The 2024 AFL draft is right around the corner and promises to be one of the most unpredictable in years.

There has been much debate about this year’s crop, and while the very top end isn’t quite as strong as in recent years, it is true there is a fantastic evenness and depth throughout the first round and beyond.

Here is our ranking of the best 30 players in this year’s draft.

1. Levi Ashcroft

MID, Vic Metro/Sandringham Dragons

The reigning premiers are about to pick up the best player in the draft thanks to the father-son rule, with Levi Ashcroft ready to join brother Will at the Brisbane Lions.

Ashcroft is a relentless, reliable and creative midfielder. He’s tough in the clinches, prolific on the outside and has skills and vision that allow him to hurt the opposition forward of centre.

Sounds an awful lot like his brother, doesn’t it? There will be debates about which is the better of the two Ashcroft boys for a decade — that fact alone proves Levi’s worth as the top pick in the 2024 draft.

2. Sid Draper

MID, SA/South Adelaide

Draper is a bundle of frenetic energy, a midfielder of supreme speed and agility who is prepared to get his hands dirty before spinning and stepping his way into the clear.

An extended run in the SANFL, playing with and against men for South Adelaide, saw Draper elevate his game even further and prove he is up to the challenge physically.

Draper’s zip and furious attack on the ball separate him from other midfielders at the top of this class.

3. Jagga Smith

MID, Vic Metro/Oakleigh Chargers

Smith spent his 2024 year tallying up disposals at a rate unmatched by any of his contemporaries, and by the end of his year he started to add real hurt factor to those touches.

Though he is slight, Smith does his best work in the clinches, using his evasiveness and spatial awareness to thrive among the bigger bodies. His disposal has come in for criticism at times as it can be occasionally rushed, but he has improved in this area and can be particularly creative by hand.

Smith stepped up to VFL footy with Richmond and didn’t miss a beat. He’s ready to start racking up possessions in the AFL.

4. Finn O’Sullivan

MID, Vic Country/Oakleigh Chargers

O’Sullivan entered the 2024 season as the hot favourite for the number-one pick, but his season never really hit the heights he would have hoped for.

A series of niggly and frustrating injuries were probably to blame, but we were treated only to glimpses of O’Sullivan’s very best football.

But recruiters will know what he is capable of — slick, skilful and damaging footy from a player who is fantastic in the air and electric at ground level. O’Sullivan can be a game-breaker with only 20 touches.

5. Harvey Langford

MID, Vic Country/Dandenong Stingrays

Tall, strong and with elite midfield craft, Langford proved consistently in 2024 he has the tools to make up for any of his perceived deficiencies.

The knockers will point to his lack of top-end speed, which is justified, but Langford has a quick mind and sharp hands, and his left foot ranges between reliable and devastating.

Langford is coming off a stellar junior season and should find himself at home in the AFL quicker than most other draftees.

6. Sam Lalor

MID/FWD, Vic Country/GWV Rebels

With the draft approaching, there is a growing sense that Lalor’s may be the first name called out on the opening night.

If that is to be the case, the Tigers would be picking a player whose potential to impact games is as high as any in the draft. Lalor is a stoppage bull with a touch of grace about his play, and can be thrown forward to use his marking strengths closer to goal.

Lalor is the prototype modern game-breaker and, with a couple of pre-seasons in the tank, is likely to justify even the earliest of selections in this draft.

7. Murphy Reid

MID/FWD, Vic Metro/Sandringham Dragons

Opinions on Reid vary widely but if you choose to focus on the things he does well rather than the physical attributes he may be missing, it’s impossible to leave him out of the top 10.

Reid is the purest footballer in this draft, a player who is always a step ahead of the game and can read the play like no other. He’s clever, creative, clean and dangerous in the forward 50.

As a midfielder, he was prolific for both Vic Metro and the Dragons, and though some recruiters will be put off by a lack of size or speed, Reid has the competitive streak required to prove them wrong.

8. Tobie Travaglia

DEF/MID, Vic Country/Bendigo Pioneers

Equal parts scrap and silk, Travaglia is a competitive beast who will start his career off half-back as an interceptor and launcher of forward moves.

But Travaglia played and excelled everywhere this year. He is tough and slick enough to play as a midfielder, can use his tank to run up and down a wing all day, and he regularly pushed forward this year for Bendigo to kick crucial late goals.

Travaglia is a leader, sets high standards for himself and hates being beaten. No club would be disappointed with his selection.

9. Josh Smillie

MID, Vic Metro/Eastern Rangers

An imposing size for a midfielder, it’s Smillie’s craft and skill that most catch the eye.

He glides around the ground in and out of stoppage and has a kicking style that, when refined, will make him a real attacking weapon.

If anything, Smillie doesn’t use his frame and strength enough. If he can unlock those powers he could be a force.

10. Leo Lombard

MID, Allies/Gold Coast Suns

The Suns will gladly scoop up yet another tough, reliable midfielder in Lombard, who has been playing VFL football for the Suns for two years now.

Lombard is a classy extractor with a physical edge that defies his size. He’ll likely see AFL action early in his first season with the Suns.

11. Alix Tauru

DEF, Vic Country/Gippsland Power

Tauru has come like a rocket in the back end of this season to now sit as the draft’s best tall defender and likely the first big man picked on night one.

Though not true key-position height, Tauru is fantastic in the air and an elite intercept marker. His ball use can be a bit untidy but he takes aggressive options. And as one of the youngest players in the draft, he still has room for plenty of natural improvement.

12. Harry Armstrong

FWD, Vic Metro/Sandringham Dragons

Armstrong looms as the top key forward prospect in the draft and fits very neatly in the Jeremy Cameron-Aaron Cadman mould as a mobile left-footer.

He will take some time to develop an AFL-ready body, as most young key forwards do, but Armstrong’s bravery, foot skills and aerial prowess will be appealing to teams with picks inside the top 10.

13. Isaac Kako

FWD, Vic Metro/Calder Cannons

Kako is set for a stress-free draft night, as he is destined to end up at Essendon as a next-generation academy member and will be called within the first dozen or so selections on the first night.

Bombers fans will love Kako, the most exciting, versatile and explosive small forward in the draft. He will bring the forward pressure and craft around the goal, and his fair share of highlights as well.

14. Xavier Lindsay

MID/DEF, Vic Country/Gippsland Power

Lindsay is a no-frills, reliable midfielder who will find himself equally at home as a rebounding option off half-back early in his career.

A crafty left-footer, Lindsay’s best attribute might be his clean hands in traffic. He may not have the size or speed of some other midfielders in this draft, but he is a one-touch player who can find the footy and fill a number of roles.

15. Bo Allan

MID/DEF, WA/Peel

There is no doubting Allan has the athletic makings of a fantastic player. His combination of height, speed, agility and vertical leap make him an appealing prospect as either a rebounding defender or, eventually, an explosive midfielder.

Allan still needs to round out parts of his game, including his disposal and composure with the ball, and he probably doesn’t yet make the most of his athletic gifts on the field. But there is a world in which the hyper-competitive Allan, having pulled it all together in a few years, stands as one of the very best players from this draft.

16. Joe Berry

FWD, Vic Country/Murray Bushrangers

We’ve reached an interesting point in the rankings where a trio of small forwards land, each likely to be rated differently by draft watchers.

Berry is the most reliable and consistent of the three, a highly professional young player with all the forward craft, pressure and skill required for the AFL level. A very safe bet.

17. Ollie Hannaford

FWD, Vic Country/GWV Rebels

Hannaford has been a late bolter into first-round contention, but in a league that values speed, evasiveness, skill and repeat pressure acts above most other things, he looks a potential star in the making.

There have been some concerns in the background at some of his aerobic testing, but you wouldn’t know it to watch him play. Hannaford is a try, try again kind of player with clean hands, nous in front of goal and a will to win. He’ll be a hit with fans of whichever team takes the punt on him.

18. Taj Hotton

FWD/MID, Vic Metro, Sandringham Dragons

If not for an untimely ACL injury midway through the year, Hotton would likely be sitting higher in these rankings and will likely go earlier than this on draft night.

In the early rounds of the year, he proved to be a high-volume, high-impact player as either a small forward or nippy midfielder. If he gets through his recovery without losing any of his speed or agility, he will quickly show why he was once in top 10 calculation — the teams with a number of first-round picks should be brave enough to take that chance.

19. Luke Trainor

DEF, Vic Metro/Sandringham Dragons

Once seemingly a top-10 lock, Trainor has slipped out of favour late in the season but still stands as a solid defensive option.

Trainor is a strong interceptor in the air, a good runner and aggressive rebounder but is a little undersized for a key defender. His stints forward have often been fruitful, making for an appealing package for any side he should slip to.

20. Cooper Hynes

FWD/MID, Vic Country/Dandenong Stingrays

Cooper Hynes is another explosive, big-bodied hybrid mid-forward who will likely be an impact player in the forward half at the next level.

Hynes can be a little untidy but that’s all part of his charm. He’s a rough and tumble competitor worthy of first-round conversations.

21. Jonty Faull

FWD, Vic Country/ GWV Rebels

Splitting the talls in this draft can be tough, so we’re looking for points of difference. In Faull’s case, his incredible competitiveness, physicality and pressure make him a strong selection.

He’s got some work to do in filling out his frame and tidying up his goal kicking, but the assets Faull brings to the table means he is more likely to be a success than not.

22. Jobe Shanahan

FWD, Allies/Bendigo Pioneers

Shanahan’s points of difference are his marking ability and endurance, not to mention his imposing frame inside the forward 50.

He played VFL games for Essendon through the year and rose to the occasion, kicking 11 goals in three outings. He can hurt you on the lead and he can clunk them in the packs, and though he can be a bit of a lumbering presence at times, there is no substitute for goals at any level.

23. Jesse Dattoli

FWD/MID, Vic Metro/Northern Knights

A supremely confident small midfielder and forward, Dattoli holds the distinction of being the most dual-sided player in the draft, equally adept on both his left and right foot.

That skill alone helps make him a quick, elusive and crafty player who also has a bit of a mean streak to him. Plenty to like.

24. Jack Whitlock

FWD, Vic Country/Murray Bushrangers

At 200 centimetres tall, Whitlock’s value as a mobile tall forward and pinch-hitting ruck is obvious, but his clean hands in the air and at ground level add another string to his bow.

Jack will be the first of the Whitlock twins to be selected and could conceivably sneak into the first round.

25. Alex Dodson

RUCK, SA/Sturt

The best genuine ruck option in the draft, Dodson chose to forego a promising basketball career in favour of a crack at the AFL.

His size and running capacity will appeal to recruiters, as will his still-developing ruck craft. He will take some years of development, but the seeds of promise are there with Dodson.

26. Sam Marshall

MID, Allies/Sandringham Dragons

Another gun midfielder headed to the Lions, this time via their academy, Marshall saved his best game for last this year in the Coates League grand final.

That game showed everything Marshall is good at — he was composed, prolific, tidy by hand and foot, and a relentless runner.

27. Tom Gross

MID, Vic Metro/Oakleigh Chargers

A pure dirty-work midfielder, you’ll find Gross at the bottom of any pack outworking his opponents and dishing out handballs from in the clinches.

His kicking is solid but unspectacular, and you won’t find him bursting clear of too many packs, but he will do the tough stuff all day and he will do it better than most.

28. Christian Moraes

MID/FWD, Vic Metro/Eastern Rangers

If Moraes was just a touch quicker, or just a slightly better kick, he would be up among the top echelon of mids in this draft.

He is though one of the best runners on offer, and as a result is able to find the ball with ease while proving himself as a goal kicker throughout the season. Slippery on the ball and with a late-year birthday, there is so much room for growth with Moraes.

29. Angus Clarke

DEF, SA/Glenelg

As a rebounding defender, Clarke came on in leaps and bounds throughout the 2024 season and was particularly impressive with SA in the national carnival.

He is a good height, strong in the air as an interceptor, has plenty of dash off the half-back line and is a precise and damaging kick. He should blossom in a more professional environment.

30. Harrison Oliver

DEF, Vic Metro/Sandringham Dragons

Another rebounding defender, Oliver will win over plenty of fans with his toughness at the man and the ball.

He’s more than just a hard nut though, and his neat kicking and run out of defence will be an asset at AFL level.