South Australian gun Sid Draper forces his way into the top 3 of the AFL Draft, while a basketball prodigy has a big decision to make come the end of the year. Now halfway through the National Championships, there is big movement at the top of the 2024 draft board.
This is ESPN’s AFL Draft top 20 Power Rankings for June.
1 Josh Smillie (May ranking: 1)
Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro
MID, 194cm
Talent League: 5 games, 28.2 disposals, 4.0 marks, 1.6 goals
Smillie is a bulldozing inside midfielder with a penetrating kick, and has put together the best top-age campaign of anyone in his class. Some questions still linger on his outside game and ability to use his height in the air, where his obvious advantages haven’t quite come to the fore. The 194cm midfielder started his championships campaign with 17 disposals against the Allies.
2. Finn O’Sullivan (2)
Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Country
MID, 182cm
Talent League: 1 game, 15 disposals, 2 marks, 4 tackles
O’Sullivan has endured a frustrating campaign to date, but his ability as a hardworking midfielder with aerial prowess remains unquestioned. The ball-winner is in line to return for Vic Country after playing only two games this year due to hand injuries.
3. Sid Draper (6)
South Adelaide/South Australia
MID, 182cm
2023SANFL U18s: 14 games, 21.6 disposals, 4.2 clearances, 0.6 goals
All of Draper’s power and class have been on display for South Australia at the carnival after overcoming a stress fracture earlier in the year. He’s a brute on the inside, belying his size to win contested ball and explode from contest. Draper won his state’s MVP last year and is on track to do so again.
4. Jagga Smith (4)
Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
MID, 181cm
Talent League: 5 games, 30.6 disposals, 3.6 marks, 2.8 tackles
Smith has led from the front for a disappointing Chargers team, and led all players on the ground with 32 disposals for Vic Metro. He takes the ball from the inside to outside better than anyone in the draft and has the neat skills to release players into space by hand and foot.
READ: Jagga Smith is arguably this year’s most exciting midfielder
5. Levi Ashcroft (3)
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
MID, 179cm
Talent League: 3 games, 27.3 disposals, 4.7 marks, 1.3 goals
The younger brother of Will, Levi Ashcroft has similar accumulation ability and can hit the scoreboard when play forward of centre. He doesn’t possess Will’s top-end speed but his hands in congestion are more developed at this stage of his career. Ashcroft is linked to the Lions through their academy and father-son ties.
6. Leonardo Lombard (9)
SUNS Academy/Allies
MID/FWD, 178cm
Talent League: 2 games, 25.0 disposals, 2.5 marks, 0.5 goals
Lombard has starred at the national championships, ripping the ball out of contests and proving ultra damaging in the forward half. He won a VFL premiership last year and has split his time between the Talent League and VFL this season.
READ: The Academy prospect so good, he could force a rule change
7. Luke Trainor (5)
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
DEF, 194cm
Talent League: 2 games, 20.5 disposals, 5.5 marks, 3.3 tackles
Trainor is the premier intercepting defender in the draft, able to read the play beautifully and kickstart transition. He gets a lot of the football out of defence with his work rate, and potentially has scope to move into the midfield with his damaging disposal by foot a feature of his game.
8. Christian Moraes (7)
Eastern Ranges, Vic Metro
MID/FWD, 183cm
Talent League: 4 games, 26.0 disposals, 6.3 marks, 2.3 goals
Moraes has been thrown around the ground this year, kicking goals for the Ranges but playing off halfback for Vic Metro. He gets a lot of the ball through his elite workrate but hasn’t been as damaging as he would like this season. Moraes always seems to have more time than those around him.
9. Sam Lalor (8)
GWV Rebels/Vic Country
MID, 187cm
2023 Talent League: 8 games, 20.3 disposals, 7.5 tackles, 0.8 goals
Lalor has had a frustrating campaign with injury but at his best he is an elite contested midfielder. His size and physicality allows him to tackle hard and win his 50-50s. The Rebels star is primed to return for the rest of Vic Country’s carnival.
10. Taj Hotton (10)
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
FWD/MID, 182cm
Talent League: 3 games, 28.7 disposals, 7.3 marks, 1.7 goals
The big riser from last year is Hotton, a forward-turned-midfielder whose aerobic base has come on in leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, a torn ACL has ruled him out for the year but he’s remains a top-10 chance come November.
11. Joe Berry (14)
Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country
FWD, 180cm
Talent League: 5 games, 13.6 disposals, 4.0 tackles, 3.2 goals
Berry is the best small forward in the draft, able to kick goals in a variety of ways and pressure ball carriers with good speed. His intent to tackle and win the ball back for his side was demonstrable for Vic Country where he kicked three goals from 12 disposals.
12. Tobie Travaglia (Unranked)
Bendigo Pioneers/Vic Country
DEF, 187cm
Talent League: 8 games, 25.4 disposals, 4.8 marks, 5.0 tackles
Travaglia was thrust into the first round mix with a strong performance for the AFL Academy, but his first outing for Vic Country cemented his credentials. The intercepting halfback loves to take the game on and uses the ball neatly, and his elite competitiveness makes him a strong one-on-one defender.
13. Isaac Kako (19)
Calder Cannons/Vic Metro
FWD, 175cm
Talent League: 5 games, 16.6 disposals, 3.8 marks, 2.0 goals
Kako has starred all season as a small forward, plus shown real promise as a midfielder for the Cannons. He hits contests at full tilt and loves to pressure and tackle, plus can play as a lead-up forward on the wings to provide outlets. He’s Vic Metro’s best small forward, and his 2024 exploits mean the Essendon NGA prospect is unlikely to end up at the Bombers.
14. Alex Dodson (Unranked)
Sturt/South Australia
RUC, 203cm
SANFL U18s: 2 games, 20.5 disposals, 23 hitouts
Dodson is the best ruckman in the pool, but he has a huge decision to make come the end of the year. The 203cm South Australian is a basketball prodigy, winning a gold medal for Australia’s U18s in Germany alongside projected first round NBA draft pick Jacob Furphy earlier this year. But he returned to football mid-year and has produced two starring championships performances as an athletic ruckman with clean skills and an elite work ethic.
15. Matt Whitlock (18)
Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country
DEF/FWD, 199cm
Talent League: 5 games, 14.8 disposals, 6.0 marks, 1.2 goals
Whitlock is a rangy defender with good closing speed and an athletic base to build on. He turned heads with a five goal haul when his twin brother Jack missed for the Bushrangers, but sees his future down back where he continues to win battles against the best key forwards in the country.
16. Bo Allan (16)
Peel Thunder/Western Australia
DEF/MID, 191cm
WAFL Colts: 2 games, 21.0 disposals, 5.5 marks, 0.5 goals
Allan made a strong return to the WA fold as an inside midfielder on the weekend. He takes on tackles with brute force and is hard to stop at top speed either off halfback or out of the middle. In a big win over SA he had 19 disposals and five clearances.
17. Ben Camporeale (15)
Glenelg/South Australia
MID/DEF, 186cm
SANFL U18s: 4 games, 30.0 disposals, 4.5 marks, 3.5 tackles
Camporeale is a dominant inside midfielder who wins a lot of the ball in contested situations. He has the defensive aptitude to boot, tackling and pressuring like his life depends on it. There are concerns with his ball use and speed but Ben has AFL-level qualities already. His twin brother Lucas enjoyed a dominant performance on the outside for SA against WA with 29 disposals.
18. Jack Whitlock (12)
Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country
FWD, 200cm
Talent League: 3 games, 15.0 disposals, 6.0 tackles, 2.3 goals
Whitlock put himself in the first round picture early with big performances up forward for the Bushrangers, earning himself an AFL Academy call-up. At his best he’s taking the ball at his highest point and proving a match-up nightmare for defenders with his long limbs, outstanding leap and strong hands. A big carnival for Vic Country will solidify his first round credentials.
19. Samuel Marshall (Unranked)
Sandringham Dragons/Allies
MID, 185cm
Talent League: 2 games, 22.5 disposals, 8.0 marks
Marshall is a beautiful ball user and plays to his strengths with his half running and execution in space. He’s run through the middle but has also shown flashes off halfback where he takes the game on and accumulates the ball. Marshall is a Lions Academy member.
20. Harry O’Farrell (13)
Calder Cannons/Vic Metro
DEF, 196cm
Talent League: 2 games, 11.5 disposals, 2.5 marks, 0.5 tackles
A masterful shutdown defender, O’Farrell can play at both ends of the ground but looks most comfortable playing back shoulder and coming over the top of packs in contested marking situations. He has the length and sneaky-good closing speed to play on a variety of talls.