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While nothing satisfies AFL fans more than seeing their club win games and go deep into September, the allure of witnessing an up-and-coming superstar develop is usually enough to keep a supporter interested, even when their team is going through a rough couple of years (or decades).
Honours such as the Rising Star Award and the AFL’s recent “22 under 22” team are hotly debated, as fans are never afraid to label the next Buddy, Dangerfield or Ablett. Supporters love to boast of their superior young talent, which they feel will propel them towards sustained success in the near future.
Gaining elite talent through the National Draft therefore, has become of vital importance, as noted by the increased resources being put towards talent spotting, list management and recruitment.
While some clubs (particularly the expansion teams and Melbourne) have had a stockpile of first round draft picks, it is how these clubs utilise these picks and develop their players which has the greater effect on how well stocked a team is of young talent.
With this in mind, I have looked at the players 23 years and under (i.e born in 1993 or later) at each club, chosen the eight teams with what I consider the most talented batch of kids, and ranked them.
I have steered clear from listing players who haven’t debuted yet and while my rankings may seem biased towards the Victorian clubs, this is mainly due to the majority of interstate teams not ‘bottoming out’ and relying on early draft picks to build their list (unlike Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs, St Kilda et cetera).
As a result, while teams like Sydney, Port Adelaide and Brisbane boast elite top end young talent, they do not have the depth of the clubs below. The rankings are as follows:
8th – Essendon
Marquee players:
Darcy Parish
Joe Daniher
On track to be elite:
Zach Merrett
Other players of note:
Martin Gleeson
Orazio Fantasia
Jackson Merrett
Kyle Langford
Jayden Laverde
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
As a result of their much publicised WADA player suspensions, Essendon has been forced to invest heavily in youth this year, with some encouraging results.
Darcy Parish looks to be a future superstar, averaging 21 disposals so far and impressing with his class and composure.
While Joe Daniher is sometimes maligned, he has shown glimpses of being one of the best key forwards in the competition, if he can improve his kicking.
Elsewhere, Zach Merrett has become possibly Essendon’s best player and is destined to become an elite midfielder of the competition.
Of the other players to note, none has won more fan support than McDonald-Tipungwuti, the former rookie who has become one of Essendon’s best players this season.
7th – Gold Coast
Marquee players:
Jaeger O’Meara
Jack Martin
On track to be elite:
Kade Kolodjashnij
Touk Miller
Other players of note:
Alex Sexton
Adam Saad
Callum Ah Chee
Peter Wright
Jarrod Garlett
While it may seem odd to have Gold Coast, with their multitude of first round draft picks and obvious talent so low, it must be noted they were really hurt by the age cut-off in my rankings. If players born in 1992 were allowed, Steven May, Dion Prestia, David Swallow and Sam Day would be included, significantly improving Gold Coast’s position in the rankings. Despite this, Gold Coast still has some obvious quality.
Jaeger O’Meara could become the best player in the competition, which makes it vital Gold Coast secures him into the future.
Jack Martin was seen by some as an even bigger talent than O’Meara, but he has been hindered by injuries. If he can live up to his potential, he will be a dominant force in the competition.
Kade Kolodjashnij and Touk Miller also look like they can become elite players, but surprisingly for Gold Coast, their young talent seems thin at this point.
6th – Carlton
Marquee players:
Patrick Cripps
Jacob Weitering
On track to be elite:
Sam Docherty
Sam Kerridge
Other players of note:
Dylan Buckley
Sam Kerridge
Blaine Boekhorst
Kristian Jaksch
Liam Sumner
Lachie Plowman
While Carlton’s depth of young talent is questionable, they are bolstered by having two of the hottest young players in the competition: Patrick Cripps and Jacob Weitering. Both are destined to be superstars of the competition and future leaders of the club.
As well as this, Sam Doherty is having an All-Australian season and Sam Kerridge has the potential to be very good player.
Carlton still needs a lot more young talent however, if they want to contend strongly in the future and they can’t just rely on their hoard of GWS recruits to blossom into elite talent.
5th – St Kilda
Marquee players:
Jack Billings
Paddy McCartin
On track to be elite:
Luke Dunstan
Jack Lonie
Other players of note:
Eli Templeton
Blake Acres
Jack Newnes
Jade Gresham
Tim Membrey
Jack Sinclair
Hugh Goddard
St Kilda have been on a steady rebuild since Ross Lyon departed the club at the end of 2011, amassing some good young talent along the way. Their two recent top three draft picks, Paddy McCartin and Jack Billings, look to be good choices, although they have not exploded onto the scene yet like a Cripps or Bontempelli.
Luke Dunstan and Jack Lonie look to be serious talents and players like Newnes, Membrey and Gresham have also shown glimpses of excitement. Whether they have enough quality on their list to turn them into genuine contenders, remains to be seen.
4th – Collingwood
Marquee players:
Adam Treloar
Darcy Moore
On track to be elite:
Jordan De Goey
Brodie Grundy
Taylor Adams
Marley Williams
Other players of note:
Tom Langdon
James Aish
Jack Crisp
Brayden Maynard
While Nathan Buckley continues to take Collingwood backwards in terms of wins each season since he took over, there is no doubting the club boasts some incredible young talent.
Darcy Moore was highly rated when he was drafted as a father-son in 2014, and has certainly lived up to expectations so far. At just 20 years of age, he has shown already that he will be a dangerous key forward in the years to come. In fact I believe he has the potential to end up the best key forward in the competition (yes, even better than Jesse Hogan).
Adam Treloar has been an inspired recruit, this season cementing himself as an elite midfielder. Elsewhere, players such as Grundy, De Goey, Adams and Williams all have the ability to become elite and James Aish also has the pedigree to join this bracket. Overall, Collingwood seems to have a very bright future ahead.
3rd – Melbourne
Marquee players:
Jesse Hogan
Christian Petracca
On track to be elite:
Christian Salem
Jack Viney
Angus Brayshaw
Clayton Oliver
Other players of note:
Dom Tyson
Sam Frost
Jay Kennedy-Harris
Oscar McDonald
Alex Neal-Bullen
Tomas Bugg
Ben Kennedy
While Melbourne have suffered over the years due to poor recruiting and development, they seem to have turned it around recently. Their top ten draft picks in the last five years (Hogan, Petracca, Salem, Brayshaw and Oliver) all seem to be great choices, with Hogan and Petracca in particular looking like they will dominate the competition in the years to come.
Players like Dom Tyson, Tomas Bugg and Ben Kennedy also look to be astute pick-ups from other clubs, giving Melbourne an enviable batch of young players.
Despite this, their relative lack of success in the last couple of seasons compared to the clubs listed below, confines them to third spot in my rankings.
If their high end draft picks in particular fulfil their vast potential, Melbourne will finally be the premiership threat their fans have been so patiently waiting for them to become.
2nd – Western Bulldogs
Marquee players:
Marcus Bontempelli
Jake Stringer
On track to be elite:
Lachie Hunter
Jack Macrae
Caleb Daniel
Toby McLean
Other players of note:
Nathan Hrovat
Clay Smith
Tom Boyd
Josh Dunkley
Mitch Honeychurch
Kieran Collins
Marcus Adams
What Luke Beveridge has been able to achieve so far with such a young list is remarkable, but he has done it on the back of some prodigious young talent at his disposal. At the top of this talent pool are Marcus Bontempelli and Jake Stringer, two of the most exciting talents in the competition.
Bontempelli is already arguably an elite player at just 20 years of age and Stringer, while still up and down at times, was All-Australian last year in just his third season. If he starts spending more time in the midfield with his explosive power, there’s no telling what he could do.
Lachie Hunter meanwhile has had a sparkling year, Jack Macrae continues to rack up the ball and is incredibly underrated, while Caleb Daniel and Toby McLean have shown glimpses of becoming elite players in the future.
The big question mark though is Tom Boyd, the much maligned key forward on the massive pay check. Injury and form issues have prevented him from becoming a regular in the senior team and one wonders if his massive frame and lack of athleticism will hold him back in the modern game.
If he does end up becoming the dominant key forward the club brought him in to be, the Western Bulldogs will have the list and coaching nous to finally add to their solitary 1954 premiership.
1st – GWS
Marquee players:
Jeremy Cameron
Dylan Shiel
On track to be elite:
Lachie Whitfield
Stephen Coniglio
Josh Kelly
Toby Greene
Other players of note:
Jacob Hopper
Devon Smith
Jack Steele
Jonathon Patton
Nathan Wilson
Adam Tomlinson
Cam McCarthy
Zac Williams
Will Hoskin-Elliott
Caleb Marchbank
Rory Lobb
Could it really be any other club? GWS have such a deep trove of talented young players, it seems almost unfair. In fact just look at some of the players they have lost: Treloar, Adams, Boyd, Tyson, Adams and Bugg all look to be promising prospects, yet their loss is barely felt.
What GWS does have is possibly the best key forward in the competition in Jeremy Cameron (who is still only 23 years old), a midfield jet in Dylan Shiel, as well as other super classy midfielders in Coniglio, Whitfield and Kelly (all top two draft picks).
But the scariest thing about GWS is their depth of young players, with names such as Hopper, Steele, Wilson, Lobb and Smith all looking like serious talent going forward.
It is impossible to see how GWS will not win premierships in the coming years and they could indeed build themselves a dynasty to go along with Hawthorn, Geelong and Brisbane of recent times.
But if the plight of the Gold Coast Suns has taught us anything, it is that immense talent does not necessarily equal success. Turning this talented list into a premiership force will be a major challenge for Leon Cameron and his coaching staff, because perennial powerhouses like Hawthorn, Sydney and Geelong will not wilt in the face of this major threat to their dominance.
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