MINDS will turn quickly to next week's NAB AFL Pre-Season and Rookie Drafts.

 

With the bringing forward of the drafts, there is less time to wait and see for the players who missed out at Thursday night's national intake.

 

Here's some names who will be in contention next Wednesday morning.

 

Eli Templeton: The Tasmanian midfielder was unlucky to miss out but runs well, kicks well and had a good season. Has some AFL qualities.

 

James Battersby: A half-back flanker who had a great under-18 championships for South Australia. Collects possessions, is solid with the ball and has a mature frame.

 

Darcy Hourigan: Won All Australian honours after a standout NAB AFL Under-18 Championships campaign as a key forward, kicking 16 goals. Big and strong.

 

Kayne Turner: Linked to North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs in the lead-up to the draft, the young hard-at-it midfielder remains a chance to be selected next week.

 

Blaine Johnson: Thumping right-footer who presents hard at the ball and sticks marks. Kicked 11 goals for Western Australia at the under-18 championships.

 

Fraser Fort: A tall defender who made some progress at the end of the season. Can also shift forward and kicked 14 goals at TAC Cup level. Is competitive and stands 196cm, a good size for a developing player.

 

Darcy Cameron: The ruckman was seen as a chance to get selected at the national draft but missed out. His best chance is as a rookie, with clubs more likely to take one in that spot and let them develop.

 

Matthew Sully: Mature-ager who improved in the VFL this year for Geelong. At 20 clubs know what they're getting and have seen his development in 2013. Powerful key defender.