WITH the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships starting this weekend, it is a perfect opportunity to make note of some of the talented draft prospects of 2014.





Here's a list, in alphabetical order, of 20 players to watch through the national carnival, which starts on Sunday when Vic Country and Vic Metro face off.





Also tune into the first Road to the Draft podcast, featuring AFL.com.au's Callum Twomey and Nat Edwards.

There will be a weekly podcast throughout the championships with analysis of games and future stars, as well as guest interviews and a close look at the next generation of AFL players.





Peter Bampton From: Norwood/South Australia DOB: 15/4/96 Height / weight: 182cm/78kg Midfielder He might not be overly fashionable, but Bampton will gather plenty of the ball for South Australia during the championships. He has significant senior experience in the SANFL over the last two years and has done well, using his clean hands and mature body to bustle through and collect possessions. He will do the same for his state over the next eight or so weeks.





Angus Brayshaw

Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro

9/1/96

187cm/86kg

Midfielder

Through hard work Brayshaw has become one of the top-line midfield options of the draft. Focusing on his fitness and speed, Brayshaw, the son of North Melbourne board member and former player Mark, started this season as the form player of the TAC Cup. Good at the stoppages, Brayshaw is also an excellent kick on both feet and finds plenty of the ball.





Jordan Cunico

Gippsland Power/Vic Country

7/5/96

184cm/72kg

Half-forward

Cunico might not have the established reputation of some others on the list, but he's one to watch through the championships. Cunico is likely to produce some exciting moments during the carnival, be it a high mark or a clever goal. Has good skills both sides of his body and plays with pace – he's active and gets things moving. He can also shift to half-back if called on.





Liam Duggan Western Jets/Vic Metro 11/12/96 183cm/76kg Half-back/midfielder Duggan's weapon is his left-foot disposal: he hits passes over short and long distances and likes having the ball in his hand. Generally that has been off half-back but recently he has moved into an inside midfield role, where he has excelled at TAC Cup level.













Liam Duggan's left foot is his key attribute but he is working to improve his inside game. Picture: AFL Media





Sam Durdin

West Adelaide/South Australia

6/6/96

196cm/87kg

Tall forward/defender

Durdin will be South Australia's top draftee this year, and could go very early if he can produce his best at the under-18 championships. Although he played last year's carnival as a ruckman for his state, he will be used as a centre-half forward or centre-half back this time, where he can show his marking strength and ability to read the play. He has had an underdone start to the year after thumb surgery ruled him out of action for 10 weeks.





Corey Ellis

Western Jets/Vic Metro

9/10/96

185cm/76kg

Midfielder

Ellis might end up as one of the first midfielders picked at November's draft. The left-footer is a quick thinker: it only takes him an instant to weigh up the situation and what to do with the ball. He's versatile but best suited to winning his own disposals, and then using his skills to set things up.









Hugh Goddard

Geelong Falcons/Vic Country

24/8/96

195cm/92kg

Tall forward/defender

Goddard got a taste of things last year when he played four games for Vic Country in the under-18 championships as a 16-year-old. He has the ability to switch to both ends of the ground, but has played mainly as a forward this year. The cousin of Bomber Brendon, Goddard competes hard, flies for marks and gets his hands dirty when the ball's on the ground.





Isaac Heeney

Sydney Swans Academy/NSW-ACT

5/5/96

186cm/82kg

Midfielder

Expect Heeney to dominate the division two championships for the Rams. Some recruiters rate the strong and athletic 17-year-old as the best midfielder in the draft. Heeney is a star at the stoppages, working his way through traffic, finding the ball and then getting it out. Heeney is already linked to the Swans as part of their zone Academy, meaning they have access to him in the same way as clubs do with father-sons.









The Swans have first refusal on exciting NSW midfielder Isaac Heeney. Picture: AFL Media





Tom Lamb

Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country

19/10/96

193cm/84kg

Tall forward/midfielder

Lamb is one of the unique players in this year's draft because he can do some amazing things others can't. At 193cm he can hold down a key forward position and kick goals – he booted six in round one of the TAC Cup and five for the AIS-AFL Academy while overseas. But he can also play as a big, strong and hard-running midfielder, shown when he gathered 33 disposals for the Dandenong Stingrays recently. He's working on his consistency so that he does it more often, but will be keen to play a bit of both roles for Vic Country.





Jayden Laverde

Western Jets/Vic Metro

12/4/96

189cm/82kg

Half-back/midfield

A nice size for modern football, Laverde can play in a number of roles and do things with composure. Athletic and quick, Laverde moves well and caught the eye last year playing for the Western Jets as a bottom-age player. The 18-year-old is prepared to take some risks and run with the ball.





Jake Lever

Calder Cannons/Vic Metro

5/3/96

191cm/82kg

Tall defender

While we won't see Lever in action during this year's championships, it is worthwhile including him in this list as his draft position will be a major point of discussion through the year. After captaining Vic Metro in one game during last year's carnival, Lever won't play at all this season following a knee reconstruction last December after a training mishap. Where he goes in the draft is now hard to assess: will last year's form be enough to keep him pegged as a high selection, or will a full season out push him down the group?





Brayden Maynard

Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro

20/9/96

186cm/88kg

Medium defender

With his father Peter a member of Glenelg's Hall of Fame in South Australia, Maynard comes with good footy pedigree. He's a tough player who builds his game around the contested side. At 186cm he's probably best suited to a half-back role, and he needs to work on his endurance, but he does have an impact with his physicality, particularly when he moves into the midfield for bursts.









Brayden Maynard has a fine footy pedigree and a penchant for physicality. Picture: AFL Media





Patrick McCartin

Geelong Falcons/Vic Country

19/4/96

192cm/90kg

Tall forward

Everything about McCartin says he's a natural forward. He reads the play well, has a little burst of speed on the lead and makes space, and his hands are strong and clean. He plays with some aggression, too, jumping into packs and making a contest every time. McCartin isn't as tall as some of the other keys in this draft but plays taller than most. He starred at last year's championships as a bottom-ager, kicking five goals for Vic Country against Western Australia.





Darcy Moore

Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro

25/1/96

199cm/93kg

Tall forward/defender

Some recruiters rank Collingwood's father-son prospect as the best player of this year's draft class. Moore, whose dad Peter played 172 games with the Magpies, has had an injury-interrupted past year or so but has strung together some games with the Oakleigh Chargers this season and impressed. Whenever the ball is in the air in his vicinity, he's there to grab it. Injury ruled him out of playing for Vic Metro last year when he was in the initial squad.





Jarrod Pickett

South Fremantle/Western Australia

18/8/96

178cm/76kg

Midfielder/half-forward

Pickett will excite with his speed and knack for producing eye-catching moments. His pace is the central element to his game: he runs a 2.81 second 20-metre sprint and he knows it, regularly bursting out of stoppages, taking a couple of bounces and delivering the pass. He's just as likely to take a big mark, land on his feet and then bolt off.









Jarrod Pickett is quick and he knows it, delivering regular eye-catching moments. Picture: AFL Media





Christian Petracca

Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro

4/1/96

185cm/92kg

Medium forward/midfielder

Petracca is the draft's point of difference. He's a big, strong and powerful forward who outmuscles almost everyone in one-on-ones and is taking his talents into the midfield. Petracca has a presence when the ball's in his area: he hustles and bustles through packs, breaks tackles, pushes and shoves and wants the ball in his hands. He's most comfortable around goal, but is working on using his improved aerobic capacity in an on-ball role.





Clem Smith

Perth/Western Australia

3/2/96

177cm/67kg

Small defender/midfielder

There's not a player like Smith in this draft. He's a small and powerful prospect who enjoys the bash-and-crash elements of the game. He likes to lay bumps and shepherds, and attack the contest. The West Australian played last year's under-18 championships and was named an All Australian for his work in defence, but expect him to move up the ground this year and use his class and ball-winning skills from flank to flank. Smith has thrived at senior WAFL level at the start of this season.





Alec Waterman

Claremont/Western Australia

19/8/96

183cm/87kg

Midfielder

West Coast has first rights to grab Waterman as a father-son player, given his dad Chris played 177 games for the club, including the 1992 and 1994 premierships. So far Waterman has shown he would be worthy of selection, given his ability to rack up big numbers in the middle of the ground. In four games for Claremont at under-18 level this year Waterman has averaged nearly 31 disposals. He's not overly explosive, but he knows where to go to get the ball in his hands and does it week after week.





Lachie Weller

Southport/Gold Coast Academy/Queensland

23/2/96

181cm/71kg

Midfielder

Weller is a damaging midfielder with excellent skills and a good sense of how the game will unfold. With the ball in hand Weller arches his back and sets up the play for others, but can also drift forward and regularly kicks goals. Weller, whose brother Mav plays for St Kilda after several seasons with Gold Coast, stood out for Queensland during last year's championships as a bottom-ager.





Peter Wright

Calder Cannons/Vic Metro

8/9/96

203cm/94kg

Tall forward/ruckman

The possible No.1 pick enters the championships with some form under his belt after a six-goal haul for the Calder Cannons last week. All of his goals came in the second half and three were from outside 50 metres, underlining perhaps Wright's biggest strength: his elite kicking. Wright has kicked 17 goals in five TAC Cup games so far this season.



