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The 2014 AFL season is fast approaching and there is a lot of new talent entering the system. Most fans might know who their club’s first pick in the draft was but that’s not always the best indicator for who will make an impact this year.
This is a guide to those young guns that either weren’t taken with their club’s first pick or may have fallen off the radar after being picked in previous years.
Luke Dunstan (St Kilda)
Saints fans are all pumped to see pick three Jack Billings debut but Luke Dunstan shouldn’t be forgotten.
Dunstan is just the kind of midfielder St Kilda needs: a hard in-and-under type with clean hands.
Almost more importantly for St Kilda, Dunstan is a young man with obvious leadership skills.
Expect him to debut early in the season and make in impact immediately. And in a few years expect to see the word ‘captain’ next to his name.
Claye Beams (Brisbane)
The talented 22-year-old has only played a handful of games for Brisbane in three seasons.
The younger brother of Collingwood’s Dayne Beams, Claye has missed almost two entire seasons with a bad run of luck, including stress fractures in his foot and rupturing his ACL last year.
But reports from the new Lions coach suggest Beams is finally fighting fit and leading the way at training.
Expect Beams to be in the team’s line-up from Round 1 if he’s fit, and if he can stay injury-free he will be a more than handy addition to Brisbane’s midfield or half-back line.
Jonathon Patton (GWS)
Patton came into the AFL with a lot of fanfare, drafted with the number one pick in 2011 but has failed to make much of an impact after being repeatedly cruelled by injury.
The emergence of the Jeremy Cameron and the drafting of Tom Boyd last year have overshadowed Patton so far but a tall forward doesn’t get drafted at number one unless he can seriously play.
Jonathon Patton is still young and 2014 could be the year he finally delivers on that promise.
Expect him to play during the pre-season competition and if he stays fit he should be remain in the team.
The big question is whether three alpha-forwards in Patton, Cameron and Boyd can all play together in one attack.
Tim Broomhead (Collingwood)
Pies fans should keep an eye out for this young medium-sized midfielder.
Broomhead was a surprise selection at pick 20 in the 2012 draft but Derek Hine rarely gets it wrong.
Full of class, hard at the ball and blessed with speed, Broomhead could be an elite midfielder if he can add a bit of size to his frame.
A bout of glandular fever is all that kept him out of the seniors last year but he performed well in the VFL during the second half of the season.
Expect to see him make a debut on a forward flank before the bye.
Jay Kennedy-Harris (Melbourne)
Melbourne supporters’ minds are divided between their new coach in Paul Roos, their new power forward in Jesse Hogan and their first round draft pick in Christian Salem.
The 2013 pick 40, Jay Kennedy-Harris has slipped under the radar, which isn’t hard for the 173-centimetre small mid/forward.
Dripping class and composure, this elusive young man will have a field day crumbing at the feat of Melbourne’s growing stock of big forwards.
Roos has warned he doesn’t like debuting recruits before they’re ready but expect to Kennedy-Harris to get his chance before the bye.
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