AFL Academy teenager Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves looms as the region’s most likely draft prospect just days out from the annual November intake.
The Dandenong Stingrays co-captain has forged a reputation as his draft class’ most clutch performer, regularly kicking match-winning goals.
“I love the adrenaline it gives,” Hibbins-Hargreaves said of his clutch moments.
“I have an inner confidence as well, so it comes with taking responsibility – I like having the ball at that stage of the game.
“It’s what you dream of as a kid; you think about kicking the winning goal so doing it in games brings back good memories.
“It’s the footy high.
“I have presence in the last quarter where I feel like I can hurt my defender and they might get a bit scared.
“I think the confidence comes from putting the work in.
“I put myself in a lot of fatigue and high pressure situations at training so at the end of training when you’re doing set shots, that comes into play, it’s like the end of a game, you’re really fatigued but still need to be able to hit long shots where everything stays consistent.”
Fremantle, Essendon, Hawthorn and West Coast are understood to be the clubs most interested in his services, and he’s viewed as a player who will be taken either late in the first round or early in the second round.
Amid the explosion of AFL player movement in recent years, Hibbins-Hargreaves hopes to be a one-club player and would be well set up to succeed if he went west given his stepdad, Mark Haynes, is a former WAFL player who lined up alongside the likes of Matt Priddis.
“I’m going to have to learn to cook and clean a little bit more but I would embrace the opportunity,” Hibbins-Hargreaves said.
“I see it as an opportunity rather than someone taking me away from home, it would be a really good experience and wherever I go, I think it’s meant to be.
“I don’t want to be a hop around person either, I want to be true to one club if I can do that.”
Haynes spent a year on Hawthorn’s rookie list but never broke through for a debut at the top level, with his experience on the precipice rubbing off on Hibbins-Hargreaves.
A star junior, the flashy half forward/winger was coached by Haynes, who he calls Dad, for several years.
Haynes used his experience to round off Hibbins-Hargreaves’ game, which has allowed him to perform well at talent pathway level across the last three years.
“He was able to use his experiences to steer me away from certain things so it’s been important for me to have that experience in my life,” Hibbins-Hargreaves said.
“If I didn’t I would just be going through the motions and would not have gotten to where I am today and that will be stressed on draft night as well.
“I’ve still got a lot more to learn off field but the learning was around the sacrifices you have to make with your mates; even thinking about the amount of friends you have and let in your life.
“I have a close circle so I have sacrificed outside noise which has benefited me.”
A Mornington local, Hibbins-Hargreaves connection to the town runs deeper than the footy club.
Several times throughout the interview, Hibbins-Hargreaves stresses the importance of his roots, and he relished the opportunity to play a pair of senior games for Mornington in 2024.
“It was fun pulling on the Mornington colours in seniors because community and family is really important to me so playing in front of a community that really supports me was great,” Hibbins-Hargreaves said.
“Mornington’s a good place to be.
“I’ve been on Main Street so many times so there are a lot of memories I hold here, my grandparents on both the Haynes and Hibbins side are here as well and everyone knows everyone here so it’s really good.”
Given his performances in those games, he was keen to advertise to AFL recruiters that he could perform well against senior bodies this year, but injury denied him the chance to perform on both occasions.
A shoulder injury in Round 2 kept him out of a pair of AFL Academy games against VFL opponents and he was then set for a cameo appearance for Richmond’s VFL side before a concussion the previous week put paid to those plans.
At his best, Hibbins-Hargreaves’ talent is as good as anyone’s in the draft pool.
As well as his instinct and match winning ability, he can take a big grab, moves well and is an excellent decision maker.
Some industry sources have questioned Hibbins-Hargreaves consistency, but the teenager rebuffs those concerns.
“I sort of don’t understand it and I definitely don’t see it as an issue,” Hibbins-Hargreaves said of his perceived inconsistency.
“There has been reasons for my little setbacks and inconsistencies and I don’t listen to the outside noise of people saying that – I listen to my coaches and what they are saying and when they think I’m ready to be back.
“With my body type on a (small) oval like Shepley, I might be on a bigger body and the ball gets put on my head.
“There’s no excuses there, it definitely comes with me having to work it out a bit more, take initiative and work a player off their feet or use my strengths but I don’t see inconsistency as an issue.
“Before the injuries I’ve always been a consistent player and it’s something I take pride in.”
A four goal, 18 disposal game for Vic Country against Western Australia was the most compelling showcase of what Hibbins-Hargreaves can do with continuity on an AFL-sized ground.
A 29-disposal, five-goal game for Dandenong soon thereafter was equally eye-catching and one of the strongest individual performances in the talent pathway this year, with that outing also showing his versatility.
“If a club drafts me, they’re getting someone who will put in work and will be privileged, not complacent,” Hibbins-Hargreaves said.
“They’re getting a versatile player – I can play halfback, wing, forward line and can develop into a midfield later.
“I think I’m a very dynamic hard matchup forward so that would be my number one and I like playing wing as well because it allows me to get the ball off halfback and hit forwards.”
