AFL Draft 2024: Jagga Smith stars in VFL debut, key forward bolter, Essendon NGA’s first-round lock
Richmond has had a close look at Jagga Smith, who is firming as a potential No. 1 draft pick. Plus, a key forward bolter who could go top-10, a huge game from a Bombers-linked small and much more.
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The countdown to November’s AFL national draft continues and club draft boards are starting to take shape.
Here’s the draft latest news and views from around the country.
COULD JAGGA GO NO. 1?
Victorian midfielder Jagga Smith is making a strong case to be considered as the No. 1 draft pick after a stunning VFL debut for Richmond last weekend.
In difficult conditions at Williamstown, Smith finished as the leading disposal winner on the ground with 31 touches.
His stats sheet also included 18 contested possessions, five marks, nine clearances and two score assists.
The performance against men came on the back of a strong under-18 national championships campaign.
Smith captained Vic Metro to the title and went on to be named the All-Australian skipper.
While on the smaller side for an AFL midfielder at 181cm, recruiters say Smith has been “terrific” throughout the year and should not worry about his size holding him back.
It is an open race for the No. 1 pick, with Smith sitting alongside the likes of Finn O’Sullivan, Josh Smillie, Sid Draper, Sam Lalor, Levi Ashcroft and Luke Trainor vying for that selection.
As an AFL Academy member, Smith trained with Richmond during pre-season, learning off the likes of Dustin Martin and Dion Prestia.
He grew up not far from Punt Rd and came through Richmond Junior Football Club.
Richmond football boss Tim Livingstone said Smith had certainly made an impact in his first VFL outing for the club.
“He’s pretty good at finding the footy, Jagga,” Livingstone told a club podcast.
“He’d been in the club and trained with us earlier in the year as part of the Academy program, so he had some familiarity. But to go into a game like that and just find it 30 times, it just shows how much of a talent he is.”
The Tigers currently hold the No. 1 draft pick, sitting two percentage points behind North Melbourne on the bottom of the ladder with five rounds remaining.
Meanwhile in the SANFL last weekend, Draper produced another strong game for South Adelaide.
Described as “the ultimate professional”, the dynamic midfielder helped himself to 23 disposals, five clearances, seven score involvements and a goal.
MORE TALLS JUMPING UP
A draft that recruiters initially thought to be midfield heavy and “light on” for key position talent has become far more rounded, with multiple talls pushing into first-round calculations.
Intercept defender Luke Trainor has widely been considered a top-10 talent since making a stunning start to the season, but his Sandringham Dragons teammate Harry Armstrong has been a bolter.
A strong-marking key forward who stands 193cm tall, Armstrong was overlooked for Vic Metro’s first match of the under-18 national championships but kicked nine goals across the last three games.
Five of those majors came in the final match against Vic Country earlier this month, where Armstrong also put his marking on full display as he took two important contested marks in the final quarter.
One recruiter said this week that is wouldn’t shock if Armstrong was snapped up inside the top-10 on draft night.
“He’s a competitor and he’s got a ground level game,” they said.
“I think he’ll just get better.”
Another recruiter said they believed Armstrong sat in a group of players who could make up picks seven to 12.
In addition to his form with Vic Metro and appearances with the Sandringham Dragons, Armstrong has been a consistent goalkicker at school level for Haileybury in the APS competition this year.
He booted 10 goals in a game against Melbourne Grammar in June and six majors in the opening round of the season against Geelong College.
Murray Bushrangers twins Matt and Jack Whitlock are also attracting plenty of attention.
Both played forward in the Coates Talent League last weekend and recorded 17 disposals each.
Matt, who measures 197cm, kicked 2.5, while the 200cm Jack booted 2.0 in a draw with the Northern Knights.
BOMBERS-LINKED SMALL FLYING HIGH
The best small forward in this year’s draft pool is continuing to go from strength-to-strength, starring for the Calder Cannons in a Coates Talent League match last weekend.
Isaac Kako — who is a member of Essendon’s Next Generation Academy – returned from Vic Metro duties at the under-18 national championships to line up for the Cannons against the Bendigo Pioneers last Sunday.
He racked up 25 disposals, five marks, seven tackles, 10 score involvements and three goals for a total of 175 ranking points — the second-best performance of any player in the competition in round 15.
Recruiters believe Kako is a “genuine first-round talent”.
Proposed changes to NGA rules would allow the Bombers to match a bid on Kako in November, no matter where he sits in the draft.
Previous rules only allowed Victorian clubs to match bids on NGA prospects from pick 40.
“His timing to get front and centre is elite. It’s AFL level already,” Vic Metro coach Rob Harding said of Kako.
“He’s got a great finish around goal, and he’s a great character, a great person. I can’t wait to see Isaac play at the next level. I think he’s going to be really good.”
Kako — who looks up to Richmond’s Shai Bolton — booted eight goals across four games for Vic Metro during the championships, including three majors in the final game against Vic Country earlier this month.
TOBIE A TERRIFIC DEFENDER
A minor blue in the dying seconds of the under-18 national championships decider earlier this month will not hurt Tobie Travaglia’s draft prospects as he shapes as one of the most exciting defenders available.
The Vic Country captain was enormous for his side during the tournament, averaging 21.8 disposals, 6.3 marks, 8.3 intercept possessions and 4.8 score involvements across the four games to be named on a half-back flank in the All-Australian side.
Travaglia unfortunately gave away a late free kick in the final match of the championships, seeing Vic Metro kick a goal after the siren to win the match and the title.
However, the Bendigo Pioneers product is seen as clear first-round draft prospect who has incredible athletic traits, is a competitive beast and possesses strong hands overhead.
“He’s had a great couple of months of football, so he’s put himself in a good position,” one recruiter said.
Vic Country coach Paul Corrigan praised Travaglia’s versatility and leadership during the tournament.
“His ability to intercept the ball through marking and provide some really good leg speed and run and carry off that half-back line is super impressive,” Corrigan said.
“We played him on the wing a little bit as well just to add to his ability and flexibility as a player and I thought he adapted really well in that sense.
“He can play tall, he can play smaller. I think he’s got all those attributes to go to the next level and be a good player.
CLUBS PULLING TOGETHER COMBINE NOMINATIONS
Recruiters from all 18 AFL clubs have this week been asked to provide their nominations for October’s national draft combine.
Clubs submit lists of 50 players to the league, which helps determine the players invited to the combine.
Additional players are invited to state-based combines.
One recruiter said the depth of this draft made picking 50 players a difficult task, expecting at least 70 players to be picked by clubs in November.
There were 64 players picked in last year’s national draft.
The national draft combine will be held in Melbourne from October 4-6.
Originally published as AFL Draft 2024: Jagga Smith stars in VFL debut, key forward bolter, Essendon NGA’s first-round lock
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