There is not much more that Andrew McGrath could have achieved this year.
At national level he co-captained Vic Metro to its division one under-18 title and was named an All Australian defender. In the TAC Cup, he starred with 38 disposals in the Grand Final to be named best afield in the Sandringham Dragons' premiership. And at school he captained Brighton Grammar to another flag.
With every game, McGrath pushed himself up the draft board to finish the year as one of the leading contenders for the No.1 choice. Quick (he ran 10.95 seconds in the 100-metre sprint for his school), hard and professional, McGrath's end to the season saw him collect 40 disposals in a game against the Oakleigh Chargers and continue his charge up the rankings.
The former hurdler and 400-metre junior star had little to prove by last month's NAB AFL Draft Combine, but that didn't stop him from blitzing anyway. He came second in the repeat sprints test (24.44 seconds), top 10 in agility and running jumps, and was also good in the endurance tests (13.10 in the beep test and 10:42 in the 3km time trial).
He's ready to play, for one thing. McGrath has the physicality, aggression and toughness to be able to stand up straight away at AFL level. He's also versatile, and can play in a number of roles. That was seen in September for Sandringham, particularly against the Eastern Ranges in the semi-final.
McGrath started across half-back, then when Ranges forward Jaidyn Stephenson threatened to take the game away from the Dragons, McGrath was told to shut him down. He did that perfectly, and when Sandringham needed run throughout the midfield, he moved up the ground and got things moving there.
His ability to shut down players came into the eye more than ever before with his brilliant final quarter against Ben Ainsworth and Vic Country in Vic Metro's come-from-behind win in the national carnival. But it was a regular feature of his season before he spent more time in the midfield later in the year.
He finished the year averaging 32 disposals (12 contested) and seven clearances in 10 games for the Dragons at 84 per cent efficiency. He is confident with the ball and trusted to bring it out of defence.
McGrath's athletic profile, his penchant for standing up in the big games, his quality leadership, his no-chinks character and his versatility make him a standout prospect in this year's draft.
We're really nitpicking here, because McGrath couldn't have done much more than what he produced this year.
If McGrath is selected with the No.1 choice, he will likely go down as the shortest first pick in draft history. He measured in at 177cm at the combine, which put him in the bottom 10 per cent for heights recorded this year. That's something clubs will need to think about with those early picks.
His kicking is fine without being elite, and there may also be a view that he is already physically developed and doesn't have that much growth left in him. The counterargument to that is what more could he have done? The answer is not much. He's got most bases comfortably covered.
McGrath has identified Jason Johannisen as the AFL player he'd like to develop into, and it's a good comparison. Johannisen showed the importance of run, speed and dash off half-back with his Norm Smith Medal-winning performance in the Dogs' Grand Final victory. They are also about the same shape and dimensions. In terms of his first year, he could be expected to have the same impact as Swan Callum Mills did in his debut season.
It appears a race between McGrath and Hugh McCluggage to be Essendon's No.1 pick. If McGrath isn't the Bombers' choice, he will be very hard to surpass as Greater Western Sydney's pick No.2. Both clubs have liked him a long way out.
There's not much work to do with McGrath. He will come into a club, impress straight away and be in its best 22 immediately. Has 'future captain' written all over him.
