With the most significant trade period in a number of years at an end, this is a great time to take a look at the most promising prospects in this year’s AFL draft. Who will your club be selecting when they pop their first name on the board during November’s event?
The AFL National Draft is always an interesting night for footy fans and players alike. 121 young men will officially become AFL footballers, and for those elite players ready to embark on the next stage of their careers, their lives can be changed.
Sports and betting go hand in hand with each other. What’s the point of a popular sports league if you’re not going to place your bets on things related to the game? While you immerse yourself in sports betting, for some relaxation of the brain to make it work better, take short breaks to play slot games in casinos. It will help your guessing game stronger and, if you’re lucky enough, you’ll win your bet. And this article might help you to have a better judgment regarding the AFL 2021 draft.
Ahead of the AFL 2021 Draft, we take an in-depth look at some of the elite talent in this year’s crop, including both key position and inside midfielders. The top six prospects are as follows:
Nick Daicos
Daicos is a lock in Brownlow medalist Nat Fyfe’s heart, and the Freo skipper said earlier in the season that Daicos has the best two-step running action he’s seen in a Draft prospect in recent years. Put simply, when Daicos has it, he loves to get rid of it with a ball-winning habit matched by few in his draft class. The gifted 18-year-old is considered one of the best players in this year’s draft pool, and he is expected by many to be one of the top selections coming November. Daicos will become the key target for the likes of Essendon and Carlton, among others. He’ll attract a big bid from one of those clubs, and the Magpies will then match that bid with their later first overall selection on draft night.
Jason Horne-Francis
Horne-Francis popped up this year to startle observers with his poise and class through the middle. He’s proven he can have an impact at either end, rating elite for intercepts marks (0.9) and above average for goals (0.7). There has been some hype around the best player in this year’s open draft pool, but Horne-Francis’ three-goal, 22-disposal effort against Central District last month was eye-catching. Even more, he backed it up with a massive 39 possessions the following week. Horne-Francis is a ball-winning machine who can play both as a high half-forward or deep forward for the Roos. He’s also had some success floating through the midfield, finding plenty of it with his elite running ability. Horne-Francis’s knack for it may see him leapfrog past Tom Boyd and Ben Keays to be the first selected on draft day, but he’ll probably be more suited to life at Arden St than the up-and-coming Brisbane Lions.
Sam Darcy
Darcy is definitely knocking on the door of being in contention for the No.1 pick in 2021. The TAC Cup has this week finished for the year, with the Dandenong Stingrays’ three games being Darcy’s last before he joins up with Vic Metro. His last game was enormous, gathering 29 disposals, 12 intercept marks, and kicking two goals in a win over Bendigo that saw his side claim the premiership. Having already set a benchmark in 2018 in regards to class, athleticism, and work ethic, Darcy has cemented himself in this year’s draft crop.
Finn Callaghan
Callaghan shapes as one of the standouts in what is a super draft pool for midfielders. Over his three NAB League games at the under-16 level Callaghan averaged 21 disposals, but it was in the final three rounds when Callaghan really lifted his game, averaging 30 disposals, 6 clearances, and 6 score involvements. The athletic midfielder has great agility, he’s strong above his head, and can beat opponents with both feet due to his ball use. He has the capacity to pinch-hit in the forward line and can genuinely push into all parts of the ground.
Mac Andrew
Mac Andrew has grown in stature across the season, quickly moving up draft boards to be strongly touted as a prospect to watch in the upcoming AFL Draft. At 200cm, Mac can play as either a ruckman or midfielder, and he is prodigious in the air for someone of his size. Mac won 55 percent of his total disposals this season uncontested, meaning he was clean at ground level, which isn’t an easy feat given his height. It’s still early days, but that hasn’t stopped some rival recruiters from declaring Andrew a top-five contender. Some even believe he could be a first-round pick, despite a muddled season for the Dandenong Stingrays this year.
Josh Gibcus
Gibcus’ height and ability to read the flight of the ball make him an attractive prospect for recruiters who weren’t overly impressed with his bottom-age year and he boosted his draft stocks this season. Both North Melbourne and Brisbane showed strong interest over the past month and an eye-catching performance here could have them splashing the cash on recruiting him early.
With the first two picks, top spot, and the choice at six, Fremantle has a golden opportunity to either bolster its midfield and apply further pressure on its fellow top-eight aspirants, or grab the best player available, and take a step towards turning its severely depleted stocks into long-term success.
The Magpies will certainly be a team to watch out for during the AFL Draft in November. If they select a handful of Next Generation Academy prospects with their picks, as well as potentially swooping on some talented WAFL or VFL players later in the draft, it wouldn’t be a surprise.