BigFooty Official 2017 Official Big Footy Phantom Draft

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All we are go again this year with the Official Big Footy Phantom. Official kick off is not until Wednesday morning (hence tomorrow will be a slow day given the Melbourne Cup).

Live bidding for Father / Son and Academy players is on and I will readjust the order based on when the bids come in for the various players and obviously use the AFL Draft Index table to work out residual points / selections (if you do pls let me know via a PM that you have bid so I can recalculate and update).

If you are not going to be around please let either myself, Lemmingmaster or Chris25 know in advance via PM with your selection as we are usually around and can update. If we have to wait longer than 3 hours we will use Knightmare Board to find who is the highest rated player not taken and take that as your next selection.

Note have assumed all clubs take 40 on senior list (even though I know some won't) so we can get more picks out there. Exceptions are Carlton, Geelong, Port and Swans who at this stage need to take a rookie selection so will have to go with less on their primary list.

The participants are

Adelaide - Thunderstruck
Brisbane - Quigley
Carlton - LemmingMaster
Collingwood - Knightmare
Essendon - foj1
Fremantle - Chris25
Geelong - D_P_S
Gold Coast - Danger in Texas
GWS - good self
Hawthorn - Pie 4 Life
Melbourne - Hutchy Jnr
North melbourne - Ysaye
Port - LemmingMaster
Richmond - Bishop
Swans - ringo1
St Kilda - AFLprospectss
Western Bulldogs - Wizard17
WCE - Monocle

 

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National Draft

1 Brisbane Lions - Luke Davies-Uniacke

Pick 1 Brisbane - Luke Davies-Uniacke

Most years there is a stand-out one or two players who separate themselves from the rest and demand to be taken first or second. They do not always work out to be the best players but they do look like the prime blue chip prospects going into the draft. That is not the case this year. You are hearing the same 3 players (Rayner, Dow and LDU) being thrown up by most people but personally I don’t think any of these guys have done much to separate themselves from the other consensus top 10 picks. The first pick this year comes with a greater risk – reward paradigm than virtually any other year.

In the end I have gone with LDU whose ceiling might not be as high as the likes of Rayner but is someone whose floor is likely to be higher playing as an inside mid. That is not to say that LDU does not have the potential to be a truly elite player – he certainly does. Just the chances of him reaching those levels are less than most guys who have been taken at 1 in previous years and Rayner is the guy who has the best chance this year.

LDU is a big bodied inside / out mid who can win his own ball. He is powerful through the hips and has good balance over the ball. He does not play the bull at a gate style like Wines but is a powerful presence in the contest much in the way that Josh Kennedy from Sydney is. His hands are solid but not elite at this stage and he tends to shovel it out a bit much. When he takes the extra half second good things happen for him so I think with work he could become a very good inside player at the next level.

One of the big criticisms of him has been that he lacks hurt factor and there is some truth in that. As mentioned inside he can at times just get the ball out to the first target rather than the best target and when under pressure he tends to do similar and not lift his head. That is not to say he always takes bad options or that his skills are bad. In fact when he has time and space his skills are actually good as is his option taking. As mentioned above he is not always rushed inside and when he takes his time and rides the contact he regularly makes good things happen with his disposals. He just needs to develop consistency in what he does with the ball.

In fact, consistency was the other main criticism of him. In a lot of games this year he failed to have a consistent impact throughout games and faded in and out. This was especially evident when he was playing forward or other than in a true onball role. There has been talk of him being able to play forward and whilst he might pick up a goal or two at the next level through the use of his strength I would not rely on him being able to consistently impact in that role in the AFL. I do not see him as a natural forward and he is not a good lead and does not find himself in the right spot to crumb as often as I would like. He might rest forward and pick up a goal or two here and there but he is not a small forward. He does not find it easily up forward and will go missing too often.

This year I thought Vic Country were the team to beat coming into the Champs and all up were a massive disappointment. My top 2 coming into the year (Worpel and Clarke) showed little development from the year before and the very good supporting cast just did not stand up when it counted. Throwing the players around position-wise would not have helped but few VC players would have helped their draft prospects. One thing I did notice though was that when VC were doing well it was off the back of LDU dominating through the midfield. He had quiet patches and was played in other positions for long periods but when they were up and about it was almost always when LDU was dragging them along. It is this ability to take over a game and drag his team with him that is one of the big reasons I am taking him at number 1. He has an extra gear that is at a very high level and if he can get to that level more often then it will convert into wins for the team that takes him.

When you see LDU and the way he plays you expect him to be slow around the ground but this is not really the case. I think his pace and agility, whilst not elite by any means, are certainly reasonable and, at his size, can be deceptive and unexpected. Overall he covers the ground nicely and I do not have any athletic concerns in taking him.

Rayner is the big upside pick. Dusty has been thrown around as the comparison but personally I see a lot of GAJ in his game. He has a low centre of gravity and is powerful through the hips that allows him to keep his feet and get through a contest and tackles with good balance. He reads the contest exceptionally well and moves early to receive and as a consequence is in the right spot at the right time more than others on the ground. Skills are good but not great but he does take good options and so he has hurt factor. He will start up forward and will kick goals. Like GAJ though I think it will be a few years before he makes it in the midfield if he can at all. As has been widely reported he has very poor endurance numbers and at the moment he is an impact player only through the middle of the ground. Can he build his tank to a sufficient level to be a full time AFL midfielder? That is the $64,000,000 question (an allowance for inflation has been thrown in there). There is a very real risk that Rayner ends up being a career small forward like a LeCras who always looks good enough to run through the midfield but just not the capacity to carry it off.

Dow is the other option that I did consider here and he had a lot of the same strengths and weaknesses as LDU. He is a bit quicker and a potential marking option up forward but he looks like a career inside out player to me. Personally I prefer LDU because I like the additional body size that LDU brings and the ability he has to lift and drag a team along with him. In games I have watched this year, particularly at the Champs, I have been disappointed with Dow in that when the heat has gone on he has offered little. For a number 1 pick I want a guy who can stand up when it counts.

2 Fremantle - Jaidyn Stephenson

Pick 2 Fremantle - Jaidyn Stephenson (189cm, 75kg midfielder/forward from Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro)

I first saw Stephenson as a 16 year old playing for Eastern Ranges in the TAC Cup back in 2015, and it was immediately evident he was special. Two years out from the draft, and he was their best player in the Grand Final with 3 goals. And he finished off his 2016 with as good a month as you'll see, with 13 goals coming from his last four matches. It was over a year ago that I had him earmarked as the #1 player in this draft. And as far as I'm concerned, he's only gotten better.

Up until this year, Stephenson played almost exclusively as a forward. Often as the deepest forward. And it's hard to argue with the success he had, averaging over two goals a game. He was, and I think will remain to be, an impossible match up. Outside of Alex Rance, there won't be many who could go with him in the air, on the lead and on the ground. I saw the AFL website compared Stephenson to Jeremy Cameron, and it's not bad actually. He doesn't have the size obviously and he won't be a key forward, but he has a similar body type with long arms that just grab the ball. And he's always active. He's a near elite contested mark for his size, but just as adept when the ball is on the ground. In the TAC Cup, Stephenson would often play behind his man using his leap and wing span to beat them to the ball. Obviously plucking the ball from a contest wont always work at AFL level, but it just shows that he's never out of a contest.

Defensively, his chasing pressure is as good as anyone. He ran a sub 3 second 20m sprint, and he's one of those players who actually plays at that speed too. It's not just straight line on an athletic track speed. Whether he has the ball in hand or chasing down an opponent, his running is almost fanatical. Could be forgiven for mistaking him with Jayden Hunt.

If you were to look at the stats alone, you'd think Stephenson had a down year going from 23 goals to only 14 goals in 15 matches. But what he's done, is transform himself from third tall forward to genuine midfielder. He did start a little slowly as he made the move up the ground, but that changed at the U18 Championships against South Australia when he finished with 28 disposals and 5 goals. It was easily the best individual performance of the Championships, and it propelled him forward from there. And like in 2016, his last 6 weeks in the TAC Cup were excellent - one 39 disposal game, and he finished the season with almost half of the his disposals being contested. One thing I've always rated highly, is when a skinny player can win the contested ball. If you're 10kg heavier than everyone, it's easy to crash and bash your way through. But when you're only 75kg, it shows a natural ability and football smarts. Fremantle fans will remember that with Nathan Fyfe and Stephen Hill, could see the potential early and for it to be filled once they put on muscle.

So I think I've now said Stephenson is a mixture of Jeremy Cameron, Jayden Hunt, Nathan Fyfe and Stephen Hill. That would make him quite a player. But why isn't he the clear #1 prospect of all time then? Well coming into the year, there were three main knocks on him - midfield ability, consistency and kicking. He well and truly answered the first two, and for me he finished the year as the best performing midfielder in the draft. And I suppose there is always a question about whether the skinny kids can bulk up enough, but most seem to do it well.

His kicking though is still a work in progress. Interestingly, put a set of goals in front of him and there isn't a problem. I've also found that when he kicks through the ball, again there isn't much of a problem there. But it's on the short and medium kicks that he can lack a bit of touch and doesn't always judge the distance quite right. And also when he's flat footed, on the run isn't too bad. I do think it's improved over the past couple of years, and with some tightening of his technique it should improve even further.

Ultimately, I think this draft has some really good talent in the top 10. But few game winners. And that's exactly what Jaidyn Stephenson is, up forward or through the midfield. He's also a big game player. Whether it was the TAC Cup GF back in 2015, or being best afield in the U18 All Stars game. Check out giantroo's highlight video of that game here, I think it's a good summary of everything I've said.

But what will Fremantle actually do here?
I expect they'll pick whoever Brisbane doesn't choose out of Luke Davies-Uniacke and Paddy Dow. It should be pretty simple. Outside chance of Adam Cerra, depends if they think he'll slip through to #5.

So why didn't I do that?
Well, I rate Stephenson as the #1 prospect in the draft. So that alone should explain it. I can take him here, making sure I don't miss out if Carlton or North Melbourne were to take him at #3 or #4 (which I don't expect they would have). But I'll still being able to get another top midfielder in Dow or Cerra at #5 anyway. See, I have a plan.

3 Carlton - Cameron Rayner

Pick 3: Carlton – Cameron Rayner

General Forward/Inside Midfielder (Western Jets/Vic Metro)
21/10/1999 | 186.5cm | 87.2kg

If I did not have pick 10 in this draft, I would have picked Cerra or Brayshaw. Having two top ten picks, I am going for upside with my first pick and selecting a player that has the potential to become Elite. Cerra and Brayshaw's upside may just be a step below elite but I really do like those two players.

Rayner is a power athlete with elements of Mills, he will start forward and be a hard match up. Long term you will hope he moves into the midfield and hopefully has a Robbie Gray/GAJ styled game about him. Endurance would be the main concern going forward for this kid, needs to build up a tank. Considering his supposed lack of a tank, he still manages to find the ball, so he is obviously smart about his running patterns.
Strong contested mark and loves to use his strength in that SPP/Martin mould of player and seems to walk around with a touch of arrogance on the field. Those elite players you want to have elements of FIGJAM about them. Just a player that will do things others in the draft class don't have the potential to do.

Carlton have traded away anyone that can kick goals over the last few years (Garlett, Betts...) so adding a short term forward/midfielder would be helpful. The projection is for Rayner to become a midfielder with a combination of an inside and outside game.

4 North Melbourne - Adam Cerra

Pick 4: Adam Cerra - medium midfielder

Fors:
1. Fast and accurate handballs and often to high impact spots just as he is about to get caught, drawing opposition players and freeing up his own players.
2. Neat kick (high efficiency) with high impact into the forward 50 – often the man to deliver into the forward fifty and does this well.
3. Always on the move
4. High possession getter and doesn't look to have any endurance issues
5. True midfielder though looks to have the outside skills to play on a flank / wing as well.
6. Good mover through traffic.
7. Consistent – didn't have a down game through the championships.
8. Decent medium size
9. Decent number of goals for a centre midfielder.

Against:
1. Would guess he may only be average speed or doesn't go full tilt all the time.
2. Average midfield mark, nothing special here.
3. Good mover through packs but not a “explosive” type that makes multiple side-steps or using strength to bash his way through.
4. Been injured a number of times.

Writeup pretty much as per last time. I still view as better than Dow and close to LDU as the best player in the draft.

5 Fremantle - Paddy Dow

Pick 5 Fremantle - Paddy Dow (185cm, 78kg midfielder from Bendigo Pioneers/Vic Country)

With the season over, I've started going back and having another look at many of the top prospects. And I've probably been guilty of overlooking Paddy Dow. At the start of October I had him at #12 on my overall rankings, and didn't buy into him being the potential #1 pick. But since then, I've come to appreciate his game more. He didn't propel himself up the draft order, he more climbed the ladder one rung at a time through consistency. Unfortunately, his season ended early with shoulder surgery before he could lock down the #1 spot.

I think one of the main reasons I rated Dow lower was because I have always liked the flashier types. He doesn't have the pure x-factor of Rayner, the forward ability of Stephenson or the power of Davies-Uniacke. Dow is just a very good footballer. Of all the players in the draft, he has the most well rounded game without any obvious weakness. His last game of the season before injury saw him finish the stat line of 35 disposals, 7 marks, 7 inside 50s, 6 clearances and 2 goals in a complete performance. He's an option to rest up forward, he's a decent overhead mark for someone his size. But he's first and foremost an inside midfielder, he's good in traffic with quick hands. Can win his own ball, and has the speed and initial burst to escape the stoppages. That's his x factor, the thing that probably only one other player in this draft can match. Dow can rove the tap, escape the pack and kick a goal. I don't want to compare him to Gary Ablett Jnr, but in that regard...

Like I said before, I don't think Dow has any major weaknesses to his game. There are times when he might not be as noticeable, has faded in and out of games at points throughout the last couple of seasons. But that's the same of anyone. And even when Dow has a quiet day, he'll still get his 15 or so touches. His hands in close are very good, perhaps doesn't always look further up the ground. But when he does break free, his field kicking is good in space.

Didn't test at the Combine because of injury, but if history is anything to go by then Dow likely would have been top 5 in the 20m sprint and agility testing. And for Fremantle fans, they'll no doubt appreciate a Vic Country midfielder. There are rumours around every player, whether they'll be okay with an interstate move or not. And who knows until it happens. But it's hard to find anyone who has a bad word to say about Dow, with many regarding him as a future leader.

So again, what would Fremantle actually do here?
Well, Paddy Dow is a no brainer. Except the fact he won't still be on the board. They'll likely take him at #2 if Brisbane pass. Otherwise I expect it would be Adam Cerra or Andrew Brayshaw, with a WA tall being an outside chance.

Did I consider anyone else?
I'd have loved to take Sam Hayes. I think he'll prove to be a very good pick wherever he ends up going. Best tall in the draft. Darcy Fogarty would have been an option too, but I can take South Australians later on. Also, if I had a pick in the 10-20 range I wouldn't hesitate in using it on Zac Bailey. When I said earlier that only one player in the draft can match Dow's burst from stoppages, Bailey is that player.

6 Collingwood - Darcy Fogarty

#6 Collingwood - Darcy Fogarty
193cm, 90kg

Growing 4cm over the past year, I'll back in the scope to develop in the high impactful Fogarty which in addition to his sizeable talent can see Fogarty become one of the best in this draft.

After coming into the season a possible number one overall selection, Fogarty, due to a knee injury (small meniscus tear) he has played through (a good sign that he is willing to play through injury), his output and impact has been far below expectation.

While he's had a poor year. He's a genuine utility who plays with a style, impact and presence akin to Jake Stringer. Fogarty is expected to begin his career as a key forward, but in time I expect Fogarty becomes some blend of a key forward/inside midfielder who will give you the impact in either position depending on where you are needing it most. It will just take him time to develop his endurance which will take 3-4 years, before we're likely to see him up the field.



Darcy Fogarty (SA)

Best position: Utility

Height, weight: 193cm, 90kg

Recruited from: Glenelg

Projected draft range: top 10

Similar to: Jake Stringer

October Ranking: 6

Strengths:

Strength

Contested ball winning

Clearance winner

Contested marking

Body-on-body strength

Fend offs

Stands up through tackles

Courage

Competitiveness

Versatility to play anywhere other than ruck

Scoreboard impact

Clean ball user by hand and foot

Vision

Decision making

High leaper

Evasion

Agility

Weaknesses:

Endurance

Unclear best position

Inconsistent 2017 performances and production

Poor Under-18 Championships

7 St Kilda - Andrew Brayshaw

Pick 7 - St Kilda: Andrew Brayshaw, 184cm, 82kg, Inside Midfielder (Vic Metro / Sandringham Dragons)

BIO - After smashing the combine by winning the Yo-yo test, top 5 finish in the 2km time trial and top 10 agility scores, Andrew has thrown himself into top 5 consideration. Younger brother of Melbourne's Angus, Andrew is super competitive, wins the footy on the inside and then uses it well on the outside. Andrew wins the footy with ease and i consider him as one of the few inside mids to display class on the outside, he will be a ripper to whatever club he ends up at.

RATIONALE - Always going to take my best available mid here. Brayshaw, Dow, Cerra or Stephenson will fall at this pick on draft night

WHO ELSE? - Clark, Constable, Brander but Brayshaw was best available

8 St Kilda - Nick Coffield

Pick 8 - St Kilda: Nick Coffield, 190cm, 83kg, Medium Defender / Outside Midfielder (Vic Metro / Northern Knights)

BIO - Perfect pick for the Saints here. Will start his career as a HB which is what we saw throughout his top age year. Kid oozes leadership and will developing into an elite AFL mid IMO. I find his strengths to be his speed, evasiveness, decision making, leadership and skill execution which IMO are all the things the saints are lacking through their mids at the moment. Would expect to see Nick debut at the Saints next year due to his versatility. He loves to take the game on and will have no troubles taking the next step.

RATIONALE - Perfect player and fits the needs at the saints. will add class and speed to their mids over the years. May not have been my best available after Brayshaw but always had him marked for one of these picks if he slipped through

WHO ELSE? - Constable was my next best available but overlooked due to Coffields speed and class. Hunter Clark is another who could fit the saint at this mark

9 Western Bulldogs - Charlie Constable

Pick 9 - Western Bulldogs - Charlie Constable (191.0cm, 86.1kg - DOB:18/5/1999 - Inside Midfielder/Utility)

BIO:Constable is one of the most natural footballers in this draft and the most versatile being able to play both back where his reading of the play and ability to intercept and calm ball use serve him well, forward where he can use his overhead skills and good finishing skills to hit the scoreboard and as a big bodied inside midfielder where he has shown constant ability to win the football.

Constable came into focus as a high draft pick after a very good campaign across half forward and midfield for Vic Metro averaging 26 disposals, 5 marks, 4 tackles and 3 inside 50's but also shone in school footy winning 46 disposals for Haileybury College as a inside midfielder and in the TAC Cup where he has averaged a goal a game showing his ability to impact the scoreboard.

Constable also rarely makes mistakes with ball in hand whether by hand or by foot when he has it the ball generally ends up in the hands of a team mate in an attacking position showing that he has the vision to go with his above average skills which is important I find in a lot of players where a player doesn't quite have one to go with the other.

As for improvements to his game he needs to gain more endurance and improve his leg speed however his testing numbers in this ragard are about the same as Carlton gun Patrick Cripps was as a junior and they share some similar traits so I see no problem in him transitioning into an AFL environment.

If all goes right he could be one of the best midfielders in this draft.

Why the Dogs?:with the retirement of two of our veteran defenders, our problem with our skills and body size problem that exist in our inside midfield Constable seems an obvious fit for the Dogs at 9. Constable in the Dogs set up will likely start as a half forward switching with Bontempelli for stints in the center before developing into a more full time mid in a few years time.

Others Considered:Nick Coffield would be the dream at 9 but just a bit too late to get him. Hunter Clark came into consideration but due to his disposal under pressure letting him down on occasion I passed him up. Nathan Murphy also came into consideration, however I felt that pick 9 is a bit too high.

On draft day proper I could see Dalrymple taking a risk with Nathan Murphy at this pick but I also could see him liking Constable a lot due to the fact he liked tall ball winners inside the top 10 in the past (Bont & Macrae).

10 Carlton - Hunter Clark

Carlton - Pick 10 Hunter Clark
POS: Half-back/midfielder, Ht 186cm, Wt 79kg, DOB 26/3/1999
From Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country

Skipping over my bandwagon player with my first pick in the draft (Cerra), I am happy to select a bandwagon option in Clark here. I've been on his train for a while now and had high hopes for his output in the championships and it was a little down. He was playing across the half back flank and while not being terrible, just being serviceable. It felt like a number of players had gone passed him in the pecking order.
With the second half of the TAC cup season under his belt, you can look back at those games and he showed an ability across the backline, so in my eyes, it actually added to his draft stocks.
Moving into the midfield in the back half of the TAC season he was able to transition into the midfield and take over games. Showed an ability to find the ball with 27 touches a game and close to 50% of those contested. My real highlight with Clark is his tackling, the guy can stick a tackle. He reminds me a little of Bonti with his frame and long sleek body shape that I feel can build into a great AFL styled body shape. Nice kick off both sides of the body and will look dangerous anywhere he plays.
I think he could put more pressure on teams if he improved his marking, he has all the tools, just needs to back himself in a little more.

Carlton with their first two picks have managed to secure players that can start their career in the forward line or backline and transition into the midfield as they develop. I think the modern day player needs to have a few strings to their bow. I could see Clark allowing Carlton to release Simpson/Docherty onto the wing while he controls the backline for periods of time.

11 GIANTS - Aidan Bonar

AIDEN BONAR– DANDENONY STINGRAYS / MIDFIELDER & HF / 190CM

Had a fantastic end to the year and think he has dispelled any concerns around his knee. I don’t think he even had strapping on it in the last few games. Big bodied, explosive player who has fantastic speed testing 2.9s for 20m. Some really good games late in the year and through finals but probably had his best day on the G in the All Star Game. Showed off all best attributes. Powerful inside the contest and wins his own ball, competitive and made really good decisions exiting by hand and foot. His finishing is first class as well.

Wont be surprised if he goes as high around 4-7 on the day. The upside in him is really significant and people will liken him to a Bontempelli type midfielder / forward.

Who else - Jack Higgins. Suits what the GIANTS need but Bonar to good a talent to pass on.

12 Adelaide - Jarrod Brander

Pick 12 - Adelaide - Jarrod Brander Bendigo Pioneers 195cm 83kg

Had a difficult decision to make here whether to go for Naughton who I am a huge fan of or Brander who has slid in recent times from his earlier lofty projections. Still rate him very highly and his upside and flexibility gave him the nod over Naughton in the end....but only JUST. Also considered O'Brien, Balta, & Higgins but the lure of a need to cover Lever immediately was too great.

Brander is a genuine tall key defender who can also play forward fairly effectively. He could develop properly at either end of the ground and end up a very good footballer whichever way he goes. For the crows, that will probably be in defence....however heaven forbid if McGovern leaves at the end of his next contract then Brander would also be considered for his role as well...so the options are there.

His main strengths are his ability to peel off and take strong intercept marks as well as contested marks against other decent sized forwards. A bit Jeremy McGovern like at times in his overhead prowess. But for a man of his height, he certainly isn't slow and has great burst speed from a standing stand and often gets to the ball before other forwards when in defence or defenders when on the lead up forward. Can run all day and backs himself to take kicks through zones and general link play, doesn't seem to just bang it long like some key talls do, especially when they are young. Shows an understanding of modern football structures which is important.

He could perhaps improve his defensive side of the game, doesn't chase too hard or try to lock the ball in, if he doesn't get it first then his repeat efforts can be a bit below par. Fortunately that can be coached...he has the natural footballer side already down pat. Should fill out his frame to be a big, strong contested marking key tall, be it forward or back which would be a weapon in a modern side with a coach happy to throw him at either end of the ground, depending on how the game is going. Originally was touted as a top 3 pick, however compared to his 2016, he hasn't showed as much natural improvement as one may expect. Still at Pick 12, you have a very good player on your hands for years to come

 

[Snoop Dog]

13 West Coast - Jack Higgins

Pick 13 . West Coast. Jack Higgins. Mid/Small Forward 178 cm 76 kg Oakleigh Charger.

It's hard to imagine what more Higgins could have done to put his name in front of the recruiters , in short he has a very impressive 2017 season.
After having a stella Under 18 Championship where he made the AA side he topped his TAC Cup season of winning the Morrish Medal for the Competitions F&B.

His production in front of goals where he bagged 29 games in his 13 games for the Chargers was also impressive.
This was on the back of a high production TAC season where he averaged 23.2 possession 2.3 goals and 5.1 tackles per game.
Higgins is a ball magnet and in capable of turning it on with devastating passages of play as he did in the first half of the Championships against WA and in another game where he kicked 5 goals.

He is a tough in and under player that is impactful.
He doesn't have a deep kick on him but its accurate enough and his vision in the short game is special.
His clearance work is high quality and his ability to drift forward and hit the score board is a real bonus.
The level of commitment and professionalism that he has shown and applied over the last two year in getting himself prepared to be drafted has been commented on by several in the know.

Why West Coast: West Coast need to both improve their midfield and also acquire some small forwards, Higgins fills both needs plus slot in as best available at this point in the draft.
So it was a pretty obvious choice IMO.

The Eagles would be thrilled to pick him up in the real deal and I am very happy to start this mock having picked up Higgins.

14 Sydney Swans - Sam Hayes


15 Brisbane Lions - Aaron Naughton

Pick 15 Brisbane - Aaron Naughton


Okay sometimes you just have to take what the draft gives you. Gift horses and all that. Aaron Naughton is on the board and he is the guy that I should take here and so I will. The Lions have a very nice piece in Harris Andrews who should be a centre piece of our defence for years to com. The problem for me though is that I think we will get the most out of him as a third tall who can roll off the resting ruck etc and intercept mark. He is not great in a shut down role lacking a bit of pace off the mark. Let him read and react though and he can control the space. So we need a couple of good KPDs to take those roles. Clarke was already our number one KPD before he had to retire with concussion at 21 [from memory]. Skinner has looked very good in the games I have seen him but a second knee reco and you have to worry. Frost didn’t work and McStay is flashy but I am not sold. Eagles improved out of sight in the back half of the year but is still a long shot to amount to anything. So I think it is clear that we could certainly use a KPD and Naughton is the best available this year so why not.

Naughton could be used as a shut down defender but he is probably another who would benefit from the leeway to play looser and roll off his man if he reads an intercept marking opportunity. He reads the ball in the air as well as any defender this year and is a very good mark. He controls his space really nicely and times his arrival at the ball well. If he goes for a contest he impacts it. I thought WA was at their best this year when Taylor got the number 1 forward and Naughton was freed up to do his own thing more.

Athletically he has enough speed off the mark and reasonable closing speed although his best athletic trait is probably his endurance. He can cover the ground and will be able to go step for step with the wide ranging centre half forwards of the game. One thing I really like about him is his agility and I think being able to change direction and stop and go quickly is very important for a KPD. Naughton’s agility is right at the top of this draft class for key positions and I think it will help him a lot when he is trying to adapt his game to the next level. Size wise he is only average for his position at 194cm tall but he seems to have a good leap and long arms which allow him to cover taller players.

Naughton is still fairly wiry and so is likely to start as a third tall before he graduates onto some of the big boys in the competition after a few years in the gym. In the meantime though he has the tools to match up well on the third tall / medium tall types. His core strength is very good for his size and he can hold his own in most body on body situations. He played senior WAFL football in the back half of the year and more than held his own in senior company and showed that his intercept marking game is certainly adaptable to that level.

Naughton’s kicking is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I think his decision making is good and he usually finds his target. His mechanics though are a bit of a mess and could certainly use a tidy up. Nothing too extreme but some intensive work would certainly be of benefit. He is a left footer who can kick on his right although again it is nothing pretty. It is worth noting that he took a lot of kick-ins for WA which is an indication that the WA coaches trusted his decision making and execution. In truth I might have had more of an issue with his handballing that his kicking. I remember wincing a few times when he fed handballs out. They often lacked zip and sat up or fell short especially under pressure. Some intensive work there would also help him.

Personally I would not be thinking of taking Naughton at 5 or 6 as has been talked about but at 15 I think he represents excellent value. He could very easily turn into an elite defender and toward the end of the first round that would be an excellent result

16 Western Bulldogs - Nathan Murphy

Pick 16 - Western Bulldogs - Nathan Murphy (188.3cm, 79.9kg - DOB: 15/12/1999 - Medium Utility)

Bio: Murphy is a versatile flanker that boasts strong endurance traits, overhead marking and a long penetrating and classy right foot kick. Having a late December birthday and having not fully focused on AFL until late in his junior career means that there is plenty of growth left in his game and so taking the punt on him at this selection is quite justified as I see some elite traits that Murphy has at his disposal that will translate well into the AFL given he has enough time to learn some of the running patterns and such as he does on occasion look lost not knowing where to run. Murphy also needs to work on his speed as at the moment he is rather slow compared to others in who play his position.

Why the Dogs? - the Dogs need some extra marking and class across our half forward line and at this pick I feel as though Murphy was the best player left to fill this role. I had considered him at 9 so for him to fall through to pick 16 was a nice surprise for me.

Others - I had a hard time going past Ed Richards due to everything that he does suiting the Dogs and I had to consider other forwards like Lachlan Fogarty and Oscar Allen I just felt that Nathan Murphy had the best scope from the very little I've seen of him.

On draft day proper I don't expect Dalrymple will have the luxury of being able to pick Murphy up here. I expect that the Dogs will go with Ed Richards, Zac Bailey or Lachlan Fogarty.

Oh I almost forgot @Dannnnnnnnnn likes this

17 Richmond - Oscar Allen

Pick 17 - Richmond

Oscar Allen
191.1cm | 82.35kg
Key Position Forward
West Perth/Western Australia

Stats:
U18 Champs: Av. 15.5 disposals, 6 marks and booted 11 goals
WAFL League: Av. 8.5 disposals, 5 marks
WAFL Reserves: Av. 13.5 disposals, 10 hitouts, 5 marks
WAFL Colts: Av. 19.3 disposals, 7.6 marks, 3.8 tackles and 0.9 goals

Testing (average in brackets):
Vertical jump: 67cm (64cm)
Running vertical jump (right): 79cm (75cm)
Running vertical jump (left): 88cm (80cm)
20m: 3.07s (3.1s)
Agility: 8.27s (8.5s)
Yo-Yo: 21.2 (21.0)
2km: Did Not Test
Kicking test: 25/30 (25)
Goal kicking test: 3.2 (3.0)

Athletic key forward Oscar Allen is a nobrainer for Richmond, but is a player that I think could well be snapped up by the West Coast Eagles at Pick 13.

Allen won the Larke Medal as the best player in the NAB AFL Under 18 Championships, averaging 15 disposals, six marks and booting 11 goals. The WA Co-captain also was runner-up in the WAFL Colts best & fairest back in 2016, also named in the Team of the Year at Centre Half Forward in 2016.

Allen's strengths are his leap, marking and mobility up forward. His leap makes him appealing to clubs, as he has shown at West Perth level he is capable of playing at both ends and in the ruck. While at 191cm - he won't be a ruckman, it shows he can provide a "chop out" inside 50 if required. At 191cm some will suggest just how is he a key forward, but he uses his strength and body well up forward and his leap gives him a few extra centimetres on him. His endurance is pretty good and his agility means he is mobile at ground level, unlike some others forwards in the draft pool. His agility time was in the top 10 at the combine.

What he can improve on is his set shot kicking, on Grand Final day he could've kicked 5 goals and it's a reason his goal kicking average is down on some other key forwards.

I think he can slot in to Richmond's forward line well alongside Jack Riewoldt.

18 Brisbane Lions - Lochie Obrien

Pick 18 Brisbane - Lochie O'Brien


O’Brien was he guy I had initially intended to take at 15 so I am very happy to take him at 18. I think he is one of the most underrated players in this draft and one of the guys that teams are going to be kicking themselves for passing on in a couple of years. He is one of the guys who was talked about in the top 5 coming into the year given he averaged over 24 disposals a game in the TAC as a bottom ager. This year he only averaged about the same and I think a lot of people are judging him against where they hoped he would be rather than against his peers.

O’Brien did not move full time into the midfield and develop the contested game that many hoped he would. He stayed off half back and wing and he continued to have low contested ball numbers. Those marking him down for that I think are underestimating the value that outside players can have at AFL level. O’Brien does need to improve his ability to win the contested ball when he has to but I am not marking his outside game down because of that. Even then I thought he was dangerous around packs in the forward half at the Champs and to me I could easily see that developing as he is called to do more of it.

The player O’Brien reminds me of most is Steele Sidebottom. Sidebottom can win the ball in a contest but he does his best work on the outside. O’Brien like Sidebottom spreads very well and gets to smart places to receive. When they get the ball in space they can pick apart defences and are very damaging by foot. O’Brien has good penetration on his kicks and his feel on long kicks is excellent. He is one of the best in this draft at delivering the ball into 50 and for a Brisbane team who has not been good in that area over the last few years (a bit better this year admittedly) that is an important skill. He can also dob them from 55 and when there are blokes like that running around teams have to pay attention to them and this creates space for others.

Because he can be so damaging teams sat on him a bit this year and he struggled to deal with the attention especially in school football where tagging is allowed. Whilst he is going to have more freedom initially at AFL level this reputation is going to follow him and he is going to need to work out how to effective deal with close attention.

Another area he needs to work on is his disposal under pressure. When the blowtorch goes on the quality of his disposal drops away a lot and he often just focuses on getting it away rather than doing something productive with it. He needs to learn to accept contact a bit more and keep his awareness more when the walls are closing in. As with a lot of left footers his kicking on his non-preferred is also pretty average and needs work. At the moment he too often gets into trouble when he tries to go inside out on his left when he an easy right foot kick is the go.

O’Brien is a former 400m runner and has what I call good long speed. Whilst his first 20m might not be as good as some he has the ability to keep accelerating and hold that speed longer than most. For a bloke running up and down the wing that can be a real weapon. He does need to build his tank more and when he does I think this long speed will really become evident. O’Brien is a smooth mover with an easy change of direction that lets him move through traffic well at pace. He has a frame which I expect to be able to add enough muscle mass to compete at the next level.

Overall I would love to have O’Brien at the Lions running up and down a wing. If we get LDU or Dow at 1 I think our inside group would be fairly set and adding some more quality on the outside would be of value. I see him becoming a hugely damaging player who will progressively add to his inside game. The range on his kicks can break apart zone defences as can his ability to hit targets in tight slots

19 Gold Coast - Lachlan Fogarty

Pick 19 - Gold Coast - Lachlan Fogarty

When I look at Gold Coast, I see a midfield which has some solid, hard-working inside mids in Jarryd Lyons, Touk Miller and, when fit and firing, David Swallow. I also see a wide range of classy outside mids such as Lachie Weller, Jack Martin, Aaron Hall and Brayden Fiorini. This is without mentioning those who are still to come into their own, the likes of Will Brodie, Jack Bowes, and potentially Ainsworth and Scrimshaw. What I think GC are missing is a true inside/outside mid who can add class with good ball use and a great athletic profile, but can also add a lot of toughness on the inside. Fogarty is the one guy on the board who can add this.

Firstly, Fogarty has class. He has the agility and speed required to weave through traffic and break away from stoppages, something that I believe GC now lack. This can be helpful on the outside or when shifted forward, too. His disposal is very neat. He can sometimes rush kicks when running at full tilt, but this won't be something which sees him not succeed. Overall, Fogarty makes the right decisions by both hand and foot, which is what you want from an inside/outside type. Tackling is a major strength, too. His ability to impact defensively was shown through his 9.7 tackles per game in the TAC Cup, and 9.3 per game in the champs. These are elite numbers that couldn't be matched by any of the other top prospects. One thing about Fogarty that I really liked this year is that he not only bumped up his disposal count even further to make him one of the best accumulators in the TAC, but he also had a higher K:H ratio. His willingness to take the game on is something I really value in a midfielder, and Fogarty has it in spades, now. He knows when to stand up and make an impact both defensively and offensively.

Weakness with Fogarty? Other than his size, I don't really see many. He's as well rounded as you could hope for. Maybe his marking could be worked on a little, but considering the size factor, this is expected.

Who else? The other one I considered here was Zac Bailey. IMO a very similar type to Jack Steven, Bailey also has that willingness to take the game on and impact both offensively and defensively that Fogarty has. L Fog's higher accumulation got him over the line for me, though.

20 Richmond - Noah Balta

Pick 20 - Richmond

Noah Balta
195.0cm | 94.85kg
Key Position Utility
Calder Cannons/Vic Metro

Stats:
U18 Champs: Av. 9 disposals, 3 marks, 2 rebound 50s, 2 inside 50s
TAC Cup: Av. 15 disposals, 12 hit outs, 4 marks, 4 tackles and a goal

Testing (average in brackets):
Vertical jump: 74cm (64cm)
Running vertical jump (right): 77cm (75cm)
Running vertical jump (left): 89cm (80cm)
20m: 3.05s (3.1s)
Agility: 8.38s (8.5s)
Yo-Yo: Did Not Test (hamstring soreness)
2km: 6min 50s (6 min 49s)
Kicking test: 24/30 (25)
Goal kicking test: 3.2 (3.0)

A possible Alex Rance type? Yes please. That's the feeling from some recruiters. If Balta can get everything right, he should be able to develop as a key position defender under the guidance of Alex Rance.

Richmond have shown some interest in him, so he's definitely in the mix at 17/20/25. I can't see him being snapped up before Richmond's picks, so his certainly likely to fall in the 17-25 range.

Balta is an athletic key position tall who has plenty of X-Factor. Coming into the season some predicted he could challenge for the No.1 pick. His mix of elite speed/agility/leap means some of his highlights are exceptional and he's definitely an eye-catching prospect.

In the Under 18 Champs he played as a key defender, while at TAC Cup level he has been used as a key forward/ruckman.

His strengths are his leap, versatility and his booming right foot kick. His leap is outstanding, where when he plays in the ruck for Calder he will out jump his opponents who are sometimes 5cm taller. His long right foot kick is a tool that he can use when playing right around the ground, to get the ball moving forward for the Cannons. It probably wasn't seen as much in the U18 Champs, but he was learning that KPD craft. His versatility means he can play up forward (pinch hit in the ruck) or back. But most recruiters feel defence will be his home long term.

Balta does need to improve his decision making and running patterns when up forward. At times he rushes things and can often look to try and take on his opponents rather than passing the ball off to his teammates. His running patterns were average earlier in the season, but they seem to have improved up forward for the Cannons. Not a naturally smart person, he has plenty to learn in defence - but fans will need to be patient as he could well be one of the better talls in this draft pool in 5 years time. Like most young talls, he'll need to find some consistency at the VFL level first.

21 West Coast - Zac Bailey

Pick 21. West Coast . Zac Bailey. Midfielder. 181 cm 70 kg . Norwood Via Southern Districts NT.

The West Coast midfield needs some serious attention and Bailey is a genuine inside / outside midfielder who major point of difference is his ability to clear away from the stoppage with his burst of pace.
He is a good mover in heavy traffic , he is quite evasive with the ability to slip tackles and navigate his way away from a contest. Its an area of weakness that has plagued the Eagles midfield for some time now and Shuey in particular would welcome the additional burst of pace.

Bailey has come from the clouds and TBH pre championships I hadn't heard of him. His game against Vic Metro really announced him and his ability to run rings around some of the more highly fancied Vic Metro midfielders was quite an eye opener.
One thing that I noticed in the championships was his ability to read the ball of the ruck contest and he has a uncanny knack of getting to the right place to be on the receiving end of a ruck knock.
Equally adept with moving the ball on by hand or foot he , for me, he is the real deal. I do like the way he gets his arms free when he is tackled.

Not saying his ability will reach this level , but his style of play at stoppages and more so his bursting away from congestion had me seeing similarities in style to Rory Sloan.

I would have liked his foot skill to have been a little sharper , however I can cut him some slack as his burst speed is a real point of difference.
He has no trouble finding the football and I feel he would be a handy addition to West Coasts ,in the main, pedestrian midfield.

22 Richmond - Patrick Naish (Matched Bid)

Pick 22 - Richmond (Bid matched)

Patrick Naish
180.6cm | 68.85kg
Outside Midfielder/Small forward
Northern Knights/Vic Metro

Stats:
U18 Champs: Av. 21.3 disposals, 5 marks, 4 inside 50s & 3.3 tackles
TAC Cup: Av. 19.0 disposals, 4 marks, 2.6 tackles and booted 13 goals from 8 games

Preseason Testing (National Combine average in brackets):
Naish Did Not Test at the NAB AFL Draft Combine
Vertical jump: 63cm (64cm)
Running vertical jump (right): 77cm (75cm)
Running vertical jump (left): 74cm (80cm)
20m: 3.059s (3.1s)
Agility: 8.758s (8.5s)
Yo-Yo: Did Not Test (soreness)
2km: Did Not Test (soreness)
Preseason Beep: 14.3
National Combine:
Kicking test: 24/30 (25)
Goal kicking test: 3.1 (3.0)

The son of Chris will be a Richmond player - there's almost no doubting that. The only question is just what pick will the Tigers have to give up? Could the Dogs at 16 be the most likely, North Melbourne in the 20s seem to No.1 candidate to bid after the Cats/Tigers did a under the table deal during trade week.

The outside midfielder has shown some really good skills at all levels, but does have some work to do.

Up forward is where I see his best position. He booted a bag of seven goals against Yarra Valley in school football for Ivanhoe Grammar earlier in the season. Matty Clarke had a wry smile that day, and Blair Hartley had done so similar the year before when Naish turned it on at Chelmsworth Park for school.

He has smarts and is lively around goal. A long right foot kick, as well as a spring in his step up forward gives him a little bit of X-Factor and flair close to goal. He covers the ground well and definitely is suited to playing in the attacking half of the ground. In the TAC Cup Elimination Final, Naish finished with 21 disposals, three inside 50s and goal & on Grand Final day he was Team Enright's leading disposal winner with 21 disposals & three rebound 50s.

An area that Naish needs to work on if he's able to play across half back or on the wing is his kicking and decision making. Often he can go for the miracle kick rather than using the simple easy targets. He is pretty "outside" and will need to work on his contested ball. His contested possession percentage of 21.3 % is pretty poor for any midfielder. His kicking efficiency in the TAC Cup was 57.3 % and in the U18 Champs 59.6 %.

I think he can impact early on in his career across HFF, but I'm not a fan of him playing HBF.

23 Brisbane Lions - Connor Ballenden (Matched Bid)

Pick 23 Brisbane - Connor Ballenden


The Lions academy has been producing some very decent key position players over the last few years and that continues this year with Ballenden being the guy most have heard of. He has been in the spotlight for a couple of years and came into the year touted as a top 10 pick. He has dropped down the order a bit but still presents as nice prospect with a lot of upside.

Ballenden has played mostly as a key forward and I can see him starting in that role at the Lions given that, with the departure of Schache and the delisting of a couple of other key forwards there is room for him to develop there through the NEAFL initially. He did not have a great Champs up forward and I think quite a few people would be writing him off from that role based on that but having watched him a fair few times in the NEAFL this year I am not one of them. Ballenden played in 7 games for the Lions in the NEAFL this year (and 3 last year) and finished with 10 goals from those games. He operated in a forward line with 2 or three talls including the likes of Schache and held his own in that company. He played in the NEAFL GF against Sydney and put in a very nice 2 goal performance.

I expect Ballenden to be tried initially as a forward / 2nd ruck and that is something we need going forward. Ballenden is a big boy and is a pretty decent around the ground ruckman. He has good body strength and holds his position well to direct his taps. He can run and jump pretty well at the ruck contests but the control on his ruck work is not as good. The ruck role also keeps him in the game and allows for the consistent use of his biggest weapon – his kicking. For me Ballenden is comfortably the best kicking big in this draft. His style is a little bit “typical ruck” but the results are anything but. He is a lovely low, penetrating kick that can pin point targets 40-50m away. He seems to have good feel on his kicks and he backs himself to drop passes into tight windows. His decision making and vision is good although occasionally he does bite off more than he can chew. Safe to say though that unlike many bigs, this is definitely a tall you want kicking the ball and having a marking, elite kicking option running through the middle of the ground has a lot of advantages that a smart coach can use. He is a good finisher around goal but probably not quite a the level his field kicking is. It is worth noting that he won the kicking test at the Combine.

If he does not work out up forward there is every chance that he could win a spot in defence. As mentioned he was a bit disappointing at the Champs up forward but when they moved him back he really stood out. I don’t think I noticed him get beaten at all in defence and he showed really nice judgement when to leave his man to impact the contest. His intercept marking was a highlight and his kicking set up quite a few forward forays. He certainly has another string in his bow with the ability to move back and there is genuine uncertainty at the moment about what position he would be best in.

At the Combine, Ballenden measured in at just over 198cm which is a couple of centimetres less than ideal for the rucking option but it is tall enough to work with. Athletically he is good across the board without being elite in any particular area. He has nice pace and can sustain it when he gets up and going. Endurance is solid and his agility is good for a big man. I do find him a little bit of a conundrum to describe as sometimes I think he looks incredibly fluid for a guy of his size and sometimes he looks a bit jerky in typical ruck fashion. I think a fair bit of work will be done at the next level in ironing out those jerky movements and the fluidity will shine through most often.

One of my big criticisms of him last year was that he was a bit lazy and didn’t want to work when the ball was not in his area or was with the opposition. It was a bit frustrating as when he put in he could really impact. I watched one game in the Champs last year where he had bludged around a fair bit but on one play chased a back flanker full tilt from about 15m behind and mowed him down. It was a great play and something I really wanted to see more of this year. He has improved his workrate in this year and has impacted more consistently in games but there is still a bit of work to be done in this area.

The other area for improvement is in his physicality at the contest. This is a guy who at junior level is built like Mumford and has the capacity to really hurt people if he goes in hard. He seems not to mind going body on body in the ruck contests but outside of that he seems very conscious of spacing and contact. To me it looks like he is afraid to hurt people more than being afraid of getting hurt himself. I think it can be coached out of him and he really does need to crash packs more than he does and make his tackles felt when he makes them. As it is he is not a big who relies on his strength to win marking contests and that can be a big advantage if he adds the physicality to his game as well.

Ballenden is a very nice judge of the ball in the air and times his arrival at contests very nicely. He has good stretch and marks it out in front his eyes well. At his size he is very hard to spoil. He is not however one of those guys who has super strong hands who swallows up anything that comes his way. He hands are solid but he will drop his fair share as well. When the ball hits the ground he recovers well and his agility can allow him to beat his opponent a lot. He is quite smart with the ball on the ground and assesses his options quickly and his execution is good for a big guy.

So suffice it to say Ballenden has all the tools he needs to succeed at the next level. His production this year though was a below what was hoped although there was enough to tease about the potential that he has. Provided Ballenden is not bid on before pick 15 I think the Lions take him and he certainly has the talent to justify any pick from that stage on.

 

[Snoop Dog]

24 Geelong - Matthew Ling

Pick 24 – Geelong – Matthew Ling 183cm 75kg
Half Back/Outside Midfielder
Geelong Falcons/Vic Country

I first saw Matthew Ling play in a final last year despite not getting much of the ball he showed a lot of dash and dare that caught my eye and it was great to see him continue that into his draft year. Ling just loves to take the game on at every opportunity and he can his kicking has improved as the year has gone on, early on he would rush his kicks trying to kick at full pace but he started to settle and he really came on in the Championships showing a good burst of pace but also a cool head with the ball often hitting targets by hand and foot.

I remember a game against Eastern Ranges down at Bayswater and this was the game that sold me on Ling as a top prospect. It wasn’t the speed and dare that impressed me if was the communication with teammates and the discipline showed in manning up allowing others to push up and show what they have got. What this also did was show me how Ling handles one on one contests and despite his size he did very well, he took a few marks and he really jumps at the ball to spoil and quickly try's to win the ball once hitting the deck.

Ling hasn’t been higher in my personal rankings due to his small disposal numbers and he hasn’t really put together a great 4 quarter performance despite really liking his attacking nature and positive attitude. So the main query will be his ability to win the ball at AFL level and if he could ever be a legitimate Wingman which I feel the Cats need the most.


Why Geelong?
Geelong already have a very strong midfield full of players able to win plenty of their own ball if seems the outside class is lacking and Ling offers that in spades. Often Geelong look their best when their prime movers are carrying the ball. I really like Bews for his attacking nature but its left to too few to offer that quick drive and excitement and that’s where Ling comes in. Also helps that Ling is right under their noses playing at Geelong Falcons

Who Else?
Ideally Cats also needs forwards but I feel I can find some with pick 35 and later picks. With the 2 picks I have in the 20’s I want to get some highly talented players with attacking flare and plenty of enthusiasm and upside to really keep the Geelong list fresh and exciting for years to come.

25 North Melbourne - James Worpel

Pick 25 - James Worpel - Medium Midfielder

Pros:
(1) large average number of possessions
(2) Disposal most of the time is fine, with reasonable penetration by foot.
(3) Hits the contest and tackles very hard
(4) very strong core strength to break tackles or push tackles high
(5) Co-captain of Vic-Country

Cons
(1) Has the occasional terrible kick
(2) Only medium sized
(3) No extreme pace

There were cleaner players at this pick but I just felt that Worpel as a large production midfielder was too good to not be pick up here. The modern game requires big bodied mids who just keep putting in all day winning the hard ball and Worpel does that for mine.

26 Geelong - Charlie Ballard

Pick 26 – Geelong - Charlie Ballard 195cm 81kg
Tall Utility
Sturt/South Australia

Ive done a complete 180 with Ballard, I wasn’t impressed with his kicking at the championships and had written him off but it wasn’t until I went back over old notes and watched some more footage did I soften my stance on Ballard. Ballard has gone through a growth spurt turning into a genuine tall much like English last year. Ballard shows the agility, speed and composure of a smaller player and that’s what has clubs excited by his potential.

So earlier I brought up his kicking which yes was poor at times in the championships but what was impressive was the options he took with ball in hand, he is a great decision maker with the ball and his composure is some of the best in this draft. With his agility he can catch the opposition off guard especially with his talk gangly frame you wouldn’t think he could move like that and the other thing is that he is a willing tackler and despite his frame he still manages to take people down and most tackles stick.

Ballard played mostly on the wing in the championships but he has also played good footy as a key defender and midfielder at school and for Sturt. He was one of the better players in Sturts grand final win playing as a forward sharing similarities to Jack Gunston. Ballard is every chance of becoming a gun forward with his good workrate, tackling and decision making and that’s why im considering him for the Cats.

Why Geelong?
Ballard has huge potential and has had a very good year at all levels and played well in every position. And like Ling Ballard has a great attitude and a he supports his teammates and I believe would fit in well with the Cats. Ballard is also an attacking player that plays with enthusiasm and will go in hard when he needs to. With this pick Geelong get a highly talented tall capable of playing in any position and the potential to be one of the better players in this draft.

Who Else?
He isn’t a pure forward so I will need to pick a forward at my next pick but Ballard can fill that position. There isn’t a stack of good key forwards or outside runners for this pick so if im taking one later it will be one with plenty of potential and an attacking nature.

27 West Coast - Tim Kelly

Pick 27. West Coast. Tim Kelly. 183 cm 83 kg Midfielder . South Fremantle.

Kelly will be a bit of an unknown to many outside of WA.
He has been around the WAFL scene for a few years now and had a good 2016 season and has this year taken his game to another level.
Yes he is 23 but he is also plug in ready to play and I have no doubt that when he gets onto an AFL list next season ,provided he is fit come the first game of the season, he will debut.
The thing about him being 23 is not a big issue for me as that still gives him enough time to play 150 -175 AFL games.

I have seen him first hand destroy teams and tear a game apart , he is a high impact , high work rate player that also brings other team mates into the game.

What Kelly provides is blistering pace that gets good separation from the pack with his attack with the ball in hand.
His run and carry is a feature of his game and that makes him a line breaking 70 meter player. Whilst he is predominantly an outside mid he also is not shy to burst through the contest and get his own ball from the congestion.
He is more than capable of mixing it up in the hurly burly of the physical contest, he is no wall flower.
He has good foot skills ,a feature of his game that is appreciated by his team mates.
Also very capable of getting on the score board himself.
Whilst he has improved tremendously as a player these last few years, he still IMO, has a level or two in his development.
To make it at the next level he will need to work on his defensive side a bit more as thats a necessity at the next level

IMO he would slot straight into the West Coast midfield from day one.
Thats also why i have taken him with this pick. I have taken him four or five spots ahead on where he was ranked on my white board but those above him on talent neither filled as urgent a positional need or had the scope for an immediate impact and therefore he nudged his way ahead of those around him on my list.

He has not only matured as a player greatly over the last two years but also as a man.
Fatherhood will do that to you as he has a young son and he and his partner are expecting twins in the new year.

I have a genuine interest in seeing him on the West Coast list next year ,but I am also joining the dots here , as the chatter in Perth is that there is a real chance he may be in wings next year if all goes as expected come draft night.

28 GIANTS - Ed Richards

ED RICHARDS – OAKLEIGH CHARGERS / MEDIUM DEFENDER / 184CM

I really like this kid and he has come from a long way back to be this high up my rankings. It’s that progression I suspect clubs will be drawn to and go after. He has speed to burn and he uses it from the back half to really cut through lines and break opposition structures up. With the game having a real heavy reliance on ball transition kids like Ed are highly sort because if he gets going he will really hurt the structures club have set up through the middle or forward. He has superb movement, takes his time and sees what is ahead of him and copes really well with frontal pressure. He is a beautiful kick as well and he certainly has scope to push higher up the ground to play on a wing. Will have interviewed well to.

29 GIANTS - Joel Garner

JOEL GARNER – EASTERN RANGES / MIDFIELDER & MEDIUM DEFENDER / 184cm

Natural footballer who just has that footy blood running through his veins. He is a decent athlete but he is a footballer first and foremost. He is also a leader and is a very impressive young man so the club that gets him I think potentially gets a future captain of their club. Been tried across a few different spots but I think is best suited to a role in defence as that half back Luke Hodge or Shaun Burgoyne type in the early part of his career and then post that suspect he will have the ability to be that Callan Ward midfielder. Got a bit of class and speed and just seems to read the game really well back there and he can play that ‘general’ type player in the back half who can control the defensive set ups but also intercept and get the attacking transition going. Tough, is a good mark and really neat skills and I think he will play a lot of footy.

30 Melbourne - Jordan Houlahan


31 Carlton - Ryley Stoddardt

Pick 31 - Carlton - Ryley Stoddart

Every time I watch this kid I get more and more impressed. I have a feeling he could move anywhere from HBF/Wing and maybe even a small forward at AFL level until he develops a midfield game. Has great pace, leap and a lovely side step in traffic. Very neat user of the ball, while not massively damaging he still makes correct decisions.
I can actually see him developing a slightly more inside game in years to come and he will increase his ability to damage teams with his speed and quickness. I love his work in close, time seems to slow down around him and he often manages to make a tackler miss.

Happy to get this kid here and role the dice on him with a pick in the 30's.

32 Melbourne - Jack Petrucelle


33 West Coast - Dylan Moore

Pick 33 . Dylan Moore. 175 cm 66 kg. Small Forward / Mid. Eastern Rangers.

Ok so he is small I got it, lets get that one out of the way first up.

It was my intention to grab a small forward , if possible , at some stage in the draft, having taken three midfielders with the first three picks ( some will argue that Higgins is a small forward and whilst he can play that role he is also a genuine midfielder ) so with the second last "earlyish" pick that I have, to take a quality small forward, it was now time to see who was available.

There were a couple of names that came mind.
Miers , Moore and the tease AKA : Liam Ryan.

Being Perth based I have watched Ryan in over a dozen games, and whilst his highlight reel look fantastic, those who have seen him live on a regular basis will know that pick 33 is way to soon to take him.

Miers has had a good season and is an opportunist around the goals thats for sure but for me he is a burst player and plays well in patches.

Conversely Moore is much more consistent ( no pun intended ) and he is a significantly more complete footballer.
Moore possesses a large serve of footy smarts and shows many traits of the old fashioned rover who rests in a forward pocket and is capable of kicking multiple goals.
Moore has a cunning streak to him in the way he positions himself near the contest and whilst not blessed with great leg speed he has learnt to counter this with great timing as to when to hit the crumbing ball' he is wily and crafty and uses his elite head speed in decision making.
His foot skills are very good, be that shooting at goals, or passing in general traffic.
Don't be fooled by his small stature that doesn't shy Moore away from putting his head over the ball in heavy traffic.

Moore will start his AFL career as a small forward and in time, when he fills out, I have no doubt that he will take a turn when required in the midfield rotations.

Another bonus and big plus with Moore is his massive tank, he dominated in the endurance tests at the combine and was the star of the cohort in any test that required a tank. Now from a West Coast perspective , a team who failed to run out over half their games last year , an elite endurance runner would be a welcome addition to the list.

Lets be honest ,if he was 185 cm tall, then he would have been off the board in the first half of the first round.

34 Sydney - Harrison Petty

33 Sydney - Harrison Petty Height, Weight: 194cm, 81kg
Petty was a stand out for the SA side in the Nationals. Has a great intercept marking game. Whilst I am not saying he will become the next Rance he has the ability to become a very valuable player for the Swans. He can swing forward as well. the Swans could do with a reinforced back half as they have an ageing Grundy and some dash and run from Rampe. With Rohan on the decline the Swans need a steadying influence who can mark, intercept and run out of the backline. If you read the below passage from the AFL website it clearly explains why the Swans cant let him slip through the net.
Some clubs rate Petty as one of the best tall defenders available at the draft, with his strong overhead presence and good rebound making him a contender to break into the latter stages of the first round or early in the second round when names are called.

Part of Petty's appeal is the view from various recruiters that he is relatively untapped, with this season his first in the elite talent pathway after coming from a regional background.

The 17-year-old averaged 12 disposals and four marks at the national carnival but did not complete any of the athletic testing at the national NAB AFL Draft Combine after rolling his ankle in the kicking and goalkicking trials on the opening night.

Some Swans supporters may be critical of this selection but a good defender can make or break you when coming up against the 'Gorillas' of the competition.

35 St Kilda - Charlie Spargo

Pick 35 - St Kilda: Charlie Spargo, 175cm, 75kg, In/Outside Mid / Small Forward (GWS Academy / Allies / Murray Bushrangers)

BIO - Out of all the players in this pool, i honestly reckon Spargo is the least likely to not make it at AFL level. At worse i think he will be a B grade AFL player but as a small forward i feel he could be the best in the game one day. Charlie is super competitive and as tough as they come (as you will see in the footage v AFL listed players), if it wasn't for his injury we would be talking about him as a top 15 pick as this time last year my opinion was he was a top 5 prospect. His bloodline is great with his dad playing 90 games of AFL while he has also had a great development pathway coming up through the GWS academy, NSW/ACT programs swell as the Bushrangers. Super smart, has ok speed and uses the footy well and i would be surprised if he didn't go in the 20's come draft night.

RATIONALE - Not a need pick but best available talent, too hard to pass up.

WHO ELSE? - Harry Petty was the other one i wanted but got my man in Spargo

36 Geelong - Toby Wooller

Pick 36 – Geelong – Toby Wooller 193cm 90kg
Key Forward
Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro

This was an insanely hard choice to make but ive settled on Wooller who ive liked all year and despite cooling on him late he is still a very good prospect who will work his ass off to make it. Again Wooller fits my theme for the Cats he is a driven and hard working player who will present all day. Wooller has been one of the better one on one players this year and despite already having the size he has beaten key defenders who are bigger than him.

Wooller is one of the better users of the ball in this years draft and its an underrated quality in his game, he makes quick decisions by hand and foot and generally hits the target he has a nice long kick on him and he would compliment the cats forward line and could even play some games next year. Wooller was the captain of Oakleigh Chargers and won their best and fairest. Wooller has great hands both overhead and at ground level which allows him to kick most of his goals in any situation so that makes him a perfect option as a 3rd tall. His endurance is elite with his time in the 2km time trial turnign a few recruiters heads.

Wooller’s main knocks are his speed and agility which aren’t great but not horrible either for his position, despite being used as a big bodied midfielder at times i don’t think he looked natural there he looks a pure forward to me. Wooller has the workrate and footy smarts to make it at AFL level it will be a question of how his lack of speed and ability to pressure as a 3rd tall forward will limit him as a regular AFL player. His last game in the elimination final was outstanding taking plenty of contested marks with 4 of his 10 contested, he kicked 3 goals, had 8 tackles and a lazy 21 touches to go with it.

Why Geelong?
Well Geelong need some more developing key forwards and although they have recruited Buzza and he seems a good prospect they still need more and Wooller is a very safe bet. Wooller has Geelong running through his veins with his grandfather playing in Geelong’s 1963 premiership and it would be a dream for Toby to get selected by the Cats and with Toby testing out of his skin at the Combine I cant see him lasting to pick 57.

Who Else?
Well Cats also need some small forwards and I had a few considered here including Spargo who went the pick before. Ill be targeting a small forward at my next pick and I think I can get a decent one there.

37 Melbourne - Sam Taylor


38 West Coast - Nathan Krueger

Pick 38. West Coast. Nathan Kreuger. 196 cm 89 kg. KPP. South Adelaide.

Ok I will be upfront here .

Kreuger is a massive talent but he is also a risky pick because I am not sure how well he will transition into a professional full on....... live, eat, sleep and breathe football environment and those concerns are without even trying to additionally factor in a relocation inter state.

With out being disrespectful it would be fair to say that Nathan has had to do things, off field , the hard way and just like Sam Powell - Pepper last year he hasn't been dealt the best cards growing up.
I genuinely wish the young man nothing but the best as he is apparently a terrific kid.

His football ability is quite amazing and the term "utility" probably best suits him, as much as any kid in this draft.
He can play CHF and CHB equally well, plus he has the speed and agility to also play anywhere along the boundary be that forward or back.
He reminds me in many ways of Darryl White formerly of the Brisbane Lions and just like White he is an excitement machine.

Where his best position is going to be in the AFL I have absolutely no idea, but his talent is just to tantalising for me to pass up on.

Kreuger has a terrific set of ,reliable sticky hands and is as good an intercept mark as is on offer in this years draft cohort. He is blessed with the agility and evasiveness that make him a hard player to counter.
He has a good measure of dash to his game and his attack on the ball in a contest is impressive.
The canny left footer has good kicking skills and has a larger skill set that can be adapted to most positions around the ground.

This pick is the last that West Coast have until the seventies and as such its a pick that I have allowed for a high risk high reward roll of the dice , type selection.

The truth be known there is another unheralded tall I almost took here , but I am being a tad mischievous and keeping him on the board , wanting to see just where he is rated, by others.

That said Kreuger is a young talent that, if he gets the opportunity to play at the next level and can adapt, then he could be anything.


Edit : On the unheralded tall I mentioned above that was Ben Miller who I am not surprised didn't get past or escape the ever vigilant eye of @LemmingMasterwho took him with Ports pick at # 60.

39 Collingwood - Callum Coleman-Jones

Pick 39 Collingwood - Callum Coleman-Jones (SA)

Best position: Ruck/key forward

Height, weight: 201cm, 98kg

Recruited from: Sturt

Projected draft range: second round

Similar to: Toby Nankervis

October Ranking: 18

Strengths:

Contested marking

Strong hands overhead

Intercept marking

Reading of the ball in flight

Size

Strength

Physicality

Clean at ground level

Disposal numbers per game through the ruck

Scoreboard impact

Taps to advantage

Mobility

Production

Prolific both as a key forward and ruckman

Very advanced game for age

Weaknesses:

Poor leaper

Lacks explosiveness

Awkward kicking style

---
I wasn't counting on this, but I'm very happy to capitalise on the value Coleman-Jones represents as a ruckman and key forward who's production stacks up with any in either position. Yet another player forgotten about due to injury over the second half of the season. In my view, defying popular opinion, Coleman-Jones is better than Sam Hayes both as a ruckman and key forward.

With Moore an athletic leaper and a freak at ground level up front, Coleman-Jones is a suitable compliment as a genuine go-to contested marking target up front who can draw the ball, take the pressure off of Moore and relieve through the ruck or just as easily carry the ruck load. It also gives Collingwood greater flexibility with their usage of Fogarty in this draft scenario, potentially setting up Collingwood's key forward stocks for the next 10-15 years.

40 Adelaide - Andrew McPherson

41 Gold Coast - Brandon Starcevich

Pick 41 - Gold Coast - Brandon Starcevich

Gold Coast is a team which is quite blessed with speed. They have the likes of Jack Martin and Aaron Hall who are able to dash down the wing, and Callum Ah Chee who can do some real damage with his speed and agility up forward. What the Suns do lack, however, is someone who can combine such great athletic prowess with power and a great set of footballing skills. Someone who can not only be of real use in the guts and bursting out of a pack, but also is dangerous around goal. In Starcevich, they get just that.

Starcevich is someone I have quite high on my draft board - around the 30 mark. The reason for this is that he's just got a great all round footballing package. He's blessed with immense speed (shown by an excellent 2.87 20m sprint at the State Combine), as well as superb agility. Although I think he could potentially use his speed a bit more in games, he's shown that he's more than capable of using these traits to get loose from an opponent. Starcevich's skills, from what I have seen, are decent - nothing elite, but they're absolutely good enough. He's already got size - he's arguably well-built enough to play AFL next year, as I've seen him shrug off many opponents with ease, albeit at the U18 level. However, he's still got room to grow, and will eventually still be able to use this aspect of his game to his advantage at the next level.

The obvious concern here with Starcevich is that he's not putting up the numbers required at Colts and Reserves level. Strangely enough, his best two games were at arguably the highest U18 level - against Vic C in the champs, and in the U18 All Star game. This seems to be a problem of endurance, however he might also need to learn how to consistently position himself better so that he can find more of the ball. Once he learns to do this, he'll absolutely be a damaging player, as more often than not when he does get the ball, something very good happens.

Who else? Oskar Baker was another I was considering here, but I feel like Starcevich's style of player is more of a need for the Suns.

42 GIANTS (MB) - Nick Shipley

43 Fremantle - Bayley Fritsch

Pick 43 Fremantle - Bayley Fritsch (187cm, 80kg forward from Casey Scorpions)

Not something I normally do, picking mature aged players and particularly from the VFL. But I've seen more of it this year than I have previously, and there's a lot to like about Fritsch. With there being talk of him possibly featuring in the 25-40 range come draft day. For a bit of background, Fritsch will be 21 by the time the 2018 season starts. He's only now been able to put some weight onto his frame, adding about 10kg in the past year. And that was the main reason he missed out on TAC Cup selection back in 2014. Then stress fractures in his back ruined his 2015, a knee injury wiped out 2016. But he's finally fit and showing what he can do.

And what he can do, is kick 44 goals in 19 matches. With it being enough to claim the Fothergill-Round Medal as the VFL's most promising young player. The last 11 winners have all gone on to play AFL, including Fremantle's own Luke Ryan last year.

So, he's a medium sized marking forward with an obvious knack for finding the goals. I like him because he can play big or small, pulling down contested marks or kicking an opportunistic goal. There are two strengths to his game. Firstly is his marking ability. He reads the play well, has an elite vertical jump and sticky hands. Second, is his kicking. One of the best kicks in the draft, without a doubt. And he can do it over a distance too. It's for those two reasons that some teams think he could be a very good half back too. For Fremantle fans, he's basically what we all hoped Hayden Crozier would, but never, became.

The main knocks I have on him are ball winning ability and speed. When you rarely play any higher up the ground than the half forward line, it's obviously going to be hard to win a heap of the ball. And while he can kick 3 goals from 10 touches, having those 20+ touches a game is something he hasn't really done to this point. And it could be a question for teams wanting to move him back and highlight that boot of his. While Fritsch is more of a footballer, rather than athlete. Doesn't have the speed that many crave on the outside.

I like his prospects though, particularly up forward. In just a season of full time football, he's improved significantly and changed his body shape. And he's just a good hard working person. Give him a couple of years in an AFL system, and there's no telling how good he could be.

44 Hawthorn - Oskar Baker

Pick 44 - Hawthorn: Oskar Baker (Aspley) 182cm 76kg

Oskar is an underrated Queenslander who was cut from the Lions Academy but bounced back to have a terrific season with Aspley. A 19 year-old, Baker has great skills and speed, usually plays off half-back and can run through the middle. I anticipate he will play on a wing long-term and break the lines going forward. He's not my next in line but I feel the Hawks are slow through the midfield bar Smith and they need some serious speed and outside skill as their skilful players are ageing. He is readymade and I fee he could impact next season and don't be surprised if he lands in the top 30 on draft night.

 

[Snoop Dog]

45 St Kilda - Jackson Ross

Pick 45 - St Kilda: Jackson Ross, 193cm, 74kg, Medium Forward / Outside Mid (Eastern Ranges)

BIO - Former tennis star, Ross has all the upside in the world with the skills and frame to match it. Elite running capacity is a key trait for Ross and will allow him to develop his craft as a wingman / lead up forward. Has the ability to impact games by kicking goals but can also go missing at times. Ross may not play straight away at AFL level but with a couple years of development in an elite footballing environment he will become a point of difference in an AFL line up because of his size, athleticism and versatility.

RATIONALE - Best available, i currently have him ranked at 32

WHO ELSE? - Patrick Wilson from Sturt was my original pick if Ross didn't slip through, although he's early 20's i think there is plenty of upside. If i had a late pick i would use it on him or Cam Ball from Norwood as i rate his rebounding and intercept ability.

46 Port Adelaide - Aiden Domic

Pick 46 - Port - Aiden Domic

Probably a slightly more outside midfielder with elite endurance and a very good user of the football. You can never have too many of these players on a list and when you're picking in the 40's getting a kid with his skill set should be a blessing.
Works well between the two arcs and can work into the defensive 50m arc to help out his defensive unit. I like him above his head as well for a kid his size and weight. I still think it is his ability to lower his eyes and spot out targets moving into the forward line.
I could see him going a little higher on draft night.

47 Melbourne - Alex Martini

48 Essendon - Tom McCartin

Pick 48 Essendon Tom McCartin 193cm 84kg Key Forward Geelong Falcons

Absolutely stoked to get big Tom here. I have him rated in my top 20 come draft night- draft cliche 101
Tom is a hard working high tall forward who has terrific endurance plus a passable burst of speed. Tom also has a very nice leap as well which compliments his endurance base.
At the combine Tom was a start performer who finished top 10 in the yo-yo run and also the running vertical leap.
Tom has terrific hands and can find space to lead into the forward 50.
Tom also enjoys hitting the pack hard and breaking a pack apart.
Defensive pressure is okay but can improve but he does put in the effort.
Tom is going to need to work on his goal kicking which is very inconsistent and turn head turning quarters into halves and then full games.
I am not concerned about this at all as Tom is born at the end of December which means he was born a couple of days later he would be draft ineligible.
Tom will complete year 12 next year and combine that with footy and he is not one who will make a big impact in 2018 but he could be a ripper by 2021.
Tom plays in a similar fashion to Nick Reiwoldt working up and down the ground and players of his size struggle to keep up.

Rationale for pick.
As DPS stated, I think this kid is way too good to be around still and he was always going to be taken here if available. As I stated I wouldn't be surprised if he is taken late first round with Richmond being the team that I think will have a serious look at him.
Some people may say what about midfielders which is a valid point however Langford, Laverne, Mutch, Clarke and McGrath all need more opportunities to go into the midfield and Stringer and Smith should spend a bit of time in there as well. There are a couple of other players I really like but I am not sure they will be available next pick. Very, very happy with this selection. Thanks DPS for taking the pick for me.

49 Port Adelaide - Jake Patmore

50 Gold Coast - Kane Farrell

Pick 50 - Gold Coast - Kane Farrell

In my opinion, the Suns are really going to miss having Saad's run and dash out of the backline. He was able to take the game on, keep his composure and really find targets with ease when running off the half back flank. Obviously you can't get a ready-made replacement for someone like Saad in this draft, however what you can do is try to find a prospect that will be able to replace him in the long run. I reckon one of the players closest in playing style to Saad is Farrell.

Farrell's main weapons are his willingness to take the game on, and execution, off half back. Although he might not have developed as much as he would have liked in a statistical sense, he is still, in my opinion, one of the best and most damaging kicks in the draft. His long, more often than not accurate boot can break open zones and damage opposition defensive structures. Athletically, he's great, having a 2.90sec 20m sprint and a National Combine-best 8.10sec agility test time. He's also very strong overhead for his size, quite an underrated aspect of his time. When I've watched him, I've always thought he has traits of a smaller Brodie Smith, but I reckon he can push onto a wing in the future.

Naturally, there's going to be a few queries with a player at this pick, and the main ones with Farrell are his lack of statistical improvement this year, his endurance and his lack of defensive work for a defender. IMO the first and second problems go hand in hand. Once he develops his endurance and conditions his body, he'll be able to consistently get in better positions to find the footy more.

Who else? Ben Paton was another consideration here (someone I actually rate higher than Farrell), but I reckon Farrell's aggressive style of play for a defender is more of a need for Gold Coast, even if he is a little more raw.

51 Sydney - Brent Daniels

52 Brisbane Lions - Adam Sambono

Pick 52 Brisbane - Adam Sambono


I picked Sambono in the practice run and although I had not intended to pick him this time around I am not disappointed to end up with him. FWIW I had intended to take Hugh Dixon here but realistically we probably need a small forward more and at this stage Sambono is a big upside type that I have no problem taking a fly on.

There has been a bit of hype around the Sambono story but personally I don’t think there is that much fairy tale in it. He has been playing for a long time in a small community that loves its football. He is a late developer who really put in this year and has done exceptionally well and is probably going to get a chance to show if he can make it at AFL level. He played in the NTFL over the last summer and managed 48 goals from 10 matches and then got a chance with the Thunder in the NEAFL. In the NEAFL he quickly established himself as one of the best small forwards in the competition kicking 29 goals in his first 8 games before ending up winning the Rising Star of the competition.

Despite being 20 years old he was given special dispensation to play in the under 18 Champs for the Allies. Personally I thought he looked a little lost early but looked more at home the longer things went on. Sambono is a great read of the play and gets to smart spots but at under 18 level I think it took a while for him to get to know how his teammates played and what their capabilities were. I think he is a player who is much better when he has time to adjust and train intensively with his team and he did not get that at under 18 level.

Sambono is a stick at 188cm and 69kgs but he is wiry and will throw his body around. He has an excellent leap and marks the ball at its highest point and is a difficult match up for a small defender because of that. Defenders can move him because of his light frame but he does adjust in the air well and can take marks in difficult spots. He is not overly quick (not slow either) but he is very quick between the ears and gets to smart spots early and knows what to do when he gets there. He is reasonably elusive through traffic but not exceptionally so. In the open field he is one of those guys who seems to glide across the surface.

Skills wise he is good, taking good options and hitting them more often than not. He is able to operate effectively at pace which I really like. I would not consider his skills to be elite at this stage but I do think there is potential for them to end up so once he gets into a full time program. I was a bit disappointed with some of his finishing at the Champs but in other games I have seen including those against AFL listed players in the NEAFL he has been excellent and his goal sense top shelf so I am not worried in that regard.

Despite having a light frame, Sambono is a very willing tackler and he will work defensively. As he builds his tank I think he will end up a very dangerous two way player. He brings his footy IQ to his defensive work as well as the offensive side of the game and you can often see him coast and then when the ball carrier’s attention is elsewhere he will attack. He positions himself nicely and regularly catches his opponent unaware.

Overall Sambono is very much a footballer rather than an athlete but one with enough athletic talent to really impact at AFL level if he gets it all together. I would like to see Charlie Cameron take Adam under his wing like Eddie did for Charlie and they could be a dynamic duo if that were to be the case.

53 Richmond - Gryan Miers

54 Gold Coast - Oscar Clavarino

55 Richmond - Joel Amartey

56 Brisbane (MB) - Jack Payne

Pick 56 Brisbane - Jack Payne


I am happy to match the bid on Payne for my last selection. Payne has all the tools to make it at AFL level. He has great size, both height and weight and is a power athlete who is actually pretty good at playing AFL football. Payne has been good all year without being spectacular and I think has slipped under many people’s radars especially when he was dropped for the last couple of games for the Allies.

He is not a big possession winner at the back but he is rarely beaten in one on one contests. He has the strength to go body on body and the explosive pace to match a lead. With his body shape I think it is very easy to underestimate his quickness but if you watch him you rarely see him more than a step or two behind. If you watch his highlights there is a lot of intercept marking in there and whilst that can be a feature of his game he is prepared to play more of a close checking role if required. At NEAFL level he was often instructed to stick to his knitting and you saw much more punching than marking. With that said if he is freed up his marking at the back is pretty good and he judges it nicely when to leave his man and attack the ball.

Payne’s kicking is good and it is worth noting that he managed 29/30 from the kicking test at the Combine. He is not at the elite level that Ballenden is with his kicking but this is a big guy who you don’t mind having the ball and you can be confident he will hit a target. He often plays within himslf though and does not try and be overly attacking coming out of defence. The skills are there though and there is potential for him to improve in this area as he develops into a system. I have heard comment that he does take a bit too long to get rid of the ball and this could be an issue at the next level. That is probably fair but at the moment I am not seeing anything to suggest that he will have too much trouble adapting.

Overall I see Payne as a really nice combination of physical tools and mental application that gives him a very good opportunity to succeed at AFL level. If a bid comes at 40+ for him I struggle to see the Lions not matching.

57 Gold Coast (MB) - Brayden Crossley

58 Collingwood - Ben Paton

#58 Collingwood - Ben Paton

Now that Collingwood's KPP stocks are looking more healthy, I thought it would be time to add to the back half since we're down to the scraps.

Ben Paton as an overager has had a very strong year and is a plug and play type off a half-back flank. He has the production behind him (24 disposals per game in the TAC) and 19 disposals per game through the U18 Championships. He's the complete package - a clean ball user, provides run, intercepts and also is a capable stopper. He's an all-around player who is an instant plug and play type off half-back, replacing and providing an upgrade on a lot of the depth lost over the offseason with Sinclair/Ramsay/Oxley/Mackie list changes.

59 Geelong - Will Walker

Walker is one of the biggest bolters in this draft with his form in the last few months of the year as good as anybodys. Walker started the year as an exciting forward with a great leap and a mix of speed and agility that made him a dangerous matchup for tall and small defenders. Walker caught my attention in a pre-season game against Oakleigh where he attempted a massive screamer, he did a few nice things in that game but with all of Sandringham’s guns playing and only coming from Soccer last year he wasn’t given as much opportunity early in the year. It wasn’t until I seen his game against Eastern later in the year did I get to see how he would go in the midfield and boy did he impress.

Walker still has some issues, he can take the game on a little too much and take too long to make a decision but a lot of that comes down to his lack of experience and id still like to encourage his attacking nature. Walker at times can be a little bit selfish but so can a lot of gun AFL players. So even though he has some issues they aren’t enough for me to write him off, as long as he puts the work in he has the talent to become a superstar. He has good clean hands aswell which will serve him well as a hybrid forward at AFL level.

Walker has been of the more complete midfielders kicking 22 goals from his 19 games and his average tackle and mark numbers are also very decent for a midfielder/forward. Walker rarely played a bad game and some of his better games came later in the year with a 3 goal/30 possession game against the Western Jets and a 4 goal/25 possession game against Murray Bushrangers. He also had a solid Grand Final playing mostly forward kicking 2 goals with 19 Possessions.

Why Geelong?
I don’t believe any pure small forwards are good enough for this pick and Walker will be more than capable playing forward early in his career and he should eventually be able to run through the midfield. He is an exciting player with his leap and agility and he still has enormous upside and talent which makes him impossible to pass up here.

Who Else?
A pure small forward was considered and perhaps a developing tall defender but in a shallow draft I had to go best available here but also Walker can play forward easily so he still fills a need.

Highlights for Walker can be found here

60 Port Adelaide - Ben Miller

Pick 60 Port - Ben Miller

This is my smokey come draft night and if not draft night, in the years to come at AFL level. He has been playing senior football since the age of 15 or 16 in Kal. Due to his athletic traits he has been playing as a ruck at junior levels and I think at AFL level he will only provide relief for the main ruck.

I would trial him as a forward first and then if that was not working, I could see him being a very solid defender long term.
Some combine stats first in the Goalkicking test (30/30), the Agility test (8.10 seconds), and came third in the 20-metre sprint (2.91 seconds).
Those are impressive stats to have on a player at 196cm tall. He destroyed CCJ and Hayes in the ruck and this is coming from an undersized player.
He is not lost once the ball hits the ground and loves to tackle and gain contested possessions.

61 Fremantle - Lloyd Meek

Pick 61 Fremantle - Lloyd Meek

(202cm, 108kg ruckman from GWV Rebels)

Like with KPPs, rucks seem to be where draft boards differ the most. Everyone has a favourite, players they rate or don't. For me, Meek is the second best ruck in the draft after Sam Hayes. And while clubs may be going away from playing two rucks in the same side, even average ruckmen are valued highly as depth. Although I think Meek could be better than average, and will provide good competition for Sean Darcy.

Played as a 19 year old in the TAC Cup this season, the extra year did him wonders and he's a significantly better prospect than a year ago - increasing his disposals, marks and hitouts. Coming into the season, Meek had to improve on his ground level work and versatility. And he's done pretty well in that regard. He's surprisingly good below his knees, picks the ball up cleanly and has quick hands. Not afraid to throw his body around either. He's also become a genuine contested marking threat up forward, his ability on the lead is better than expected. His ruck work itself was already good, he's just become more dominant this year. I like that he actually jumps at the ball, both in the ruck and in marking contests. Like any big bodied ruck, he isn't the quickest or most mobile player. But I don't consider it any worse than normal, and he wouldn't be a liability as the only ruck.

Always difficult to know how a ruckman will develop. I think Meek is a fairly safe bet to stick around on a list, even if its just as depth like Jonathan Giles did at so many clubs. But he does everything well, and is as good a pickup as any at this point in the draft.

62 Collingwood - Liam Ryan

#62 Collingwood - Liam Ryan

Kicking 73 goals from 23 WALF games. Liam Ryan adds substantial excitement to the Collingwood front half with his aerial marking prowess and goal sense.

The 21-year-old was unlucky to get overlooked in 2016 after kicking 40 goals from 16 games. Poor endurance was cited as the reason by most for him being overlooked, but he's worked hard in 2017 and improved his endurance to a level suitable for AFL selection.

He'll need to improve his forward pressure, but if he gets that right, he has the scope to become one of the most damaging medium forwards in the AFL.

 

[Snoop Dog]

63 Port Adelaide - Kyron Hayden

Port - Pick 63 Kyron Hayden

Having already invested in SPP they will get the 2017 version from WA. Hayden having a year off injured in the previous year helped him work on his strength. A very strong contested styled player that loves a good fend off. Has speed, agility and hops and I personally think he is a very good kick of the ball.

The main concern is his endurance at the moment and having a few solid preseasons could help build a base. Watching him at the championships he was my favourite WA midfielder and when he was in the center things seemed to happen.

64 Port Adelaide - Callan England

Port - Pick 64 Callan England.
A very outside running midfielder that will take a long time to develop. Has elements of Gaff about his game style, so don't expect a contested beast. Has shown ability to be damaging on the run and getting to the right areas. While he is a quick running beast does obviously have his issues. Will struggle to find his own ball and his kicking is very hit and miss.

Still when you're picking out this far in the draft, you certainly have a few warts on your resume.

65 North Melbourne - Hugh Dixon

66 Fremantle - Hayden McLean

Pick 66 Fremantle - Hayden McLean (196cm, 92kg forward from Sandringham Dragons)

It's been a very up and down season for McLean. Came into the season as an AFL/AIS Academy member with high hopes. Drifted out of the picture over the first half of the season, getting some decent numbers but not really having much impact. But has put himself back into the draft frame with a solid second half of the year, with his finals and All Star game the highlight of his season. I think he could go anywhere from the third round to the rookie draft, and even though he'd be a speculative pick he's still the best of the remaining talls in my opinion.

It should be said that he did suffer with glandular fever this year, so he wasn't at 100% but kept playing and spent quite a bit of time in the ruck too. I'd be developing him exclusively as a forward though, worry about pinch hitting in the ruck later on. He is more than capable of taking contested marks and crashing the packs, and for the most part his kicking is pretty good. Just has to do it more consistently.

I'm not 100% sold on McLean, but think he's a risk worth taking. His underage season was good, this year was average with some glimpses of more.

67 Essendon - Brayden Ainsworth

Pick 67 Essendon Brayden Ainsworth 183cm75kg Midfielder Subiaco

Essendon pick up an inside midfielder who had a terrific year at Subiaco and for WA.
All Australian inside midfielder Brayden's strengths are his ability to win the ball at the stoppage and his ability to run all day.
He is going to need to continue to work on his left foot kick and get quicker on the spread.
Tough kid, played senior footy at 16 in Esperance and a ripping character by all accounts. Moved to Perth to give footy a go and if he can tidy kick and build on rig could be a regular senior player at AFL level. Plays like Matthew Priddis and if he can become half as good the bombers will be pleased.

68 GIANTS (RS) - Trent Mynott

TRENT MYNOTT – EASTERN RANGES / MIDFIELDER / 184CM

Caulfield Grammer kid who I think is a really smart footballer and who can play a few different roles. Quite like him around the middle because he is quite good at the stoppages, gets through traffic pretty well, runs both ways, applies good tackle pressure and uses it really well. Averaged 22 possessions which is decent and had a good carnival and impressed for sure. Watched his vision again recently and looks a real player.

69 Hawthorn - Jordan Butts

#69 Hawthorn - Jordon Butts (Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country) 196cm/82kg

Hawthorn fans want a KPF and KPD and given the relative depth of this draft, picking an athletic type who is a good kick is a good value this late. I must admit I was considering him with my last pick as he will probably be late/rookie on draft day/s, but I know the Pies were pretty keen on him and it wouldn't surprise me if he was like a McLarty bolter and we plucked him out at #38. He is an elite runner who can play up either end and I know it's been primarily forward this year. I rate Butts more than some others, and think this is about right for him. His size and relative speed is really good and he is born on December 31, so just one day away from being 2018 eligible. I can see him appealing to the Hawks here as with the right development I think he could become a good player in an elite environment.

70 West Coast - Tom De Koning

Pick. 70. West Coast. Tom De Koning. 200cm. 92 kg. KPF Dandenong Stingrays.

In a draft, short of tall forwards the 200cm left footer is still very raw, but he has shown several glimpses of talent that is noteworthy, ( namely his 9 goals TAC bag last year ) .
He is a pick you are going to need to slot away for the future as he is years away from playing AFL.
Right now he looks and moves like a baby giraffe , but just like most 200cm + players you need to talent bank them.
He is still growing so the coordination won't be fully assessable till he stop growing and puts some mass on.

He has good hands and a nice kicking style and for someone his height he is pretty good below his knees.
Repeat patience is going to be needed as he will take some time to develop into an AFL player as his wirey frame needs some bulk added to it.

Whilst he can give a chop out in the ruck I see him primarily as an AFL key forward.
I see potential for him to morph into a Ben Brown type player and just like Brown he will take some time.

IMO it's very much worth taking a punt on Tom, as I see him as a low risk high reward at pick # 70.

71 Fremantle - Jackson Edwards

Pick 71 Fremantle - Jackson Edwards (185cm, 75kg midfielder from Glenelg)

Coming into the season, I know a lot of people on here had Edwards as a top 25 pick. And I kept saying they were getting caught up in the F/S hype and were overrating him. Now that hype has all but died off, and I feel he's a little underrated - particularly at this point in the draft. Adelaide are hoping to get him through to the rookie draft, but I think he's as 'safe' a prospect as any in the later rounds.

His U18 Championships was actually quite decent. He averaged 24 disposals a game, just quietly going about his business. He's not a player you tend to notice all that much, but that's not always a bad thing because it means he isn't making mistakes either. He's also played some league matches for Glenelg, again performing well. And even played a scratch match for Adelaide. Mostly played off a wing so far, he's not the biggest body going around. But he can still win his own ball too, I think his inside game will develop quite nicely. Biggest strength to his game is his reading of the play, he knows where to run and position himself. He's also a player that seems to have more time than others.

The reason he's considered a late/rookie pick though, I think is twofold. Firstly, he's not particularly quick for an outside midfielder. As I said, he does tend to create time and space when he has the ball. But speed certainly isn't a strength. The other is overall impact with his disposal. I do think Edwards is quite a classy player, his short and medium kicks are good. He doesn't have a lot of penetration on his kick though.

But come pick 71, a clean midfielder from good stock seems a good pick to me. And hey, if he comes good then Adelaide will overpay to get him back...

72 Geelong - Ethan Floyd

Pick 72 - Geelong - Ethan Floyd 180cm 71kg
Wingman/Defender
Geelong Falcons/Vic C

Floyd is a hard running wingman/defender with great kicking skills and sharp decision making he is also very clean in the way he plays and he reads the game well. Floyd had a very good year although his later part of the year was his best with a standout game against Gippsland in the first final winning over 30+ touches. His finals series in general was terrific. Floyd is a long left foot kick but he isnt purely one sided with his kicking on his right better than expected and speaking of his kicking its one of the best in this draft and im sure any forward would love Floyd kicking the ball to them.

Floyd at this stage is purely outside and he is rather small so i expect him to be a pure Wingman at the next level, he may also play down back but he is more of an attacking player than defensive. Floyd at times can bit off more than he can chew, he is a very confident player who generally makes the right decisions and hits his targets and his clean hands overhead and ground level really help him to stand out as a running outside player. Floyd may want to work at being a goal kicking threat much like an Isaac Smith.

Floyd is small and light but he has great endurance, skill and football smarts that make him a very good prospect and if he keeps working hard he will be a 200+ game player for his club, the more Floyd has the ball the better his team will go because he can be so damaging. I dont expect Floyd to last this long in the real thing and he is a bargain here for the Cats.

Why Geelong?
Geelong need more outside class and now they have the classy left foot pair from their own backyard with Ling and Floyd. Both these guys should add alot of skill and run to the Geelong line-up which will compliment that time nicely. Not only is he best available he fist a need so very happy to take him here.

Who Else?
Small forward and thats it really, i have a few in mind that have some upside. Charlie Thompson could be an option but i dont feel the Cats will go with him despite being a very solid player in my eyes.

73 Carlton - Mitch Crowden

Pick 73 - Carlton - Mitch Crowden.

Mitch is one of those typical SA midifielders that are undersized, with a solid frame and look really great at under 18's level. How will he transition to AFL level is always the concern with short and physically developed kids. It would be interesting to see if other states select players with higher potential upside over just very good footballers.

Crowden has plenty of things to like about his game. He can find the ball and his delivery into the forward line or out of defense is top notch. If he does not make it at AFL level, he will dominate at the level below. Has a combination of speed and leap so those are bonuses when you have a smaller height. Makes good decisions when playing, with the modern day zones, he is also a zone destroyer with the ability to kick over 50m with accuracy.

Carlton having recruited a few shorter blokes over the last few years may not really want to go down this path, but he was one of the better players left on my board and I am really struggling down at this point in the draft.

74 Hawthorn - Tyler Brown

Pick 74 - Hawthorn - Tyler Brown (Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro) 187cm/72kg

We all known Brown will be a Pie, but for interests sake given he is still on the board I'll select him for the Hawks as I feel he meets a need. At #74 after taking a quick outside midfielder and a dual KPP, I wanted to take best available project player with good scope. I think that is Tyler Brown because while 12 months ago he looked nowhere near being selected, he has gone from strength to strength and I consider him a late prospect in the draft. He is a really well balanced player who has fantastic football IQ. He moves really well and at 187cm, he is that taller midfielder which everyone wants a piece of. He isn't a huge accumulator at this stage, but when he wins it he uses it well, and he can win it inside or out. For me there are still a few question marks on how he develops and I think that will determine how good of a player he could be, but at #74 if he was a racehorse you'd pick him on his lineage and I think he's great value. In this circumstance I could see him thriving in the Hawks reserves and Clarko is always one to back his players in. So while some might say I'm picking him because he's a Pie and I'm a fan, I think he has a long way to go, but at this stage of the draft, he is a low risk/high reward pick. I

75 Gold Coast - Matthew Day


76 Adelaide - PASS

77 North Melbourne - Cody Ninyette


78 Fremantle - Haidan Schloithe

Pick 78 Fremantle - Haiden Schloithe (183cm, 85kg midfielder from South Fremantle)

Spent a couple of years on our rookie list back in 2011 without doing much, but has gone from strength to strength since. The 24 year old won the Sandover Medal this year averaging 29 disposals and kicking 30 goals in 22 games. From all reports, he was immature and didn't put in the work when he was first on our list. And in the past he's been known to duck quicker than Luke Shuey looking for a free kick. But he's stopped doing that as much now, and is as complete a mature aged midfielder as you'll get.

Not my intention to load up on mature aged players for Fremantle. But I like Bayley Fritsch, and Schloithe is just the best value here. And the best way for young players to learn and improve is with good players around them, and Fremantle did lose a lot of experienced depth this year. Need to fill out that Peel midfield, take the pressure off Dow and Stephenson.

I had earmarked one of my later selections for Patrick Wilson. He's a 187cm, 22 year old midfielder from Sturt. Very talented inside midfielder with a nice kick, he should get a chance this year. I probably won't take a third mature aged player now though.

79 Hawthorn - Noah Answerth

Noah Answerth (Oakleigh Chargers) 184cm/79kg - Inside midfielder

Noah Answerth is a talented midfielder who has been really unlucky due to injury. He showed late in the season and in particular the Young Guns Game that he has some good traits from which clubs can work on to develop him into a full-time midfielder. He is an inside leaning midfielder but I feel he has the skills to become a really balanced player. Once he can get a full run at it, his endurance will improve and he already has solid speed and good agility. He already has the skills to begin his career at half-back before potentially progressing into the midfield, a move that he was denied due to injury this year. At 184cm and 79kg he is a good frame to fit in early on once he has improved his tank. I can picture him being a valuable contributor out of defence at Box Hill and in time, Hawthorn. For me it’s a good pick this late given his talent and another low risk/high reward pick.

80 Western Bulldogs - Joshua Smithson

Pick 80 - Western Bulldogs - Joshua Smithson (185cm, 84kg - Medium Forward/Midfielder - DOB: 4/5/1999 - From West Adelaide)

Bio: Smithson is a strong bodied, athletic midfielder and the winner of the MVP in the SANFL U18's comp averaging more than 24 disposals through the midfield as well as going forward and hitting the scoreboard. He also played a game in the U18 Champs kicking 3 goals in SA's win over Vic Country.

Why the Dogs?: The dogs really lack 2 things in our side, quicker midfielders and players who can hit the scoreboard. Smithson brings both and so is a good list fit for the dogs.

81 Fremantle - Sam Davis

Pick 81 Fremantle - Sam Davis (192cm, 87kg from Glenelg)

South Australia have a few of this type - talls, but not quite KPPs. Charlie Ballard is obviously the top rated of them, but I really like Sam Davis as a prospect. Also considered similar types in Oscar Chapman and Lochie Charlton, but went the added height of Davis. Split his time between playing midfield atImmanuel College, and a high half forward role for SA and Glenelg. He could really be developed into anything - a third tall forward, through the midfield or maybe even down back. Athletic with good speed and endurance, another nice kick too.

82 Melbourne - Jonty Scharenberg

Melbourne Football Club
Pick 82

Jonty Scharenberg - South Australia/Glenelg FC

The serious bad luck story of the 2016 Draft Class. A top 10 prospect at the start of 2016 season, All Australian Selection at the 2016 u18 Championship, averaging 24 disposals and playing a handful of SANFL League games, wasn’t enough to get his name read out in November. Issues medical were the words coming out of most of the club doctors RE - Matt (Collingwood) having so many knee issues and his other brother Jake with a knee reco as well.

I have been following Jonty throughout this 2017 season and he hasn’t missed a beat. He has added around 3-5kg to his frame over the pre season and improved his aerobic running capacity (which was a knock). Averaging 22.4 disposals and 6.2 tackles a game at SANFL League Level.

A ball winning midfielder last year at U18 level, changed half back flanker and is relishing this roll with Glenelg FC this season, still getting some minutes through the midfield (85% HBF, 15% Mid). I can see him fitting into the Melbourne backline and also push onto the wing and even midfield, one day. He knows how to win the ball, tackles hard, uses the ball by hand fantastically and has again improved his kicking. Playing this season as a half back flanker, he has been running off and providing options and delivering the ball into the Glenelg forward line, looking ready to take that next step. Missing out in 2017 has changed Jonty and made him hungrier.
Recently just getting runner up in the Glenelg FC Best and Fairest by 2 votes, as a first year senior player - Fantastic effort.

A late mature age pick for Melbourne but he is worth it.

Others:
Jordan Keras - NEAFL - SouthPort Sharks - Was very close to selecting him, clearance beast and needs a chance at the next level. Potentially a rookie.

83 Essendon - Bailey Banfield


84 West Coast - Aaron Darling

In a cruel twist of fate Darling ( and Yes he is related : Cousin of Jack ) tore his right ACL in January 2017 a week before he was booked on a plane to fly West to do his AFL Academy placement with West Coast.
On raw talent Aaron deserves strong consideration as a forgotten prospect because the knee injury robbed him on any football this season.
My understanding is that the rehab has gone well and he is on track to recommence training.
Darling garnered enough interest to be invited to the Vic State Screening last month.

Darling pre injury was an explosive aggressive small forward who as an underage kid who played 16 games last season for the Stingrays.
Its disappointing that we never got to see the planned transition to midfield duties that was on the cards for Darling in 2017.
No doubting that picking a kid up after a knee reconstruction has its risks, but the talent was on show and its a bit hard to ignore, lets face it a pick in the eighties is a roll of the dice at the best of times.
Not to many AFL Academy kids slide this far down the draft board so I am OK with the boom or bust nature of this pick.

I had planned to take either Banfield or Schloithe with this pick however they have already been picked up.

85 Sydney - Callum Porter


86 GIANTS - Jordan Johnston

JORDAN JOHNSTON – GWV / MEDIUM FORWARD & MIDFIELDER / 185cm

One of the players I really enjoy watching. Is one of those kids that plays at a high tempo and is a real barometer for team. Probably started more as a half forward where he is crafty and clever in the air and on the ground. Has a good leap, turn of speed and his clean hands and ball use are good. Went into the middle later in the season and I was pretty impressed with his work inside and and out. Has good vision in traffic and makes good calls.

87 Geelong - Lachlan Schulz

Pick 87 - Geelong - Lachlan Schultz 177cm 72kg
Small Forward
Williamstown/VFL

Schultz had a great year this year and would have claims as the best small forward in the VFL. Schultz has alot of AFL traits with his ability to win one on ones at ground level and in marking contests. He always makes defenders panic with the way he buzzes around. Schultz also doesn't turn 20 until the end of this month so there is plenty of development to go.

Schultz's numbers this year where fantastic with only a handful where he didn't kick a goal he kicked over 2 goals 10 times during the year so he can regularly hit the scoreboard. The first thing you notice with Schultz is how well he goes in marking contests against bigger opponents, there where multiple times where he would take fantastic contested marks and quickly play on and create a goal. He is one of those forwards that makes you think something will happen when he is around the ball.

Schultz has good speed but he isn't super quick which could turn off a few but the way he just buzzes around and creates scoring opportunities i feel makes up for it. He may not be ready yet to make the step to AFL but i feel under an AFL system he could quickly improve and be a threat at AFL level.

Why Geelong?
Geelong need a small forward and despite just missing on Miers and Daniels i feel Schultz could be great value here.

Who Else?
I considered Charlie Thompson but he doesn't have the speed that Schultz has. Sam Dobson the local boy could be picked aswell but he is more a 3rd tall forward but he would still be good value here.

88 North Melbourne - PASS


89 Fremantle - Stefan Giro

Pick 89 Fremantle - Stefan Giro (175cm, 72kg midfielder from Norwood)

Nothing too out of the ordinary from me today. Just a really good and committed young footballer. Outside midfielder, he's quick and runs hard all day on the wing. Smart and a good ball user too. Height is an issue, I suspect he'll have to improve his forward game to make it at the top level. But he's worth a late pick.

90 Hawthorn - Charlie Thompson

Hawthorn - Pick 90: Charlie Thompson (Oakleigh Chargers) 184cm/82kg

I had a few thoughts for this pick but I think what Charlie offers at this stage of the draft is uniquely different to anyone else. There's no doubting he's a tad on the slow side which is why I didn't take him earlier for the Hawks. What he does offer is a tough player to out-mark and his ability to just go about his business in an unfashionable way. When Joel Garner knocked over a teammate late in the Chargers' clash with Eastern at Mars Arena late in the year, Thompson was the first to go over and remonstrate with Garner, sticking up for his teammate. His attitude towards the football actually reminded me a little of Luke Hodge even though the pair are very different in where they play, but Hodge too is not overly quick but is just so strong overhead and can find the ball with ease. He's played as a full-time midfielder at times and can win it inside or out, has good endurance and agility, a penetrating kick. I think he ticks most boxes except speed and while at times he struggled with consistency, he wouldn't be on the board at pick 90 if he didn't.

91 Adelaide - PASS

92 Sydney - Brett Bewley

93 GIANTS - Dom Barry

94 Adelaide - PASS

95 Carlton - David Handley

96 Carlton - Matthew McGannon


* Richmond edited for Castagna & Soldo upgrades

 

[Snoop Dog]

Save

 

[Snoop Dog]

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[Snoop Dog]

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[Snoop Dog]

Quigley

 

[matt_bas]

Save...am I doing it right?

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Geelong's pick 90 will be used to upgrade James Parsons.

 

[THE_GUN]

When is kick off

 

[La Dispute]

I choose Jose Canseco

 

[missionpossible]

When is kick off

I am guessing wednesday morning since that is what it says in the opening post

 

[Danger in Texas]

Bit different to the trial draft

Time to find some late gems

 

[Footywizard]

I cant believe groin guru isn't norths representative

 

[DaveLister]

I cant believe groin guru isn't norths representative

pfft why would he reveal his hand, he'll be doing North's selecting on the 24th of November.

 

[mattyc75]

Looking forward to it

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Ysaye]

Quigley

Giving Quigs pick 1 is pretty much like passing the ball to Jaidyn Stephenson, in as much as anything could happen next....

 

[Quigley]

Pick 1 Brisbane - Luke Davies-Uniacke

Most years there is a stand-out one or two players who separate themselves from the rest and demand to be taken first or second. They do not always work out to be the best players but they do look like the prime blue chip prospects going into the draft. That is not the case this year. You are hearing the same 3 players (Rayner, Dow and LDU) being thrown up by most people but personally I don’t think any of these guys have done much to separate themselves from the other consensus top 10 picks. The first pick this year comes with a greater risk – reward paradigm than virtually any other year.

In the end I have gone with LDU whose ceiling might not be as high as the likes of Rayner but is someone whose floor is likely to be higher playing as an inside mid. That is not to say that LDU does not have the potential to be a truly elite player – he certainly does. Just the chances of him reaching those levels are less than most guys who have been taken at 1 in previous years and Rayner is the guy who has the best chance this year.

LDU is a big bodied inside / out mid who can win his own ball. He is powerful through the hips and has good balance over the ball. He does not play the bull at a gate style like Wines but is a powerful presence in the contest much in the way that Josh Kennedy from Sydney is. His hands are solid but not elite at this stage and he tends to shovel it out a bit much. When he takes the extra half second good things happen for him so I think with work he could become a very good inside player at the next level.

One of the big criticisms of him has been that he lacks hurt factor and there is some truth in that. As mentioned inside he can at times just get the ball out to the first target rather than the best target and when under pressure he tends to do similar and not lift his head. That is not to say he always takes bad options or that his skills are bad. In fact when he has time and space his skills are actually good as is his option taking. As mentioned above he is not always rushed inside and when he takes his time and rides the contact he regularly makes good things happen with his disposals. He just needs to develop consistency in what he does with the ball.

In fact, consistency was the other main criticism of him. In a lot of games this year he failed to have a consistent impact throughout games and faded in and out. This was especially evident when he was playing forward or other than in a true onball role. There has been talk of him being able to play forward and whilst he might pick up a goal or two at the next level through the use of his strength I would not rely on him being able to consistently impact in that role in the AFL. I do not see him as a natural forward and he is not a good lead and does not find himself in the right spot to crumb as often as I would like. He might rest forward and pick up a goal or two here and there but he is not a small forward. He does not find it easily up forward and will go missing too often.

This year I thought Vic Country were the team to beat coming into the Champs and all up were a massive disappointment. My top 2 coming into the year (Worpel and Clarke) showed little development from the year before and the very good supporting cast just did not stand up when it counted. Throwing the players around position-wise would not have helped but few VC players would have helped their draft prospects. One thing I did notice though was that when VC were doing well it was off the back of LDU dominating through the midfield. He had quiet patches and was played in other positions for long periods but when they were up and about it was almost always when LDU was dragging them along. It is this ability to take over a game and drag his team with him that is one of the big reasons I am taking him at number 1. He has an extra gear that is at a very high level and if he can get to that level more often then it will convert into wins for the team that takes him.

When you see LDU and the way he plays you expect him to be slow around the ground but this is not really the case. I think his pace and agility, whilst not elite by any means, are certainly reasonable and, at his size, can be deceptive and unexpected. Overall he covers the ground nicely and I do not have any athletic concerns in taking him.

Rayner is the big upside pick. Dusty has been thrown around as the comparison but personally I see a lot of GAJ in his game. He has a low centre of gravity and is powerful through the hips that allows him to keep his feet and get through a contest and tackles with good balance. He reads the contest exceptionally well and moves early to receive and as a consequence is in the right spot at the right time more than others on the ground. Skills are good but not great but he does take good options and so he has hurt factor. He will start up forward and will kick goals. Like GAJ though I think it will be a few years before he makes it in the midfield if he can at all. As has been widely reported he has very poor endurance numbers and at the moment he is an impact player only through the middle of the ground. Can he build his tank to a sufficient level to be a full time AFL midfielder? That is the $64,000,000 question (an allowance for inflation has been thrown in there). There is a very real risk that Rayner ends up being a career small forward like a LeCras who always looks good enough to run through the midfield but just not the capacity to carry it off.

Dow is the other option that I did consider here and he had a lot of the same strengths and weaknesses as LDU. He is a bit quicker and a potential marking option up forward but he looks like a career inside out player to me. Personally I prefer LDU because I like the additional body size that LDU brings and the ability he has to lift and drag a team along with him. In games I have watched this year, particularly at the Champs, I have been disappointed with Dow in that when the heat has gone on he has offered little. For a number 1 pick I want a guy who can stand up when it counts.

 

[M Malice]

Fantastic analysis as usual by The Quig. I am sure we will all miss his own dedicated draft thread this year.

 

[zeeCFC]

Posts are always so well thought out and brilliantly articulated. Can we just give Brisbane every pick to force a Quigley mock?

 

[Snoop Dog]

Chris25