Where are they now? The 2022 Sandringham Dragons Coates Talent League premiership side
A Norm Smith Medal, an AFL club best and fairest and plenty more to come – the 2022 Talent League premiers could go down as one of the best underage sides ever. We take a look at where they are now.
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It could be one of the greatest underage club sides in footy history and the story of the 2022 Sandringham Dragons is still unfolding.
Already featuring a Norm Smith Medallist, an AFL club best and fairest and 10 players drafted with another to come, the Coates Talent League – then NAB League – premiership winning team was littered with talent.
Over the coming weeks KommunityTV is looking back at the very best champion teams to grace our screens and where they are now.
Headlined by the names Will Ashcroft and Harry Sheezel, the 2022 Dragons certainly fit that bill.
The grand final was a dominant 43-point victory over the Dandenong Stingrays and it would provide the platform for an incredible three-peat of premierships from 2022-2024.
1. Matthew Clarkson
The son of four-time AFL premiership coach Alastair Clarkson, small defender Matthew was part of both Sandringham and Caulfield Grammar premiership sides in 2022.
He joined Richmond’s VFL side last year and made three appearances before adding another six matches this season.
Clarkson had a standout game in Round 15 against the Northern Bullants where he racked up 25 disposals, nine marks and two tackles.
Also played for Caulfield Grammarians in VAFA Premier B, featuring in the best players five times in 14 games.
2. Charlie Clarke
Small forward Clarke was drafted to the Western Bulldogs with pick No.24 in the 2022 draft after the Dragons’ flag win, but was unfortunately delisted last month after two seasons with the club.
The 20-year-old made one AFL appearance for the Dogs – in round nine this season – while also booting 23 goals in the VFL.
Known as “Chook”, Clarke was taken under Adam Treloar’s wing at the club with Treloar thanking Clarke after being named in the All-Australian team.
3. Will Ashcroft
In 2022 Will Ashcroft emerged in the AFL world with plenty of potential – and just two years later he has already delivered on that promise in emphatic fashion.
The now Brisbane midfielder dominated the grand final for Sandringham, finishing with 39 disposals and the best on ground medal.
It was an early indication of what he would do in this year’s AFL decider as he went on to claim the Norm Smith Medal in a famous Lions victory.
The father-son selection remains one of the brightest rising talents in the league, despite rupturing his ACL late in 2023 and missing the majority of the 2024 season.
On the side, Ashcroft has a training business – WASH Performance.
4. Will Brown
A big-bodied midfielder, Brown played in the 2022 premiership as a bottom-ager before going on to captain the Dragons to a back-to-back flag the following year.
He was named best on ground in that 2023 decider and also captained Victoria Metro at the national championships, however he was overlooked at that year’s AFL Draft.
Brown signed for the Sandringham Zebras in the VFL – playing five games this season – while also pulling on the boots for Caulfield Grammarians.
5. Lachlan Benton
Benton was a strong contributor during the Dragons’ premiership campaign and has since gone back to his junior club Dingley.
The midfielder had an impressive 2023 season for the Southern Football League club and managed 10 appearances this year, helping the Dingoes to the grand final where they fell by just two points.
Also VFL-listed with the Sandringham Zebras.
6. James Creighton
A consistent part of the 2022 side who also booted a goal in the grand final win, Creighton is now based in Sydney playing for the GWS Giants VFL side.
The half-back/midfielder played 14 games for the Giants this season.
9. Archie Roberts
While this Sandringham team has a couple of already cemented AFL stars, Essendon youngster Roberts has shown signs he could join them at the top level.
Roberts featured in both the 2022 and 2023 Dragons’ flags before being picked up by the Bombers at No.54.
The 18-year-old put together a strong VFL campaign before breaking into the senior side for four games where his composure and kicking skills across half-back and the wing excited Essendon fans for the future.
10. Angus McLennan
Born in Australia but raised in Eygpt – McLennan’s path to the AFL has been far from ordinary.
McLennan looked a good chance to be drafted in 2021 before a serious shoulder injury wiped him out for 18 months.
The intercepting defender returned to play 10 games for the Dragons in 2022 and was among the best players on grand final day, helping him win a spot on St Kilda’s list.
McLennan made his Saints debut in round 21 this year and kept his spot for the following week.
14. Cameron Mackenzie
Another cultured member of the Dragons line up – who had 26 touches and two goals in the grand final – Hawthorn’s Mackenzie has taken to the AFL like a duck to water.
The skilful midfielder played 14 games in his debut season and backed it up with another 20 this year as the Hawks took the competition by storm to finish seventh on the ladder.
Cruelly, Mackenzie injured his hamstring at training in the lead up to the elimination final, missing both the win against the Western Bulldogs and the subsequent semi-final loss to Port Adelaide.
Born in London to a South African father and Canadian mother, learnt to speak French fluently after living in France for a year earning him the nickname “Frenchie”.
15. Ben Hempel
Hempel experienced a strong campaign for the Dragons in the flag year as well as featuring three times for Victoria Metro at the national championships.
Since then the 190cm forward has gone on to play for Frankston in the VFL and at VAFA club Beaumaris before spending the 2024 season at Avondale Heights in the Essendon District Football League.
16. Harry Sheezel
With a list of achievements including AFL Rising Star, Syd Barker Medal for North Melbourne best and fairest, AFLPA Best First Year Player and AFLCA Best Young Player, Sheezel rivals Will Ashcroft for the top talent to come out of this Dragons side.
Sheezel’s elite skills and ball-winning ability saw him attract 15 Brownlow votes and feature in the All-Australian squad.
His talent was on full display on grand final day back in 2022 as well, kicking four goals and named second best for the Dragons behind Ashcroft.
21. Olli Hotton
Hotton’s pace and scoring ability in Sandringham colours put him on the recruiting map before the midfielder/forward was picked up by St Kilda at pick No.35 in the draft.
However the 20-year-old’s time at the Saints was impacted by injury and the son of former Blue and Magpie Trent Hotton was delisted without making a senior appearance for the club last month.
Hotton’s younger brother Taj has also come through the Dragons and looks set to be drafted, despite undergoing a knee reconstruction earlier this year.
28. Ryley Sanders
While Sanders was still finding his feet at the Dragons in 2022, he has gone on to make a name as a bright young AFL talent.
Sanders was another bottom-ager from this side who went on to also play in the 2023 flag while also dominating for the Allies at the national championships.
The hard-working midfielder was picked up by the Western Bulldogs at No.6 at the end of that year and played nine senior games in his debut season.
The 19-year-old experienced a varied start to life in the AFL, which included being subbed out twice by coach Luke Beveridge.
32. Vigo Visentini
Young ruckman Visentini was a bottom-ager in the 2022 flag and also featured in the following year’s premiership before being picked up by Essendon in the rookie draft.
The 204cm former state volleyballer played 17 of a possible 18 games in his first year at the Bombers, earning a new one-year deal to remain at the club until at least the end of 2025.
38. Toby McMullin
An exciting small forward, McMullin played only seven games for the Dragons in his draft year but was one of their best on grand final day.
It was enough to convince GWS to take him in that year’s draft and he has since gone on to play 17 games for the clubs in his first two seasons, also inking a deal until the end of 2026.
McMullin was however one of six Giants players suspended last month after their controversial Wacky Wednesday skits.
40. Jamie Hope
Hope was a valuable forward for the Dragons and he has gone on to play VFL footy for North Melbourne and become one of the rising stars in the VAF with Old Brighton.
The 180cm young gun booted 29 goals for the Tonners in Premier Men’s, including two in the grand final where he was one of his side’s best in defeat to Old Scotch.
46. Ben Andrews
Andrews was a mainstay of the Sandringham side, playing 16 games through the 2022 season.
He has since gone on to try his hand in the VFL with Williamstown – making three appearances this season – will also playing for VAFA Premier Men’s powerhouse Old Xaverians.
48. Mitchell Rowe
A Victoria Metro representative, Rowe booted a goal in the grand final and was also one of the Dragons’ best in their elimination final victory over Calder earlier in the campaign.
In 2023 he featured nine times for Beaumaris in the VAFA U19 competition but, according to PlayHQ, did not pull on the boots in 2024.
49. Christopher Rousakis
High-flying Rousakis booted 15 goals in 13 games for the Dragons in 2022 as an undersized key forward.
Since then he has gone on to become a mainstay in the senior side for his junior club St Pauls McKinnon in the Southern Football League.
He helped the Dogs to the preliminary final where they went down to Dingley and his former Dragons teammate Lachlan Benton.
50. Nathan Scollo
It took until round 7 for Scollo to make his Dragons debut but he held his spot right through to the decider, including standout performances in the opening two weeks of the finals.
The aerially-strong defender moved to VAFA club De La Salle for 2023 and 2024 where he made a name for himself at both ends of the ground.
Scollo last month signed for Murrumbeena in the Southern Football League.
57. Mitchell Ryan
Ryan was another latecomer into the Sandringham side in this year, making his first appearance in round 12 before featuring in the grand final.
Went north in 2023 to play for the GWS Giants in the VFL before switching to Sandringham for the recent season.
65. Darcy Gilbert
With four best player nods in eight Dragons games, solid defender Gilbert was part of an impressive backline which took Sandringham to the title.
Now listed with VFL club Frankston as well as Old Brighton Grammarians in the VAFA.
75. Levi Ashcroft
2022 was the start of an incredible three-year journey for Levi Ashcroft.
Younger brother of Will and son of Marcus, the dominant midfielder has gone on to be an integral part of Sandringham’s back-to-back-to-back Coates Talent League premierships.
Ashcroft co-captained the Dragons in 2024 and racked up 29 disposals and three goals in their grand final victory over the GWV Rebels.
He is now set to join the Brisbane Lions under the father-son rule as arguably the highest-rated player in his draft class.
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