2014 AFL Draft Prospects.

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ItsAllAboutMe said:
I wonder what the hit v miss for these type of guys ends up like? I am not a big u/18 follower but the only one that comes to mind is Sidebottom who got elevated of the back of a huge grand final and has proved a very good player for the pies.
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Depends on the draft year. Bolters from years gone by.

2013 we had Kolodjashnij, Bontempelli
2012 we had McCrae
2011 was dominated by GWS.
2010 we had Heppell, Prestia, Conca, Caddy.
2009 we had Sheppard, Rohan, Melksham.
2008 we had Hill, Davis and Sidebottom @11.
2007 we had Palmer.
 
Lots of those bolsters haven't lived up to it.
 
I would argue there aren't really that many true bolters these days. Pretty much all those guys were members of the AIS Academy, so they were pretty well regarded over a year out from the draft. When I previewed the 2013 draft almost a year out, I had Bontempelli in the first round. And Kolodjashnij had a very consistent season, it wasn't just a strong showing at the Championships or in the testing. Reece Conca is slightly different, as he was only spoken about as a top 10 pick about a week prior to the draft.

Sometimes it just takes a little while for players to show to the general public why they are rated as top prospects by those who watch and more importantly speak to them on a weekly basis - like Cam McCarthy, who only really hit his stride during his draft year.
 

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Chris25 said:
I would argue there aren't really that many true bolters these days. Pretty much all those guys were members of the AIS Academy, so they were pretty well regarded over a year out from the draft. When I previewed the 2013 draft almost a year out, I had Bontempelli in the first round. And Kolodjashnij had a very consistent season, it wasn't just a strong showing at the Championships or in the testing. Reece Conca is slightly different, as he was only spoken about as a top 10 pick about a week prior to the draft.

Sometimes it just takes a little while for players to show to the general public why they are rated as top prospects by those who watch and more importantly speak to them on a weekly basis - like Cam McCarthy, who only really hit his stride during his draft year.
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Kolodjashnii was added to the AIS very late in the piece.

Looking at the early top 10's listed this year I believe the Nat Champs will be a big determining factor on who goes where, whilst Knightmare & Chris are both declaring this year a bumper year for tall forwards i am a long way from convinced. Unless this years crop can show mobility like a Gunston or Cameron, I believe the top 5 will be mid fielders or players who can play as a third tall back or forward. Not the lumbering forward/ruck type who might be outstanding at U/18 level but at best good at AFL level. As an example Jon Patton has been good for GWS this year nad will get better, however will he ever be rated in the top 50 AFL players, I see him around the Tom Hawkins grading.
 
Perhaps.

But, the talls aren't being talked up as top 5 prospects simply because they are tall. On both exposed form and potential, they are the top players in the draft. You say only the elite talls will be going top ten, well the same should be true of midfielders who go in the top ten. And at the moment, it wouldn't be unfair to question whether there are any elite midfielders in this draft.
 
The risks of talls failing is considerably higher. They just require more physical development than your average small/ flanker.

Best case scenario is five/ six of the top ten are talls at this stage and that assuming everything goes the right way for them all and they dominate the champs an put good numbers down in the combine.

The team with the best or near best array of smalls usually wins the champs. The champs will be the time for the smalls and medium sized players to showcase their talent and change people's minds. Which a lot of them will do.
 
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EasternHills said:
Depends on the draft year. Bolters from years gone by.

2013 we had Kolodjashnij, Bontempelli
2012 we had McCrae
2011 was dominated by GWS.
2010 we had Heppell, Prestia, Conca, Caddy.
2009 we had Sheppard, Rohan, Melksham.
2008 we had Hill, Davis and Sidebottom @11.
2007 we had Palmer.
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Toby Greene was the big bolter in 2011. IIRC he was no certainty to make his TAC side at the start of the year, but just kept on performing so well throughout the season that he became impossible to ignore in the first round.
 
EasternHills said:
The risks of talls failing is considerably higher. They just require more physical development than your average small/ flanker.

Best case scenario is five/ six of the top ten are talls at this stage and that assuming everything goes the right way for them all and they dominate the champs an put good numbers down in the combine.

The team with the best or near best array of smalls usually wins the champs. The champs will be the time for the smalls and medium sized players to showcase their talent and change people's minds. Which a lot of them will do.
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So who are you Top 10 Talls?
 
TradeDraft said:
So who are you Top 10 Talls?
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Haven't seen the SA boys so i'm going on whats been written by others.

1. Peter Wright
2. Sam Durdin
3. Patrick McCartin
------------------------
4. Jake Lever
5. Darcy Moore
6. Hugh Goddard
7. Tyler Keitel
8. Jack Hayes
9. Matthew Hammelmann
10. Sam Bevan
11. Jesse Watchman

I don't consider Tom Lamb or Ah Sui to be true KPP's at the highest level. Jake Lever is also probably a third tall, though who knows where he'll go in the draft.
 

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Lever is the one that really interest me. I hope that we have the balls to draft him coming off a knee reco.
 
Chris25 said:
Kolodjashnij was added to the AIS Academy in December of 2012.
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Yes, only because McDonald pulled out of the squad, if he didn't, he wouldn't have been in it..... There's some merit in his statement....
 
Turbocat said:
Really? With that many talented talls wouldn't you want a chance at a quality forward? To me he is just another running HBF type
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I don't want us to take a forward just for the sake of it. If all of McCartin, Wright and Goddard are gone at our pick I'd be more than happy with Lever/Pickett/Smith.
 
Bulldogsnm1 said:
Saw him last weekend, a fair way off it at the moment. Hopefully will improve however on last weeks performance not likely.
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saw him where? is he playing school footy?
 
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