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Every club, every pick: ESPN's full AFL phantom draft

Throughout 2019, ESPN.com.au AFL draft expert Chris Doerre has cast his eye over the country's best junior footballers to give readers an early insight into the next generation of AFL stars.

As well as attending live games, Doerre pores through match vision, analyses the stats and talks to industry sources to ensure he can offer the most insightful draft analysis.

This is his final phantom draft of 2019, looking at every selection.


  • 1. Gold Coast - Matthew Rowell (VIC)
    Height, Weight:180cm/78kg
    Profile: A big game player, Rowell is the first ever winner of two successive Grand Final best-on-ground medals in TAC Cup/NAB League history. He is this year's premier midfielder as a hardworking, ball winning midfielder with explosive pace.

  • 2. Gold Coast - Noah Anderson (VIC)
    Height, Weight:191cm/87kg
    Profile: A match winner who breaks games open in the matter of minutes whether he is winning his own ball or hitting the scoreboard. The most influential in the pool whether he's used as a midfielder or forward.

  • 3. Melbourne - Luke Jackson (WA)
    Height, Weight:
    199cm/94kg
    Profile: A raw, athletic, high leaping ruckman who made the decision to pursue football instead of basketball. Jackson is an aggressive tackler who follows up powerfully from ruck contests, often winning first possession.

  • 4. Greater Western Sydney - Lachlan Ash (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    187cm/83kg
    Profile: Line breaking defender who breaks games open with his speed, agility and kicking. Does his best work generating drive from defence but has the versatility to push up through the midfield.

  • 5. Greater Western Sydney - Thomas Green (NSW/ACT - GWS Academy) - matching Sydney's bid
    Height, Weight:
    190cm/89kg
    Profile: The most prolific stoppage player and contested ball winner to come through the junior ranks in recent years. Able to rotate forward as required and provide a leadup target.

  • 6. Sydney - Sam Flanders (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    183cm/82kg
    Profile: Arguably this year's most damaging forward of centre and has become just as valuable as a midfielder. Flanders is ready to go, plays a high impact per possession game and possesses explosive power.

  • 7. Adelaide - Fischer McAsey (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    197cm/93kg
    Profile: This year's most promising key defender. A high-level intercept mark and stopper with athleticism.

  • 8. Fremantle - Hayden Young (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    188cm/83kg
    Profile: One of if not this year's premier ball user from defence. A reliable stopper and has the capability to push through the midfield and win his own ball.

  • 9. Fremantle - Caleb Serong (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    178cm/83kg
    Profile: Strong ball winner and tackler through the midfield. Serong is just as good up forward with his ground ball winning and aerial marking causing problems for opposition sides.

  • 10. Fremantle - Liam Henry (WA - Fremantle Academy) - matching Carlton's bid
    Height, Weight:
    180cm/68kg
    Profile: Speedy forward who is dangerous at ground level and on the lead inside 50m. Henry is a composed ball user and applies heavy forward pressure.

  • 11. Carlton - Dylan Stephens (SA)
    Height, Weight:
    183cm/74kg
    Profile: Consistent performer at SANFL League level playing 13 games through Norwood's midfield. Stephens is a ready-to-go, hard running left-footer who can play outside or inside.

  • Melbourne - Cody Weightman (VIC)
    12. Height, Weight:178cm/75kg
    Profile: Speedy small forward who makes something out of nothing. Weightman is dangerous at ground level, flies for marks, applies heavy forward pressure and hits the scoreboard.

  • 13. Hawthorn - Kysaiah Pickett (SA)
    Height, Weight:
    171cm/71kg
    Profile: Lively forward with speed who applies forward pressure as well as any in the pool. Kysaiah is the nephew of dual premiership player Byron.

  • 14. Port Adelaide - Will Day (SA)
    Height, Weight:
    188cm/76kg
    Profile: Lightly built outside midfielder with good skills and speed. Viewed by recruiters as one of the prospects with the greatest upside in this draft.

  • 15. Western Bulldogs - Miles Bergman (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    189cm/83kg
    Profile: High leaping, strong marking medium forward. Arguably possesses the most penetrating kick in the draft pool.

  • 16. Geelong - Deven Robertson (WA)
    Height, Weight:
    184cm/81kg
    Profile: A worthy winner of the Larke Medal for the best performer during the Under-18 Championships. Robertson is one of this year's premier midfielders, winning the ball and moving it on aggressively.

  • 17. Gold Coast - Brodie Kemp (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    192cm/89kg
    Profile: Explosive ball winning utility who impacts games through the midfield, up forward or in defence. Torn ACL likely keeps Kemp out until mid-2020.

  • 18. Port Adelaide - Sam De Koning (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    201cm/86kg
    Profile: Athletic and versatile but raw key position player who may transition to play more through the ruck over coming years if he keeps growing. Sam is the younger brother of Carlton's Tom.

  • 19. Geelong - Josh Worrell (VIC)
    Height, Weight:195cm/83kg
    Profile: Athletic utility with the scope to play key defence, key forward or on a wing. Worrell is an excellent reader of the ball in flight, displays a high work rate and was Vic Metro's leading goalkicker during the Under-18 Championships.

  • 20. Port Adelaide - Harrison Jones (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    196cm/78kg
    Profile: Lightly built key forward who is at his best taking marks at full stretch. Jones is athletic, capable at ground level, hits the scoreboard heavily and possesses a high ceiling.

  • 21. Hawthorn - Finn Maginness (VIC - Hawthorn Father-Son) - matching Richmond's bid
    Height, Weight:
    189cm/82kg
    Profile: Ball winning midfielder with athleticism who is a hard to stop mark one-on-one inside 50m. Finn is the son of Hawthorn defender Scott Maginness.

  • 22. Richmond - Cooper Stephens (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    188cm/83kg
    Profile: Strong ball winning midfielder who distributes effectively by hand and bursts out of stoppages at speed. Has not played since round three due to a fractured fibula.

  • 23. Gold Coast - Trent Rivers (WA)
    Height, Weight:
    188cm/83kg
    Profile: Possesses the versatility to play either as a ball winning midfielder or in defence. A strong contested ball winner, Rivers combines this with class and composure.

  • 24. Brisbane - Sam Philp (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    186cm/79kg
    Profile: Ball winning midfielder and distributor with explosiveness. Philp won the 20m sprint at this year's AFL Draft Combine.

  • 25. Adelaide - Jay Rantall (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    185cm/83kg
    Profile: Endurance running machine who set a new draft combine record in the 2km time trial. Rantall is a basketball convert who is excellent at stoppages as a ball winner and distributor.

  • 26. Adelaide - Trent Bianco (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    178cm/73kg
    Profile: Precise and consistent ball user who displays the versatility to play on a wing or in defence. Captained the talented Oakleigh Chargers to this year's NAB League premiership.

  • 27. Geelong - Charlie Comben (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    199cm/84kg
    Profile: Key forward and ruckman with athleticism and a strong overhead mark. A raw, project player with scope to develop.

  • 28. Sydney - Elijah Taylor (WA)
    Height, Weight:
    188cm/77kg
    Profile: Instinctive forward with speed and tricks around goal. Possesses good skills and is composed, evasive and dangerous aerially.

  • 29. North Melbourne - Will Gould (SA)
    Height, Weight:
    192cm/106kg
    Profile: Strong bodied defender with the performances on the board at SANFL League level including a premiership for Glenelg. Gould throws his weight around, plays an aggressive style of game and is a penetrating kick.

  • 30. North Melbourne - Harry Schoenberg (SA)
    Height, Weight:
    182cm/83kg
    Profile: Won South Australia's state MVP award during the Under-18 Championships. Schoenberg is a prolific ball winning midfielder with a high work rate.

  • 31. Melbourne - Thomson Dow (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    184cm/76kg
    Profile: Dow is a speedy midfielder with growing ball winning capabilities. Thomson is the younger brother of Carlton's Paddy but is comparatively lighter bodied and less advanced than Paddy was at the same age.

  • 32. Port Adelaide - Jackson Mead (SA - Port Adelaide Father-Son) - matching Brisbane's bid
    Height, Weight:
    183cm/83kg
    Profile: Ball winning midfielder with class and reliable skills. Jackson is the son of former Power defender Darren.

  • 33. Brisbane - Jack Mahony (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    176cm/70kg
    Profile: Mahony is a crumbing forward who can push up through the midfield. He's a polished ball user and applies forward pressure.

  • 34. North Melbourne - Chad Warner (WA)
    Height, Weight:
    183cm/83kg
    Profile: An aggressive ball winner who wins a high proportion of ball in contested situations. Warner is a strong tackler and does his best work at stoppages and in close.

  • 35. Essendon - Jeremy Sharp (WA)
    Height, Weight:
    189cm/81kg
    Profile: Speedy line-breaker who is also damaging by foot. Has performed strongly in his six WAFL League performances where he has averaged 16 disposals per game.

  • 36. Sydney - Darcy Chirgwin (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    191cm/80kg
    Profile: Ball winning midfielder who does his best work at stoppages. Wins a high proportion of his ball contested and is a strong tackler.

  • 37. Essendon - Mitch Georgiades (WA)
    Height, Weight:
    192cm/87kg
    Profile: The son of former Footscray forward John, Mitch is an athletic key forward who missed the season with a quad injury. Georgiades possesses a good leap, speed and is a strong mark aerially and on the lead.

  • 38. Brisbane - Brock Smith (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    189cm/82kg
    Profile: A brick wall in defence with the way he reads the ball in flight and takes intercept marks. Smith competes well one-on-one and aerially.

  • 39. Collingwood - Nick Bryan (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    202cm/87kg
    Profile: Bryan is a mobile ruckman with a good leap. He is clean at ground level, reads the ball well in flight and will often get a kick behind the ball to take intercept marks.

  • 40. Geelong - Dylan Williams (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    186cm/81kg
    Profile: Talented forward and midfielder who hurts opponents aerially and at ground level. Projecting as a top-five selection this time last year, Williams has battled injury and form in 2019 which has limited his output.

  • 41. Adelaide - Cameron Taheny (SA)
    Height, Weight:
    185cm/80kg
    Profile: A strong marking forward who does his best work close to goal. Taheny doesn't need much of the ball to hit the scoreboard heavily.

  • 42. Richmond - Hugo Ralphsmith (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    188cm/75kg
    Profile: Ralphsmith is a damaging forward and midfielder who enjoys breaking the lines and taking on the game with his speed. He reads the ball in flight effectively and is a difficult to stop mark aerially, on the lead and one-on-one.

  • 43. Richmond - Flynn Perez (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    188cm/81kg
    Profile: Missing the season due to a ruptured ACL, Perez remains an in-demand prospect. Perez does his best work off half-back generating drive with his run from defence and clean ball use on either side of his body.

  • 44. Richmond - Jai Jackson (WA)
    Height, Weight:
    185cm/81kg
    Profile: An aggressive ball winner and tackler through the midfield and up forward, Jackson wins a high proportion of his ball in contested situations. Jackson is one of the drafts most competitive and hits the scoreboard.

  • 45. Carlton - Brady Rowles (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    186cm/75kg
    Profile: One of this year's most explosive line-breakers. Rowles breaks games open with his run, with his speed with ball in hand as good as any in the pool.

  • 46. Sydney - Callum Jamieson (WA)
    Height, Weight:
    200cm/80kg
    Profile: Mobile ruckman who finds plenty of the ball around the ground. A project ruckman who will take time to develop physically.

  • 47. Adelaide - Henry Crauford (SA)
    Height, Weight:
    202cm/99kg
    Profile: Mature age ruckman with a strong body and powerful contested mark. Has the size and presence to suggest he has scope to develop.

  • 48. West Coast - Riley Garcia (WA)
    Height, Weight:
    177cm/70kg
    Profile: Ball winning midfielder with good speed and reliable skills. Garcia starred in all four Under-18 Championships games for Western Australia's before ruptured his ACL in the final game.

  • 49. North Melbourne - Mitch O'Neill (TAS)
    Height, Weight:176cm/72kg
    Profile: Touted a potential first round selection at the beginning of the season, O'Neill has struggled with injury for much of the year. O'Neill is an outside midfielder who is a polished ball user and moves well.

  • 50. Collingwood - Jake Riccardi (VIC)
    Height, Weight:195cm/96kg
    Profile: Turning 20 in November, Riccardi showed positive signs in the TAC Cup last year as an overager and has made meaningful progress this year in the VFL. Riccardi is a strong marking, athletic key forward and won the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal as the VFL's Rising Star.

  • 51. St Kilda - Ryan Byrnes (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    182cm/84kg
    Profile: Consistent ball winner through the midfield. Not only wins the contested ball but combined that with pace and damaging ball use.

  • 52. Western Bulldogs - Ned Cahill (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    179cm/78kg
    Profile: Classy small forward and midfielder with speed, agility, evasion and the capacity to turn opponents inside out. Cahill is a composed ball user who can hit the scoreboard and win his own ball.

  • 53. Richmond - Jack Bell (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    202cm/81kg
    Profile: Athletic, strong marking key forward who can relieve through the ruck. A project player who has had enough positive moments to suggest scope to develop.

  • 54. Brisbane - Keidean Coleman (QLD - Brisbane Academy) - matching Carlton's bid
    Height, Weight:
    183cm/75kg
    Profile: A speedy utility who is one-touch at ground level. He has looked comfortable as an overager in the NEAFL and has shown x-factor and class with ball in hand.

  • 55. Carlton - Josh Honey (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    185cm/82kg
    Profile: Athletic midfielder/forward with speed and x-factor. Honey comes from a sporty family with father Neil (pole vaulter), Di (netballer), sister Tayla (netballer) and twin sister Olivia (sprinter).

  • 56. Essendon - Sam Ramsay (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    180cm/72kg
    Profile: Prolific accumulator through the midfield with strong contested ball winning capabilities. His work in close and long kick are his greatest assets.

  • 57. Collingwood - Kaden Schreiber (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    188cm/79kg
    Profile: Hard working defender and outside midfielder who uses the ball consistently and demonstrates vision, placing passes out in front of targets to lead onto. Schreiber has an uncommon knack for finding space to move into to provide a marking target.

  • 58. Hawthorn - Cooper Sharman (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    192cm/79kg
    Profile: Goalkicking forward who doesn't need much of the ball to hit the scoreboard heavily. One of the best readers of the ball in flight in the draft, strong overhead and clean at ground level.

  • 59. Hawthorn - Will Martyn (QLD - Brisbane Academy) - bid not matched
    Height, Weight:
    183cm/73kg
    Profile: Prolific outside accumulator who averaged 29 disposals in the NAB League for Brisbane's Academy. A hard-running midfielder, Martyn displays excellent endurance and is a strong overhead mark.

  • 60. Essendon - Ben Sokol (WA)
    Height, Weight:
    184cm/88kg
    Profile: The goalkicking medium forward won the Simpson Medal for best on ground in the WAFL Grand Final, kicking six goals. Sokol was the WAFL's leading goalkicker, kicking 60 goals from 20 games while also taking a competition high 166 marks.

  • 61. St Kilda - Fraser Phillips (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    187cm/72kg
    Profile: Phillips is a damaging forward who hits meaningful targets inside 50m and is dangerous around goal. He possesses a damaging long kick and is effective both aerially and at ground level.

  • 62. Western Bulldogs - Joshua Shute (SA)
    Height, Weight:
    187cm/74kg
    Profile: A smooth moving, classy ball user with evasion. Shute showed strong improvement throughout the year as a midfielder placing in Sturt's SANFL Reserves bests in four of his last five matches.

  • 63. West Coast - Darcy Cassar (VIC)
    Height, Weight:184cm/82kg
    Profile: Midfielder with the versatility to play forward or back. Cassar does his best work on the outside and possesses good skills.

  • 64. Greater Western Sydney - Ryan Sturgess (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    190cm/80kg
    Profile: Tall flanker who can play in defence or up forward. Sturgess takes on games with his run, possesses speed, a damaging kick and the strength to take one-on-one marks.

  • 65. Fremantle - Daniel Mott (VIC)
    Height, Weight:
    183cm/80kg
    Profile: Mott is a consistent midfielder accumulator who had a strong season for Calder. He possesses strong ball winning capabilities, clean hands in close and reliable skills.

  • 66. Greater Western Sydney - Bigoa Nyuon (VIC - St Kilda Next-Generation Academy) - bid not matched
    Height, Weight:
    195cm/87kg
    Profile: Nyuon is a tall utility who looks best suited as a key defender. He is a freak athlete who leaps high, runs fast, reads the ball effectively in flight and takes intercept marks.

Players Gold Coast have pre-listed under the AFL's assistance package:

Connor Budarick (QLD - Gold Coast Academy)
Height, Weight:
177cm/74kg
Profile: One of this year's premier pressure player whether used up forward or through the midfield. Budarick is not only a great tackler but also possesses good speed, endurance and makes winning plays that don't show up on the stat sheet. Budarick likely would have attracted a second-round bid otherwise.

Malcolm Rosas Jr (NT - Gold Coast Zone)
Height, Weight:
178cm/69kg
Profile: Rosas is a talented crumbing forward who plays a rare, instinctive style of game. Possessing genius football IQ, Rosas demonstrates goal sense around goal, is a one touch ground ball winner, has the speed and agility to break the lines and provides second and third efforts. Rosas likely would have featured in the second half of the draft if not zoned to Gold Coast as part of the AFL's assistance package.

Matthew Conroy (QLD - Gold Coast Academy)
Height, Weight:
201cm/97kg
Profile: A mobile overager who can play through the ruck or as a key forward. Conroy is a strong tackler who plays an aggressive style of game and has bulked up over the past 12-months.