The 2024 AFL Draft is in the books and one of the more even drafts in recent years certainly threw its share of curveballs. We’re going to look at what every team did in the draft and whether it took its share of bolters or fallers.
Also no, we aren’t doing the rookie or preseason draft, mostly because it’s just a glorified system to stash veterans on the rookie list 80% of the time anyway.
ADELAIDE:
Pick #4: Sid Draper, Midfield, South Adelaide, 182cm
Pick #59: Tyler Welsh, Forward, Woodville-West Torrens, 191cm (F/S)
Rundown:
Adelaide had a very paint-by-numbers sort of draft. They were expected to take Sid Draper (despite late mail linking them to Harvey Langford) and also to take on Tyler Welsh as a father-son pick. This they did, and the boring picks are sometimes the correct ones.
Draper will bring leadership and speed to their midfield, and could start from Round One. He’s the right pick for a team that needs midfield reinforcements if it hopes to rise up the ladder in 2025. Tyler Welsh is an intriguing player that 12 months ago was touted as a potential top player in this draft class, but did not have the 2024 to back that up. He’s talented, though, and as SA’s top goalkicker in the U/18 championships, he could be a steal.
BRISBANE:
Pick #5: Levi Ashcroft, Midfield, Sandringham, 179cm (F/S)
Pick #25: Sam Marshall, Midfield, Sandringham, 185cm (Academy)
Pick #42: Ty Gallop, Forward, Maroochydore, 194cm (Academy)
Rundown:
Like their younger brothers, Gold Coast Suns last year, this was a draft year devoted pretty much entirely to matching bids. In a similar vein to some other bids on top players in previous years, Levi Ashcroft was only bid on at #5 despite being touted as the #1 pick for most of this year, albeit in a weak draft. Considering the top four picks ahead were also midfielders, it beggared belief he slipped this far. Sam Marshall was also bid on a few picks later than people thought. They’ll both add to the embarrassment of riches the Lions have in the midfield
Ty Gallop was ranked 100th on Fox Footy’s rankings but it isn’t hard to see why the Lions matched the bid given the need to prepare for the post-Daniher era.
The biggest move was arguably the most overlooked too, as the fewer points they had to match gave them the ability to trade some surplus picks into 2025, where they can match a bid on potential top 10 pick Daniel Annable. A couple nights of good work from Brisbane.
CARLTON:
Pick #3: Jagga Smith, Midfield, Oakleigh, 181cm
Pick #40: Harry O’Farrell, Defender, Calder Cannons, 196cm
Pick #43: Ben Camporeale, Midfield, Glenelg, 186cm (F/S)
Pick #54: Lucas Camporeale, Winger, Glenelg, 184cm (F/S)
Rundown:
The Blues were set on adding an elite midfield prospect to their squad after their big trade with the Eagles, and decided to get an accumulator with Jagga Smith. There’s some justifiable questions surrounding his ball use, but that can improve with coaching and experience. For the short term, there’s no doubting Smith is an incredible accumulator and runner, who can slot into the team as early as Round One, and who Richmond could have taken #1 overall with no concerns.
I’ve seen some pretty rubbish talk that Carlton drafted O’Farrell only because his father is Carlton’s lawyer, but that’s a pretty ignorant response given O’Farrell was definitely considered a draftable prospect. Does his father’s relationship with the club help? Probably. But he’s certainly a good player in his own right in a draft that didn’t boast many key defenders.
To finish off, the Blues also got to add some legacies to their list in the Camporeale twins. A good few days at the office.
COLLINGWOOD:
Pick #47: Joel Cochran, Defender, Swans Academy, 194cm
Pick #50: Charlie West, Forward, Woodville West-Torrens, 194cm
Pick #56: Will Hayes, Forward/Wing, Claremont, 180cm
Rundown:
Collingwood didn’t enter the draft until very late, so it wasn’t a surprise to see the team go with some projects at either end of the ground (or perhaps the wing, in the case of Will Hayes). I can’t say too much of this other than Joel Cochran was a surprising non-match from Sydney, but someone I thought could have been considered inside the top 40 alongside Charlie West.
It’s a relatively poor review more due to them not being able to do much, rather than any problem I have with it.
ESSENDON:
Pick #13: Isaac Kako, Forward, Calder Cannons, 176cm (Academy)
Pick #37: Kayle Gerreyn, Ruck/Forward, West Perth, 199cm
Pick #39: Angus Clarke, Defender/Forward, Glenelg, 189cm
Pick #61: Rhys Unwin, Forward/Midfield, GWV Rebels, 179cm
Pick #70: Zak Johnson, Midfield, Northern Knights, 185cm
Rundown:
We’ll never know if trading out of the first round was the right move. While Isaac Kako did not receive a bid before their spot, the argument can be made them staying might have prompted a bid from a team like the Saints. In the end, they have to live with their decision and Kako will at least be a good prize as the best small forward of the draft.
I had mixed feelings with their next two picks. I hate the Kayle Gerreyn pick if they see him as a ruck because Alex Dodson is on the board but he’s an intriguing pick as a developmental tall given the Bombers definitely need some more of those. Meanwhile Alex Clarke is talented, but raw. That said, it’s not a big deal to take a talented but raw prospect at #9 anyway.
The Bombers then had two bites of the apple late. I didn’t think Rhys Unwin was going to be drafted in the national draft so I didn’t have strong feelings there, but Zak Johnson was an underrated prospect who’s smart, fast and has a good kick on him. I could see him definitely being a steal in the future.
FREMANTLE:
Pick #17: Murphy Reid, Midfield, Sandringham, 181cm
Pick #34: Charlie Nicholls, Forward, Central Districts, 197cm
Pick #63: Jaren Carr, Forward, South Fremantle, 191cm (F/S)
Rundown:
It would be stretching it to call Fremantle a loser in the draft given Murphy Reid is a talented prospect some thought should have been a top 10 pick, but they’ll have mixed feelings about the first round given their target was small forward, Joe Berry. The club attempted to trade with rivals West Coast to leap to #15 to get past Port Adelaide at #16, but the Eagles elected to trade with Port instead, who promptly picked Berry. Reid isn’t a bad consolation though, as he’ll help an already talented midfield.
On the second night Fremantle then boosted its forward line with 197cm key forward Charlie Nicholls, and father/son pick Jaren Carr as well. I’m especially a fan of Nicholls, who could have been picked a lot earlier if the key forwards in front of him hadn’t dropped. It’s just a shame the Dockers couldn’t nab their top target on their board.
GEELONG:
Pick #44: Jay Polkinghorne, Forward, Norwood, 191cm
Pick #52: Jacob Molier, Ruckman, Sturt, 201cm
Pick #66: Lennox Hofmann, Defender, Sandringham, 190cm
Pick #69: Keighton Matofai-Forbes, Forward, Western Jets, 188cm
Rundown:
Similar to Collingwood, Geelong didn’t get started until late and spent a lot of the time just going over key position prospects on either end of the ground. The biggest shock however was the club passing on the talented Alex Dodson as their ruck selection in favour of his teammate in Sturt at Jacob Molier. That was an unexpected decision, to say the least.
Geelong tend to find bargains late in the draft, so it won’t shock me to see some players become stars down the line. Molier over Dodson though? Hmm…
GOLD COAST:
Pick #9: Leonardo Lombard, Midfield/Forward, Gold Coast Academy, 179cm (Academy)
Pick #49: Cooper Bell, Defender/Forward, Giants Academy, 199cm
Rundown:
The first half of the Suns draft went exactly as expected with Leonardo Lombard a top 10 bid. He should start in the forward line to begin his career before making his mark in the midfield for the Suns.
But then it got a bit weird when the team made a surprise bid on Cooper Bell, with the Giants electing not to go for him. Bell is a giant at 199cm and versatile, but it felt a weird bid to make. They might see a diamond in the rough there however.
GWS:
Pick #18: Ollie Hannaford, Utility, GWV Rebels, 180cm
Pick #19: Harrison Oliver, Defender, Sandringham, 181cm
Pick #24: Cody Angove, Midfield/Forward, Claremont, 182cm
Pick #36: Jack Ough, Midfield, GWV Rebels, 194cm
Pick #71: Logan Smith, Ruckman, Giants Academy, 204cm (Academy)
Rundown:
The Giants treat draft ranges with disdain and they certainly lived up to that here, Ollie Hannaford was picked maybe 5-10 picks before anyone thought he would and Cody Angove was never even mentioned once as being in this draft range. They’re typical Giants selections, who just tend to take who they want, when they want them. Harrison Oliver was picked in the typical range, but that’s all.
The other selections I thought were good. Jack Ough had top 30 potential and Logan Smith was arguably the top ruckman on the board if not the second best ruckman. The draft is never boring where the Giants are concerned.
HAWTHORN:
Pick #35: Noah Mraz, Defender, Dandenong, 198cm
Pick #64: Cody Anderson, Midfield, Eastern Ranges, 183cm (Academy)
Rundown:
Hawthorn got started late but I liked both picks from the Hawks on Thursday night. Noah Mraz I thought was underrated in the draft process and should have gotten consideration late in the first round, while Academy selection ‘The Beast From The East’ Cody Anderson had more than his share of fans. The Hawks didn’t pick until almost after every team, but they did well to get some interesting prospects.
MELBOURNE:
Pick #6: Harvey Langford, Midfield, Dandenong, 190cm
Pick #11: Xavier Lindsay, Midfield/Defender, Gippsland, 183cm
Pick #68: Aidan Johnson, Forward, Werribee, 193cm
Rundown:
Melbourne went with some midfield reinforcements in the first round, with Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay joining the red and the blue. Langford isn’t the fastest but he is a contested game specialist who can also float forward to hit the scoreboard, while Lindsay is an excellent distributor of the ball with his kicking and also possesses great pace and agility that can be used off halfback.
I was also a fan of the Demons swinging for the fences with mature aged forward Aidan Johnson with their final pick. The team is desperate for some goalkicking help, and I like they made the effort to address that with a player who’s ready to play now as opposed to a raw recruit who might take several years.
NORTH MELBOURNE:
Pick #2: Finn O’Sullivan, Midfield, Oakleigh, 182cm
Pick #27: Matt Whitlock, Defender/Forward, Murray Bushrangers, 199cm
Pick #57: Luke Urquhart, Midfield, East Fremantle, 184cm
Pick #67: River Stevens, Forward, Geelong, 176cm (F/S)
Rundown:
I mean look, I could understand the decision by North Melbourne to add another midfielder despite being overstocked. I advocate to go after the best player available early in the draft and if that’s what North felt was best, then by all means go for Finn O’Sullivan.
But the decision to trade the 2025 first-round pick for two picks that were or probably will be in the 20s? Oh no, oh nooo. North, what are you doing!? This was horrendous.
I don’t hate Matt Whitlock as a prospect. He’s a talented (albeit raw) and versatile tall who can play forward or back. But trading what will almost definitely be a top three picks for #27 and a future 2nd from Richmond? Why not just accept Adelaide’s offer to go from #2 to #4 and get some extra thirds then? Why throw away a premium pick? Yes it’s a weaker draft, but it’s not like they traded for some falling prospect like Harry Armstrong.
Then on top f that, they drafted yet ANOTHER midfielder. What are they going to do with so many midfielders!?
I’ve seen people try to sell the trade as a good one, but I simply can’t buy what they’re selling on this. It was not a good trade, and it might hand potentially the #1 pick to Richmond. Egads.
PORT ADELAIDE:
Pick #15: Joe Berry, Forward, Murray Bushrangers, 180cm
Pick #33: Jack Whitlock, Forward, Murray Bushrangers, 200cm
Pick #38: Christian Moraes, Midfield, Eastern Ranges, 183cm
Rundown:
Port Adelaide got some flak for compromising too hard on the Dan Houston trade and not getting two first-round picks. This turned out to be moot, because the team got not one, not two, but three prospects I had going in the top 25 picks on my phantom draft!
The team was in love with Joe Berry with club legend and current scout, Robbie Gray meeting him several times. They switched spaces with West Coast to stall Fremantle’s attempts to move in front of them and managed to get the top small forward in the open pool.
They then got Jack Whitlock at #33 in what was an absolutely shocking slide for the twin. He should serve as an excellent developmental prospect for them, as should Christian Moraes who 12 months ago was touted as a potential top five pick. Port Adelaide got the top guy on their board in Round 1 and then two amazing steals the day after. They were one of the winners in this draft.
RICHMOND:
Pick #1: Sam Lalor, Midfield/Forward, GWV Rebels, 187cm
Pick #7: Richmond – Josh Smillie, Eastern Ranges, Midfield, 194cm
Pick #12: Taj Hotton, Midfield/Forward, Sandringham, 182cm
Pick #14: Jonty Faull, Forward, GWV Rebels, 195cm
Pick #21: Luke Trainor, Defender, Sandringham, 194cm
Pick #23: Harry Armstrong, Forward, Sandringham, 195cm
Pick #28: Thomas Sims, Forward/Ruck, Northern Knights, 199cm
Pick #58: Jaspar Algar, Forward, Oakleigh, 183cm
Rundown:
As a draft nut, I was so keen to see how Richmond approached such a deep draft which such a big draft hand. Little did I know that they would somehow be able to surpass my wildest expectations for them. It’s too early to say mission accomplished when it comes to rebuilding the team of course, but I want to go on record right now to say that this was a simply incredible two nights for the team.
It’s understandable the team took Sam Lalor #1 overall as the Dusty Martin clone who’s automatically become the face of their rebuild. They then proceeded to bolster the midfield with their next two picks. Josh Smillie will also serve a different role in the midfield as a 195cm tall goalkicking midfielder with an amazing boot, while Taj Hotton was a surprise to go at #12 with a torn ACL in 2023 but should be noted was a top 10 prospect before then. Richmond can afford to take a home run swing with one of their multiple first round picks in this draft.
What I loved though was the sheer talent they got at either end of the ball, but especially the forward line. Jonty Faull is a bit of a bolter I had going to the Tigers at #24 in my phantom draft, but they loved him given his setshot ability. The team took Luke Trainor to help man the back six, with the falling Trainor once a top 10 selection six months ago.
But then the Tigers got a ridiculous pick with Harry Armstrong at #23. I absolutely loved Armstrong, who was a top 10 prospect in my eyes and should have been taken 10-15 picks beforehand. He’ll partner well with Armstrong.
On Day 2 the Tigers weren’t done with the forward line, getting ruck/forward Thomas Sims to complete the trifecta. It’s possible the Tigers seem him more as a ruckman which would make sense given their need to find an heir apparent. The team then finished the draft by trading to get medium forward Jaspar Algar, a player Callum Twomey thought might be taken in the back end of the first round.
Finally, the most impressive bit of work was the selection not used in the draft. They traded what was #27 and a future second-round pick in 2025 to get North’s 2025 first-round pick. Trading two picks in the 20s (most likely) for what looms to be a pick in the first few selections in 2025 if not #1 (again, most likely) was an insane piece of business where they fleeced the Roos. Expectations were high with this draft hand, and in my view they surpassed everything I thought possible.
ST KILDA:
Pick #8: Tobie Travaglia, Defender/Midfield, Bendigo, 187cm
Pick #10: Alix Tauru, Defender, Gippsland, 193cm
Pick #32: James Barret, Defender/Forward, Bendigo, 194cm
Pick #45: Hugh Boxshall, Midfield, Claremont, 188cm
Pick #53: Alex Dodson, Ruckman, Sturt, 201cm
Pick #60: Patrick Said, Midfield/Forward, Calder Cannons, 180cm
Rundown:
It initially seemed like St Kilda had ignored their public declaration to find good midfielders in the draft, with their first three picks used on defenders. It has been said however that the Saints are looking to use Tobie Travaglia in the midfield. This makes a lot more sense, and the Saints are big fans of the hard running young star. I also didn’t mind their selection of Alix Tauru, who was raw but talented enough that he was probably going #2 overall to North if they hadn’t fallen in love with Finn O’Sullivan.
James Barret brings yet more of a boost to the back six, while Hugh Boxshall was a decent pick. The big steal for the Saints however was to somehow get Alex Dodson, the best ruck in the draft, all the way down at #53. The Saints had been keen for a ruckman and want to use a two-ruck system at some point, so Dodson could play sooner rather than later.
My one criticism is the Saints didn’t look at getting a forward to improve their suffering scoring, which was the worst in the AFL outside the bottom three clubs on the ladder, and then subsequently lost the solid Tim Membrey. Maybe Patrick Said can contribute sooner rather than later.
SYDNEY:
Pick #22: Jesse Dattoli, Forward/Midfield, Northern Knights, 179cm
Pick #26: Ned Bowman, Forward, Norwood, 186cm
Pick #41: Riley Bice, Defender, Werribee, 186cm
Pick #55: Riak Andrew, Defender, Dandenong, 193cm
Rundown:
Sydney’s focus was to bolster either end of the ground, with all four picks devoted to forwards or defenders. Jesse Dattoli fit the range late in the first round, but Ned Bowman was a huge bolter. Callum Twomey did have him in his final phantom draft as teams were eyeing him late, but it was still a shock to see him picked over some other forwards in the draft.
The second day of the draft was devoted to defenders with the team first picking mature age defender Riley Bice. Bice is a hard runner and a good kick who worked hard on his craft to get his shot in the AFL. Almost as a complete contrast, the team got raw key defender Riak Andrew (brother of Suns defender Mac Andrew) after Melbourne declined to match Sydney’s bid.
WEST COAST:
Pick #16: Bo Allan, Midfield/Defender, Peel, 191cm
Pick #30: Jobe Shanahan, Forward, Bendigo, 194cm
Pick #46: Tom Gross, Midfield/Forward, Oakleigh, 181cm
Pick #48: Lucca Grego, Midfield/Defender, Western Jets, 184cm
Pick #65: Hamish Davis, Forward, Claremont, 190cm
Rundown:
If I had to pick three winners in this draft just based on sheer value and how excited fans should be it would go to Richmond, Port Adelaide and West Coast. It cannot be overstated what an incredible haul the Eagles got for their picks.
Firstly, the team took advantage of the facts the two teams right behind them in the order (Port Adelaide and Fremantle) badly wanted Joe Berry. The team exploited this by getting a free third-round pick from Port to move back a spot to pick the guy they were going to get anyway. It was amazing the team traded down twice from #3 to #16 to get Bo Allan, the player they were at the very least going to strongly consider at #3 anyway and one of the top midfielders in the draft.
Their second pick was just as good. Jobe Shanahan had serious consideration by the Tigers as soon as their #10 selection, and it was astonishing he lasted this long. He would have been considered a good pick even at #16! He’ll pair well next to Oscar Allen.
The Eagles weren’t done, using the free hit they got from Port to take the falling Tom Gross, who had plenty of fans in the top 25. Gross is a physical, hardrunning midfielder with a lot of versatility about him. Lucca Grego is a versatile player who fit the range, and then the Eagles brought it home with talented goalkicker Hamish Davis who should have gone about 30 picks earlier.
This was an incredible bunch of selections for the Eagles, and I won’t be surprised to see this talked about as a bumper crop in the next five years.
WESTERN BULLDOGS:
Pick #20: Cooper Hynes, Midfield/Forward, Dandenong, 190cm
Pick #29: Lachie Jaques, Defender, Geelong, 185cm
Pick #31: Josh Dolan, Midfield/Forward, Sandringham, 177cm
Pick #51: Sam Davidson, Forward, Richmond, 190cm
Pick #62: Luke Kennedy, Midfield, Sandringham, 181cm
Rundown:
I don’t want to be too critical because the draft is subjective and clubs are going to prefer different players, and I do understand that. But I must also confess I personally was underwhelmed by what the Dogs did in this draft.
I thought the pick of Cooper Hynes was good. The Dogs were long linked to the powerful midfielder and he’ll go a long way to helping cover the losses of Jack Macrae and Bailey Smith. The next three picks however I thought were a bit weird with Lachie Jaques and Josh Dolan being pretty big bolters and Sam Davidson being a mature aged taller forward. This isn’t to say they can’t be good players of course, but it was surprising they didn’t go for a Christian Moraes or Jack Ough with one of their earlier second-round picks.
Again, I don’t want to make it sound overly critical to the point this group would be a flop. It just felt a bit weird for me, that’s all.
