The AFL Draft is fast approaching, set to take place at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday, 20 November—now less than two weeks away. For Werribee, it presents the opportunity to potentially see another player make the step up, with one player invited to the State Draft Combine and three more nominating for the draft.

Werribee has built a reputation as a club where talent is developed and recognised, with several recent names making the leap to AFL lists. Just within the last 12 months, Werribee products Shaun Mannagh and Sam Clohesy were drafted, and both have already made their mark in the AFL.

After winning the Norm Goss Medal with a 27-disposal and six-goal performance in the 2023 VFL Grand Final, Mannagh was selected by Geelong as a 26-year-old with pick 36 in the national draft. After four seasons plying his trade at Werribee, where he earned two selections in the VFL Team of the Year, he surprised no one when he displayed his talent on the big stage—kicking three goals in an AFL qualifying final as Geelong defeated Port Adelaide this year.

Mannagh finished the year with 12 AFL games, booted 15 goals, and his average of 13.3 AFL Player Ratings points across the entire year ranked him No.2 among all forwards across the competition.

Sam Clohesy was drafted to the Gold Coast Suns after winning the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal, becoming Werribee’s fourth player to win the medal and subsequently get drafted into the AFL since 2009.

Clohesy joined Werribee ahead of the 2022 season and, after five games in his debut year, played every match in a breakout season in 2023. His standout finals series, including a 22-disposal, seven-mark performance against Gold Coast in the Grand Final, impressed the Suns enough to select him in the rookie draft.

He made his AFL debut for the Suns in Round 5 and wasted no time making an impact. Clohesy collected 22 disposals and kicked a goal in his first game, securing his spot on the wing for the rest of the season. He played 20 games and was named in the AFLPA 22under22 squad.

Three-time AFL premiership coach Damian Hardwick had high praise for Werribee’s system after Clohesy’s impressive start to his AFL career, “He’s been well coached at the lower levels, obviously at Werribee.”

Gold Coast’s reigning best-and-fairest Sam Collins was one of two Werribee players to join the Suns in 2018. Collins arrived at Werribee for the 2018 VFL season and starred in his campaign with the club, winning the best-and-fairest and earning a spot in the VFL Team of the Year, which led to his selection on the Suns' list for 2019.

Joining Gold Coast at 24, Collins has since credited his time at Werribee with shaping him as a player and person, saying, “I think I’m a much better person and player for it and wouldn’t have had it any other way.” In this second AFL stint after his time with Werribee, Collins has established himself as one of the Suns' key players, becoming the fourth player in club history to win multiple best-and-fairest awards, and was recently named in the All-Australian 40-man squad.

Josh Corbett, who also joined the Suns in 2018, signed with Werribee in 2016 after playing for North Warrnambool. After two years of development, a breakout third season saw him win the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal, kicking 22 goals with an average of 2.4 per game and taking eight marks per game to earn a spot on an AFL list for 2019.

Jake Riccardi became the second player from Werribee in as many years to win the ‘Fothergill’. After missing out on the AFL draft, Riccardi joined Werribee in his first season out of the TAC Cup, under coach Mark ‘Choco’ Williams, who recognised his talent and pinpointed key areas for improvement. “He embraced the challenges that were set in front of him. He was always the first out on the track [doing extras],” Williams said.

Riccardi showcased his goalkicking ability early, booting seven goals in his first three games, and finished the season with 38 goals from 20 games, earning Werribee’s leading goalkicker award and a spot in the Team of the Year.

His standout season earned him a spot at GWS with pick 51 in the national draft. Continuing the theme of Werribee’s mature-age draftees making an immediate impact, AFL legend Jonathan Brown was quick to compare him to some of the game’s greats, saying, “This bloke looks like Wayne Carey in his second game ... or Matthew Pavlich or Nick Riewoldt, roll them all together”.

Also making an immediate impact was Fremantle midfielder Michael Barlow, who, after two standout seasons at Werribee, where he won the Fothergill-Round Medal, was drafted to Fremantle ahead of the 2010 season.

He made a memorable start to his AFL career, collecting 33 disposals and kicking two goals on debut – the most possessions ever recorded by a player on debut since Champion Data began tracking statistics. Despite missing eight home-and-away games due to a broken leg, Barlow continued his impressive form, winning the AFL Players Association Best First Year Player Award in 2010.

Barlow went on to play over 100 AFL games and was named in Fremantle’s ‘25 since ‘95 Team’, cementing his place as one of the club’s greats.

Current North Melbourne stars, All-Australian squad member Tristan Xerri and captain Luke McDonald, both spent time with Werribee to bolster their chances of making it onto an AFL list in their draft years. They trained with the squad throughout the year and made appearances as the 23rd man.

Xerri particularly credits Werribee for shaping his career: “They’ve been great looking after me and giving me the opportunity last year,” he said. “It gave me confidence being able to perform at VFL level and showed the recruiters what I can do. It’s maybe what got me over the line, so that was great.”

Other players who have gone on to have successful AFL careers after being drafted from Werribee include retired veterans Ben Brown, James Podsiadly, Dale Morris, and Kyle Hartigan.

Ben Brown, who grew up in Tasmania, regularly praises Werribee recruiter Mark Stone as one of the main reasons he made it to the big stage. In a recent post-retirement interview, Brown said, “I made the move across and the rest is history. I’ve definitely got Mark Stone to thank for putting in that time and eventually getting me across.” Brown went on to have a ten-year AFL career and retired with over 350 goals, four leading goalkicker awards, and an AFL premiership.

Podsiadly, one of Werribee's all-time greats, earned his place on an AFL list after six seasons and over 100 games for the club, where he claimed both the J.J. Liston Trophy and the Frosty Miller Medal. Geelong drafted him with pick 50 in the 2010 rookie draft at the age of 28. He wasted no time showing his ability at AFL level, polling 13 Brownlow votes in his debut season. The forward went on to play over 100 games and win a leading goalkicker award in a premiership year with the Cats in a six-year AFL career.

Dale Morris refused to give up on his AFL dream, and after four seasons with Werribee, was picked up by the Bulldogs in the 2004 rookie draft. The defender went on to play 250 games, win an AFL premiership, and earn selection as an All-Australian, owing much of his AFL career to his time at Werribee. Reflecting on his journey, Morris has said, “The good thing about playing for Werribee was that I was able to line up on AFL-listed players and perfect my craft - I really built my confidence and belief from there, knowing that if I got a shot, I would be ready.”

Kyle Hartigan opted for Werribee over other VFL clubs after missing out on the draft, drawn to the club's strong track record of helping mature-aged players break into the AFL. His decision paid off, as he went on to play over 130 games across Adelaide and Hawthorn.

As Hartigan returned to Werribee to coach this season, he said “Guys getting drafted, people look around and go, ‘how about all these guys getting drafted or rookied or get an opportunity in the AFL from Werribee, that’s the club I want to go to’

“That just makes people want to come to the footy club and it makes it a lot easier if you have guys that want to come there. It makes success a lot easier.