A LEFT-FOOTED key forward who has been likened to Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin looms as a dark horse in this year's NAB AFL Draft.

Western Jets spearhead Spencer White - the runner-up in the TAC Cup goalkicking award this year after tallying 36.12 in 16 games - is regarded as a raw but rare athlete who can run like the wind, take skyscraping marks and slot brilliant goals.

White's highlights package is certain to cause excitement among fans and perhaps recruiters alike.

A minor health problem contributed to an inconsistent start to the season, but White's draft prospects have surged in recent months.

The 195cm/90kg power forward wasn't among the original list of 100-odd invitees for the NAB AFL Draft Combine earlier this month, but received a late call-up and posted some impressive results, winning the running vertical jump (coming within 2cm of the all-time record shared by Nic Naitanui and Jared Brennan) and finishing third in the standing vertical jump.

These efforts followed his strong finish to the TAC Cup season and also reinforced his much-sought-after capacity to be a back-up ruckman.

One of the draft's best-kept secrets was out. Eight clubs interviewed White at the combine.

Industry sources suggest White (who turned 18 just last month) could be snapped up as early as a pick in the 20s, and as late as the 70s. The latter would appear a genuine steal for a youngster who - according to his Jets coach, former Western Bulldogs defender Steve Kretiuk - has the potential to be a star.

"There were some really good forwards who played in the TAC Cup this year but Spence has got a lot more in his favour," Kretiuk told AFL.com.au.

"He's really dynamic, he's got genuine X factor, and he's got a lot of attributes that most players haven’t got.

"He'll take a couple of years to physically and mentally get up to AFL standard, but once he matures he's going to be a pretty exciting player. He certainly excited us this year.

"His highlights package would be unbelievable. Some of the things he did reminded me of Buddy Franklin. Tall, quick, left foot, take 'em on - very much like Buddy."

Kretiuk said White had kicked "three or four" goals like the brilliant double Franklin slotted from the boundary after bouncing runs against Essendon in round 13, 2010. And, Kretiuk added, White isn't burdened by the "Buddy (kicking) arc".

"Spence's speed, especially for his size, is a real asset, and he backs himself in a fair bit," he said. "He's also got a great natural leap. He took marks from four and five-deep in packs, sitting on blokes' shoulders.

"He's really hard to beat. He can create things out of nothing."

White admits the Franklin comparison - which he has heard several times - is daunting, but realises such talk is beyond his control.

"It doesn’t mean anything until I play in the AFL," he told AFL.com.au.

Of his eye-catching playing style, the Melbourne High School student said: "I try to run and create. I probably did it too much at times, and the coaches told me off when it didn’t work out. But they were happy when it worked."

In contrast with the excitement surrounding his football potential, White's story is also one of sadness.

His father Kerry Crouch - a good local footballer who also represented Victoria in hockey - died suddenly just four years ago.

"Dad had a real impact on my life and my football," he said. "It would be great to [get drafted] for him. It's not my only motivation, but it's a big driving factor."

An only child, the then 14-year-old White and his mother Debra moved from Melbourne's northern-eastern suburbs to Williamstown in the west for a fresh start.

Sport (football and basketball) became an even greater outlet.

After earlier stints with the Research and Macleod junior footy clubs, White was rejected by Williamstown Juniors (the same club as Western Jets teammate Lachie Hunter, who has joined the Bulldogs as a father-son selection) because they already had enough players. Instead, he played for Spotswood.

Last year White played 10 games (for 10 goals) with the Jets. But early this season an AFL career appeared little more than a pipedream. In five games he'd kicked just seven goals (including five in one match) and, by his own admission, was "really struggling". It was no surprise when he didn’t make the Vic Metro squad.

Kretiuk says White had two major issues at the time: he was severely lacking in endurance, and often chose the wrong time to jump for marks.

White appeared unable, or unwilling, to make multiple efforts. His excuse was that he couldn’t run because he couldn’t breathe. It was a source of frustration for both parties. Amazingly, tests revealed that White was using just 60 per cent of his lung capacity.

He has had asthma all his life but it had flared to such an extent that a specialist placed him on stronger medication to keep it under control. Consequently, his health, stamina and form improved dramatically.

"I'd often done things in patches but suddenly I started to string a few games together and became a lot more consistent," he said. "It changed everything for me."

His decision-making also became sharper when he heeded his coaches' urgings to simply focus on the basics. Ironically, the more he did this, the more the dashes, marks and goals flowed. In the last 10 rounds he kicked 29.8, including eight multiple-goal efforts.

Despite the rising expectations, White is doing his best to remain level-headed. He's "not too fussed" which club drafts him, or when, as long as he gets a chance.

But, "just in case it doesn’t work out", he has a contingency plan - a real estate course. However, many suspect that on draft day he'll be hot property.