braden Andrews – Vic

Cooper Beecken – SA

Luke Beecken – SA

Sam Bruer - Vic

Luke Cleary – Vic

Ben De Bolfo – Vic

Joel Fitzgerald - Vic

Cooper Hamilton – Vic

Corey Preston – Vic

Hamish Sinnott – Vic

Bryce Watson – WA

Miller Bergman – Vic

Paul Curtis – Vic

Brady Hough – WA

Shay Linke – SA

Kai Lohmann – Vic

Charlie Molan – Vic

Luke Nankervis – Vic

Lochlan Paton – WA

Lachie Rankin – Vic

Ethan Regan – WA

Luca Whitelum – SA

Hugh Jackson – SA

ULTIMATE GUIDE: YOUR CLUB’S PICKS PLUS 109 DRAFT PROFILES