With the NAB AFL Draft looming, it’s the time of the year where all experts start comparing the 2022 crop to current AFL stars.
Will Ashcroft, who many consider a moral to go pick 1 on November 27, has been spruiked all year following his dominant NAB League season for the Sandringham Dragons.
The midfielder has nominated to go to Brisbane as a father-son selection to follow in the footsteps of dad Marcus.
Ashcroft, who averaged 34 disposals at the NAB League level, won the Larke Medal as the best player in the Under 18 championships for Vic Metro and looks primed to make an immediate impact at AFL level.
One of Ashcroft’s academy is George Wardlaw, another top-five prospect, who looks destined to head to North Melbourne with the Kangaroos holding pick two and three on draft night.
The inside bull has dealt with ongoing soft tissue injuries in his draft season, but speaking on SEN’s Sportsday on Tuesday night, Wardlaw feels the hamstring problems were more bad luck than anything.
AFL Media’s Cal Twomey believes Wardlaw will be snapped up early on the night, saying he’d be very surprised if the Oakleigh Chargers product didn’t end up at North Melbourne.
“I’d be very surprised if Wardlaw wasn’t at North Melbourne with pick two or three at this point,” Twomey told SEN’s Sportsday.
“To be honest, if he played the full year I really think he would’ve been as talked about and as discussed as what Will Ashcroft has been for number one.”
Twomey believes the duo are very similar to two of the competition’s best midfielders in Sam Walsh and Clayton Oliver.
“They’re different players, we’re seeing the Sam Walsh in Will Ashcroft and we’re probably seeing the Clayton Oliver in George Wardlaw,” he added.
“It’s just that the three hamstring injuries back-to-back to back almost, and a couple weren’t as serious, particularly the last one but those obviously stopped his momentum.”
Check out the provisional draft order
Round One
GWS
North Melbourne
North Melbourne
Essendon
Gold Coast
Hawthorn
Geelong
West Coast
St Kilda
Carlton
Western Bulldogs
West Coast
Melbourne
Sydney
GWS
Collingwood
Sydney
GWS