It's moving month, and there are many big changes to the top 100 AFL Draft rankings.
The biggest risers over the past month have been Northern Knights trio Harvie Cooke, Toby Krasna and Sam Gayfer, as well as Sandringham duo George Dimer and Lochie Burrows, who have all had amazing months for Vic. Metro at the national championships.
The biggest fallers from last month's rankings were Dandenong's Ben Carroll, Calder's Sam Harris, and South Australian defenders Harry Franz and Kale Matthews Hampton.
The national championships have concluded for 3 out of the 5 teams. It's time to attempt another top 100 prospect ranking. This is always a pretty mentally challenging and stressful endeavour, but it's also pretty fun, and this year's draft crop is growing increasingly deep and interesting to follow.
Whilst the 21-50 bracket has some notable risers and fallers, the top 20 has remained largely the same this month. Almost all the players in this bracket have solidified their standings at the pointy end of the draft. I have the top 10 sitting a level above the next 10 as it stands, but the upper echelon of this year's draft is growing by the week and the number of players outside the top 20 pressing their case to join that group is super impressive considering the amount of football still to play this year.
The depth of this year's draft is evident in the quality of names currently sitting outside the top 50. The 51-100 bracket was extremely hard to rank which is great for the strength of talent this year and means that there will be something for everyone all the way to the latter stages of this year's draft. There are still plenty of high-quality players sitting outside the top 100 who are very stiff to miss out on this list.
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20. Clancy Snell – KEY DEF – Gippsland Power (-)
Snell has done his draft stocks no harm with his performances for Vic Country and remains clear as the #1 key defender in this class. He hasn't set the world on fire, but certainly showcased all the traits that have him so highly touted. Snell has pulled away as the top key defensive prospect in this year's draft. An impressive athlete capable of playing in a lockdown role or as an interceptor. Snell has benefitted from playing in a strong Gippsland side and has had long periods of games where he has been able to freely peel off his opponent to intercept or spoil. Snell also played as a forward last year to a high level and has great skills to distribute and a willingness to take the game on by foot.
19. Hugh McCallum – WING/UTILITY – Tasmania Devils (-)
McCallum will maintain his spot in the top group of prospects after his highly impressive body of work in the early stages of the year. The top group is growing by the week, however, which only means McCallum may become more of a steal by draft night. A highly-talented prospect with elite running power, clean skills and a willingness to work hard defensively as well as make himself a goal-kicking option by working into space ahead of the ball. An ACL injury means we won't see McCallum for the rest of this year, however, he showed more than enough to suggest that he can be valuable in almost any position on the field and is certainly worth having a look at with a first round pick.
18. Harrison Chapman – WING/UTILITY – Eastern Ranges (-)
Chapman looked good playing on the wing for Vic Metro, after spending the first part of the season playing primarily on-ball for Eastern. Chapman has all the traits to thrive in either position, so it will be interesting to see where he plays most in the coming weeks. Elite speed for his size as well as running power to impact on a wing at the next level straight away. If Chapman gets the ball in space, he backs his speed to beat his opponent and typically does. Chapman has spent a lot of time as a primary on-baller this year and has no problem racking up disposals. He works hard on the spread and can become more of a presence as a forward in the latter stages of this year, too.
17. George Gale – UTILITY – Claremont Tigers (-)
Gained plenty of admirers over the national championships with excellent showings on the wing for WA, Gale used his size and running power to stay
constantly involved in play and showed his solid foot skills and marking ability. There's hardly a position Gale can't play; big-bodied midfielder, intercepting third-tall defender or hard-working, elite running wing. Gale has a great inside/outside game and uses his natural reading of the play to intercept even when playing higher up the ground. Gale is a natural leader whose play style and mindset stands up in big moments, and he has the running power to close out quarters and games better than his opponents.
16. Leo Steed – MID – Swan Districts (-)
Steed has maintained the same ranking despite only strengthening his credentials over the past few weeks. An on-field leader who continues working
and impacts with speed and burst in the forward half, as well as solid skills behind the ball. Been on a mercurial rise since the start of the year and is climbing by the week. Steed plays with arguably the highest work rate of anyone in this draft class. He works hard on both sides of the ball and often kickstarts offensive transition, before inevitably getting involved further up the ground, too. Steed has played as a high half forward at WAFL league level and shown that he can be a goal-kicker as well as a ball-winner. Proving his work rate translates well to the next level.
15. Noah Williams – MID – Geelong Falcons (-4)
Williams has shown that he is an extremely solid player. Despite a slight drop in rankings, there is no question that Williams can impact at the next level and be a solid piece of any team's midfield. Tough, clean, reliable. Williams is always solid around stoppage whether it's getting first hands on the ball, laying a strong tackle or using his quality left boot to hit a target at short or long range. A high-floor player. Williams' play style leads by example and his work rate and running power means he is always involved in the play and he can also be effective playing out on a wing.
14. Heath Mellody – MID/UTILITY – Claremont Tigers (-)
Ultra impressive showings for Mellody have certainly raised his status within this group of midfielders at the pointy end of the draft. He has a great modern skillset, running ability and positional versatility. A beautiful ball user and a smooth-moving outside runner who can play all around the ground. Best suited to playing as an outside midfielder or on a wing, Mellody is capable of hitting really difficult kicks and looks to take the game on whenever he can. Mellody showed his class as a bottom-ager last year, he can play as a "quarterback" style distributor off half-back and has also shown an inside presence and tackling toughness at WAFL colts level.
13. Ethan Matthews – MID – GWS Academy (-1)
A shame we didn't get to see Matthews light things up for the Allies in their final few games. He still showed that he has an impressive skillset for the modern game and will no doubt look to take his game to another level before the end of the year. A smooth-moving outside ball user with a great work rate and elite skills. Matthews works hard to make himself an option as a distributor out of defence, and he can also get on the end of an attacking chain as the inside-50 target hitter. Matthews has extensive experience at VFL level already and will certainly look to spend the latter stages of this year showcasing his talents at a higher level compared to other prospects, which will only enhance his draft standing further.
12. Kodah Edwards – MID/FWD – South Adelaide Panthers (+1)
Some strong performances for SA over the champs really highlighted Edwards' quality. Plays tough, wins plenty of the ball, shows solid skills and an ability to damage as a forward. An impressive all-round prospect who plays well as both a hard-running accumulator or high-impact hybrid midfielder/forward, Edwards is capable of just about anything required of him on a given day. Edwards has no problem racking up disposals either at the source or on the outside; he can turn up the tackling pressure or make himself a goal-scoring option. His goal nous and forward craft also make him a tough match-up when rotating forward.
11. Marlon Neocleous – SMALL FWD/MID – Gippsland Power (+4)
Missed the bulk of games over the past few weeks due to back spasms, Neocleous will be looking to impress against Vic Metro and hit the final weeks
of the Talent League season hard. Claimed the title of “the Nick Watson of this year's draft” before the season even started and doesn't show any signs of letting go. What sets Neocleous apart from smalls in the previous few drafts who have also drawn comparisons to the Hawthorn superstar is his ability overhead and genuine clearance-winning midfield craft. Neocleous will be looked at by clubs with high picks as a point of difference for their forward mix; just a player of Neocleous' skillset and play style can change the dynamic of a team's forward line and challenge opponent structures.
