AFL Media draft expert Cal Twomey expects Gippsland Power and Box Hill forward Ryan Maric to be taken at pick No. 1 in Wednesday’s mid-season draft.
Maric, a mobile 193cm forward, has come a long way in recent years after weighing it at as much as 107kg just three years ago.
Now sitting at 83kg, Maric has turned heads of recruiters early this season and Twomey believes it’s a near certainty that he’ll be headed to West Coast with the top selection.
Twomey added that if Maric was instead only eligible for the National Draft that he’d likely be taken inside the top 30 picks.
“I'd say Ryan Maric, he's the guy with the potential I think,” Twomey told SEN Sportsday in response to who he’d take with pick one.
“If he was in the National Draft at the end of the year, I think he'd be a top 30 pick.
“So that's where you judge it and that's how you sort of assess it at this point in time.”
On top of being first on Twomey’s list, the draft expert believes every club would be interested in the forward that possesses goal nous and neat foot skills.
“He would be on the top of the list, I think for nearly every club, even the ones who don't have selections tonight,” Twomey explained.
“Seven clubs aren't participating. They don't have the list spots available to them.”
After already starring at the underage level, Twomey says Maric’s VFL form for Box Hill in the last fortnight has all but solidified his place atop the mid-season draft board.
“I think he's been the standout,” Twomey said.
“He kicked four goals at the start of the year (for Gippsland) and I think his VFL form across the last fortnight has also really underlined his standing as the best player in it.”
The mid-season draft begins at 7pm (AEST) on Wednesday.