THE AFL last week announced the 46-player squad set to take part in this year’s Under 17 Futures showcase. We’ve profiled each prospect to help you get to know them before they take to the MCG on AFL Grand Final day.

>> Details: AFL Under 17 Futures squad announced

SOUTH AUSTRALIA (8):

Ben Camporeale (Glenelg)
Midfielder | 184cm | 21/07/2006

Along with twin brother Lucas, Ben is father-son tied to Carlton for 2024 and has plenty of Blues fans excited. A lean type who covers the ground nicely, much like his father Scott, he has transitioned from wingman to on-baller with Glenelg this season. Camporeale averaged 25 disposals and four clearances per 13 SANFL Under 18 games in 2023 and kicks at high efficiency on his favoured right foot.

Lucas Camporeale (Glenelg)
Wing | 183cm | 21/07/2006

Unlike Ben, Lucas is a left-footer and remains an outside type having been named an All-Australian wingman after last year’s Under 16 National Championships. He glides across the grass and covers plenty of it with hard running, suiting the archetype of his role. Camporeale averaged 24 touches at 80 per cent efficiency in his 13 SANFL Under 18 outings this season.

Sid Draper (South Adelaide)
Midfielder | 180cm | 05/07/2006

Draper may well be the top of next year’s crop having compiled an outstanding bottom-age campaign. The speedy midfielder-forward took out state MVP honours at the Under 18 National Championships and broke through for a League berth, all before helping South Adelaide take out the SANFL Under 18 flag. He’s hard to lay a hand on and tested as the most agile player nationwide during preseason. A jet.

Phoenix Hargrave (South Adelaide)
Midfielder | 181cm | 15/09/2006

Hargrave is already a well accomplished prospect in the South Australian pathway, having recently been crowned the SANFL Under 18 MVP and South Adelaide’s best and fairest in a premiership year. He’s a robust ball winner who plays with strength over the ball and works hard away from the contest, naturally accumulating possessions. He averaged 23 and five clearances across 19 games this season.

Kade Herbert (Woodville-West Torrens)
Midfielder | 183cm | 03/04/2006

Another bottom-ager who broke through for a senior debut this year, Herbert impressed as a wing/forward for the Eagles. He also got to roll through midfield at state Under 18 level and has terrific smarts around the contest; able to navigate traffic with clean hands, composure, or an agile step. Herbert’s versatility is certainly a strength and he stepped up to each level this year.

Tom Luck (Woodville-West Torrens)
Ruck | 194cm | 06/04/2006

Among the trio of Eagles prospects set to take the field, Luck fits the mould of a modern day ruck – albeit decently undersized. At 194cm, he offers the quality of a fourth midfielder around the contest with nimble follow-up work and the ability to mark around the ground. He’s working on his forward craft and even played in defence while representing his state at Under 18 level.

Louie Montgomery (North Adelaide)
Utility | 183cm | 24/04/2006

The son of 2004 Port Adelaide premiership player, Brett, Montgomery is a versatile prospect for Power fans to get excited about. He is capable of finding the goals either as a forward or while playing on either side of midfield, but was also utilised down back in the state Under 18 team. His touches of flair and class make for great viewing and point towards high upside.

Tyler Welsh (Woodville-West Torrens)
Tall Forward | 190cm | 15/08/2006

Another club-tied talent out of South Australia, Welsh is father-son eligible for Adelaide next year. He burst onto the national stage with five goals against Vic Country and imposed himself on the SANFL Under 18s competition with 27 goals in 10 games before playing finals at Reserves level. Welsh plays above his height as a strong marking target but is also deceptively quick.

VIC COUNTRY (10):

Archer Day-Wicks (Bendigo Pioneers)
Midfielder/Forward | 185cm | 13/05/2006

A prospect who plays with a bit of swagger, Day-Wicks catches the eye with smooth movement, a sharp left foot, and handy aerial nous. The Bendigo Pioneers product cracked a Vic Country Under 18 debut this year and showed high-end potential in his seven Talent League appearances, averaging 18 disposals, four marks and a goal per game.

Jonty Faull (GWV Rebels)
Tall Forward | 194cm | 01/02/2006

There’s some serious spring in the way Faull plays, and he enjoyed a stellar back-end of the Talent League season to make good on the glimpses he showed previously. Having had stints in the ruck at 194cm, he settled up forward and booted 13 of his overall 20 goals for the year in the last four games. He also bagged four for Vic Country’s Futures and is developing nicely.

Sam Lalor (GWV Rebels)
Midfielder | 187cm | 30/08/2006

A bull-like inside midfielder who has drawn comparisons to Dustin Martin, Lalor has the power, strength, and number four guernsey to back that up. He’s as clean as anyone at the contest and can bring the ball to the outside in powerful bursts, while also proving capable of hitting the scoreboard when resting forward. He’s another who has already debuted for the Vic Country Under 18s.

Harvey Langford (Dandenong Stingrays)
Midfielder/Forward | 188cm | 15/03/2006

Langford put together a stellar bottom-aged campaign with Dandenong, averaging 22 disposals and just under a goal per his 14 games. His consistency through the middle stages of the Talent League season was outstanding, standing up as a young leader in the Stingrays side. In terms of style, he’s a strong stoppage player with clean hands and the ability to impact when rotating forward.

Xavier Lindsay (Gippsland Power)
Midfielder | 182cm | 03/08/2006

Lindsay really came on towards the back-end of the Talent League season, transitioning from a running half-back/wingman to become a permanent fixture in Gippsland’s midfield. He averaged 24 disposals and five tackles across 12 games for the Power, while also proving a standout in Vic Country’s Futures win over Queensland. He’s lightly-framed but gutsy and a smooth mover to boot.

Noah Mraz (Dandenong Stingrays)
Tall Defender | 197cm | 20/02/2006

Mraz is among the top Victorian talls in next year’s crop and made good on a late berth with the Vic Country Under 18s. He also built nicely into the Talent League season, taking on roles in each third of the field for averages of 11 disposals and three marks in 12 games. Perhaps most settled down back with stints in the ruck, he’s a mobile type with clean skills and good mechanics at 197cm.

Finn O’Sullivan (Oakleigh Chargers)
Midfielder | 181cm | 30/05/2006

O’Sullivan is right at the pointy end in terms of 2024 draft prospects and has long been a standout having taken out the Kevin Sheehan Medal at last year’s Under 16 national carnival. He’s a wonderfully well-rounded talent with few weaknesses; able to take marks overhead, impact on the inside and outside of the contest, and possessing a booming boot. He’s also the cousin of Carlton’s Sam Walsh.

Flynn Penry (GWV Rebels)
Ruck | 200cm | 20/04/2006

Penry is a key position prospect who falls into the high upside category, as proven across his outings with GWV Rebels thus far. He debuted in the Talent League last year and played eight games in 2023, averaging 10 touches and 17 hitouts. At 200cm, he moves well and is comfortable with ball in hand, able to pick out options by hand at stoppage or clear the ball himself.

Tobie Travaglia (Bendigo Pioneers)
Wing/Defender | 187cm | 26/10/2006

It took little time for Travaglia to establish himself as a key member of Bendigo’s side this year after debuting as a 15-year-old in 2022. The rangy, hard-running wingman punches above his weight in contested situations and isn’t afraid to back into overhead marks, but also has enough class to carry the ball and penetrate by foot – as displayed in his shift to half-back late in the season.

Oliver Warburton (Murray Bushrangers)
Midfielder | 184cm | 13/06/2006

A real effort player on the inside, Warburton is well versed as a midfielder but also applies his strong work ethic to the wing and half-back roles. The bustling bottom-ager featured at the beginning and end of this year’s Talent League season, averaging 18 disposals throughout a relatively consistent campaign in the lowest-ranked side.

VIC METRO (14):

Levi Ashcroft (Sandringham Dragons)
Midfielder | 179cm | 18/12/2006

It’s hard to shake the tag of being the brother of Will Ashcroft and son of Marcus, but Levi is doing as good a job as any of blazing his own trail. The Brisbane Lions father-son prospect is a midfielder with high level footy IQ and the work rate to match his smarts. It results in monster disposal hauls across all levels and Ashcroft has proven to be a big game player who takes on the big moments.

Jesse Dattoli (Northern Knights)
Midfielder/Forward | 178cm | 07/08/2006

Having excited up forward in his debut Talent League campaign last year, Dattoli graduated to more midfield minutes in 2023. He mixed his time with Carey Grammar, but made six appearances for the Knights for averages of 16 disposals and over a goal per game. Dattoli, whose bag of tricks is deep, also earned a single outing for the Vic Metro Under 18s.

Lucca Grego (Western Jets)
Midfielder/Defender | 183cm | 15/09/2006

Grego is a tough nut whose hardness and application have translated to a variety of roles this year. He is perhaps most natural as an inside midfielder, but also found a home in Western’s defence and is beginning to add more elements to his robust ball winning style. Needless to say, he’ll continue to be a key man for the Jets in 2024 and the region’s top draft prospect.

Tom Gross (Oakleigh Chargers)
Midfielder/Forward | 180cm | 15/09/2006

An explosive type though midfield and up forward, Gross catches the eye with his turn of speed and ability to rise for overhead marks. He’s the type of player who can hurt the opposition by taking metres and breaking the lines with long kicking. Talent League averages of 23 disposals, four marks and five inside 50s saw him recognised with a call up to the Vic Metro Under 18 squad.

Taj Hotton (Sandringham Dragons)
Forward | 180cm | 17/06/2006

Hotton is the brother of St Kilda’s Olli and son of former Blue and Magpie Trent, though is not father-son eligible for either club. The spring-heeled forward offers strong athletic upside and is crafty inside attacking 50 with the potential to develop his midfield acumen. He’s a low-possession, high-impact type who averaged 11 touches and nearly a goal per his seven Talent League games this year.

Zak Johnson (Northern Knights)
Midfielder | 185cm | 24/12/2006

Another top midfield talent out of Victoria, Johnson quickly established himself in Northern’s side and strung together a strong bottom-aged season consisting of 14 games. He averaged 21 disposals and booted 10 goals in that time, while also representing Vic Metro at Under 18 level. Johnson is a clever and composed on-baller who is difficult to pin down and often finds the right option out of a pack.

Isaac Kako (Calder Cannons)
Small Forward | 175cm | 07/03/2006

Kako is like a bee in a bottle out on the footy field, darting in all directions with one target in mind. He’s a creative small forward with great evasive technique and the smarts to spot up tricky options inside 50, or even go for goal himself. The Essendon NGA prospect bagged 24 majors in 11 Talent League games, including a haul of seven, and began to work further up the ground as the year wore on.

Nash King (Calder Cannons)
Midfielder | 181cm | 15/03/2006

A sharp-stepping midfielder, King is also among the production line of bottom-aged on-ballers who featured for Vic Metro’s Under 18s this year. He debuted for Calder Cannons in 2022 and made nine appearances this time around, averaging 22 touches, four tackles and as many inside 50s. King is one of those players who can move the ball from inside to outside with frequency and fluency.

Christian Moraes (Eastern Ranges)
Midfielder | 182cm | 08/11/2006

Having missed out on Vic Metro Under 18 selection, Moraes starred in the Futures fixture and has been in incredible form for Eastern Ranges. Hailing from a basketball background, he’s a smooth mover with clean hands who thrives in attacking phases, carrying the ball at speed and with frequency. Moraes has averaged 27 disposals in 15 Talent League games this year with the Grand Final to come.

Harry O’Farrell (Calder Cannons)
Tall Defender | 196cm | 03/05/2006

A versatile key position prospect, O’Farrell has predominantly played his representative and Talent League football down back, but also features up forward when turning out for St Kevin’s College in the APS competition. He only managed five games with Calder this season but earned a Vic Metro Under 18 berth and has some potential to harness as a top-ager next year.

Murphy Reid (Sandringham Dragons)
Midfielder/Forward | 181cm | 30/07/2006

While midfield minutes in Sandringham’s stacked engine room are hard to come by, Reid has taken his opportunities there well and made every post a winner up forward, too. He’s a super clean handler of the ball and composed in tight spots, doing his best work at the contest and translating those same smarts around goal. He has averaged 21 touches and over a goal per his nine Talent League games this year.

Josh Smillie (Eastern Ranges)
Midfielder | 194cm | 17/05/2006

Likely among the top handful of prospects for next year, Smillie will miss out on the Talent League Grand Final through injury but has done more than enough to prove his potential. The 194cm on-baller is a monster at the contest with his size, clean hands and high level footy IQ, all of which have been on display since his Under 16 carnival with Vic Metro last year. He’s a phenom at Under 18 level, too.

Jagga Smith (Oakleigh Chargers)
Midfielder | 181cm | 28/01/2006

The headlines write themselves with Smith, who plays up to them with some of the slickest work of any midfielder in the pathway. While juggling school footy commitments, he averaged 30 disposals in 10 Talent League games and seamlessly stepped up to representative level with Vic Metro’s Under 18s. He’s lightly built, but clean and agile enough to take inside ball to the outer without being touched.

Luke Trainor (Sandringham Dragons)
Defender | 193cm | 10/04/2006

Trainor is yet another bottom-ager who cracked Vic Metro’s Under 18 team this year and it’s easy to see why. He’s a versatile type at 193cm who can swing to either end of the ground, but arguably looks best as a third-up intercept defender. Trainor sparks rebounds with his aerial ability and distributive skills by foot, which were on show in consecutive 25-disposal games in the Talent League this season.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA (3):

Bo Allan (Peel Thunder)
Defender | 188cm | 16/02/2006

Western Australia may have had an underwhelming Under 18 carnival this year, but Allan was a shining light for the future across all four games. He was utilised in defence and took the game on, but also did so in stints up forward for Peel. Allan averaged 13 touches and four marks across eight Colts games in 2023 and is one of the state’s top prospects for 2024.

Malakai Champion (Subiaco)
Small Forward | 176cm | 17/05/2006

There are few more exciting players in full flight than Champion, who is capable of making opponents look silly with his turn of speed or by sitting on their heads for a speccy. The energetic small forward is crafty around goal but also helped connect Subiaco into attack this season by working high up the ground. He booted 22 majors in 14 WAFL Colts games, averaging 15 disposals and five marks.

Austin van der Struyf (Claremont)
Wing | 176cm | 17/03/2006

van der Struyf has spent most of this year playing PSA footy as captain of Christ Church Grammar School, but also turned out seven times for Claremont’s Colts, returning for the Tiger’s premiership tilt. He’s a lightly framed, smooth moving outside player with sharp skills which catch the eye. In the Futures game, van der Struyf could feature on either side of midfield or a forward flank.

NSW/ACT (5):

Joel Cochran (Swans Academy)
Tall Defender | 195cm | 28/03/2006

While technically over-aged in the category, Cochran was a key cog in the Swans Academy’s Under 16 National Championships this year. He played mostly as a mobile key defender, but was also tested with stints in the ruck at 195cm. Cochran is strongly built with good marking prowess and a level of comfort in possession, seeing him get involved in transitional play from the back.

Joe Harrison (Swans Academy)
Midfielder | 179cm | 20/07/2006

Harrison quickly established himself as a part of the Swans Academy’s starting midfield this year, waxing with a good mix of top-age talent and holding his own. He averaged 20 disposals and five inside 50s across a handful of Talent League outings, including a high of 28. He’s a hard runner and quite natural accumulator of possessions from inside to the outer.

Joshua Murphy (Murray Bushrangers)
Forward | 190cm | 28/11/2006

Bursting onto the scene with 17 disposals, 11 marks and three goals in his first outing for Murray this season, Murphy is a strong-marking medium forward with plenty of talent. He was tested throughout the year with stints in the defence, but proved most effective up front and even stepped up to the representative stage with three majors against Vic Metro for the NSW-ACT Rams.

Jobe Shanahan (Bendigo Pioneers)
Tall Utility | 192cm | 02/08/2006

Another Talent Leaguer with serious potential, Shanahan’s greatest strength is his aerial game. The 192cm Moama native has a clean set of hands and leaps at the ball so fluently – traits which translated to playing at either end of the ground. He also had stints in midfield, though one of his best games was up forward for NSW-ACT, where he put on a marking clinic and kicked three goals.

Mitchell Woods (Swans Academy)
Midfielder/Forward | 179cm | 15/05/2006

Woods is a gifted dual-sport athlete and that’s evident in the way he plays. The evasive midfielder-forward has a five-year NRL contract tabled to him, but has also shone through the AFL pathway and was the Swans Academy’s Under 16 MVP last year. He has pace to burn and while very much a raw talent, could come on leaps and bounds with a full year committed to Australian rules football.

NORTHERN TERRITORY (2):

Ricky Mentha (Gippsland Power)
Small Forward | 179cm | 04/09/2006

An native of the Northern Territory, Mentha represented the Thunder at Under 16 level this year and was tasked with some difficult roles. He shone there and showed further potential as a lively small forward with Gippsland Power, proving a high impact player with plenty of tricks. With twists, turns, and deadly goal sense, Mentha has the capacity to make defenders look silly.

Clay Shadforth (Palmerston/South Adelaide)
Small Forward | 179cm | 11/04/2006

Another Territorian who is plying his trade elsewhere, Shadforth boards in South Australia and was part of South Adelaide’s premiership-winning Under 18 side. He also earned a single outing for the Allies, with his raw talent recognised in the elite pathway. The small forward has eye-catching pace and agility which he uses to both create scoring opportunities and shut down the opposition in a tackling sense.

QUEENSLAND (3):

Tom Gillett (Lions Academy)
Tall Utility | 201cm | 09/01/2006

A developing key position prospect in the Lions’ ranks, Gillett moves well for a 201cm player and is capable of slotting in across each third of the ground. He rucked for Queensland at Futures level and mixed his time there for Brisbane’s Under 18s, also imposing himself around the ground with Talent League averages of 14 disposals and four marks.

Leonardo Lombard (Suns Academy)
Midfielder | 178cm | 05/10/2006

Arguably Queensland’s top talent for next year, Lombard is already a well known quantity. He turned out once for the Allies and dominated in Queensland’s Futures clash with Vic Country, while averaging 25 disposals and five inside 50s across five Talent League games. Lombard’s hard running and inside-outside balance also earned him a VFL berth with the Suns, even in their finals campaign.

Samuel Marshall (Lions Academy/Sandringham Dragons)
Midfielder | 185cm | 19/01/2006

Another hard-running midfielder to add to the list of on-ballers for 2024, Marshall has mixed his time with many squads this year. He boards at Melbourne Grammar and thus is tied to the Sandringham Dragons, but also turns out for the Lions Academy. He didn’t look out of place for the Allies or Brisbane VFL side either, picking up possessions at will on the wing or at centre bounces.

TASMANIA (1):

Oliver Dean (North Launceston)
Ruck | 199cm | 16/08/2006

Dean is set to be Tasmania’s sole representative in this year’s Futures game after proving his wares in the Devils’ minor premiership-winning side. He’s a selection made on upside, with the 199cm big man averaging six disposals, two marks and 17 hitouts across 13 Talent League games. Like many talls, he could be one who comes on strongly next year after showing promise as a bottom-ager.