GUN SA JUNIOR TIPPED TO BE DRAFT DUX

OPPOSITION recruiters are tipping North Melbourne to make South Adelaide’s Jason Horne-francis the dux of this year’s AFL draft class next month.

The 2021 draft is one of the most fascinating in years, given two of the other top three prospects – Nick Daicos and Sam Darcy – are linked to Collingwood and Western Bulldogs, respectively, as father-son picks.

Only two of the 11 AFL recruiters the Herald Sun spoke to said they would place a bid on Daicos and/or Darcy at No. 1, both talent scouts rating Daicos the best player in it.

But most believed HorneFrancis’ blistering form throughout the SANFL finals, particularly his 24-disposal, three-goal, 11-clearance preliminary final effort, had shot him to the top.

Others struggled to split Horne-francis and Daicos, including one who said not being able to watch the latter at the national championships or in an equivalent senior competition went against him.

The feeling was Daicos was capable of similar performances if he had played in the SANFL.

Horne-francis told the Herald Sun this week he had set himself the challenge of being the first picked.