• Tomorrow's heroes: What makes 2016's top draft prospects special?
• Draft Machine: Search the draft pool and pick the top 10 to win $10k
• Going Places: Every draft gun has a story
• Listen to this week's Road to the Draft podcast
• Indicative draft order: What picks will your club take to the draft?
• NAB AFL Draft Hub

WHEN Will Brodie stated earlier this year that he wanted to be the No.1 draft pick, the popular sentiment from recruiters was that they liked his confidence.

Whether he got there or not was probably not the point; the competitive and driven midfielder had set himself a task and wasn't afraid to tell people he wanted to reach it.

That attitude sums up Brodie as a player: he wants to be the best and will do whatever it takes to get there. He has been a standout for the Murray Bushrangers over the past two years and at national level the past three seasons as an under-16 and under-18 prospect.

Brodie did his best work this season in the first half of the year, and struggled with ankle soreness towards the end of the season that ruled him out of the NAB All Stars game and from testing at the NAB AFL Draft Combine the following week.

The midfielder is a ball-winner. At the championships for Vic Country he averaged 20 disposals (more than half contested) and seven clearances a game. He pulled in almost the exact same numbers in eight games for the Bushrangers, proving his consistent efforts in the engine room.

Brodie has proved himself in all the big games he has played in over the past two years. He was Australia's best player when the level one NAB AFL Academy played in New Zealand last year, and impressed as a bottom-ager last season in patches for Vic Country.

Earlier this year he was again the academy's best player in its two games against VFL sides – averaging 21 disposals in the two games – and then he was named an All Australian at the championships. His ability to put his head in at the stoppages and come out with the ball is almost unsurpassed, and he's adept at shooting out handballs and getting the ball his side's way while being tackled.

Brodie's size (188cm) makes him an appealing prospect for clubs, too, given he uses his frame to break through traffic and is also a nice overhead mark. 

Clubs have at times questioned Brodie about his kicking efficiency, because he does have a tendency to bomb it forward rather than use finesse. However, he did rank well for disposal by foot at the championships for Vic Country and had an efficiency of 70 per cent.

That is probably the main knock, and he missed a few gettable goals in Murray's Grand Final loss that would have made his day look a lot better. There isn't too much else to worry about – he doesn't have explosive pace but is quick enough from contest to contest. 

You can see why some recruiters liken Brodie to Sydney midfielder Josh Kennedy. The Murray Bushrangers prospect uses his size and stature to physically impose himself on contests and be a distributor. 

Was discussed for a long time as a No.1 contender but probably sits a bit further back now. Gold Coast has an interest and he could be one of their top-10 picks, while Sydney may also look at him. There's a chance he gets through to Adelaide's No.13. 

There shouldn't be any surprises about the way Brodie plays. He's tough and competitive and will play regular senior football next year. Brodie is the bull of this year's midfield group and has a consistency to his performances.