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• Cal Twomey's Phantom Form Guide - October edition
• The draft pool: Cal Twomey analyses this year's best prospects
• In the gun: Every club's top draft target
EVEN Hugh McCluggage didn't expect to see his season unfold the way it did.
When he was selected in the NAB AFL Academy last year after 10 games for the North Ballarat Rebels in 2015, few could have predicted how swift his rise would be.
But with every game this year, the penetrating and polished midfielder increased his draft stocks, with a five-goal and 36-possession effort in May the performance that saw him talked about as a potential No.1 pick.
McCluggage, who moved from his family farm near Warrnambool to Ballarat two years ago, has carried that tag for the rest of the season but continued to dominate. He won the TAC Cup's Morrish Medal, was named an All Australian and was the most outstanding draft prospect of the year.
His campaign finished with 17 disposals and four goals in the NAB All Stars clash on Grand Final eve at Punt Road Oval, once again highlighting his class against the best players from around the country. A quad knock suffered in that game kept him from testing at the following week's draft combine.
Not much bothers McCluggage. He is laid back and quiet but with a dry sense of humour, and the spotlight that has shone his way this year hasn't changed his approach or output at all.
Let's start with his North Ballarat Rebels form, where he averaged 27 disposals and six clearances in 12 games, and booted 25 goals. That's an exceptional return up forward for a midfielder, showing his attacking tendencies. This is what separates him from the pack: McCluggage hurts other teams. His possessions are meaningful.
He was Vic Country's most consistent player and judged its most valuable at the under-18 carnival, averaging 20 disposals and lifting when his side needed a burst of brilliance. His kicking is neat, tidy and effective, he's good above his head to take marks, and he is relatively quick without being explosive.
Plenty of McCluggage's best traits are hard to measure. But he creates space in congestion – for himself and teammates – his handballing is creative and top-shelf, and he doesn't panic under pressure. The best players make things happen without ever looking like they're going to be caught with the ball – McCluggage is in that company.
It's hard to find one with McCluggage. Even when he got much closer attention later in the year, he managed to work through it and find disposals and hit the scoreboard. The tag didn't limit him, and for anyone with the view he struggles with contested disposals, he was rated 'elite' for his ball-winning for Vic Country.
Although he is lighter at this stage, he really hasn't had a proper pre-season yet after missing most of last summer with a back injury. His body will develop in time and that only adds further excitement about his potential. There's not much to worry about with McCluggage.
It's hard to pinpoint a comparison to McCluggage, particularly given his goalkicking is unique for a midfielder. There is a bit of Daniel Wells in his strong kicking and zip outside the packs. Josh Kelly at the Giants might be another comparison in terms of their slick style.
It seems to be out of him and Andrew McGrath to be the No.1 pick at Essendon. Both are deserving and neither would shock. GWS would think strongly at pick No.2, but if he gets through, McCluggage will be going to the Lions at pick No.3.
Classy, composed, calm. Some recruiters rank McCluggage's draft season up there as the best individual campaign from a prospect they've seen, such has been his dominance. Quietly determined, perfectly humble but naturally confident, McCluggage will be a long-term midfielder at AFL level. Lock it in.
