The 2022 AFL Draft class is shaping up and becoming more promising with every day that passes. Possessing a variety of talents, the class of โ22 has certainly provided clubs and playing lists with a service that clubs will be hoping to hold onto for the entirety of their playing careers.
While some stars have already emerged and established themselves, like Norm Smith medallist Will Ashcroft and North Melbourne's very own duo of Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw, the class still has the potential to deliver on more of the promise it entailed.
This article explores eight players we believe are ready to take a leap, matching a prediction for each of them heading into the 2025 season.
2. Elijah Tsatas
For more reasons than one, Elijah Tsatas has been one of the most talked about rookies of this class despite only playing 11 games for Essendon. Taken with Pick 5, many were surprised to see Tsatas off the board when the likes of Mattaes Phillipou and Bailey Humphrey were still on the board - as many believed they addressed greater needs for the Bombers.
Nevertheless, the club's list management saw something they liked in the 187cm midfielder and selected him. To date, this Essendon midfield has been a tough one to find space for the former Oakleigh Charger, with much of his AFL games being spent on the wing rather than inside the contest where he thrives.
2024 also saw Sam Durham and Jye Caldwell emerge through the absence of Darcy Parish, so why is Tsatas any more likely to break out this year with what seems like more roadblocks in his way?
For one, there is likely to be more flexibility in positions from some players such as Zach Merrett and Sam Durham, both of whom have been hinted at training in half-back and half-forward roles respectively. Don't expect this to be a full-time role, but it does allow for more avenues to centre bounces for the 20-year-old Tsatas.
Secondly, much of what maligned Tsatas and prevented him from challenging for more games was his kicking. Through his two years in the AFL system thus far, his kicking has been at 50.7% efficiency thus far. Reports coming out of Tullamarine have been about this young prospect changing his kicking technique and putting in extra hours to improve his ball use. This has carried into the pre-season, where has been touted as one of the best on ground through a number of sessions.
Prediction: Tsatas averages a cool 22 possessions a game and brings his kicking efficiency up past 60%.
