Draft Intel: All the latest AFL Draft news from around Australia
One of the most versatile players in this year’s under-18 pool is flying up draft boards after proving his value as a key forward. Get the latest draft intel here.
Just one game remains in the under-18 national championships as the 2023 AFL Draft order begins to sort itself out.
Here’s all the latest AFL Draft news from around the country.
A NEW NO.1 PICK?
Since early last year, Harley Reid’s name has been strongly linked to the No.1 draft pick for 2023.
However, some recruiters now genuinely have another name ahead of him.
Allies key forward Jed Walter is considered by some clubs to be the best talent in this year’s draft pool, eclipsing Reid on the back of a strong under-18 national championships campaign.
A powerful 195cm key forward, Walter is part of the Gold Coast Suns Academy, and the Suns will therefore be able to match an early bid on him.
But if Walter was available on the open market, some sides would be picking him first if they held that selection.
“He’s something special,” one recruiter said of Walter.
“If you look back at guys that have gone pick 1 like (Tom) Boyd, he’s just so far in front of those boys. He’s a modern AFL athlete.”
Walter booted 11.10 across four championships matches for the Allies, while averaging 13 disposals, 7 marks (2.8 contested) and 7.5 score involvements.
“He’s ready to play, he’s got the build and his defensive prowess is something to behold,” Allies coach Mark McVeigh said.
“He wants to tackle, he wants to chase, he wants to compete, he wants to bring the ball to ground. They’re the things that are hard to get as a key forward.
“He probably needs to work on his goalkicking a little bit but that will happen once he gets into the right system.”
THE BIG BACK BOLTING UP DRAFT BOARDS
A key defender from the New South Wales border town of Albury has emerged as a likely top-10 draft pick after proving a defensive rock for the Allies during the under-18 national championships.
Connor O’Sullivan was considered a potential top-30 prospect at the start of the year and was included in the initial AFL Academy squad.
However, few tipped him to rise as much as he has over the course of this season.
A 198cm backman, O’Sullivan was named as the MVP for the Allies after averaging 17.8 disposals, 8.3 marks, 2.5 intercept marks and four spoils across his four championships matches.
O’Sullivan has a big leap, good speed and has also shown an ability to be thrown forward and kick goals while lining up for the Murray Bushrangers in the Coates Talent League over the past two years.
“I think he’ll rocket up the draft in my personal opinion,” McVeigh said.
“He’ll be someone that will go higher than people might think.
“He’s been outstanding the whole championships. He’s got great leadership skills. I made him captain in the second game.
“If someone took him in the top 12 some people might think, ‘Wow, that’s early’. But then they would sit back and think, ‘That’s actually a pretty good pick’.”
CLOSE WATCH ON MARKING MORRIS
Clubs will be keeping a close watch on Western Jets swingman Logan Morris in the second half of the season after his eye-catching performance for Vic Metro in the under-18 national championships last weekend.
After impressing as a key defender in the first two matches of the championships, the 192cm Morris was moved forward against Western Australia to great effect last weekend.
His strong overhead marking was a feature of his game and he worked hard to provide an option for teammates as a lead-up forward.
Morris finished the match with 16 disposals, 11 marks (five contested), 12 score involvements and 4.1.
Having played almost exclusively as a forward in the Coates Talent League last year, recruiters believe Morris has now proven himself as a marking tall who can feature at both ends of the ground.
That is sure to make him hot property come November’s national draft as he shapes as a potential top-20 pick.
Morris has also had a taste of VFL football with Werribee this year, slotting two goals from five disposals and four marks against Footscray in round 8.
‘GUN’ SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ATTRACTING ATTENTION
South Australian midfielder Dyson Sharp will be firmly in the sights of clubs over the next two years after emerging as the standout under-16 talent in the country.
Sharp was awarded the Kevin Sheehan Medal as the best player in Division One at the under-16 national championships, which concluded on the Gold Coast last week.
Across his three games, Sharp averaged 27.3 disposals (15 contested), 7.3 clearances, seven score involvements and 5.7 tackles.
He was the fourth-ranked player of the tournament on SuperCoach points, averaging 158 points.
Recruiters say Sharp is “a gun”, but is more physically developed than some of his rivals at this stage of his underage football, which helped him dominate at stoppage.
Whether some other players catch up or overtake Sharp as they develop remains to be seen.
Sharp had also played in as a bottom-age player in last year’s under-16 national championships and won All-Australian honours after playing primarily in defence.
Others to catch the eye during this year’s championships included Vic Metro midfielder Oliver Greeves, Vic Metro forward Jack Dalton and Vic Country defender Willem Duursma.
Duursma is the younger brother of Port Adelaide’s Xavier and 2023 top-10 draft prospect Zane.
TOP 20 RANKED PLAYERS FROM THE UNDER-16 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS*
183 points - Beau Addinsall (Gold Coast Suns Academy)
162 points – Joel Cochran (Sydney Swans Academy)
162 points – Zeke Uwland (Gold Coast Suns Academy)
158 points – Dyson Sharp (South Australia)
155 points – Jack Dalton (Vic Metro)
155 points – Lachlan Carmichael (Sydney Swans Academy)
140 points – Charlie Hewitt (Brisbane Lions Academy)
136 points – Ryder Corrigan (GWS Academy)
136 points – Daniel Annable (Brisbane Lions Academy)
131 points – Jai Murray (Gold Coast Suns Academy)
130 points – Louis Emmett (Vic Metro)
126 points – Willem Duursma (Vic Country)
124 points – Harrison Wilson (GWS Academy)
122 points – Oliver Greeves (Vic Metro)
120 points – Zachary Nandlal (Sydney Swans Academy)
118 points – Thomas Burton (Vic Metro)
118 points – Lucas Wooton (Tasmania)
118 points – Rylee McHenry (Tasmania)
117 points – Blake Kelly (Western Australia)
117 points – Liam Hetherton (GWS Academy)
* Average ranking points across the tournament
FREMANTLE WOES A BLESSING FOR DEES
Fremantle’s struggles this season have been a big win for Melbourne, with the Demons currently holding three picks inside the top 25 for this year’s draft.
The Dockers had been tipped by many to play finals this season, but sit 14th on the ladder with seven rounds to go.
Melbourne received both Fremantle’s first and second-round picks during last year’s trade period as part of the deal which sent emerging ruckman Luke Jackson west.
Those selections tied to the Dockers are currently picks 5 and 24, while Melbourne still holds its own first and second-round picks which are currently picks 15 and 34.
FULL INDICATIVE DRAFT ORDER AFTER ROUND 17
Adelaide: 10, 20, 25, 84
Brisbane Lions: 30, 49, 54, 61, 90
Carlton: 8, 64, 70, 82, 100
Collingwood: 18, 27, 74, 92
Essendon: 14, 33, 52, 60, 88
Fremantle: 21, 40, 46, 58, 79, 97
Geelong: 11, 85
Gold Coast: 6, 28, 29, 44, 48, 56, 62, 66, 69, 80, 98
GWS: 7, 9, 47, 65, 72, 83
Hawthorn: 3, 31, 50, 77, 95
Melbourne: 5, 15, 24, 34, 89
North Melbourne: 2, 17, 39, 53, 59, 76, 94
Port Adelaide: 37, 43, 73, 91
Richmond: 26, 45, 63, 81, 99
St Kilda: 13, 32, 51, 87
Sydney: 4, 22, 23, 41, 42, 78, 96
West Coast: 1, 19, 36, 38, 55, 57, 75, 93
Western Bulldogs: 12, 16, 35, 67, 68, 71, 86
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