AFL recruiters will tell you there is no one more talented in this year’s highly touted draft class than Koroit kid and Xavier College boarder Finn O’Sullivan.
O’Sullivan entered the 2024 season as a leading candidate to be the No.1 draft pick after earning under-18 All-Australian honours as a bottom-ager last year.
Finn O’Sullivan, pictured representing the AFL academy this year, could be a top-three draft pick.Credit: AFL Photos
That followed the Oakleigh Chargers midfielder being crowned the best player at the under-16 championships in 2022.
However, injuries conspired against O’Sullivan this past season, as they did top pick-elect Sam Lalor, starting with his left thumb, then a broken finger on his right hand that required surgery before further niggles that contributed to him never quite hitting top form.
His interrupted campaign adds further intrigue to a draft shrouded in mystery, with list bosses, recruiters and player agents more unsure about this year’s order than usual.
“To be honest, it really hasn’t crossed my mind [being the No.1 pick]. I just want to go the highest I can, and if it’s one, it’s one, but if it’s not one, that’s OK,” O’Sullivan said.
“I felt like I was very lucky having the past two seasons, in the way I set myself up compared to some other boys, because there’s no guarantee to be drafted.”
There are talent scouts who still think O’Sullivan could be Richmond’s choice at No.1, while he may be North Melbourne’s top alternative to intercept defender Alix Tauru if they opt against bolstering their back line stocks.
O’Sullivan was also hotly tipped as Carlton’s target after they traded up for West Coast’s No.3 selection, while Adelaide and Melbourne will both consider him at their picks. But there is a scenario where he reaches St Kilda’s No.7 if the Tigers take Josh Smillie at six.
It is that type of draft, with fellow onballers Jagga Smith, Harvey Langford and Sid Draper also having claims at the pointy end, along with Brisbane’s father-son gun Levi Ashcroft, who should receive an early bid.
O’Sullivan (left), with fellow likely top-10 pick Jagga Smith, is one of the most decorated players in this year’s draft class.Credit: AFL Photos
O’Sullivan is classy and composed, has neat skills, elite endurance, marks well overhead, kicks goals and is competitive, with one recruiter telling this masthead mid-year that he was as close to a flawless prospect as you will find.
The obvious question follows: how on earth is someone described in such a way not the runaway No.1 pick?
The convoluted answer starts with O’Sullivan’s injuries and subsequent muted performances – at least in comparison to the lofty heights of his previous two seasons – at a time peers such as Smith and Langford did not play a bad game.
Draper rebounded from his own pre-season setback to finish the year strongly for South Adelaide’s senior side, while there is an infatuation with Lalor’s upside despite injuries hitting him even harder than O’Sullivan.
O’Sullivan is not a huge ball-winner and recruiters question whether he is as driven as others, believing also that he could be more professional in between games.
Even with those queries, he may be too good to pass up, with Lalor, Langford and Jack and Matt Whitlock among the top prospects to list O’Sullivan as their No.1 choice.
O’Sullivan is strong overhead.Credit: AFL Photos
Matt Whitlock called him “special” and tipped him to become an AFL premiership player, Jack Whitlock said O’Sullivan’s talent was “through the roof”, Langford added he was an “amazing player”, and Lalor opined that he had the “highest ceiling” of any prospective draftee.
“He hasn’t been at his best this year [because of injuries], but when he’s on, he’s the best player,” Lalor said.
O’Sullivan, whose father Nick was on North Melbourne’s list but did not play a senior game, grew up in a football family, with his brothers Paddy and Jack good enough to do VFL pre-seasons and play in a senior flag at Koroit. Jack also won a flag in the Darwin league with Waratah.
That support network and O’Sullivan’s easygoing nature helped him deal with the expectation that every aspiring footballer experiences in their draft year, while he even found positives from being on the sidelines.
Former Carlton and Geelong assistant coach Dale Amos is Xavier College’s head of football, and was critical in helping O’Sullivan still be productive and not too frustrated while injured.
“He’s been huge for me,” O’Sullivan said.
“I could have let those injuries get the better of me and kind of curl up in a shell, but he said it’s also a great opportunity for me to discover another side of me, which was to prove my leadership.
“I was lucky enough to be co-captain, and he gave me some [tasks] that he thought would work for me. I engaged with other players and did things I would not have been able to if I wasn’t injured, so that’s been great.”
As for where O’Sullivan ends up, we will have to wait until Wednesday night.
