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We’re midway through the AFL season, which means that we’re at the point of the year where the teams languishing in the bottom reaches of the ladder (including, unfortunately, my Saints) begin to turn to this year’s draft crop for some much-needed cheer.
It’s also the point where the draft crop starts to really take shape.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the top prospects for this year, and which clubs might be a good fit.
A few things to note – this doesn’t take into account club’s positions on the ladder, or where they’re likely to finish, nor does it take into account players who might shoot up the virtual rankings later in the season. I’ve chosen five players who are already doing good things and who, by all accounts, should still be ranked highly come the end of the year. I also haven’t selected likely father-son or academy picks (ruling out Tarryn Thomas and Nick Blakey), as there’s not much point debating where they might go.
Max King – Sandringham Dragons
Position: key forward/defender
One half of the King twins, and one of the most talented underage key position players to come through the under-18 system in the past few years. He’s been in stellar form this year for Sandringham in the TAC Cup, kicking 8.5 in one match, and two goals for the academy side in their win over North Melbourne’s VFL side in April.
Unfortunately, Max ruptured his ACL in late April, and will be out for the rest of the year.
Long touted as a top-five selection, this now puts his draft position in an interesting light – could he fall into the Joel Selwood and Jake Lever camp, whereby his injury sees him fall down the draft order, despite his obvious talent? Or will recruiters ignore that and still use an early selection on him?
Given the difficulty finding good taller players, and the fact that players like Selwood and Lever have gone on to make the clubs who didn’t select them earlier regret it, King still shapes as a top-five selection.
Who would he suit?
Most clubs – I’m ruling out only Brisbane, Adelaide, Essendon, West Coast, Greater Western Sydney, and the Bulldogs, due to their relatively healthy stocks of key forwards (although it wouldn’t surprise if they took him anyway, at the end of the year). He’d be a good fit anywhere else.
The Saints could really use another tall target, especially one who is versatile. Hugh Goddard shaped as being able to play this role, but he’s had so many injuries that he’s not a certain proposition. If Tom Lynch leaves Gold Coast at season’s end, wouldn’t they love to replace him with another young, athletic tall with good goal sense? Fremantle, too, could use King to bolster their forward line, given Matt Taberner’s inconsistent development.
King’s athleticism would also appeal to Geelong, Collingwood and Hawthorn, and he’d certainly provide Melbourne with some more flexibility in their gameplan.
He’ll likely be long gone by Richmond’s first selection, but I’d see a role for him there as well.
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Ben King – Sandringham Dragons
Position: key forward/defender
The other half of the King twins, Ben has also been in ripping form, kicking an incredible 11 (!) goals against Geelong on the day Max was injured.
Ben has looked a more natural defender than forward, but definitely has the ability to play in both positions, and, somewhat cruelly, may have benefited from his brother’s injury in that he has been switched to the forward line and become the focal point for his team in attack.
He competes well, as evidenced by his 20 disposals and a goal in the same game as Max kicked eight goals. It will be fascinating to see if clubs see him more as a forward or a defender, and whether this affects his draft position. In the past, players who have been shuffled around in different positions have often suffered come draft time, plagued by a lack of consistency. Ben, however, is a different type of player, and being swung between the forward and back lines shouldn’t affect him too much.
Who would he suit?
Similar to above, clubs who are looking for key talls. Most clubs could do with depth in the position (except perhaps the Bulldogs), he’d be an excellent fit for GWS, with injury problems to Matt Buntine. Collingwood is also crying out for another key defender, and pairing him with Darcy Moore would be exciting.
Ben King (Photo by Darrian Traynor/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Jack Lukosius – South Australia
Position: forward/defender
Lukosius is another versatile player, equally capable of playing forward or as a defender. At 196cm, he’s the modern-day prototype, and his athleticism allows him to excel in either position. He kicked four goals last year on his SANFL debut, and has kicked seven goals from five matches so far this year.
However, his versatility was also on display in the South Australian under-18 trial game earlier this year, where he gathered 25 disposals, 14 marks, and six inside-50s playing as a centre-half back. He also played at both ends in the AFL Academy match against North, kicking two goals.
Another intriguing one to watch given his versatility, but most clubs would rate him as a top-five prospect.
Who would he suit?
His kicking is one of his standout traits, and so he’d be an excellent fit for clubs like St Kilda, where this area is a major problem, or Hawthorn and Geelong, who have made it a focus to recruit players with good foot skills.
He does everything well – he’s a smart player with footy nous and athleticism, and clubs would be hard pressed to overlook him.
Jack Lukosius (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
Sam Walsh – Geelong Falcons
Position: midfielder
It’s not often that there’s one standout midfielder in the draft pool, but that seems to be the case this year with Walsh. At 183cm, he’s a good height for the modern midfielder, and is averaging an astonishing 34 disposals and six tackles in four TAC Cup games so far this season.
In the academy match against North, he amassed 22 disposals, nine marks, and four clearances, as well as a goal. This demonstrates both his footy smarts and his ability to match it against senior players, something recruiters value.
He’s equally comfortable winning both contested and uncontested possessions, and is a ball magnet, amassing 100 disposals in his first three TAC Cup matches. His endurance and agility are also standout traits. He’s ready to make an immediate impact next year.
Who would he suit?
Anyone looking for a gun midfielder, and potential future captain. Walsh is a near certainty to be a top-five pick, so the clubs whose picks fall in that range will have some serious thinking to do.
It’s not often that the best midfielder in the draft could go at pick four or five, but depending on team needs this year, that could happen to Walsh.
He’s the complete package, a safe bet, and any club would be happy to have him.
Sam Walsh (Photo by Darrian Traynor/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Izak Rankine – South Australia
Position: small forward/midfielder
I hate the term ‘excitement machine’ and other variations thereof, because they are too often overused. However, in Rankine’s case, it’s a term that may well be warranted.
He has some special abilities – he plays predominantly as a small forward, but can also push into the midfield and have an impact, which is rare. He was an All Australian under-18 player as a bottom-ager last year, and looks to have continued that form this season – in his four games for South Australia this year, he’s averaging 19 disposals, four marks, two tackles, and nearly two goals.
He’s only 178 centimetres tall, but Rankine has enough other standout traits that his height shouldn’t be a worry for recruiters.
My sense is that he’ll remain a hybrid forward-midfielder for now, but as recruiters will likely want to see him play more in the midfield, it wouldn’t surprise if he shifts more into that part of the ground as the year progresses.
Who would he suit?
Like all the players on this list, he’d be a good fit for numerous clubs. The Giants could use a skilful, smaller player forward of the ball, as could Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton, Gold Coast, and the Bulldogs. Again, any club with a top-five pick would have to seriously consider him.
Where he is selected may come down to which position clubs see him settling in, and how this fits with list profiles and strategies. As a general rule, draft strategy dictates that clubs pick the best available players with their early picks, rather than choosing based on needs.
On that basis, Rankine should be rated as too good to pass up.
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