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The Under 18 National Championships have been run and won with Vic Metro continuing its dominance by claiming its 17th title in the past 28 years.
This year’s draft class lacks the depth of the 2016 edition — and potentially that of 2018 — but it still has quality at the top end.
In keeping with an even and unpredictable AFL season, how I rank the prospects right now is quite different to how I projected them leading into the year.
Reminder: This is purely my rankings, not a mock draft – that will come in November.
1. Cameron RAYNER – Western Jets
DOB: 21/10/99 | Ht: 185.4cm | Wt: 88.5kg
The comparison that most make when it comes to Rayner is Richmond’s Dustin Martin due to his power and two-sided kicking, but he shares similar traits to Melbourne’s Christian Petracca and Port Adelaide’s Robbie Gray.
His running is still a work in progress and there is no guarantee it gets to the point when he can be a full-time midfielder at AFL level, which means his projection is more as a forward at the moment. Martin ran a level 14 beep test in 2009 — Rayner is level 11.
As a forward, he judges the ball superbly in flight and engages his opponents at the right time. He has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
In the midfield, it is all about his power, but his ability to roll on to either foot with confidence makes him hard to contain.
2. Luke DAVIES-UNIACKE – Dandenong Stingrays
DOB: 8/6/99 | Ht: 187.3cm | Wt: 85.5kg
Davies-Uniacke has been an elite talent from his early years on the Mornington Peninsula but had a raft of injuries that left him questioning as a 16-year-old whether footy was for him. Thankfully for football, he stuck with it, although he does love a day of surfing.
Like Rayner, Davies-Uniacke can win the ball on the inside and spread to the outside quickly. He can exit from the stoppage on either foot — has excellent balance and a good technique from hand to foot — and has shown the ability to mark overhead.
His games against South Australia, Vic Metro and Western Australia weren’t up to the standard of outings this season for the AFL Academy and Haileybury, but in spurts he was still able to demonstrate a high level skill set that keeps him at the pointy end.
3. Will SUTHERLAND – Scotch College
DOB: 27/10/99 | Ht: 195cm | Wt: 90kg
At 195cm, Sutherland is a physical, aggressive forward who plays with swagger and excels at engaging his opponent when the ball is in the air to protect the landing zone.
At ground level he has extremely clean hands, the vision to distribute by hand or foot and the balance to make him capable on his non-dominant side.
In the APS competition he has shown the ability to go through midfield and get his hands on the ball at stoppages. His agility is good enough in traffic, but he can bang the ball out of congestion rather than lowering his vision.
To be doing what he has done thus far off a cricket pre-season and not being part of an elite football program suggests he has huge potential.
NOTE: Sutherland has since decided to pursue a cricket career, rather than football.
4. Charlie CONSTABLE – Sandringham Dragons
DOB: 18/5/99 | Ht: 190.3cm | Wt: 83.5kg
Constable is the ideal inside midfielder with size, clean hands — he simply doesn’t fumble — and vision in close, as well as good kicking skills.
He stood out in a practice game against Oakleigh in March 2016 at half back with his composure and ball use. Injuries hampered him last season, but after a trial against Dandenong this pre-season I walked out of Frankston Oval thinking he could be the No.1 pick come November. He came on at half time and dominated the game against handy opposition.
He missed out on the clash with Western Australia as they were concerned with his ability to cover the big ground (he can work on his speed/spread), but was dominant against Vic Country and South Australia, despite starting at in an unfamiliar role at half forward.
A pure footballer.
5. Adam CERRA – Eastern Ranges
DOB: 7/10/99 | Ht: 185.9cm | Wt: 79.5kg
Cerra (below) was a bit of a forgotten man entering this season. He played in the Ranges’ 2015 grand final team as a 16-year-old then missed most of 2016 with a knee injury meaning he was unable to force his way into the level two AFL Academy.
He started the season in fine touch for Eastern, was a class above in the Vic Metro trial at Visy Park and has been good in most of his games for Wesley College. His stats throughout the championships weren’t eye-catching, but he did most things well and showed his ability on the inside and out.
He has a great frame, ran a level 15 beep at Ranges’ pre-season testing and consistently produces high-level GPS numbers.
6. Joel GARNER – Eastern Ranges
DOB: 21/5/99 | Ht: 183.2cm | Wt: 80.8kg
Prior to the national championships—and one game for Scotch College against Haileybury — Garner had a somewhat underwhelming start to the season with Eastern and in the APS competition. But after being named co-captain of Vic Metro, his form returned to what was expected entering his draft year.
He controlled the back half throughout the carnival in the air and on the ground and showed genuine physicality, along with a raking left foot that generally hit the target.
Parts of his game are reminiscent of a young Luke Hodge — most of the athletic measurables are similar to the Hawks skipper in his draft year (other than weight), and his leadership stands out.
At the moment he seems best suited off half back, but he can play forward and his endurance (level 14 beep) allows him to play in midfield.
7. Sam HAYES – Eastern Ranges
DOB: 9/6/99 | Ht: 202.3cm | Wt: 92.5kg
Hayes is clearly the best ruckman in this year’s draft pool—in fact he may wind up being the only one selected in the national draft.
The beauty of Hayes is that he is equally adept playing out of the goal square — he kicked six goals against Gippsland this year — as he is around the ground as a mobile ruckman.
He is capable in the air and follows up well at ground level. With ball in hand he is generally a strong decision maker, but while he gets over the ground well he can work on covering it at a higher speed.
Hayes played a fair amount of high-level basketball as a junior and was the only bottom-age player named in last year’s All-Australian team.
8. Nick COFFIELD – Northern Knights
DOB: 23/10/99 | Ht: 190.2cm | Wt: 82.6kg
The Knights skipper has been one of the eye-catchers of the first half of the season in the TAC Cup and national championships.
He has the ability to play a range of roles from defence to midfield and also in attack (he kicked four goals in Round 1 when swung forward).
He has impressed with his composure and decision-making under pressure. Even when pressured, his ability to execute his skills has been a strength — as have his clean hands in traffic — while he has good initial speed to get himself out of traffic.
Coffield has the ideal athletic and football profile to fit the way the game is played at the top level – especially when it comes to transition from defence to attack.
9. Jaidyn STEPHENSON – Eastern Ranges
DOB: 15/1/99 | Ht: 187.6cm | Wt: 76.0kg
Many have had Stephenson tabbed as a top prospect for several seasons. He played with Eastern as a 16-year-old, didn’t look out of place and now looms as a high pick come November.
He played state tennis as a junior and shows outstanding agility and speed—whether inside 50 or in the midfield. Eastern played him mostly out of the goal square early in the season, but a move to a wing has added a dimension to his game.
He is still working on his contested game, but given open grass ahead he is a dynamic athlete with a great sense for the goals.
His field kicking can be cleaned up, but isn’t a major concern and although lightly built he has a frame capable of being strengthened in the gym.
10. Paddy DOW – Bendigo Pioneers
DOB: 16/10/99 | Ht: 184.6cm | Wt: 80.4kg
Dow got his first taste of TAC Cup footy as a 16-year-old and has since split time between the Pioneers, school footy with Geelong Grammar and the AFL Academy, where he was added to the level two squad in late 2016.
He is a consistent ball winner at each level he has figured at over the past few seasons and has shown a good balance between winning contested ball in tight and getting into open space due to his agility and initial burst of speed.
At times he can use the ball more effectively, but he has good kicking technique, shows vision in traffic and has a knack for getting his hands on the ball around stoppages.
11. Darcy FOGARTY – Glenelg
DOB: 25/9/99 | Ht: 192.3cm | Wt: 88.8kg
The Bays product is South Australia’s top draft prospect and was mooted in some circles as a potential No.1 pick at stages early in the season.
Fogarty (below) impressed last year at half forward as a bottom-ager and made his way into Glenelg’s league team early this season where he averaged 11 possessions in four outings, but can also play in defence.
He is a powerful kick of the ball and very strong one-on-one due to his robust frame and ability to read the flight of the ball. At 192cm and a solid 89kg, he can tend to rely too heavily on his brute strength — both at underage level and senior level — to get out of trouble, but in the AFL he won’t be able to do this as effectively, so he will need to develop another trick.
Despite having his knee bandaged during the national championships, where he mostly struggled, he wasn’t carrying an issue significant enough to affect his form.
12. Lochie O’BRIEN – Bendigo Pioneers
DOB: 18/9/99 | Ht: 184.0cm | Wt: 77.5kg
O’Brien is a smooth-mover whose elite trait is his lethal left boot – something that is lacking in many prospects coming through the system. He can play across half back, or in midfield and even spent time forward for Vic Country and was a handful.
He has been touted as a top prospect for a couple of years and has been juggling commitments in the TAC Cup, the AFL Academy and Geelong Grammar. This has meant he has played only a handful of TAC Cup games in the past two seasons, however, he has been a consistent performer in the APS system.
Athletically, O’Brien has all the tools. He has good speed and agility and runs a level 14 beep.
If he can start finding a bit more of the ball — especially in contested situations, where he needs improvement — he can develop into an extremely damaging player at the next level.
13. Jarrod BRANDER – Bendigo Pioneers
DOB: 11/2/99 | Ht: 194.6cm | Wt: 88.9kg
Like Fogarty, Brander is another highly touted prospect entering the season who hadn’t fully fired until his outing for the Allies against Vic Metro.
Brander has played at both ends of the ground throughout his junior career and while many thought of him as a forward entering the season (he kicked 10 goals in four TAC Cup games in 2016, defence seems a better fit initially. His game down back in the AGS vs APS clash last year at Marcellin was a case in point. He dominated.
He is still very much a work in progress in both roles, as we saw against South Australia when Jack Lukosius ran him ragged early on, but he is a nice mark and kick and a good athlete.
14. Matthew LING – Geelong Falcons
DOB: 21/4/99 | Ht: 181.9cm | Wt: 74.1kg
Ling has firmed as the Falcons’ best draft hopeful in a year when they have a strong squad—they have 12 players in the Vic Country squad and sit atop the TAC ladder.
A well-balanced left footer with a touch of speed, Ling plays much faster than he tested pre-season. He worked into Geelong’s team for the back half of last year as a bottom-ager and has continued to develop through the first half of 2017.
At this stage he is not a consistent big ball winner, but when he gets it, something invariably happens due to his ability to step through traffic with excellent agility and evasive skills. He can kick the ball with penetration but also shows good touch on shorter deliveries.
At AFL level he could play as a running defender or off a wing and has scope for big improvement.
15. Jack HIGGINS – Oakleigh Chargers
DOB: 19/3/99 | Ht: 178.2cm | Wt: 75.9kg
Higgins’ performances for Oakleigh and Vic Metro have spoken for themselves. He just has a knack for being where the ball is — whether that be around stoppage as a midfielder or in the forward 50 as a small forward.
He has outstanding vision/game sense and is strong overhead for his size, but can play for a free kick a bit too often.
Like St Kilda’s Jade Gresham or Greater Western Sydney’s Toby Greene, who also played predominantly through the midfield in the TAC Cup, I’d expect that he starts life at AFL level as a forward with spurts through the centre square.
As a full-time footballer, the question is, how much upside does he have compared to others in this draft class?
16. Jack PETRUCCELLE – Northern Knights
DOB: 12/4/99 | Ht: 183.7cm | Wt: 73.2kg
A dynamic athlete who played high-level basketball, Petruccelle has been a consistent riser from the beginning of the season.
He played only a couple of games last year for Northern in the TAC Cup, then did a few good things on grand final morning in the futures game.
At this stage Petruccelle isn’t a high possession winner — he’s averaging just 16 disposals for the Knights in 10 matches — but he shows explosive power away from the contest in midfield, while in attack he has excellent spring to elevate over opponents and mark the ball at its highest point.
He kicks the ball with good power, and while his short kicking is very much a work in progress, he is a strong, willing tackler around the contest.
17. Patrick NAISH – Northern Knights
DOB: 15/1/99 | Ht: 180.2cm | Wt: 69.1kg
Naish (above) looms as Richmond’s best father-son prospect in many years, probably since David Bourke in the early 2000s. He is a bubbly outside midfielder who can also play at half back and break the lines, or across half forward where his nose for goal is akin to that shown by his dad, Chris, during his days at Tigerland.
He has booted a couple of big bags of goals for Ivanhoe in the AGS competition. He is a penetrating kick but at times can be a bit too adventurous with his decisions leading to bad turnovers.
His contested ball winning is a work in progress, but should improve with added body size and strength, but he needs to be a more committed tackler once he gets to the next level.
18. Oscar ALLEN – West Perth
DOB: 19/3/99 | Ht: 191.0cm | Wt: 83.2kg
Allen was named at centre half forward in the WAFL Colts team of the year in 2016 and has continued his good form into this season for club and state.
For the Falcons he has played all over the ground from defence to attack (he took 11 marks and had 25+ possessions in two outings), but for WA he has been eye-catching with his work-rate as a forward.
Expect him to add a few more centimetres to his frame and develop into a Tim Membrey-type due to his excellent endurance. He runs a level 14 beep.
19. Andrew BRAYSHAW – Sandringham Dragons
DOB: 8/11/99 | Ht: 183.4cm | Wt: 79.3kg
The younger brother of Melbourne’s Angus is a hard-working midfielder who possesses strong ball-winning skill—inside and outside.
He has had a few injury issues so far in 2017 (missed start of the champs with a quad problem) but his work for Sandringham and Haileybury had been strong before impressing against South Australia on limited game-time at Etihad Stadium, then the Allies.
He has shown himself to be an efficient ball user and is an outstanding tackler.
20. Noah BALTA – Calder Cannons
DOB: 23/10/99 | Ht: 194.6cm | Wt: 90.2kg
Balta has all the athletic traits you look for in a modern footballer. He is big, strong, quick and powerful.
But so far in 2017 he has been played all over the ground from defence to attack (and even in the ruck) and other than the odd flash — like his last quarter against Northern when he went forward and won Calder the game — he has yet to put in a consistent four-quarter effort in a settled role.
Having kicked 18 goals in eight games last year, he has shown that he can play forward, but it is down back where his initial future may lie at the next level.
If everything clicks, Balta has big potential...but he needs to start showing it on a more regular basis.
The next tier...
Connor Ballenden (Brisbane Lions), Hunter Clark (Dandenong Stingrays), Callum Coleman-Jones (Sturt), Aaron Naughton (Peel Thunder), James Worpel (Geelong Falcons).
Keep an eye out for the next update to the Big Board in SEN Inside Football's October Issue