Analysis | The importance of fitness testing in modern football recruiting
THERE has been plenty of debate when talking about potential AFL prospects pertaining to the differences between judging ‘athletes’ against ‘pure footballers’. There is an argument that fitness testing should be taken with a grain of salt and that the eye test is most important, but when it comes to players being drafted – especially […]
REVIEW | 2021 AFL mid-season draft: Club-by-club
THE 2021 AFL mid-season draft saw 22 of a possible 27 players enter the elite level, with previously overlooked talent, mature-agers, and genuine bolters all among those who earned their chance on Wednesday evening. The half-hour virtual event saw picks come in thick and fast, with a few surprises along the way and plenty of […]
Pick-by-pick: 2021 AFL mid-season draft
THE 2021 AFL mid-season draft has been run and done, with the half-hour long virtual event seeing 22 of a possible 27 selections made and plenty of fresh faces enter the elite level. As expected, Sandringham Dragons ruck/forward Jacob Edwards was selected with pick one, among seven top-age players taken straight out of the NAB […]
PREVIEW | The top 2021 AFL mid-season draft candidates
THE 2021 AFL mid-season draft finally arrives on Wednesday night, with around 15 players expected to find homes at the elite level after weeks of speculation and on-field auditions. A spill of overlooked talents from last year’s draft pool have staked their claims as worthy candidates through the elite talent pathways and state leagues, while […]
Young Guns: 2021 VFL Round 5
WITH the NAB League in the midst of a month-long break after three full rounds of action, some of Victoria’s most promising Under 19 talent has begun filtering into the Victorian Football League (VFL). A raft of top-age draft prospects have already made their state league debuts, with more to come, while members of all […]
Full squads: 2021 Victorian Young Guns showcase
THE ANNUAL Victorian Young Guns showcase is back in 2021, with Metro and Country squads set to battle it out as prospects look to stake their claims for mid-season draft (June 2) selection. Bouncing down at 2:30pm tomorrow at Avalon Airport Oval in Werribee, the fixture will see a selection of Victoria’s brightest Under 23 […]
In Contention | Outsider AFL Draft prospects to consider: Vic Country
COME the end of a year like no other, there is likely to be a greater amount of hard luck stories and near misses than ever before, especially after the recent cuts to AFL list sizes. But for all that doom and gloom, the 2020 AFL Draft intake is also poised to provide some of […]
Squad predictions: 2020 Vic Country Under 18s
THE annual Under 18 National Championships may be the only chance we get to catch a glimpse of the class of 2020 before draft day, with a decision on the recommencement of competition pushed back to at least September. In the meantime, Draft Central takes a look at how each regional squad may line up […]
Classic Contests: GIANTS hold off Bushrangers in tight contest
IF you are missing footy like we are, then let us somewhat salvage that with a look back in a new series of Classic Contests. In today’s contest we look at one of the would-have-been Round 7 clashes in the NAB League this year between the Murray Bushrangers and GWS GIANTS Academy. In this edition, […]
NAB League Boys 2019 Throwback: Round 5 – Dragons, Ranges humble Academies to go top
ROUND 5 of the 2019 NAB League season saw the Victorian mainstays peg back their Northern visitors in an action packed nine-game weekend. Sandringham and Eastern delivered big wins over the two Queensland academies at Trevor Barker Oval, while the Sydney Academy won strongly to remain undefeated alongside Dandenong (3-0-1). But first to take the […]
