Draft Intel: Latest 2023 AFL Draft news from around the country
Who’s the small forward recruiters are raving about after a big performance? Check out all the latest AFL national draft news.
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The AFL national draft is less than three months away and finals are on the horizon in the Coates Talent League as the 2023 season comes to a close.
Here’s the latest AFL Draft news from around the country.
CROFT YET TO DECIDE
Highly-rated key forward Jordan Croft is yet to decide whether he will nominate as a father-son for the Western Bulldogs as he continues to climb up club draft boards.
The 200cm Calder Cannons product has produced an eye-catching season to emerge as a first-round prospect in November’s national draft.
One recruiter said this week that Croft comfortably sat “somewhere between pick 10 and 15, just on what he could be”.
The 18-year-old, who is the son of 186-game Western Bulldogs defender Matthew Croft, trained at Whitten Oval for a week over pre-season and has been involved with the club’s Academy for the past six years.
However, Croft told this column that he was yet to sit down with his manager Tom Petroro and discuss whether he would officially nominate for the Bulldogs or enter the open draft.
“I’m not sure at the moment,” Croft said.
“I’ve still got to have a discussion with Tom and my dad and family.
“I’ve still got a bit of footy to go and we’ll see if the Cannons can go deep into finals. I haven’t had a real good think about it yet.”
The Bulldogs currently hold picks 10 and 17 in this year’s draft, but already have a stack of key forwards on their list with the likes of Aaron Naughton, Rory Lobb, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Sam Darcy.
Croft’s overhead marking and impressive running ability have stood out during his Coates Talent League matches this season, as well as in three games for Vic Metro during the under-18 national championships.
In a match earlier this month he faced off with Murray Bushrangers key defender Connor O’Sullivan – who is considered a top-10 draft prospect – in a battle which was evenly scored by recruiters.
Croft had 17 disposals, seven marks (four contested), 12 score involvements and kicked 3.4, while O’Sullivan finished with 26 disposals, eight marks and six spoils.
“I played him (O’Sullivan) against the Allies and I think he got the upper hand in that one so it was good to get a second chance,” Croft said.
“We didn’t quite get the win in that one but individually I think I showed my strengths.”
Still lightly-framed, Croft is weighing in at 82kg after tipping the scales at just 80kg during pre-season.
Hitting the gym will be a focus over the off-season as he prepares to play on bigger bodies at AFL or VFL level next year.
“In-season I haven’t been able to get to the gym as much but over pre-season a big focus will definitely be trying to put on a bit more size,” Croft said.
“Playing against some bigger bodies next year, I’ll need to put on a bit more weight so I don’t get thrown around too much.”
REID’S SCARE
Likely No. 1 draft pick Harley Reid has been cleared of serious injury and is expected to play again this season.
Reid jarred his knee when he went to plant a signature fend-off on an opponent during the second quarter of a Coates Talent League match for the Bendigo Pioneers last Sunday.
However, scans this week which showed no damage.
The midfielder-forward was expected to return to Pioneers training on Thursday night to be put through his paces as the club prepares for a final-round match against Geelong Falcons on Sunday.
Sitting 10th on the ladder, Bendigo will then head into a finals campaign next week.
“Most likely we’ll give him a week off and we’ll go again next week,” Pioneers coach Danny O’Bree said of Reid before training on Thursday.
“He wants to get back playing with his mates and have a bit of fun for the rest of the year.”
Reid logged six disposals, five marks, six score involvements and kicked two goals before going down with the injury against the Greater Western Victoria Rebels last week.
EIGHT-GOAL HAUL CATCHES ATTENTION
A small forward who booted eight goals in front of a raft of recruiters last weekend has been the subject of some discussions at clubs this week.
Greater Western Victoria Rebels forward Lachlan Charleson starred in a Coates Talent League match against Bendigo Pioneers last Sunday, logging 22 disposals, five marks, 15 score involvements and kicking 8.4.
The performance netted Charleson a massive 240 SuperCoach ranking points – 52 more points than any other player in the competition in round 16.
Charleson, who measures 182cm, played as a deep forward last weekend, but some scouts believe he has looked better when he has played through the midfield this year.
The Ballarat product has averaged 20.4 disposals, 5.1 clearances and 1.7 goals for the Rebels this season.
Charleson also featured in three matches for Vic Country at the under-18 national championships and Rebels coach David Loader said recently that he had been a big improver this year.
“He’s a small pressure forward and plays well overhead for his height,” Loader said.
“He’s not very big. But he’s just a really good player who’s pretty proficient in most aspects of the game.
“He kicks it pretty well, he’s a good runner, he’s a contested ball winner, he marks pretty well and he understands his role. There’s a lot to like.”
Charleson received a state draft combine invite earlier this week.
MID-SIZED SWINGMAN ‘A REAL BOLTER’
An athletic rebounding defender from Tasmania has continued to jump up club draft boards since catching the eye for the Allies at the under-18 national championships.
James Leake is in the mix to be a top-25 pick in November’s national draft, having shown his abilities as a swingman at both ends of the ground for the Tasmania Devils in the Coates Talent League.
After being used down back for most of the season where he has been able to impact with his intercepting ability and speed and power on the rebound, Leake has played forward in the Devils’ past two matches.
The 188cm prospect has averaged 14 disposals, six marks, seven score involvements and has kicked 7.1 from those past two games with the Devils.
“He’s been a real bolter,” Devils coach Jerromey Webberley said.
“He’s a really good contest, defensive player and he’s got a really good athletic profile. He just seems to win the ball back extremely well, either in the air or on the ground.
“He swung forward in a game against Geelong a few weeks back and had a real impact after halftime and then he played forward for the whole game on the weekend and kicked four goals and provided a really strong aerial contest and pulled down some good marks as well. He’s got some really nice flexibility within his game and he’s had an outstanding year.”
CLUBS EXPECTING ROOS TO GET SANDERS ACCESS
North Melbourne could secure three of the top seven players in this year’s draft, with a view among clubs that the AFL will provide the Kangaroos with priority access to gun Tasmanian midfielder Ryley Sanders.
A decision will be made by the league during Grand Final week on whether to grant North Melbourne a special draft assistance package.
The club is pushing for Sanders to be included in their Next Generation Academy and has lodged paperwork for that which has still not been ticked off.
A loss to the Gold Coast Suns this weekend would see the Kangaroos finish on the bottom of the ladder and secure the No. 1 draft pick.
The club could also receive the No. 2 draft pick as free agency compensation if key defender Ben McKay departs Arden Street.
Recruiters said this week they feared Sanders would be approved as an NGA player and North Melbourne would then be allowed to match an early bid on him at pick six or seven.
Under ordinary AFL rules, Victorian clubs are not able to match bids on NGA products within the first 40 picks in the draft.
Clubs have voiced concerns over the integrity of the NGA rules amid the Sanders saga, labelling an already compromised draft “a big issue”.
Sanders won the Larke Medal as the best player of the under-18 national championships after averaging 35.8 disposals and five clearances across four games for the Allies.
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