AS the NAB League season finals approach, we take a look at the sides that are no longer in contention for the title, checking out their draft prospects, Best and Fairest (BnF) chances, 2020 Draft Crop and a final word on their season. The next side we look at is the Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels.

Position: 10th
Wins: 9
Losses: 9
Draws: 0

Points For: 950 (Ranked #9)
Points Against: 1078 (Ranked eq. #11)
Percentage: 88
Points: 24

Top draft prospects:

Jay Rantall

A late bloomer to the sport after focusing on basketball where he made it to international level, Rantall showed he has made the right choice with some of the performances he put out on the park this year. The athletic midfielder has an endurance base that rivals Sam Walsh, and ticks nearly every athletic box there is to tick. On the field, he showed he can wear down opponents and hit the scoreboard regularly, bursting out of stoppages and kicking goals from little time or space. He is still raw compared to other players, but on excitement factor alone he is rated in the first half of the draft, and would make a case for a top 30 selection.

Isaac Wareham

A long-term prospect, Wareham missed the last month due to injury, but showcased what he could do for the Rebels and Vic Country. He is not a huge ball winner, but he has lovely kicking skills and makes the right decisions. He still has areas to work on and his consistency is a big factor that will need developing, but receiving a National Draft Combine invitation is a massive boost in his draft chances. Expect him to be in the late-to-rookie stakes, though players with his skillsets in the past have been known to be plucked out earlier than expected. Has good upside for the future.

Other in the mix:

The two other Rebels who deserve consideration are midfielder-forwards Mitch Martin and Toby Mahony. Both are very different players despite playing similar roles, Martin is that X-factor forward who can win a game off his own boot, while Mahony has a long raking kick that can pinpoint teammates like very few can. Both have had inconsistencies throughout the season and are more long-term prospects, but both have earned draft combine invites and therefore are on the radar.

BnF chances:

While Martin and Mahony will poll well, expect it to be either Cooper Craig-Peters or Riley Polkinghorne who take it out, with both regularly among the best and consistently putting up solid numbers, but also team-orientated performances. Jayden Wright, Jack Tillig and James Cleaver are other players who were regularly standing up – more often than not in the defensive 50 – and will earn plaudits from their coaches.

2020 Draft Crop:

Harry Sharp and Tillig are the two players who are making waves for 2020 in a year that will be better known for its bottom-agers at the Rebels next year. After being a young side in 2018, the Rebels were older in 2019 and will again look to the bottom-agers in 2020. Midfielders Ben Hobbs and Charlie Molan, and key forward Josh Rentsch loom as a 16-year-old trio that will be regularly monitored by the opposition with the first two hoping to hand the latter some opportunities on a silver platter inside 50.

Final word:

The Rebels had an up-and-down year, with their best right up there with the top sides, and their worst among some forgettable performances. They missed out to winning through to the finals this year after a loss last weekend, but they showed some promising signs at times this year and barring a triple-figure loss to Eastern Ranges mid-season, were able to be competitive and not drop as many games with disappointing last quarters which was a step forward.