Ben Sokol
Height
184cm
Weight
88kg
Current Team
Birthday
October 28, 1995
A prominent goalkicker, Sokol finally earned a State Combine invitation after a sensational year of 60 goals in 20 games. He took 8.3 marks to go with his 14.5 touches in the WAFL for premiers Subiaco, including a bag of seven goals, and three bags of six majors. With some of the hauls he has caught the eye, but with a 3.30-second 20m sprint and 70cm running vertical leap, he has athletic areas to work on. The way Sokol can outmuscle his opponents is a feature of his game and very few can match him one-on-one and despite being undersized for a key forward, Sokol knows how to find space and then force an opponent to engage. On pure numbers alone, Sokol’s season has been remarkable, and for a club perhaps close to a flag, the recently turned 24-year-old could be an option to look at. Sokol really threw himself into the limelight winning the Bernie Naylor Medal for best on ground in the WAFL Grand Final, booting six goals in the 96-points smashing. He will need to develop other areas to win the ball at AFL level given the strength and smarts of opponents in the competition, but with a full pre-season under his belt in an elite system, Sokol could be a wildcard for a club.
STRENGTHS: Marking, scoreboard impact, consistency, strength
IMPROVEMENTS: Athleticism, multi-dimensional
Angus Baker
Height
191cm
Weight
86kg
Birthday
August 3, 1998
AFTER suffering an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury a couple of years back, Baker has put together a couple of years of good work to emerge as a genuine mature-age option in this year’s draft. Stationed at half-back for Canberra Demons, Baker was an intercept machine, averaging 7.2 marks and 30.6 disposals in the NEAFL. Had an eye-opening 37 disposals, 15 marks and 10 inside 50s against NT Thunder. A number of clubs are keen on the readymade player who could also be released as a tall midfielder if need be. At the State Draft Combine, Baker recorded a 3.04-second 20m sprint which is not too bad for his size, and while his other athletic traits were not overly impressive, he still has strong impact in the air and is hard to bring down in tackles. He has a high hurt factor and of the mature-agers eligible, Baker might be one of the most likely to land at an AFL home given the interest and ability to have an immediate impact.
STRENGTHS: Intercept marking, rebounding, accumulation, hurt factor
IMPROVEMENTS: Versatility, agility
And, if we wanted to add some KPD depth
Ben Kelly
Height
203cm
Weight
100kg
Current Team
Birthday
February 17, 2000
THE overage ruck has played a bit of everywhere, having transitioned from a ruck role into a key defensive post, and pinch-hitting up forward this year. At 203cm and 100kg, Kelly is a readymade prospect with good size and strength, and is mobile for his giant frame. He does need to build his endurance with a sub-20 yo-yo test, as well as his defensive pressure at ground level, averaging just the 1.3 tackles per game. Kelly was one of a number of players whose name was raised for the mid-season draft, but instead he remained at Murray for the season and was fairly consistent throughout 2019. For a player of his size, Kelly uses the ball well with almost 70 per cent disposal efficiency, and speedy for his frame with a 3.05-second 20m sprint time. Most impressively, with a 88cm running vertical leap, Kelly is able to beat most players in the air, and have them covered at ground level. A legitimate value pick late/rookie with scope for the future.
STRENGTHS: Skills, speed, marking, vertical leap, consistency
IMPROVEMENTS: Endurance, defensive pressure