AFL Draft 2020: Profiles, draft range and the latest word on SA’s top 10 teenage draft prospects

‘An animal who wins the ball through grunt, toughness and a want for physicality’. Tony Bamford is big on an SA draft prospect gaining plenty of interest.

Is West Adelaide prospect Riley Thilthorpe the next Brodie Grundy? Picture: Tricia Watkinson

A Dean Cox prototype, a player with Caleb Daniel’s hands and Scott Pendlebury’s composure and vision, a taller, stronger version of Darcy Byrne-Jones and a “superstar out of luck’’.

They are among the verdicts on South Australia’s top teenage prospects less than three weeks before the 2020 AFL national draft.

The man who knows the Croweaters’ top young talent better than anyone else, SA under-18 coach Tony Bamford, has been inundated with phone calls from AFL recruiting scouts this year to get inside intel after the AFL under-18 championships were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Tony Bamford talks to Riley Thilthorpe at the SA draft combine. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

He said clubs were so certain West Adelaide tall Riley Thilthorpe and Port Adelaide Next Generation prospect Lachlan Jones would go early that they had stopped asking questions about them.

But SA’s other gems are under the microscope.

Bamford shared his insight into the top 10 prospects with The Advertiser.

RILEY THILTHORPE

Ruckman/key-forward

West Adelaide

18, 201cm, 102kg

Plays like: Brodie Grundy/Dean Cox

2020 Champion Data Ranking Points average: 85 (League)

Draft range: 1-6

Tony Bamford says: “His athletic profile is outstanding for his height, because of his ability to run and his repeat speed. He is an absolute endurance beast. He’ll play ruck like an extra midfielder, the way (former West Coast star) Dean Cox used to play and how (Collingwood’s) Brodie Grundy does now. That’s his point of difference. I think he’s best suited as a ruckman, who can play as an extra midfielder. He still needs to learn more about forward craft, but that will come. This year he would have been our lead ruckman (in the AFL under-18 championships) and averaged 30 hit-outs, five clearances and 25 disposals.’’

We say: He’s not yet at the same level as Perth’s Logan McDonald as a forward, but, given his speed, clean hands and ability to win the ball, Thilthorpe, arguably, has a greater ceiling. And that probably outweighs the doubt around his absolute best position at this point. If the Crows don’t take him, he’s unlikely to slip much further down the order.

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LACHLAN JONES

Defender

Woodville-West Torrens

18, 184cm, 87kg

Ranking Points: 60 (League)

Port Adelaide NGA prospect

Plays like: A taller, more explosive Darcy Byrne-Jones

Draft range: 6-10

Bamford says: “He’ll be drafted as a defender but he has the same type of ability, acceleration and power of Patrick Dangerfield when he breaks away from congestion. There are similarities with (Port Adelaide’s) Darcy Byrne-Jones but ‘Jonesy’ has the ability to play on taller opponents. One of the great things about him is that he can play on small and tall forwards. When (Richmond’s) Dustin Martin and Dangerfield go forward and the commentators always question who’s going to stand them, Jones is your man. He might get beaten for tricks and x-factor every now and then but he won’t get beaten in contests like a lot of others because he’s so tough and powerful.’’

We say: If a bid comes outside the top-10, Port Adelaide will be very happy. Power fans will enjoy watching Jones for years.

Sturt ball magnet Tom Powell is a likely first-round selection. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

TOM POWELL

Midfielder

Sturt

18, 183cm, 74kg

Ranking Points: 163 (U18)

Plays like: Tom Mitchell, Scott Pendlebury

Draft range: 8-20

Bamford says: “He’s silky smooth and very classy. Tom has clean hands equal to (the Western Bulldogs’) Caleb Daniel at the same age with the time and vision of (Collingwood’s) Scott Pendlebury. That’s a couple of pretty good players to compare him to but Tom has some of their traits. He’s not your typical bash and crash midfielder, he uses his smarts, vision, composure and clean and quick hands to do the damage inside, as opposed to knocking blokes over. He’s silky smooth and the game slows down when he has the ball.’’

We say: Powell, who has spoken to all AFL clubs after averaging 35 disposals this year, is one of the draft pool’s best ball-winners and clearance players and his form this season is likely to see him taken within the first 20 picks on December 9.

BRAYDEN COOK

Wingman

South Adelaide

18, 188cm, 74kg

Ranking Points: 125 (U18)

Plays like: Will Hoskin-Elliott, Will Hayward

Draft range: 11-25

Bamford says: “Brayden’s the bolter over here who this time last year no-one really knew much about. He grew much taller over summer, had a really good off-season with his running and his overhead skills have continued to improve. He’s a winger, not a forward, although some AFL clubs have suggested he could end up playing that high forward marking role, like the Crows’ Tom Lynch. He has the ability to win the ball in the back third and get multiple possessions in the same chain. Most wingers rack up their possessions in the back half of the ground where they don’t hurt the opposition, but Brayden does hurt them because he kicks goals, takes marks and carries the ball. He wins the ball in all areas of the ground, which is his point of difference.’’

We say: Could the Crows go early on the South Adelaide match-winner, who booted 26 goals from 13 games in 2020? His rise has been so rapid this year, he might be off the board by the time their back-to-back picks in the 20s roll around.

Caleb Poulter was a standout in the second half of 2020.. Picture: Brenton Edwards/NCA NewsWire/

CALEB POULTER

Midfielder

Woodville-West Torrens

17, 191cm, 74kg

Ranking Points: 137 (U18)

Plays like: A left-footed Brad Ebert

Drat range: 11-25

Bamford says: “Had a really solid year, like Tom Powell. At under-16 level he was a pure outside midfielder but this year he found the ability to win his own ball on the inside while still getting it on the outside. Has an elite left-foot kick, particularly when going inside 50. Is good overhead for his size and has improved his ground-ball contests a lot in the past year. There is a lot of interest from clubs in Caleb.’’

We say: Poulter followed up his dominant late-season performances across mulitple levels -SANFL under-18s, All Schools Cup final and the All Stars game - with a standout display at the SA combine. And it looks likely to have confirmed his place as a late-first, early-second round selection on draft night.

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COREY DURDIN

Small forward/midfielder

Central District

173cm, 72kg

Ranking Points: 55 (League)

Plays like: Dayne Zorko

Draft range: 25-40

emge: Bamford says: “He’s been a bit overlooked in draft talk this year because he hasn’t played against his own age group since he was 16. He had some leg muscle injuries to deal with during the year but he’s a professional with the way he goes about his football. He’ll end up playing the same type of role that (Brisbane’s) Dayne Zorko plays, starting as a small forward and getting up into the midfield. He’s exceptional at ground level, a very good kick and damaging around goal. I’m a big, big fan.’’

We say: Before a late injury this season, Durdin, who models his game on AFL/VFL games record holder Brent Harvey, could lay claim to being the best-performed SA prospect over the past few years. He was named player of the national under-16 championships in 2018 and has played a lot of league footy in the SANFL since. He’s ready to have an impact at AFL level.

Tony Bamford is a big fan of PAC captain Luke Pedlar. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

LUKE PEDLAR

Midfielder/forward

Glenelg

18, 182cm, 82kg

Ranking Points: 128 (U18)

Plays like: Joel Selwood

Draft range: 31-50

Bamford says: “Clubs like him but are finding it hard to place him because he didn’t play a full year because of injuries (groin, knee). But I’ve told clubs, ‘this is what I love about Luke Pedlar. When he plays in your team, whether it be at Glenelg or Prince Alfred College, the team plays with a harder edge’. If you’ve got questions around your team’s toughness, you draft Luke and watch him go to work. He makes his teammates play harder and feel safer. He’s an animal who wins the ball through grunt, toughness and a want for physicality, which is something you can’t coach. He’s equally as effective as a forward as he is as a midfielder.’’

We say: The Prince Alfred College captain missed a lot of footy through injury this season but he’s still received plenty of interest. Is it enough to see him taken in the first half of the draft? Maybe.

LUKE EDWARDS

Half-back/midfielder

Glenelg

18, 187cm, 78kg

Plays like: A slower Brodie Smith

Ranking Points: 110 (U18)

Draft range: 31-50

Bamford says: “I’m finding myself redirecting AFL clubs to go back to look at his four games for us (SA under-18s) last year. I’m convinced he’s a half-back flanker, I don’t see him as a forward at all, where he played reserves for Glenelg.this year. I’m trying to convince clubs to look at what he did at under-16 and under-18 level and say, ‘there’s your player’. In game three for us last year he stood Elijah Hollands (touted as this year’s top midfield prospect) in a cracking game against Vic Country and, in my opinion, Luke, who lined up on him at half-back, won the battle. He has great ability to set up offence from a turnover.’’

We say: The Crows confirmed on Saturday they will not nominate Edwards as a father-son for the national draft. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the classy half-back/midfielder, who was touted as first-round selection earlier this year, won’t be drafted on December 9

Will a club take a punt on the talented Kaine Baldwin? Picture: SARAH REED

KAINE BALDWIN

Key forward

Glenelg

194cm, 93kg

Ranking Points: N/A

Plays like: Tom Lynch (Crows)

Draft range: 41+

Bamford says: “He’s a superstar out of luck. He could play that high forward role that Tom Lynch played for the Crows when they were going well, that marking connection from the back third of the ground through to the front third. In his under-16 season he was the best key forward in his age group, destroying (WA’s) Denver Grainger-Barras, who is considered the best key defender in this year’s draft. He’s just had no luck, with two knee reconstructions, but everyone recognises his talent and potential. A club will need to take a punt on him but, if he gets fit, he has a huge upside.’’

We say: Despite the obvious injury concern, he appears too talented not to be on an AFL list next year. Could he Giants take a punt with their array of picks? Or will a premiership contender, with plenty of depth already, take the risk given his upside? We hope so.

TAJ SCHOFIELD

Midfielder/forward

Woodville-West Torrens

17, 177cm, 74kg

Ranking Points: 90 (U18)

Plays like: Lachie Neale, Robbie Gray

Draft range: 41+

Bamford says: “He’s a version of (Port Adelaide’s) Robbie Gray but not quite in the same class. Apart from Powell, ball in hand he’s the best player in this age group from SA. His ball use and decision making is at the elite level. He doesn’t fumble, surveys the ground well, makes the right decision and then executes, which is exactly what clubs want. There’s some Lachie Neale in his midfield play. Very rarely do you see opposition scores off a Taj possession. His issues have been his ankle problems and getting the ball enough but he finished the season off strongly, improving his off-ball running and consistency of performance.’’

We say: There’s been some mixed views on the talented father-son prospect, who showed off his impressive athletic traits at the draft combine, but a bid is still likely to come in the national draft and the Power are as likely to match it.

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THE NEXT 5

Zac Dumesny (South Adelaide)

Malachy Carruthers (Sturt)

James Borlase (Sturt)

Phoenix Spicer (South Adelaide)

Tariek Newchurch (North Adelaide)

The interest in Dumesny, a composed, classy ball-user, has cooled somewhat in the back half of the season after a strong start to the year at senior level. But his performance in the SA All-Stars game was a sublte reminder of his talent. He still looks likely to find an AFL home, as does Sturt running playmaker Carruthers, whose poise and vison caught the eye in the second half of 2020. It’s harder be as sure on where the bids come for Adelaide NGA prospects Borlase and Newchurch, however.

Originally published as AFL Draft 2020: Profiles, draft range and the latest word on SA’s top 10 teenage draft prospects