Mitchell Farmer (Past Players)

**blackdiamond** · 25 Nov 2007, 09:46

#13 Mitchell Farmer

Height: 180

Weight: 77

Date of Birth: 4th January 1989

Nickname: Small Defender / Midfielder

Contract Details: Expires end of 2009

Position: Small Midfielder

SANFL Club: Sturt

Recruited From: Calder Cannons (Pick 49 in the 2007 National Draft)

Career Games: 3 (0 wins, 3 losses)

Career Goals: 3

For more career stats click here.

More info on Mitchell Farmer

Quick, durable and aggressive small defender/midfielder who kicks very well. Impressive member of Vic Metro team in NAB AFL U18 Championships. From Craigieburn FC.

Studied Certificate 3 in Horticulture (landscaping) in 2007. Would prefer to play in the back pocket at AFL level. Said his dad (who he lived with) has been the biggest influence on his career for only missing one of his games since under 9s. Said new Power teammate Robbie Gray was one of his most difficult opponents because he knew he could kick goals from most spots inside 50m and hit the packs hard. Described Port Adelaide as “look like a good group of blokes trying to do the best for each other week in, week out”. Top 10 vertical jump AFL Draft Camp

Highlight Reel

How To: Embed a YouTube video.

**Ford Fairlane** · 27 Nov 2007, 09:59

Couple of pics via the Port website.

And Weaver's phantom draft description.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weaver

Mitch Farmer is boring. He plays well every week and is always 3rd best player for his team. When Vic Metro were playing like a train wreck he was the one player they had beating his man. The worse his team plays the more likely Farmer is his team’s best. He was a very solid backman last year without really transitioning to the midfield. Showed some footy smarts when playing hurt in the FP to pinch some goals. All footballer, very solid, very dull. You’d want him as a teammate.

P.A.F.C · 27 Nov 2007, 17:58

Who needs Greenwood when you have Farmer, Thomas and Williams?

Jumbo · 27 Nov 2007, 19:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford Fairlane

Couple of pics via the Port website.

He'd win a Robbie GRAY lookalike competition I reckon

HBF · 27 Nov 2007, 19:34

One of my favourites in the TAC competition. Fearless, will give you 110%, and can play everywhere. Have seen him play in defence as a small running defender, played in the midfield as an offensive and defensive player, and has played up forward as well. I really think that Port have gotten a bit of a steal here at #49, and I for one will be keeping a close eye on him over the next year or so.

Santos L Helper · 27 Nov 2007, 21:42

This Farmer kid sounds allright.

Port_GW · 27 Nov 2007, 21:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Santos L Helper

This Farmer kid sounds allright.

Yeah he'll be the Robbie Gray of this draft (a slider that all the other clubs wish they'd taken earlier).

**blackdiamond** · 29 Nov 2007, 05:18

courtesy www.theadvertiser.com.au

Farmer gives Power grunt

PORT Adelaide didn't get former Essendon hard man Mark Johnson.

It got a younger version of him. In securing 18-year-old Mitchell Farmer with the No. 49 pick at Saturday's AFL national draft, the Power believes it has found itself a defensive hard-nut like Johnson who at his best could make mincemeat of the AFL's glamour small forwards.

"If you're looking for a comparison, he's a Mark Johnson-type player," Port recruiting manager Blair Hartley said of Farmer. "He's got good speed, a nice hard edge and adds some real grunt to our group."

Grunt was a missing link in the Port side which shocked the football world by rising from 12th to second this year.

This prompted ex-Power star Josh Francou to call on his former club to send out an SOS to Johnson, who was drafted by Fremantle at pick 55.

Hartley says Port has found its defensive force of the future in Farmer, who he says plays like Johnson and looks like Hawthorn Brownlow Medallist Shane Crawford.

While he doesn't mind being compared to Johnson, who also has a mop of blond hair, Farmer says he has modelled his game on West Coast premiership player Daniel Chick.

Like Johnson, Chick – who is now without a club after being delisted by the Eagles at the end of the season – thrives on winning the hard ball. "I like to get in and win the hard ball, get it out to my team-mates," solidly built Farmer, 180cm and 77kg, said.

"Chick plays hard like that so I try to model my game around him – the way he wins the hard ball and how he backs himself to run and carry the ball."

Farmer, who found it tough going at his first training session with his new club in 32C heat yesterday, already has one high-profile scalp under his belt. According to Hartley, he eclipsed Port rookie sensation and new Power team-mate Robbie Gray in an under-18 TAC Cup match last year.

"I'm not sure about that," Farmer said modestly. "It was a tough contest. Some people thought I beat him but I've heard others say he beat me, so I'll leave it at that." They can sort that out at training.

FIRST-ROUND pick, key forward/ruckman Matthew Lobbe, has grown 2.5cm in the past year and believes he will reach the 200cm mark.
Coming from a tall family and a strapping 199cm, Lobbe says he is still growing.

"I'd say I am, judging on how much I grew last year and it would be nice to reach 200cm," the 18-year-old said.

Describing himself as a hard-working player, Lobbe is fearless and likes nothing more than throwing himself into a pack. "I like taking contested marks," he said. "That's what you've got to do when you're playing a key position."

Drafted at pick 16, the agile and athletic Lobbe will be used in the AFL mainly as a key forward who can pinch-hit in the ruck.

The Vic Metro under-18 representative says he is modelling his game on St Kilda star Nick Riewoldt and Eagles premiership centre half-forward Ashley Hansen.

"I like the hard-working centre half-forwards – they are the players I would like to be like," Lobbe – pronounced "low-be" – said. "Hard running is one of my strengths."

Born in Emerald in the Dandenong Ranges, Lobbe is an excellent athlete, finishing in the top 10 in the vertical jump, beep-test (endurance running) and 3km time trial at AFL draft camp.

Weighing just 84kg, he will spend much of the off-season working in the Power gym but will be tapping into skipper Warren Tredrea's forward line knowledge whenever he can.

**Ford Fairlane** · 29 Nov 2007, 06:26

Farmer looks and sounds a likely lad. He had a bit of airtime on 9 news last night and there's certainly no-nonsense about him. He's more a top-ager as U18 recruits go, and physically he looks like he could step straight into SANFL league footy straight away.