AFL Draft Intel: Latest news from around the country in countdown to 2023 AFL Draft
The queue of clubs lining up to land the next ‘Jack Bowes deal’ is growing and Gold Coast is already fielding offers for the pick which could shape this year’s draft top-10. CHRIS CAVANAGH has the latest mail.
Draft news
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The countdown to November’s AFL draft is on and clubs are busy conducting interviews and formulating their plans.
Here’s the latest news from around the country.
Another Lloyd kicking goals
A forward who kicked 19 goals in a game earlier this year has emerged as a draft bolter.
Sandringham Dragons forward Luke Lloyd has been invited to the AFL Draft Combine in October, generating plenty of interest from clubs despite missing the under-18 national championships.
A quad injury late in pre-season meant Lloyd missed the early rounds of the Coates League campaign for the Dragons and therefore missed selection for Vic Metro ahead of the championships.
However, Lloyd set a school record when he booted 19 goals for De La Salle in a match against Mazenod in May.
The 193cm forward has since produced some good form for the Dragons and has also featured in two VFL matches for Frankston in recent weeks.
“He’s a third-tall forward of defender who’s got fantastic hands,” Dragons coach Rob Harding said.
“He’s got as good a hands as any player in the Coates League.
“We’ve played him in a couple of different roles in his Dragons footy and he’s had the opportunity to play a couple of games of VFL with Frankston, which has been great for his development. I think he’s one of the most naturally talented footballers on our list this year.”
Lloyd also has great athletic traits and works hard up the ground as a link-up forward.
Brother of a Hawk flying high
Hawthorn defender Changkuoth Jiath could have a sibling join him at Waverley Park next year, with his younger brother Tew emerging as a genuine draft prospect.
Tew only joined the Gippsland Power program as a top-age player this year and was viewed as a prospect who could take some time to develop before making the step up to the AFL.
However, recruiters spoken to by this column said Tew was on their draft boards and of interest after some impressive development across the season.
Listed at 187cm, Tew measures 2cm more than his other brother and boasts a similarly impressive natural leap and amazing athleticism.
A defender who reads the play well, Tew logged 16 disposals and four intercept marks in Gippsland’s most recent Coates Talent League match against Bendigo Pioneers a fortnight ago.
The Hawks have lodged paperwork for Tew to be included in their Next Generation Academy, with his older brother having joined the club as a Category B rookie in 2017 through that pathway.
Tew has been invited to the state draft combine in October.
‘Ridiculous’ high-end runner
A first-round draft prospect has been compared to a Carlton rising star as he too eyes a role on a wing at AFL level.
Murray Bushrangers midfielder Darcy Wilson has excited in the Coates Talent League this season and shapes as one of the most athletically gifted players in this year’s draft pool.
Wilson ranked fifth in the Yo-Yo test during Victorian pre-season testing in March and has transferred that running ability onto the field this season.
He racked up a season-high 35 disposals for the Bushrangers in their round 15 win last weekend, along with seven marks, six clearances and a goal.
Carlton wingman Ollie Hollands, who was this week’s AFL Rising Star nominee, also came through the Bushrangers program before being selected at pick 11 in last year’s national draft.
“He (Wilson) logs twice as many high-speed metres – or he did on the weekend – as what Ollie Hollands did when played with us,” Bushrangers coach Mark Brown said.
“His high-end running speed is ridiculous. That allows him to get to a lot of contests.”
While Wilson has been playing largely onball for the Bushrangers, a role on a wing beckons in the AFL.
“He lends perfectly to the wing,” Brown said.
“He’s also got some really good forward craft and he’s hitting the scoreboard pretty consistently and he’s a really nice mark.
“He’s got a lot of upside, no doubt.”
Draft hopefuls get another taste of VFL
With the Coates Talent League observing a general bye last weekend, a number of AFL draft hopefuls took the opportunity to test themselves in the VFL.
Melbourne got another close look at father-son prospect Kynan Brown last weekend as he lined up in a second VFL game for Casey.
Playing forward against Carlton, Brown logged nine disposals, two score assists and snapped a nice goal during the opening quarter.
The Oakleigh Chargers product is the son of former Demons defender Nathan Brown – who played 146 games for the club – and shapes as a potential third-round draft prospect.
Gold Coast played three of its Suns Academy guns in its win over Sydney last Saturday.
Ethan Read spent time forward and in the ruck and logged 12 disposals, five hitouts and 0.4 in front of goal, while Jake Rogers had seven disposals and a goal through the midfield and Will Graham logged 14 disposals and two clearances playing around the ball.
Elsewhere, Vic Metro under-18 captain and midfielder Will Brown made his VFL debut for Frankston and recorded five disposals and a goal, while George Stevens starred in his second VFL match for Geelong with 29 disposals, five marks and four clearances.
Dates locked in as draft countdown begins
The AFL has locked in all the key dates in the lead up to November’s AFL draft, which will be held a week earlier than usual.
The national draft combine will be held in Melbourne from October 6 to 8, with the Victorian state combine also set for October 8.
The South Australia and Northern Territory state combine will be held on October 14, with the Western Australia combine to follow on October 15.
AFL draft nominations close on November 13, with the first round of the national draft to be held a week later on November 20.
The remaining rounds of the national draft will be held on November 21, before the pre-season draft and rookie draft wrap up a busy period for clubs on November 22.
Clubs queuing up for Suns’ first pick
Only two rounds remain in the AFL home-and-away season, but the order of the top-10 picks in this year’s draft are far from set.
Gold Coast – which currently holds pick 4 – is listening to plenty of preliminary offers from rival clubs for that selection as it looks to move back in the order given it has a raft of high-end Suns Academy players available for selection this year.
The Suns may need to match bids on Jed Walter, Ethan Read and Jake Rogers within the first 15 picks on draft night, while they also have another Academy prospect in Will Graham who is expected to attract a bid in the second round of the draft.
West Coast has also indicated it may listen to offers for its first pick, which could cause a further shake up at the pointy end of the draft order.
Clubs have the ability to swap picks during October’s trade period and are also able to conduct live trades of selections during the draft.
Tiger delight as North pays heavy price for final draft night pick
On a night where little caused a surprise, North Melbourne waited until the last moment to pull a stunner, paying a significant price and taking an even more significant risk.
‘Absolute blunder’: Essendon’s ‘staggering’ draft move smashed
The Bombers had a relatively quiet trade period by their standards, with their focus on Isaac Kako. Now after securing the small forward, their method has been whacked by a draft expert.