AFL Draft 2023: Top 10 bolter emerges as club draft boards begin to take shape

A mid-sized utility who showed plenty playing in a range of positions this year has emerged as a potential top-10 draft bolter after being interviewed by all 18 clubs at the draft combine.

A mid-sized Tasmanian utility is emerging as a potential top-10 bolter for next month’s national draft after impressing in a range of positions across the second half of the season.

James Leake is believed to be firmly in the sights of clubs including Melbourne (pick 6), Greater Western Sydney (pick 7) and Geelong (pick 8).

Rivals believe that St Kilda (pick 13) also likes Leake, but growing interest means he is unlikely to slip to that selection.

The 187cm prospect, who hails from Launceston, featured as an intercept defender for the Allies at the under-18 national championships in the middle of the year.

However, he also showed plenty as a forward and midfielder in the back end of the Coates Talent League season with the Tasmanian Devils.

Leake booted 12 goals across three games for the Devils after being swung forward mid-season.

He then played as a midfielder in the Devils’ preliminary final loss to the Eastern Ranges, racking up 21 disposals, three clearances and kicking two goals to put an exclamation mark on his campaign.

Tasmanian James Leake is a versatile utility capable of impacting in a range of positions. Picture: Getty Images

A hamstring strain meant that Leake did not test at the national draft combine earlier this month, but he was interviewed by all 18 AFL clubs across the weekend.

“He’s a really good contest, defensive player and he’s got a really good athletic profile,” Tasmania Devils coach Jeromey Webberley said last month.

“He just seems to win the ball back extremely well, either in the air or on the ground.

“He’s got some really nice flexibility within his game and he’s had an outstanding year. I think he’s just built throughout the year and been extremely consistent across all formats of competition.”

Leake juggled football with cricket as a junior and prioritised the summer sport until age 16.

He played senior football for Launceston in the Tasmanian State League last year and won a premiership with the club still aged 16, before joining the Devils program in the talent pathway this year.