AFL Draft 2024: The latest news from around the country
A midfielder whose father was once on the list of Carlton and Essendon has risen to be the No. 1 pick fancy this year, while an intercept defender has caught the attention of clubs.
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The AFL mid-season draft is a little over a month away and the top prospects for November’s national draft are starting to emerge.
Here’s the latest AFL Draft news from around the country.
FRONTRUNNER IN RACE FOR NO. 1
Victorian midfielder Josh Smillie is the early favourite to be the No. 1 draft pick this year after making a powerful start to the season across all levels.
The 194cm big-bodied midfielder made a big impact in the first three rounds of the Coates Talent League with the Eastern Ranges and also impressed in the AFL Academy match against Coburg’s VFL side last weekend.
Smillie is seen by some recruiters to sit just ahead of Levi Ashcroft and Finn O’Sullivan, who are also contenders for the coveted No. 1 pick.
It is a more even race than last year, when Harley Reid was flagged as the clear No. 1 selection more than 12 months out from the draft.
Smillie grew up as a self-confessed “little chubby half-forward” before being thrown into the midfield during the under-16 national championships on the back of a major growth spurt.
He has since spent significant time working on his midfield craft and looks up to Carlton captain Patrick Cripps.
“It was the 16s carnival and we were playing South Australia and Travis Cloke was the coach and he said, ‘They’ve got some big boys, it’s a wet day, we’ll chuck you in the mid’,” Smillie said last month.
“That sort of changed my footy career, I reckon.
“These last two years have just been great, working on my craft of just being that midfielder.”
Smillie lists his strengths as being his physicality, cleanliness by hand and foot and his leadership.
He is the son of Bevan Smillie, who was drafted to Carlton in 1991 before going on to play some reserves football with Essendon.
MID-SEASON DRAFT PROSPECTS GET CHANCE TO SHINE
A raft of prospects for next month’s mid-season draft will feature in an exhibition game this weekend as they look to push their cases for a spot on an AFL list.
A Young Guns side — made up of VFL and Coates Talent League players aged 19 or under — will tackle Vic Metro’s under-18 side at Werribee on Saturday afternoon.
The Young Guns side will also play a second match against Vic Country at Windy Hill on April 28, in the lead-up to the AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft on May 29.
The Eastern Ranges have four players in the Young Guns’ squad, with intercepting defender Cooper Trembath, medium backman Ry Cantwell, tall forward Remy Maclean and 200cm ruckman Iliro Smit.
The Geelong Falcons are also well represented, having three players in medium forward Will McLachlan, running defender Liam Kershaw and 203cm ruckman Joe Pike.
Sandringham Dragons midfielder Ned Maginness — who was a father-son prospect for Hawthorn last year — is another who is part of the squad, while six players from VFL clubs have earned an opportunity.
Fremantle and Gold Coast both entered the season with one vacant list spot, while at least nine other clubs are able to open up spots ahead of the mid-season draft following long-term injuries and retirements.
The No. 1 picks in the mid-season draft the past two years — Ryan Maric and Jai Culley — were both selected by West Coast after impressing in the Young Guns games.
TOP-10 DRAFT BOLTER
Mobile key defender Luke Trainor has pushed himself firmly into early top-10 draft calculations, shaping as the best key position prospect available this year.
The 2024 draft pool is stacked with top-end midfield talent, but Trainor was the name on the lips of recruiters around Ikon Park last weekend after a best-on-ground performance for the AFL Academy side.
The Sandringham Dragons product’s intercept game, contested marking, one-on-one work against bigger-bodied opponents and ball use coming out of the back half stood out as he racked up 20 disposals and four marks against Coburg’s VFL side.
Trainor stands 194cm and has drawn comparisons to Essendon backman Jordan Ridley.
WHO HOLDS THE PRIZED FIRST-ROUND PICKS?
Gold Coast Suns coach Damien Hardwick is eyeing off another bumper draft haul this year, with his club holding three first-round picks and having priority access to a top-10 jet.
As of the conclusion of round 5, the indicative draft order had the Suns holding selections 8, 11 and 20 in the national draft.
They have not only their own first-round selection but also the Western Bulldogs’ first-round pick and an end-of-first-round pick from North Melbourne.
The club — which is seeking to play finals for the first time this year — also has access to Suns Academy prospect Leonardo Lombard, who is viewed by some scouts as a potential top-10 prospect.
A 178cm midfielder who can also go forward and hit the scoreboard, Lombard caught the eye with 18 disposals and a goal in last weekend’s AFL Academy match against Coburg.
He had played in the Suns’ VFL premiership as a 16-year-old last year, logging 10 disposals, six tackles and a goal against Werribee.
Fremantle also holds three first-round draft picks this year, with its own selection plus picks linked to Collingwood and Port Adelaide.
Sydney holds its own first-round pick plus an end-of-first-round selection it obtained from North Melbourne last year.
Collingwood, Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs are the three clubs who are currently without a first-round pick.
THE CRICKET PRODIGEE WHO PICKED FOOTY
Powerful inside midfielder Sam Lalor says it was a “tough” decision to pursue football over cricket but he has no regrets.
Lalor was part of Cricket Victoria’s elite junior programs and represented Vic Country at the Cricket Australia Under-17 National Championships in Hobart last January.
A self-described “power hitter” on the cricket field, Lalor liked to “hit a lot of sixes” but made the decision last year to instead pursue a football career.
“Cricket was always my preferred sport until about under-16s for footy when footy started to take off,” Lalor said.
“I’ve always loved cricket and it was a really good experience to play in Tassie last year at the nationals. So to have that experience and to make the decision to choose footy was tough, but I’m happy I chose footy in the end.
A Collingwood supporter, Lalor looks up to AFL players Jordan De Goey and Dustin Martin.
The 17-year-old from Bacchus Marsh is boarding at Geelong Grammar this year, while being linked with Coates Talent League side the Greater Western Victoria Rebels.
Lalor is also part of the AFL Academy squad, but minor hip and groin issues have left him unsighted so far this season.
“I’ll just try to get myself primed for nationals and play as much good footy as I can throughout the year,” Lalor said last month.
WA CONFIRMS NATIONALS SQUAD
Western Australia is targeting greater success in the under-18 national championships this year after confirming its squad this week.
The side won just one match at last year’s championships, with that coming against South Australia.
Among a 30-player squad, Claremont had 12 representatives, while Peel Thunder and Subiaco each had four.
Claremont has made an unbeaten start to the WAFL Colts season.
The WA squad — which will be coached by former Western Bulldogs assistant Marc Webb — is headlined by AFL Academy members Malakai Champion (Subiaco) and Bo Allan (Peel Thunder).
See the full squad at CODE Sports here.
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