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Hidden Gems Players ranked from 26 to 50 by Matt Balmer
Clubs are frantically doing their final preparation on draft prospects with less than three weeks until the 2019 national draft.
Some clubs have tasty first-round selections, others have traded away their top picks, meaning they will be hunting the hidden gems in the latter stages of the draft pool.
Foxfooty.com.au presents its draft board with players ranked 26 to 50, with players ranked 1 to 25 to be revealed in coming days.
26. Harrison JONES
Clubs: Calder Cannons/Vic Metro
Position: Key Position Forward
Size: 196cm, 78kg
Bio: Unlike previous draft pools, there is a big shortage of key-position players in the 2019 crop. But Jones is one of the more mobile talls, keeping him in the conversation as a potential first-round selection. His craft inside 50 is good and his marking overhead is a strength, even though his numbers from the Under 18 Championships may have been underwhelming. Given his light 78kg frame, he will need some developing, but overall the athletic forward has plenty of scope to fill a role as a club’s key forward.
27. Jackson MEAD
Clubs: Woodville-West Torrens/South Australia
Position: Balanced Midfielder
Size: 183cm, 83kg
Bio: Port Adelaide will have first dibs at securing Mead, whose father Darren played 122 AFL games for the club. The 18-year-old seems suited to an inside midfielder role in the future, given he averaged over 20 disposals at both SANFL Reserves and Under 18 Championships level. His stoppage work is good and he has a big powerful right foot kick. Port Adelaide will be hoping a bid comes in the latter half of the second round on draft night.
28. Darcy CASSAR
Clubs: Western Jets/Vic Metro
Position: Outside Midfielder
Size: 184cm, 82kg
Bio: Cassar lifted his output from his 2018 season after playing in a variety of roles for Western Jets in the NAB League this year. He projects long-term as a high half-forward/wingman, using his speed and endurance to find the ball in the attacking half of the ground. He averaged 16 touches for Vic Metro, showing off his skills on the MCG against Vic Country. Cassar regularly disposes of the ball well and improved his ball winning output from 17.2 disposals in 2018 to 23.0 this season.
29. Mitch O’NEILL
Clubs: Tasmania/Allies
Position: Balanced Midfielder
Size: 176cm, 72kg
Bio: O’Neill may be the only Tasmanian selected in the draft this year and remains as one of the more intriguing prospects in the draft pool. The 18-year-old isn’t a massive ball winner, given he averaged 20 touches in the NAB League and Under 18 Championships, but has shown his ability to win it in the contest despite his 176cm frame. He is agile at the stoppages and disposes of it well in the contest by hand. Clubs might look to develop his footy IQ as a small utility at either end of the ground.
30. Jeremy SHARP
Clubs: East Fremantle/Western Australia
Position: Outside Midfielder
Size: 189cm, 81kg
Bio: The wingman has been one of Western Australia’s most consistent players over the last two years, winning bottom-age All-Australian honours. And while he didn’t make the grade in 2019 – despite averaging 21 disposals in the carnival – he showed his zip and run throughout WA’s title-winning series. Sharp featured in six matches at WAFL League level for East Fremantle, averaging 15.5 disposals and showing off his outside game.
31. Jack MAHONY
Clubs: Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
Position: Small Forward/Inside Midfielder
Size: 178cm, 72kg
Bio: There are plenty of comparisons between Mahony and Richmond small forward Jack Higgins. The 17-year-old is smart around goal and can also push into the midfield and win the contested ball when required. He works hard to win the ball with his running patterns and has shown a tenacity to tackle hard when he doesn’t have the ball. Mahony averaged 18 disposals, 3.5 tackles and a goal during Vic Metro’s Under 18 Championships.
32. Sam De KONING
Clubs: Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country
Position: Key Position Defender
Size: 201cm, 86kg
Bio: De Koning is the younger brother of Carlton’s Tom, with the 201cm tall named as the full back in the All-Australian team following a strong carnival for Vic Country. His reading of the flight of the ball in the defensive half is a strong point, with his marking a clear strength. He doesn’t have a huge leap, but when he adds some muscle to his frame it will allow him to play on the opposition’s stronger forwards. An ankle injury kept him out late in the season, but he has shown his versatility at NAB League level for Dandenong Stingrays up forward and in the ruck.
33. Kysaiah PICKETT
Clubs: Woodville-West Torrens/South Australia
Position: Small Forward
Size: 171cm, 71kg
Bio: The lively forward has earned an invite to the draft, indicating a club in the first round is seriously considering drafting the nephew of Port Adelaide premiership player Byron Pickett. He is a true small forward who creates spark around the ball and knows the craft inside 50. His speed and agility is outstanding, with Pickett screaming X-Factor. He averaged two goals a game in the SANFL Reserves, with a standout performance coming earlier in the season where he took a huge mark and booted six goals.
34. Thomson DOW
Clubs: Bendigo Pioneers/Vic Country
Position: Inside Midfielder
Size: 184cm, 76kg
Bio: There are a number of similarities between Dow and his younger brother Paddy, who was taken by Carlton with a top-five pick in 2017. Dow placed third in the agility test at the draft combine and impressed with his speed, as he capped off a strong season across all levels. His 21.6 disposal output for the Bendigo Pioneers was impressive, winning the ball in the contest and disposing of it effectively out of the stoppages. The 18-year-old should develop into a zippy midfield type at the next level.
35. Hugo RALPHSMITH
Clubs: Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
Position: Outside Midfielder/Medium Forward
Size: 188cm, 75kg
Bio: Ralphsmith might not have put together a complete game at all levels in 2019, but what he showed will make a number of clubs tempted to use an early selection on the 17-year-old. Ralphsmith was utilised deep forward by Haileybury College throughout 2019, but was pushed up the ground by Vic Metro and Sandringham Dragons. He has X-Factor and looked most at home playing across half-forward where he used his speed and class with aplomb. The Victorian could develop into one of the steals of the draft when looking back in a number of years.
36. Jay RANTALL
Clubs: GWV Rebels/Vic Country
Position: Balanced Midfielder
Size: 185cm, 83kg
Bio: Rantall continues to rise up the draft boards following his rapid improvement in 2019. An underage basketball star, Rantall is focusing on football and uses his dual-sport capabilities on the football field. He is agile, quick footed in the stoppages and is one of the best endurance athletes in the draft pool. He averaged 24.9 disposals, with a near 50 per cent contested-uncontested possession split. Rantall is still very raw, but has traits that appeal to AFL clubs with second-round selections.
37. Mitch GEORGIADES
Clubs: Subiaco/Western Australia
Position: General Forward
Size: 192cm, 87kg
Bio: Georgiades missed the entire 2019 campaign due to a serious quad injury suffered in last year’s Grand Final day curtain raiser. However he was able to impress at the draft combine where he came fourth in the 20m sprint and performed well in the Yo-Yo test. The raw forward has plenty of X-Factor and marks the ball well above his head, showing enough signs in 2018 to ensure the son of former Footscray player John is selected by a club.
38. Harry SCHOENBERG
Clubs: Woodville-West Torrens/South Australia
Position: Inside Midfielder
Size: 182cm, 83kg
Bio: Twelve months ago, Schoenberg was a relatively unknown prospect, seemingly unlikely to be drafted. But fast forward to 2019, the midfielder put up a case in the Under 18 Championships to ensure his name is likely to be called out on draft night. The 18-year-old won the MVP award for South Australia after averaging 27 disposals and six clearances in the carnival. His numbers were also impressive at SANFL Reserves and U18s level for the Eagles. He is a strong clearance player and uses his strength at the stoppages to get the ball going forward.
Clubs are frantically doing their final preparation on draft prospects with less than three weeks until the 2019 national draft.
Some clubs have tasty first-round selections, others have traded away their top picks, meaning they will be hunting the hidden gems in the latter stages of the draft pool.
Foxfooty.com.au presents its draft board with players ranked 26 to 50, with players ranked 1 to 25 to be revealed in coming days.
26. Harrison JONES
Clubs: Calder Cannons/Vic Metro
Position: Key Position Forward
Size: 196cm, 78kg
Bio: Unlike previous draft pools, there is a big shortage of key-position players in the 2019 crop. But Jones is one of the more mobile talls, keeping him in the conversation as a potential first-round selection. His craft inside 50 is good and his marking overhead is a strength, even though his numbers from the Under 18 Championships may have been underwhelming. Given his light 78kg frame, he will need some developing, but overall the athletic forward has plenty of scope to fill a role as a club’s key forward.
27. Jackson MEAD
Clubs: Woodville-West Torrens/South Australia
Position: Balanced Midfielder
Size: 183cm, 83kg
Bio: Port Adelaide will have first dibs at securing Mead, whose father Darren played 122 AFL games for the club. The 18-year-old seems suited to an inside midfielder role in the future, given he averaged over 20 disposals at both SANFL Reserves and Under 18 Championships level. His stoppage work is good and he has a big powerful right foot kick. Port Adelaide will be hoping a bid comes in the latter half of the second round on draft night.
28. Darcy CASSAR
Clubs: Western Jets/Vic Metro
Position: Outside Midfielder
Size: 184cm, 82kg
Bio: Cassar lifted his output from his 2018 season after playing in a variety of roles for Western Jets in the NAB League this year. He projects long-term as a high half-forward/wingman, using his speed and endurance to find the ball in the attacking half of the ground. He averaged 16 touches for Vic Metro, showing off his skills on the MCG against Vic Country. Cassar regularly disposes of the ball well and improved his ball winning output from 17.2 disposals in 2018 to 23.0 this season.
29. Mitch O’NEILL
Clubs: Tasmania/Allies
Position: Balanced Midfielder
Size: 176cm, 72kg
Bio: O’Neill may be the only Tasmanian selected in the draft this year and remains as one of the more intriguing prospects in the draft pool. The 18-year-old isn’t a massive ball winner, given he averaged 20 touches in the NAB League and Under 18 Championships, but has shown his ability to win it in the contest despite his 176cm frame. He is agile at the stoppages and disposes of it well in the contest by hand. Clubs might look to develop his footy IQ as a small utility at either end of the ground.
30. Jeremy SHARP
Clubs: East Fremantle/Western Australia
Position: Outside Midfielder
Size: 189cm, 81kg
Bio: The wingman has been one of Western Australia’s most consistent players over the last two years, winning bottom-age All-Australian honours. And while he didn’t make the grade in 2019 – despite averaging 21 disposals in the carnival – he showed his zip and run throughout WA’s title-winning series. Sharp featured in six matches at WAFL League level for East Fremantle, averaging 15.5 disposals and showing off his outside game.
31. Jack MAHONY
Clubs: Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
Position: Small Forward/Inside Midfielder
Size: 178cm, 72kg
Bio: There are plenty of comparisons between Mahony and Richmond small forward Jack Higgins. The 17-year-old is smart around goal and can also push into the midfield and win the contested ball when required. He works hard to win the ball with his running patterns and has shown a tenacity to tackle hard when he doesn’t have the ball. Mahony averaged 18 disposals, 3.5 tackles and a goal during Vic Metro’s Under 18 Championships.
32. Sam De KONING
Clubs: Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country
Position: Key Position Defender
Size: 201cm, 86kg
Bio: De Koning is the younger brother of Carlton’s Tom, with the 201cm tall named as the full back in the All-Australian team following a strong carnival for Vic Country. His reading of the flight of the ball in the defensive half is a strong point, with his marking a clear strength. He doesn’t have a huge leap, but when he adds some muscle to his frame it will allow him to play on the opposition’s stronger forwards. An ankle injury kept him out late in the season, but he has shown his versatility at NAB League level for Dandenong Stingrays up forward and in the ruck.
33. Kysaiah PICKETT
Clubs: Woodville-West Torrens/South Australia
Position: Small Forward
Size: 171cm, 71kg
Bio: The lively forward has earned an invite to the draft, indicating a club in the first round is seriously considering drafting the nephew of Port Adelaide premiership player Byron Pickett. He is a true small forward who creates spark around the ball and knows the craft inside 50. His speed and agility is outstanding, with Pickett screaming X-Factor. He averaged two goals a game in the SANFL Reserves, with a standout performance coming earlier in the season where he took a huge mark and booted six goals.
34. Thomson DOW
Clubs: Bendigo Pioneers/Vic Country
Position: Inside Midfielder
Size: 184cm, 76kg
Bio: There are a number of similarities between Dow and his younger brother Paddy, who was taken by Carlton with a top-five pick in 2017. Dow placed third in the agility test at the draft combine and impressed with his speed, as he capped off a strong season across all levels. His 21.6 disposal output for the Bendigo Pioneers was impressive, winning the ball in the contest and disposing of it effectively out of the stoppages. The 18-year-old should develop into a zippy midfield type at the next level.
35. Hugo RALPHSMITH
Clubs: Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
Position: Outside Midfielder/Medium Forward
Size: 188cm, 75kg
Bio: Ralphsmith might not have put together a complete game at all levels in 2019, but what he showed will make a number of clubs tempted to use an early selection on the 17-year-old. Ralphsmith was utilised deep forward by Haileybury College throughout 2019, but was pushed up the ground by Vic Metro and Sandringham Dragons. He has X-Factor and looked most at home playing across half-forward where he used his speed and class with aplomb. The Victorian could develop into one of the steals of the draft when looking back in a number of years.
36. Jay RANTALL
Clubs: GWV Rebels/Vic Country
Position: Balanced Midfielder
Size: 185cm, 83kg
Bio: Rantall continues to rise up the draft boards following his rapid improvement in 2019. An underage basketball star, Rantall is focusing on football and uses his dual-sport capabilities on the football field. He is agile, quick footed in the stoppages and is one of the best endurance athletes in the draft pool. He averaged 24.9 disposals, with a near 50 per cent contested-uncontested possession split. Rantall is still very raw, but has traits that appeal to AFL clubs with second-round selections.
37. Mitch GEORGIADES
Clubs: Subiaco/Western Australia
Position: General Forward
Size: 192cm, 87kg
Bio: Georgiades missed the entire 2019 campaign due to a serious quad injury suffered in last year’s Grand Final day curtain raiser. However he was able to impress at the draft combine where he came fourth in the 20m sprint and performed well in the Yo-Yo test. The raw forward has plenty of X-Factor and marks the ball well above his head, showing enough signs in 2018 to ensure the son of former Footscray player John is selected by a club.
38. Harry SCHOENBERG
Clubs: Woodville-West Torrens/South Australia
Position: Inside Midfielder
Size: 182cm, 83kg
Bio: Twelve months ago, Schoenberg was a relatively unknown prospect, seemingly unlikely to be drafted. But fast forward to 2019, the midfielder put up a case in the Under 18 Championships to ensure his name is likely to be called out on draft night. The 18-year-old won the MVP award for South Australia after averaging 27 disposals and six clearances in the carnival. His numbers were also impressive at SANFL Reserves and U18s level for the Eagles. He is a strong clearance player and uses his strength at the stoppages to get the ball going forward.
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