Ben Camporeale Draft Profile

GlenelgMidfielder

#3

Ben Camporeale

height: 185cm

weight:

D.O.B: 21-07-2006

Leagues: SANFL Under 18s, AFL U18 Championships

Snapshot
Analysis
Summary

SNAPSHOT: “A competitive and consistent midfielder who covers the ground well and racks up possessions at will.” – Michael Alvaro

Carlton fans have been anticipating the arrival of Ben Camporeale for some time now, along with twin brother, Lucas. The talented siblings are set to end up at Princes Park come draft time, where their father Scott played 233 games and won the 1995 premiership. Ben is the right-footed, stronger and more inside-leaning inverse of lean left-footed outside runner, Lucas.

Both boys have long been staples of the South Australian pathway. They featured in the state’s Under 16 and 18 representative sides, with Ben named vice-captain of the latter this year. He also earned AFL Academy selection after being named best afield in the 2023 National Futures game on AFL Grand Final day.

Camporeale’s individual accolades have not stopped there. He was a consistent figure during South Australia’s National Championships campaign this year, averaging 26.8 disposals and 4.5 clearances to earn state MVP and All-Australian honours. He even took out the McCallum-Tomkins Medal in a four-way tie off just six SANFL Under 18 games.

His prolific nature could be observed across each level, even in his one and only Reserves outing alongside Lucas. Ben stuffed the stats sheet with 22 disposals, eight tackles and six clearances on that day, as Glenelg picked up a thrilling two-point win over Sturt. That was his final appearance for the Bays in 2024, due to a hamstring strain.

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS:

STRENGTHS:

+ Accumulation
+ Competitiveness
+ Consistency
+ Clean hands
+ Running capacity
+ Vertical leap

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Defensive effort
- Kicking
- Speed

Camporeale has been one of the most consistent performers in the draft crop this year, hitting his level in most games and being a reliable accumulator. His numbers at SANFL Under 18s level were astounding, averaging 31.7 touches and 6.7 clearances across six outings en route to taking out the league best and fairest. Only one time did he have below 30 disposals in that time, and he was more often than not South Australia's top ball winner during the Under 18 National Championships.

At the crux of Camporeale's ball finding ability is his running capacity. He racks up most of his touches in chains of possession, combining with teammates and demanding the ball back on forward surges. Particularly in attacking phases, his work rate is immense and he wants the ball in his hands as much as possible, working harder than most to repeatedly do so. That, for the most part, is why he averages in the high-20s for disposals and will likely continue to.

Camporeale is also capable of winning inside ball. He has good size and power, complimented by a clean set of hands to be able to stand up in tackles and dish it out. His ability overhead is quite sound and he has a strong vertical leap, as displayed during combine testing events. Another key factor in Camporeale's prolific nature is his competitiveness. He drives professional standards and demands a lot from teammates, not afraid to vocalise his thoughts.

While Camporeale is more than capable of finding plenty of the ball, making use of it can sometimes prove a different challenge. He is much sharper by hand than foot, lacking a touch of polish on his kicking and poor decision making at times. If he can sure up his disposal, especially given he wins so much of the ball going forward, he can enhance his hurt factor. Adding an element of speed to his play will also help to buy time in possession, as being made to absorb tackles impacts his disposal.

An area where Camporeale has improved in numbers-wise is his defensive intent. A lot of his contributions are willingly done on the attack, but showing the same vigour defensively will round out his midfield game. Playing on the inside, and especially without a particularly weaponous kick, his ability to go both ways will be crucial to making it at the top level. He averaged 4.8 tackles in the SANFL Under 18s, and 3.8 at the National Championships.

DRAFT RANGE: 40-60

SUMMARY:

It is just about a formality at this point that Camporeale will end up at Carlton at some point in the National Draft. Amongst an even and quite talented crop, featuring arguably just outside the top 30 prospects will favour the Blues. He may well attract a bid outside of the 40-range, especially given his club ties and the depth of other talent readily available. Either way, he offers good connection through the middle of the ground and traits which will hold up at the next level. There remains plenty to improve on, but Camporeale is well on track to add to his father’s legacy at Princes Park.