Review 2019 AFL National Draft

[briztoon]

Mahony is quite likely going to be the pick of the bunch. It's evident in the interviews I've listened to with our team, we even rated him much higher than what we took him at. Hence why we traded back into the 30's for most of our picks, as we thought we'd get Mahony and Perez anyway.

He was also an absolute gun u/16, was viewed as high as a top 5 pick through the early age groups.

Have you seen Champion Data's assessment of him?

He was their third ranked player at the U//18 championships and the 6th ranked player in the TAC Cup in 2019.

Statistically he had the highest score involvement and score assist averages since they have been measuring the metric at the nationals.

He missed the Nab League finals with injury and played a lot of school football which let him fly under the radar a fair bit.

I'm expecting him to play senior football in 2020.

As for his athleticism, he certainly isn't rapid, but he's a similar styled player and build to Tom Papley, Jade Gresham and Jack Higgins - All of whom certainly aren't super athletic or quick, but all who have been similar accumulators at lower levels and are all very good creatively going I50 and all play that high half forward role.

They have translated to the higher level just fine.

Before following AFL, I followed the NBA and the Sixers (still do), from the very early 90’s. And be a Sixers fan, was pretty heavily invested in the draft for the best part of the last 25 years.

I’ve seen it many times at College level where kids dominate statistically, but it doesn’t translate to the NBA.

I haven’t been following AFL or underage footy long enough to be able to provide examples of this in AFL.

But I am seeing correlations between the two sports, in any facets of the game. Examples are; the inclusion of analytics in talent assessment and decision making at junior level and in trades. A growing focus on biometrics and athleticism in talent identification and impact at the draft. The AFL trying to introduce rules to make the game more open and free flowing, the NBA started this in the early 00’s after the game bogged down and scoring dropped during the 90’s.


I not sure if you’ve heard the Lystics AFL podcast, but they talk a lot about list management and the draft.

After the U18 Championships they produced 3 podcasts discussing the U18 champs and the draft pool, and talked about data and analytical assessment of the kids, as well as biometrics, drafting trends, etc.

One aspect they discussed was the physical make up and athletic requirements of different positions at AFL level, and how the AFL in general is getting taller and more athletic, in correlation with each generation of society getting taller, but it’s exaggerated at the elite sporting level.

This is where I question whether players like Jack Higgins have a longer term future in the AFL, or ability to impact over a long career.

Such players need to posses elite skills and ability to impact the contest to have a long AFL career.

 

[the big lebowski]

Before following AFL, I followed the NBA and the Sixers (still do), from the very early 90’s. And be a Sixers fan, was pretty heavily invested in the draft for the best part of the last 25 years.

I’ve seen it many times at College level where kids dominate statistically, but it doesn’t translate to the NBA.

I haven’t been following AFL or underage footy long enough to be able to provide examples of this in AFL.

But I am seeing correlations between the two sports, in any facets of the game. Examples are; the inclusion of analytics in talent assessment and decision making at junior level and in trades. A growing focus on biometrics and athleticism in talent identification and impact at the draft. The AFL trying to introduce rules to make the game more open and free flowing, the NBA started this in the early 00’s after the game bogged down and scoring dropped during the 90’s.


I not sure if you’ve heard the Lystics AFL podcast, but they talk a lot about list management and the draft.

After the U18 Championships they produced 3 podcasts discussing the U18 champs and the draft pool, and talked about data and analytical assessment of the kids, as well as biometrics, drafting trends, etc.

One aspect they discussed was the physical make up and athletic requirements of different positions at AFL level, and how the AFL in general is getting taller and more athletic, in correlation with each generation of society getting taller, but it’s exaggerated at the elite sporting level.

This is where I question whether players like Jack Higgins have a longer term future in the AFL, or ability to impact over a long career.

Such players need to posses elite skills and ability to impact the contest to have a long AFL career.

Also jack Mahoney ran a 22.1 YoYo. That’s a strong athletic metric I would have thought.

 

[briztoon]

Also jack Mahoney ran a 22.1 YoYo. That’s a strong athletic metric I would have thought.

Usually when people I read or listen to are talking athletic in terms of AFL, they’re mostly talking sprinting speed, ability to jump high, and to a lesser extent agility. Also explosive power from a standing start.

So the 20 meter sprint, standing and running vertical jump, and agility test at the combine. And why they measure speed at 5m, 10m as well at 20m in the sprint test.

Usually endurance is the easiest athletic ability to improve in an AFL environment. There are the rare “athletes” who struggle to significantly improve their endurance.

It’s harder to improve a players sprint or leap. As an example, Jack Higgins has been working with a sprint and running coach since he was 12/13. (Actually one of the foremost sprint coaches in Australia, Bohdan Babijczuk). It’s harder to improve some athletic traits if you don’t poses the right type of muscles.

Edit: I’m trying to keep some of these discussions and posts more general and not related to specific players drafted by North, mostly because I have no idea what their testing data is.

 

[king of the road]

The real value comes for teams desperate for picks to get ahead of bids. Like teams were able to manipulate GWS, who paid an absolute small fortune in points for Lachie Ash in the end.

It will give those clubs flexibility to hit the sweet spots in the draft order of the rest of the fully available players.

Or, to trade out accumulated first round picks for established gun players from clubs looking to get higher up in the first round.

 

[The Y Factor]

I'm not expecting him to become a mainstay.

But I certainly think he's capable of 1-10 games next year.

There's definately room for his type and Luff even admitted we lack his type of small forward in the side. We actively hunted Mahony as we thought he was the best small forward in the drat to fit Shaw's game plan.

My feeling are exactly the same.

Built like a man and fills a legit need.

Only caveat being - if Turner is given new instructions and nails them then he will have to bide his time.

Fully expect him to play at least 1 game even if through injury back fill.

 

[Psicosis]

Would have been handy right about now....
Typical bigfooty "draft experts" have nfi

Not refer to only this post but everyone that has a crack at shifter and cal at the time.

Pretty obvious that the biggest gaps in our list are good users through the midfield and half back line.. don’t think he would address that issue.

Things must be pretty slow in your world.

 

[Snake_Baker]

A midfielder, a KPD, a ruckman and running half backs.

Based upon the draft analysts: Phillips, Grainger-Barrass, Tilthorpe, Nick Stevens/Connor Downie.

 

[the flying ham]

A midfielder, a KPD, a ruckman and running half backs.

Based upon the draft analysts: Phillips, Grainger-Barrass, Tilthorpe, Nick Stevens/Connor Downie.

Clayton said a small forward also a priority

On SM-G950F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Passmore]

A midfielder, a KPD, a ruckman and running half backs.

Based upon the draft analysts: Phillips, Grainger-Barrass, Tilthorpe, Nick Stevens/Connor Downie.

Downie is tied to Hawthorn.