AFL mid-season draft: Clubs eye Will Elliott of the Northern Bullants

Talls Brandon Ryan and Finnbar Maley were drafted from the Northern Bullants last year. Now a son of a former Test cricketer is grabbing the attention of AFL recruiters.

Paul Amy

@paulamy375

3 min read

May 7, 2024 - 6:00AM

Will Elliott, 19 and the son of Test cricketer Matthew, is emerging as one of the VFL’s mid-season draft hopes. Picture: Rob Lawson/AFL Photos

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Former Test match cricketer Matthew Elliott did not see the spectacular mark his son Will took for the Northern Bullants in the VFL last Saturday.

He was too busy making hamburgers at the barbecue stand at the Cramer St ground.

But he was quickly told about it and someone whipped out a phone and showed him the replay of Will soaring in the goalsquare.

He liked what he saw.

As Elliott Snr turned the sausages, Will, 202cm, finished off the grab by kicking a snag.

He finished the match against Port Melbourne with eight marks, 15 possessions and 11 hit-outs – and, presumably, the interest of AFL recruiters ahead of the mid-season draft.

The scouts know there’s always something big brewing at Preston.

Two other tall Ants have made the VFL-to-AFL jump in the past 12 months, with Brisbane’s Brandon Ryan taken by Hawthorn in the 2023 mid-season draft and Finnbar Maley rookie-listed by North Melbourne last November.

Nineteen-year-old Elliott has been a source of optimism this season for the Bullants, who have yet to win a game but are fighting to be competitive under first-year coach Rohan “Woosher’’ Welsh.

As the game against Port slipped away in the last quarter, Welsh could be heard from the coaches’ box pleading with the bench to “get Elliott back on right now!’’

Will Elliott of the Bullants gets away a handball against Port Melbourne at the Cramer St ground. Picture: Rob Lawson/AFL Photos

Elliott has missed a lot of football in previous seasons, but he’s finding continuity and enjoyment at Cramer St.

“He’s loving it,’’ Matthew Elliott said of his son. “He’s stringing some games together. He’s five games into playing VFL footy.’’

A junior football connection kicked in to help the Bullants land the forward/ruckman.

Grant King, who does some recruiting for the Ants, coached Elliott’s brother Samuel at Kew Rovers.

As Elliott came off the Oakleigh Chargers’ list at the end of last season, King made contact and Welsh followed up with a visit to the family home.

“Went there at six o’clock on a Friday night,’’ Welsh said.

“I thought, ‘I should be in the pub having a beer’. At least Matty brought a couple of cold Coronas out.’’

Matthew Elliott said Welsh’s call was appreciated.

“Someone showed him a bit of love, and he loves ‘Woosh’, thinks the world of him, and I think going to the Bullants has been a big thing for him,’’ he said.

“The senior players have embraced him a bit as well. And he gets opportunity. He gets a chance to play each week.’’

Bullants coach “Woosher’’ Welsh has a high opinion of Will Elliott. Picture: Getty Images

Welsh believes AFL clubs should be looking at his young charge.

He said Elliott’s skills and athleticism were exceptional.

“It’s very rare that you see a kid who’s that big be so fluent,’’ he said.

“As soon as I saw him kick and mark and run, I thought, ‘Geez, this kid’s good’.

“He was captain of Oakleigh (Chargers), which is why I was pretty heavy in trying to get him. They don’t make you captain of a TAC Cup team (now Coates Talent League) unless you’re a pretty good character for a start.’’

Elliott, who attended Camberwell High, joined the Chargers in their Under 16 program.

But Covid impeded his progress: he played no football in 2020 and a handful of games in the-then NAB League in 2021.

The Chargers named him captain in 2022 but he missed most of the season with a knee injury.

Last season he split his time as an over-ager with the Chargers and local club Norwood. He was also listed with the Box Hill Hawks, but played no played no matches.

Bullants GM Darren Bassett calls Elliott a “competitive beast’’ and “just so coachable’’.

“He’s got that agility and also the flexibility to play forward and also go into the ruck,’’ he said.

Matthew Elliott working the barbecue at Cramer St.

“His ruck craft is only beginning but his forward craft is pretty special. He’s going to be a very good footballer.

“Ripping kid too. The sort of kid who after Thursday night dinners he’s got the spray out wiping the tables. That tells you something.’’

As a parent, Matthew Elliott is enjoying his involvement with the Bullants, who in 2020 declared they would have to fold after Carlton walked away from their VFL alignment.