Just abit of fun this year, threw it together this arvo. Wont be accurate just more my rabblings 
EDIT: For the record, dont pay too much attention to my round 3 picks onwards, I didnt put that much time into aligning the players with clubs, just getting as many of the 50 or so guys most likely to be picked up (with one eye on club preferences).
EDIT: My entry into the Bigfooty first round comp:
Round 1
1 Melbourne: Jack Watts
2 West Coast: Nick Naitanui
3 Fremantle: Stephen Hill
4 Port Adelaide: Hamish Hartlett
5 Essendon: Mirchal Hurley
6 Carlton: Chris Yarran
7 Brisbane: Daniel Rich
8 Richmond: Tyrone Vickery
9 Kangaroos: Steele Sidebottom
10 Adelaide: Phil Davis
11 Collingwood: Jack Ziebell
12 Sydney: Nick Suban
13 St Kilda: Tom Lynch
14 Bulldogs: Ayce Cordy
15 Geelong: Lewis Johnston
16 Hawthorn: Jackson Trengove
Priority Selection
17 Melbourne: Sam Blease
18 West Coast: Tom Swift
Round 2
19 Melbourne: Shaun McKernan
20 West Coast: Ryan Schoenmakers
21 Fremantle: Jarred Blight
22 Port: Jayden Post
23 Essendon: Nick Heyne
24 Fremantle: Jordan Roughead
25 Brisbane: Mitch Robinson
26 Richmond: Ash Smith
27 Kangaroos: Jordan Lisle
28 Adelaide: Nick Heyne
29 Collingwood: Dayne Beams
30 Sydney: Mitch Brown
31 Bulldogs: Liam Jones
32 Bulldogs: Rhys O’Keefe
33 Geelong: Matthew Broadbent
34 Hawthorn: Davis Zaharakis
TOA’s PHANTOM DRAFT - Round 1
1. Melbourne: Jack WATTS (26-3-91) 194/85 Sandringham Dragons
Almost can lock him away now, although there are rumours of Melbourne strongly considering Naitanui. Watts is a classy bottom-age tall who can take pack marks consistently no matter what the defensive pressure. Very charismatic kid, not low on confidence and his personality would lend itself well to a club like Melbourne. Used to play basketball ala Scott Pendlebury. Like Pendlebury, Jack was point guard which allowed Watts to hone his vision, speed and agility. According to an AIS basketball coach, Watts enjoyed the physical side of the game more than Pendlebury which is worth keeping in mind. Watts is a perfect fit for the Dees.
2. West Coast: Nicholas NAITANUI (04-5-90) 201/95 Swan Districts
Extremely quick, 201cm tall who fights for the contested ball as well as Daniel Kerr. Admittedly he has a lot to learn but what he knows already is pretty special and the scope to improve is as broad as the horizon. He is tenacious, hard working, aggressive and a willing learner. WAFL players have said they hear him coming from 20m away, snorting like a bull and BANG, they’re mauled in almost primal fashion. He will take a couple of years but he will learn the art of where to gather the ball around the ground from the man who began the revolution. While he may start out in defence or up forward while learning the game, long term his role will be has a ruckman who win the tap and then compete as an inside midfielder against Judd, Kirk or Mitchell. Will fill out to be an impressive unit at AFL level and as a West Coast supporter, he has me excited.
3. Fremantle: Daniel RICH (07-6-90) 183/83 Subiaco
By all reports pick 3 is between Hill or Rich but someone like Hartlett is not to be completely ruled out either. Even Vickery has been linked to Freo at some stages. Freo have been very cagey this year and understandably been very diligent for this important selection. My reasoning for them selecting Rich is quite simple and uninformed; I don’t think they can afford to overlook Rich. A kind way of saying they don’t have the balls to overlook him? Maybe. But Rich is a sure fire 200 gamer and Freo is not in a position to pass up that sort of player. His endurance isn’t great, he doesn’t seem to work particularly hard or act like he ‘wants it’. Is that because he’s been ready for AFL for 2yrs and feels like he’s been bidding his time? Or is it because he’s Ashley Sampi’s long lost brother? (OK a tad harsh) Its stating the obvious but this pick will shape the top 10, rumours are that Freo will be making the final pitch to the match committee over the next couple of days so interesting times ahead.
4. Port Adelaide: Hamish HARTLETT (14-8-90) 182/74 West Adelaide
OK before I begin, if Rich is available here, lock him away. Port have not hidden their desire to draft Rich and I don’t think there is any way they will let him slip by. RM Blair Hartley has said publicly there are 2 names on their board at this selection. One would assume Rich is one and they other would be out of Hartlett or Vickery. The decision between these two is probably just as tricky as Freo’s call between Rich or Hill. Port have had Hamish to the club for a medical late last week which indicates he is deep in their thoughts, although who is not to say they haven’t done the same for Vickery? (whom they entertained at the Roos game late in the year). I’m really torn on who to give Port here, I change my mind every time I think of it. There is no doubt Port need some young ruck depth which would point to Vickery but Hartley said they will be picking the best available. One also has to factor in that Port used their first rounder on young ruck prospect in Matthew Lobbe last year who is looking in fine shape this preseason by all reports. That is the main reason I have slotted in Hartlett here but its really a 50/50. Hartett is an outside midfieler with silky skills and good leg speed. He is arguably yet to rip games apart but has the ability to. If Port decide to overlook Hartlett, he has been strongly linked to the next 4 selections, especially the Bombers and Tigers, so he there will be some crossed fingers under respective draft tables at this selection. Freo were also showing strong interest earlier in the year according to Hamish himself which is worth keeping in mind.
5. Essendon: Christopher YARRAN (19-12-90) 180/84 Swan Districts
Argh, this draft is such a douzy! Once again, this selection could go any which way, to the point there is literally no point speculating. But I’m a sucker so here goes. Essendon has constantly been linked with Yarran ever since Ash Prescott game out mid-year and confessed an undying love for him. Matty Knights also made special mention of him to the media last week. Maybe its just a massive smokescreen? Who knows. Despite some off field question marks including a possible go-home factor (infamously remarked “Perth will always be my home” at a press conference earlier in the year) and albeit improving shyness, Yarren will be a quality footballer deserving of a top 5 selection. Quicker than many would think, cool, slippery with the ability to turn a game in an instant. He is top 3 on ability and will be someone fans of all clubs will love to watch. Yarran has been strongly linked to the Blues and also Lions, so I cant see him getting too far if passed up by the Bombers. If Hartlett is available here, I think the Bombers could have a tough decision on their hands. Bombers have also been loosely linked with Sidebottom for a couple of months.
6. Carlton: Michael HURLEY (01-6-90) 192/92 Northern Knights
Everyone seems to lump Hurley with Carlton because everyone ‘knows’ the Blues need a tall defender. Its never that simple and I dont for a minute believe Hurley is a lock for the Bluebaggers at this selection based solely on that fact. If Hartlett, Yarran or possibly Hill are available here then I suspect one of those guys could get the nod before Hurley. Hurley does have question marks over his pace, his time at DC wasn’t great but the more worrying fact is that he has run quite abit slower in the past. That said, he makes up for his lack of pace quite easily (at lower levels at least). The question on RMs minds is whether that will translate to AFL standard. Hurley is cool, balanced and has a thumping kick. He is a very god all round player and will be a very interesting player to watch develop at AFL level because he has many scouts opinions divided. Many good judges believe he will end up making a better forward than defender which wouldn’t worry the Blues in the slightest incidentally. Hurley could conceivably slide down the order but I cannot see him getting past the Roos or Crows who are on the look out for talls. Then again, he has been linked to the Bombers at pick 5 so who knows.
7. Brisbane: Jack ZIEBELL (28-2-91) 188/84 Murray Bushrangers
Word on the street is that the Lions have 4 names in their thoughts with Ziebell heading the list. Tom Swift is not to be discounted here either. And my money would be on Yarran or Hartlett to be in the mix bigtime if available. Ziebell bottom-age so he has strong scope for improvement, he is a quality all rounder with all the attributes except straight line speed. His DC time was average to poor and hasn’t been in his testing well all through juniors for pace. That could see him slide but he is of such quality I cannot see him getting far. For what its worth, Richmond have apparently been showing the most interest followed by the Blues which doesn’t mean much but worth keeping in mind. Freo have also been in touch but that is probably more to do with due diligence than anything else. There have been rumours of the Lions showing very strong interest in Sidebottom so don’t be surprised to see him taken here. I know I’ve basically listed 7 players that are in the mix but I told you this draft is so up in the air it is laughable.
8. Richmond: Tyrone VICKERY (31-5-90) 200/86 Sandringham Dragons
Vickery seems the logical pick here given the Tigers need a young ruckman. Vickery is very highly regarded in recruiting circles and would be a pretty good coup for the Tigers. For a bloke coming off a knee reco, who has never done an AFL preseason due to rowing, his improvement this year has been a credit to him. He has been strong linked to Port at pick 4 and would not surprise me in the slightest to see him go there but I have him sliding to the Tigers only because someone had to. I suppose you could argue that his beep test at the DC wasn’t special (although not poor for a ruckman). If the Tigers don’t go for Vickery then I’d expect then I expect them to look strongly at Ziebell and also Swift has been rumoured to be in the mix. Trengove is not without a chance here either if the Francis Jackson decides to go for a KPP type.
9. Kangaroos: Lewis JOHNSTON (03-3-91) 192/87 North Adelaide
OK, this pick is coming with the premise that I know even less than I did about the previous 8 (which is saying a lot). Although if Hurley did slide this far, I think he’d be a good bet for the Roos. I’m basically going with Johnston based on the fact that he is the one player I have heard consistently linked with the Roos over the past few months. Its obviously flawed reasoning because the Roos would be interested in a multitude of players but I can only go off what I know. Johnston is an attractive option. Bottom-age with excellent set of hands out in front of his eyes. He has an excellent kick and presence around goals. His one knock seems to to be that he goes missing when things are not going his or his teams way. That probably sounds harsher than I meant it because he has a level head and has been traveling 200km to play each weekend so one would assume he would improve quite significantly in AFL surrounds. Sidebottom is one that has been linked to the Roos and I would not be surprised if he went here.
10. Adelaide: Shaun McKERNAN (01-9-90) 196/95 Calder Cannons
The Crows themselves have admitted they will be looking for a key defender at pick 10 with Neil Craig believing there are 2-3 that will be quality long term options. Who are those 3? M money would be them coming from guys like Hurley, Trengove, McKernan and Phil Davis. Hurley will probably be gone and Davis has not had as much exposed form as the others which could see him slide from calculations. That leaves us with Trengove and McKernan. Flip a coin to decide if you like because its basically what I’ve done. One could argue that Trengove is the more highly regarded in recruiting circles on a whole but Matty Rendell proved last year with his Dangerfield selection that that is no indicator of his preference.
11. Collingwood: Thomas SWIFT (06-7-90) 190/84 Claremont
This Pies pick is unusual in some respects because there has been a lot of info floating around on it all year. They have been interested in Tom Swift ever since he did his AIS internship with them a couple of years ago. Mid-year they were rumoured to be considering going tall here because apart from the top 4 mids, the midfield options were on a similar level to those which will be available at their 2nd round pick. And then most people have heard they ‘love’ Queenslander Dayne Beams. So which way will they go? Part of me thinks they wont be able to resist the bargain that is Swift, but then Hine has shown he backs himself against the grain which gives Beams a real show. While someone like Trengove would be very tempting if available if they did follow the tall then small mantra. In the end I gave them Swift mainly because I don’t think he should be sliding much further than this. However, as we all know, drafts don’t work like that.
12. Sydney: Nick SUBAN (9/5/90) 179/82 Nth Ballerat Rebels
Swans have been very strongly linked to Suban of late and would not surprise if they picked him up here. Despite a need for key forwards, Roos likes to use his first rounders on midfielders and Suban is a Swans type of player. He has the solid build, a good kick, is a leader and doesn’t mind throwing his body around. Maybe this is a tad early for Suban but that hasn’t deterred the Swans either in the past. There is a chance the Swans will pick for need and go for a tall which would throw Trengove, McKernan, Davis or even Mitch Brown into the mix so that is worth keeping in mind.
13. St Kilda: Jackson TRENGOVE (02-11-90) 196/77 Calder Cannons
This pick is one that there has been very little floating around on. Made all the more difficult by the fact that there is no glaring need or deficiency on their list to indicate they will go tall or small. Saints are always in need of pace so someone like Sam Blease or Stephen Hill could be in the mix. While I have heard they were one of the clubs to show interest in Trengove earlier in the year which could indicate their level of interest. Young KPP Tom Lynch is also believed to be in the Saints thoughts and could go earlier than expected and slot into the first round somewhere.
14. Western Bulldogs: Ayce CORDY (06-8-90) 202/77 Geelong Falcons (father-son)
Cordy is quite the bargain here for the Doggies with some good judges believing he could end up one of the best from this draft. Scotty Clayton reportedly rates him inside the top 4. Will take time but could be anything.
15. Geelong: Steele SIDEBOTTOM (02-1-91) 182/79 Murray Bushrangers
I’ll start out by saying that if available, there is a very strong chance that Swift will be a Cat. That rumour has been around so many times that its hard to ignore. Most people are aware of the Cats need for some KPP talent and they will have to weigh that against the best available mantra given lip service by many RMs. I personally think they will go best available here unless they are really tempted by a tall such as Trengove or McKernan. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they went for someone like Tom Lynch either. On the premise of best available its hard to go past Steele Sidebottom but it could be any number of players especially Sam Blease or Stephen Hill.
Sidebottom could go anywhere and it comes down to one thing; his pace. Some will believe he is not quick enough for AFL footy while others would say he can overcome a lack of pace because of his footy smarts. His DC times was poor but RMs would have been well aware that he would pull that time before the camp. Although unlikely, he could go as early as 5 to the Bombers, with Brissie showing strong interest and Roos also sniffing around. West Coast has had more than one interview and one would assume they would be waiting with open arms if he did make it to 18.
16. Hawthorn: Phil DAVIS (30-8-90) 196/85 North Adelaide
While I don’t think the Hawks will pick Davis solely because they need a key defender, Pelchen has openly admitted they do draft for need which makes Davis a good fit here, especially as the Hawks have shown interest in him. Davis is a classy, poised defender who is very clean off the ground and in the air. Loves to mark the incoming footy ala Matty Scarlett and is no dissimilar to Scarlett in the way he mopes up from defence while beating his man. Davis has not got a huge profile on the net due to school footy and a shoulder injury but has been on recruiters minds all year. Also of interest is the fact he has grown to 196cm through the year so he is a very nice size for a key defender. The Demons have apparently shown strong interest and will most likely snap him up at 17 or 19 if he gets past the Hawks. If the Hawks overlook Davis then who they will go for is anyone guess, they would like Blease’s pace and run while Sidebottom’s kicking and nous would also be attractive. Translation: it would be anyone’s guess. My money would be on Trengove is he made it this far which is highly unlikely.
Priority Selections
17. Melbourne: Sam BLEASE (19-2-91) 183/72 Eastern Ranges
One would assume that the Dees will go with the best available at this selection and they would be very pleased to get hold of someone like Blease who has such good hurt factor he could go much earlier in the real deal and it would not surprise me if he ended up going close to top 10. The only reason I have him sliding is because his form deteriorated as the year went on, although he may have been playing injured given he was a later withdrawal in the finals. He also doesn’t gather great amounts of the ball which may raise doubts in recruiters minds, despite the fact he does hurt you with only a small amount of the pill. As I said above, the Dees would strongly consider Phil Davis if he made it to this selection. While one would assume blokes like James Strauss, Ash Smith and Stephen Hill at this selection.
18. West Coast: Stephen HILL (01-5-90) 182/72 West Perth
West Coast have been holding out hope all year that this selection would be reserved for Tom Swift but the possibility looks just about shot given Swifts recovery from his knee injuries mean he should be picked up much earlier, arguably as early as pick 7. Given they have satisfied their one need for the draft (ruckman) with their 2nd pick overall, West Coast can have the luxury of taking the player they deem best available on their board. My guess is that a highly regarded player will side to pick 18 especially if someone like Tom Lynch climbs over a couple and makes it into the first round. Who will slider be? Too hard to speculate with any accuracy at all but going off Woosha’s comments in the media through the year pace will be a priority so one would assume players like Hill and Blease would be welcomed to the club if available. Even though they have one of the tallest lists in the league, West Coast has also been strongly linked with your key forward Mitch Brown and it would not be beyond the realms of possibility that they could jump on him before other clubs waiting with their second rounders. Tom Lynch has also fielded interviews from West Coast officials and may be an option with pick 18 or 20.
This is where the nightmare that is this draft really comes home to roost. I don’t know how or why I have Stephen Hill sliding this far. He is in the mix for pick 3 and has been linked to all the clubs with subsequent picks. But he just kept sliding further and further as I tried to draw up this list. Its not even as though I don’t rate him, its just the way this draft falls. Someone has to give and in this case it was Hill. One thing that can be taken from this occurrence is not that Hill will slide (I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he went top 10) but that at least one player will drop down the pecking order. Hill could literally go anywhere from 3 to 18, and please don’t take too much out of him sliding down this far because it really was an innocent mistake. The main reason being I had not heard of express interest from any of the clubs from 11-18 and that’s what you have to go off when doing a phantom draft.
EDIT: For the record, dont pay too much attention to my round 3 picks onwards, I didnt put that much time into aligning the players with clubs, just getting as many of the 50 or so guys most likely to be picked up (with one eye on club preferences).
EDIT: My entry into the Bigfooty first round comp:
Round 1
1 Melbourne: Jack Watts
2 West Coast: Nick Naitanui
3 Fremantle: Stephen Hill
4 Port Adelaide: Hamish Hartlett
5 Essendon: Mirchal Hurley
6 Carlton: Chris Yarran
7 Brisbane: Daniel Rich
8 Richmond: Tyrone Vickery
9 Kangaroos: Steele Sidebottom
10 Adelaide: Phil Davis
11 Collingwood: Jack Ziebell
12 Sydney: Nick Suban
13 St Kilda: Tom Lynch
14 Bulldogs: Ayce Cordy
15 Geelong: Lewis Johnston
16 Hawthorn: Jackson Trengove
Priority Selection
17 Melbourne: Sam Blease
18 West Coast: Tom Swift
Round 2
19 Melbourne: Shaun McKernan
20 West Coast: Ryan Schoenmakers
21 Fremantle: Jarred Blight
22 Port: Jayden Post
23 Essendon: Nick Heyne
24 Fremantle: Jordan Roughead
25 Brisbane: Mitch Robinson
26 Richmond: Ash Smith
27 Kangaroos: Jordan Lisle
28 Adelaide: Nick Heyne
29 Collingwood: Dayne Beams
30 Sydney: Mitch Brown
31 Bulldogs: Liam Jones
32 Bulldogs: Rhys O’Keefe
33 Geelong: Matthew Broadbent
34 Hawthorn: Davis Zaharakis
TOA’s PHANTOM DRAFT - Round 1
1. Melbourne: Jack WATTS (26-3-91) 194/85 Sandringham Dragons
Almost can lock him away now, although there are rumours of Melbourne strongly considering Naitanui. Watts is a classy bottom-age tall who can take pack marks consistently no matter what the defensive pressure. Very charismatic kid, not low on confidence and his personality would lend itself well to a club like Melbourne. Used to play basketball ala Scott Pendlebury. Like Pendlebury, Jack was point guard which allowed Watts to hone his vision, speed and agility. According to an AIS basketball coach, Watts enjoyed the physical side of the game more than Pendlebury which is worth keeping in mind. Watts is a perfect fit for the Dees.
2. West Coast: Nicholas NAITANUI (04-5-90) 201/95 Swan Districts
Extremely quick, 201cm tall who fights for the contested ball as well as Daniel Kerr. Admittedly he has a lot to learn but what he knows already is pretty special and the scope to improve is as broad as the horizon. He is tenacious, hard working, aggressive and a willing learner. WAFL players have said they hear him coming from 20m away, snorting like a bull and BANG, they’re mauled in almost primal fashion. He will take a couple of years but he will learn the art of where to gather the ball around the ground from the man who began the revolution. While he may start out in defence or up forward while learning the game, long term his role will be has a ruckman who win the tap and then compete as an inside midfielder against Judd, Kirk or Mitchell. Will fill out to be an impressive unit at AFL level and as a West Coast supporter, he has me excited.
3. Fremantle: Daniel RICH (07-6-90) 183/83 Subiaco
By all reports pick 3 is between Hill or Rich but someone like Hartlett is not to be completely ruled out either. Even Vickery has been linked to Freo at some stages. Freo have been very cagey this year and understandably been very diligent for this important selection. My reasoning for them selecting Rich is quite simple and uninformed; I don’t think they can afford to overlook Rich. A kind way of saying they don’t have the balls to overlook him? Maybe. But Rich is a sure fire 200 gamer and Freo is not in a position to pass up that sort of player. His endurance isn’t great, he doesn’t seem to work particularly hard or act like he ‘wants it’. Is that because he’s been ready for AFL for 2yrs and feels like he’s been bidding his time? Or is it because he’s Ashley Sampi’s long lost brother? (OK a tad harsh) Its stating the obvious but this pick will shape the top 10, rumours are that Freo will be making the final pitch to the match committee over the next couple of days so interesting times ahead.
4. Port Adelaide: Hamish HARTLETT (14-8-90) 182/74 West Adelaide
OK before I begin, if Rich is available here, lock him away. Port have not hidden their desire to draft Rich and I don’t think there is any way they will let him slip by. RM Blair Hartley has said publicly there are 2 names on their board at this selection. One would assume Rich is one and they other would be out of Hartlett or Vickery. The decision between these two is probably just as tricky as Freo’s call between Rich or Hill. Port have had Hamish to the club for a medical late last week which indicates he is deep in their thoughts, although who is not to say they haven’t done the same for Vickery? (whom they entertained at the Roos game late in the year). I’m really torn on who to give Port here, I change my mind every time I think of it. There is no doubt Port need some young ruck depth which would point to Vickery but Hartley said they will be picking the best available. One also has to factor in that Port used their first rounder on young ruck prospect in Matthew Lobbe last year who is looking in fine shape this preseason by all reports. That is the main reason I have slotted in Hartlett here but its really a 50/50. Hartett is an outside midfieler with silky skills and good leg speed. He is arguably yet to rip games apart but has the ability to. If Port decide to overlook Hartlett, he has been strongly linked to the next 4 selections, especially the Bombers and Tigers, so he there will be some crossed fingers under respective draft tables at this selection. Freo were also showing strong interest earlier in the year according to Hamish himself which is worth keeping in mind.
5. Essendon: Christopher YARRAN (19-12-90) 180/84 Swan Districts
Argh, this draft is such a douzy! Once again, this selection could go any which way, to the point there is literally no point speculating. But I’m a sucker so here goes. Essendon has constantly been linked with Yarran ever since Ash Prescott game out mid-year and confessed an undying love for him. Matty Knights also made special mention of him to the media last week. Maybe its just a massive smokescreen? Who knows. Despite some off field question marks including a possible go-home factor (infamously remarked “Perth will always be my home” at a press conference earlier in the year) and albeit improving shyness, Yarren will be a quality footballer deserving of a top 5 selection. Quicker than many would think, cool, slippery with the ability to turn a game in an instant. He is top 3 on ability and will be someone fans of all clubs will love to watch. Yarran has been strongly linked to the Blues and also Lions, so I cant see him getting too far if passed up by the Bombers. If Hartlett is available here, I think the Bombers could have a tough decision on their hands. Bombers have also been loosely linked with Sidebottom for a couple of months.
6. Carlton: Michael HURLEY (01-6-90) 192/92 Northern Knights
Everyone seems to lump Hurley with Carlton because everyone ‘knows’ the Blues need a tall defender. Its never that simple and I dont for a minute believe Hurley is a lock for the Bluebaggers at this selection based solely on that fact. If Hartlett, Yarran or possibly Hill are available here then I suspect one of those guys could get the nod before Hurley. Hurley does have question marks over his pace, his time at DC wasn’t great but the more worrying fact is that he has run quite abit slower in the past. That said, he makes up for his lack of pace quite easily (at lower levels at least). The question on RMs minds is whether that will translate to AFL standard. Hurley is cool, balanced and has a thumping kick. He is a very god all round player and will be a very interesting player to watch develop at AFL level because he has many scouts opinions divided. Many good judges believe he will end up making a better forward than defender which wouldn’t worry the Blues in the slightest incidentally. Hurley could conceivably slide down the order but I cannot see him getting past the Roos or Crows who are on the look out for talls. Then again, he has been linked to the Bombers at pick 5 so who knows.
7. Brisbane: Jack ZIEBELL (28-2-91) 188/84 Murray Bushrangers
Word on the street is that the Lions have 4 names in their thoughts with Ziebell heading the list. Tom Swift is not to be discounted here either. And my money would be on Yarran or Hartlett to be in the mix bigtime if available. Ziebell bottom-age so he has strong scope for improvement, he is a quality all rounder with all the attributes except straight line speed. His DC time was average to poor and hasn’t been in his testing well all through juniors for pace. That could see him slide but he is of such quality I cannot see him getting far. For what its worth, Richmond have apparently been showing the most interest followed by the Blues which doesn’t mean much but worth keeping in mind. Freo have also been in touch but that is probably more to do with due diligence than anything else. There have been rumours of the Lions showing very strong interest in Sidebottom so don’t be surprised to see him taken here. I know I’ve basically listed 7 players that are in the mix but I told you this draft is so up in the air it is laughable.
8. Richmond: Tyrone VICKERY (31-5-90) 200/86 Sandringham Dragons
Vickery seems the logical pick here given the Tigers need a young ruckman. Vickery is very highly regarded in recruiting circles and would be a pretty good coup for the Tigers. For a bloke coming off a knee reco, who has never done an AFL preseason due to rowing, his improvement this year has been a credit to him. He has been strong linked to Port at pick 4 and would not surprise me in the slightest to see him go there but I have him sliding to the Tigers only because someone had to. I suppose you could argue that his beep test at the DC wasn’t special (although not poor for a ruckman). If the Tigers don’t go for Vickery then I’d expect then I expect them to look strongly at Ziebell and also Swift has been rumoured to be in the mix. Trengove is not without a chance here either if the Francis Jackson decides to go for a KPP type.
9. Kangaroos: Lewis JOHNSTON (03-3-91) 192/87 North Adelaide
OK, this pick is coming with the premise that I know even less than I did about the previous 8 (which is saying a lot). Although if Hurley did slide this far, I think he’d be a good bet for the Roos. I’m basically going with Johnston based on the fact that he is the one player I have heard consistently linked with the Roos over the past few months. Its obviously flawed reasoning because the Roos would be interested in a multitude of players but I can only go off what I know. Johnston is an attractive option. Bottom-age with excellent set of hands out in front of his eyes. He has an excellent kick and presence around goals. His one knock seems to to be that he goes missing when things are not going his or his teams way. That probably sounds harsher than I meant it because he has a level head and has been traveling 200km to play each weekend so one would assume he would improve quite significantly in AFL surrounds. Sidebottom is one that has been linked to the Roos and I would not be surprised if he went here.
10. Adelaide: Shaun McKERNAN (01-9-90) 196/95 Calder Cannons
The Crows themselves have admitted they will be looking for a key defender at pick 10 with Neil Craig believing there are 2-3 that will be quality long term options. Who are those 3? M money would be them coming from guys like Hurley, Trengove, McKernan and Phil Davis. Hurley will probably be gone and Davis has not had as much exposed form as the others which could see him slide from calculations. That leaves us with Trengove and McKernan. Flip a coin to decide if you like because its basically what I’ve done. One could argue that Trengove is the more highly regarded in recruiting circles on a whole but Matty Rendell proved last year with his Dangerfield selection that that is no indicator of his preference.
11. Collingwood: Thomas SWIFT (06-7-90) 190/84 Claremont
This Pies pick is unusual in some respects because there has been a lot of info floating around on it all year. They have been interested in Tom Swift ever since he did his AIS internship with them a couple of years ago. Mid-year they were rumoured to be considering going tall here because apart from the top 4 mids, the midfield options were on a similar level to those which will be available at their 2nd round pick. And then most people have heard they ‘love’ Queenslander Dayne Beams. So which way will they go? Part of me thinks they wont be able to resist the bargain that is Swift, but then Hine has shown he backs himself against the grain which gives Beams a real show. While someone like Trengove would be very tempting if available if they did follow the tall then small mantra. In the end I gave them Swift mainly because I don’t think he should be sliding much further than this. However, as we all know, drafts don’t work like that.
12. Sydney: Nick SUBAN (9/5/90) 179/82 Nth Ballerat Rebels
Swans have been very strongly linked to Suban of late and would not surprise if they picked him up here. Despite a need for key forwards, Roos likes to use his first rounders on midfielders and Suban is a Swans type of player. He has the solid build, a good kick, is a leader and doesn’t mind throwing his body around. Maybe this is a tad early for Suban but that hasn’t deterred the Swans either in the past. There is a chance the Swans will pick for need and go for a tall which would throw Trengove, McKernan, Davis or even Mitch Brown into the mix so that is worth keeping in mind.
13. St Kilda: Jackson TRENGOVE (02-11-90) 196/77 Calder Cannons
This pick is one that there has been very little floating around on. Made all the more difficult by the fact that there is no glaring need or deficiency on their list to indicate they will go tall or small. Saints are always in need of pace so someone like Sam Blease or Stephen Hill could be in the mix. While I have heard they were one of the clubs to show interest in Trengove earlier in the year which could indicate their level of interest. Young KPP Tom Lynch is also believed to be in the Saints thoughts and could go earlier than expected and slot into the first round somewhere.
14. Western Bulldogs: Ayce CORDY (06-8-90) 202/77 Geelong Falcons (father-son)
Cordy is quite the bargain here for the Doggies with some good judges believing he could end up one of the best from this draft. Scotty Clayton reportedly rates him inside the top 4. Will take time but could be anything.
15. Geelong: Steele SIDEBOTTOM (02-1-91) 182/79 Murray Bushrangers
I’ll start out by saying that if available, there is a very strong chance that Swift will be a Cat. That rumour has been around so many times that its hard to ignore. Most people are aware of the Cats need for some KPP talent and they will have to weigh that against the best available mantra given lip service by many RMs. I personally think they will go best available here unless they are really tempted by a tall such as Trengove or McKernan. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they went for someone like Tom Lynch either. On the premise of best available its hard to go past Steele Sidebottom but it could be any number of players especially Sam Blease or Stephen Hill.
Sidebottom could go anywhere and it comes down to one thing; his pace. Some will believe he is not quick enough for AFL footy while others would say he can overcome a lack of pace because of his footy smarts. His DC times was poor but RMs would have been well aware that he would pull that time before the camp. Although unlikely, he could go as early as 5 to the Bombers, with Brissie showing strong interest and Roos also sniffing around. West Coast has had more than one interview and one would assume they would be waiting with open arms if he did make it to 18.
16. Hawthorn: Phil DAVIS (30-8-90) 196/85 North Adelaide
While I don’t think the Hawks will pick Davis solely because they need a key defender, Pelchen has openly admitted they do draft for need which makes Davis a good fit here, especially as the Hawks have shown interest in him. Davis is a classy, poised defender who is very clean off the ground and in the air. Loves to mark the incoming footy ala Matty Scarlett and is no dissimilar to Scarlett in the way he mopes up from defence while beating his man. Davis has not got a huge profile on the net due to school footy and a shoulder injury but has been on recruiters minds all year. Also of interest is the fact he has grown to 196cm through the year so he is a very nice size for a key defender. The Demons have apparently shown strong interest and will most likely snap him up at 17 or 19 if he gets past the Hawks. If the Hawks overlook Davis then who they will go for is anyone guess, they would like Blease’s pace and run while Sidebottom’s kicking and nous would also be attractive. Translation: it would be anyone’s guess. My money would be on Trengove is he made it this far which is highly unlikely.
Priority Selections
17. Melbourne: Sam BLEASE (19-2-91) 183/72 Eastern Ranges
One would assume that the Dees will go with the best available at this selection and they would be very pleased to get hold of someone like Blease who has such good hurt factor he could go much earlier in the real deal and it would not surprise me if he ended up going close to top 10. The only reason I have him sliding is because his form deteriorated as the year went on, although he may have been playing injured given he was a later withdrawal in the finals. He also doesn’t gather great amounts of the ball which may raise doubts in recruiters minds, despite the fact he does hurt you with only a small amount of the pill. As I said above, the Dees would strongly consider Phil Davis if he made it to this selection. While one would assume blokes like James Strauss, Ash Smith and Stephen Hill at this selection.
18. West Coast: Stephen HILL (01-5-90) 182/72 West Perth
West Coast have been holding out hope all year that this selection would be reserved for Tom Swift but the possibility looks just about shot given Swifts recovery from his knee injuries mean he should be picked up much earlier, arguably as early as pick 7. Given they have satisfied their one need for the draft (ruckman) with their 2nd pick overall, West Coast can have the luxury of taking the player they deem best available on their board. My guess is that a highly regarded player will side to pick 18 especially if someone like Tom Lynch climbs over a couple and makes it into the first round. Who will slider be? Too hard to speculate with any accuracy at all but going off Woosha’s comments in the media through the year pace will be a priority so one would assume players like Hill and Blease would be welcomed to the club if available. Even though they have one of the tallest lists in the league, West Coast has also been strongly linked with your key forward Mitch Brown and it would not be beyond the realms of possibility that they could jump on him before other clubs waiting with their second rounders. Tom Lynch has also fielded interviews from West Coast officials and may be an option with pick 18 or 20.
This is where the nightmare that is this draft really comes home to roost. I don’t know how or why I have Stephen Hill sliding this far. He is in the mix for pick 3 and has been linked to all the clubs with subsequent picks. But he just kept sliding further and further as I tried to draw up this list. Its not even as though I don’t rate him, its just the way this draft falls. Someone has to give and in this case it was Hill. One thing that can be taken from this occurrence is not that Hill will slide (I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he went top 10) but that at least one player will drop down the pecking order. Hill could literally go anywhere from 3 to 18, and please don’t take too much out of him sliding down this far because it really was an innocent mistake. The main reason being I had not heard of express interest from any of the clubs from 11-18 and that’s what you have to go off when doing a phantom draft.
