IT TOOK contributions from every player for Vic Metro to win the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.

But here's some things you might not know about 10 Metro players who appear to have exciting football futures ahead of them.

Jack Billings (Oakleigh Chargers, half-forward)
Billings takes his football seriously, but is a seriously good prospect. He goes to coaches looking for feedback, asks lots of questions and makes sure he knows exactly what he needs to do all the time. He's also meticulous: before the Western Australia game, Billings was on the ground stretching for minutes after the rest of his teammates left the room, working on every muscle to make sure he was able to perform at his best. He wants to be good and will do everything to get there, but isn't eligible to be drafted until next year.

Joe Daniher (Calder Cannons, key forward/ruck)
Having known for a while where his footy will take him, Daniher didn't need to approach the championships like he did. He was at every training session, and even when he wasn't playing he filled a role, compiling statistics or sometimes pulling aside a fellow forward and giving him some tips. It was clear he cared about his teammates. When the Metro team was forced to run five laps of Visy Park, Daniher was one player who waited for ruckman Sam Gilmore at the back of the bunch, helping him to the finish line. After missing a lot of footy Daniher just wants to play, and Essendon will benefit from him.

Matthew Haynes (Northern Knights, defender/wingman)
Haynes is a talker. He talks at the back of the bus, he talks to teammates, he talks to the trainers, he talks to the staff. And it's an endearing trait. Leadership comes naturally to him and teammates warm to that. Later in the carnival at a training session, the players were forced to take all the gear to an outside oval. Midfielder Jack Viney was carrying a bucket of drink bottles by himself. Haynes noticed and offered to help share the load. Only a small gesture, but one that highlights the promising half-back flanker's mindset.

Nathan Hrovat (Northern Knights, midfielder)
Hrovat was a member of Metro's six-man leadership group, and he took to the role perfectly. The midfielder was not only Metro's best player throughout the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, he was also its most vibrant. When Metro stayed overnight at Vibe Hotel before or after games, Hrovat's room became the place to be, with PlayStation battles popular among teammates. It came naturally for Hrovat to give the team some life, and his personality will suit whichever AFL club drafts him. 

Kristian Jaksch (Oakleigh Chargers, key forward)
There are few key position players in this year's NAB AFL Draft, but Jaksch is one. He has shown he can play as a forward or defender, and is usually a good kick for goal when he gets his chance. Jaksch backs himself off the field, too. At the AFL's education session, the presenter asked for a response from a Vic Metro player regarding a couple of issues. Both times Jaksch was the Metro player to speak up not only in front of his teammates, but three other teams who were in the room.

Josh Kelly (Sandringham Dragons, midfielder)?
The 17-year-old has a left-foot kick that itself could take Kelly a long way, but he has a lot of other strengths too. One is that he works really hard. In one drill, Kelly had three attempts at finding the right pass from half-forward. He finally hit his preferred target with the third go, but he never got frustrated at the first two, understanding he had to be patient and get it right. Kelly is eligible for the mini-draft, but not this year's national draft.

Jackson Macrae (Oakleigh Chargers, midfielder)
Enjoyed a really good championships without some of the fanfare of others, but that suits Macrae. He's understated and gets the job done, but does have a fierce competitive streak inside. Against Tasmania he booted six goals, and admitted he would have liked one more to beat the return of fellow forward and Carey Grammar student, Jaksch, who also booted six goals that day.

Luke McDonald (Oakleigh Chargers, defender)
North Melbourne will pick up a quality player and person if, as expected, it commits to McDonald under the father-son rule. McDonald understands footy, but has also got his head around finding a balance. Often the 17-year-old will be smirking in a team meeting, about to burst into laughter, before making a really accurate point about team structure of a game plan. Is co-captain of his school team (Trinity Grammar) and an All Australian this year, but manages the acclaim and doesn't get carried away by it. 

Jonathan O'Rourke (Calder Cannons, midfielder)
The night before Metro's clash with WA, O'Rourke sat with midfield coach Cain Liddle, studying vision from his game against Vic Country the previous week. Against Country the smart midfielder had 17 disposals and was one of Metro's best, but he was still keen to get better. O'Rourke is a pedigree prospect having gone through two years at the AIS-AFL Academy and his ability to work into games and think through situations will appeal to clubs.

Jack Viney (Oakleigh Chargers, midfielder)
A broken jaw in the VFL meant Viney missed most of the championships, but he rejoined the team at the back end of the carnival and made an immediate impact. His presence seemed to lift standards among his peers, perhaps because they knew he was going to go hard at every contest and that the same would be expected of them. In the final game Viney had an opponent doing a 'run-with' role on him, but he was able to pick up 18 disposals.

Nick Vlastuin (Northern Knights, defender)
Was voted the Metro captain and he grew into the role. Vlastuin doesn't say a lot, but his teammates came to love him as a leader. That was evident against South Australia, when he made a courageous spoil and was knocked to the ground. The ball spilt to another contest where there was a stoppage, leading to five Metro teammates running back to Vlastuin to help pick him off the ground.

Callum Twomey is a reporter for the AFL website. Follow him on Twiter at @AFL_CalTwomey.