AFL season 2018: Predicting how the Peel region's AFL talent will go this football season

Fresh out of the national draft’s top 10, Aaron Naughton will line-up for his rookie season with the Western Bulldogs, Kamdyn McIntosh will help Richmond strive for back-to-back flags and Nathan Wilson will don a purple jersey after crossing to Fremantle from Greater Western Sydney.

Below, we take a look at how each Peel region AFL player looks heading into the 2018 campaign.

Injury interrupted Wells’ first season with the Magpies in 2017, but there was no denying the high-profile recruit’s talent when he was able to get on the field. Particularly in round 19 when he amassed 34 disposals and three goals to lead the charge as the bottom eight Magpies drew with first-placed Crows. Fitness remains his only question, not talent. By now the AFL world is well aware of what this Kwinana boy can do to a game. Word out of Collingwood is that the veteran is itching to show he still has plenty to offer senior footy. If the black and white get a full(ish) season out of Wells, it will vastly improve their hopes of cracking into the top eight.

This coming year looms as one of reckoning for one of Peel Thunder’s favourite sons. Fremantle is moving in a new direction, one focused entirely on youth and what they can get out of their fresh faces. The Dockers are also aware that they were the second worst scoring team (behind only Carlton) in 2017, and will look to continue revamping its forward line. Add to those woes that Fremantle actively and successfully pursued forward Brandon Matera in the trade period and the writing could already be on the wall for Ballantyne. If he can recapture the form that saw him named in the 2014 All-Australian side he’s a shoe-in to have a regular spot in the best 22, but if not, he could find himself lining up on the wing named after him at Peel Thunder’s Bendigo Bank Stadium quite often in 2018.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re aware that Harley Bennell’s off-field dramas have once again hindered his pre-season. Following an incident at a nightclub in early January, the star midfielder is now training with Peel Thunder and won’t have his banishment from the Dockers’ main group lifted until mid-March, meaning he won’t play any pre-season games. It considerably hurts his chances to cement a claim in the round one side, given Fremantle’s wealth of midfielders and small forwards coming through the ranks. But putting the outside headaches aside for a second, the AFL world still knows Bennell at his best is a complete and total game changer. Scoring, finding the footy, dashing through the lines – he’s got it all in his arsenal. But it’s hard to see the former No.2 draft pick cracking into Fremantle’s side (at least in the early rounds) and if the team is getting good contributions from its new draftees it would be a mistake to sit one of them on the sideline for Bennell’s return.

For mine, Wilson will easily be the most exciting and interesting player on this list to follow through the season. A potential recruit of the year candidate, the Mandurah product’s booming boot and tenacious attitude could take the Dockers’ backline, and indeed their entire team, to new heights in 2018. He’s the cherry on the cake of an off-season that provided Fremantle with names like Matera, Andrew Brayshaw and Adam Cerra, and could have the same impact Brad Hill had on the team in his first year in purple (which saw him win a best and fairest). Not only does he bring finals experience (two straight preliminary finals with GWS) and a terrific skill set, Wilson also appears the perfect fit for his new team. All of a sudden the Dockers’ back six looks viable with Wilson lining up next to Joel Hamling, Luke Ryan and Lee Spurr.

Only appeared in four games for the Cats last year following a trade away from North Melbourne, and failed to impress much. The mobile forward was constantly overlooked at the selection table, despite a solid string of games in the VFL and Geelong’s need for a forward to support star Tom Hawkins. Black enjoyed a breakout year at North Melbourne in 2014, and has been awarded contracts ever since in the hopes that he might resurrect the form that saw him jag 26 goals. But with only a year left to run on his current contract, the former Roo is going to need the stars to align in 2018 if he wants to continue playing in the AFL.

Entering his third year in the big league, the second-round draft choice will be looking for more opportunities to show he has what it takes this coming season. Schoenfeld has tread water in his first two years, appearing in eight games for the Suns and impressing in a few of them, particularly his debut in 2016 against Fremantle. The running defender is well known for his elite athleticism, and he’s shown some strong composure when finding the footy, but needs to find more of it. It’s hard to pinpoint how Schoenfeld will make his mark in 2018, given the Suns could opt to play names like Will Brodie, Jack Bowes, Jack Scrimshaw and Will Powell ahead of him. But if he Schoenfeld can find a regular spot in the Gold Coast 22, he could be on of the surprise package’s of the season.

It’s funny how things can change so quickly in footy. One day, you’re own fans are calling for you to be dropped from the side, the next, you’re helping them break a 37-year drought and embracing with them as a premiership player. The dream came true for McIntosh in 2017, but if anything the season should be a stark reminder that he will need to keep grinding, otherwise he could be on the other side of the ledger and find himself out of the team should his footy fall below the Tigers’ now premiership standard. If he can nail down his spot, there’s nothing to say he won’t be lifting that cup once again in September. 

Peel Thunder’s freshest draftee, and one of their most exciting ever prospects, Naughton starts his AFL career with the hopes of helping the Bulldogs return to finals in 2018. Taken with the ninth overall selection in the 2017 draft, Naughton is the epitome of the modern defender. He’s tall, he’s agile, he’s got a great pair of hands and don’t be fooled by his gregarious nature, because he is a competitive beast. Bulldogs fans haven’t been this excited to watch a rookie since the club drafted Marcus Bontempelli with the fourth pick in 2013, and it’s likely they will get to see Rockingham junior in action early following the departures of Bob Murphy and Matthew Boyd from the side’s half back line. There’s a real chance that if Naughton gets enough game time he can make a case for the league’s rising star award.