THE LATEST AFL Draft Power Rankings instalment dropped on Monday, with a bunch of fresh faces introduced to the extended list of 30. There were still plenty of unlucky players to miss out and subsequent questions to arise. We attempt to answer them in this Q&A.

>> Top 30: July 2023 Power Rankings

JULY POWER RANKINGS Q&A

Q: Where’s Caiden Cleary?

A: There’s always a flavour of the month and in July, this was easily the most asked question. Cleary had a terrific national carnival with the Allies and earned All Australian honours – deservingly, too. The Swans Academy member has improved on his deficiencies and compliments his strong inside game with hard running. Having also impressed at VFL level, he is approaching the top 30 and remains among a very even grouping of players outside the consensus first round. For us, 25-40.

Q: How is ranked Ryley Sanders #8 when he won the Larke Medal, what more does he have to do?

A: Let’s not sell it short, Sanders had a phenomenal National Championships and was rightly recognised as the top performer this year. Being a top 10 prospect is nothing to scoff at either, and it’s difficult to split a lot of the players from 2-12. Others ahead of him in the rankings perhaps have a touch more upside, athleticism, and flair, but none of that will hold Sanders back from being a very high selection.

Q: Who do you compare Nate Caddy to and what can he become?

A: Caddy slid out of our top 10 this month but very much remains a talent with enormous potential. The man himself recognised his awkward standing of 192cm, which doesn’t quite measure up to key position height. He’s a genuine marking target though and his best position will be as a third tall forward; one who can clunk the ball inside 50, or work over his opponent with sheer athleticism when presenting up the ground. Coaches at Northern and Vic Metro have also allowed him to develop his ability to pinch-hit in midfield, though he doesn’t look nearly as comfortable there. As far as comparisons go, many have thrown Charlie Curnow up there, but he’s a pretty unique player in his own right.

Q: Where is Will Graham in the rankings?

A: Really close to cracking the top 30. He’s one who clubs are keeping an eye on given his ties to the Gold Coast Academy, and the Suns’ squeeze to match three likely bids in the first round. Graham adapted nicely to playing in defence for the Allies, but is more well known for his midfield craft and that’s an asset which is missing in the depths of this year’s draft pool. Currently, we have him in the 25-40 bracket.

Q: Logan Morris and Arie Schoenmaker say hi

A: These two were incredibly unlucky not to feature in our top 30. Morris is a player whose draft range is wide, while Schoenmaker boasts potential which could see him crack the leading 20 players but still has some work to do. With more promising performances and improvements in their respective growth areas, they may well end up being undeniable for next month’s rankings. Again, they’re in that very even second round group between 25-40.

Q: Clay Hall not in the top 30?

A: At risk of sounding like a broken record, he was very close. Like Cleary, Graham, Morris and Schoenmaker, Hall was among the group deemed ‘stiff to miss’ at the bottom of our July rankings. He had a strong national carnival for the struggling West Australians, and is one of the few prospects with a good deal of senior experience. He’s an absolute pro and won’t be far away.

Q: Surely Ashton Moir makes this list

A: As any keen draft watcher would know, Moir came into the year touted as a top five prospect but hasn’t quite gotten going as a top-ager. He battled through injury early in the year and struggled to regain his confidence, underperforming throughout the National Championships. However, Moir is beginning to show positive signs with Glenelg and has returned to the Reserves grade, so hopefully a League debut is just around the corner. There are so many top traits to work with and great potential to enhance, but also glaring areas of improvement that have seen Moir fall down the order. He could end up being a second or third round bargain given his upside. Happy to be proven wrong.

Q: Only two South Australias in the top 30?

A: It seems harsh, but this year’s South Australian crop struggled at the National Championships and that shows in the rankings. It seems that Hawthorn father-son prospect Will McCabe will be the state’s only first round pick, though the likes of Moir, Jack Delean, and Will Patton have enough talent to suggest they’ll also be right in the overall conversation come draft time. Ruckman Taylor Goad has also popped up onto the radar. Next year should be more fruitful.

Q: How much does Will Brown‘s value rise given the relative scarcity of big-bodied mids?

A: What an eloquently worded question. Brown is a tough one to rank for that reason, and he came into the year as a potential top 20 talent. You have to have points of difference as a big-bodied, ball winning midfielder and Brown attempts to show that with his ability to pinch-hit up forward, but his game very much revolves around the contest. He lacks explosive speed and a certain hurt factor by foot, so it is difficult to put him in the top 30 mix. Though, the lack of overall midfield depth, his leadership quality, and relatively strong form may carry him through come draft time.

Q: What happened to Will Lorenz?

A: Lorenz has been asked about after every rankings instalment this year, so there’s not much more to add. There were good wraps on him coming into the season but he has fallen out of favour a touch. He’s still among the couple of Oakleigh top-agers who will get a look-in but aren’t quite in the top 30 bracket.

Q: How will next month’s rankings look?

A: Hopefully bigger and better. With a clear bunch of names sitting just outside this month’s group, extending the list out to 40 names won’t be too difficult. The order will be an absolute task though, so the back-end of seasons around the country will be vital in helping recruiters determine how their draft boards stack up. The group between 20-50 chops and changes quite frequently, and in a big way from person to person. In that bracket, there are very few absolutes.

Q: When will you do a projected top 20 for next year’s draft?

A: Thank you to a certain bottom-age draft prospect for this question, but that’s still a while away yet! We’ll post our 24 players to watch for 2024 in this year’s draft guide, and it will be posted in an article online once the 2023 draft is done and dusted. Stay tuned.