https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/af...n/news-story/dd18691673f7e1dc3950a1bb7755443d
ADELAIDE
James Rowe was one of the best stories of last year’s draft – and according to teammate Taylor Walker, he could be injected into Adelaide’s best 22 from week one. Walker this week predicted on
Triple M Adelaide that Rowe, who kicked 38 goals in the SANFL last year and fills a small forward chasm at the Crows, would play Round 1, saying he was a “big chance” to debut. Walker also nominated
Riley Thilthorpe and
Sam Berry as potential early-season debutants. However Thilthorpe, who’s played SANFL league footy in recent years, would be more an outside chance after his injury-plagued 2020 campaign.
BRISBANE LIONS
Whether it comes in Round 1 or later in the year,
Ely Smith is set to be unleashed by the Lions at AFL level this season. Heading into his third year on the Lions’ list, inside midfielder Smith has significantly improved his aerobic capacity over the off-season after being challenged to develop his outside game. He recently told the club’s website: “I went home for the break for a couple of months and just got hooked into it, dieting pretty hard … It feels pretty good knowing that everyone is noticing (the hard work). It drives you to keep going throughout the season.”
CARLTON
It’s unlikely the Blues will be unveiling any debutants in Round 1. Perhaps the best chance of an early-season game is
Jack Carroll, who recently impressed at Carlton match simulation in an on-ball role. Carroll was arguably the biggest slider of last year’s draft, with the Blues snapping the smooth-moving midfielder up with Pick 41.
COLLINGWOOD
At this stage not, there hasn’t been too much hype out of the Magpies about opening-round bolters, but Tassie product
Isaac Chugg is one to watch closely. After being picked up in the rookie draft, Chugg has made an excellent first impression at the club, turning heads as a small defender with his ball use off half-back. It’s put him in the mix for an early debut.
Oliver Henry, who was taken with Pick 17 in last year’s national draft, could also be an outside chance.
ESSENDON
It’s likely all of three of Essendon’s top-10 2020 draftees will be exposed at AFL level during the early stages of the season. One of last year’s more unique draft prospects at 200cm,
Nik Cox has the versatility and aerobic capacity – he took out the club’s 2km time trial – to play almost anywhere on the ground. That includes in the midfield, where he’s spent much of his time training over the off-season. Fellow 200cm draftee
Zach Reid has also shown off his athleticism over summer, but it’s uncertain which position he’d play in at AFL level during the early stages of his career. Bombers football boss Josh Mahoney recently told the
Herald Sun: “Physically both him (Cox) and Zach Reid are a fair way from being the key-position players they will grow into, but their athletic profile will allow them to play before that.”
Archie Perkins is a “bit more physically developed than some of the other draftees”, according to Mahoney. Perkins is the tall inside midfielder the Bombers have been searching for, but has mainly been training as a forward this off-season. Mahoney declared Perkins had “already shown the class that he has got as that type of player”.
FREMANTLE
There’s a competition among the Dockers’ 2020 draftees around who could debut first – and
Heath Chapman arguably leads the race at this stage. Aerially gifted with the ability to adapt to several defensive roles, Chapman should be a Round 1 contender after an excellent off-season that’s seen him put in a lot of work away from the club’s official training sessions. He’s been compared to Giant Nick Haynes, but Freo teammate
Luke Ryan recently likened Chapman to Dustin Fletcher due to his long arms, saying: “It looks like he’s played the game for two or three years already.” The other strong chance is midfielder
Luke Valente, who has finally had a good run with injury and trimmed down in an attempt to win an early AFL debut heading into his third season at the club. Dockers coach Justin Longmuir said in December: “We’ve got strong confidence that Luke can become not only a very good AFL footballer, but we have high hopes for him to be someone who can influence others at the football club.”
GEELONG
It’s going to be hard to get a gig in that star-studded side in Round 1. The most likely debutant contender could be
Cooper Stephens – the 2019 first-round draftee that was named as an emergency five times last year. Stephens has had a strong and, importantly, injury-free summer and looks ready to launch his AFL career at senior level.
Nathan Kreuger could also be in the early-round debut mix after training with Geelong’s defensive group over the summer and impressing Cats assistant Matthew Scarlett.
GOLD COAST SUNS
The best chance of a Round 1 berth would be
Alex Davies – a tall, big-bodied midfielder with a knack for winning contested ball. But whether the Suns would be prepared to pull the trigger so early remains to be seen.
GWS GIANTS
The club’s top draftee
Tanner Bruhn would be in the mix for Round 1. He thrives at the contest, but with lots of inside ball-winners already at the Giants, Bruhn could play as a forward during the early stages of his Giants career.
HAWTHORN
James Sicily’s injury puts top-five draftee
Denver Grainger-Barras in an excellent position to make his Round 1 debut. But even if Sicily was fit, Grainger-Barras would still be hard to ignore after an excellent summer. Under 18 talent guru Mick Ablett compared Grainger-Barras to triple premiership Tiger Dylan Grimes for his ability to intercept, as well as play on both small and tall forwards. Hawks assistant coach Sam Mitchell recently told the
Herald Sun: “It’s not for me to say who is in the selection frame (for Round 1) but if you looked at his (Grainger-Barras’) match play last week you would say he’s ready to play.” NGA recruit
Connor Downie, who uses the ball well in space, would also be an outside chance to line up on a wing or across either flank. Grainger-Barras and Downie have a great opportunity to push their respective Round 1 cases over the next month.
MELBOURNE
The Demons are unlikely to unleash a debutant in Round 1, even though both
Bailey Laurie and
Jack Bowey would be capable of stepping up. Laurie, who has a high footy IQ, would play as a small forward, but the likes of Kysaiah Pickett and Charlie Spargo could be ahead of him at this stage. Bowey was also drafted after impressing as a small forward, but he could be trialled as a half-back during the early stages of his career. When that begins for Bowey, though, remains unclear.
NORTH MELBOURNE
It’s been hard to ignore the hype around
Will Phillips – the best pure midfielder in last year’s draft. As a bottom-ager in the NAB League, Phillips slotted into the Oakleigh Chargers’ midfield brigade — which included Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson — with aplomb. Skipper Jack Ziebell recently said the “sky is the limit” for Phillips, who’s “had it on a string at training”. Fellow midfielder and first-round draftee
Tom Powell, who won the 2020 McCallum Tomkins medal as the SANFL’s best Under 19s player, has also surged into contention over summer and could be injected into North’s midfield early in 2021.
PORT ADELAIDE
Coach Ken Hinkley recently described first-round draftee
Lachlan Jones as “a bit of a beast” that was “going to have some opportunities this year to show everyone what he is capable of”. A strong defender with a ready-made frame and a beautiful kick, Jones has all the traits to make an early impact at the Power.
Jackson Mead and
Miles Bergman, who were both taken in the 2019 draft, have also trained well and could be unleashed during the first few rounds. Bergman could spend time in defence, should he debut early, despite being drafted as a forward.
RICHMOND
It’s a darn hard team to break into, but
Riley Collier-Dawkins is a chance to be named in Richmond’s Round 1 team after a “fantastic pre-season”, according to coach Damien Hardwick. After being close to playing last year, Collier-Dawkins has matured a lot over the off-season, putting himself in a great position for an early debut after being drafted with Pick 20 in 2018. Speaking about Collier-Dawkins, Hardwick told
SEN Breakfast this week: “He’s very explosive, he’s very powerful, his fitness base has really improved and he’s matured. I think he’s going to be a really, really good player for us.”
