AFL Draft 2022: Underrated prospects who deserve more love
Interest is ramping up for a mature-age prospect after thriving in a role similar to Nick Daicos’ at Collingwood — and his numbers resemble the Pie’s stunning draft year.
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With the AFL Draft two months away, most footy fans are familiar with the top prospects in the draft.
But what about the off-Broadway prospects making their mark?
The budding talents who may have been hurt by a lack of exposure in their draft year, or those who have been doing everything right but still remain underrated and underappreciated.
Or even the late bolters and smokies, who might be out of the public spotlight but are setting recruiters’ tongues wagging as the draft draws closer.
We take a closer look at 17 draft prospects who are flying under the radar.
Harvey Gallagher
Defender/forward, Bendigo Pioneers/Vic Country
Strengths: Class, kicking, versatility, endurance, speed
Since being overlooked in last year’s draft and in the 2022 mid-season intake, Gallagher has racked up disposals and kilometres at will in a roaming halfback role similar to Nick Daicos in his first year at Collingwood. And his numbers in the back-half of the year have resembled the father-son prodigy, with Gallagher averaging a whopping 33.2 disposals, 6.8 score involvements and 158.5 ranking points in his last six NAB League matches, which is a credit to his elite running. Only 14 players in the competition’s history have clocked 13km with 5km of high speed running and 750m of sprint in a single game – and Gallagher is among them, along with Sam Walsh, Dylan Moore and 2022 prospect Jaxon Binns (who we will get to soon). Gallagher, who turned 19 this week, achieved this feat while racking up a lazy 44 disposals, 31 kicks and a goal against the Northern Knights. He received a call-up for Vic Country in their final game and performed strongly with 23 disposals and seven marks. Nineteen-year-olds are often marked more harshly by recruiters, but Gallagher looks to have done enough to earn a spot on an AFL list, with the youngter having been interviewed by at least six clubs.
Kaleb Smith
East Fremantle
Strengths: Speed, power, kicking, clean hands
The bolter from WA in more ways than one, Smith has serious speed and power and has caught the eye breaking lines for Wesley College and East Fremantle this year. The 181cm skilful prospect battled injury earlier in the season before hitting his straps, averaging 24 disposals, nine intercept possessions, nine rebound 50s and 122 ranking points in his final four matches at Colts level across half-back. But he’s also been used as a goalkicking weapon further up the ground for Wesley, highlighting his significant versatility. Will test at WA’s state combine.
Jaiden Magor
Forward/midfielder, South Adelaide/SA
Strengths: Power, marking, goal sense, inside game, clean hands
If it wasn’t for injury during the national carnival opener, the powerful 185cm teenager may have taken a bit more of the draft spotlight in South Australia. But he’s still getting plenty of attention from recruiters, and should find an AFL home in November. Magor booted two goals in the first half before he was injured in that game against the Allies, and his goalkicking feats, as a prospect who is equally as damaging inside 50 as he is in the midfield, is up there with any in this year’s pool.
Jaxon Binns
Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country
Strengths: Endurance, outside-ball-winning, forward-half impact
The wingman has finished the season in fine fashion, where he allayed some of the knocks on his game. Binns’ kicking and contested ball-winning have been viewed as concerns from recruiters, but a strong NAB League finals series and a polished final game for Vic Country – where he went at 91 per cent kicking efficiency – should help his draft standing. Binns is a relentless runner up and down the ground and his forward half impact means he can be used as a high half-forward as well. And there’s no doubt he can find the footy, ranking second at the national championships for disposals – including a monster 39-possession display.
Ethan Phillips
Key defender, Port Melbourne VFL
Strengths: Intercepting, overhead marking, ready-made
Clubs after a ready-made key defender, look no further. Phillips is coming off a breakout year for Port Melbourne, where he broke the all-time VFL record for intercepts per game (11.5) and ranked second all-time for intercept marks (5.1). His rapid rise earnt the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal as the best young talent in the VFL, which has been a golden ticket into the competition over the past decade – see Kane Lambert, Bayley Fritsch, Luke Ryan … the list goes on. The 23-year-old’s intercept game is his major weapon but his size at 198cm means he is capable of taking on AFL key forwards, which he has done successfully in the VFL already. Received a late call-up to the state combine as interest ramps up from at least five clubs.
Jack Cleaver
East Fremantle/West Australia
Strengths: Intercepting, overhead marking, 1-on-1 defence
Cleaver didn’t receive a national combine invite but has been making waves at WAFL league level for preliminary finalists East Fremantle since breaking in late in the season. The medium defender has averaged 14.6 touches, 6.1 intercepts and 70 ranking points in his seven matches, showcasing his intercepting traits and defensive work in one-on-one contests against seasoned bodies. He hauled in 21 disposals, 10 intercepts and four intercept marks in his sole WAFL Reserves appearance and his leadership is highly rated.
Jed Hagan
Small forward/midfielder, 175m East Fremantle/West Australia
Strengths: Footy IQ, ball-use, endurance
Hagan has hardly put a foot wrong this year, stepping up at every level he has played, yet he remains underappreciated – like many draft prospects under 180cm. But Hagan’s consistency, footy smarts and ball-use is worthy of recognition, especially after his eye-catching form as a small forward at WAFL senior level. Alongside teammate Jack Cleaver, Hagan slotted two goals and set up two other scores with sublime passes in their preliminary final loss. It capped a strong back-end of the year where he averaged 13.4 disposals, a goal and 4.5 tackles across eight league matches.
Bailey Macdonald
Defender, 182cm Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
Strengths: Speed, power, agility, kicking
A draft bolter in more ways than one, Macdonald made his NAB League debut midway through the year after a hot start to the school footy for Wesley College. A lightning quick defender, who has competed in 100m, long jump and triple jump at national level, Macdonald earned a call-up for the Vic Metro in their final match and showed some exciting signs off halfback with his blistering speed. His athletic attributes alone have attracted interest from AFL clubs and he has nice skills by foot. A prospect with significant upside given he is fairly new to the pathways program, and it could see him drafted as early as the second round.
Jason Gillbee
Bendigo Pioneers/Allies
Strengths: Endurance, versatility, kicking
Gillbee has slid down the draft pecking order through little fault of his own, soldiering on through a sternum injury late in the NAB League season and a concussion in the national championships – but clubs are aware of the AFL Academy member’s capabilities. At 190cm, Gillbee possesses elite endurance, can be used all over the ground and has silky skills, making him an appealing proposition for clubs. The Balnarald product, who thrived earlier in the season for the Bendigo Pioneers after shifting to the region for school, is one who could improve his standing at the combine – particularly in the 2km time trial.
Will Verrall
Ruck/forward, South Adelaide/SA
Strengths: Marking, athleticism, stoppage work
In last year’s under-18 semi-final, Verrall capped off a standout bottom-age season with 22 disposals, 20 contested possessions, 11 clearances and eight hitouts-to-advantage in a losing side. But it took him a little while to get going in 2022. Early, he proved his worth as a marking target inside-50, booting seven goals in the opening five rounds. But the 199cm prospect, who has great hands in the air and on the ground for a big man, then kicked two in his only national carnival appearance for SA and averaged 146 ranking points in the final six SANFL under-18 matches, to remind onlookers of his potential in a draft short on top-end talls.
Edward Allan
Midfielder, Claremont/WA
Strengths: Endurance, size, inside-outside ball-winning
Allan is the son of former Hawk and Docker Ben, but he doesn’t qualify as a father-son for either club, falling an agonising two-games shy of eligibility with Hawthorn. The 195cm midfielder, who missed the first half of the year with a stress fracture in his back, has bolted up the board after impressing at WAFL Colts level for Claremont in his five matches. A player with his imposing size and running capabilities that can be used as a wingman or on the inside is rare, and it’s no wonder clubs have taken notice despite his lack of exposure.
Hudson O’Keeffe
Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
Strengths: Ruck craft, physicality, upside
A developing ruckman, O’Keeffe has come on in leaps and bounds in the second half of the year, culminating in a promising performance in the final national championships match. The 201cm prospect won nine possessions, all of those contested, and seven hit-outs to advantage against Vic Metro. O’Keeffe’s physical presence around the ground and ruck craft have improved considerably, working closely with former Richmond and Hawthorn ruck-forward Ty Vickery at the Oakleigh Chargers. Shapes as a project ruckmen with upside, given he doesn’t turn 18 until December.
Jake Walker
Glenelg/SA
Strengths: Power, clean hands, inside game, class
After an injury-plagued bottom-age year, the powerful midfielder built nicely into 2022, producing a number of standout performance across multiple levels – national carnival, SANFL under-18s, reserves and college footy for PAC. Walker is strong and clean at the contest, able to give himself time to find a teammate by hand. But he kicks long and has plenty of class on the outside, too. The 18-year-old earnt a state draft combine invite on the back of an impressive finish to the year for Glenelg and for South Australia, where he won plenty of footy in multiple roles at the under-18 championships.
Hugh Bond
GWV Rebels/Vic Country
Strengths: Endurance, tackling, contested ball-winning, defending
A national rower with Ballarat Grammar, Bond chose footy over regattas this year and impressed at both NAB League and Vic Country level. Bond is a tackling machine through the midfield, leading the NAB League for tackles with 9.0 per game while thriving at the coalface as an inside ball-winner. At the national carnival he was swung into defence through necessity and his ultra-competitive nature translated nicely to a lockdown role, seeing him garner further interest from clubs. The North Ballarat prospect is strong defensively, a powerful athlete and has elite endurance. Another set to impress at the draft combine.
Jakob Anderson
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
Strengths: Overhead marking, bodywork, composure, intercepting
The highly-touted Bailey Humphrey threatened to pull the under-18 championships decider apart but it was Anderson who fought back for Vic Metro, out-bodying the powerful Vic Country prospect numerous times and taking four intercept marks while directly opposed to him. And Anderson took another five intercept marks in the opening two games of the national carnival – a campaign that highlighted his versatility as a defender, one that can play on different-sized forwards, as well as float across as the loose man.
Baynen Lowe
Norwood
Strengths: Forward craft, goal kicking, clean hands, acceleration
Lowe was overlooked in last year’s draft as a hard-working midfielder, who had featured at senior level in Tasmania and finished runner-up in the Devils’ NAB League best-and-fairest. But after moving to the SANFL, the 19-year-old has made recruiters take notice of Baynen Lowe the forward. He booted 25 goals in 18 matches, including four in a match-turning preliminary final performance in the win over Adelaide. Lowe’s kicked them from the boundary and out of mid-air, but his 3.1 in 16 minutes of game-time against the Crows might have been the three that stamped his AFL ticket.
Toby McQuilkin
South Fremantle
Strengths: Intercepting, decision making, kicking
The 21-year-old trained with the Eagles last summer, so he’s been on the mature-age draft radar in WA for a while. But what the lightly-built defender has done at WAFL level this year has travelled a little bit further. In the opening 11 rounds, McQuilkin averaged 24 disposals, 7 intercepts – two of them marks – and 123 ranking points for South Fremantle. The way the dashing and skilful prospect wins the ball back off the opposition, and set ups up play going the other way, just looks like it belongs at the top level.
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Originally published as AFL Draft 2022: Underrated prospects who deserve more love
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