AFL off-season 2021: All the latest news ahead of the draft
Western Bulldogs father-son Sam Darcy has bulked up in a big way in the past few months as he prepares to join the AFL ranks. See our full notes on the top prospects.
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Club recruiters flocked to Sandringham to catch a final glimpse of Victorian prospects in action ahead of next Wednesday’s AFL Draft.
More than 50 of the best Victorian products took part in the training session run by AFL Academy coach and former Collingwood player Tarkyn Lockyer at Trevor Barker Oval, with inclement weather making things difficult for prospects at stages.
It did not feature any competitive work, but it gave clubs a firm reminder of the attributes that make these promising talents among the best across the country.
Draft hopefuls from Victorian metropolitan areas also had their measurements taken for the first time since the pre-season, with top-five prospects Finn Callaghan and Sam Darcy among those to develop significantly.
Find out the players who caught the eye and the latest player measurements.
VIC METRO
Nick Daicos
Oakleigh Chargers
Midfielder 182cm, 72kg
Classy as ever, Daicos’s skills were sublime. Later, he expressed his desire to receive an early bid and looks to be taking the pressure in his stride, even cracking a few gags to reporters.
Sam Darcy
Oakleigh Chargers
Key forward/defender 205cm, 93kg
Coming off a stress fracture in his ankle, Darcy sat out the session but it was his measurements that were the main source of intrigue. The father-son prodigy revealed he now stands at 205cm after growing two centimetres this year, which will make him the equal-tallest player at the Western Bulldogs next year. And he has clearly been hitting the gym in a big way, putting on a whopping 18kg (yep, you read that right) since his last measurement in the pre-season.
Finn Callaghan
Sandringham Dragons
Midfielder, 191cm, 86kg
The potential top-three pick looked taller on the track and his latest measurements revealed just that, growing another two centimetres and adding four kilograms. Callaghan said he performed a medical on the day “to get his foot checked out”, having been sidelined during the year with inflammation.
Josh Ward
Northern Knights
Midfielder, 183cm, 77kg
The smooth-mover hardly put a foot wrong during the session, making the right decisions throughout. Ward has shot up another two centimetres and has added four kilograms.
Darcy Wilmot
Northern Knights
Defender, 183cm, 76kg
The one player you could hear throughout the entire session, Wilmot was incredibly vocal and his skills on the run were just as good. Asked about how he viewed his season, he responded by reflecting on how his teams - Northern Knights and Vic Metro – performed, epitomising his team-first approach. Weighing a slender 70kg at the beginning of the year, the 17-year-old weighed in at 76kg on Monday.
Josh Sinn
Sandringham Dragons
Defender/midfielder, 187cm, 78kg
Sinn’s backwards cap summed up his calm and collected nature. His breakaway speed was on display during the lead-up drill – as was his lovely left boot. Another who looked to be considerably bigger, adding six kilograms since his last measurement.
Charlie Dean
Williamstown VFL
Key defender, 196cm, 90kg
Held everything that came his way in the marking drills, especially in flight. Looks a very well-rounded mature-age prospect, speaking openly and maturely post-session about being left on the board in his draft year of 2019.
Zac Taylor
Calder Cannons
Midfielder, 182cm, 79kg
The pinpoint midfielder missed a target for about the first time this year in one of the early drills. Normal service resumed, with his foot skills on both sides a highlight. In a sign he could play senior footy sooner than first thought, Taylor has added five kilograms to his frame since the pre-season.
Jake Soligo
Eastern Ranges
Midfielder/forward, 180kg, 77kg
Soligo’s silky skills were on show throughout the session, looking extremely polished – even when the rain poured down.
Youseph Dib
Oakleigh Chargers
Utility, 176cm, 76kg
Available to all clubs after Collingwood opted not to nominate the Collingwood Next Generation Academy graduate, Dib looked like he had a point to prove. His high intensity during the drills was hard to miss – as was his flowing locks. The utility has also grown two centimetres.
Tyreece Leiu
Eastern Ranges
Defender/midfielder, 193cm, 91kg
Leiu’s explosiveness was evident in the repeat-leading drill and while launching into the air at the marking cone. Issued a reminder to clubs about his athleticism and power on the eve of the draft.
Dante Visentini
Sandringham Dragons
Key forward/ruck, 202cm, 93kg
The Dragons prospect has filled out considerably, adding five kilograms to his frame, and his overhead marking and reach impressed in the marking drills.
Who missed: Sam Darcy (foot), Tyler Sonsie (ankle), Anthony Caminiti (ankle surgery)
VIC COUNTRY
Mac Andrew
Dandenong Stingrays
Ruck, 201cm, 74kg
Andrew told reporters that his measurement revealed he had added about eight kilograms this year. But it did not impact his mobility and athleticism, moving well around the ground in drills.
Josh Rachele
Murray Bushrangers
Forward/midfielder, 179cm, 81kg
Rachele’s sheer power and speed were on full display in an eye-catching session for the Bushrangers product. Looked to be having a great time out on the field and spoke about how much he enjoyed reuniting with the Vic Country boys for the session.
Ben Hobbs
Greater Western Victoria Rebels
Inside Midfielder, 183cm, 79kg
Hit targets on both feet, was strong overhead and opened up on the positive impact of hiring a sports psychologist during the year. Has a presence – even during training drills – and looks ready-to-go both on and off the field.
Mitch Knevitt
Geelong Falcons
Inside midfielder 193cm, 81kg
Knevitt was among the standouts at the Vic Country draft combine, and the Falcons prospect again showcased his speed and leap during the session. He told reporters that his goal is to play AFL footy next year, and his athletic make-up and ball-winning suggests he can.
Campbell Chesser
Sandringham Dragons
Defender/midfielder, 186cm, 83kg
The powerful Chesser moved like an elite athlete during the drills, and he would have had plenty of eyes on him, given he played just three NAB League games this year due to injury.
Toby Conway
Geelong Falcons
Ruckman, 205cm, 97kg
The ruckman was another to catch the eye with his strong hands overhead and skills for a player his size. One of the most difficult prospects to place, given the signficant amount of ruckmen taken in the mid-season draft.
Sam Butler
Greater Western Victoria Rebels
Midfielder/forward, 184cm, 76kg
The brother of St Kilda livewire Dan was a late withdrawal on the day with tonsillitis.
Judson Clarke
Dandenong Stingrays
Forward/midfielder, 180cm, 72kg
Unable to test at the Victorian combine, Clarke’s top-end agility and speed was there for all to see during the lead-up drills.
Kai Lohmann
Greater Western Victoria Rebels
Forward, 185cm, 77kg
Was hard to spot at first with his new long, blonde-tinged locks, but once you did, his spark was obvious. His burst and change of direction displayed his X-Factor.
Jai Serong
Gippsland Power
Utility, 193cm, 82kg
Serong — who is 15cm taller than his brother, Fremantle Rising Star winner Caleb Serong —looked impressive on the track throughout the session. The question mark remains over his best position at the level, but his make-up suggests he is worth a shot.
How AFL will respond if Blues ask for draft help
— Jon Ralph
The AFL is likely to knock back Carlton’s request for an extra draft selection to replace Liam Jones, despite the left-field circumstances surrounding his retirement.
Carlton says it had no option but to allow Jones to retire over his vaccine hesitancy in a decision that leaves the club a key back short as they head into 2022.
Blues football boss Brad Lloyd confirmed on Monday that Carlton would not be on the hook for Jones’ 2022 salary, saying: “From a salary cap point of view, there’s no issue there with his retirement.”
Lloyd said the Blues were open to asking the AFL for another draft pick given their draft hand of 25, 64 and 82.
The AFL has allowed clubs to replace players under special circumstances, including giving Melbourne approval to list Shannon Motlop after the tragic death of Troy Broadbridge in the 2004 Thailand tsunami.
But the AFL now has mechanisms such as the summer supplementary list that allow clubs to top up their lists.
So it would be unlikely the league would hand the Blues another early pick.
Jones was adamant he would retire rather than delay any decision on his future, which means he will have filled in a form 42 confirming his retirement.
If that form is lodged with the AFL he would officially retire rather than be delisted and would not be eligible for a summer rookie spot or the mid-season draft if he did decide to be vaccinated in coming months.
Players who officially retire must be off an AFL list for a season before becoming eligible to play again, as Carlton’s Kade Simpson found out when he briefly considered a return.
But should AFL rules change again for the 2023 season with no vaccine mandates he could potentially consider his future ahead of that season.
Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko said on Monday he would not be surprised if more players decided against playing given vaccine issues.
But every club except St Kilda has confirmed players expect to be fully vaccinated, with Lloyd confirming Carlton expected all players to front up for training double-vaxxed.
“It was certainly a surprise to me and a lot of our playing group when we saw the news, but it’s something that he and his family feel very strongly about and I guess it’s over to the Carlton Football Club to help support him,” Zorko said.
“It was a massive shock. Something tells me that he might not be the last as well.”
Melbourne star Christian Petracca admitted he had second thoughts about being vaccinated.
The replacements: How Blues can fill Jones void at the draft
By Jordan Pinto
The retirement of Liam Jones leaves a significant hole in Carlton’s back six and it isn’t one Jacob Weitering can fill on his own.
Lewis Young’s arrival from the Western Bulldogs is timely, and former Demon Oscar McDonald can also be used in defence, despite featuring at the other end of the ground in his only on-field appearance last season.
At 193cm, Caleb Marchbank is the next tallest defender on the Blues’ list, but he remains on a modified training program as he works towards a return from an ACL tear suffered in April.
These are the players who could help provide further key-position depth at the draft.
FIRST PICK
As it stands, the Blues enter the draft at pick 25. At this point, a number of prospects with speed and skill would address the club’s needs in the front half of the ground. But if list boss Nick Austin and his team decide to look at a defender here, they will still be right in the mix for one of the top talls, in an otherwise midfielder-heavy draft pool. Claremont gun Jacob van Rooyen would suit perfectly but, with suitors in the teens, there’s a strong chance he’s off the board by Carlton’s call.
Leek Alleer (Central District)
20, 195cm, 84kg
A move to defence saw the athletically-gifted Alleer rocket into draft contention, after an injury-interrupted junior career. The 20-year-old broke the vertical jump record at the combine, and starred in the SANFL with his intercept marking this year. Alleer, an outstanding character, still has plenty to learn about playing in defence at the top level, but his ceiling is as high as any key-position prospect – and it’s why there is some interest inside the top 20.
RELATED: CONTROVERSIAL CROW ‘PROUD’ OF JONES’ VACCINE STAND
Rhett Bazzo (Swan Districts)
18, 195cm, 81kg
The versatile tall from Western Australia is another who is right in the mix for a number of clubs around this point. Bazzo is elite in the air, making a name for himself as a strong-marking intercept defender, who is clean and composed with the ball in hand. But he’s also proven his ability as a forward.
Jack Williams (East Fremantle)
18, 195cm, 91kg
Like his West Australian teammate, Williams is a versatile key-position prospect. He booted 40 goals at WAFL Colts level this year, and impressed as a mobile ruckman at the national carnival. Williams’ strong marking, however, has also seen him succeed at the other end of the ground - and it’s why he could appeal, depending who’s still on the board.
LATER IN THE DRAFT
Austin revealed last month the Blues’ plan involved “someone who can go forward and have an impact in the front half”. So, if they stick to their initial plan, or just swoop on the best available talent who slips through, there are still likely to be a number of readymade options later in the national or rookie drafts.
Charlie Dean (Williamstown)
20, 195cm, 86kg
Overlooked in two drafts as a forward, Dean transformed into an intercept-marking defender and starred in the VFL this year, winning the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal as the best young player in the competition. The same award which helped launch the AFL careers of Bayley Fritsch, Luke Ryan and Kane Lambert, to name a few. Unlike some of the teenager prospects, Dean, who averaged the second-most intercept possessions of all players to have played at least 5 matches, could fill a hole right away.
Blake Schlenslog (South Fremantle)
21, 199cm, 99kg
After being delisted by the Cats at the end of 2020, the agile Schlenslog impressed at both ends of the ground in the WAFL this year, reading the play to pick off opposition attacks, before proving a difficult match-up as a forward in the second-half of the season. The 21-year-old failed to play an AFL game during his time at the Cattery, but a number of clubs, including Geelong, are interested in giving him another shot – either through one of the drafts or as a delisted free agent before Monday’s 5pm deadline.
Noah Pegoraro (West Perth)
24, 194cm, 90kg
Pegoraro is another mature-age option, who is ready to step straight into a key-defensive post. The athletic tall led the WAFL for intercept possessions in a breakout season, before finishing fourth in the vertical jump and sixth in the 20m sprint nationally at the draft combine.
Oscar Adams (Glenelg)
18, 198cm, 85kg
He’s played as a mobile ruckman at SANFL under-18 level, but it’s as a 198cm defender with great reach that has clubs interested in the teenager from Glenelg. Adams has a terrific leap and good skills and is a longer-term prospect who could be available late in the draft.
IF THEY TRADE UP
Could the Blues throw the kitchen sink at a defender by putting pick 25 and a future selection up for grabs in a trade? Van Rooyen could be reach but it would have to be a pretty enticing offer if the Blues were to get near the best key-defender in the pool, Josh Gibcus, who is a likely top-10 selection.
Top prospects could go undrafted due to vax status
- Matt Turner
AFL clubs are waiting to learn if any of this year’s draft prospects are unwilling to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Draft hopefuls had to tell the league by Friday if they would not agree to receive the jab or would be applying for a medical exemption.
Clubs have been asking players they are interested in about their vaccination status.
The AFL would not stop anyone who did not want to get jabbed from nominating for the November 24-25 national draft or from being selected.
But the league’s vaccination policy would prevent them from training, playing or entering club headquarters if they were on a list, so it would be a huge risk for a team to pick them.
The AFL will supply clubs with information on unvaccinated nominees before the draft.
None of the four clubs spoken to by News Corp were aware of any draft prospects refusing to be vaccinated.
Three of the four clubs would not draft any player who was unwilling to be vaccinated, while one other said they were yet to have that discussion, but that it would make it extremely difficult.
“It would seem impractical to draft someone who ultimately will be unable to enter your facility,” an AFL industry insider told News Corp.
A recruiting manger said it would even be difficult to select someone who was unvaccinated, but intended to receive the jab, because they would not be able to start pre-season until they had.
“All the boys that we’re considering and all the managers that we’ve spoken to have said ‘we’re fine, they’re vaxxed, or they’re booked in’ so don’t think there would be any issues,” the recruiting manager said.
“But I suppose until we get this info back from the AFL, we kind of don’t know.”
Under state government rules for authorised workers, all Victorian-based players and staff must have had both jabs by November 26 to attend their workplace.
Sydney and GWS players require a first vaccination by November 19 and second by December 17, while it is January 21 and February 18 for Queensland, Adelaide and WA clubs.
The AFL is hosting a training session for Victorian’s top prospects in Sandringham on Monday, which players and staff will need to be fully vaccinated to attend under state health regulations.
Only two players in the AFL or AFLW are known to be reluctant to receive the vaccination: Carlton’s Liam Jones and Adelaide’s Deni Varnhagen.
The Blues are trying to convince Jones, who is due back for pre-season training on December 6, to change his mind.
Last week Adelaide placed dual premiership player Varnhagen on its inactive list ahead of the 2022 AFLW season over her refusal to be vaccinated.
Fyfe faces fight of his career after horror surgery side effects
- Adrian Barich and Mitchell Woodcock
Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe is facing the battle of his career due to side effects to his shoulder reconstruction in July.
Fyfe laid bare the extent of his issues last night, saying:
# He hasn’t been able to run for four months;
# He needed a bone graft from his hip to repair his “blown to pieces” shoulder
# He must go to Hollywood – Hospital every day to intravenous antibiotics;
# He can’t sweat;
# He also had finger surgery.
“It’s pretty grim. I haven’t run for four months so I’ve got a fair bit of work to do to make sure I’m ready to go for next year,” Fyfe told 7 NEWS.
Fyfe required a second bout of surgery last month and an infection developed. The West Australian understands the Fremantle skipper may be forced to continue taking antibiotics throughout next season.
Fyfe is working with well-known infectious disease expert Clay Golledge at Hollywood.
The 30-year-old had his first operation in July after several dislocations through the season.
A scan after 12 weeks revealed he needed another operation.
Fyfe said he felt pain while surfing in Tasmania last month, which led to the second operation, which included a hip graft.
“It revealed that the – surgery had failed, the bone block had come off through the latarjet procedure and was floating around in my shoulder,” Fyfe said.
“It just never quite got going. Usually, the strength starts to come up, the pain starts to go down. But I had all sorts of crunching and it just wasn’t right.
“I was trying to surf over in Tasmania (last month) and it just was really hurting me.
“I was on pain killers … we went and got it scanned and it’d just blown to pieces.
“There’s just a small percentage of these shoulder operations that don’t work and unfortunately I’ve become a statistic of that.
“I’ve had the same surgery on my left shoulder with the same surgeon in Melbourne and I’ve never had an issue with that again.”
The dual Brownlow medallist said he would be sidelined for months and needed to go to Hollywood Hospital every day to get the PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line antibiotics changed.
“I can’t sweat, I can’t train. I’ve got my other shoulder recovering as well, so I’m a little bit stuck at the moment,” he said.
“This sort of infection doesn’t get picked up through blood tests or any visible signs, so it was really only due to the diligence of the surgeon, Pete D’Alessandro, that we’ve actually found it and it may be some indicator as to why the surgery failed, we’re just not sure.
Fyfe hopes the injury won’t impact him next year.
“I’ve mentioned I want to play more midfield time next year and that’s what I’ll be basing my pre-season around,” he said.
“I think physically and mentally, those two things will be fighting it out to see which one fails first, but I plan on playing for a number of years yet.”
Originally published as AFL off-season 2021: All the latest news ahead of the draft
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