READ UP ON THE 2019 DRAFT CLASS

      Callum Twomey from AFL.com.au profiles some of the top draft prospects heading into the 2019 NAB AFL National Draft.

      LUKE JACKSON

      Luke Jackson might soon be dubbed 'the drought breaker'.

      There has not been a ruckman picked in the top 10 of the NAB AFL Draft since 2011, when Brisbane nabbed Billy Longer. But Jackson's form across this season has clubs considering bucking the trend. 

      Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle are among the clubs who have been linked to Jackson with top-10 picks and are glad the 18-year-old decided last year to give away a promising basketball career to focus on his football. 

      That call, made in the middle of 2018 after Jackson had played for Australia at the under-17s World Cup in Argentina, has shaped his draft season – which has grown and developed to catch the eye of all scouts.   

      He has become the standout ruckman of the 2019 crop, improved his game to be a much more rounded prospect, and is now considered a likely early debutant in 2020. Some clubs believe he could take on their ruck reigns in round one if he was to join their list in November.

      Jackson looks back on his call between sports as a challenging time, given his prowess in basketball and – at that stage – the unknowns about his footy ability.

      "At the time it was pretty hard choosing between them, because I had a lot of people telling me what I should and shouldn't do. But at the end of the day I found it pretty easy so I could block out that and listen to them," he told AFL.com.au.

      "I made the right choice and I haven't looked back, and I really just love footy."

      Jackson was a power forward on the court, a little undersized for that role, but was known for his rebounding and attacking play. He's taken the same principles into his football.

      While some clubs wonder about his size as a full-time AFL ruck – he measured in at 199cm at this month's NAB AFL Draft Combine – Jackson's ability at ground level and bustling frame gives him unique ways to influence games.

      He has drawn comparisons to Collingwood star Brodie Grundy, himself a cautionary tale for clubs who bypass ruckmen, having slipped to No.18 in the 2012 draft despite being widely viewed as a top-five talent. 

      Jackson has idolised Grundy in recent years, having grown up watching Nic Naitanui dominate for the Eagles, and entered this year hopeful of having more influence on games. 

      "My year's been pretty consistent. One of my goals was to find a lot more of the ball around the ground this year and I thought I did this towards the back-end," he said.

      Jackson was named the All Australian ruckman after dominating for Western Australia, where he averaged 15 disposals (11 contested), 37 hit-outs and five clearances a game. 

      And in the last four games in East Fremantle's colts side, Jackson averaged 22 disposals and 34 hit-outs to finish his campaign in sterling form. His season has been so busy he has spent little time reflecting on his switch from basketball. 

      "It came pretty easy to me in the end. I just knew footy was the right sport for me and where I see myself in the future," he said.

      "I wanted to make my name be felt this year and make it my best football season yet. I'm still pretty raw to the game, but I want to keep learning."

      With a strong leap, competitive instincts, an ability to mark and also find the ball around the ground, Jackson has attributes of other ruckmen who have in the past been passed over by clubs early in the draft. 

      He feels different to them, though. 

      "I want to be a ruckman who can pinch-hit in the forward line as well, and be versatile in those areas. I'm open to even playing in the midfield as well, so I'll go anywhere," he said. 

      TOM GREEN

      IT WAS the game that defined Tom Green's season. But Green will remember the day for very different reasons.

      Playing for the Allies in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, the midfielder collected 33 disposals and nine clearances in a performance that saw him earn comparisons to Carlton superstar Patrick Cripps. 

      If nothing else, in powering his side to a surprise win over Vic Metro at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, the effort cemented Green as a top-10 pick at this year's draft.

      "It was probably my best game for the year and I was really happy with it," Green told AFL.com.au. "But I also got a fair bit of perspective later in the day."

      After Green left the field, he went to the rooms in Geelong and grabbed his phone. He sent texts to his dad, uncle and grandfather like he does after most games, asking for their opinions on his performance. 

      Tom Green (left) with Allies teammate Hamish Ellem after defeating Vic Metro. Picture: AFL Photos

      His grandfather's view carries some weight. Michael Green played in four premierships for Richmond and is a member of its team of the century. 

      Tom's parents had remained in Canberra, with Green's younger brothers, but were watching the live stream on the AFL website.

      "I sent those text messages and my dad said 'Can I call you?" I said 'Yeah, that's fine, whatever' but I knew something wasn't right when I spoke to him and he said 'Are you sitting down?'," Green said. 

      "I said 'Yeah, but I don't know what that has to do with anything'. Then he told me what had had happened." 

      During the game, tragic news had filtered back to the Green family from America. Green's cousin Patrick, who had been living in the US with family for several years, had died in a car accident. The car had rolled while making a sharp turn in Ohio.

      Tom and Patrick were close: in age (he was 11 months Tom's senior) and in interests (he was also a keen footballer growing up, being a part of Sydney's Academy program). Green was shocked, not quite taking it all in.

      Brothers Josh (left) and Tom Green (right) with cousin Patrick (centre). Picture: Supplied

      "They live in Cleveland and he was away on an end-of-school trip with his mates. He was in an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) that rolled," he said. 

      "I didn't believe it at the start, it didn't feel real. They're overseas and I didn't see them all the time, so it just didn't feel real.

      "We're a really close family, and we got along really well and were really good mates, so it was just devastating."

      Brothers Josh (left) and Tom Green (right) with cousin Patrick (centre). Picture: Supplied

      The Allies were staying back in Richmond that night, with Green spending the hour bus trip back to Melbourne calling and texting family in Canberra.

      His team had another game five days later, in the last round of the carnival at Marvel Stadium.

      "I wasn't sure what to do," he said. "My grandfather picked me up, as he lives in Melbourne, and the option to go home for the rest of the week was there if I wanted. 

      "But my cousin really enjoyed living life. He lived it to the fullest. He experienced everything. He really enjoyed himself.

      "And after speaking to my grandfather I thought the best way I could continue my life and the best way I could commemorate him and do what he would've done was to play the game." 

      Green played, and again played well, with a black armband around his left arm. He was the Allies' best with 23 disposals and six clearances against South Australia.

      Patrick was also an aspiring athlete. He had been aiming of becoming a professional American footballer, having played for his high school team the Rocky River Pirates. 

      He had graduated from the school a month before the crash. NFL superstar Odell Beckham jnr, who was Green's hero, also took to Twitter to send out his condolences to the Green family for their loss after his friends had notified the wide receiver of his accident.

      Tom didn't get to travel to Patrick's funeral, but the family in Australia had a celebration of his life earlier this month in Melbourne. 

      Green has come to grips that he won't share the next exciting stage of his life with his cousin, but has promised himself to carry his spirit.

      "It sounds weird, but I'm past the grieving stage of it and I just really want to live my life fully and enjoy it as he would have done and as he did in his life. That's where I'm at," he said.

      Draft night will determine where Green goes.

      The Giants have first access to the 191cm Academy prospect, and a bid is expected around the top-five mark given his qualities as a tall, inside midfielder who can shape games with his clearance work. They have pick No.6, but are desperate to get further up the order to avoid a bid coming before then.

      Green's off-season helped set him up for his standout campaign, after he dropped his eating portions and also lifted his running program to drop eight kilos over summer. 

      A knee injury late in the year saw his season end prematurely, but Green has seen the result of hard work.

      "The draft is just the start. They always say about the work you put in to get to it, and that's true, but you're not done there," he said. 

      "You need to get going from there and work even harder. It shows that if you put that work in, you'll get results."

      WILL GOULD

      You could have forgiven Will Gould for having some nerves. 

      Last month, the 18-year-old played for Glenelg in front of nearly 40,000 fans at Adelaide Oval in the SANFL Grand Final against the Port Adelaide Magpies. 

      But, aside from some initial flutters running onto the field, Gould settled in quickly and was a key player as the Tigers claimed their first flag in 33 years.

      Gould's senior experience is one of the standout attractions for clubs considering the rebounding half-back at next month's NAB AFL Draft. And he, too, believes that he will be ready to play at AFL level as soon as next year begins.

      "When you get to an AFL club you have to start all over again and work hard, but being able to play with and against men this year, and AFL-listed boys in the Port and Crows teams in the SANFL, has given me good confidence I can come in and have an impact next year wherever I am," he told AFL.com.au. 

      Gould's draft position will be one of the most intriguing parts of this year's draft. His qualities are all there in front of you: at 192cm and 106kg, he's a big-bodied player who uses his strength and body to get into position. He has had the frame not to be bullied by older and more experienced opponents this year.

      He runs straight, kicks long and direct, and plays with a minimum of fuss, earning comparisons to West Coast captain Shannon Hurn. 

      But clubs will also be assessing Gould's long-term development and how much growth he has in his game, which will shape if his name is called in the top-30 on draft night.

      "Whether it's on talls or smalls, I mix and match here and there. I like to run off half-back and break the lines. I've always been a reasonably big boy so I've always been able to kick a fair way. 

      "When I've got the ball it's about hitting the hardest kick and sometimes I'll get sprayed for not taking the easiest kick, but for me off half-back it's about how I can help the team score and I love breaking the lines and making that happen." 

      That was particularly obvious in Gould's performance for South Australia against Vic Country in the under-18 championships, when he had 26 disposals and kicked a late, long goal. 

      It saw him win back-to-back selection as an under-18 All Australian, as only one of three players in the pool to achieve the feat. 

      "It's incredible. It was a massive honour and that's the case every time you get to represent your country or your state. To be able to do that first year was a bit of a shock and I didn't expect it at the carnival, but to back it up this year was really pleasing," he said.

      "That's what I was focusing on this pre-season: how do I get better? I had to butter up and do what I did last year, but then take it up a notch. That's what I've been able to do this year."