The Bombers are poised for a bumper NAB AFL Draft night on December 9, armed with three top-10 selections for the first time in club history.
While picks can be traded during the draft, Essendon will head into it with picks Nos. 6, 7, 8, 44, 77, 85 and 87.
The Bombers could select an array of small or tall defenders to complement their young backline brigade in Jordan Ridley, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Aaron Francis and Mason Redman, while also turning an eye to the future as Michael Hurley and Cale Hooker enter the latter parts of their careers.
Here are the leading backline prospects based on AFL.com.au's December Phantom Form Guide. Catch up on the midfield and forward prospects.
Denver Grainger-Barrass
Position: Key defender
Team: Swan Districts/Western Australia
Height: 195cm
Weight: 78kg
DOB: April 17, 2002
Key strengths: Intercept marking, athleticism, ability to read the play
Key stat: Averaged 4.6 marks a game in 2020 WAFL (League) season
AFL.com.au’s Phantom Form Guide ranking: 5
Grainger-Barrass is easily the cream of the key defenders crop in this year’s draft. An athletic tall who can take intercept marks and win one-on-one contests, he is looming as one of the more complete defensive players to choose from if he can slip through to Essendon’s first selection at pick No.6. Having already played a season of WAFL senior football in 2020, including a match in which he kept potential pick No.1 Logan McDonald scoreless after switching to him at half-time, Grainger-Barrass is ready-made and proven in his ability to quell dangerous forwards.
What they say:” He’s a player who’s played some senior footy over the past couple of years. He shuts down players, is powerful, can mark everything that comes his way. He tested extremely well at the combine in agility and speed. He’s (someone) who’s coming in and playing round one next year.” - Draft expert Callum Twomey on the Road to the Draft podcast
Lachie Jones
Position: Defender/midfielder
Team: Woodville-West Torrens/South Australia
Height: 186cm
Weight: 88kg
DOB: April 9, 2002
Key strengths: Strength/physicality, ball use, defensive versatility
Key stat: Averaged 82 per cent disposal efficiency in 2020 SANFL season
AFL.com.au’s Phantom Form Guide ranking: 9
Versatility is a key word when describing Jones. An already powerfully built defender who can happily switch to the midfield when required, Jones is the sort of player you’d back to make an immediate impact as soon as he enters a club. A 2020 SANFL premiership player, Jones impressed with his strength and vertical leap and is rated as elite for his contested ball ability. Jones is linked to Port Adelaide as a Next Generation Academy player, but you can expect clubs to bid early for his services.
What they say: “He played all year at senior level in the SANFL and handled himself well. He’s got a bit of Shannon Hurn (West Coast) about him in terms of body shape. (He’s a) strongly built and powerful half-back that breaks the lines.” - AFL talent ambassador Kevin Sheehan on the Road to the Draft podcast
Zach Reid
Position: Key defender/utility
Team: Gippsland Power/Victoria
Height: 202cm
Weight: 83kg
DOB: March 2, 2002
Key strengths: Vertical leap, aerial ability, skills
Key stat: Averaged 75 per cent kicking efficiency in 2019 NAB League
AFL.com.au’s Phantom Form Guide ranking: 11
When you’re eyeing off players with raw potential and a high ceiling, it’s hard not to be drawn to two-metre tall Reid. A terrific defender who can intercept mark and read the play exceptionally well, Reid will be a very big problem for forward lines in years to come, especially when he fills in his 202cm frame. Reid averaged four marks a game in last year’s NAB League as a bottom-ager, and some draft experts have suggested his growth and development in a normal 2020 season may have shot him into top-five calculations. The most exciting thing about Reid, apart from his dominant athleticism, great ball use and aerial ability, is his versatility in playing several key roles, whether it’d be switching forward or pinch-hitting in the ruck.
What they say: “He’s 202cm, kicks the ball really well and reads the ball well in the air. He’s not just a stopper, he’s a starter out of half-back with his ball use as well.” - Callum Twomey on the Road to the Draft podcast
Heath Chapman
Position: Key defender
Team: West Perth/Western Australia
Height: 193cm
Weight: 81kg
DOB: January 31, 2002
Key strengths: Intercept marking, kicking, ability to read the play
Key stat: Averaged 22.4 disposals in 2020 WAFL (Colts) season
AFL.com.au’s Phantom Form Guide ranking: 13
Another tall West Australian to enter calculations as a high draft pick, Chapman is an intercept-marking player who exudes composure. One of the most consistent performers in the WAFL Colts competition in 2020, Chapman nullifies attacks with his superb reading of the play. Chapman isn’t just a defensive unit though. When he gets the ball, he uses it with aplomb, storming out of the backline with attacking kicks which often penetrate the first row of a forward press leaving offensive sides exposed in transition. He’s also tasted senior WAFL football, so expect the ceiling to be high as he develops further into his career.
What they say: “He’s played mainly under-18s footy but did progress to get that taste of league football in the WAFL. He dominated underage footy, and he’s bit like a Jordan Ridley. He’s an intercept marker, a rebounder out of defence. You’ve got to get runners and ball winners out of (defence) these days, and Heath Chapman is all of that. He’s 192cm so he won’t play on the big giants, but he’ll play on the third tall forward and I love the way he’s tested. His endurance is elite, that’s why he keeps running all day and rebounding the footy.” - Kevin Sheehan on the Road to the Draft podcast
