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Sport Nation
Choco: The four attributes scouts value most in AFL prospects
SEN • October 21st, 2025 7:30 pm
Mark ‘Choco’ Williams has revealed the four key attributes scouts look out for in potential draft prospects.
Choco, who coached Port Adelaide to a premiership in 2004 and worked as the Head of Development at multiple AFL clubs, has a superb reputation for his ability to work with young AFL stars, most notably aiding the growth of Richmond star Dustin Martin during his time with the Tigers.
With as good a resume as any within the development sector, Williams stated that there are four key areas that scouts, and AFL sides keep a close watch on in the lead up to an AFL Draft.
While the four rather simple attributes may seem straightforward, Choco explains that you simply cannot be ‘average’ at any of these four categories, and a young player coming through the ranks must have an exceptional ability to carry out each of the four to qualify as a true AFL prospect.
“I’ve always said that these are the four things that get you drafted,” Williams told SEN Breakfast.
See Choco’s key attributes below:
Contest work
“You have to be elite at one-on one. You have to be able to beat someone, you have to know how to win at contest. That’s one.”
Kicking
“You have to be a great kick, so you have to keep working on that.”
Running
“You have to be an elite runner. Whether it is distance, speed or both, you can’t be average anymore - you just won’t get a go.
“That means getting up early and going for a run. Don’t be too precise about it, just get out and do it, and do it, and do it. You’ll really improve.”
Footy smarts
“The last one, you need to be smart as a footballer. You need to be able to read the game, you need to be able to understand the game plan, and you need to be making good decisions all the time.
“A great coach will put people in those positions so that they get the opportunity to practice their decision making at training.
“Practice a lot of times, because in a game, it’s so fluid and so unpredictable that you have to be able to read what’s going on and you have to be able to react to it very quickly. The best players can do it.”
The 2025 AFL Draft is fast approaching, with the first round set for November 19.
