AFL Mid-Season Draft: Top performers, stats, from Young Guns v Vic Metro exhibition match
Father-son prospects for Melbourne and Western Bulldogs were among the standouts in a crucial mid-season draft audition. Check out the stats and every SuperCoach score from the match.
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The Western Bulldogs will have priority access to yet another emerging key forward in this year’s draft in what shapes as an embarrassment of riches at Whitten Oval.
Bulldogs father-son prospect Jordan Croft caught the eye for Vic Metro in an exhibition match against a Young Guns side on Sunday, booting four goals in a breakout performance.
In wet conditions at Sandringham, the 200cm Croft was clean with his hands, moved well for a big man and kicked the ball beautifully.
The Calder Cannons product had nine disposals, took four marks and kicked 4.1 in attack to help Vic Metro to a 20-point win.
All four of Croft’s goals came after quarter-time in what was a shortened match of four 25-minute quarters with no time on.
The performance backed up a five-goal haul from Croft three weeks earlier in the Coates Talent League, albeit against a struggling Northern Territory Academy side.
He is the son of former Bulldogs swingman Matthew Croft, who played 186 games for the club between 1991 and 2004.
AFL Academy squad members Nathan Philactides and Archie Roberts were among other standouts for Vic Metro in the match.
Philactides’s run off halfback was impressive and he racked up an equal game-high 25 disposals.
The Oakleigh Chargers’ powerful left boot wasn’t at its best, but neither was the kicking of a lot of others in the trying conditions.
Roberts also played in defence for Vic Metro and logged 25 disposals and five marks.
Melbourne father-son prospect Kynan Brown (20 disposals) was another who was part of the same backline and showed some good signs.
Brown is the son of former Demon Nathan Brown, who featured in 146 games in the red and blue.
The Young Guns side featured a host of AFL mid-season draft prospects, looking to push their cases for selection under the watchful eyes of recruiters from across the competition.
Jedd Longmire was impressive through the midfield across the day with 23 disposals, five clearances, five tackles and seven inside-50s.
Longmire, who stands 188cm tall, has been playing for Collingwood’s VFL side this year after being overlooked in his top-age draft year in 2022.
In the forward line, Dandenong Stingrays 19-year-old Ziggy Toledo-Glasman was a threat as he kicked three second-half goals among 13 disposals and six marks.
Inside midfielder Mitch Szybkowski (20 disposals, three clearances) worked hard, as did another player who was considered unlucky to miss out on selection in last year’s drafts in Luke Teal (18 disposals).
Forward Ryan Maric (nine disposals, 1.3) and ruckman Clay Tucker (seven disposals, 13 hit-outs) both had some good moments after attracting mid-season draft interest in recent weeks.
Maric worked hard up the ground as a leading forward and won some nice ground balls for a player who stands 193cm tall.
The Young Guns will play a second match against Vic Country this Sunday, ahead of the mid-season draft on May 31.
KFC SUPERCOACH RANKING POINTS
YOUNG GUNS
115 – Jedd Longmire
111 – Ziggy Toledo-Glasman
92 – Tom Bower
90 – Mitch Szybkowski
90 – Paddy Cross
90 – Hamish Pierson
85 – Nicholas Newton
83 – Beau Tedcastle
83 – Jack Cleaver
79 – Luke Teal
70 – Archie Sinnott
62 – Ryan Maric
60 – Jovan Petric
58 – Tom Stern
54 – Archer May
50 – Rye Penny
50 – Levi Young
44 – Clay Tucker
43 – Ethan Stanley
37 – Michael Kiraly
24 – Mitch Dodos
20 – William Elliott
19 – Flynn Riley
16 – Joziah Nannup
VIC METRO
132 – Mahmoud Taha
115 – Charlton Harrop
110 – Archie Roberts
107 – Kynan Brown
91 – Taj Hotton
87 – Nathan Philactides
86 – Tarkyn O’Leary
86 – Jordan Croft
82 – Jake Smith
78 – Josh Docking
77 – William Brown
73 – Isaac Kako
65 – Caleb Windsor
65 – Zak Johnson
59 – Lucca Grego
54 – Harvey Johnston
52 – Ryan Eyre
50 – Calsher Dear
47 – William Green
45 – Cameron Nyko
42 – Christian Mardini
32 – Cooper Trembath
31 – Remy Maclean
31 – Riley Weatherill
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Originally published as AFL Mid-Season Draft: Top performers, stats, from Young Guns v Vic Metro exhibition match
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