Who the players rate as the cream of the crop in this year’s AFL draft

Carlton fans, get excited.

Father-son midfielder Cody Walker has pipped Port Adelaide’s academy rising star Dougie Cochrane as the best prospect in this year’s AFL draft class, according to 12 of the most promising teenage footballers across the country.

This masthead asked Walker, Cochrane and 10 other players rated as potential first-round draftees to give us their top five in order.

The remaining players were Tyson Bradley, George Dimer, Ethan Drever, Khaled El Souki, Lachie Hicks, Wil Malady, Ethan Matthews, Jack Pickett, Clancy Snell and Harry Van Hattum.

Essendon (No.1 pick), Richmond (second and fifth picks), West Coast (third) and Melbourne (fourth) hold the first five selections, but the Bombers have already told the Power they plan to bid on Cochrane at the top of the draft.

Walker and Cochrane both received five first-place votes from our respondents, but the former edged the latter out, in large part because Gippsland Power defender Snell left the Port Adelaide prospect out of his top five.

“Cody’s the ultimate competitor, and you see him before games for Vic Country, and he’s just looking like he could kill someone,” said Geelong Falcons forward Jack Pickett.

“I think Dougie’s a freak athlete, and he’s very naturally gifted, and so versatile. He can play in many parts of the ground, so I reckon he’s two.”

Walker, whose father Andrew played 202 games for the Blues between 2004 and 2016, has nominated Carlton, meaning they will have the right to match any bid on him.

There is still some mystery about where an opposition bid could come for Walker. Assuming Essendon do bid on Cochrane, that will trigger start-of-second-round compensation for eligible bottom-five clubs, including the Bombers, Tigers and Eagles.

No further compensation follows, so there is less motivation for rival recruiters to place an early bid on Walker, outside of keeping Carlton honest.

The Blues finished the trade period with picks 13 and 18, the equivalent of pick four. They can go 412 points into deficit for next year, which means they could match any bid from the No.3 selection onwards.

The likelihood is Carlton will have a trade already agreed upon to gather more draft points if Essendon spring a surprise and place consecutive bids on Cochrane then Walker.

However, industry sources believe the Bombers will call out GWV Rebels midfielder Ethan Drever’s name after a Cochrane bid, which would mean the Blues could safely match a Walker bid as early as Richmond at the next pick.

“Watching Cody firsthand, and playing on him, his power [is outstanding],” Matthews said.

“You are drawn to that, and I think that was quite impressive, especially in some of those VFL games – seeing him compete with players at that level; that was good to see. I’ve seen a bit of Dougie [in his younger years], but being able to see Cody firsthand this year is probably why I put him over Dougie.”

Cochrane being out of sight, out of mind, as Matthews alluded to, is what helped Walker’s cause with his peers, but Dimer, El Souki, Malady and Van Hattum all still rated Cochrane at No.1. Cochrane and Walker both understandably ranked themselves on top.

El Souki and Malady both raved about Cochrane’s “unique” versatility.

The player who attracted the next-most votes was Sandringham Dragons forward Arki Butler, who is arguably the best kicker and most gifted footballer in the class.

Bradley admitted he was biased to his close friend and Dragons teammate, but said Butler’s talent was “off the charts”, while Pickett regarded him as “the most dangerous” player in the draft.

Others to attract a top-five vote were Drever, Gus Teixeira, Van Hattum, Heath Mellody and Sam Gayfer.

Van Hattum is set to join Josh Fraser, Matthew Kreuzer and Luke Jackson as ruckmen selected in the top 10 of the draft. He is not only physically imposing, but regarded highly as an excellent athlete with rare kicking skills for a big man.

To Pickett, Van Hattum is “a freak who moves better than some midfielders”, while Bradley described him as “unreal”.

Like Walker and Cochrane, Van Hattum included himself in his votes – but in third spot, behind the aforementioned duo.

He was also the only player to mention Gayfer, a high-leaping athlete and the consensus top key-forward prospect.

“His raw talent, ability, strength and power are amazing. He’s got to be the best tall forward in the draft,” Van Hattum said of Gayfer.

The final word, and piece of advice, goes to Snell, who rated Drever at No.1.

“It’s just his poise. Every time he’s around the ball, he’s so clean with it,” Snell said. “I’m an Essendon man, so if Essendon don’t take him, I don’t reckon the family’s going to be too happy. Ethan’s a gun.”

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