A total of 64 players were drafted in 2023, and while AFL scouts can soon kick up their feet, their attention will eventually turn to next year's crop of impressive teenagers.
26 players eligible for next year's draft have been named in the 2024 AFL Academy squad, many of whom featured in the annual Future Stars game at the MCG in December.
2023's draft was heavily impacted by father-son and Academy prospects, and 2024 looks to be no different as a number of top-rated players already have ties to AFL clubs.
The top-end of next year's draft is also skewed in favour of midfielders, with seven of the top eight names to consider likely to spend a majority of their draft campaigns in the middle of the field next year.
Here are the names to watch in 2024...
5. Tyler Welsh
The only non-midfielder on our list...
The son of former Crows forward Scott Welsh, Tyler is the leading key-forward prospect among the 2024 draft class and has links to Adelaide as a father-son prospect.
The 191cm attacker has made the move to Adelaide's SANFL side from Woodville-West Torrens for the 2024 season and will look to improve on his 27-goal campaign in the U18s competition.
Welsh's best performance would come at the National Championships this year away to Vic Country, where he booted five goals in a starring day out at Princes Park.
