The 2024 AFL Draft is nearly upon us – and it promises to be the most fascinating in years.
Rather than a Harley Reid or Sam Walsh-esque standout among this season’s crop, instead there are a whole host of future stars vying to be taken by Richmond with their prized pick 1- and with the Tigers holding picks 6, 10, 11, 18, 20, 23 and 24 as well, they are perfectly placed to capitalised on a deep talent pool.
But who goes where, and when? And more importantly… which 2024 draftee is the best for every position?
Here are The Roar’s picks for each major position’s standout player in the 2024 AFL Draft – and which ones are perfect for your club.
>>FULL 2024 AFL DRAFT ORDER
Key defender
The owner of the best nickname in this year’s draft pool, Alix Tauru is looming as one of the great draft year bolters, having emerged mid-season as a genuine top-10 candidate… and possibly even higher. Known as the ‘Flying Viking’ owing to his aerial prowess and Scandinavian background, Tauru had the highest running vertical leap (94 centimetres) at the Draft Combine, and having turned 18 just days ago, it’s his potential as much as his representative footy output for Gippsland and Vic Country that has several AFL clubs excited.
He’d be perfect for: North Melbourne looms as the ideal destination for Tauru, given their frail key defensive stocks. Indeed, he’s seen as a candidate for their prized pick 2, though given the depth of midfield talent available near the top of the list, the Roos could easily broker a deal with Richmond to trade that pick for two of their later ones, and nab Tauru in the 6-10 range. If not North, then the Tigers themselves are well in the mix, while St Kilda have a key defensive spot available after Josh Battle’s departure and two picks inside the top 10.
Small defender
If Harry Oliver doesn’t turn out to be the best kick in this year’s draft, then he’ll run it mighty close. Unlike many AFL players who spend their careers in defence, Oliver spent the majority of his time in the Talent League and for Vic Metro in the backline, and it’s there where he is expected to find his home at the highest level. As a left-footer with lovely skills, clean hands, endless toughness and a bit of a feisty streak, the Luke Hodge comparison is an obvious one; and while it’s way too soon to say if he’ll come close to the Hawthorn legend’s glittering list of achievements, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t an AFL captain at some point in his career.
He’d be perfect for: Regarded as a mid-20s draft prospect, Oliver’s future is less certain than some of the top picks, though GWS have been linked. I’d love to see him at the Western Bulldogs, who need some extra desperation in a still-vulnerable backline, especially at ground level; he’d be excellent for Richmond as well, and would fill some of the toughness void left by Liam Baker’s departure.
Rebounding defender
Whether he remains in his home state is another matter, but Bo Allan has been regarded as Western Australia’s top draft prospect for a while now. Tall but speedy and with elite ratings at the Draft Combine’s agility and vertical jump tests, he spent most of his time in the seniors for WAFL side Peel Thunder off half-back, with a notably booming kick his greatest asset – though he does have a tendency to blaze away. As a third tall, he has plenty of upside, though good judges see him as a future big-bodied midfielder in the Marcus Bontempelli mould.
He’d be perfect for: Understandably, Port Adelaide are among the clubs most interested in Allan, given the loss of Dan Houston has left a vacancy for a running half-back. From his home state, West Coast are the ones with greatest interest, and he’d certainly fill a void as a third tall defender with Tom Barrass out the door stretching the backline even further – though as a Fremantle supporter, he might prefer to live interstate!
Inside midfielder
It’s usually a sin to disagree with afl.com.au draft guru Callum Twomey’s form guide, but I only have Levi Ashcroft second on my midfielder power rankings list – though Richmond could still pick him at 1 to force Brisbane to pay maximum draft points to match the bid and snare him as a father-son. My pick is Jagga Smith, who played alongside the younger Ashcroft at Vic Metro. An absolute ball magnet with superb hands in close and a lightning-quick footy brain, he’d have to be the favourite for the 2025 Rising Star award at this early stage – indeed, having narrowly missed the draft cut-off 12 months ago, he could easily have been up to AFL standard last year had he been eligible. By far the draft prospect with the lowest risk attached, Smith might not end up being the best player in his pool – but it’d be a shock if he wasn’t in the top five.
He’d be perfect for: Smith and Richmond seem, on paper, a match made in heaven; the worst midfield in the AFL, depleted further by the losses of Liam Baker and Shai Bolton, simply needs a ball-winner at the coalface, and Smith can be that man right from the get-go. He’d be great for Adelaide as well, who might have to choose with their pick 4 whether to nab him or local jet Sid Draper.
Levi Ashcroft after winning best-afield honours during the AFL Academy’s clash with Footscray in 2024. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Outside midfielder
He’s not technically an ‘outside’ player based off his junior days, but you can bet that’s where Leo Lombard will slot in at Gold Coast in the early stages of a promising career. The Suns’ Academy prospect was the second-quickest prospect over 20 metres at the Draft Combine, and is highly regarded as a true goalkicking midfielder and power belying his 178cm frame. Has the best highlights package of any of this season’s crop, to boot.
He’d be perfect for: Lombard fills a handy need for the Suns as a balance to the grunt work at stoppages of Matt Rowell and the accumulating skills of Noah Anderson. It wouldn’t surprise to see him make his mark very early in 2025 – what remains to be seen, though, is whether Damien Hardwick chooses to ease his shiny new toy in through the VFL or even as a nippy small forward at senior level before giving him the keys to a very stable midfield combination.
Wingman
The Jaspa Fletcher to Levi Ashcroft’s Will, you can safely add Sam Marshall to the rapidly growing list of star draftees tied to Brisbane to leave Victorian clubs foaming at the mouth. An elite runner all but impossible for his junior counterparts to go with, Marshall racked up the footy at will for Sandringham and Vic Metro, most notably winning best-afield honours in the Dragons’ Talent League grand final win. An excellent kick and model of consistency, really the only question is whether the reigning premiers are too strong to have him fit in right away – because plenty of other clubs would kill to have a man with his attributes walk through the door.
He’d be perfect for: If there is one void in Brisbane’s all-conquering team, it might be a proper wingman to man the opposite side to Jarrod Berry. Marshall fits the bill perfectly – it would be a surprise to not see him at AFL level in 2025, though he couldn’t be aligned to a tougher squad to break into.
Ruckman
There aren’t many rucks available in this year’s crop, but Alex Dodson stands out as comfortably the pick of the bunch. A ball-winning big man who averaged 24 disposals a game in the last month of the season for Sturt U18s, while his ruck strength and tapwork suggest he’s no Tim English-type player with limitations to match his strengths. Naturally, the 203cm giant hails from a basketball background, having represented Australia in the U18s and choosing basketball over footy in 2023.
He’d be perfect for: Who needs a ruckman and can afford to wait a few years while he develops? Adelaide loom as a reasonable fit to remain in his home state, with Reilly O’Brien not getting any younger, while Richmond have enough high-end picks to consider a gamble on a future Toby Nankervis replacement. Realistically, though, no one, not even Geelong, are likely to see Dodson as any more than a long-term investment – immediate AFL-level opportunities are highly unlikely.
Key forward
He’s unlikely to be the first key forward picked, but Jack Whitlock might just end up being the best. With twin brother Matt also vying to be drafted (more on him later), Whitlock’s speed on the lead and excellent hands both above his head and below his knees stand out for a young man standing at 200cm tall. Get him into an AFL system, get a few pre-seasons under his belt and fix up his extremely patchy goalkicking – easier said than done – and there’s a fair bit of Charlie Curnow about Whitlock’s mobility and explosive speed.
He’d be perfect for: Despite a surfeit of key forwards, Port Adelaide have shown heavy interest – but St Kilda and Melbourne are the two clubs who should give him deepest consideration. The Dees badly need talent in attack, and someone to at least offer an alternative tall target to Jacob van Rooyen; while the Saints, having offloaded Tim Membrey, could build a generational three-pronged key forward set-up in the years to come with Whitlock alongside Max King and Mitch Owens.
Small forward
A true hidden gem of this year’s draft crop, Oliver Hannaford has plenty of competition for the title of 2024’s best small forward, most obviously from Essendon Academy gun Isaac Kako. But Hannaford’s spectacular rise after being shifted from defence at the GWV Rebels mid-season. Not even invited to the National Draft Combine, his agility test at the state combine would have placed him fourth at the main event. And while it’s hard to tell from only junior footy, Hannaford seems to have an appetite for the big stage – with a six-goal haul in the Talent League quarter-final against Geelong a truly dazzling effort.
He’d be perfect for: The Western Bulldogs would love a dangerous crumber at the heels of Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton, and Hannaford properly fits the bill there. But GWS and Port Adelaide have also shown interest and have picks in the region he’s expected to land. As a replacement for Shai Bolton, Richmond could do worse; while if they had the picks to achieve it, Carlton would dearly love a small forward with Hannaford’s attributes after showing Matthew Owies the door.
Utility
Like his brother Jack, Matt Whitlock will be hot property at this year’s draft. Like Ben and Max King or Ben and Harry McKay, the brothers have excelled at either end throughout their junior careers, with Matt named at full-back and Jack full-forward in the Talent League Team of the Year. Interestingly, though, Matt was thrown forward for the second half of the season with Murray Bushrangers, managing 27 goals for the year. Proper swingmen are rare, and while floating from end to end might cost him a draft spot or two – the more permanently positioned Jack is seen as a top-10 chance while Matt’s stocks are a touch lower – it should also increase the appeal for anyone drafting him to know he’s capable at both ends.
He’d be perfect for: Sydney, whose tall stocks crumbled spectacularly on grand final day, could certainly use a talented key position player or two; North Melbourne, too, would be a great fit if they can split their pick 2 for enough lower picks to land him while also getting their identified targets. And yes, like with virtually every other top-20 talent in this draft, key position or otherwise, Richmond will be monitoring closely.