AFL draft 2023: ‘Frightening’ Claremont swingman firming as Western Australia’s top prospect this year

An imposing key-position Claremont talent is shaping up as the early favourite to be the State’s top draft pick for this year, with the young gun ready to prove himself after injury derailed his bottom-aged campaign.

Claremont and Scotch College’s Daniel Curtin was barely sighted last season due to a nasty finger tendon injury, but finished the year with a best-afield performance in the annual AFL grand final curtain-raiser at the MCG to put his name in lights as a potential top-10 pick.

Curtin, a 196cm, 91kg talent with strong hands, a reliable kick and excellent ability to read the play, has been mainly used as a key defender so far.

But WA Football Commission State talent manager Adam Jones hinted the potentially “frightening” prospect could play a major role at the other end of the ground at the national under-18s carnival.

“Dan Curtin was best on ground on grand final day in the AFL futures game as a key defender off limited preparation,” Jones told The West Australian’s Hard Ball Gets podcast.

“He’d been out most of the year with a ruptured tendon in his finger and he looks a very exciting prospect.

“We’re probably going to look to develop him forward and if that doesn’t work out, we can always send him back.

“He’s a big boy and he hasn’t done a great deal in the gym just yet so his size is natural and once he gets the strength to go with his size, he’s frightening.”

Curtin, who was named in the elite AFL Academy program for the second year in a row, said it had been a tough year being sidelined for so long with an injury that dragged on more than expected.

But he declared he’s “ready to go” for a big 2023.

“It was a tough year with the finger injury, not being able to play a lot of footy, at first I thought it was only going to be a six-to-eight-week injury but it ended up being four months,” Curtin said after his Academy selection in November.

“But to get those last couple of games of colts in and then the last game on grand final day was good.

“It feels like I just got started towards the end but I’m ready to go for 2023 and excited.”

Claremont talent manager Jordan Smith was excited to see how Curtin, who has already spent time training with the club’s seniors, progresses with a massive pre-season under his belt.

The Tigers also have plans to give him a run as a marking target in attack.

“The exciting thing about Dan is that given his run of injuries, he’s still yet to play much WAFL footy,” Smith said.

“You can’t help but think that once he gets continuity playing at the level, he’s only going to get better. We’re really excited to see how he develops.”

Peel Thunder colts premiership tall Mitch Edwards is another early contender to be the first West Aussie called out in the national draft after a stunning bottom-aged campaign.

The 205cm giant led the State 18s ruck brigade ahead of older Thunder teammate Jackson Broadbent in a sign of how highly he’s rated.

He’s part of Fremantle’s Next Generation Academy but there’s very little chance he will fall outside of the top-40 protected zone in a massive blow for the club’s chances of picking him up.

“He’s Freo NGA but that’s not going to matter at all,” Jones said.

“He’s just such a good kid. He was quite quiet being in the program last year but has really come out of his shell and sees the opportunity he’s got in front of him.

“Fitness is a key area for him to get better at so he’s working his backside off and probably overdoing it, we’ve had discussions with our strength-and-conditioning about pulling him back... so he’s a great one.”

The third one who really burst onto the scene last year is Subiaco utility Koltyn Tholstrup, a character from Esperance who’s likely to push for an early senior debut in the WAFL this year.

“He’s got the potential for a cult hero status wherever he ends up,” Jones said.

“He’s an Esperance boy but he’s been boarding at Cunderdin Ag School and he’s just country through and through.

“He’s a real extrovert and has got a great sense of humour but has that ability to focus on his footy and is a very good prospect for next season.”

Swan Districts running machine Riley Hardeman, who won a colts flag as a 15-year-old, is WA’s fourth AFL Academy member alongside Curtin, Edwards and Tholstrup and is also a strong first-round contender.

Edwards leads a strong Thunder contingent on the list including son of a gun Clay Hall, whose father Derek is a former West Coast and Geelong forward.

The Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault product starred in the midfield in the colts decider, racking up 23 possessions in the thrilling victory over West Perth to be in the mix for Mel Whinnen Medal best-afield honours.