AFL Draft 2024: Adelaide set to choose between Sid Draper and Harvey Langford at pick 4, SA late mail
It’s draft day, and there’s plenty of gun South Australian talent on offer to AFL clubs. MATT TURNER has the late mail on a Sturt bolter and where nine other players could land.
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A Sturt giant who has played behind this year’s best ruck prospect has emerged as one of South Australia’s draft bolters.
Jacob Molier, the Double Blues teammate of All-Australian under-18 big man Alex Dodson, has spoken to about 12 clubs on the back of impressive testing at the state combine last month and late-season improvement.
While some clubs believe Molier needs another year in the SANFL to develop, others, including Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong, GWS, Melbourne, Sydney and the Western Bulldogs, are understood to really like his potential.
The 201cm ruck/forward is believed to be in the mix as early as the Giants’ pick 37.
Molier averaged 10.6 disposals, 2.4 clearances, 2.8 inside 50s and four marks across 18 games for Sturt’s under-18s this year.
He then turned recruiters’ heads when he jumped 64cm to win the vertical leap at the combine and finished second in the 20m sprint in 2.92secs.
Most clubs that like Molier view him as a key forward and secondary ruck.
He has taken time off his work as a carpenter to train and has added 3.5kg in three weeks.
AFL talent ambassador Kevin Sheehan told this masthead Molier was probably a little underexposed because Dodson was getting the main ruck role.
“He tested really well for speed (at the state combine) and he’s grown a lot in the past 12 months – he was 195cm or 196cm 12 months ago,” Sheehan said.
“He’s tall, he’s quick.
“Is there enough to go with at the moment or does a club wait until the mid-year draft?”
The national draft’s first round – expected to be around 27 picks – will be held at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday night.
All other selections will be on Thursday night.
WHISPERS ON OTHER SA PROSPECTS
■ BENNY BARRETT
South Adelaide, small forward/midfielder
Port Adelaide has nominated the speedy Next Generation Academy prospect, allowing it to match other clubs’ bids. Some teams believe the Power will not do so and will only take him as a rookie. Looms as a late selection with interest from Geelong, Gold Coast and North Melbourne.
■ NED BOWMAN
Norwood, forward
The Giants like Bowman and may consider him at 21 or 37, but Sydney (22) and West Coast (26) are others who have been linked with him.
■ BEN CAMPOREALE
Glenelg, midfielder
Rival clubs expect a bid for him in the 25 to 35 range.
■ ANGUS CLARKE
Glenelg, half-back
Expected to go in the 30 to 50 range. Plenty of clubs are said to like the Mount Gambier product, including Carlton, Fremantle, Hawthorn, St Kilda, Sydney, West Coast and the Bulldogs.
■ ALEX DODSON
Sturt, ruck
He is expected to be drafted on night one, inside the first 27 selections. Geelong is understood to be big fans of Dodson, but it does not have a pick until 45 and may not be able to move up the order to get him. Richmond, which has selections 18, 20, 23 and 24, looms as a potential landing spot.
■ KADE HERBERT
Woodville-West Torrens, midfielder
Carlton, Fremantle and Geelong are believed to have interest in him. Would be a late pick or rookie.
■ JACOB MOLIER
Sturt, ruck/key forward
Molier is in the mix at the Giants’ pick 37, but they are weighing up trading that selection. Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong, Melbourne, Sydney and the Western Bulldogs are others to have shown interest.
■ CHARLIE NICHOLLS
Central District, key forward
His range is expected to be from pick 30 to 55. Collingwood, Essendon, Fremantle, Geelong, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide have all shown interest.
■ CHARLIE WEST
Woodville-West Torrens, key forward
Shapes as a later selection, having had attention from Carlton, Collingwood (52, 55), Geelong (45, 57) and North Melbourne (62).
CROWS’ PICK 4 CALL SHAPES AS TWO HORSE RACE
Adelaide is expected to decide between an explosive South Australian midfielder and powerful Victorian on-baller with its first selection in the national draft on Wednesday night.
Clubs and managers The Advertiser has spoken to are split on whether the Crows will choose South Adelaide’s Sid Draper or Dandenong Stingrays’ Harvey Langford at pick 4.
Any Adelaide trade for North Melbourne’s No. 2 selection – where rival teams would have taken Oakleigh Chargers’ ball magnet Jagga Smith – now looked dead in the water.
With Richmond poised to draft GWV Rebels goalkicking midfielder Sam Lalor at No. 1, North Melbourne was set on Chargers’ on-baller Finn O’Sullivan unless it received a significant offer that included more than a future second-rounder.
Smith is seemingly headed for Carlton third overall, meaning the Crows’ call shapes as either Draper or Langford.
AFL talent guru Kevin Sheehan has compared Draper, the South Australian under-18 captain, to Port Adelaide skipper Connor Rozee because of his X-factor, evasiveness and speed.
While Draper is quick at 182cm, Langford is 191cm and his strengths include power and a thumping left-foot kick.
Langford jointly won the Larke Medal as the best player at the national under-18 championships after impressing for Vic Country.
Adelaide national recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie said the club was in a good position in a very even draft.
“I can’t ever remember doing as much work on five to seven players at the top of the draft as to what we have for this lot because they are all very good,” Ogilvie told the Crows’ website.
“It’s been really tricky to split them.
“We would easily have over 40 players that we’d be more than happy to pick and I gather other clubs will be the same.”
Ogilvie was unsure about the likelihood of being able to trade up the order.
“At the moment we’ve got pick No. 4 and we are more than happy to take it but if a really good opportunity arises, we are certainly open to that as well,” he said.
Adelaide is expected to make just two selections and will add father-son forward Tyler Welsh with its last pick, No. 64.
The first round of the draft will be held at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday night, ahead of the remainder of the selections the next night.
Port Adelaide holds picks 13, 29, 36 and 50, but may look to move up the board from its later selections.
The Power has been linked with key forwards such as Jobe Shanahan, Harry Armstrong and Jack Whitlock at its first choice.
Port Adelaide has nominated Next Generation Academy speedster Benny Barrett but some clubs believe the Power will not match a draft bid and will only take him as a rookie.
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Originally published as AFL Draft 2024: Adelaide set to choose between Sid Draper and Harvey Langford at pick 4, SA late mail
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