THE AFL has today announced a 26-player National Academy squad for 2024, highlighting some of the brightest draft prospects across each state and territory. All members are 2006-born and thus eligible for next year’s AFL Draft. The AFL Women’s Academy was also announced in today’s release.

>> SQUAD: 2024 AFLW Academy announced

The boys’ squad will convene for its first camp in Melbourne from December 8-10, before participating in another two next year. As was the case for 2023’s cohort, the group will represent Australian in two games together, with details of the fixtures yet to be announced.

Headlining the intake for 2024 is a trio of Under 18 All Australians; Levi Ashcroft, Sid Draper, and Finn O’Sullivan. All are highly esteemed midfielders who demonstrate the estimated quality of next year’s crop, particularly in the on-ball department.

Draper took out South Australia’s MVP award as a bottom-ager at this year’s national carnival and earned his SANFL League debut with South Adelaide. Meanwhile, O’Sullivan was the 2022 Kevin Sheehan Medallist as the best and fairest player of the Under 16 National Championships (Division 1).

Ashcroft is a well-known quantity too – the brother of Brisbane’s Will and son of three-time premiership Lion, Marcus. He helped Sandringham take out back-to-back Coates Talent League premierships this year and will hope to join his elder sibling as a father-son draftee.

There is plenty more club-tied talent in the ranks. Adelaide father-son hopeful Tyler Welsh recently hit the headlines having secured a deal to play with the Crows’ SANFL side next year. He’s a powerful tall forward who kicked five goals in his state Under 18 debut this year.

Carlton has access to twins Ben and Lucas Camporeale, who shape as chips off the old block. Right and left-footed respectively, both are lean types who cover the ground phenomenally well. Ben, who plays more inside while Lucas roams the wings and flanks, was best afield in this year’s Futures showcase.

Among the Northern Academy talents are a couple of gun Queenslanders in Leo Lombard (Gold Coast) and Sam Marshall (Brisbane). Both have already represented the Allies and their respective clubs at VFL level, with Lombard featuring in the Suns’ premiership at just 16-years-old.

The full squad is listed below, with a breakdown of the team state-by-state. Stay tuned to Rookie Me Central as we profile each member and narrow down to 24 names to watch out for in 2024 – as featured in our AFL Draft Guide.

2024 AFL ACADEMY SQUAD

STATE-BY-STATE BREAKDOWN

SOUTH AUSTRALIA (4):
Ben Camporeale, Lucas Camporeale, Sid Draper, Tyler Welsh

VIC COUNTRY (7):
Archer Day-Wicks, Jonty Faull, Sam Lalor, Harvey Langford, Xavier Lindsay, Noah Mraz, Finn O’Sullivan

VIC METRO (7):
Levi Ashcroft, Tom Gross, Christian Moraes, Harry O’Farrell, Josh Smillie, Jagga Smith, Luke Trainor

WESTERN AUSTRALIA (2):
Bo Allan, Malakai Champion

NSW-ACT (2):
Joel Cochran, Jobe Shanahan

NORTHERN TERRITORY (1):
Ricky Mentha

QUEENSLAND (2):
Leo Lombard, Sam Marshall

TASMANIA (1):
Oliver Dean