AFL draft 2021: Sandringham Dragons talls Dante Visentini and Felix Flockart gain interest

The Sandy Dragons had two ruckmen taken in the mid-season draft. Will two more of their talls be drafted this month to make it four?

The Dragons’ Dante Visentini in a ruck contest with Edward Moyle of the Chargers.

Giants are still roaming at the Dragons.

Already two Sandringham Dragons ruckmen – Jacob Edwards (North Melbourne) and Max Heath (St Kilda) – have been drafted this year.

Now two more talls from the NAB League club, Dante Visentini and Felix Flockart, are attracting the attention of AFL clubs.

Outgoing Dragons coach Jackson Kornberg said the fact that Edwards, Heath and other ruckmen were taken in the mid-season draft would bring players like Visentini and Flockart into calculations at the national and rookie drafts.

He said it would surely be a first for a NAB League team if the Dragons had four ruckmen drafted in one year.

One AFL recruiter said it would be “unheard of’’.

“You’re usually happy to get taken,’’ he said. “Four would be extraordinary.’’

Felix Flockart (left) rucking in the Colgate Young Guns match this year.

Kornberg said Visentini, 202cm, “performed at the right time at the backend of the year’’.

“His aggression and his physicality are two of his strengths,’’ he said of the Vic Metro selection.

“He’s got no fear when it comes to the contest.

“He really improved his marking and his ability to impact contest. He’s got no fear in running through a pack or jumping up at centre bounce. That would be his one-wood.

“He does cover the ground too, gut-runs and gets to a lot of stoppage and makes repeat-effort leads inside 50.

“He’s a fluent kick for goal and field kick too.’’

Asked where he had Visentini in the Dragons’ order of prospects, Kornberg said: “He’s certainly in a different conversation to Finn (Callaghan) and Josh (Sinn) and those sort of boys. But if you need a tall, need a ruck, then Dante and Felix Flockart are prospects as the talls. In the last bank for games for Dante he showed he was peaking at the right time. He had a really promising game in that Metro trial game at Windy Hill and he played well against the Rebels. ’’

With Edwards and Heath playing in the early rounds, Visentini played as a forward and ruckman and also had a run in defence.

He took on more ruck duties after his teammates were claimed in the mid-season draft.

Collingwood is believed to be keen on Flockart, who because of Covid has played little football in the past two years.

The former Brighton Grammar student was on the Dragons’ books last year as a 19-year-old but of course the 2020 season never got going.

He made his Dragons debut this year and had two games in the VFL.

Flockart ran a quick 2km trial at the state combine.

“That’s outstanding for a bloke who’s 200cm,’’ Kornberg said.

“He’s just so underexposed and so raw.

“He played a handful of games for us and got the opportunity to play at VFL level too.

“He’s agile and he’s athletic, he’s got a good launch at the ball – he’s got that decent leap at the centre bounce where he can go up and over his opponent – and he can impact games.’’

DRAGONS MANAGER MARK WHEELER ON HIS RUCK PROSPECTS

Dante Visentini: “He’s a genuine key position who plays ruck. Really good size and a lot of up to go. He kicks the ball as good as I’ve seen a big bloke kick the ball and he’s got a fair bit of aggression. I believe he can be a key utility and play at either end once he extends his arms a bit more.’’

Felix Flockart: “He’s a little bit underdeveloped. He had a big growth spurt as a junior and came through at Brighton Grammar. He was predominantly ruck and we’ve taught him to go forward. Athletic, running sub-6.30 in a 2km time trial. Once he understands his craft he’ll be a genuine tall bloke who will play ruck and also as a key-position forward.’’