The first round of the 2022 AFL National Draft is complete, with 21 selections made.
Proceedings will continue from pick 22 tonight, with GWS set to open the batting once again.
While the draft mostly went as expected on Monday night, a ton of talent remains available and up for grabs.
We’ve compiled the best of the rest ahead of the remainder of the draft.
Harry Barnett (West Adelaide)
The best ruckman in the draft, Harry Barnett has been likened to Brodie Grundy. Similar to Grundy, he has slid in the draft given teams are less willing to grab ruckmen early. It will be interesting to see who puts their hand up for Barnett and when.
Brayden George (Murray Bushrangers)
A powerful inside midfielder with an ability to hit the scoreboard, Brayden George is highly rated and likely would have been selected if not for a torn ACL suffered this year. Expect George to be picked up by a team in the second round and are happy to give him all the time he needs.
Alwyn Davey Jr (Oakleigh Chargers)
Tied to Essendon, it would not have been a surprise to see a bid for Davey on night one. Luckily for the Bombers, he has fallen into night two which will make it easier for them to match. He has all the speed and evasion skills of his father and will have an big impact up forward for a long time.
Ollie Hotton (Sandringham Dragons)
Hotton has the ability to play through the midfield and up forward and has the evasiveness and agility to thrive in both roles. He improved over the course of the season, with a breakout game for Vic Metro against South Australia.
Lewis Hayes (Eastern Rangers)
One of the best key defenders left in the draft, Hayes is an elite intercept marker and also a decent kick of the footy. He is the brother of Port Adelaide’s Sam Hayes.
Charlie Clarke (Sandringham Dragons)
A livewire small forward with the ability to spark a team with his energy, Clarke has all the makings of a dangerous forward at AFL level. He does the hard stuff too, applying pressure and using the ball well to set up others.
Lachlan Cowan (Tasmania Devils)
The best youngster out of Tasmania, Cowan is a rebounding defender with a great kick and the speed to break lines. Expect Cowan to be selected early on night two.
Coby Burgiel (Gippsland Power)
Burgiel hits the scoreboard through the midfield and has the speed to break games open. He is a smooth mover and someone who could prove to be an absolute steal of the draft.
Jakob Ryan (Glenelg)
Ryan was strongly linked with Collingwood at pick 19, but the availability of Ed Allan likely swung the Magpies away from the South Australian. Ryan has good size for a rebounding defender and speed to match.
Max Gruzewski (Oakleigh Chargers)
Gruzewski projects as a key position player who could develop at either end of the ground depending on what a team needs. A knee injury limited his under-18 season, but his strong overhead marking makes him a likely second round pick.
__Henry Hustwaite (Dandenong Stingrays)
An inside midfield bull, Hustwaite has the potential to be a strong contested midfielder for a long time. At 194cm, the left footer is tough, but also composed and has great awareness in traffic.
Sam Gilbey (Claremont)
A rebounding defender with some flare, Gilbey has been a consistent performer in Western Australia for a few years now. Unfortunately, a battle with glandular fever impacted his under-18 season, though he had a strong National Championships.
Jaxon Binns (Dandenong Stingrays)
An elite runner, Binns is one of the draft’s best disposal accumulators. He excels covering the ground, finding the footy and impacting across a wing. Binns also has the capacity to begin his career across half forward or half back.
Ethan Phillips (Port Melbourne)
A slightly older prospect, Ethan Phillips is a ready-made key defender who plied his trade in the VFL this season. He won the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal as the league’s most promising young talent and should have an immediate impact.
Adam D’Aloia (Woodville-West Torrens)
One of the best players out of South Australia, D’Aloia is another inside midfielder who thrives inside stoppage situations. He is the kind of player who could step in immediately at AFL level in 2023 and compete with his strong tackling and defensive running.
You’ll hear all the action tonight live on 1116 and the SEN App!
