THERE has not been a draft class quite like this for some time.
With every week, more and more draft prospects have thrown themselves in the mix as legitimate and worthy early pick contenders.
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It makes doing a top 30 ranking for the September edition of the Phantom Form Guide a fun but challenging task: how to fit in and order such an even and talented group?
This is the third edition of the Form Guide for this year, with two more to come before November's Telstra AFL Draft. Expect the swaps at the top end to continue as we settle on splitting the hairs that separate some of the very best – who are all a bit different.
Remember, the Form Guide doesn't take into account where bids on father-son or Academy players will come and instead is a ranking of the best AFL prospects in the draft class.
Every time the next challenge comes, Ashcroft lifts to it. He made his VFL debut for the Lions and gathered 35 disposals and 11 clearances and since then has produced some terrific performances for the Dragons, including 40 touches and two goals in their qualifying final win over the Calder Cannons. He backed it up with 33 disposals and two goals on Sunday in the preliminary final and is shooting to this week become a three-time premiership winner in consecutive years for the Dragons. Ashcroft is ready to be playing at AFL level and the ball-winner has been preparing himself for that next step for some time.
Langford held his own in his VFL debut last month as Richmond got a close look at his talents. But they have been widely on show across a near complete under-18 season that has seen him dominate for Dandenong nearly every game of the year as well as be a joint winner of the Larke Medal. The taller midfielder impacts games with his long left-foot kicking and forward presence (he has booted 20 goals for the Stingrays) and takes the game forward. There's not much else Langford could have done this season to show his place right among the best 2024 prospects.
Smith has been at the top of nearly every stats sheet for every game he's played this year. He is a freak in getting his hands on the ball, a very clever extractor of the ball at the clinches who has the consistency to match. His VFL form was excellent for Richmond and he then went back to the Chargers to have 42 disposals and follow it up with 33 disposals and two goals to lead his side to a win over Sandringham, which boasts the best midfield in the Victorian competition. Smith's season ended on Sunday in the Chargers' defeat but he just kept producing in 2024.
After impressing in the VFL with Richmond, where he kicked two goals and showed his fast feet and agility, O'Sullivan returned to the Chargers, where he had the best game of his injury-interrupted draft campaign. The tough midfielder kicked 3.2 from 18 disposals in helping dismantle the Dragons. Unfortunately, in a continuation of his season's issues, he missed the next game with a hip complaint. He played well on Sunday in Oakleigh's defeat, kicking two goals from 20 disposals. Recruiters haven't seen the best of O'Sullivan this year but his overhead marking, smarts and potential still makes him a No.1 pick contender.
Class, class, class. There's no quicker mind in this year's draft group than Reid, who makes things happen every time he has the ball. If there was a test at the Draft Combine for footy IQ, Reid would win it: he reads the game quicker than others, opens space with his clever, quick and sharp handballing, his kicking hits targets and he slips in and out of trouble at a different speed to other midfielders and half-forwards. Reid had back-to-back three-goal games from the midfield for Sandringham to start its finals series and has averaged 28 disposals at the level this year. There's a reason some clubs have him as the best in the draft and that's because of his impact per possession.
A high-grade hamstring injury soured the end of Lalor's season, seeing him sit out the Rebels' finals run and be sidelined for up to 10 weeks. That will rule the powerful and explosive midfielder/forward out of testing at the Draft Combine as well and comes off a season with some injury difficulties scattered through it. Highlighting how clubs view his talent, it hasn't stopped Lalor shaping as a potential top-five pick – he's tough, he chases and tackles, he is big and strong and he showed for Vic Country and the Rebels that he liked important moments in games.
Smillie's season closed with a two-goal game from 26 disposals in the Ranges' wildcard round loss to the Northern Knights. Hitting the scoreboard is a part of the tall midfielder's game, having booted 16.5 this season for his under-18 team. Smillie is a unique prospect given his midfield qualities and his height and he likes to take on things with his right-foot kicking. He is the outlier in a pack of mostly smaller midfielders at the top of the draft. Unlike others in that basket, Smillie didn't play VFL late in the year.
Recruiters saw the best of Draper in the second half of the year, with the composed, hard-working and polished midfielder stepping up to senior SANFL level. He played six games with South Adelaide's senior team and averaged 22 disposals and five clearances. Draper is at his best when going headfirst into a contest, cleanly collecting a groundball and spinning out with his evasiveness and speed to deliver it to a teammate.
Armstrong is firming to be the first key position player picked at the draft in November due to a number of factors: he's athletic, tall, quick, fast and has runs on the board. Since injury ruled him out of the start of Vic Metro's carnival, the high-flying and long-kicking left-footer has been a consistent goalkicker, including booting three in Metro's title-deciding win over Vic Country. He is up to 23.9 in nine games for the Dragons and is destined to take a huge hanger one day and haul in a grab on his chest. Bookmark it.
'The Flying Viking' is flying up draft boards. He is the big mover of this Phantom Form Guide on the back of a starring finish to Gippsland Power's season. Tauru has done a bit of everything in the back half of the year – played as a bigger midfielder, as a courageous key defensive interceptor and an aggressive marking forward. It's all been exciting and the main thing with Tauru is not what he is now but what he could be – he's still raw but his talent is obvious. Tauru, who has a Swedish background, kicked 2.2 from 16 disposals in Gippsland's final game against Dandenong. Think James Sicily.
The Bendigo gun has plenty of fans for plenty of reasons. Travaglia's consistency makes him a very appealing player and he performs with a competitive streak that is always on show. Travaglia will likely start his AFL career as a running, dashing half-back but in time clubs think he will be able to be used as a midfielder too. He got a taste of the next level by playing for Carlton's VFL side late in the year and deserved selection in the under-18 All-Australian side after a strong carnival with Vic Country.
Allan missed a chunk of games recently with a quad injury but returned to Peel's senior side last weekend as a late call-up for its preliminary final win over Swan Districts. Allan had 12 disposals in a run-with role to continue to get valuable experience at the level having played in the senior side since the end of the under-18 championships. Western Australia's best prospect is equal parts tall midfielder and rangey third defender. His carnival for his state was excellent and he added plenty of penetration and drive to WA's midfield.
After his amazing effort to play in the Suns' VFL premiership win last year as a 16-year-old, Lombard again featured in Gold Coast's finals series this year. He tallied 18 disposals in the loss to Frankston in wildcard round to complete his draft-age season by averaging 18 disposals a game in the VFL. The powerful Suns Academy member has a hard edge – he tackles with purpose and makes things happen with the ball. The Suns will have to match a bid around the top 10 for him but he looks ready to play at the next level.
Ankle surgery ended Kako's season early but the brilliant small forward had done more than enough to lock himself in as the best of his type in the group. After kicking eight goals in four games for Vic Metro, Kako played some more midfield time for the Calder Cannons in the latter stages of the season. He finished his Coates Talent League campaign having booted 20.24 and he's able to slot them from anywhere. As a member of the Bombers' Next Generation Academy, the Dons will go wacko for Kako in their front half.
Hotton sits alone as the only member of the top end of the draft crop to have missed the majority of the year through injury. While it could see him slip a few draft spots from where he was projecting to be taken, clubs in the teens are hoping they get a bonus if he's available following the knee reconstruction that ruled him out for the second half of the season. Hotton is exciting. He's agile, quick and able to flick between winning the ball in the midfield and having real craft inside 50.
Trainor was ruled out of the Dragons' preliminary final, and this week's Grand Final, after having a mild concussion from their semi-final win over the Calder Cannons. The talented defender is a line-breaker with his kicking and he enjoys intercepting marks and going for his grabs. Until recently he had also been a forward as a junior, which he has shown on occasions this year.
It was a super season from Berry across all levels, with the extra clever small forward finishing his Bushrangers campaign with 27 goals from 14 games. He also led Vic Country's goalkicking with nine majors. Berry has a turn of pace, works hard up and down the ground, slots most of his opportunities and has the intangibles the best small forward prospects have around goal like knowing when to lead, when to crumb and when to assist.
Lindsay missed the end of Gippsland's under-18 season with a PCL injury. Recruiters by then, however, were well aware of his spread of talents, with the sometimes-understated Lindsay having a big say on games in the second half of the season. The left-footer was best afield in Vic Country's final game of the carnival against Vic Metro before returning to the Power and having a string of excellent games. Lindsay is precise with his skills, versatile and consistent, and he could start his AFL career on a flank as well.
It was Shanahan's VFL performances which have solidified him as a top-20 player – and he could end up going higher than that. The tall forward played three games for the Bombers' VFL and booted 11 goals, including a five-goal game against Coburg. Shanahan is an efficient player: he can get away from his opponents on the lead, he slots his shots and some clubs even think he could be a good key defender in the future.
As his year progressed, Whitlock showed more and more things for recruiters watching him as a key forward talent. His improvement in positioning and marking has stood out and he finished his under-18s season with 24 disposals against Gippsland – the highest possession tally of his year. Two weeks earlier, Whitlock kicked 5.3 in his biggest goalkicking outing of the season as well. He moves well around the ground for a player his size and closed the year with a healthy 25 goals from 12 games for the Bushrangers.
Hynes is all strength and power but he has other parts of his game to complement those assets. There's poise and touch with the ball and genuine forward nous inside 50, where he kicked 23 goals this season for Dandenong. The 18-year-old kicked two goals in the qualifying final against Gippsland after two goals from 20 disposals against Bendigo before that. Clubs are looking for bigger, explosive midfielders who can go forward and Hynes fits the bill.
It was a huge performance from Faull on Sunday, as the Rebels key forward put in a team-lifting five-goal effort to spearhead them into the Grand Final. Faull's workrate is immense for a key forward – he runs up and back, he competes for marks and for ground balls and his set-shot kicking is reliable. The game backed up a four-goal performance the week before against the Geelong Falcons in the qualifying final, with Faull having booted 27 goals for the Rebels since returning in round 10 from a back injury.
Marshall has gone somewhat under the radar but the Lions are getting a second good one through their doors alongside Levi Ashcroft. The Academy product was excellent in Sunday's Coates Talent League clash for the Dragons, having 27 disposals and booting a terrific goal after dodging some opponents. Finding the ball comes easy for the 185cm midfielder, who averaged 27 disposals (nearly 10 contested) for the Allies at the carnival.
Commitments with his school Carey Grammar and Vic Metro meant Dattoli didn't feature much for the Knights, but his final four games of the season at under-18 level highlighted his talents and competitive streak. The hard and tough half-forward/midfielder kicked three goals from 17 touches against Gippsland, then backed it up with three goals from 26 touches against the Ranges. His next effort, again facing Eastern in the wildcard round, was superb as he gathered 35 disposals, six tackles and a goal. Dattoli likes the ball in his hands in the big moments and has high footy IQ.
Whitlock was shaping as one of the best key defenders in the draft but he flipped that script to become a very worthy key forward talent as well. Whitlock kicked 27 goals for the Bushrangers through the season, including eight games where he had multiple goals. Whitlock's capacity to be a swingman and play in defence as a key back will also strongly appeal to clubs.
Dodson has weighed an exciting basketball career but has told clubs he will be pursuing a spot in this year's draft, where he is certain to find a home as the leading ruck prospect. Dodson was a standout at the under-18 carnival, winning selection to the All-Australian side. He put in some even bigger games after that, though, averaging 24 disposals and 27 hitouts in the final month of Sturt's under-18 season.
Recruiters saw Gross enjoy an excellent day in the Chargers' qualifying final win over Northern, when the half-forward kicked 2.3 from 21 disposals and five marks. Gross can play as a midfielder but looks most comfortable as a half-forward option, where he has a hard edge but can also mark well above his head for a player his size. He's got a rugged element that sees him throw himself into the contest.
Moraes got back to his goalkicking best late in Eastern's season with a five-goal game against the Eastern Ranges – which was the first time he had kicked multiple goals since the first three rounds of the year. The 17-year-old wingman is able to use his tank to power through games and he has shown over two years to be a proven ball-winner, averaging 26 disposals as a bottom-ager and 24 this season.
The team that picks Oliver will love his style: he's genuinely brave on the field, putting himself in harm's way and enjoying the cut and thrust of the contest. As a half-back Oliver doesn't get enormous disposal numbers but plays with spirit and impact and can set things up with the ball in his hands. He averaged 16 disposals at 83 per cent efficiency for Metro and had 17 disposals and one goal last week.
The new face in the Form Guide comes in through a weight of goals – and his timing might be spot on. As Hawthorn powered into being a goal from a preliminary final on the back of a stack of small forwards, Hannaford's speed, goalkicking, pressure, ferocity and attack on the ball has stood out in the back half of the year. He was a threat late for the Rebels on Sunday, when he kicked one goal, which takes his tally to 20 from the past eight games, including an eye-catching six-goal display in the qualifying final.