AFL draft 2022: All the latest news and whispers
Father-son and academy bids will cause the order to change significantly — and several clubs’ picks will come in. Find out how it impacts your side.
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There are two weeks to go until the AFL national draft as clubs continue to piece together their final draft boards.
Here’s all the latest news from around the traps.
CLUBS SET TO BENEFIT FROM BIDS BEING MATCHED
Hawthorn is among the clubs who are set to benefit from father-son and academy bids, which will cause picks to move in considerably from the second round of the draft.
Brisbane, who has access to father-son prospects Will Ashcroft and Jaspa Fletcher, will be forced to use significant draft capital to match rival bids.
This is certain to include their four selections in the 30s - 34, 35, 36 and 38 - with Ashcroft expected to attract a bid inside the first two selections and a bid for Fletcher set to come in the 15-25 range.
Father-son and academy prospects can be matched at a 20 per cent discount — a bid at pick one for Ashcroft would require 2400 draft points alone to match, with Brisbane’s four picks in the 30s worth 2031 points in total.
It means the Hawthorn (41 and 48), Fremantle (43 and 44), Western Bulldogs (pick 39), Melbourne (pick 37) and North Melbourne (40) will come in several spots in a promising stage of the draft.
Sydney and Carlton are other clubs that hold selections in the 40s which will move up.
Intrigue also surrounds where bids will come for Essendon father-son Alwyn Davey Jr, Giants Academy forward-midfielder Harry Rowston and Adelaide father-son defender Max Michalanney.
Rowston is now tipped to receive a bid at the back-end of the first round, shaping as a late bolter after a strong finish to the season.
A bid at this stage would wipe out the Giants’ next pick at 19 — a valuable selection at the beginning of the second round — which the club is fielding offers for.
The Giants are expected to match a bid for the Binya product, who told the Herald Sun last month that he would be happy to play at any club.
“It doesn’t worry me, obviously coming from the country (travel is) not something that I’m foreign to. Wherever I go I’m more than happy to move and make it work,” Rowston said.
The Bombers hold pick 22 and a bid before this stage on Davey would likely swallow up that second round selection.
CLUBS ZERO IN ON GIANTS’ PRIZED PICK
CLUBS in the hunt for another top-20 draft selection have zeroed in on a trade with Greater Western Sydney for its pick 19.
The Giants have four early picks as part of a bumper hand and have already begun fielding advances from rival clubs for pick 19.
GWS have picks No. 1, 15, 18 and will likely hold on to 19 until the second night of the draft before making a call on whether to trade it out or not.
It is considered a valuable pick as it will be the first selection of the second round of the draft when clubs have had a full day to assess what talent is left.
The pick 19 could appeal to clubs such as St Kilda (picks 28 and 32), Hawthorn (24) or Essendon (22) who have all indicated they are in the market for a move up the draft order.
It means the Giants could take three players with 1, 15 and 18 and trade 19 for either a future first-round pick or early future second-rounder to bolster their hand next year.
Clubs have been reluctant to trade first-round picks in this year’s draft, meaning pick 19 could be the first selection moved for the November 28-29 drafts.
Carlton could also move pick 10 but that will likely depend on which players are still available at that mark on the night.
CLUBS TARGET SINCLAIR CLONE, INTERCEPT KING
Two Port Melbourne mature-agers loom as possible pick-ups in this month’s draft intake, including a former AFL player who has been compared to All-Australian Jack Sinclair by one of the Saints’ former coaches.
VFL intercept king Ethan Phillips – who won the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal after breaking Sam Collins’ intercepts record in the VFL – and former Roo and Demon Corey Wagner have both attracted interest from clubs ahead of the draft.
Phillips, who would become the 16th consecutive recipient of the VFL’s best young player award to land on an AFL list, has generated interest from three clubs as a ready-made 198cm key defender with the ability to intercept like Paddy McCartin.
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Wagner, 25, emerged as a contender to get his third crack in the AFL system after a move to halfback this year which proved a revelation.
Fremantle is his most likely destination as a rookie with the club showing strong interest in the speedy defender.
Wagner has been out of the AFL system since he was delisted by the Demons after one season at the club in 2019.
Borough coach Adam Skrobalak says his speed and ball-use draw similarities to Sinclair – who Skrobalak coached for seven years at St Kilda during his time at the club as a line coach – and believes he would be an “unbelievable” addition for a club.
“To me (Wagner) plays very, very similar to Jack Sinclair. He’s come up and made All-Australian this year and he’s got similar attributes,” Skrobalak said.
“He’s a great runner, he’s got speed, he’s really strong in the contest and he has great ball-use, he just sees gaps and can open up the play. If there’s a team there that is looking for someone who can defend really well and then really help them on offence, he’d be unbelievable.”
“He’s had two cracks at it before but now playing off a halfback and getting a greater understanding of where he is at with his footy, he has just gone to another level.”
He also said Phillips’ reading of the play and elite intercept traits have elements of Sydney pick-up Paddy McCartin.
“Ethan is obviously a bit bigger than Paddy but he has always been able to read the ball very well, even when he was a forward at St Kilda when I was there from a young age,” he said.
“There’s definitely some similarities in how they read the ball off the boot and the confidence to come off their opponent and intercept.”
COUNTRY SMOKEY CONTINUES TO RISE
The meteoric rise of country footy smokey Joe Richards continues with the livewire set to be taken in the national draft from relative obscurity.
Interest has ramped up significantly for the 22-year-old school teacher, who has turned heads in the Ovens and Murray League for the Wangaratta Magpies this year.
An exciting forward with speed and innate goal sense, Richards could be taken as early as the second round — an incredible feat given he hasn’t played state league football this season.
His coach, former Magpies premiership player Ben Reid, told the Herald Sun last month that he possesses plenty of AFL traits and believed he he would improve exponentially in an AFL system.
Reid’s former club Collingwood, Port Adelaide and grand finalists Geelong and Sydney are among the clubs to show interest in Richards.
ROOS EYEING DUO DESPITE CLUB CONCERNS
North Melbourne has been urged to take explosive underage midfielder George Wardlaw with complete confidence that his nightmare hamstring issues are behind him.
The Kangaroos are eyeing Wardlaw, who has been likened to Patrick Dangerfield, and jet forward Harry Sheezel with picks two and three in this year’s draft.
It leaves Essendon with a tough choice at pick four between a group of talented midfield products including Oakleigh’s Elijah Tsatas (186cm) and Gippsland’s Bailey Humprey (186cm), and three other bigger-bodied ballwinners Mattaes Phillipou (190cm), Reuben Ginbey (189cm) and Cam Mackenzie (188cm).
Wardlaw suffered three hamstring strains in the back half of the season which have concerned clubs and prompted recruiters to zero in on his medical screening results.
But Wardlaw’s Oakleigh Chargers coach, Jason Davenport, said there were zero long-term concerns over his run of hamstring problems which saw him miss the national carnival and draft combine testing.
Davenport said the explosive midfielder was an incredible talent who was simply a victim of bad luck combining school footy with St Kevin’s and the NAB League this season.
“Medically there are zero ongoing concerns in regards to the injury because he could have played in the last (Vic) Metro game and it was the same with the draft combine,” Davenport said.
“We all just wanted to be extremely conservative with him so he could really just prepare for when he goes into an AFL program and be ready to start from the get-go.
“He is a pretty special player and an excitement machine, who fans will quickly fall in love with.
“There’s some Dangerfield in him with regard to his overhead marking, because he plays like he is on pogo sticks the way he can get up off the ground.
“And he is very, very tough. His willingness in the contest and in the big moments to win the ball – and this is the Dangerfield comparison – to dive on hand grenades or do something out of the ordinary to put teammates in better positions impacts the outcomes of games.
“He is very courageous with his contest stuff.”
Greater Western Sydney is set to take Vic Country key forward Aaron Cadman with the No. 1 pick it traded from North Melbourne.
The Kangaroos stepped back in the order from one to two because of how highly it rated Wardlaw (182cm) and Sheezel (185cm) despite pleas for the club to target another key forward.
Sandringham gun Will Ashcroft is considered the best player in this draft and is headed to Brisbane Lions as a father-son with the first move on draft night on November 28.
For North, Sheezel provides some firepower and class to the forward half where he could slot alongside Nick Larkey, Cameron Zurhaar and, in time, Charlie Comben.
Essendon face one of the toughest calls on draft night where it will likely attempt to add more size and power to its engine room to join Zach Merrett and Darcy Parish.
Attacking ball magnet Tsatas is widely considered the top talent at the Bombers’ pick four, and Davenport backed his attitude and capacity to deliver for his AFL club from next season.
“I love Elijah and George and Elijah are very different, yet best of friends,” Davenport said.
“Elijah is super competitive and unbelievably determined and he wants to be great.
“I certainly found him to be extremely coachable.”
BLUES FAN A CHANCE TO JOIN HERO
A Carlton fan who models his game on Sam Walsh is firmly in the mix to join to the Blues with the club’s first pick in this year’s draft.
Ollie Hollands is a wingman or onballer from the Murray Bushrangers who is understood to be in the sights of Carlton and is one of 12 players who has been invited to the first night of the national draft.
The Blues – who hold pick 10 – are interested in bolstering their stocks of strong-running midfielders and Hollands fits the bill as a player who finished equal-first in the 2km time trial at the national draft combine last month.
The 18-year-old hails from Wodonga but has spent the past three years at Geelong Grammar and is the brother of Gold Coast Suns wingman Elijah Hollands.
The pair’s great-grandfather Martin Cross played 36 VFL games for Carlton in the 1960s and their father Ben played eight games for Richmond in 1999.
“I spent the first half of the year playing different types of roles like half forward, wing, halfback, spent a little bit of time in the midfield,” Hollands said.
“So I definitely feel like being able to have that experience and play a mix of different roles has really helped develop my game.”
Hollands has had multiple interviews with the Suns this year, but Gold Coast is believed to have other targets at pick 5.
That means Hollands looks more likely to play against his brother at AFL level than with him.
“I feel like we’d probably get into each other a little bit, just that competitiveness between the two of us,” he said.
“But I think it would be good fun and a good challenge.”
Essendon has also expressed strong interest in Hollands, but currently only hold picks 4 and 22.
DONS DRAFT DOMINO TO SHAPE TOP 10
Essendon is set to shape the top-10 of this month’s draft with their prized selection at pick four the domino that can shake up the order.
As has been the case in previous years with the notoriously cryptic Bombers, those in the draft space are finding it difficult to get a read on who they will take with their first pick – which will be at No. 5 after Will Ashcroft’s expected bid inside the first two selections.
A host of midfielders – Elijah Tsatas, Mattaes Phillipou, Reuben Ginbey, Bailey Humphrey and recently Elijah Hewett – have been linked to the Bombers’ prized pick.
Essendon has shown strong interest in South Australian Phillipou, a dynamic 190cm prospect who is the son of former Bulldog Sam, with the club interviewing him three times in the lead-up.
The midfielder-forward would bring something different to their midfield mix with his height, composure in traffic and his capacity to be used in attack.
Tsatas has been billed as a top-five selection throughout the year despite sitting out most of the year with injury, with the ball magnet adding inside skills his damaging outside game in a stellar season where he won Oakleigh Chargers’ best and fairest from just five matches.
But the 187cm midfielder could be as a potential slider in the top 10 if the Bombers look elsewhere, with the Bombers’ selection poised to have a significant say on what happens next.
Geelong Falcons prospect Jhye Clark has been strongly linked to Geelong’s selection, while West Australian youngster Ginbey is unlikely to get past West Coast’s selection (pick nine after Ashcroft bid), with the athletic midfielder also linked to both Essendon and Gold Coast.
Humphrey, who bolted into top-10 calculations with his game-breaking feats as a powerful midfielder and dangerous forward, is expected to be taken anywhere from the Bombers’ selection to Carlton’s at pick 11.
THE RANCE-LIKE DEFENDER IN SIGHTS OF PIES, HAWKS, BOMBERS
A defender who has drawn comparisons to former Richmond star Alex Rance has “come with a bullet” in the second half of the year to firm as a top draft prospect.
Recruiters believe Oakleigh Chargers backman Josh Weddle has “enormous upside”, which has seen him attract significant interest ahead of this month’s national draft.
Weddle had looked a mid-to-late draft pick early in the year but is now expected to be snapped up somewhere between picks 15 and 30 on the back of his rapid improvement.
He measures 192cm but can play taller given he has a great athletic profile and is ultra competitive.
“He’s athletically very strong. He’s explosive. He can play on talls, he can play on smalls,” Oakleigh talent manager Jy Bond said.
“AFL clubs are pretty excited about him and his ability to play both ends – mid, back, forward. He’s come on really well.”
Weddle ranked second in the running vertical jump at the national draft combine and also posted impressive results in the 20m sprint and 2km time trial tests.
He is believed to have attracted interest from clubs including Collingwood, Hawthorn and Essendon – who all hold picks in the 20s.
MOMENTUM BUILDING ON ALLAN
Rival clubs believe West Coast may pounce on strong-running midfielder Ed Allan with their first pick as other sides circle this year’s big draft bolter.
The Eagles – who hold picks 8, 12, 20 and 26 – have shown significant interest in the 194cm West Australian, who is the son of former Hawthorn and Fremantle player Ben.
But Carlton (pick 10) also likes the look of Allan, along with the likes of Melbourne (pick 13) and Sydney (pick 14).
Given the Blues’ interest, if the Eagles don’t take Allan at pick 8 he could be off the board by pick 12.
Allan has good size and speed and is a strong runner who was the quickest player over 20m at the national draft combine.
He played limited football this year due to a stress fracture in his back but starred in the five games he played late in the season for Claremont in the WAFL Colts.
West Coast has also been strongly linked to 196cm West Australian key defender Jedd Busslinger at pick 8 and are also believed to be considering South Australian midfielder-forward Mattaes Phillipou and Victorian midfielder Cameron Mackenzie.
BARNETT THE BEST RUCK
This year’s draft isn’t flush with exciting young ruckmen, but clubs who are shopping around for a big man to develop are keeping a close eye on South Australian Harry Barnett.
The 202cm giant from West Adelaide is the standout ruck prospect in this year’s draft and looms as a potential late second-round or early third-round selection.
“He’s a bit inconsistent but his best is pretty good,” one recruiter said.
Barnett’s follow-up work around stoppages has caught the eye this season, while he has also shown an ability to impact up forward on occasion.
Barnett played three games for South Australia in the under-18 national championships, averaging 11.7 disposals and 14.7 hit-outs.
He also featured in two senior SANFL games.
Giants Academy member Nick Madden is another ruckman who has attracted some attention this year.
While he is relatively raw and will take time, Madden has some upside as an 18-year-old who is already 204cm and 112kg.
SAINTS MAY USE FOUR PICKS
While a number of clubs only have – or are only planning to use – two picks in this year’s draft, other sides are considering making up to four selections.
St Kilda is one club which could come away with a more sizeable draft haul than most, given it holds picks 9, 28, 32 and 47.
Even if the Saints use all four selections, they would still be left with two open list spots to use during the pre-season supplementary selection period or next year’s mid-season draft.
While there are question marks over the depth of this year’s draft, some clubs believe there could still be players they like available in the 40s.
The Saints have been linked to their Next Generation Academy prospect Cameron Mackenzie at pick 9 and are also believed to have some interest in West Australian key defender Jedd Busslinger.
A player like explosive Gippsland Power midfielder-forward Bailey Humphrey would also be a nice fit for St Kilda.
However, Humphrey is expected to already be off the board by pick 9, given he has some strong interest from Hawthorn (pick 6).
The Saints were thrilled with their draft haul last year and believe another good draft could help set them up for success under new coach Ross Lyon.
DANDENONG DRAFT SLIDER
Will Mitch Szybkowski be the latest inside midfielder to slide?
In recent drafts we have seen midfielders Jack Graham (taken at pick 53 in 2016) — who won the Larke Medal as the best player at the national championships — and James Worpel (45 in 2017 draft) slide down the board, and Szybkowski could be a similar story this year.
Interest has waned for the tough inside midfielder, who was one of Vic Country’s best players at the national championships, where he averaged 24 disposals and 102 ranking points.
He put in modest performances in Dandenong’s losing NAB League grand final and the final championships game, but he played in both in the space of a week after returning from illness.
Szybkowski could slide as far as the 40s, where Hawthorn looms as a suitor with their picks at 41 and 48, which are set to come in after father-son bids are matched.
The standing of Syzbkowski’s Stingrays teammate Jaxon Binns has been elevated in recruiting circles with the elite runner shaping as an option from the second round onwards for a club looking for a wingman.
Dons, Crows make big calls on top NGA talents
—Matt Turner
Essendon has nominated West Adelaide forward Anthony Munkara through the Next Generation Academy process.
But the Crows have not committed to North Adelaide forward/ruck Isaac Keeler, who will instead be in the open pool at this month’s national draft.
Munkara, 18, has been viewed as something of a mystery prospect because he has not played since July after returning home to the Tiwi Islands due to a series of family tragedies in a short period.
Clubs had until last Wednesday to decide on their NGA nominees.
The Bombers chose to ensure priority access for the 188cm talent but Adelaide did not do the same with SA under-18 big man Keeler.
Under the system’s rules this year, clubs cannot match bids on nominated NGA players until after pick 40, giving other teams the chance to draft them beforehand.
Essendon will be able to rookie-list Munkara if no one selects him.
Munkara, who tested at last month’s national combine, impressed playing for an AFL academy team against Collingwood’s VFL side in May.
But recruiters did not see much of him this year.
He lined up in just two official under-18 games for West Adelaide in 2022, kicking 4.1 in the first and 2.0 in the second, and sparingly in college ranks for Westminster.
In his sole national under-18 championships match for the Allies, he injured his ankle.
Recruiters rate Munkara’s talent but are split about his draft prospects because of his limited appearances.
Father-son duo Alwyn and Jayden Davey are also tied to the Bombers this year.
Essendon has picks 4, 22, 54, 62, 68 and 72.
There is a reasonable chance Keeler, who has been likened to Paddy Ryder, will not be available after pick 40 anyway, given he is viewed as a potential second-round selection.
Adelaide, which is tipped to make two picks, holds 46, 56 and 59.
It had already nominated Norwood defender Max Michalanney as a father-son prospect.
The national draft will be held on November 28 and 29.
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Originally published as AFL draft 2022: All the latest news and whispers
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