Coates Talent League coach names his clear No.1 pick in the 2024 AFL Draft

Sandringham Dragons coach Rob Harding is certain that Brisbane father-son prospect Levi Ashcroft is the best player in the 2024 AFL Draft pool.

Levi, who is the younger brother of 2024 Norm Smith Medallist Will Ashcroft, has been a dominant player for the Dragons across multiple seasons having won three premierships at the level - something that hasn’t been done before.

The classy midfielder is ranked at No.1 in draft guru Cal Twomey’s Phantom Form Guide on AFL.com.au and his Dragons coach Harding couldn’t agree more that he’s the best player in his age group across the entire country.

“Levi Ashcroft is undoubtedly pick one in this draft,” Harding told SEN Afternoons.

“He's the best player in the draft and he's proven that over three years at Coates League level.

“He’s the only player to win three consecutive premierships in the under-18s, the first one he won when he was 15 years old when he played in an under-18 Grand Final and played well. 

“His last two years have been exceptional.”

In the 2024 Coates Talent League Grand Final, Ashcroft helped himself to three goals and 29 disposals, which was one of three flags he won last season having also won the big prize with Vic Metro and Brighton Grammar in his draft year.

As a result of those big performances and his body of work, Harding is convinced that Richmond should put a bid on Ashcroft at Pick 1 even though he’ll end up joining Brisbane once the bid is matched on draft night.

“I think it's a really interesting conversation around the bidding process and what should happen when you've got a player like Levi who's clearly pick one and what Richmond should do,” Harding said.

“I think the onus is on Richmond to bid on him, and I hope they do. 

“Levi deserves that recognition of being the number one player in the draft and other clubs have to hold clubs accountable for having these top-end picks, whether they're Academy or father-son.

“We saw Adelaide do that with Jamarra Ugle-Hagan a few years ago, and I thought that was really good from the Crows to do the right thing and bid on the player that they saw was the best player in the draft, and I certainly hope Richmond do the same with Levi this year.”

In previous years, father-son prospects that have been considered the best players in their draft year - including Levi’s older brother Will and Collingwood’s Nick Daicos - were taken later than Pick 1 as teams opted to select players that wouldn’t be acquired by another club once their bid was matched.

Despite this, Harding thinks that being taken at Pick 1 would be apt acknowledgment for everything Ashcroft has achieved in his draft campaign.

“It does, and I think for Levi and in Nick's case as well, it's recognition for all the hard work that they've put in to get themselves to that stage,” Harding said.

“They don't just grow up with the surname and magically end up being pick one, they work really hard at this and they develop their game, they do all the work, they do all the extras. 

“I think for players like Levi and Nick, who are clearly the best player in their pool, they deserve that recognition by being pick one.”

The first round of the 2025 AFL Draft will take place on November 20 at Marvel Stadium.