NAB League Top 50: Rankings and SuperCoach scores after round 8
Two Sandringham Dragons stars put in eye-catching performances days out from landing on AFL lists. Check out the top SuperCoach scorers and standouts.
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The NAB League was back in its entirety over the weekend after a month of split rounds and byes, and a host of draft prospects didn’t miss a beat.
Starting at the top, potential No. 1 pick Will Ashcroft returned for the Sandringham Dragons after a stint with Brisbane’s VFL side and tallied 27 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 10 score involvements and 148 KFC SuperCoach points under lights against the Dandenong Stingrays on Friday night.
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But he was outshone by rising ball-winner Taj Campbell-Farrell, who led the Stingrays to victory with a dominant display.
The 185cm midfielder topped the disposal count and the SuperCoach points tally in round 8 of the NAB League, racking up 40 disposals, 11 clearances and 181 points.
Mid-season draftees Hugo Hall-Kahan (21 disposals and 1.3) and Max Ramsden (11 disposals, 11 hit-outs, two goals) both posted SuperCoach tons in their final dress rehearsal in front of recruiters, with Ramsden joining the Hawks at pick six while Hall-Kahan became a Swan.
Melbourne Next Generation Academy member Finn Emile-Brennan also impressed in the same game, with the skilful Stingray – who has drawn comparisons to diminutive Demon Jake Bowey – registering 26 kicks at an elite 80 per cent efficiency and slotting a goal.
Coming off a strong performance for the AFL Academy last weekend, Geelong Falcons midfielder Jhye Clark had his biggest NAB League game of the season with 28 disposals, 16 contested possessions, seven tackles and 150 points against the Oakleigh Chargers.
Recent AFL Academy addition Aaron Cadman booted five goals against the Western Jets on the way to 147 points, with the key forward looming as one of the best talls available in the draft.
Fellow Academy member Lachie Cowan continued his blistering form across halfback for the Tasmania Devils in his side’s nailbiting one-point win over the Eastern Ranges, finishing with 31 disposal and 154 points.
The speedy defender was one of four 140-plus totals in the game along with Liam Jones (167), Lewis Hayes (147) and Brandon Leary (143).
TOP SUPERCOACH SCORES FROM NAB LEAGUE ROUND 8
DANDENONG STINGRAYS 14.10 (94) de Sandringham Dragons 9.19 (73)
Taj Campbell-Farrell (Dandenong Stingrays) – 181 points
Will Ashcroft (Sandringham Dragons) – 148 points
Finn Emile-Brennan (Dandenong Stingrays) – 148 points
Lachie Benton (Sandringham Dragons) – 142 points
Henry Hustwaite (Dandenong Stingrays) – 121 points
GWV Rebels 14.9 (93) def Western Jets 6.9 (45)
Hugh Bond (GWV Rebels) – 151 points
Aaron Cadman (GWV Rebels) – 147 points
James Van Es (GWV Rebels) – 132 points
Adam Azzopardi (Western Jets) – 118 points
Jaeden Pavlidis – 110 points (Western Jets)
Tasmania Devils 8.19 (67) def Eastern Ranges 10.6 (66)
Liam Jones (Tasmania Devils) – 167 points
Lachie Cowan (Tasmania Devils) – 154 points
Lewis Hayes (Eastern Ranges) – 147 points
Brandon Leary (Tasmania Devils) – 143 points
Jack Callinan (Tasmania Devils) – 126 points
Geelong Falcons 11.7 (73) defeated Oakleigh Chargers 10.11 (71)
Scott Beilby (Oakleigh Chargers) – 163 points
Jhye Clark (Geelong Falcons) – 150 points
Kynan Brown (Oakleigh Chargers) – 132 points
Jed Rule (Oakleigh Chargers) – 123 points
Tom Gillet (Geelong Falcons) – 117 points
Bendigo Pioneers 10.9 (69) def. by Calder Cannons 16.11 (107)
Paul Pascu (Calder Cannons) – 145
Corbin Anderson (Bendigo Pioneers) – 127
Amin Naim (Calder Cannons) – 120
Ben Cameron (Bendigo Pioneers) – 119
Sam Valensisi (Calder Cannons) – 117
Murray Bushrangers 10.13 (73) def. by Gippsland Power 14.9 (93)
Caleb Mitchell (Murray Bushrangers) – 171
Joel Scholtes (Gippsland Power) – 138
Cooper Vickery (Gippsland Power) – 135
Bailey Humphrey (Gippsland Power) – 132
Jacob Konstanty (Gippsland Power) – 112
NAB LEAGUE TOP 50 RANKINGS AFTER ROUND 5
Ranking, Player, Club, Position, 2022 Games, 2022 Ave. KFC SuperCoach Points
1. Lachlan Cowan (Tasmania Devils), DEF, 6 games, 143 points
2. Will Ashcroft (Sandringham Dragons), MID, 5 games, 143 points
3. Elijah Tsatas (Oakleigh Chargers), MID, 4 games, 137 points
4. Taj Campbell-Farrell (Dandenong Stingrays), MID, 6 games, 135 points
5. Massimo D’Ambrosio (Western Jets), DEF, 4 games, 134 points
6. Ted Clohesy (Geelong Falcons), MID, 3 games, 31 points
7. Kynan Brown (Oakleigh Chargers), 2 games, 131 points
8. Bailey Humphrey (Gippsland Power, MID, 6 games, 130 points
9. Charlie Molan (GWV Rebels), MID, 3 games, 129 points
10. Seth Campbell (Tasmania Devils), FWD, 7 games, 128 points
11. Lloyd Johnston (NT Thunder), DEF, 3 games, 127 points
12. George Wardlaw (Oakleigh Chargers), MID, 3 games, 125 points
13. Harry Sheezel (Sandringham Dragons), FWD, 5 games, 123 points
14. Jason Gilbee (Bendigo Pioneers), DEF, 4 games, 124 points
15. Patrick Dozzie (Northern Knights), MID, 4 games, 122 points
16. Hugh Bond (GWV Rebels), MID, 5 games, 121 points
17. Oskar Faulkhead (Bendigo Pioneers), MID, 5 games, 121 points
18. Aaron Cadman (GWV Rebels), FWD, 5 games, 120 points
19. Amin Naim (Calder Cannons), 1 game, 120 points
20. Michael Ktona (Calder Cannons), 4 games, 120 points
21. Olivier Northam (Geelong Falcons, RUC, 6 games, 118 points
22. Tom Gillet (Geelong Falcons, FWD, 1 game, 118 points
23. Colby McKercher (Tasmania Devils), 7 games, 115 points
24. Scott Beilby (Oakleigh Chargers), DEF, 2 games, 115 points
25. Mitch Szybkowski (Dandenogn Stingrays), MID, 4 games, 115 points
26. Liam Jones (Tasmania Devils), MID, 7 games, 114 points
27. Luke Giacometti (Sydney Academy), DEF, 4 games, 114 points
28. Jamieson Ballantyne (GWV Rebels), MID, 4 games, 113 points
29. Max Walton (Gippsland Power), DEF, 3 games, 113 points
30. Mitchell Moschetti (Gippsland Power), MID, 5 games, 113 points
31. Euriah Hollard (Geelong Falcons), FWD, 6 games, 113 points
32. Oliver Hollands (Murray Bushrangers), MID, 2 games, 112 points
33. Jed Foggo (Suns Academy), MID, 3 games, 112 points
34. Jhye Clark (Geelong Falcons) MID, 4 games, 111 points
35. Angus Anderson (Swans Academy) MID, 2 games, 110 points
36. Jaspa Fletcher (Lions Academy), MID, 3 games, 110 points
37. Jack Newitt (Calder Cannons), MID, 6 games, 109 points
38. Jaelen Pavlidis (Western Jets), FWD, 6 games, 108 points
39. Angus Curry (Oakleigh Chargers), MID, 3 games, 108 points
40. Coby Burgiel (Geelong Falcons), FWD, 4 games, 108 points
41. Tyreece Leiu (Eastern Ranges), FWD, 3 games, 108 points
42. Max Ramsden (Sandringham Dragons), 6 games, 107 points
43. Jake Rogers (Suns Academy), 3 games, 107 points
44. Jordan Endemann (Swans Academy), MID, 4 games, 106 points
45. Henry Hustwaite (Dandenong Stingrays), DEF, 6 games, 106 points
46. Harley Reid (Bendigo Pioneers), FWD, 5 games, 106 points
47. Noah Bradshaw (Lions Academy), MID, 6 games, 105 points
48. Callum Verrell (Eastern Ranges), MID, 6 games, 105 points
49. Finn Emile-Brennan (Dandenong Stingrays), DEF, 6 games, 105 points
50. Bailey Tome (Lions Academy), MID, 3 games, 105 points
Will Brisbane’s premiership window tempt No. 1 overall pick?
Former Brisbane father-son candidate Marc Murphy has urged potential No. 1 draft pick Will Ashcroft to consider his chances of winning a Lions flag in his first season as he weighs up his future.
Lions father-son prospect Ashcroft will likely wait until he finds out who has the No. 1 overall pick before a decision on whether he goes into the open draft.
The son of triple Brisbane premiership player Marcus would ideally prefer to stay in Melbourne for his football future but if he knocked back a father-son offer would be at the mercy of the national draft.
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Ashcroft has lived in Melbourne for the last five years with his family, who will not relocate back to Brisbane given brother Levi, 16, is a draft prospect and 12-year-old sister Lucy is a future AFLW player.
In an ideal world he might follow Murphy’s path in knocking back a Brisbane father-son offer and being chosen by a Melbourne side with one of the draft’s early selections.
But West Coast has the draft’s No. 1 pick and North Melbourne already has a long list of smallish midfielders like the brilliant Ashcroft, who stands at 180cm.
Murphy told the Herald Sun on Monday Ashcroft had a difficult decision but should factor in the potential to win a premiership in coming seasons at the Lions.
Essendon also has a batch of smallish midfielders so might look elsewhere while Adelaide and GWS currently have top-five picks on ladder order in the national draft.
Murphy knew Carlton (pick 1), Collingwood (pick 2) and Hawthorn (pick 3) would all take him with their first selection so was safe in the knowledge he would not move interstate.
The former Blues captain said on Monday he would have likely gone to Brisbane if West Coast or an Adelaide-based club were in line to sign him but given the first nine picks were Victorian sides it made his decision easier.
“I was pretty keen to go to Brisbane but then they gave me a four-year offer and it probably worked against them because I didn’t want to lock myself in,” he said.
“It was a really hard decision but I was a good chance to go to a big Victorian club like Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon or Hawthorn. It was a hard call because Brisbane had invested so much time in me.
“I thought at the time Brisbane might have exhausted their options and won their flags but right now Brisbane is right in their premiership window. He needs to weigh up, can I slot into that side and play in a premiership in my first year.”
Ashcroft has signed with the Hemisphere management stable and is being advised by Julian Petracca and Alex McDonald.
Petracca said on Monday there was no hurry for Ashcroft to make a decision.
“We will help guide him through it and given the family history the decision will probably be made towards the back-end of the year once his footy is finished with the Sandringham Dragons,” he said.
Ashcroft professed his love of Melbourne in March, stating:” I love it in Melbourne. I think I’m a Melburnian now — I’ve been here for long enough. I’m at uni here, my whole family’s here and I’m playing footy here, so at the moment I’m just trying to take it day by day, to be honest.”
Other early No. 1 contenders include 182cm Vic Metro midfielder George Wardlaw, West Adelaide’s 202cm key forward Harry Lemmey, Swan Districts midfielder Elijah Hewett.
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