The 2017 NAB AFL Draft may shape up to be one of the strongest in recent history, with Andrew Brayshaw seeing plenty of positive signs from his fellow first-year players.
While much is being made of the potential of the 2018 ‘superdraft,’ the 2017 draft class has been quietly impressing with all of the top-10 making their debuts by round four – breaking the previous fastest by eight weeks.
Fremantle had two picks from the 2017 top 10 with Brayshaw going at no.2 and teammate Adam Cerra at no.5.
Even those outside of the top-10 are impressing, with Fremantle rookie Bailey Banfield slotting perfectly into the lineup as a tagger since his debut alongside Brayshaw in round one.
Mitch Crowden, taken with pick no.59 in the 2017 draft, has also shown his toughness at AFL level with seven appearances this season.
Crowden has laid the second-most tackles at Fremantle since his debut, behind Brayshaw who is leading the club this season.
Fremantle will go up against another rookie who has shone at AFL level this Saturday in Sydney’s Ben Ronke, who kicked seven goals in round eight against Hawthorn on the way to a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination.
“A lot of the boys from our draft class are popping up here and there and kicking a few bags and doing some amazing things,” Brayshaw said.
“Even though we might have been a bit underrated as a draft class, we’re starting to show what we can do and who we are.”
While Fremantle is yet to have a Rising Star nomination this season, Brayshaw feels it’s only a matter of time.
“The nominees that are coming through every week are just playing amazing footy,” Brayshaw said.
“Hopefully, ‘Chez’ (Cerra), ‘Banners’ (Banfield), Mitch and I can do the same pretty soon.”
