The 2022 AFL draft class has dominated the first month of the season like few crops preceding it. A West Coast young gun led the entire competition for tackles after three rounds, and a North Melbourne forward-turned-defender has racked up the fifth-most disposals per game in the opening month. Teenagers are playing integral roles for premiership contenders and fairytale stories are also coming to fruition.
Unlike the classes of '20 and '21, these draftees have had nearly two years of uninterrupted footy leading into the draft. It's helped accelerate development and the National Championships have aided clubs in identifying the cream of the crop across state borders.
ESPN has compiled the very best of the 2022 draft class through the first month of the season.
The Roos thought they knew what they were getting with Harry Sheezel, the sharp-shooting forward that made defenders look silly all through his draft year. But even Alastair Clarkson couldn't have expected this.
Sheezel has a case for the best four games to begin a career. The fact is no player, past or present, can claim they've had more disposals in their first four AFL/VFL matches. Sheezel hardly stepped foot in the defensive half of the ground for the flag-winning Sandringham Dragons last year, but Clarko made the inspired decision to get the Sherrin in the maestro's hands as much as possible.
His 34 disposals in Round 1 were the most on debut since Greg 'Diesel' Williams in 1984, offering similarities to first-year Nick Daicos with his dare and poise out of defence. Sheezel is averaging nearly 32 disposals at 77% efficiency.
Last year Reuben Ginbey made a name for himself with an unmatched ferocity at the coalface. With every hard-ball get and crunching tackle his draft stocks soared. Ginbey's carried that competitiveness to the AFL, where he led the entire competition for tackles after three rounds. He's been so good Adam Simpson can't afford not to have him in centre bounces, where he's averaging over nine contested possessions and eight tackles each weekend.
The Eagles identified the local Dunsborough product, traded back from pick two with him in mind, and eventually got their man at pick nine after a nervy wait on draft night. In Ginbey, West Coast now has a player they can build a midfield and competitive culture around as the club transitions into a new era.
Will Ashcroft, the father-son starlet always destined to be a Lion, hasn't put a foot wrong in his first month, either. He's been thrust into the engine room from the get-go, leading all draftees in contested possessions and clearances. When the pressure is building and his teammates start fumbling, Ashcroft has shone with his one-touch cleanliness and composure. He's adapted to the pace of the game and shouldered the sky-high expectations like a consummate professional.
Another father-son in the draft has cemented his spot amongst the most in-form lockdown defenders in the league. Max Michalanney won't stay unheralded for long. The Crows defender showed his character in Showdown LIII when he copped a mammoth bump from Todd Marshall that he persevered through to keep Junior Rioli to one goal, and on the weekend held Michael Walters goalless in a dominant defensive display.
While Sheezel and Ashcroft are the premier accumulators to this point, Cam Mackenzie has shown his wares for Hawthorn and is cemented in their best 22. He collects the ball on the inside and out, and is already strong enough to take on would-be tacklers and leave them in his dust.
Alwyn Davey Jr has teased Dons supporters with his pizzazz, breezing through congestion and hunting down opponents just like his father Froggy did. The final product will come in time for Davey, and soon his flashes of brilliance will become dazzling highlights.
Carlton's Ollie Hollands has endeared himself to the 'Baggers faithful with his supreme work rate - he's led every player on the ground for kilometres covered in each of the four games he's played. His aerobic capacity is vital for the Blues, headlined by his goal-saving intervention to deny Tom Lynch in his Round 1 debut.
Hollands' Tassie teammate Lachie Cowan is reaching cult figure status amongst Blues supporters as well, while St Kilda pair Anthony Caminiti and Mattaes Phillipou arrived at Moorabbin through different pathways but have become vital forward-half pieces for Ross Lyon's top-of-the-ladder Saints. After his first four games at AFL level, it's safe to say Caminiti won't return to waiting tables anytime soon.
ESPN's Rookie Ladder After Round 4:
1. Harry Sheezel
2. Will Ashcroft
3. Reuben Ginbey
4. Max Michalanney
5. Cam Mackenzie
6. Anthony Caminiti
7. Ollie Hollands
8. Mattaes Phillipou
9. Alwyn Davey Jr
10. Lachie Cowan
While 14 draftees and an SSP selection have made their AFL debut, No. 1 pick Aaron Cadman continues to toil away in the VFL for GWS. The key forward -- who's been compared to Geelong's Jeremy Cameron with his mobility and raking left boot -- has kicked four goals in his two state league games. The Giants are setting their prized pick up for success with a body of work behind him, and a debut is on the horizon.
Similarly, George Wardlaw is enjoying a strong VFL start after North spent the pre-season building strength in his hamstrings. The midfield bull drafted with pick four is close to an AFL berth.
The Bombers are being ultra-conservative with Elijah Tsatas' return from surgery on his meniscus after a collision in preseason. The electric midfielder began running 10 weeks post-operation and will be integrated into training slowly over the next month before he returns to action in the middle of the season.
Moe's Bailey Humphrey made his impressive debut for the Suns in front of friends and family over the weekend, while Jhye Clark's bid for an early-season AFL berth was derailed by an ankle injury suffered in the Cats' practice match.