{"id":22548,"date":"2016-07-25T15:43:40","date_gmt":"2016-07-25T05:43:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afldraftcentral.com.au\/?p=22548"},"modified":"2016-07-25T15:43:40","modified_gmt":"2016-07-25T05:43:40","slug":"20-division-one-names-to-watch-out-for-in-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2016\/07\/25\/20-division-one-names-to-watch-out-for-in-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Division One names to watch out for in 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Vic<\/a>
Vic Metro bottom ager Sam Hayes marks strongly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A month after Vic Metro claimed the Division One championships, eligible draftees are starting to come into the spotlight as clubs determine who will be the next big star. With clubs having the ability to trade future draft picks,\u00a0Matthew Grundy<\/strong>\u00a0casts his eye over 20 of the top talent to watch out for next year from the Division One\u00a0states.<\/p>\n

15 names to watch from the Division Two states<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Vic Metro<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jack Higgins
\n<\/strong>Balanced Midfielder\/Small Forward\u00a0(Oakleigh Chargers\/Vic Metro)
\n19\/03\/1999 | 176cm | 73kg<\/p>\n

Jack Higgins is one of the better midfielders for the 2017 draft. Winning the Kevin Sheehan Medal for the best player in Division One of the Under 16 carnival, Higgins is one to keep an eye on. At both TAC Cup level and school football level, Higgins has shown glimpses of what he can do as an inside midfielder. A good endurance base helps Higgins cover the ground well, with one of his better games at TAC Cup level being his 33 disposal and three goal performance against Gippsland Power. Overhead Higgins is solid for a player sub 180cm and took\u00a0eight marks against Northern Knights earlier in the season. Higgins’ kicking however does need some work, as it can be loopy when hitting up a target. Rather than taking the game forward, Higgins often chips the ball laterally\u00a0rather than going forward for his team. His defensive running needs work, often not running back hard enough leaving his team with one less player defensively- which may put clubs off. Overall, Higgins is a solid midfielder who will likely be talked about as one of the early Vic Metro players picked in 2017.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GS8jfKV_W4w<\/p>\n

Joel Garner
\n<\/strong>Utility\u00a0(Eastern Ranges\/Vic Metro)
\n21\/05\/1999 | 184cm | 78kg<\/p>\n

Silky is a word that is synonymous with Joel Garner. No we’re not talking about West Indian fast bowling legend Garner- but the silky smooth midfielder from Eastern Ranges. The ex-Boomeranges captain\u00a0Garner has put together a nice run of form in 2016 and has shown his ability to play in multiple positions. Garner has played at all ends of the ground, even pushing through the midfield with his best asset being his composure with the ball in hand. Garner isn’t a massive ball winner, but has good penetration off his left boot. If Garner can\u00a0solidify a position that best suits him in the second half of the TAC Cup season, he will be an important figure for the Ranges come finals time. An improvement on his ball winning capabilities will only increase his potential to jump up the draft order.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=enR0wGT2jBQ<\/a><\/p>\n

Jaidyn Stephenson
\n<\/strong>Medium Forward\/Outside Midfielder\u00a0(Eastern Ranges\/Vic Metro)
\n15\/01\/1999 | 188cm | 76kg<\/p>\n

Stephenson is one of those rare players who can just create something out of nothing up forward. Stephenson arrived\u00a0in the spotlight last year after some eye-catching performances in the TAC Cup finals playing inside 50. Stephenson kicked 10 goals (including three in the Grand Final) as a 16 year-old for Eastern in five games after a strong Vic Metro Under 16 carnival some months earlier. A school trip overseas limited him to a singular Under 18 championships appearance, where he had five disposals against Vic Country. Stephenson moves well and has the ability to push up the ground, showing off his strong overhead mark. A good burst of speed helps him leave his opponent behind, making him hard to match up on. The question mark I have on him is whether he will be able to move up onto a wing in the future or will remain as a permanent third tall. Stephenson has plenty of great characteristics and will his ability to mark the ball at its highest point, the forward is one to certainly watch develop over the next 18 months.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bhjKqm9hBtY<\/a><\/p>\n

Sam\u00a0Hayes
\n<\/strong>Ruckman\/Key Position Forward\u00a0(Eastern Ranges\/Vic Metro)
\n09\/06\/1999 | 200cm | 90kg<\/p>\n

A superb Under 18 Championships has seen Hayes capapult himself up the order of the 2017 draftees. Hayes turned himself into one of the better ruck\/forwards with a carnival that saw him selected in the All-Australian team. Hayes covers the ground well and inside 50 has the ability to crash the pack when he flies for a mark. At TAC Cup level, Hayes is averaging over 20 hitouts a game and his tap work has been very good for the Ranges. Despite not being renound for playing forward, Hayes made a name for himself booting five goals in the Under 18 carnival showing presence inside 50. With a strength being his overhead marking, expect Hayes to spend more time closer to the goals in the near future. If Hayes can fix the penetration on his kicking which can often go higher than longer, he should be able to become a strong ruck\/forward option in the future.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BQka9OsdRVA<\/a><\/p>\n

Patrick Naish
\n<\/strong>Outside Midfielder\u00a0(Northern Knights\/Vic Metro)
\n15\/01\/1999 | 180cm | 67kg<\/p>\n

Patrick Naish is the son of 161 game player Chris who played at both Richmond and Port Adelaide. Although Chris played for both clubs, Patrick only eligible for Richmond under the father-son rule. This year with high expectations on his shoulders, he has lived up to some of\u00a0the hype from Tigers\u00a0fans. Naish has played across half-back for most of the season for the Northern Knights, averaging 17 disposals. He\u00a0is lively around the ball and provides a spark for his team going forward. At school football level, Naish has spent most of his time inside 50 using his speed and agility to get around his opponent. Naish has also worked on his contested ball winning, when rotating onto the ball. He\u00a0is lightly framed and can at stages be pushed around in the contest, but his best positions appears likely to be on the outside. Richmond fans should be excited by what Naish brings and will be one that Tiger fans will watch carefully in the 2017 Under 18 Championships.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bDBORmt4Oeg<\/a><\/p>\n

Lachlan Fogarty
\n<\/strong>Inside\u00a0Midfielder\u00a0(Western Jets\/Vic Metro)
\n01\/04\/1999 | 179cm | 73kg<\/p>\n

Lachlan Fogarty has been a name to watch, since winning Vic Metro’s Under 16 MVP in the Under 16 Championships in 2015. In his three games for Western Jets, he has averaged 20 disposals and has shown some good signs at school football level for St Kevin’s College. Fogarty has missed a few games through injury and is a part of the Level One AFL Academy. His good early season form saw him selected in the initial\u00a0Vic Metro Under 18 squad, but wasn’t selected to play. Fogarty works hard on the inside, winning his own football before streaming forward and kicking the ball long.<\/p>\n

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Congrats to Vic Metro #NABAFLU16s<\/a> MVP Lachlan Fogarty @WesternJetsFC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/7VAU05CEBm<\/a><\/p>\n

— Coates Talent League (@TalentLeague) July 10, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n