Weaver Phantom Draft III (2004)

All normal disclaimers apply.

• Just my opinions / I have no contact with any AFL club.
• Would be happy to get 50-60%.
• Doesn't include State League / Mature Age / Recycled players.
• Order down the bottom might change depending on delistments and passes.
• Yes I get things wrong, I had Paul Carson a top-10 pick one year. Who? Exactly.
• Yes trying to pick the order on a club by club basis is futile, but then so is golf ... still got to try.
• Any criticism of a player is against an AFL standard and that is a pretty high bar.

I put out about 3 guesses every year.

One after the Championships

One at the end of the season, but before the Draft Camp lists

And this one after trade week.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

1. Brett Deledio (Richmond) - trading away Fiora makes this selection more likely. Deledio can be the dashing defender that Fiora never was, before he takes on ruck-rover duties in a couple of years time. His ability to play anywhere other than ruck has to appeal to a rebuilding team. Leadership qualities will be the sealer.

2. Ryan Griffen (Hawthorn) - I think he is the best available but the Hawks now have no key forwards under the age of 30. They might be tempted to take Roughead or Franklin safe in the knowledge that their will be a midfielder for them at 5. Safety first for me and Griffen is too good to risk missing.

3. Buddy Franklin (Dogs) - Eade had huge success with Paul Roos as a possesion-style CHB and has to replace Chris Grant soon. Eade builds from defence and a skillful, running CHB will appeal to him. Dogs are well stocked for wingers. Maybe they prefer Roughead.

4. Jarryd Roughead (Richmond) - Like Hawthorn Richmond have very few young quality talls. They probably won't mind if he doesn't make the grade at CHF because they have a vacany at CHB as well. Roughead and Deledio look like the beginnings of a good half-back line which is a big Tigers weakness and a key to modern footy.

5. Richard Tambling (Hawthorn) - Hawks would like a CHF to be available here but there isn't really one. They might be tempted to take ruckman Cam Wood here. Tambling is probably a best-available pick and they certainly lack pace. They might not be too keen to take someone who will struggle to play for 3 years and Tambling is super-light. Maybe they see him as a goalsneak short-term and Clarkson saw the Burgoynes thrive first-hand.

6. Angus Monfries (Dogs) - Finished his season well with some SANFL finals appearances. Do the Dogs need a ruckman in Wood or is he too close in age to Minson? Do they want a more physical midfielder like Lewis or go for a bit more dash? Very tough pick to guess this one. Monfries could be the best midfielder in the draft and looks the safe pick, but the Dogs allways suprise.

7. Cameron Wood (Hawthorn) - They may take him at 5 to keep him off the Dogs. With Everitt 30+ and Campbell a plodder at best they need a ruckman. They have been reluctant to draft them though and have preferred to trade for guys like Salmon, Rehn and Everitt. They may prefer a key forward here and look to trade for a Brogan type next year. So maybe Ryan Willits. Willits can probably play next year which might appeal,

8. Ben Eckermann (Adelaide) - Apparantly they want a quick midfielder and won't mind getting a local. Eckermann and Monfries are hard to split, I slightly prefer Eckermann who is a little quicker and a little younger. They would be happy with either.

9. Fabian DeLuca (Carlton) - Mott and Angwin are busts and French is allready 29. DeLuca will need a couple of years so it would be a good time to get him and have him replace French in a couple of years. Pairing him with his brother will also appeal, partly because Adrian often plays KP.

***** from here on in it gets very very tough *******

10. Heath Grundy (Collingwood) - Collingwood are tough to pick. They probably need a pacy wingman but there really isn't one. They would be hoping that Monfries or Eckermann fall to them. They seem to have quite a few solid/slow blokes so maybe not Lewis. Probably need a key defender to understudy Wakelin and Presti. Grundy can play forward and back and is a pretty safe bet.

11. Thomas Redden (Port Adelaide) - Again tough to pick, best available is tough to guess because it is all very very even. No one knows much about when Redden might go. He is versatile and can play as a big midfielder. Is an SA boy and they have reached for the Cornes boys in the past who were similar. Probably the youngest guy in the draft and they won't mind having to wait for him to develop.

12. Ryan Jackson (Richmond) - Missed most of the year and so is a little under the radar. Showed good form late. Has class and should go somewhere around this selection. Richmond will have one eye on John Meesan but will look at the picks following and guess that they can wait to take him.

13. Danny Meyer (Melbourne) - I think Jackson, Meyer and Chris Egan are similar players. The temptation will be to take them here. For mine Jackson is the safest of them, Egan the most talented and Meyer right in between. Melbourne like drafted SA kids they seem well connected there. They may prefer a FB/CHB option like Alan Toovey.

14. Chris Egan (Essendon) - Tall wingman. No real pacy options available around this pick, Egan is certainly flairy and classy which the Bombers like. Would be insurance for Cupido not playing his best footy. Played in a team with poor inside midfielders so couldn't really show off his outside skills.

15. Ryan Willits (Melboure) - Neitz is 30 and Ben Holland is no long-term replacement. Willits can be the gorilla in the goal square for the long bomb. I seem to be out on my own but I think Willits is far more athletic than most others seem to. His form after the championships dropped away but that is not unusual.

16. John Meesan (Richmond) - Richmond might gamble that the teams choosing between pick 9 and 16 won't want a ruckman. They will be nervous about Saints at 17 though, and so will have to take Meesan here. Meesan is less athletic than Wood and DeLuca and probably more similar to Stafford who they need to replace soon. Meesan might be a little more developed and a little readier to play than some of the others.

17. Ivan Maric (St Kilda) - Brooks and Knobel might be the answer, they may feel they need another ruck option. I doubt the top-3 will be available but Maric might fit the bill. Steve Foster is more mobile and could pinch-hit at CHB. The other option might be to get a running defender like Swallow to replace Voss. A key defender like Toovey could also appeal. Tough choice.

18. Alan Toovey (Brisbane) - Brennan can replace Lynch, Toovey looks an option to replace Leppitsch long-term at CHB. He is a solid man marker, perhaps a little short at only 188cm. Adam Hartlett is another option. Perhaps Tom Murphy might get up this high allthough he is not quite as mobile.

19. Jordan Lewis (Port Adelaide) - If they take a midfielder at 11 will they take a key defender here? Thomas Murphy is probably too similar to Troy Chaplin. Probably a big-batch of similar big blokes here they will be tempted to wait. Lewis is a physical bloke and might replace Carr and James long-term as the in-the-guts bloke.

20. Thomas Murphy (Richmond) - Desperate need for key position players. Tom Murphy can play CHF and CHB. Lacks a little mobility but is an intellegent footballer. Could see him struggling for mobility and could find himself blocked by Shulz.

21. Roury Kirkby (Hawthorn) - Probably have midfielders and a ruckman to this point. Would want a key forward now and will have to recruit for this need. Kirby had a purple-patch at CHF for Vic Country but might drop down because he hadn't done very much before then.

22. Troy Bartlett (Western Bulldogs) - Tall wingman / flanker and occasional ruck rover. Great size, mobility and above average skill. Shapes as a genuine utility type. Perhaps they might go for a key defender like Hartlett here, but having taken Franklin earlier a midfielder might be on the cards.

23. Andrew Swallow (Collingwood) - Very very young HBF with dash and flair. They probably need pace more than anything else and would be happy that they find someone available so late. Will probably be the 2nd youngest guy drafted and so will take time.

24. Adam Hartlett (Adelaide) - Where he appears on the draft board is anyones guess. He can play forward and back. They don't really have too many young big blokes in their system at the moment and could do with another. They might take a ruckman here. Foster should be available. Chad Gibson might be the other option as a ruck / forward although he has more heart than size.

25. Dean Limbach (Carlton) - I am guessing they will want a key position player. There are heaps of similarly talented ones arounf and it is super tough to pick them. Limbach is from the old Carlton zone of Coburg. Is a big solid, hard worker who will appeal. They may want someone more mobile but Pagan tends to like his defenders to be big solid blokes.

26. Ben Jolley (Hawthorn) - Hawks like leadership in players and Jolley has that and has played in a succesful junior team. He is drilled in the footy basics and would give them a bit of run and the ability to carry the ball. Is light though and probably will stay that way. Ben Sharp is a similar guy but Jolley has a slighty better attitude.

27. Matt Bate (Brisbane) - Is he a key position player, or is he a Pavlich type midfielder. He seems to be right in the middle of figuring that out. He has good stamina and could become a Ling type and that will appeal to the Lions who will want a couple of big bodies in the centre square as Voss and Brad and Chris Scott retire.

28. Nathan Van Berlo (Adelaide) - He had an outstanding draft camp, is a leader and can play across half-back and in midfield. Perhaps Stenglein has burnt Adelaide's fingers and they may be nervous. They really have to strengthen that midfield though.

29. Scott Delmenico (West Coast) - A CHB prospect who has a good heart and work rate and has been earmarked as a rising start of WA footy for years. They have heaps of KP kids but may feel there is room for one more. Also sets them up to trade next year by moving on a Hanson for example.

30. Andrew Lee (Essendon) - Tasmanian CHB in the making. Good man-marker, quite athletic and can make an impact up forward. Lucas and Lloyd are still young, Bradley is to replace Fletcher, they could use Lee at CHB and then look to move Bolton and / or Henneman. They may prefer a guy who can win the hard ball. Dean Polo, JD Smith or Paul Richardson might appeal.

31. Brent Prismall (Sydney) - Swans like goalkicking midfielders and Prismall and Knights both have that ability to get a centre break and snag a goal. Swans took Scmidt and Willoughby last year to prepare for the futue, but may want a bit more insurance.

32. Chris Knights (Geelong) - Hasn't played much as a HBF but I think he would be ideal in the role and could step into the Darren Milburn sort of roles. His stocks have been falling all year but he certainly has plenty of quality. Could really be a later round bargain. They may see JD Smith as a direct replacement for Moloney.

33. Dean Polo (St Kilda) - Can look ungainly but is very effective and is good insurance against them losing one of their young midfielders to a rival club. Can play inside or outside and has good stamina. They may look at Scott McMahon as a running back-pocket.

34. Ben Copping (Port Adelaide) - Very light CHB but has pace, good long kicking and is a naturally attacking player. Highly regarded as a junior and after the success of Jarred Rivers there will be a few clubs willing to go for a similar player.

35. Scott McMahon (Port Adelaide) - Polished small defender. Reads game well, good overhead but is not a KP player. Clubs might be nervous about a specialist back-pocket particularly this early.

36. Paul Richardson (Richmond) - A nuggety inside midfielder who will probably be a tagger long-term. Probably a tad early for the genuine inside guys but he has some senior experience, some leadership qualities and Richmond lack a run-with guy other than Newman so there is a need there.

37. Ben Sharp (West Coast) - A light outside-wingman. Not overly quick but has great stamina and can be a good link player. Would be well suited to WA grounds and give depth to the running corps.

38. Jordan Russell (Melbourne) - tidy, unspectacular HBF or centreman. Gets good marks in all areas without being outstanding in any. Shapes as a run-with guy. Ryan Bain might also be available and he is similar.

39 Travis Cloke (Collingwood) - father/son. Won't play much footy while Anthony Rocca remains at CHF. They really have a crowd of similar players now (Davidson, Morrison, C.Cloke, T.Cloke, Richards, Hall and Rocca). Interesting to see how that plays out. This is about the right spot for him.

40. Danyle Pearce (Adelaide) - Super quick forward pocket type. They have stated they want to get quicker and he certainly has dash. They didn't get too many goals from their little blokes and so he might be a good option.

41. Luke Blackwell (Carlton) - father/son. Inside midfielder. Again good allround game without having any stand out qualities. Has played some senior footy which is a good sign. Maybe a little high for him but there is so little difference between say 30 and 50 it doesn't normally matter.

42. Jessie W. Smith (Kangaroos) - father/son. Not a genuine KP prospect, perhaps not quite a pure wingman either. Shapes a bit like Leigh Colbert as a good 3rd defender. Plays a bit like the Lonie boys as a tall rebounder. Would have gone in the 15-25 range.

43. Andrew Gilham (Melbourne) - Similar player to Bizzell and can play both ends as a medium guy who is deceptively good overhead with a good one grab mark and courage to fly for it. Good utility and good replacement for 28yo Bizzell in a couple of years .

44. Mitchell Morton (West Coast) - father/son. By junior standards a good midfielder, by AFL standards more of an outside wngman. Lacks a defensive side to his game but has plenty of flair and class. Would have gone top-10.

45. Tom Williams (Brisbane) - A late bloomer. Tall, quick wingman with a booming but innacurate kick who is one of the hot topics of draft talk. Really could be a boom or bust but has a lot to learn. Could go anywhere in the draft at all.

46. Jesse D Smith (Essendon) - Hard at it clearance specialist from the Essendon area. Tough and hard at the ball. Lacks pace and stamina and needs to improve his kicking but with Misiti gone they probably could afford someone like him. They certainly need a bit mre grunt in the middle.

47. Lynden Dunn (Sydney) - Their senior big men look good but they don't have many good young talls. Dunn is raw and more of a mobile guy who uses his stamina to take chest marks, but he is young and has improvement in him.

48. Jayden Attard (Geelong) - Deceptively quick and at his best when given an assignment. Solid midfielder, talented backpocket. Lots of suggestions that they might take their VFL fullback Chris Egan as insurance for Scarlett and Harley where they do look vunerable. Maybe a mobile tall like Will Thursfield. My guess is that Egan will be around for the rookie-list.

49. Will Thursfield (St Kilda) - Another club which would like some insurance for the key defensive posts. Thursfield is a lighter type who tends to back himself but is talented and again the success of Rivers, Cornes and Bowden might pave the way for the lighter, athletic CHB.

50. Luke McGuane (Brisbane) - There is a clutch of super-raw QLD bigmen this year. Lions have ruck options so might overlook Moran. That still leaves Garner, McGuane, West all of whom are too young to rookie list. I think Luke McGunae is the most talented of the group.

51. Steven Foster (Port Adelaide) - Port seem to like to carry an extra ruckman or two and have made a nice liitle industry in trading them on for good picks. Foster is athletic and can even play CHB. Ports' ruckmen though tend to be a little shorter and heavier. So maybe Shane Neaves is more their style.

52. Tim Hill (Richmond) - Wishful thinking on my part, I can't see him falling this far. Doesn't quite do enough but is quick, carries the ball and has a long kick on him. Richmond probably need an extra big man here. Someone like Neaves or Newton might be around.

53. Shane Neaves (Hawthorn) - A young ruckman / forward. Good insurance against Wood not developing and another option to use in the forward line. Still developing. They may prefer a specialist forward like Adam Pattison or Michael Newton.

54. Ryan Bain (Bulldogs) - Good allround game, good football smarts, not overly athletic and one of those guys who scores well in most areas without having real stand out qualities. Certainly someone who could go a lot earlier on the back of some solid championships form.

55. Justin Sherman (Collingwood) - Another of the midfielders with a good allround game but no real stand-out tricks. Can play wings and flanks and is a handy rover given the chance. Perhaps a bit more athletic than some of the other Pie youngsters.

56. Mark Lynch (Adelaide) - Very raw giant ruckman. Too many ruckmen around this year to see him go too high and may have to come back next year. They need a ruckman and will think of this selection as taking a guy from next year's draft. Earl Shaw is another option but his kicking is poor.

57. Jackson Barling (Carlton) - Is a genuine hardnut and leader and the type Pagan loves. The team that gets him on a rookie-list or late will certainly get a guy who will make the grade or die trying. A good option on the fullback line as a 3rd tall defender or even as a tagger.

58. Dale May (Kangaroos) - With Stevens gone, Simpson going it makes sense to try to find a few options to develop into inside midfielders. May is one of the better rovers available and has a sound allround game and can kick goals as well.

59. James McLeay (Fremantle) - Probably look at a WAFL guy this late. McLeay though is a full forward who can take a good overhead mark. For mine he doesn't make enough contests or do enough at ground level.

60. Matt Little (West Coast) - They have heaps of young key position players and are not going to get much better here. The midfield and ruck looks OK. They need a bit of X-factor. Matt Little is a bit like Brett Heady and would give them a different dimension.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

On the fringes

Earl Shaw (Ruckman) - Kicking is a big weakness, probably a Swans rookie-list option.

Daniel Batson (Ruckman) - Deceptively mobile, good height and contests well. Would be good rookie list option.

Brendan Van Shaik (Ruckman) - missed a lot of footy and has yet to really show much.

Brad Moran (Ruckman) - just too raw to take a risk on after only 12 months in the sport, but now holds the draft camp record for the sprint. Lions rookie list.

Stephan Henshaw (Wingman / HBF) - Good rebounding HBF with a bit of pace. Could easily get amongst the draftees.

Wayde Twoomey (HFF) - deceptively good mark for his size, but is light and doesn't win enough hard ball.

Matt Rosa (HFF) - stylish and elegant but plays mostly forward of the ball and can struggle when tightly marked or pressured.

Stefan Garruba (C) - highly rated junior who did not have much of a season. Was touted as a top-20 chance preseason but might have to go to the rookie draft.

Adam Thompson (C) - another who is every chance to make the draft proper. Lacks a real standout quality though.

Ryan Nye (C) - another ho-hum centreman who lacks a little pace but is solidly built.

Tim Sheringham (R) - tidy rover with a good kick. Making the AFL as a rover is hard work and the likes of Sheringham, Stribling, Hams, Noel, Leslie, McQualter, Moore, Clarke, Betts and Iaccobucci are all fighting for limited jobs. I think Monfries, Eckermann, Richardson and May are the ones to draft ... the rest are rookie list chances if elligable.

Clinton Young, Chris Gooley, Shannon Cox, Beau Wilkes, Ryan Herring, Scott Meyer and Adam Pattison are all key forwards or perhaps defenders who will come into rookie list calculations or could be picked in the draft. Michael Newton and Ben Fraser are too young to rookie so might have to wait a year. Along with the QLD duo of West and Garner.

Will Hammill is an attacking HBF but is too light but will probably be rookie listed by the Lions.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Nice work as usual Weaver.

Monfries and Eckerman seem to polarize people. You have both of them going early after the top 5, but I've seen alot of other predictions having them as a late first rounder. I haven't seen either of them play so I have no idea where they'll go but with the hawks and the tigers having such a monopoly of the first round picks then there could be a few surprises.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

What happened to Chad Gibson, Weaver? You had him in earlier drafts, but now that he's performed well at the draft camp he's not in the 60?

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Demonheart said:

Nice work as usual Weaver.

Monfries and Eckerman seem to polarize people. You have both of them going early after the top 5, but I've seen alot of other predictions having them as a late first rounder. I haven't seen either of them play so I have no idea where they'll go but with the hawks and the tigers having such a monopoly of the first round picks then there could be a few surprises.

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Great job with the draft, as Richey would say “super effort that, just marvellous”


Monfries had a standout finals series with the Sturt Football Club and will not fall below the AFC pick at 8.


But l doubt the club will draft Ben Eckerman. More chance they will take Heath Grundy if Cameron Wood and Angus Monfries are gone by then.

But this is just the way l see it going by what the clubs needs are.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Porthos said:

What happened to Chad Gibson, Weaver? You had him in earlier drafts, but now that he's performed well at the draft camp he's not in the 60?

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Nah that one is a genuine mistake. In typing them in, and then moving them about and what not I have straight out lost him.

I think the last time I saw him he was in that double Port selection at 34-35 so in there somewhere

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Well done Weaver.
Chad Gibson ?

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Personally I think Essendon will go with a KPP with there first pick possibly Bate or Willets. That is of course a personal opinion.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Bit of a harsh call for Tom Murphy when i saw him play he was very good below knees and agile

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Weaver I reckon Beau Wilkes will be in the second or third round.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Ben Sharp will go first round, put my house on it.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Don't forget that you get the usual delisted players being recycled late in the draft.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Good work Weaver.
I do hope you're wrong with our first pick, I'd prefer Le Cras, Jesse Wells, Nick Becker or Rosa myself.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Nice effort.

If we can get Willitts with either pick 13 or pick 15, I'll be happy.

Wasn't he seen as a likely Top 5 selection after the Championships? Or am I thinking of someone else?

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Interesting reading but I think your picks are all over the shop. Hawks moved up to take John Meesen. Bulldogs will take a ruckman probably DeLuca and the Crows are after Cameron Wood. And Andrew Swallow as the pies second pick! Not even close, the kid was probably the worst kick at the championships.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

will go further than that but as at that stage Freo have only made 1 pick

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Weaver, personally l don't think Collingwood will target Grundy @ pick 10 or Swallows @ pick 23.

regardless bloody good effort to go to the trouble of compiling your mock 2004 draft.

great talking point............respect !!!

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

I'll be really upset if the Tiges don't pick Jordan Lewis at #12 or #16 Weaver.He is EXACTLY what we need.

I've seen DeLuca play quite a bit this season.He'll be the most uncordinated #9 of all time.Amazing how over rated ruckman are lately.

Wil Hammil might make the top 60-I wouldn't mind the Tiges having a late punt on him,or the rookie list.Bit Fiora like in build though.

I'll also be suprised if Jarrad Moore isn't taken.I realise there are question marks over his body type ,and he tested fairly badly too? But it's hard to ignore someone who can get so much pill.I'd love us to draft him after pick 60 if he's still available.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

good effort. This draft will be very hard to predict and i think you've done a pretty fair job.

just a note, West Coast have pick 57 now not Carlton.

I also think West Coast could pull a smokey and take Brad Smith with one of their 4th round picks.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

Great effort Weaver
I think your 3rd round selections are a bit over the place as pick 38 should go to the dogs

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

i think jayden attard will be a good player he reminds me of chris johson
i think he would be taken by half way thtough the 2nd round
would like the tiges to pick him up

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

EB_Tiger said:

Ben Sharp will go first round, put my house on it.

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would u???

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

You deserve credit for all the research and hard work that you put in and it will be interesting to see how accurate your selections are on Draft day.
Just one little bit of information that may interest you, Van Berlo will probably go before Toovey and he will not last longer than pick 18.

Re: Weaver Phantom Draft III

evo said:

I've seen DeLuca play quite a bit this season.He'll be the most uncordinated #9 of all time.Amazing how over rated ruckman are lately.
The trouble with writing a post like this is that it reduces your credibility to zilch! Deluca is 17 and Ruckmen don't reach their full potential till their mid twenties. Club recruiters predict this kid will become a dominant force in time.
But you don't rate him Evo, it's a good thing your not making your clubs recruiting decisions.

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