AFL Draft Intel: Full Young Guns squad revealed, Jed Walter kicks eight goals in 282-point stunner
A highly-touted prospect tied to a club produced one of the best performances ever seen by a draft prospect. See his incredible numbers and his stunning SuperCoach score here.
Highly-touted prospect Jed Walter produced one the most dominant displays ever recorded by an under-18 talent, kicking 8.3 in a Herculean performance in the Coates Talent League.
The bustling Suns Academy key forward finished with a statline that had to be seen to be believed: 19 disposals, 18 score involvements, 15 contested possessions, eight goals, six contested marks and a whopping 283 SuperCoach points against the Northern Territory Thunder at Heritage Bank Arena.
His jaw-dropping effort was the second-ranked performance in Coates Talent League history, topping eventual No.1 pick Matt Rowell’s 282-point stunner in 2018.
Walter, a likely top-10 talent in this year’s draft, wowed recruiters with his competitiveness, contested marking, follow-up work and speed, a lethal combination for a forward standing 194cm.
NT Thunder have struggled throughout the season, with the Gold Coast Academy inflicting their third consecutive loss by 100 points or more, but that should take nothing away from Walter’s exploits.
Gold Coast fans would be licking their lips at the prospect of a potential key forward tandem of Ben King – if he recommits to the club beyond 2024 - and Walter.
But where the Suns finish on the ladder will be a fascinating watch, given a rival bid for Walter could fall before their first selection, currently at pick six.
Walter earned All-Australian status as a bottom-ager at the national championships last year after booting nine goals in four matches for the Allies.
Gold Coast also has access to fellow AFL Academy members Ethan Read, an athletic ruckman, and small forward Jake Rogers who have started the year strongly.
Rogers was another to impress against the NT Thunder, racking up 30 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 11 clearances, a goal and 178 SuperCoach points.
Which mid-season draft prospects will trial for AFL shot?
A raft of mid-season draft prospects are ready to do battle on Sunday in the first game of the 2023 Young Guns Series.
Clay Tucker, William Elliott, Ryan Maric and Luke Teal – who are among a group of players to have attracted mid-season draft interest – will all play for the Young Guns team in a match against Vic Metro at Sandringham’s Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Sunday.
Midfielder Mitch Szybkowski, who trained with Essendon over pre-season, is also part of the squad.
Fellow onballer Rye Penny, who trained with Collingwood over summer, is another overlooked 2022 draft prospect searching for a chance.
Vic Metro’s squad includes AFL Academy squad members William Green, Nathan Philactides and Archie Roberts.
Several members of last year’s Young Guns team were drafted mid-year, including No. 1 pick Jai Culley (West Coast), Massimo D’Ambrosio (Essendon) and Max Ramsden (Hawthorn).
The Young Guns will play a second game against Vic Country at Princes Park on May 14, ahead of the AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft on May 31.
MID-SEASON PROSPECTS LINK WITH AFL CLUBS
— Chris Cavanagh
Some developing talls are among the leading contenders to be picked in this year’s mid-season draft, which looks a touch weaker than years gone by.
Most clubs are “not desperate to be picking” in the draft on May 31 and only five clubs – Essendon, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Geelong and Western Bulldogs – currently have open list spots.
Other clubs have the option to open up a spot by moving long-term injured players to their ‘inactive’ list.
The view is that the Pre-season Supplemental Selection Period (SSP) has taken away from the mid-season draft pool, with clubs selecting 16 players before the most recent SSP deadline in February this year.
However, a few young players are in the sights of AFL sides.
Eastern Ranges ruckman Clay Tucker has been training with Hawthorn and its VFL affiliate Box Hill, as has Oakleigh Chargers forward-ruck Will Elliot.
Tucker measures 204cm tall, while Elliot stands 203cm.
Elliot is the son of former Australian Test cricketer Matthew and was a highly-rated draft prospect entering last year, before he went down with a season-ending knee injury just two games in.
He played his first game back in Round 4 of the Coates Talent League last month, but is part of the Young Guns squad for its first match against Vic Metro this Sunday.
Another Oakleigh Chargers product also pushing for a mid-season draft opportunity is Luke Teal.
A member of the AFL Academy squad in 2022, the defender had a wretched run with injuries last year but returned to the Chargers as a 19-year-old and has spent the past three weeks playing for Richmond’s VFL side.
Teal has become a third-tall defender, who reads the ball well in the air and possesses great skills and decision making when he wins it back.
COULD A MCLACHLAN BE SET FOR BIG STAGE?
One of the legacy pieces of Gillon McLachlan’s reign as chief executive of the AFL has been the implementation of a women’s competition and one of his own daughters could soon be a beneficiary.
Edie McLachlan played for Vic Metro’s under-16 girls’ side during the AFL National Development Championships last month and shapes as a potential AFLW draft prospect in 2025.
McLachlan has been playing locally for Prahran, as well as being involved with the Sandringham Dragons in the Coates Talent League.
A tall forward or ruck, she is considered to be a player with good skills and footy IQ.
McLachlan logged 10 disposals, 12 hit-outs and two marks in Vic Metro’s first match against Vic Country.
In the second and final match of the championships the following week, she had seven disposals, two hit-outs and one mark before hurting her knee.
The unfortunate injury is expected to sideline McLachlan for the next two months, with the Dragons wrapping their arms around her.
McLachlan is a multi-talented sportsperson who also excels in netball and volleyball.
TASSIE TEAM THROWS SPANNER IN THE WORKS
Clubs are eagerly awaiting direction from the AFL over what draft and trade concessions will be handed to the 19th Tasmanian team as they ponder whether to pick players from the Apple Isle in this year’s draft.
Tasmania boasts two top prospects in this year’s draft pool in Jack Callinan and Colby McKercher, who are both AFL Academy members and have been starring for the Tasmania Devils in the early part of the season.
A third AFL Academy member – Ryley Sanders – also hails from Tasmania but is playing with the Sandringham Dragons in the Coates Talent League this year after moving to Melbourne for school.
Clubs say they need to know before the end of the year how Tasmania will be allowed to build its list, with a new side likely to target some homegrown talent.
While Hawthorn captain James Sicily said recently that there was “not much happening down there” in Tasmania and it would be a “hard” place to move as a young player, recruiters believe that it could be an attractive destination for players over 25 to be traded to given the quieter lifestyle and cheaper cost of living.
A STANDOUT NO. 1
Hype continues to build around likely No. 1 draft pick Harley Reid after an impressive VFL debut for Carlton last weekend.
Reid logged 13 disposals and six score involvements despite some close checking from Footscray opponents, who were well aware of his immense talents.
The 18-year-old from Tongala shapes as a standout in this year’s draft pool, with no clear rival for the top selection.
Recruiters surveyed this week said the gap between Reid and the rest was sizeable, with no other players jumping out in the early part of the season.
The view is that you can throw a blanket over the next 10 players behind Reid, with final positions in the draft order likely to come down to club needs.
However, there is still a long way to go before November.
The AFL under-18 national championships begin on June 4.
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