Junior footy's brightest stars have lit up the first half of the National Championships, with a star-studded Allies side leading all comers at the halfway point of the carnival.
These are the biggest takeaways at the midway point of the U18 National Championships as we inch ever closer to the 2023 AFL Draft.
Harley Reid has competition at the top
Harley Reid's been the consensus top pick for close to 12 months now, producing one of the best bottom-age campaigns ever. But key forwards Jed Walter and Nate Caddy are coming with a bullet.
Walter has now kicked six goals in his two games to go with a carnival-best 3.5 contested marks per game, proving he's a class above the best key defenders (and other key forwards) in the country. He's a big presence at 197cm, crashing packs, clunking marks and consistently hitting the scoreboard. It may help that the Suns Academy member knows where he's headed, because he plays with an air of confidence and calm that many teammates and opponents alike lack at this critical juncture of their footy careers.
Caddy has now kicked 11 goals in his past two games for the Northern Knights to go with 23 disposals per game, starting quarters in the midfield and pushing forward to create chaos in the forward 50. He missed Vic Metro's opening game through illness but is primed for their next three matches.
Walter and Caddy's dominance has coincided with Reid's spell on the sidelines due to a head knock suffered a month prior, with Reid returning in time for the start of Vic Country's campaign. In his two outings across the past fortnight, the powerfully-built teen has played out of the goal square. He kicked the first three goals in five minutes for Country against SA, but struggled to make a further impact as his side got overrun and his game time got managed.
We've seen in the past two drafts -- with Nick Daicos and Will Ashcroft -- that clubs won't bother to bid with the No. 1 pick. Reid remains the odds-on favourite to claim that top spot, but the gap has closed with Walter and Caddy making their case.
This is the best Allies side ever
Tasmania lays claim to the two best pure midfielders in the crop, the Suns have three first-round academy picks to look forward to, and another handful of Allies stars are pushing into top-30 calculations.
The Allies have only been amalgamated in this form since 2016, but this is comfortably its best edition. They smashed a traditional football state in Western Australia to the tune of 88 points, and have now won both games on their way to a mouth-watering match-up with an all-conquering Vic Metro side this Sunday in Queensland.
The 2023 Allies prove that Aussie Rules is alive in rugby league heartland ... sort of. The Northern Academies have another haul of off-limits stars, but how many of these kids would have been lost to rugby or soccer if not for the academies? In the case of Gold Coast's Jed Walter and Jake Rogers -- who moved to Queensland from footballing states -- they'd likely be playing Aussie Rules regardless.
If your club needs a tall, you're in luck
Come November, you may be counting on one hand the number of pure midfielders taken in the first round. This draft pool skews overwhelmingly to talls in the top 20 prospects.
From the emergence of athletic utilities Will McCabe (Hawthorn father-son) and Jordan Croft (Bulldogs NGA), to the dominant displays of Walter and Caddy at the top of the tree, clubs will have no shortage of opportunity to draft for the long-term and bring in key pillars.
Some of these prospects have put their best foot forward at the National Championships - top-10 prospects Daniel Curtin (WA) and Connor O'Sullivan (Allies) have been revelations when given bigger roles of late. Others have struggled to stamp their credentials but remain in the first-round frame due to their upside. The brother of Essendon's Zach, Archer Reid possesses all the tools to thrive at the next level but hasn't been able to harness that potential yet.
As it stands, the pure midfielders to feature in my top 20 Power Rankings are Tasmanian duo Colby McKercher and Ryley Sanders, outside accumulator Darcy Wilson and Suns academy prospect Jake Rogers. While the futures of Harley Reid, Zane Duursma, and even Caddy may be in the engine room, it's the bottom-agers who are putting together the best midfield performances at the National Championships.
Could Tasmania's inaugural captain be drafted this year?
Kade Kolodjashnij, Chayce Jones, Tarryn Thomas. That's the list of Tasmanians drafted in the first round of the AFL Draft since 2013. It's been a rare occurrence recently, but two more names look set to be added to that list this year.
Colby McKercher is a wonderfully balanced midfielder with a potent left foot and sharp footy mind. He's death by a thousand cuts, producing uber-consistent performances week in, week out, averaging 148 ranking points in the National Championships.
Ryley Sanders is the brutal inside midfielder with a penchant for crunching tackles. He leads all prospects with a ridiculous 185 ranking points to go with a carnival-leading 17 contested possessions per outing.
McKercher and Sanders hurt the opposition in very different ways, but they have something in common - a Tasmanian side would throw a colossal contract at either of them to land their marquee recruit come 2027.
There's years of water to flow under that bridge, but a Tassie side built by the people, for the people, would love nothing more than an established Tasmanian star to lead their side out from day dot.
George Stevens is making up for lost time
After having his bottom-age campaign cruelly wiped out due to an ACL tear, Stevens has burst back into first-round contention with Vic Country and a scintillating midfield performance for the GWV Rebels, racking up 44 disposals. The South Warrnambool product is rugged and tough in the contest, able to hold position over the ball with his big frame and feed outside runners.
Stevens captained the AFL Academy in games against Port Adelaide and Carlton reserves, and his coaches have raved about his on-field leadership to boot. It's a testament to his professionalism and standing amongst the best junior footballers in the country that he walked into the AFL Academy after a year on the sidelines and was awarded captaincy.
Stevens has positional flexibility and poise in abundance; he was Vic Country's best against SA with 25 disposals (13 contested) through the midfield and a pair of intercept marks at half-back.
In the past we've seen these more mature bodies dominate in the juniors but struggle to make the jump to senior level. Charlie Constable for one has been unable to cement a position at Geelong or Gold Coast after a glittering top-age year. What differentiates Stevens, and gives recruiters confidence he can make the jump, is his ball use to go with that contested ability. He doesn't waste his touches wherever he plays.
The bottom-age midfield crop is special
It's rare to see a bottom-ager awarded his state's MVP, but Sid Draper should undoubtedly claim South Australia's top honour this year. The younger brother of Collingwood's Arlo, Sid is a clever midfielder with ultra-clean hands and a knack of finding the ball in dangerous positions. He's averaging 25 disposals, six inside 50s and four clearances in a side that's really underwhelmed thus far.
Draper is part of a 2024 midfield group that includes Josh Smillie, Jagga Smith, Levi Ashcroft (all Vic Metro) and Finn O'Sullivan (Vic Country). Smillie is a super athlete at 194cm, gliding across the turf but also thriving in the contest. He enjoyed 26 disposals (11 contested) and five tackles in a complete performance for Vic Metro. Ashcroft led the way with 32 disposals and will have the Lions scrambling to again match a top-five bid next year, while Smith collected 27 touches thanks to his insatiable work rate.
This trio is leading the way for Vic Metro's on-ball division as bottom-agers. Throw in a couple of special performances from father-son Crow Tyler Welsh (3.5 goals per game), and there's a lot to look forward to in 2024.