Draft Review 2010 - Revisit the 2010 Draft

[Popedelio]

Here is my list
1: Luke Parker
2: Tom McDonald
3: Harley Bennell
4: Tom Liberatore
5: Tom Lynch
6: Dyson Heppell
7: David Swallow
8: Brodie Smith
9: Dion Prestia
10: Andrew Gaff

HM: Isaac Smith, Jack Darling, Cam Guthrie, Paul Seedsman

Both Luke Dahlhaus and Jeremy McGovern can be on that list, but I didn't include them like in the OP since they were rookie selections

 

[Bucking Bronco]

Puopolo didn't get drafted until he was two weeks shy of his 23rd birthday for a reason. The guy is a B-grader at best. Saying that he has 2 premierships means nothing. Just because he was lucky enough to be playing in an amazing team that had great players throughout it who got the team over the line twice doesn't say anything about him individually. It wasn't like he was a crucial cog in any of their premiership wins. He averaged 8.5 disposals over their 3 grand final appearances and only kicked one goal in total.

The list that you have compiled just looks like a list of "Players who have the most impressive list of achievements as per their Wikipedia page". I'm sure once Tom McDonald gets his All-Australian guernsey this year you will have him in there, hey?

Heppell is pretty benign with the ball in hand and gets a lot of meaningless possessions. At least Prestia is pacey and can run and carry the footy, even if he burns it every so often.

Swallow, too, is a superior athlete who's possessions are a lot more telling and I would imagine that most clubs would take him ahead of Heppell. He will probably never outpoint Heppell in average disposals per season, but it is definitely a case of quality over quantity.

Parker, obviously no need to go there. He is daylight ahead of everyone else at this stage, and only Bennell has the toolbox to overtake him in time. He is a genuine potential Brownlow medallist.

Darling is good, but if you are picking a team on "future potential" then it is a travesty to have a 191 cm third-tall over a 199 cm key-forward in Tom Lynch. Pretty obvious that he will go past him in time, if he hasn't already.

 

[yaco55]

Luke Dahlhaus was in the rookie draft this year. I only looked at players from the national draft

How can you review a draft if you exclude around 40% of the draftees ?

 

[TiarneSwersky]

How can you review a draft if you exclude around 40% of the draftees ?

I started with the 2001 draft and as I went through the years I decided to just redraft the players from the national draft.

I did an article after on TheRoar looking at the best rookie drafted players from those years.

Link is here: http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/04/18/the-best-of-the-rest-top-ten-rookie-drafted-players/

 

[Zephiisdaman]

Would take Prestia, Parker and Swallow before Heppell.

Heppell is a star. Apart from Parker I would like to know on what basis you would select Prestia and Swallow ahead of Heppell. Prestia and Swallow are excellent young players. But are a long way off Heppell and Parker at this stage.

 

[Zephiisdaman]

Puopolo didn't get drafted until he was two weeks shy of his 23rd birthday for a reason. The guy is a B-grader at best. Saying that he has 2 premierships means nothing. Just because he was lucky enough to be playing in an amazing team that had great players throughout it who got the team over the line twice doesn't say anything about him individually. It wasn't like he was a crucial cog in any of their premiership wins. He averaged 8.5 disposals over their 3 grand final appearances and only kicked one goal in total.

The list that you have compiled just looks like a list of "Players who have the most impressive list of achievements as per their Wikipedia page". I'm sure once Tom McDonald gets his All-Australian guernsey this year you will have him in there, hey?

Heppell is pretty benign with the ball in hand and gets a lot of meaningless possessions. At least Prestia is pacey and can run and carry the footy, even if he burns it every so often.

Swallow, too, is a superior athlete who's possessions are a lot more telling and I would imagine that most clubs would take him ahead of Heppell. He will probably never outpoint Heppell in average disposals per season, but it is definitely a case of quality over quantity.

Parker, obviously no need to go there. He is daylight ahead of everyone else at this stage, and only Bennell has the toolbox to overtake him in time. He is a genuine potential Brownlow medallist.

Darling is good, but if you are picking a team on "future potential" then it is a travesty to have a 191 cm third-tall over a 199 cm key-forward in Tom Lynch. Pretty obvious that he will go past him in time, if he hasn't already.

Serious Rubbish

 

[Hawkas1988]

I love Puopolo and is underrated. When he isn't playing, it's noticeable. However he isn't top 10 if redrafted. Probably 15-20 or thereabouts. I haven't looked at the draft properly but he may even be after pick 20.

Isaac Smith however is a better footballer than Polec and Gaff as I see a few people rating them higher.

I'd have Parker above Heppell and Tom Lynch and Prestia seem to be underrated players.

 

[Ian Dunross]

Heppell is a star. Apart from Parker I would like to know on what basis you would select Prestia and Swallow ahead of Heppell. Prestia and Swallow are excellent young players. But are a long way off Heppell and Parker at this stage.

See my post above

 

[bootsmalicious]

Heppell is a limited player with limited skills and physical capabilities. Not an aerial or contested freak like Fyfe, not quick like Dangerfield or Steven, not a great kick, not a natural goal kicker. Still a very good kid, who tries his all and leads from the front and gets lots of footy. Will be a 250 gamer and a very good player, but will not be a great.

Parker is shaping to be a great, one of the greats of his generation. Swallow is a recking ball when fit, can't wait to see him in finals (might have to move clubs).

My Thoughts exactly, Parker would be number 1 for me. I wouldn't even take Heppell at number 2, that would belong to Lynch who's a star in my opinion and could be anything

 

[Shade]

So is everyone in agreement Conca is a bust?

based on where he was picked and what hes done on the field im not sure how you could say any other wise

 

[Moist Biscuit]

1- Luke Parker
2- Tom Lynch
3-Dyson Heppell
4-Harley Bennell
5- Tom Libertore
6- Brodie Smith
7- Tom Mcdonald
8- Dion Prestia
9- David Swallow
10- Jared Polec

 

[TiarneSwersky]

So is everyone in agreement Conca is a bust?

based on where he was picked and what hes done on the field im not sure how you could say any other wise

I wouldn't say he's a bust. I just think others have surpassed him at this point. I thought he had a pretty decent 2014 campaign until that cheap shot on Devon Smith which saw him suspended.

 

[Zephiisdaman]

Heppell is a limited player with limited skills and physical capabilities. Not an aerial or contested freak like Fyfe, not quick like Dangerfield or Steven, not a great kick, not a natural goal kicker. Still a very good kid, who tries his all and leads from the front and gets lots of footy. Will be a 250 gamer and a very good player, but will not be a great.

Parker is shaping to be a great, one of the greats of his generation. Swallow is a recking ball when fit, can't wait to see him in finals (might have to move clubs).

Are you serious? He is a pure footballer who gets the ball and is able to create space. Much like Pendlebury. Mate you have your head up your arse. He has already won a B & F, Rising Star, All-Australian. Wake up will you and stop making ill-informed judgements that you cannot possibly back up.
Greg Williams or Scotty West were not quick, super kicks, great overhead or natural goalkickers but both had elite careers. Incredible ability to win the ball was what they specialised in. Exactly what Heppell does.

 

[Zephiisdaman]

Would still have Gaff higher than Darling based on ceiling, but that's a minor matter. Heppell wouldn't be my number 1, Parker is imo superior.

Happy with Parker or Heppell both are guns and both will be elite. Play different styles but elite.

 

[Ian Dunross]

Are you serious? He is a pure footballer who gets the ball and is able to create space. Much like Pendlebury. Mate you have your head up your arse. He has already won a B & F, Rising Star, All-Australian. Wake up will you and stop making ill-informed judgements that you cannot possibly back up.
Greg Williams or Scotty West were not quick, super kicks, great overhead or natural goalkickers but both had elite careers. Incredible ability to win the ball was what they specialised in. Exactly what Heppell does.

Calm down Shirley. Way to react to opposing opinion.

I've backed it up, you just don't like my take.

It was Heppell or the boot studder for Essendon's B&F last year.

Robbie Gray didn't make the AA team last year, yet Heppell did. Leon Davis has an AA guernsey, therefore...

Williams was one of the best midfielders to play the game and an elite user of the ball on both sides of his body. To suggest that Heppell is anything like that is pretty funny. When Heppell starts using his left side at all I'll start taking notice.

 

[Zephiisdaman]

Calm down Shirley. Way to react to opposing opinion.

I've backed it up, you just don't like my take.

It was Heppell or the boot studder for Essendon's B&F last year.

Robbie Gray didn't make the AA team last year, yet Heppell did. Leon Davis has an AA guernsey, therefore...

Williams was one of the best midfielders to play the game and an elite user of the ball on both sides of his body. To suggest that Heppell is anything like that is pretty funny. When Heppell starts using his left side at all I'll start taking notice.

Heppell is left footed. Williams barely kicked the ball further than 20 metres ever. Fact. Elite hands both sides, mean around stoppages, ball getting machine and smart controller of play. To say he was elite by foot is not correct.
I will agree Heppell is one sided, Left. But will also say most left footers are ie ( Pendlebury, Hodge, Lewis, Hannebery) as a matter of fact most players these days are one -sided, they tend to use the outside of the boot whereas in the past you practiced heavily on your off-side.
Not many players these days other than Sam Mitchell can use the ball like Hawkins, Jarman, Cameron, Akermanis, Winmar, Ablett snr of the past. You truthfully tell me how many players are elite both sides of the body.

 

[Ian Dunross]

Heppell is left footed. Williams barely kicked the ball further than 20 metres ever. Fact. Elite hands both sides, mean around stoppages, ball getting machine and smart controller of play. To say he was elite by foot is not correct.
I will agree Heppell is one sided, Left. But will also say most left footers are ie ( Pendlebury, Hodge, Lewis, Hannebery) as a matter of fact most players these days are one -sided, they tend to use the outside of the boot whereas in the past you practiced heavily on your off-side.
Not many players these days other than Sam Mitchell can use the ball like Hawkins, Jarman, Cameron, Akermanis, Winmar, Ablett snr of the past. You truthfully tell me how many players are elite both sides of the body.

If Heppell's disposal is not elite, what does he have that makes him so good?

He's not quick, he's not a great mark, he's not a goal kicker (like Parker), he's not a line breaker, he's not explosive, he can't win you a game with 10 disposals.

You say he's a contested beast. Fyfe, Kennedy, Priddis, Dangerfield, Selwood, Ablett, Wines are contested beasts. Heppell wins a lot of his footy on the back flank. He's a good contested ball player but I don't think he's close to elite in that regard.

 

[Bucking Bronco]

Serious Rubbish

Prestia is averaging 26.9 disposals a game over the past 3 seasons, where as Heppell is averaging 26.8 disposals a game. They are practically identical in that sense but Prestia actually has the ability to carry the football and looms as a more damaging player on the ground because of it. Disposal efficiency, clearances, contested possession, goals, Prestia has him covered in all the key areas for an inside midfielder over the past 3 years, albeit only marginally. Can't see how you would have such a problem with someone suggesting that he is more valuable than Heppell?

Parker is incredible overhead and ranks #2 for 'contested marks by midfielders' over the past 2 years after Fyfe. He also has incredible lateral movements and a penchant for hitting the scoreboard. He also goes a hell of a lot harder at the ball and has the ability to win 'game altering' contests.

Swallow, fair enough if you don't rate him higher than Heppell going forward. He hasn't really stamped himself on the competition like everyone thought he would and I don't think he will ever reach the same high level of consistency as Heppell, but he, also like Parker, has the potential to win 'game changing' contests and gather more meaningful possessions, and those are the types of players that can stand up and win you premierships on grand final day.

It's not all about the stats sheet, and it's not all about appearing on the Footy Show every second week and having Bruce McAvaney (a man with a statistical fetish) raining down superlatives on you every time you play a Friday night game. He is a great player and a player that every team would love to have at their club, but I don't feel that in today's game a player with his current skillset would be jumping the queue ahead of guys like Parker, Prestia and Swallow on a teams wish list.

If he bulked up from his ridiculously weedy 81 kg and 189 cm physique then perhaps he could alter his game and become more of a contested possession/ clearance specialist like Fyfe, but as it is, he just gets a sh*tload of the ball without really causing much damage with it. His kicking just seems to be very benign and he doesn't really cut the opposition up with it like you'd expect from a guy who is supposedly 'elite' but who doesn't tick any of the other important boxes in line breaking pace, goal kicking ability, contested marking ability and elite clearance work.

 

[Prochard123]

Heppell is left footed. Williams barely kicked the ball further than 20 metres ever. Fact. Elite hands both sides, mean around stoppages, ball getting machine and smart controller of play. To say he was elite by foot is not correct.
I will agree Heppell is one sided, Left. But will also say most left footers are ie ( Pendlebury, Hodge, Lewis, Hannebery) as a matter of fact most players these days are one -sided, they tend to use the outside of the boot whereas in the past you practiced heavily on your off-side.
Not many players these days other than Sam Mitchell can use the ball like Hawkins, Jarman, Cameron, Akermanis, Winmar, Ablett snr of the past. You truthfully tell me how many players are elite both sides of the body.

Pendlebury is just about the 2nd best user behind Mitchell with his week foot. I don't think anyone can make an argument for Heppell having good disposals. He's a good accumulator, but he doesn't have the precision nor penetration even with his left boot. Nonetheless, he's still the number one player in this draft by a bit

 

[The Redemption]

Heppell is left footed. Williams barely kicked the ball further than 20 metres ever. Fact. Elite hands both sides, mean around stoppages, ball getting machine and smart controller of play. To say he was elite by foot is not correct.
I will agree Heppell is one sided, Left. But will also say most left footers are ie ( Pendlebury, Hodge, Lewis, Hannebery) as a matter of fact most players these days are one -sided, they tend to use the outside of the boot whereas in the past you practiced heavily on your off-side.
Not many players these days other than Sam Mitchell can use the ball like Hawkins, Jarman, Cameron, Akermanis, Winmar, Ablett snr of the past. You truthfully tell me how many players are elite both sides of the body.

Josh Bruce

 

[Ian Dunross]

Pendlebury is just about the 2nd best user behind Mitchell with his week foot. I don't think anyone can make an argument for Heppell having good disposals. He's a good accumulator, but he doesn't have the precision nor penetration even with his left boot. Nonetheless, he's still the number one player in this draft by a bit

Seriously? Ahead of Parker? That's a seriously big call. And way off the mark too.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

1. Luke Parker
2. David Swallow
3. Harley Bennell
4. Tom Lynch
5. Tom Liberatore
6. Dyson Heppell
7. Dion Prestia
8. Isaac Smith
9. Jack Darling
10. Tom McDonald
11. Brodie Smith
12. Andrew Gaff
13. Paul Seedsman
14. Jeremy McGovern
15. Brodie Polec
16. Mitch Wallis
17. Luke Dahlhaus
18. Cam Guthrie
19. Jamie Cripps
20. Paul Puopolo

 

[Play by Numbers]

Puopolo didn't get drafted until he was two weeks shy of his 23rd birthday for a reason. The guy is a B-grader at best. Saying that he has 2 premierships means nothing. Just because he was lucky enough to be playing in an amazing team that had great players throughout it who got the team over the line twice doesn't say anything about him individually. It wasn't like he was a crucial cog in any of their premiership wins. He averaged 8.5 disposals over their 3 grand final appearances and only kicked one goal in total.

The list that you have compiled just looks like a list of "Players who have the most impressive list of achievements as per their Wikipedia page". I'm sure once Tom McDonald gets his All-Australian guernsey this year you will have him in there, hey?

Heppell is pretty benign with the ball in hand and gets a lot of meaningless possessions. At least Prestia is pacey and can run and carry the footy, even if he burns it every so often.

Swallow, too, is a superior athlete who's possessions are a lot more telling and I would imagine that most clubs would take him ahead of Heppell. He will probably never outpoint Heppell in average disposals per season, but it is definitely a case of quality over quantity.

Parker, obviously no need to go there. He is daylight ahead of everyone else at this stage, and only Bennell has the toolbox to overtake him in time. He is a genuine potential Brownlow medallist.

Darling is good, but if you are picking a team on "future potential" then it is a travesty to have a 191 cm third-tall over a 199 cm key-forward in Tom Lynch. Pretty obvious that he will go past him in time, if he hasn't already.

How would he have gone past Darling?

 

[Zephiisdaman]

Prestia is averaging 26.9 disposals a game over the past 3 seasons, where as Heppell is averaging 26.8 disposals a game. They are practically identical in that sense but Prestia actually has the ability to carry the football and looms as a more damaging player on the ground because of it. Disposal efficiency, clearances, contested possession, goals, Prestia has him covered in all the key areas for an inside midfielder over the past 3 years, albeit only marginally. Can't see how you would have such a problem with someone suggesting that he is more valuable than Heppell?

Parker is incredible overhead and ranks #2 for 'contested marks by midfielders' over the past 2 years after Fyfe. He also has incredible lateral movements and a penchant for hitting the scoreboard. He also goes a hell of a lot harder at the ball and has the ability to win 'game altering' contests.

Swallow, fair enough if you don't rate him higher than Heppell going forward. He hasn't really stamped himself on the competition like everyone thought he would and I don't think he will ever reach the same high level of consistency as Heppell, but he, also like Parker, has the potential to win 'game changing' contests and gather more meaningful possessions, and those are the types of players that can stand up and win you premierships on grand final day.

It's not all about the stats sheet, and it's not all about appearing on the Footy Show every second week and having Bruce McAvaney (a man with a statistical fetish) raining down superlatives on you every time you play a Friday night game. He is a great player and a player that every team would love to have at their club, but I don't feel that in today's game a player with his current skillset would be jumping the queue ahead of guys like Parker, Prestia and Swallow on a teams wish list.

If he bulked up from his ridiculously weedy 81 kg and 189 cm physique then perhaps he could alter his game and become more of a contested possession/ clearance specialist like Fyfe, but as it is, he just gets a sh*tload of the ball without really causing much damage with it. His kicking just seems to be very benign and he doesn't really cut the opposition up with it like you'd expect from a guy who is supposedly 'elite' but who doesn't tick any of the other important boxes in line breaking pace, goal kicking ability, contested marking ability and elite clearance work.

I don't rate Heppell higher than Parker. Although they are both valuable.
I rate Heppell far higher than Prestia and Swallow though.

 

[Zephiisdaman]

Calm down Shirley. Way to react to opposing opinion.

I've backed it up, you just don't like my take.

It was Heppell or the boot studder for Essendon's B&F last year.

Robbie Gray didn't make the AA team last year, yet Heppell did. Leon Davis has an AA guernsey, therefore...

Williams was one of the best midfielders to play the game and an elite user of the ball on both sides of his body. To suggest that Heppell is anything like that is pretty funny. When Heppell starts using his left side at all I'll start taking notice.

You said Heppell doesn't use his left side, explain please. How does a left footer not use his left side? So to suggest that he doesn't use his left side is pretty funny. Maybe as he does use his left side you now might take notice