The younger brother of former North Melbourne ruckman Corey McKernan has a bright future as a competitive ruckman for Adelaide. McKernan recorded strong results for speed and agility at the AFL draft camp but it was his hard-at-it approach in games that turned heads. Capable of taking strong marks and kicking multiple goals, he won

Football fans will think they are seeing double when Sam Wright debuts for North Melbourne, because he looks very similar to Collingwood’s Dale Thomas. Wright will probably play as an agile half forward with stints through the middle of the ground. His assets include a strong goal sense and clean hands overhead

Post is capable of filling a key position role for the Tigers either forward or back, on will bolster Richmond’s big man stocks. He takes a terrific overhead mark, and led the TAC Cup competition for contested and uncontested marks in 2008. With good hands and a neat kick, Post looks set for a good

The Brisbane Lions are excited about this talented forward/midfielder, who wins his own footy despite being slight in stature. Strong over the ball and great at clearances, Redden has been endorsed by no less a footy legend than Graeme “Gubby” Allan, who says he could become a top-notch AFL player

A strong-bodies small midfielder, Suban thrives on contested situations and boasts a powerful left boot. He showed his flexibility during a game for Vic Country – the side he captained – against WA. In that match, Suban was playing on dynamic forward Chris Yarran and totally shut Yarran out of the game

Zaharakis nominated for the 2007 AFL draft and was unsuccessful, but selectors saw something different in the mid-sized onballer in 2008. He kicks with penetration and is quick and agile, and he had a good campaign with Vic Metro in the U18 Championships. A leader at the Northern Knights, Zaharakis is an “in and under”

Trengove sat very high on AFL recruiters’ checklists until he tore his hamstring from the bone in mid 2008. The 196cm, 88kg forward was required to have two operations to address the issue, but has since resumed training and, if he can fully recover, will be a real boost to the Port Adelaide forward line.

A small forward who can kick 75 goals in a season is a rare and valuable commodity, but that is exactly what Hayden Ballantyne showed himself to be last year. Ballantyne won the Sandover Medal in the WAFL last year and is a little different from the average draftee. He is 21 years old and

If Sidebottom’s U18 All-Australian selection after a successful carnival with Vic Country didn’t grab attention, his 10-goal, 34-possession effort in the TAC Cup Grand Final did. The Magpies snapped up this well balanced tough-nut with their first pick, and will look to use him through the midfield and across half back. A couple of solid

Hailing from North Adelaide, Johnston is genuine key position prospect for the Swans. Johnston’s best asset is probably his overhead marking, which saw him take the most grabs in last year’s U18 Championships. In addition to his aerial talent, Johnston is more than capable at ground level and is most likely to emerge as a

A quality all-round footballer who co-captained Vic Metro in the 2008 U18 Championships, Lynch will probably play as a leading forward for the Saints. Features of Lynch’s game include good pace and endurance; assets that could see him fill a midfield or defensive post at some stage. A knee reconstruction affected Lynch’s game in 2008

The only father/son selection of the 2008 AFL draft, Ayce Cordy is the son of former Bulldogs and Eagles player Brian Cordy. Rodney Eade has gone on the record saying Cordy is a possible 200-game player, and his excellent tap ruck skills will stand him in good stead. At 202cm, Cordy has a clean pair

Mitchell Brown’s story is an interesting one. Originally thought too small to make the cut at the Sandringham Dragons, Brown shot up seven centimeters last year and greatly improved in his key forward post. Geelong will look to develop the 195cm teenager over time, and he impressed onlookers with his strong marking during an intra-club

The Hawks’ first pick in the 2008 AFL draft is likely to fill a key defensive post at his new club despite playing most of his footy as a forward. Shoenmakers’ key attributes include good marking, the ability to kick on both feet and the capacity to run down an opponent. He returned terrific results

A classy onballer with excellent balance and poise, Sam Blease can deliver accurately on both feet. Sporting a slight frame and still at high school, Blease’s physique will need some work before he plays AFL footy. He has graduated from the AIS/AFL Academy and played for Vic Metro in the U18 Championships. Melbourne are excited

Quick across the ground and strong at stoppages, Luke Shuey could become a serious ball-winner for West Coast. He recorded a lightning-quick 2.92-second 20m sprint at the AFL draft camp, and has the capacity to chip in with a clever goal up forward. Shuey won the Vic Metro best and fairest at last years U18

An agile player who can fill a role in both the midfield and on the half-back flank, James Strauss is good by foot and reads the play well. At the AFL Draft Camp he matched Nick Naitanui’s efforts in the repeated sprint category, with the two players finishing equal fourth. Strauss is also quite quick

If it wasn’t for the difficult knee problems Tom Swift has had to overcome, the gun midfielder would probably have been drafted much higher. West Coast will be looking for the tall onballer to become a central part of its new centreline, and would have been impressed with the vertical jump, beep test and 20m