2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft (Selections Only)

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Sorry grub, they sped through it faster than expected.

Pick 26, West Coast, Luke Mitchell, 198cm, 93kg

Tall forward with very good marking and able to find his own ball. In his own words, he's like Jonathon Brown (yes please, bring it on!) Plays between CHF and FF, but I would expect more towards FF at the Eagles. Also listed as being able to play as a defender, but I don't know about the versatility side.

With his size he should get games next year, unless for some unbeknowns reason the Eagles still think Lynch can play FF.

I see RE copping a bit for selecting Chalwell, but I was considering him here, along with a number of mids, but decided to go tall first.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Selection #27 North Melbourne

Ben Jacobs (Sandringham) 186cm 82kg

Bio to follow

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

#28 Brisbane Lions

George Horlin-Smith
DOB: 22/12/92 Ht: 185 Wt: 75

Quigs and I had George lined up for this selection for a while. However I was going to be a bit more strategic and use one of the later picks (the compo) and use pick 28 on another player. However as we are not using a compo pick this year and the fact that George has had some recent publicity I can’t take a chance on not selecting him here. The cat is well and truly out of the bag on George. Rumours about Brisbane’s interest in George have been circulating around for quite a while. This stimulated a closer attention on George and what he has to offer The Lions. He is a year younger than 90% of this year’s draftees, thus he is about twelve months behind in his development compared to most. He also has not concentrated 100% on football thus his training and development is not up to the level of the guys who attended Draft Camp and State camps. In spite of this one can’t help but be excited at the potential upside with George Horlin-Smith. There is very little vision of George but the excitement factor is huge. What sets him apart is his natural ability to read the play and be ahead of the game, instinctively anticipating the next level of play and he is ready for it a second or two ahead of the opposition. His decision making once he has the football in his possession is also excellent. The X factor is unquestionably there. How well he develops in the AFL system is the unknown question with Smith. Because he has not had the usual draftee development process it’s a higher risk for Brisbane.

Because of our earlier selections of Gaff, Green we can afford to take a more adventurous approach to our selections as well. So we can afford to take high risk high reward pick at # 28. Also it means we stock up on potentially top quality midfielders. All with long term potential for the Lions.

Quigley’s summation

Probably the youngest player likely to be taken this year. He is a former Australian U16 Cricket captain and current player and has not yet committed to playing AFL. Him coming out and giving a firm commitment to AFL will probably be the difference between the late first, early second round and the late third or fourth round (note it now appears as though he has committed to AFL). The big selling feature for Horlin-Smith is his vision. His vision and decision making skills are pretty much as good as anyone in this draft. He picks out guys he has no right to see let alone hit in a contested situation. He is a left footer but kicks with great touch off either foot. He needs to work on his kicking a bit for AFL football to flatten it out but he has nice fundamentals. It is very much worth bearing in mind that Horlin-Smith played pretty much exclusively in school football this year and so you can expect a lot of improvement from him once he gets into a fulltime AFL environment. The other thing which you will notice when you see him playing is his marking ability. He has very strong hands overhead and plays very tall for his height. He is a bit of utility able to play all over the ground but I would expect him to start his career as a HFFer. His ability to pick out a target inside 50 under pressure is a fantastic skill to have. Down the track he will certainly move to the midfield although unlike many I see him more of an outside-in rather than an inside player. He moves to smart places on the field and always tends to find himself in space and these skills would be best utilised outside. He has a reputation as an inside player but I don’t rate his hands as quick as some but he is more than capable of winning his fair share of clearance ball. He is hard at the contest and has no trouble putting his head over the ball or going back with the flight. Physically he has nice height and a build which should fill out nicely. The biggest drawback for him will be his athleticism. He tested very averagely at the Combine and pace will be the thing for which many may mark him down. He is still a fair bit ahead of Sidebottom’s time from memory but he is quite a way behind other options teams may be considering. So all in all he is a mainly a footballer with a quick football brain. It is worth noting that he was not selected for SA this year and has had some injury issues.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Pick 29 - West Coast Eagles - Luke Parker

I've admired this kid for a while. Seems good at most things, whilst not necessarily being outstanding, but has a good amount of agro, which won't go astray at the eagles. Good disposer, wins own ball, good decision maker and good overhead. The fact that he can go forward and kick goals will be beneficial.

This was a very tough decision to make, because I like Andreoli's pace, my only concern there was not getting enough of the ball compared to Parker, Fasolo, Cripps - others I considered here. Also strongly considered Jarrad Blight, the ex Magpie, who would be a good fit at the Eagles, IMO. However, in the end I couldn't go past the class and determination of Parker. I was hoping Jacobs might slip to here as well, and it was that close!

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Ben Newton – South Fremantle / 182cm / 78kg

Newton's not one a lot of people have seen a lot of - due to appendicitis - but his 09 form had him very high up on the radar. He's an AIS graduate, and was named in the Colts (U18) team of the year. Will need a year or two in the system to grow into his body and realise his potential, but there's a lot of growing to do.

That's what impresses me most about Ben - his potential scope for improvement.

Why I like Newton:

- Raking left foot that hits targets
- Breaks lines
- Collects his own ball and feeds it out by hand with military precision
- Contested marking

Newton is one of those guys who can play off a flank, where his marking will hold him in good stead, and eventually progress into the midfield.

There's not many holes in his game - he generally tends to read play well, and isn't afraid to take it on. He certainly has the skills, so that when he does, it generally pays off.

Agree with Snoop that the one main knock on him is that he gets caught in traffic a little. I don't know if he bites off more than he can chew, his awareness just isn't quite there, or if he's desperate to get onto his left.

I suspect it's a combination of the two latter options - and you'd want to slightly improve his right side.

A little like Connors in that when he gets through traffic he occasionally gets run down, there's a bit of a wind up there. I like his disposal as an action, its pretty fluent - but you'd want to iron out that Connors trype overswing from occuring in his game at all.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Pick 31 Essendon Cameron Guthrie Calder Cannons 186cm 79kg OB/Utility

Cameron Guthrie is a personal favourite of mine and to steal any AFL recruiters cliche book "I cant believe he is still available here".
Guthrie is a tallish midfielder who can play inside and outside. He is both a very good endurance athlete and has tested quickly in the 20m. Interestingly he didnt test as well at the recent draft camp as at other times however I put that down to fatigue after a long season.
Guthrie has a bit of x factor about him. He is very very strong overhead and is a very dangerous medium forward. This was best shown in a TAC final where he kicked 4 goals in the first quarter and broke the game wide open.
Guthrie also has the ability to play as a tight defender/ run with player- the TAC GF job on Dyson Heppell and the national carnival game on Bennell highlight his ability.
I believe Guthrie will develop into a Justin Blumfield like midfielder who will be a very good player with no real weaknesses to his game.
Guthrie is also reputedly a very solid character off the field who prepares himself to very high standards.
I would be rapt if Guthrie fell to pick 31 in the real deal.
Other Consideration
The only other player I seriously considered here was Reece Conca who I like very much. I think Conca will be a very reliable AFL midfielder however I just rate Guthrie that little bit higher.
Summarising my first 2 picks: I reckon I have been able to obtain a very good key position prospect (the best in the draft for mine) and a very good midfield prospect. My final pick will most likely be a debate over a ruckman or another midfielder.

PS: It would be good if all participants PM'd there picks if their choice is near. It is not a difficult thing to do I would have thought.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

# 32 Brisbane Lions

Josh Jenkins - Lake Boga (Vic)
DOB: 08/02/89
Height: 197cm
Weight: 104kg

Sorry to have caused so much consternation among the experts here. Perfectly expected and acceptable reaction. Why at 32? Why not at 66?
It’s a perfectly acceptable question as well. Where and how often have you seen him?

The answer to the latter is very few if any on BF have seen him live. The answer to the first is because I feel this is where he belongs. I have chosen him on pure speculation, on a high risk high reward principle, a bit of inside heads up from someone connected with a WA club, his brief record with his country footy club, gut feeling, and his State screening results indicate that he is someone that cannot be ignored and I like what I see.

There is conflicting information on his physical stature. Anywhere from 197 to 200 plus.
Irrespective, Jenkins is a mature AFL physically ready Ruckman/forward. The modern game and current rules is made for someone like Jenkins. Someone of his size that can do the 20m sprint in 2.91 that also produced outstanding vertical leap results with excellent agility as well as a beep test that compares more than favourably with some of the more talked up midfielders in this draft deserves some serious attention.

Jenkins is someone who has never had an AFL type preparation, he has had country footy club type preparation yet his results were outstanding. Perhaps once he is on an AFL list under a professional set up the upside to his development is certainly enticing, considering his already high level he will begin with.

Why Brisbane?

Brisbane cleared the Ruck department by delisting the two developing young ruckman from the list. Charman has played only a handful of games in the last three years and it would be a miracle if he can stand up to a full year without going down once again. Indications are that Clark will be played in the forward line either as a CHF or a tall flanker. That leaves us exposed with only Leauenberger to carry the load for a full season. We need a back up on the senior list. Someone who is versatile enough to also hold a forward position should Fev and Brown not fully recover from their injuries. Jenkins is a goal scoring Ruckman. He has scored his goals while playing in the ruck. Not stationed in the square resting from ruck duties. This indicates he is able to get to contests, read the play well and be accurate when shooting for goal.

I acknowledge this is a risky selection. However I believe the selection of Gaff, Green and Horlin-Smith with our earlier picks has allowed me a bit of leeway to take a calculated gamble with the last two picks.

I also must state that this is an irel pick. Not a Quigley pick

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

For Monocle:

Selection # 33 (MELBOURNE)
Anton Hamp – Claremont / 193cm / 83kg

Monocle said:

Sorry guys I am out of integrity here I owe the # 33 write up.

Melbourne pick #33,

Anton Hamp. 192 cm 80 kg . Claremont.

This pick may surprise a few.

Yes its a need based pick rather than best available pick but I looked at which KPF who were still on the list and pulled the trigger early.

Anton has very good pace and leads exceptionaly well. He is more a genuine FF than further up the ground. Essentialy .. leads well... marks well.... kicks well. So what more do you want in a FF?..... and here is the reason why I selected him. Once the ball hits the ground his is a very good crumber for a player 192 he sharks a lot of crumbing goals.

Another of his attributes is that he has a huge tank he runs hard fast and direct on the lead and he does this repeatedly. He is also one of those annoying players who has the ability to put the subtle little nudges and block on opposition players. He has great awareness and is a team player.

I also considered Tom Gordon at this pick but to be honest I have seen a lot more of Hamp and I was knew what he brings to the game therefore I had no hesitation in picking him @ 33.

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Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

....because I am a good bloke and I didnt want the bloody Carlton fans screaming at me for giving them Ninyette they get;


Selection # 34 (CARLTON)
Reece Conca – Perth /184cm / 76kg

which was the first one Tarquin mentioned so will go with him......from now on though it is the next live pick.

beowulf said:

I would have taken Hallahan: I see him as more of a pure midfielder than Conca, and one of the hardest guys in this year's crop.
However, I am not disappointed to get Conca.
I saw a bit of WA play at the Carnival and very few players played up to their reputations. Conca was one of those few. He put his body in well and managed to get the ball to advantage most of the time. If there was a pack, Conca was in it, doing his utmost to get it out to advantage.
Conca isn't express, but he isn't slow. His kicking is neat, but not overly long. His handball is very good: he could develop into a Greg Williams type (although he has considerably more pace than Williams and is much more likely to put on defensive pressure).
Conca can play small forward: he makes position quite well and is not bad overhead. However, he isn't going to take any pack marks.
''afl.com" in their original mock draft had us going for Conca with our first pick. I found that difficult to believe. However, he is very good value at this pick.

In the real ND Conca probably won't last until #33, but if he did, WH would be all over him. WH and SR do like their interstaters, and tend to pick non Vics in the first couple of picks. That makes me wonder about Watson a bit. WH likes Calder and Northern lads, but usually picks them up later in the draft or as rookies.

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Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Agreed with Grub and Tarquin the system to pick a player if someone misses rather than the trial as it throws up some players that aren't representation of best available.

So the picks are

35 - Port Power
Mitch Hallahan

WALL-e said:

Mitch Hallahan

First off, thanks for the selection Snoop, Hallahan would have been the pick.

Mitch is the type of kid you want at your club. Level headed, leader, fantastic work rate and very disciplined. He gives you all he's got and leaves nothing on the field.

His calling card is hard footy. This kid will get his own footy, no if's and's or but's. He will provide great replacement for the older clearance players in the Power and compliment their line breakers.

Numerous times watching Mitch this year he'd do things that just make you smile and nod. They won't be on the highlight reel, but the type of things a coach will point out repeatedly on a Monday review session begging for more of this.

He's about as pure an inside guy as you can have. Excellent at clearances, ripping tackler, nice clean hands and a big kick. That said, while his long term position will be smack bang in the center, he'll probably see the back pocket or HBF a bit until his endurance picks up.

He needs to work on his outside skills, so he doesn't become too one dimensional. He isn't lightning quick or agile, so he won't burst away from too many stoppages (though he may bullock through a couple), and he also isn't a deadly mid range kick. There's not too much wrong with his mechanics, he's quite capable of a few spear passes, but there's room to improve.

There may not be as much upside with Mitch in terms of becoming an out and out star etc, but he's much more likely to make it that some taken before him. Too good to pass here and would make a Welcome addition to a Power team in need of a future engine room.

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36 - Port Power
Sebastian Tape

WALL-e said:

Seb Tape

Ok, I probably wouldn't have taken Tape here, but it's definitely not because he isnt' worthy of this spot in the draft. I'm surprised to see him here.

Seb is a beautiful prospect, and one of the most versatile players in this pool in my eyes. There's no doubt he can play as a third tall in defense or a loose defender, but I see him as an ultimate Mr Fixit. Defense, forward and wing. Could be a player you just ask to follow the footy in the future.

Extremely athletic, good leap, agile and quick. Yet those aren't his most striking attributes. His hands at ground level for a mid sized player are SMOOTH. couple with that his ability to read the flight of the footy and you have a very dangerous commodity. He's the type teams will have to tag out of the game when he's AFL ready. Closing speed is also very impressive. Very handy for a back, but don't expect that to be the only place he uses it. I imagine a few midfield run downs will be on the cards.

He does need weight. Short term he'll find he isn't able to impose himself on marking contests like he does now, and wont be able to shrug tackles as easily. He's got a lovely long left foot on him which adds to his arsenal, but he's got to work on both sides to really become that damagine type player.

He's acknowledged he has to work on his attacking side of his game, but he has all the tools to do it. He'll be a very good link up player and one that will drive the ball out of defense.

A real find this late in the draft, and with weight, and a bit of right foot skill sharpening, Port will have a plug to chuck anywhere on the field.

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Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

# 37 - Geelong
Jamie Cripps

ROYAL EAGLE said:

Selection # 37 (GEELONG)
Jamie Cripps – East Frem /182cm / 78kg

Profile : Jamie Cripps
Is a outside running midfielder who like's to ran and carry the ball with pace, he is one of those 70 metres players.
He has good core strength and can shake a tackle, and is a neat kick of the footy.
He is good overhead and strong in the one and one contest, play's mainly of half back where his attacking runs make him a weapon.
When he won senior selection for east freo was given time in the middle and excelled towards the end of the year, was very impressive his form against men and the pace he showed.He will be ready to play round 1 next year.
At this range is one of the steals of the draft.
Similar to: Heath Shaw
Draft Range: 20-40

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#38 - Hawthorn
Patrick Karnezis

Knightmare said:

Hawthorn – Pick 38: Patrick Karnezis

Pretty happy with the value Karnezis represents at this stage. Should go top 30 in the real thing.

Karnezis is a team focused tall forward who is very comfortable setting up team mates for shots on goal. Can play as a high half forward and provide a strong target there. Strong mark overhead and can kick some tricky goals. Clever lead up forward who has great footy smarts. Deceptively tall and hard to matchup on. Finds space inside 50. Fair bit of upside here and has flown a little under the radar here. Really creative and has previously also played on a wing. Has played a fair bit of soccer and you can tell by the way he plays. Really value players who have come from a different sporting background and for mine that only adds to his value. Could turn out to be a bit of a Nat Fyfe type selection who could really surprise some people. Allot of upside here and allot to look forward to.

For Hawthorn it would be really interesting how they could co-ordinate Karnezis in combination with Franklin. It would give the side a really different dimension.

Real pure best available pick, and while an interesting one. I like it.

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Okay sorry for the delay, but for my next pick I have had this guy lined up for a while unless someone else dropped down the list.

Gold Coast

Pick 39: Ben Brown
DOB: 20-Nov-92, Height: 197cm, Weight: 85Kg
Club: Devonport (TAS)

For my second round pick I am going with Ben Brown, a Tassie kid who yet is a bit of an unknown due to hurting his knee at the Champs. The first 2 games that I saw he was great in kicking 5 goals and then 1 goal before getting injured. Admittedly he did not play on some of the better defenders so its hard to judge as QLD were deplorable, but still he has potential and at pick 76 thats all you can ask for really. I can see him playing as a FF, but he has potential as a ruck if he grows a few more cm and that might be a good position although he will need to improve his endurance a bit. I also potentially think that he has the ability to become a gorilla size defender, although I potentially worry a bit about this due to him being 'merely quick' not super quick and I have doubts over how well he reads the play. He is potentially a Kurt Tippet type who can play as a FF, but rotate through the ruck for 30% of the game. His ruck work is reasonably good and he has a good vertical leap, and he moves round the ground well.

He looks to be very athletic and moves very well for a player his size and has a real presence. He is quick on the lead and creates separation nicely and he is also quite smart in timing his leads. He has good hands and is very strong in the contest and from the little I have seen of him is a very good contested marker, and uses his body to advantage, and this will only improve as he gets stronger and bigger. He also has very good hands below the knees and looks to be one touch and gets down very nicely and can dish off a quick handball nicely. His disposal by foot is reasonably good, he has a nice set shot action and can hit forwards nicely most of the time despite being a bit hit and miss. I see him as a good pick up as he has potential but may take a while could be a reasonable KPF/Ruck but looks a likely type who could be a very good player. He may be a risk, but GC can take this risk as his upside is huge.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

PICK 40-SYDNEY-Ryan Lester (Oakleigh Chargers)
Same as trial run here for me.
Have a few spots needed to fill and I'm basically drafting for needs now.I had Lester or Tape earmarked for this spot and had considered both for my previous pick before Lycett slid. Lester has a number of attributes in his game that are of AFL quality. Versatility,pace,motor and is a very good grab as well. He has great hands in close and excellent vision on the way out too. Long term I see him as a key defender but initially he could play wing/half back or on a tall or small down back.Each time I've seen him go into the midfield he has had an impact and that is another string to his bow that would be very handy for the Swans.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Beowulf's around so it shouldn't be too long.

Pick 41-WESTERN BULLDOGS-Tom Liberatore (Father-son)

Axel. said:

Since everyone knows what my second round pick will be i'll just post it now to save some time.

Pick 40: Thomas Liberatore.
DOB: 16/05/92, Height: 182, Weight: 77
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)

Son of Western Bulldogs champion and Brownlow Medallist Tony Liberatore the Bulldogs will be extremely pleased they’ll be getting Thomas at such a pick as he would have gone in the top twenty. Thomas is one of the best in and under midfielders in this years draft. He is an elite inside midfielder known for his amazing work at stoppages, tackling ability, clearance work, quick clean hands, being team orientated and on top of that he’s a great left foot kick. There are a few question marks over his outside game and his speed but that can improve over time.

Last year playing for Calder he had 38 more hard ball gets and 28 more clearances than any other Cannons player despite missing 9 games. That shows just how good he is. This year he was lucky enough to represent Vic Metro in the u/18 championships and didn’t disappoint anyone, averaging 22 disposals at 72 percent efficiency, five clearances and four tackles and was rewarded by being in the All-Australian 2010 u/18 championships team.

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Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Yes, pick #41 is the larger version Liberatore. He certainly has a few cms over his old man.

Pick #42 is the Mighty Blues!
Pick $42: Thomas Gordon from the Oakleigh Chargers
Height: 194 cm Weight: 88 kg DOB: 19/04/1992

Having selected a good mid (sort of) and a possible CHB, I turned to the forward line. There were a number of possibles. Darcy Barden came to mind. I liked a lot of what I saw of Barden.
However, I went for Tom Gordon instead. He has that extra bit of athleticism and height over Barden that WH likes.He is a very good mark with some strength and he has a very nice left foot kick that goes a long way.
He also is, like many potential draftees this year, a guy who can play in more than 1 role. He has done his share of ruck work, although he is too short for that at AFL level. He has played FF, CHF and CHB with some success.
Darcy Barden's work rate almost got him over the line, but I think Tom Gordon has that bit more upside in him.

Mind you, WH might ignore a tall altogether with this pick when it is HIS turn to shell out. He looks at things more from the 'best player available' outlook and might go for Alex Fasolo (East Freo), Warwick Andreoli (South Freo) or even Andrew McInnes (Dandy Stingers); smaller players with pace. He could also head to Angus Litherland as another key defender with a fair bit of foot speed.
However, I was considering the considerable hole left by Fev and Fisher. And I prefer Waite in defence: he plays more consistently there and his poos kicking for goal doesn't hurt us 110 m away from them.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Surprisingly, I still have 3 of my top 25 on the board. All three would suit the Saints, two more so than the other one. But I've decided to go in a different direction all together....

Pick 43 - Jimmi Savage
DOB: 09/10/1992
Height: 195cm
Weight: 78kg

Savage is a key forward who has been playing for Norwood in the SANFL U18 competition. He hasn't been exposed at a higher level yet, and wasn't chosen in the SA squad for the championships but there is definitely something there regardless.

He would be one of the most athletic 195cm guys I've seen. He will run all day, and on top of that is actually really quite fast. He is one of those players who will all of a sudden come from nowhere to contest the football or chase down his opponent. So he ticks all the boxes athletically, but can he actually play football?

The answer to that is most certainly yes. His skills when the ball is on the ground are exceptional, and he will swoop down and pick up the ball while at full pace. Not only that, but he is a very strong mark and although it may not have always been the greatest competition, he doesn't often get beat in marking contests. There is no problem with his kicking either, and he did kick a few bags this year including a haul of seven.

He is very skinny and will be more a long term option. Being at an AFL club and playing at a higher level will no doubt fast track his development though. He is one of those prototypical modern players, and I see quite a bit of Jarrad Grant in him. If I was feeling even kinder, I would compare him to Nick Riewoldt.....although admittedly in Tony Notte's body.

So why have I taken this kid at 43, when he will likely be available at my next pick? Because I don't rate the remaining tall forwards all that highly. With the exception of one from Victoria and one from SA, I'm not sure whether I'd look at any in the national draft. And I honestly think Savage deserves this pick. I'd put a generous range of 40-rookie on him, so this is probably the top of his range but I'm more than happy to the kid here.

Nobody likes the word potential, but potentially he could be anything.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

PICK 44-FREMANTLE-Warrick Andreoli (South Fremantle)

Via PM from Ysaye, away you go Snoop-let rip.

Ysaye said:

Pick 44 - Warrick Andreoli, South Fremantle, 183cm, 73kg

Positives: footskills (penetration and decision making), Speed, Leadership (Colts Captain of South Fremantle).

Negatives: Endurance, not a high possession getter.

Why Freo? Freo have a good enough midfield engine that can feed the ball to him, so IMO Andreoli could act as a bit of a turbo charger and be quite a danger, particularly on the bigger grounds. Just a really good fit for the club, and (if they don't rate any of the talls at their pick) I could see him going with the first round pick also. Also fits with trying to build some competition between players such as Bollenhagen and others who are also very talented but that need to really work hard to really reach their potential.

Others considered:. Really wanted one of Andreoli, Cripps or Fasolo with Andreoli at the top of the list, but a big fan of all three.

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Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Selection # 44 (COLLINGWOOD)
Daniel Farmer – Sandringham / 189cm / 80kg

Profile: Hasn’t been talked about terribly much but one who could feature quite high up the order come draft day. Has had a terrific year for the Dragons where he played a variety of roles through the middle and up fwd. I think it is probably a wing / HF where he will settle so his team can exploit his pace and goal kicking capability. He is an exceptional user of the footy by hand, has a very penetrating boot, is a good contested mark and seems to have very good core strength meaning he should win more one on ones than he loses. It is all this combined with his pace and agility which were both top ten at DC that I think will have him potentially going quite highly. Might get howled down for this but not dissimilar to one recent Rising Star winner by the name of Dan Hanneberry with a bit of ROK thrown in.

Why us: The kid is a beautiful height, is an exceptional mover and user.....lot to work with.

Similar to: Dan Hanneberry / Ryan OKeefe

Others Considered: I dont mind sharing. There were plenty at this pick. Wanted a mid and a tall so here had Crocker (lovely user), Fasolo (to good to last this long), Schroeder (very under rated Calder mid), YOung as well as one or two others.


Selection # 45 (COLLINGWOOD)
Alex Johnson – Oakleigh / 194cm / 82kg

Profile: Another of the kids off the Oakleigh production line. Alex is a really draftable kid because he offers an enormous of flexibility. Can play tall fwd and back and is a really good athlete. Not sure where he will play as fancy could be key mobile tall fwd or back and much in the same vein as what Reid was when he came to the club. That is the beauty of him he is just so versatile (and could play wing possibly). One of the things I have really liked about his game is his ability to be so clean below his knees under pressure. Skills are good so not a bad pick up and when which you would be pretty happy with.

Why us: Wanted a tall here and wasnt sure he or Menagola would be here at the next pick.

Others Considered: Best available is a ruckmen who I am staggered hasnt gone but I wanted a KP tall. Menagola but I just hadnt seen as much as I would like to. Have seen far more of Johnson and really like what he could be. Grenfell also close along with Walker.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

I'll take Viv Michie - one of four Oakleigh boys to go in the last ten picks.

TFLUA-Tiger said:

Viv Michie – Oakleigh / 185cm / 77kg

Michie's yet another Oakleigh boy to be selected recently - joins Karnezis, Gordon, Lester and Johnston.

If I was to sum up Michie in five words: Skillful, balanced, composed, intelligent & versatile.

Was willing to go tall if Brown was still there, and would have gone with Farmer had he still been there.

I had Michie as the highest ranked remaining player, and he can fill any amount of holes on the park - he suits Richmond down to the ground.

The next bloke on my list is Menegola, but he's much more likely to be there at 51.

Michie can play midfield, or off a flank at either end and still be potent. It's that versatility, and his ability to know how the play will unfold and where he has to be that makes him one of my favoured prospects in the draft.

He's reasonably quick, is balanced and compose both with and without the ball, and makes good decisions. A thinking man's footballer with the footskills to hit targets with regularity.

If I had a knock on Michie it'd be that there's no real standout feature to his game - he's got no real weakness, but no real attribute that makes him stand out. His versatility means that he's got no position he's particularly strong at - so will thrown around and tested early.

Why Richmond?

I want to grab a tall or two - but I think the two I've got in mind will slide and I'm very happy to go with the best available here.

Michie fits the Richmond bill. Can play everywhere - but I think he's of most use in the midfield or off a forward flank. His pace is no issue, he has good disposal and he's an intelligent footballer. He's a good player already - and I wonder how much scope he's got left - but Michie's one of those solid citizens who'll escape under the radar and do everything well but not excellently - a real solid citizen.

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Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Pick 48 Essendon Edward Curnow Box Hill Hawks

Clearly the best player in the VFL before injury- Curnow is a tough and hard at it midfielder who I think can make an immediate impact in the AFL once fully fit. Curnow is a beast at winning his own footy but can also play outside and be an effective link player.
Being a horse racing man, the VFL has pretty good form lines with the performance of Michael Barlow this year and I reckon Curnow can be a really solid contributor to the Bombers in the next 5 years.
Curnow was a rookie at Adelaide but was let go- he is probably the type of midfielder the crows had plenty of at the time. The bloke has got to the VFL and refined his game enormously. Curnow had limited exposure to the TAC as he was playing predominantly for Geelong Grammar if my memory serves me correctly. So I consider him a 'young' 21 year old.
There are quite a few players I really considered with this pick. I reckon Orren Stephenson is the best ruckman remaining and I seriously considered him. Cameron OShea was seriously considered because of his competiveness and nice size- I am just thinking his ideal role is at hb which Essendon have a few players who rotate through there. I considered Kelvin Lawrence because of the sheer excitement of the way he plays however I suspect he is more a rookie selection. At the end the stiffest bloke was Jordan Schroeder from calder who i think is seriously underrated on the BF boards. I eventually went for Curnow just but I hate not picking Schroeder I just like him so much.
This sees me out for the draft as our next pick will be used on Ben Howlett who will be a very solid midfielder.
I hope we get an opportunity to have a rookie draft as there will be some interesting names that will come out.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Gold Coast

Pick 49: Kieran Butcher

Gold Coast pick up a good young midfield prospect, who has a fair bit of potential and good scope for improvement. Keiran is very quick, tested well over 20m, and is rarely caught although I would like to see him use this pace a bit better and break lines and burst from packs. He is quite agile and with his pace he has good improvement in him to make it, he needs to be moving a bit more around packs IMO, and use his pace to burst from packs and be more damaging. I think he could also improve his outside game and break the lines and run and carry the ball more. He has good improvement left in him and could be a good player if he lives up to that potential. His inside game is reasonably good, he is strong in the contests and has reasonable strenght which will improve, he wins first possessions and is often found on the bottom of packs, he has clean hands and can pick the ball up on the run although can fumble under pressure occassionally. His skills are very good, he has a nice smooth powerful left foot over short to medium distances and hits targets well, he is damaging and weights his passes nicely and hits the majority of targets. He has good hands and is quite creative and is good in the contests. He can also find space reasonably well and is dangerous when he does. People have compared him to Mark Hutchings which is wrong as Mark had no x-factor and was slow, whereas Kieran has x-factor and is pacy and has better disposal so much more potential. Also considered to be a good leader and captained WA this year.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Pick 50: Melbourne.

Alex Fasolo. 182 cm 80 kg. East Fremantle

I took Fasolo with pick # 33 in the mock and therefore it should not surprise anyone that given that he is still available at pick # 50 that I would naturally jump.

A inside and outside midfielder with very good decision making and foot skills.
A feature of his game is the ability to navigate his way through heavy traffic when he plays inside. His vision and football instincts means that he weights a pass with precision and to advantage with regular ease. As a forward you would lick your chops knowing the passes that Fasolo would be delivering you ala another East Fremantle product Simon Black.

Alex is also a very handy goal kicking mid / forward option who marks very well overhead for someone 182 cm.... he plays much taller that that.

Alex works hard both ways and is a good competitor who does put on offensive pressure. Alex has a good championships but he really cranked it up a notch after he returned from the championships and played league for East Fremantle. Was a very impressive last half a dozen games with his most telling effort being a six goal haul in a game where he really left his calling card.

The kid has a great attitude and work ethic and he is very highly rated at the East Fremantle Football Club those who I have spoken with down at Moss Street rate his up there, with some of the production line of quality mids that they have banged out, over the last decade.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Sam Menagola - East Fremantle / 194cm / 83kg

Menagola's not a guy a lot of BF posters would have heard of until he popped up on Snoop's mock draft a couple of weeks ago. He's incredibly raw, but there's a hell of a lot to like.

I was pretty keen to take at least one KPP in this draft - and I wanted 47 or 51 to be it. Brown was to be the one at 47, but if he didn't last, I'd take best available and prayed Menagola slipped through. Michie was the choice at 47 - and Menagola made it through.

People might say this is a little early for Menagola - he didn't dominate this year - but it's the potential that excites me. I know at least one phantom drafter wanted him with their next pick.

Why Menagola? Athletically he's one of the more exciting prospects in the draft.

He recorded a 15.6 in the beep at the state combine - that's elite. He's not slow either, defenders will struggle to keep up with him out of the blocks - his first five metres are very fast.

For a kid at 194 cm he's very clean below his knees, and his hands are nice and sticky - but not at J.Reiwoldt's level by any stretch.

He kicks the ball reasonably well - it's not a huge issue for mine. You'd just want him to keep learning where to lead and where to be and to fill out.

Increased size may affect his athletic base - and that's a worry with any immature bodied athletic tall man - but Menagola has the basic attributes to go with his outstanding athletic features.

Why Richmond? Can afford to take a punt on a super athletic tall man. Put him with Miller for the pre-season and give him every chance to develop. Menagola suits a developing side better than one going for a premiership tilt and will be given time at Tigerland.

Has the potential to blow up defenders with his workrate and fitness and then blow them away with his first few steps. That combination is something of a rare commodity for a tall at Tigerland. It's a pick for the future, and a bit of a speculative one - but he was next on my rankings, fits a list need and is genuinely exciting.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Daniel Nicholson (Uni Blues)

A lot may not have heard of Nicholson unil the recent young guns game and further to that, the Collingwood rumours. Watched him in the ammo's and he's a very exciting player.

Built for line breaking. Excellent agility testing, very good speed and a booming left foot. Sits one touch out of the congestion and is a terrific decision maker, knows when to take it on himself, but is very concious of where his team mates are.

The initial questionmarks will be on the increase in competition standard. In the ammo's he can get around anyone and shug tackles using his core (strong legs), but even at the VFL young guns, he just looked smaller. He would also do well to develope a right side of the body (like most lefties) as he won't be able to put the after burners on to get to his left as easy as when playing Marcellin.

There's a ton of developement in this kid, very similar to Isaac Smith in the type of developement to come.

I imagine he'll set up on the wing long term, but he's very comfortable playing off either flank, and that 60 meter left foot is very useful at either end.

Appologies to Aaron Young, who probably shouldn't be here.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- THE REAL DEAL

Melbourne Pick # 53.

Aaron Young, 188 cm 76 kg. 06.12.92 Eastern Rangers.

Young is a very athletic mid size player that has versatility in that he can play either as a forward or defender. I also suspect that once he is in an AFL program he may become a midfielder. He is a very tough competitor whos aggression is well placed.Not scared to put his head over the ball and thats an attribute that recruiters like.

For a player 188 his marking is quality and a feature of his game and being so competent over head will give him the edge over some of the other prospective recruits.
Needs to work on his kicking skills, they are not that bad but its an area of his game that requires some improvement. Once he has improved his foot skills I see him as being a very good prospect.

He is a versatile hard at it type that puts in all day. Aaron has both speed and controlled agression which he uses to his advantage.

There were several others who I considered for this pick and to be honest Litherland could just as easily been selected here but I most probably went with a non West Australian so as not to be accused of being perochial.