Draft Intel: Latest news from around Australia ahead of 2024 AFL national draft

A draft insider has declared Richmond must ‘do the right thing’ and bid on the best player in a stacked 2024 draft, plus, the ‘crazy’ story of a local footy draft bolter, and much more.

It’s officially November, which means the 2024 AFL national draft is just around the corner.

Here’s the latest draft news and views from around the country.

CALLS FOR TIGERS TO BID ON ASHCROFT AT NO. 1

Levi Ashcroft’s coach says the Brisbane Lions father-son prospect is “undoubtedly” the best player in this year’s draft, urging Richmond to place a bid on him with the No. 1 pick.

Rob Harding — a former Essendon assistant who has coached Ashcroft through the Sandringham Dragons and Vic Metro the past two years — said players should be recognised as the best talent in the draft pool regardless of their ties to clubs.

“If you put aside Levi for a second, it’s a broader thing about making sure that players who are Academy or father-son are recognised rightly for their position in the draft order,” Harding told this column.

“The draft order is not universal, but we’ve got a case here where I think the vast, vast majority of people see Levi as being the No. 1 pick, and if it was an open pool, he’d be a clear pick one. So I think it’s important that these players are recognised for all the hard work that they put in.”

Ashcroft said earlier this week that he would “love to be the No. 1 pick”, while acknowledging that his “circumstances” meant that might not be the case.

“We’ve seen it in recent years with players like Nick Dacos and Will Ashcroft not going at pick one,” Harding said.

“They deserve that recognition and I’ve seen Levi up close for the last two years and I’ve coached a number of players in this pool and I’ve coached against a number of players in this pool. Speaking to clubs and recruiters as well, he’s clearly pick one.

“I’d like to see him recognised for that and I really hope Richmond do the right thing and bid on him. I think it’s important for the integrity of the draft that academy and father-son players are bid on where they should be bid on.”

Harding’s comments come after it was revealed this week that the AFL has warned clubs against side deals that would see them declining to bid on father-son and academy players.

Levi Ashcroft’s coach believes Richmond has to put a bid on the Brisbane Lions father-son prospect at No.1. Picture: Getty Images

FROM SMALL SCREEN TO BOX OFFICE

His coach has nicknamed him ‘Foxtel’, but Harvey Langford could instead be a ‘Box Office’ AFL player in coming years.

A highly-rated prospect — who rival clubs believe sits alongside Sid Draper as players in the frame for Adelaide at pick 4 — the Dandenong Stingrays co-captain has risen in the rankings after being a consistently strong performer at every level this season.

Stingrays coach Nick Cox started referring to Langford as ‘Foxtel’ after he appeared on Fox Footy’s AFL360 to promote the under-18 national championships mid-season.

Playing for Vic Country, Langford went on to finish as a joint-winner of the Larke Medal, which is awarded to the tournament’s best player.

Previous winners of that award include Sam Walsh, Christian Petracca, Marc Murphy and Lachie Whitfield.

“To look at those names that have won it in the past definitely makes me feel pretty special and you definitely reflect on it a bit,” Langford said.

“It’s a big achievement to be awarded with so I’m just so grateful.”

A 191cm big-bodied midfielder, Langford models his game on Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli.

An AFL Academy member, he wins his own footy in tight, has a penetrating left-foot kick, is a strong overhead mark and can go forward and kick goals.

“Coming into this year was just all about consistency for me and showing my strengths as a midfielder and up forward,” Langford said.

“I’ve definitely developed in both areas.

“That transition from playing midfield to forward, I’ve tried to develop that heaps and show that leading, marking ability and goal sense up forward. That sets me apart from maybe a few of the other midfielders.”

Langford averaged 25.9 disposals, 4.7 clearances and 1.3 goals across 15 games for the Stingrays in the Coates Talent League.

He also made a VFL debut for Richmond – the team which he has grown up supporting.

“I’m a Richmond boy so I loved to run around with a few of the AFL-listed players on game day was a great experience,” Langford said.

“The level’s a bit higher than under-18s football but I felt pretty comfortable and was able to have some nice moments.”

Could Adelaide be first to pounce on Harvey Langford at pick 4? Picture: Getty Images

LOCAL FOOTY BOLTER’S ‘CRAZY’ RISE FROM OBSCURITY

Alix Tauru may be the biggest bolter of this year’s draft class, but no prospect has come from further back than local footy smokey Sam Toner.

The Narre Warren product had never been part of a representative program when he joined the Dandenong Stingrays mid-year as an over-age player, and now he appears destined to be drafted.

Toner, who turned 19 last week, received the call-up to the Stingrays after booting 50 goals in 13 senior games with Narre Warren in the Outer East league, also slotting 53 majors in 19 matches at under-19 level for them last season.

The exciting forward has been linked to several clubs – particularly Fremantle and GWS – after turning heads with five goals in just his second game for the Stingrays against the Eastern Ranges.

He kicked 10 goals in his first three games in the Coates Talent League before suffering a wrist injury in his fourth appearance.

Toner tested at the state combine this month and showed significant improvement in his 2km time trial and ran an impressive agility test of 8.27 seconds.

Clubs are excited by Toner’s upside as an untapped talent who has only spent half a year in the elite talent pathway, with several possible suitors in the back-half of the draft.

Sam Toner has rapidly emerged as an unlikely draft prospect from Narre Warren. Picture: Josh Chadwick

Dandenong Stingrays key defender Noah Mraz believes clubs should take a punt on him.

“Crazy, isn’t it. Cool story. Local player, over-ager too and just picked up and just came in and didn’t miss a beat,” Mraz said.

“He’s a great player, great bloke too. Just works real hard as well and you can see, don’t have a big sample size on him but you know what you’ve seen hasn’t been bad.

“I think if someone takes a chance on him I don’t think they’d be disappointed. I think he’s a great player too.”

Stingrays co-captain Cooper Hynes, a potential first-round prospect himself has also enjoyed watching his rise from obscurity.

“He came in about halfway through the year and trained with us and we are like, ‘who is this new bloke?’ This over-ager, didn’t know what to think of him,” Hynes said.

“Then he sort of debuted at Seaford, had some really good moments and was really good. And then the next week against Eastern he kicked five, sort of burst onto the scene a bit. He’s got some tricks.”

The Stingrays have another over-age player who could also be taken as a later draft selection or rookie in Riak Andrew, the younger brother of Gold Coast excitement machine Mac.

Melbourne has first dibs on Andrew as a member of its Next Generation Academy but the Demons only has picks five and nine in this year’s draft.

Andrew is seven centimetres shorter than Mac at 194cm, but has impressed with his lockdown roles this year as a key defender.

MORE FATHER-SON NOMINATIONS ROLL IN

After Carlton officially nominated twins Ben and Lucas Camporeale as father-son prospects last week, more clubs submitted paperwork before nominations closed on Thursday.

Adelaide announced it would nominate marking forward Tyler Welsh, whose father Scott played 129 games for the Crows between 2000 and 2007.

Welsh stands 191cm tall and featured in 10 senior SANFL games for Adelaide this season, as well as representing South Australia at the under-18 national championships.

North Melbourne has nominated River Stevens, a small forward from the Geelong Falcons who has good skills and is the son of two-time Kangaroos premiership player Anthony.

St Kilda has also put in a nomination for Elwood Peckett, a midfielder or half-forward from the Dandenong Stingrays who also made a VFL debut for Sandringham this year.

Elwood is the son of Justin Peckett, who played 252 AFL games for the Saints from 1992 to 2006.

Collingwood, who has three picks in the 50s, and Port Adelaide are among the clubs to show interest in Peckett.

Nominations do not lock clubs in to pick father-son prospects, but allow them to match any bids on them in the national draft or secure players as rookies if they slide through.

Adelaide has nominated forward Tyler Welsh as a father-son prospect for the draft. Picture: Peter Argent

LOMBARD WANTS TO DO IT FOR MUM

Gold Coast Suns Academy member Leo Lombard says his mum is his “inspiration” as he eyes an AFL career which he hopes will allow him to give her a more prosperous life.

The gun midfielder was raised by a single mum on the Gold Coast.

He grew up competing in jiu-jitsu and took part in the Pan Pacific Championships in 2017, as well as winning a gold medal at the Australian Open in 2018.

Lombard had played footy “for fun” on the side, before joining the Suns Academy and quickly thriving.

“I was doing jiu-jitsu for quite a bit until I started taking footy seriously when I made it to state sides,” Lombard said.

“I just love footy more, to be honest.

“They (Suns Academy) have helped me out so much on and off field. They’ve even helped out my mum as well.”

Lombard models his game on players like Suns veteran Touk Miller and Port Adelaide star Zak Butters.

He is a tough, quick and agile midfielder or half-forward who is a fierce competitor and finished the under-18 national championships with the Allies this year as a joint winner of the Larke Medal.

Leo Lombard once again taking the piss. This time in the VFL #AFLDraft

Full profile on the Suns gun: https://t.co/YPhAF6YVdU

pic.twitter.com/1O509QwmMO

— Jasper Chellappah (@Jasperc53) June 22, 2024

“I only had the one bad game with Vic Metro, but I was super grateful for that and surprised,” Lombard said of the award.

“I just wanted to win, to be honest. I felt like if I played competitive, that we’d have a good chance of winning. When we did lose, we didn’t lose by much.”

Lombard played in the Suns’ VFL premiership as a 16-year-old last year and featured in a further eight state league games this season.

“I spent six weeks with the Suns in the pre-season, so I think that really boosted my confidence and made me back myself in for each game,” Lombard said.

The 18-year-old grew up a Richmond supporter, dazzled by Dustin Martin.

However, he is now all-in on Gold Coast and hopes to join the Suns in November’s national draft.

“I haven’t been told anything yet but it would mean the world to me,” Lombard said.

“It’d be good to stay close to my mum.

“She’s my biggest influence, to be honest. She’s been huge for me, and I look up to her. She’s my inspiration.

“I think my next goal is helping my mum out.”

Leo Lombard is bound for the Gold Coast Suns as another Academy product. Picture: Getty Images

SAINTS SENSATIONS INSPIRING NGA PROSPECT

St Kilda linked prospect Adrian Cole is motivated by the rise of Saints academy graduates Marcus Windhager and Mitch Owens and hopes to follow in their footsteps at the Saints or with any club who takes him on draft night.

Cole, whose father is Nigerian, has been part of St Kilda’s Next Generation Academy since he was 13 years of age.

The nimble key defender played state basketball as a junior but made the call to pursue footy at 16.

The nature of being tied to St Kilda has meant he has not attracted as much club interest as other prospects, but Cole could receive a bid as early as the second round of the draft.

St Kilda is widely expected to match a bid on Cole but the club has not formally committed to drafting him. Fellow Saints NGA defender Lennox Hofmann and father-son Elwood Peckett, son of 252-game Saint Justin, are also available to the club.

Cole has enjoyed watching Owens and Windhager thrive at the faith and is eager to repay the Saints for all the time they have put into him – including helping him through a shoulder injury.

“I think any team I would be grateful enough to be a part of,” Cole said.

“But it’s been awesome to kind of see Mitch and Marcus work their way up. I remember when they were in the academy too and now to see them go from the academy and be able to play on the big stage and play really well, it’s something that motivates me.

“And wherever I hopefully land it’s just giving it my best shot, and if it was St Kilda, being able to just pay back the resources and the faith that has been put into me.”

The 194 centimetre prospect finished eighth in the 2km time trial with an eye-catching time of 6 minutes and 24 seconds, showcasing his elite running ability and competitiveness – falling to the ground after the event in a sign he gave it his absolute all.

Adrian Cole impressed in the 2km time trial. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Cole had a strong back-half of the year for Vic Metro and the Sandringham Dragons, including an important lockdown role in the Dragons’ grand final win on Jonty Faull – one of the best key forwards in the draft pool.

He also played two games with Sandringham in the VFL this year and relished the challenge against bigger bodies.

Cole has shared his draft experience with Hofmann through St Kilda’s NGA and won premierships as defensive teammates at both the Dragons and Vic Metro.

“It’s been awesome … Both obviously in the academy and then with Metro, with Dragons, been able to build a really nice relationship with him,” Cole said.

“He’s been good support, we’ve been getting along really well and obviously he is a quality player too. We are both defenders, too, so we can have a chat and keep learning off each other which is nice.”

STALEMATE ON PICK SWAPS

While multiple pick swaps have been floated between clubs, there have yet to be any deals done since the trade period.

The draft pick swap window opened the day after the trade period ended, but is coming to a close next Friday.

Any deals which are not done before then must wait until the national draft, which is being held across two nights on November 20 and 21.

Colleague Jay Clark reported this week that Essendon is considering off-loading Melbourne’s future first-round pick for another first-round selection in this year’s draft.

St Kilda has also told clubs it is open to splitting one of its top-10 selections — which currently sit at picks seven and eight — in order to gain an additional first-round selection.

Both the Essendon and St Kilda moves could be pulled off on draft night, depending on how picks pan out.

WILL FALCON BECOME THE LATEST LOCAL CAT?

Geelong Falcons prospect Lachie Jaques was at the Geelong league grand final at GMHBA Stadium as his local side St Mary’s went down to South Barwon in the reserves.

The rebounding defender hopes to be out there as a player next year at his hometown AFL club — based just a couple of drop punts away from St Mary’s Sporting Club.

Jaques has spoken to at least 10 AFL clubs in the lead-up to the draft and hasn’t had a heap to do with the Cats despite their penchant for taking talents from the region.

The Cats have drafted eight prospects from the Geelong region over the past five years — Cooper Stephens, Toby Conway, Mitch Knevitt, Cooper Whyte, Jhye Clark, Ted Clohesy, Oscar Murdoch and Oli Wiltshire — and traded for Falcons exports Tanner Bruhn and Ollie Henry.

Geelong currently holds picks 45 — around Jaques’ draft range — 57 and 75.

Jaques, who models his game on five-time All-Australian Cat Tom Stewart, will happily play for any club.

Lachie Jaques runs the 2km time trial. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“That’d be pretty cool going to Geelong,” Jaques said.

“Obviously lived there my whole life and gone for the Cats.

“But yet again, the main goal is just get on a list and be in an AFL environment so whoever that is with, I’d be keen go anywhere.”

Jaques has garnered a lot more attention from clubs after his feats at the national championships where he was named in the U18 All-Australian side, putting him in second-round calculations.

He was the only Geelong Falcons prospect invited to the national draft combine, where he ran the 2km time trial in a strong time of 6 minutes and 37 seconds.

The 184 centimetre halfback earned plaudits for his eye-catching display against the Allies, where he had nine intercepts to go with 22 disposals.

“Saw my Allies game as probably my best game and more people started to talk to me after that.

“Better recognition and a few interviews here and there was good to see the work was getting rewarded.”

Originally published as Draft Intel: Latest news from around Australia ahead of 2024 AFL national draft