After making the All Australian side last year as a 17-year-old, Ben Ainsworth set himself for even more accomplishments in his draft season in 2016.
The way things panned out made that hard. The talented small forward, who was named captain of Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup, battled wrist and knee injuries in the first half of the year and missed a month through suspension in the middle of the season.
That cut short his campaign in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships for Vic Country, but he was able to return to strong form in the back end of the year for the Power.
Starting the year branded a likely early pick brought extra attention the way of Ainsworth, and as the season wore on he became more accustomed to those pressures.
He closed out the year by proving to recruiters he is a powerful and exciting prospect at the draft combine, placing second overall in the 20-metre sprint (2.90 seconds), fifth in the repeat sprints (25.01 seconds) and top-10 in the agility and right foot running vertical jump.
Ainsworth's results at the combine paint a picture of his on-field playing style. In his role as a small forward, he's a quick, agile and leaping prospect who takes contested marks and is a threat in the air and on the ground.
This was on show at last year's under-18 championships, when he starred with 15 goals for the carnival (second overall behind teammate Josh Schache). And in his first game of the carnival this year he booted four goals in a quarter against Vic Metro to show his explosive streak when his confidence is up.
Ainsworth's kicking is damaging, his hands are clean and strong, and he has a tough, combative streak that brings him into the action. His move to the midfield late in the season also showed his skills in that area of the ground, where he averaged 29 disposals and kicked 12 goals in the final four games for the Power. He's got a match-winning streak.
Some recruiters might say that, for a likely very early choice, Ainsworth doesn't have the same versatility in his game as other high draft picks. That's true to an extent in that his size limits the amount of roles he can be used in, but he proved late in the year he could move through the midfield and as a forward he can play deep or further up the ground.
Ainsworth had plenty of scouts telling him throughout the year to improve his endurance enough to move into the midfield and he did that – he took his beep test from level 13.4 at the start of the year to 14.4 at the combine. For a very skillful player his goalkicking can be improved a touch at times, too.
The Jamie Elliott comparisons with Ainsworth have been around for a couple of years, but it's also easy to see why he has been likened to GWS small forward Devon Smith. He's aggressive, tough and classy, and can annoy and get in the face of opponents.
He has been an early pick from a long way out. Greater Western Sydney will consider with pick No.2, and if he gets past them then the Brisbane Lions would look closely at No.3. Gold Coast, with four picks inside the top-10, also seems a nice fit for Ainsworth.
Ainsworth has star factor, and it can pop up at any time in a game. He's permanently dangerous, and he likes having his hands on the ball when a game needs someone to shape it. Small forwards have to be very good to be taken as top-10 picks, but Ainsworth has all the tricks.
