2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run (Selections Only)

This thread will contain all the selections, without the accompanying discussion. It is designed as a one-stop-shop for those looking for info on the players selected.

This thread will remain locked, updated by the moderators as required.

It's that time of year again when us mere mortals put our proverbials on the line and have a crack at the draft. Some new recruiters this time around and we will kick off in the morning.
For those questioning the order it was the ladder positions at the end of round 20.

Gold Coast Suns 17 Year Old Priority Selections:
1 Gold Coast Offsider: Josh Toy
2 Gold Coast Offsider: Maverick Weller
3 Gold Coast Offsider: Trent Mackenzie
4 Gold Coast Offsider: Luke Russell
5 Gold Coast Offsider: Brandon Matera
6 Gold Coast Offsider: Matt Shaw
7 Gold Coast Offsider: Tom Nicholls
8 Gold Coast Offsider: Hayden Jolly
9 Gold Coast Offsider: Jack Hutchins
10 Gold Coast Offsider: Piers Flanagan
11 Gold Coast Offsider: Taylor Hine
Gold Coast Suns QLD Zone Selections
1 Gold Coast Offsider: Zac Smith
2 Gold Coast Offsider: Charlie Dixon
3 Gold Coast Offsider: Rex Liddy
4 Gold Coast Offsider: Joseph Daye
5 Gold Coast Offsider: Marc Lock
Gold Coast Suns NT Zone Selections
1 Gold Coast Offsider: Steven May
2 Gold Coast Offsider: Liam Patrick
3 Gold Coast Offsider: Michael Gugliotta
National Draft Selection Order
1 Gold Coast Offsider- David Swallow 19/11/92 185cm 86kg East Fremantle
2 Gold Coast Offsider- Sam Day 6/9/92 195cm 90kg Sturt
3 Gold Coast Offsider- Harley Bennell 2/10/92 180cm 70kg Peel Thunder
4 West Coast Swannies- Shaun Atley 13/9/92 187cm 82kg Murray Bushrangers
5 Gold Coast Offsider- Daniel Gorringe 2/6/92 198cm 85kg Norwood
6 Richmond TFLUA-Tiger- Jared Polec 12/10/92 188cm 77kg WWT Eagles
7 Gold Coast Offsider- Brodie Smith 14/1/92 188cm 79kg WWT Eagles
8 BrisbaneQuigley- Andrew Gaff 16/6/92 183cm 78kg Oakleigh Chargers
9 Gold Coast Offsider- Jack Darling 16/6/92 190cm 86kg West Perth
10 Essendon Foj1- Jayden Pitt 7/10/92 187cm 69kg Geelong Falcons
11 Gold Coast Offsider- Patrick McCarthy 11/3/92 194cm 79kg Glenelg
12 Port Power Wall-e- Scott Lycett 26/9/92 202cm 95kg Port Magpies
13 Gold Coast Offsider- Matthew Watson 16/7/92 194cm 99kg Calder Cannons
14 Adelaide Thunderstruck- Luke Parker 25/10/92 182cm 82kg Dandenong Stingrays
15 Gold Coast Offsider- Billie Smedts 8/6/92 187cm 77kg Geelong Falcons
16 Melbourne Monocle- Lucas Cook 3/3/92 194cm 82kg North Ballarat Rebels
17 North Melbourne Pykie- Josh Caddy 28/9/92 186cm 81kg Northern Knights
18 Hawthorn Knightwheelrqr- Joel Wilkinson 29/11/91 183cm 78kg Broadbeach
19 Sydney Grub29- Kieran Harper 15/6/92 187cm 78kg Eastern Ranges
20 Carlton Beowulf- Mitch Hallahan 23/8/92 182cm 77kg Dandenong Stingrays
21 Fremantle Ysaye- Dyson Heppell 14/5/92 187cm 79kg Gippsland Power
22 Western Bulldogs Axel- Mitchell Wallis 24/10/92 185cm 79kg Calder Cannons
23 StKilda Chris25- Jed Lamb 19/10/92 181cm 77kg Gippsland Power
24 Geelong RoyalEagle- Ben Newton 8/8/92 182cm 78kg South Fremantle
25 Collingwood Snoop Dog- Tom Lynch 31/10/92 196cm 86kg Dandenong Stingrays
26 Gold Coast Offsider- Josh Green 24/8/92 179cm 78kg Clarence
27 West Coast Swannies- Jarrod Ninyette 23/3/87 186cm 74kg Claremont
28 Richmond TFLUA-Tiger- Ben Jacobs 9/1/92 186cm 83kg Sandringham Dragons
29 Brisbane Quigley- Kieran Butcher 2/3/92 183cm 80kg Peel Thunder
30 Essendon Foj1- Cameron Guthrie 19/8/92 186cm 79kg Calder Cannons
31 Port Power Wall-e- Dion Prestia 12/10/92 175cm 81kg Calder Cannons
32 Adelaide Thunderstruck- Blayne Wilson 26/1/92 187cm 80kg Peel Thunder
33 Melbourne Monocle- Alex Fasolo 8/6/92 182cm 80kg East Fremantle
34 North Melbourne Pykie- Reece Conca 12/8/92 182cm 75kg Perth
35 Hawthorn Knightwheelrqr- Jamie Cripps 23/4/92 183cm 78kg East Fremantle
36 Sydney Grub29- Ryan Lester 26/8/92 190cm 81kg Oakleigh Chargers
37 Carlton Beowulf- Darcy Barden 13/2/92 192cm 91kg Northern Knights
38 Fremantle Ysaye- Rohan Bewick 20yo 185cm 74kg West Perth
39 Western Bulldogs Axel.- Tom Liberatore 16/5/92 182cm 77kg Calder Cannons
40 StKilda Chris25- Luke Mitchell 28/2/92 196cm 96kg Calder Cannons
41 Geelong RoyalEagle- Warrick Andreoli 28/2/92 182cm 73kg South Fremantle
42 Collingwood Snoop Dog- Sam Crocker 12/3/92 180cm 71kg Oakleigh Chargers
43 Gold Coast Offsider- Thomas Gordon 19/4/92 194cm 88kg Oakleigh Chargers
44 West Coast Swannies- Isaiah Stevens 18yo 188cm 74kg Swan Districts
45 Richmond TFLUA-Tiger- Patrick Karnezis 23/4/92 191cm 77kg Oakleigh Chargers
46 Brisbane Quigley- Andrew Krakouer 4/2/83 176cm 74kg Swan Districts
47 Essendon Foj1- Daniel Farmer 22/7/92 187cm 80kg Sandringham Dragons
48 Port Power Wall-e- Max Otten 10/11/92 191cm 83kg Oakleigh Chargers
49 Adelaide Thunderstruck- Angus Rowntree 19yo 180cm 83kg Woodville-West Torrens
50 Melbourne Monocle- Tendai Mzungu 28/2/86 183cm 76kg Perth
51 North Melbourne Pykie- Viv Michie 23/2/92 185cm 77kg Oakleigh Chargers
52 Hawthorn Knightwheelrqr- Cameron O'Shea 13/3/92 190cm 88kg Eastern Ranges
53 Sydney Grub29- Aaron Young 6/12/92 188cm 75kg Eastern Ranges
54 Carlton Beowulf- Jamie Solly 27/7/92 190cm 88kg Port Magpies
55 Fremantle Ysaye- Rhett Mason 30/3/91 192cm 81kg Peel Thunder
56 Western Bulldogs Axel.- Zac Fitzgerald 16/2/91 192cm 85kg Woodville-West Torrens
57 StKilda Chris25- Nathan Ah Mat-Watkins 18/2/92 186cm 75kg Alice Springs
58 Geelong RoyalEagle- Sebastian Tape 6/8/92 189cm 78kg Glenelg
59 Collingwood Snoop Dog- Tom Hickey 6/3/91 199cm 88kg Morningside
60 Gold Coast Offsider- Ozgur Uysal 5/8/92 179cm 72kg Calder Cannons
61 West Coast Swannies- Aaron Sweet 27/1/89 186cm 86kg East Perth
62 Richmond TFLUA-Tiger- Andrew Phillips 3/7/91 200cm 91kg Clarence
63 Brisbane Quigley- Kyle Hartigan 11/7/91 193cm 89kg Werribee
64 Essendon Foj1- Alex Johnson 2/3/92 192cm 80kg Oakleigh Chargers
65 Port Power Wall-e- Glenn Grgic 19/4/92 175cm 77kg Northern Knights
66 Adelaide Thunderstruck- Myles Sewell 10/2/88 187cm 80kg North Ballarat
67 Melbourne Monocle- Angus Litherland 12/10/92 192cm 85kg Claremont
68 North Melbourne Pykie- Thomas Schneider 30/9/92 177cm 76kg Oakleigh Chargers
69 Hawthorn Knightwheelrqr- Ed Curnow 7/11/89 182cm 83kg Box Hill Hawks
70 Sydney Grub29- Joshua Walker 12/11/92 194cm 84kg Geelong Falcons
71 Carlton Beowulf- Darcy Armfield 15/1/92 190cm 87kg Glenelg
72 Fremantle Ysaye- Ian Richardson 22yo 177cm 74kg Claremont
73 Western Bulldogs Axel.- Jarrod Schiller 24/4/92 175cm 73kg Central Districts
74 StKilda Chris25- George Horlin-Smith 18yo 185cm 70kg Sturt
75 Geelong RoyalEagle- Justin Monaco 7/11/92 191cm 86kg East Fremantle
76 Collingwood Snoop Dog- Tim Milera 9/12/92 170cm 75kg Port Magpies
77 Gold Coast Offsider- Ben Brown 20/11/92 197cm 85kg Devonport
78 West Coast Swannies- Mitch Carter 2/7/91 184cm 77kg South Fremantle
79 Richmond TFLUA-Tiger- Luke Dahlhaus 21/8/92 177cm 71kg Geelong Falcons
80 Brisbane Quigley- Zephi Skinner 21yo 189cm 78kg NT Thunder
81 Essendon Foj1- Jonathon Ceglar 14/2/91 200cm 86kg Murray Bushrangers
82 Port Power Wall-e- Aaron Mullett 23/2/92 183cm 71kg Eastern Ranges
83 Adelaide Thunderstruck- Cameron Richardson 2/12/87 189cm 87kg North Ballarat
84 Melbourne Monocle- Andrew McInnes 20/3/92 189cm 84kg Dandenong Stingrays
85 North Melbourne Pykie- Stephen Witkowski 23/8/91 189cm 87kg Northern Knights Northern Knights
86 Hawthorn Knightwheelrqr- Charlie Riewoldt 23/9/92 183cm 74kg Clarence
87 Sydney Grub29- Jordan Schroder 5/12/92 183cm 81kg Calder Cannons
88 Carlton Beowulf- Ariel Steinberg 26/8/92 191cm 84kg Bendigo Pioneers
89 Fremantle Ysaye- Jake Batchelor 13/2/92 186cm 82kg Dandneong Stingrays
90 Western Bulldogs Axel.- Ben Reid 5/9/92 181cm 66kg Bendigo Pioneers
91 StKilda Chris25- Adam Marcon 28/7/92 180cm 77kg Northern Knights
92 Geelong RoyalEagle- Kiefer Yu 6/4/91 179cm 78kg Claremont
93 Collingwood Snoop Dog- Lewis Moss 2/4/92 194cm 80kg North Cairns

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Ok I do not have my profiles for the 12 x 17 year olds here but they are
1 Gold Coast: Josh Toy
2 Gold Coast: Maverick Weller
3 Gold Coast: Trent Mackenzie
4 Gold Coast: Luke Russell
5 Gold Coast: Brandon Matera
6 Gold Coast: Matt Shaw
7 Gold Coast: Tom Nicholls
8 Gold Coast: Hayden Jolly
9 Gold Coast: Jack Hutchins
10 Gold Coast: Piers Flanagan
11 Gold Coast: Taylor Hine
Gold Coast Suns QLD Zone Selections
1 Gold Coast: Zac Smith
2 Gold Coast: Charlie Dixon
3 Gold Coast: Rex Liddy
4 Gold Coast: Joesph Daye
5 Gold Coast: Marc Lock
Gold Coast Suns NT Zone Selections ( I do not have these currently with me)
1 Gold Coast: Steven May
2 Gold Coast: Liam Patrick
3 Gold Coast: Michael Gugliotta
National Draft Selection Order
1 Gold Coast: David Swallow
2 Gold Coast: Sam Day
3 Gold Coast: Harley Bennell

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run


Zac Smith
DOB: 22/02/1990, Height: 205cm, Weight: 97kg
Club: Biloela (QLD)

One of the better ruck prospects to come through the system in QLD, who looks to have real talent and could hold down the number one ruck position in a team. Smith is very tall for a ruckman, at 205cm, and gets his hands on the ball more than enough, his actual tapwork is good and improving all the time as he plays more footy. He is a soccer convert and has only played the game for about 5 years, so he has a lot of development left, and for a young ruck who is already holding his own, and dominating on occasions, at VFL level it is impressive. He competes well in the ruck and is not afraid to throw is body around on the ground although he is not super clean but still reasonable. Smith finds the ball reasonably well around the ground, although this could do with improvement, but this may be somewhat of an endurance issue. His marking ability is above average and he is strong in the contests and can take a pack mark, he can really use that height of his to his advantage, although I have seen him drop a few when he gets his hands to the ball but generally above average. Athletically he is well above average, his pace and agility are good, and this enables him to compete very well in contested situations and allows him to be quite nimble and mobile for his height. He has a nice vertical leap, which his helpful in the ruck contests and when coupled with his height can see him dominate, his endurance could do with improving but it is still reasonable ATM. His kicking is quite good for a ruckman and he can hit most easy targets and he knows his limitation which is good, his decision making is also very good and he hits most targets. His handballing is very good and he is quite creative by hand, and he can fire off quick handballs in packs and hit a free player like a midfielder would. He is also very good at ground level for such a big guy, he is one touch and clean and not afraid to throw is body around in the contest and get dirty. I see him as potentially a very good ruckman who plays the modern style of ruckman who can do it all, maybe needs to kick more goals. But all in all he is a very good prospect who I rate as a high first round pick, possibly just below Gorringe, and maybe equal or slightly ahead of Lycett, although I would find it very hard to split the two, maybe Gorringe as he is a year or two younger and can push forward.


Charlie Dixon
DOB: 23/09/1990, Height: 200cm, Weight: 101kg
Club: Redlands (QLD)

Charlie is a tall CHF/FF who is capable of spending a bit of time in the ruck but is for the majority a tall imposing a key forward who reminds me a lot of Kurt Tippett. He is a powerful player who has a real presence on the field and from all reports is quite the leader as well. He has strong hands above his head and competes really well in a marking contest and can also take a pack mark really well. He also has the pace and ability to present and lead up and create separation so his actual natural abilities as a forward are very impressive. His ground level ability is reasonable and he has the ability to compete well on the ground although he could improve this as he can be prone to fumbling on occasions. Yet despite this I rate Dixon as potentially a very good footballer, although I don’t think he will become the elite superstar that the GC wants as a KPF, merely a very good, 50 goal a year CHF. Although in saying that I think he has all the tools to make it and he does have very good potential, its more fo a gut feeling that he will not become elite, but may be wrong. His athletic ability is good, he has got good pace off the mark and reasonable agility so he will not get caught out at AFL level, although he is by no means elite. His endurance is reasonably good and this is one area of improvement, but he does push up the ground a lot. He has good skills for a bigman and has good hands and is quite clever with his knock ons and like. His kicking has the potential to be very good, he has a booming 60m kick and is reasonable accurate, but can struggle to hit targets on occasions but his style is nice and I can see improvement. All in Charlie Dixon is a good prospect, who should make the grade at AFL level and has improvement left despite being well built, probably an early second rounder, top 40 type.


Rex Lddy
DOB: 02/01/1992, Height: 185cm, Weight: 86kg
Club: Cooktown (QLD)

Rex Liddy is a very good prospect and looks a likely type, who has converted from Rugby League and has the potential to be a very good player. He is a strong player with very good athletic ability, who can play as a forward or a running HBF, who is capable of having stints on ball, although his fitness needs to improve. I can see him becoming potentially a very good player who has a lot of x-factor, and can be a bit of a utility capable of kicking a few goals and going into the midfield for a bit. Athletically he is very good, although his endurance does let him down and will need to be improved so he can have more of an impact and be consistent throughout games as he can tend to fade out in games. He is very quick and agile and can break the lines and he is hard to catch, as he also has very good footwork and can sidestep opponents easily. Rex is a strong mark of the football and has reasonable hands and is rarely pushed off the ball in the contest as he is very strong in the core and can stand in tackles which with his athletic ability make him a very dangerous prospect. His kicking is above average although not elite, but quite close, he has a penetrating right foot that will hit most targets and he has a bit of x-factor in his kicking that can see him pull off the impossible. His hands are good and he rarely fumbles and he is a one touch player, and has the ability to fire off a quick handball as well. He possesses all the natural abilities to be a super player and could be a really important part of a team as a HFF and midfield rotation player. Yet I have queries on his reading of the play and his game sense, but these will improve over time, if I had a second round pick I would seriously consider picking up Rex Liddy as he is as super talent and has a lot of potential.


Joesph Daye
DOB: 02/02/1990, Height: 195cm, Weight: 85kg
Club: Northern Raiders (QLD)

Joseph Daye is a very athletic prospect who has the potential IMO, to be a very good tall winger or maybe even CHB type prospect. He has a fair bit of development left, but has performed at a reasonable level in the VFL as a tall winger who can take a contested mark and also run and carry with the football. He has very good athletic ability, and has very good pace and can break the lines and he has good agility and can weave in and out of packs. His endurance is reasonable and he covers a fair bit of ground, although this could improve, he also works very hard, but ATM struggles to have a consistent four quarter impact on a game, possibly as he is more of an athlete than a footballer at this stage but only just. He is a reasonable mark, but does not play as tall as he is and he probably needs to bulk up a little bit as he can get pushed around a bit. His kicking is good, he has a nice smooth left foot kick and can hit targets nicely with well weighted kicks. His hands are good and he is very clean below the knees but at this stage he projects mainly as an outside winger type, and he has a lot of potential IMO. Probably a third round type who a team might like and be prepared to use a second rounder on him, personally worth between 35-45.


Marc Lock
DOB: 21/06/1991, Height: 192cm, Weight: 83kg
Club: Southport (QLD)

Marc Lock shapes as a reasonable prospect, who looks to have the potential to be a strong midfielder, although he is only average athletically and this will probably stop him from becoming anything other than good or very good. He is a strong midfielder who is equally as capable both as an inside player and as an outside player, although I would be playing him as an inside ball winner. Lock is the inaugural captain of the Gold Coast, and from all reports is a real leader and inspiration to the younger players, although I would expect him to give it up next year to a more senior type player. Athletically he is reasonable, he has about average pace and agility but rarely gets caught as he knows his limitations and he often just gives off the ball straight away. His endurance is good and he can run hard and his intensity is good as a midfielder. Skills wise Lock is probably just above average and he has a reasonably good kick although it can be a little bit iffy and inconsistent although the style is reasonably good. He has quick hands and is a very good tackler, his core strength is also very good which helps a bit in this instance. I can see him with his size being a big strong midfielder who bashes the other team and plays a very inside role in the future. IMO he has some development left and is probably a late draft pick.



Pick 1: David Swallow
DOB: 19/11/1992, Height: 186cm, Weight: 83kg
Club: East Fremantle (WA)

The best number one draft pick IMO that I have ever seen, and that is high praise indeed considering some of the number picks in earlier years, the only player who could possibly challenge him is Sam Day. He is an elite midfield prospect who could potentially be the best player in the competition, and he has no weaknesses in fact he is above average or elite in almost every aspect of his play. He has exceptional junior form, he was the Larke Medal winner as a very underage player last year and was All Australian and tipped as super prospect from a young age. This year his form has been excellent playing VFL and he has probably been the Gold Coast’s best player, along with Zac Smith, which for a 17 year old is amazing and just shows how much talent he actually has. As a midfielder he is strong, tough, skilled and just oozes confidence and composure beyond his years, as well as this he also has a strong defensive game, and almost always restricts his opponent to having little or no impact on the game. As far as his game style goes he has the perfect blend of ability to win the ball on the inside and on the bottom of packs, but also the ability to find the ball in space on the wing and take a couple of bounces, breaking the lines, and hit a target in the forward line. He goes hard at the ball and has a real competitive streak in him and he has good intensity around the contests. His tackling and work-rate are also real positives and he has got very good core-strength, and can stand in tackles even at a young age. He does have the body to play AFL from round 1 next year, although there is some development left, he is quite developed and may not have the ceiling of Sam Day, but I can’t see him not being a top 20 AFL player and possibly the best in the game at some stage in his career.

Athletically he is very good, there is no obvious weakness, and he appears to be above average in everything. Pace wise he is well above average and quick enough to break the lines, and he regularly uses it, and he can on occasions make clean centre breaks with his pace and speed off the mark, but he does not possess the elite speed of a Stephen Hill type player, but he is still very quick in footballing terms. He also has a good burst of speed off the mark and this gives him a bit more time to hit his targets. Agility wise he is also very good he is smart and can sidestep players easily and rarely gets caught without getting his hands free. His endurance is elite, I don’t know what he tests as in the beep test but I would estimate a 15, he runs both ways and pushes forward regularly and kicks goals which is impressive. All in all David Swallow possesses the all round athletic package and this will hold him in very good stead in the AFL, and will give him the necessary tools to become elite.

Skills wise David Swallow is very good, his kicking is good and his handballing is quick and powerful and he rarely misses targets. He is a good goal kicker, and could potentially become a 30 goal a year type midfielder similar to Ablett but perhaps not as good in that area, but he runs forward hard and finishes very well. His kicking is powerful and dual sided he reads the play well and hits his targets very nicely and he is smart about where to kick. As far as his technique goes he has a very good technique and he can kick 50m easily on both feet, although his left can be a bit inconsistent, albeit rarely and that is real nitpicking. His handballing is very good and he is creative by hand and hits targets nicely. He is also a very strong marker and is good in the contests and has the ability to play HBF and shut down an opponent and provide strong rebound, but he would be stronger in the midfield. All up David Swallow is the elite package he has no weakness and pretty much everything is a strength, I can see him becoming a superstar and he was the obvious choice for the number 1 pick.



Pick 2: Sam Day
DOB: 06/09/1992, Height: 195cm, Weight: 90kg
Club: Sturt/Prince Alfred College (SA)

Sam Day is a super prospect and in any other year would probably be a strong prospect for the number one draft pick. He is potentially a KPP who can play as a CHF or CHB, although he has spent time in the junior years as a ruck with his vertical leap. Ideally I see him as a CHF who can use his athletic ability to dominate games, and I think he has a lot of potential, I am concerned slightly that he has not really destroyed a game that I have seen of him, but I think he will definitely make it, and the worst I can see him becoming is a very good defender, with his athleticism. He has got all the skills, and for a bigman this is really impressive, also in his favour is that he really has not yet committed to AFL and his scope for improvement is huge. He could potentially be the best player in the competition, and I rate him as the best tall in the draft since Nick Riewoldt. He is a good mark and he holds more than he drops, yet on occasions he can get his hands to the ball and drop the pill, I would not say he has naturally sticky hands, but this will improve no doubt. He could so do with bulking up a bit as so he can throw some bulk around but ATM he is a strong pack marker when he gets to run and jump but in a wrestling battle he is probably above average. Day is also really clean for a guy of his size below is knees and competes really well when the ball is on the ground, he is one touch and rarely fumbles and can dish off a quick handball very impressively.

Athletically Sam Day is a freak, similar to Natanui, his pace, agility and vertical leap are all exceptional and watch him dominate in draft camp. His vertical leap is the best ever from all reports, apparently 83cm which is 4cm higher than Natanui, and this allows him to stand on people’s heads and he will pull down some Mark of the Year contenders in his time no doubt. His pace and agility are very good he can lead and achieve separation on the lead, he can also step around players and when confident he can really have a good patch and destroy a team, just needs to work on consistency. I would like to see him improve his endurance, whilst it is good I think he must really work at this and build a tank similar to a Brown or Riewoldt, so he can burn opponents off through shear work-rate. I do have some criticisms on his work-rate, whilst he does work hard when the ball is near him I would like to see him try and run harder and be more consistent and destroy a game rather than just a quarter as is the case currently, although that will probably come with age.

Skills wise Sam Day is very good for a player of his size, he is a good quick and nice set shot for goal, and he has good hands and can give off quick handballs very nicely. He has a nice kick both on the run and a nice accurate and smooth set shot for goal, he weights his passes nicely and regularly hits targets which is very impressive for a guy his size, his penetration on his kicking is good he can probably kick a maximum of 55m but it is a very good kick. His hands are good and he is creative in his use of handballs and he can dish one out of a pack very nicely. His intensity and competitiveness are first class and from all reports he has a bit if hard edge and a bit of mongrel in him which is also very good. All in all Sam Day could be anything he has the athletic ability and skills to become a superstar and the Gold Coast would be mad to overlook him.


Pick 3: Harley Bennell
DOB: 02/10/1992, Height: 180cm, Weight: 70kg
Club: Peel Thunder (WA)

Harley Bennell is a very exciting prospect who has a ton of x-factor, flair and excitement and has the potential to be an elite winger/HFF/HBF’er. Bennell has had a super year playing in the WAFL for Peel Thunder and was the best player in the U18 champs winning the Larke Medal, especially in the first game against SA when he was best on ground IMO with 6 goals and about 20 disposals. He is a very damaging player who has elite disposal and can run and break the lines, he regularly is involved in 100m plays. He also kicks a lot of goals, and runs forward although he needs to be careful as he is a bit of a front runner. He plays mainly as an outside player, who runs the lines, but has a bit of an inside game yet is skinny and gets pushed around a bit. He has a fair bit of development left but needs a strong coach IMO to stop him being lazy.

Athletically Bennell is very gifted he is super fast and very agile, he can break the lines and regularly uses his running ability in games and usually takes a couple of bounces and will really hurt the opposition. He is also very slippery and hard to catch as he is so agile and can step round people so easily. He also has an excellent vertical leap and is a strong mark over his head for a player his size he really reads the ball well in flight, and he can stand on people’s heads and take a speccy. Endurance wise he appears to be solid, but he needs to improve this in my opinion as he only works one way and often he does not work hard enough. This is my biggest concern with him as he does not work hard enough both ways, he can be lazy and prone to allowing his opponent to really run off him, and he will struggle to break tags. He needs a boot up his arse or risk becoming a Daniel Wells type which is possible, so picking up him is not without risk.

His skills are very good and he is very creative, his general preferred option of disposal is to kick it. His disposal is very good, elite even, he is a powerful kick and has great touch and feel, he can kick the impossible goal. He hits most targets and is very clever and creative with how he uses the ball, and is very damaging with his disposal especially when mixed with his run and carry. His hands are also very good and he is one touch and clean with picking the ball up and giving it off. All in all he is a super prospect and one that is very damaging and worthy of a top 3 pick although there is a bit of a drop off from the top 2 IMO, but still a worthy top 3 and clear of the other prospects.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Pick 4: - West Coast Eagles, Shaun Atley

DOB: 13/09/92, Height: 187cm, Weight: 82kg
Club: Murray Bushrangers

Atley is quick and agile, with great endurance. Loves laying tackles, enjoys the contest and seems to be able to get the handballs away when in close traffic, but appears to have enough speed to get himself into the open as well. Kicking looks good, most say not elite, I haven't seen enough to judge but will go with the majority view. Is it good enough to play as an outside mid?

Was named Vic Country's MVP after the U18 Championships, shows leadership and strong competitive spirit.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Pick 5: Daniel Gorringe
DOB: 02/06/1992, Height 198cm, Weight 85kg
Club: Norwood/Tea Tree Gully (SA)

Daniel Gorringe is an elite prospect as far as young ruckman go and could easily have pushed into the top 3 IMO. He has very good skills, and his mobility is elite and he is easily the prototype for a modern Ruckman. I did have some doubts over whether to pick him it must be said, as Zac Smith is a star, but I think that they would compliment each other well, with both able to float forward, particularly Gorringe, and also both able to play as an extra midfielder. I think that Gorringe has a lot of potential, but he will take about 3 years to really show his worth despite the fact that he is playing well in the seniors in the SANFL, he probably needs to put on about 15kgs to compete well. He is probably more potential this stage then performance, but he has an unbelievable set of athletic ability mixed with skills, and I can’t see him becoming a Josh Fraser type as he is a very good ruckman.

Skills wise Gorringe is very good, for a big ruckman he has got great touch and skills like a midfielder. His kicking is exceptional for a player his size, he is smart makes good decisions and he hits targets well, with nice weighted passes. He is also a very good kick for goal and does float forward to kick goals. He is very clean below his knees and competes well in contests when the ball is one the ground although I would like to see him work a bit harder. He can give off quick handballs under pressure and also lays tackles which I like to see in a ruckman. As far as his ruckwork goes he is elite, he has excellent tap work and his control is unbelievable, just a natural, the GC midfielders are going to get the ball on a platter, as if they needed help anyway.

Athletically he is very good, he has above average pace and agility and great mobility for a big man. His pace is good and he can lead well and achieve separation on a lead or he can run with the ball himself, he is also quite nimble and able to step around players easily. His vertical leap appears to be very good and for a ruckman his height it would need to be to compete well. Endurance wise I am unsure he appears to be all right although I think he needs to work harder around the ground to get more of the ball, yet I think this will come in time and he has all the natural talents to become a superstar. All in all Daniel Gorringe is a super prospect who looks a very likely type and could become a top ruckman in the AFL. Player wise I think and hope he could become similar to a Mitch Clark/Dean Cox type.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Josh Toy


Maverick Weller
DOB: 13/02/1992, Height 182cm, Weight 79kg
Club: Burnie Dockers (TAS)

Maverick is predominantly a midfielder who is equally as good both inside and outside the packs. This year however he has spent a bit of time at half-back for the Gold Coast and done very well shutting his opponent down and providing rebound. His best position is in the midfield, he is very creative and could easily be a teams number one player or part of a superstar midfield. I could see him becoming a top 10 mid in the AFL but probably not the number 1 player, still an elite prospect and part of the top 5 players in this draft IMO. I really like the way he goes hard at the ball and his ability to put his body on the line and win contested ball is super and second to none IMO, his tackling is good and he works had defensively which is impressive. He has played exceptionally well so far for a player coming off an injury last year and has gone from strength to strength in the VFL this year and his last month has been very good.

His athletic ability is very good, he has above average pace and can use it to break the lines fairly well and has a good burst which allows him to break away from contested situations. His agility is good and he has enough pace to be able to break away from tags. His endurance is also well above average and he covers the ground very well, which when coupled with his ability to read the play well means he gets a lot of the ball and is very damaging.

His disposal is also very good, he has good quick hands and can fire off handballs from the bottom of a pack. He is already very strong and has good core strength which allows him time in tackles and the ability to keep his feet. His kicking is very good, though not elite he can kick 50m, and he will hit most of his targets he is all so very footy smart and will make the right decisions and put the ball to advantage most of the time. He is also a goal kicker and will damage teams on the score sheet which is a very good thing for a midfielder to have. One of the best prospects this year is already given to the Gold Coast as a 17 year old. I rate him very highly and GC have gotten an absolute jet here.


Trent Mackenzie
DOB: 03/04/1992, Height 191cm, Weight 82kg
Club: Western Jets (VIC)


Trent is a tallish outside wingman or HBF’er who has elite speed and an excellent left foot. This year he has been in the best players for GC a few times and has had a good season. He plays as an outside linkman who can get the ball go for a run and then hit the ball up, from what I have seen he is generally an outside player, who needs to develop an inside game. He has alot of potential and could become a top 20 player in the AFL, maybe higher, but has a few deficiencies to work on. He lacks a strong inside game ATM and he needs to work harder defensively, although he does try a bit but just needs to work a bit harder. His tackling though is very good and he can pull off a chase down tackle, and he is quite strong through the hips. He does need to bulk up but has played well in the VFL and should play round 1 next year, although I expect him to really come on as he plays more footy.

His athletic ability is amazing he is super quick, 2.84s over 20m at the AIS, and came second last year in the Grand final sprint. He uses that speed really well and finds space on the flanks and breaks the lines, this makes him a super damaging player who can become a 100m player who oppositions fear. He also has a good vertical leap, and is a reasonable aerialist. His endurance appears to be solid but needs to improve or risk being tagged, although with his pace he would be hard to stop.

His disposal by foot is elite, I have heard comparisons between him and Josh Drummond and that is not too far off the mark, it is very long and penetrating, 60m, and he has excellent vision and will hit most targets and be damaging with his ball use. His handballing is good but he doesn’t have a super quick handball that is useful in traffic. Overall he is a very damaging player who would likely push the top 10 this year and he is a player that every team needs a fast linebreaking outside mid who can destroy teams with his pace and footskills.



Brendan Matera
DOB: 11/03/1992, Height 175cm, Weight 65kg
Club: South Fremantle (WA)

Brendan Matera has a famous name and does not disappoint in the way he plays. He is a talented small forward and midfielder who has a heap of X-factor and a lot of tricks in his bag. He reads the play so well and can tell where the ball will drop before many which means he is a brilliant crumber and a good clearance player. His height is an issue no doubt and he is very skinny which means that he may well get pushed around a bit and exposed in aerial contests, yet that is not his go, he is good overhead for his height and he is a solid tackler and applies pressure in the forward half. Matera is probably a mid to late first round pick this year who would slide probably due to his height although it doesn’t impact his game to much. He has good scope for improvement and I would expect to see him play a similar type game style to Alan Didak who uses that left foot well and plays as a high HFF yet manages to kick 2 goals a game.

His kicking is very good, he has a nice smooth left foot, that hits most targets, he can also do the impossible and is very good snap for goal and will kick the unbelievable from the boundary line, although he can be a bit selfish in this regard but it looks good when it comes off. He also is good in and around the contests and can fire off a quick handball, he has unbelievable vision, and is generally one touch. Athletically he is good although not elite in anything, he is quick and agile which is needed for a player of his height to succeed, and he has a good vertical leap. He needs to improve his endurance to find the ball a bit more, but all in all he is a very special little player. He should become a top class HFF/FP IMO and is an excellent prospect.



Luke Russell
DOB: 24/01/1992, Height 186cm, Weight 78kg
Club: Burnie Dockers (TAS)

Luke Russell is a fantastic prospect and has definite first round talent IMO. He is a talented HFF who can push up into the midfield, and find the ball, but also push forward to kick goals and set them up. He plays predominantly as an outside linkman, but is capable of finding the ball in contested situations and is by no means soft. He is an AIS-AFL player and is one of the best prospects along with Weller to have come out of Tasmania is a while, and he had a very good junior footy career, although he has not displayed that form in the VFL, where he has been reasonable, but not great. Although this may be as he is quite skinny and needs development. In the future I can see him playing as a high HFF who covers a lot of ground and pushes back towards goals, I can see him being a threat both with his marking ability and his ability to crumb. Luke has very good athletic ability, he has an elite vertical leap and can really take a speccy and sit on someone’s shoulders. His pace is good bordering on very good and he can achieve separation and is rarely caught, he also has good agility and a very nice all round athletic package which will transcribe very well to AFL and should mean that he is harder to tag. His marking is very good and he can take a contested grab although he can be pushed around. His skills are probably a bit above average, but by no means poor, he is a good kick for goal and hits targets nicely, and he makes good decisions with the footy, although he can be prone to missing the odd target although rare. He is by no means a huge penetrating kick although he can roost it about 55m when he connects well. His disposal by hand is good and he can fire off a good handball when under pressure. I have queries on occasions on whether he goes hard consistently, although on occasions he does go in low and hard but sometimes may skirt a pack looking for a handball, and some queries on his intensity and workrate, but this should improve. All in all a very good prospect who as a high HFF would compliment a good team very well, and is probably a 10-17 type prospect.


Tom Nicholls
DOB: 04/03/1992, Height 201cm, Weight 93kg
Club: Sandringham Dragons (VIC)

Tom is an athletic ruckman, with Fijian heritage, who is a good height and has a huge scope for improvement. He was an AIS-AFL member, who is athletically very good and competes well in the ruck. His tapwork is reasonable, but this should improve over time, and he competes very well on the ground. He has good second efforts and is a strong tackler, which is impressive and he will get down and dirty in the ruck contests. Athletically he is very good he is quick and agile although this is not that evident in his playing style, but he has a good vertical leap and this helps him in the ruck contests. His endurance needs to improve and he needs to get to more contests and find more of the ball around the ground, although this maybe an issue with his reading of the play. His disposal by foot is ordinary, issue with ball drop perhaps, although his handballing is reasonably good and he generally uses this as his preferred method of using the pill. He is very skinny and has a lot of development left and his scope for improvement is huge, he is probably a 3 - 5 year investment. He was injured for a lot of last year and has not played brilliantly at VFL level. Probably a second round pick, who is a bit of a risk, yet has ability and could become a top ruckman, is a very good competitor.


Piers Flanagan
DOB: 31/03/1992, Height 189cm, Weight 74kg
Club: Geelong Falcons (VIC)


Piers from what I have seen he looks a HFF/Wing prospect who plays a similar role to Murphy (bulldogs version). He is generally an outside player, and has been playing reasonably well for the Suns this year and has played a bit of HBF and has looked a likely prospect without setting the world on fire. His marking is very good on the lead and he times his leads well, however, he is average in contested situations and can get pushed around a bit too much for my liking, although this maybe due to his lack of muscle. He is very outside at this stage and needs to improve his tackling, which may come by putting on muscle. Another concern is he does not put up massive numbers of disposals averages in the mid to late teens from memory, and he probably needs to find more of the ball. He plays a lead up role as a HFF, generally outside the forward 50 although he can kick multiple goals, though not generally a massive goal kicker. I could see him moving to the HBF and becoming a playmaker although he could be a bit of a swingman. His kicking appears to be very good over short to medium distances although he does not have great penetration over long distances. He is fast and fairly agile, and can burn players on the lead and he would be considered above average in the AFL at this. His endurance needs to improve to make multiple leads and push further up the ground, still reasonable though IMO. At this stage he is probably an athlete with reasonable footy smarts although this should improve, on a side note he has a lot of potential. He does suffer from being skinny and really has looked like a kid in the VFL, and so may take a while, Piers would have gone early second round IMO.


Matt Shaw
DOB: 05/02/1992, Height 187cm, Weight 71kg
Club: Dandenong (VIC)


Matt Shaw is hard working wingman, who has good athletic ability and has a very good right foot kick. He plays generally as an outside linkman, who runs the lines, but is also capable of getting the ball in contested situations and is not really lost when the going gets tough. He needs to work on his consistency and his ability to really influence a match as this stops him from playing well, which was a noticable issue in the VFL this year IMO. Athletically he is good, he has good pace and excellent evasive skills and runs the lines well although I rarely see him going for long runs down the wings bouncing the ball. Endurance wise he appears to be reasonably good, he covers a fair bit of ground and although he can struggle to get involved appears to work hard so there maybe an issue with his reading of the play. Skills wise he has excellent potential, he has a lovely long right foot kick over about 55m and has excellent penetration and depth, although he can miss leading targets a bit and loves to bomb it long, sometimes he just needs to lower his eyes and hit the short easy target. He also has good hands and rarely fumbles, and is generally one touch even when on the run. Marking wise he is strong above his head and is a one grab he also has a good vertical leap although can get pushed around a bit due to his size. All in all he is a good prospect and a likely early to mid second rounder.



Jack Hutchins
DOB: 20/02/1992, Height 191cm, Weight 92kg
Club: Sandringham Dragons (VIC)





Hayden Jolly
DOB: 04/04/1992, Height 184cm, Weight 83kg
Club: Glenelg (SA)





Taylor Hine
DOB: 24/01/1992, Height 184cm, Weight 75kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)


Edits will occur

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Was ready to clamour all over Atley at 6 if he was there - but having been taken it forces me to think a bit.

The three main guys I contemplated here were Polec, Smith and Gaff.

Without further ado then:

Jared Polec - 12/10 1992, 188cm, 77kg, Woodville-West Torrens/Seaton Ramblers

Rangy, outside runner who is a very smooth mover. At 188cm is a perfect size for the modern wingman, and he certainly has the potential to play in the centre square - but he plays outside, he's not going to go in and get a whole heap of it himself. I'm a big wrap on his disposal, think he uses it really well; although he doesn't quite get enough of it for my liking.

I think when I'm identifying players this early they've got to have something that makes you sit up and take notice; and with Polec it's with his evasiveness and just sheer hurt factor when he's got the ball in his hands.

He's a very offensive midfielder - coaches will dream about the kid streaming forward of centre with the ball in his hands, and he likes to do it at every opportunity, which means he's liable to get caught out on the defensive end at times.

I really like his work rate, so aren't too worried about his defensive concerns - but you'd really be banking on his inability to find a huge amount of the ball can be fixed with a bigger tank, and better knowledge of where to position himself on the park.

Almost when Brodie Smith - and Gaff wasn't far away either - but at this early stage it's just shaking up a few perceptions and getting names out there, and Polec's hurt factor with the ball makes him a real prospect for mine.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Pick 7: Brodie Smith
DOB: 14/01/1992, Height 188cm, Weight 79kg
Club: Woodville West Torrens (SA)

Brodie Smith is a tall, powerful athletic inside mid who has reasonable skills and good scope for improvement. He had a very good U18 champs which culminated in him winning All Australian selection and jumping up the recruiters ranks IMO. I can see him playing as an inside mid who starts in the centre square and is a dominant figure with his size and power. He has really good core strength and when mixed with his pace and power, he has the ability to shake tackles and burst away from packs, and be really damaging. I would like to see him find a little more of the ball around the ground and improve his outside game as he could be quite damaging, maybe endurance issues but doubtful as he gets to enough contests. He can play the bash and crash style which is good and he puts his head over the ball and goes in hard he is also a strong tackler and really pressures the ball carrier. Smith is also a strong marker and is very good for a player his size both above his head and in the marking contest.

Skills wise I think that he is better than he looks, he has got a nice style and when hits most targets and is quite smart with his ball use, but just needs to work on his finishing. I do think though that under pressure he can just bomb the ball away, and that he needs to show more composure and if under pressure just give the ball to a teammate in a better position, he also gets alot of quick kicks from packs which worsens his DE%. He has excellent hands and reads the ruck taps well and can give off quick handballs and has good vision and is quite creative. Athletically he is very good, he has explosive pace off the mark, although not really a high cruising speed, and he is quite agile and has a nice sidestep. His evasive skills are good and he is a strong hard player who will only get stronger, and this should translate well to AFL. His endurance appears to be good, although this should improve in an AFL environment and means he should improve his uncontested game. All in all Smith would suit GC well who could use a big strong powerful inside ball winner and he will probably love the GC ruckman, he is a genuine top 10 pick for mine and whilst he may lack a touch of class he makes up for it with his endeavour and competitiveness.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

If this is going to be the standard of the puns this year it is goign to be painful for everyone

I will come out and say right now that as a change none of my picks in this practice run with be those I make in the real thing. I am usually very predictable and take the same guy in both drafts. This time I will throw a few other guys out there.

For this pick I was going to go with Jack Darling who I think will develop long term into a Paul Chapman type mid and he is just the kind of smart footballer that the Lions have had success with drafting over the last two years. With Gaff falling though I have decided to go with the obvious and take the Vic Metro number 1 midfielder. It would have to be a few years since the best Vic Metro mid was available at 8.

Andrew Gaff
DOB 16/6/92 Ht 183 Wt 78

The Lions need midfield help and although a more inside player would be preferable Gaff does tick a lot of boxes. The Lions really lack gut runners through the middle and this is an area where Gaff excels. He is a ball magnet based on his ability to outrun his opposition. He is also very smart with his running and always gets to good places to receive especially coming out of defence. The Lions have really missed the link role that Dalzeill gave them and Gaff has similar running potential. Similar to many in the current Lions he is only average pace wise and he is not going to improve us in this regard.

He is often marked down for his kicking but really I don’t see a lot wrong with it. Sure he does not have the penetration of some of the elite kicks in the game but his short to medium range kicking is above average. He is a left footer and this would be handy with most of our current young crop being right footers. He is very dedicated and I think he will continue to work hard at his game and in a full time environment and with some gym work I think he should manage to increase the distance on his kicking. Handball wise he is good and can get some good distance and does not tend to miss targets. His decision making is good and he reads the play pretty well. Maybe not elite level but again well above average.

Overhead is pretty good and plays tall for his height. He is brave in the contest and will throw his body in where it needs to go. He is predominantly an outside player but he can go into the clearances and win the ball. I would expect that he will continue to work on this aspect of his game. He is one of the smarter prospects going around this year and is very driven to succeed in everything he does. He is not going to die wondering and would be excellent for a young team looking to build on their culture.

You regularly hear comparisons with Luke Power but I think there are other better comparisons around. He is a left foot accumulator with out much penetration like Power but that is about it. He is not the goal scoring threat that Power was and plays a bit taller as well. If I was drafting him I would be hoping he ends up like Scott Pendlebury who started mainly as an outside of the ball who has continued to improve his inside game.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Pick 9 (Gold Coast Suns)
Jack Darling
DOB: 16/06/1992, Height: 190cm, Weight: 86Kg
Club: West Perth (WA)

The Gold Coast need KPP and particuraly KPF and whilst I am unsure if Jack fits that mould I think he would suit the GC as I rate him very highly and he will be ready to go from day 1. He has played the majority of his football so far as a CHF, although sometimes playing as a thrid tall at WAFL level and doing well, and he leads up the ground well and takes a lot of marks.I think he will struggle a bit as a CHF with his height though but I can see him playing as a HFF and spending some time in the midfield and then pushing forward hard and also being a threat in the air. He does cover a fari bit of ground and collects good statistics, but he is not the goal scoring threat of last year, but he works fairly hard although I think he can some times be lazy. His U18 form this year was not as bad as people are making out, maybe as some did not watch it? He kicked something like 6 goals 13 behinds this year, but was inaccurate, and he also pushed up the ground more and got a fair bit of the ball. Last year in comparison he had the bigger bags of goals and kicked 14 goals 1 behind but also got a fair bit of the ball so his form is not as much of a worry as people are making it out to be.

He is a good lead up mark and has better pace than people give him credit for and he can achieve separation, he is also one of the best contested marks I have seen for his size, he has strong hands, and is very clever with his body and positioning. He is also reasonably good when the ball is below his knees although he can fumble a bit and just needs to work on having soft hands and being one touch. His tackling, pressure and intensity are first class though he is definately in the modern day style of forward who makes F50 tackles and defends from the front. Skills wise Darling is generally quite good, last year I pegged him as an excellent kick and yet this year it has dropped off a bit, but he has an excellent technique, and should be a very good kick at AFL level as he can kick 60m with good penetration and he is very smart with his ball use. His handballing is also very good and he is quite creative and has good quick thinking and nice vision.

Athletically Darling is also probably just above average but only just. His pace is reasonable but nothing special, he can get separation on a lead and he will rarely get run down from behind but he does struggle on the bigbodied types who can match him for pace, like Matt Watson. To overcome this he needs to pick up his work rate and push into the middle and work on his endurance as it is probably about average and he needs to improve to become a star AFL player. His vertical leap and agility are quite ordinary to be honest but there is definate room for improvement. I think overall he is very much a natural footballer who lacks a real athletic base, but I can see him having real presence and being an inspiration to his teammates with his competitiveness. I actually toyed with the idea of taking Darling at 5 as I rate him highly but though he would slip a bit so waited, I can see him definately making the grade but whether he will become a star is up to him IMO, he has the ability no doubt just needs to work harder.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Pick 10 Jayden Pitt 187cm 70kg wing/ onballer Geelong Falcons

Sneaky tall quick highly skilled wingman/ob/forward who I rate as an A+ kick. He gets his own ball but could be really damaging as an outside midfielder with pretty lethal delivery. Averaged 18 disposals a game in Nationals and every time I see him play I think he is just made for afl footy. Will need to bulk up considerably as he is lightly framed however has a good shape and will develop an afl body with superior skills.
Pitt reminds a little of Pat Dangerfield who I was all over a couple of years ago ( check previous phantom drafts-I get many wrong)- great frame, skills and lots of Afl attributes. Slightly suprising selection but I am more than comfortable to stick my neck out here.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Pick 11: Patrick McCarthy
DOB: 11/Mar/92, Height: 194, Weight: 79
Club: Glenelg/Plympton

Gold Coast need talls, and I will continue to plunder SA's stock of talls. They lack KPD and McCarthy is the best prospect in my opinion left and he was quickly snapped up, geez they are going to be a great team. I will be quiet about others considered as I can still get them!

Patrick McCarthy IMO scopes as potentially the best CHB available in this draft, although Day would be the best but better to play him as a CHF IMO. He is a very offensive player with good skills and he has reasonable defensive skills but he struggles a bit due to his size and skinnyness, he is a definate long term prospect, about 3 years before we see the best of him, but he could be an elite CHB but he is a bit of a risk but is well worth it with this many picks. He has good skills and like to run the ball out of defence and can push up the ground a bit and be a real attacking weapon, style wise I hope he would become similar to a Dustin Fletcher or Nathan Bock type. His actual defensive work is solid but by no means a strength but he definately has the potential to be a good defender, he has long limbs similar to Fletcher, and can spoil the ball nicely, although he does need to tighten up a bit and be more defensively minded, he also struggles in contested situations although this is possibly due to his weight, although I am doubt he will ever become the bigbodied defender that GC would probably want.

Skills wise Patrick is above average for a bigman he has great touch on his kicking and hits most targets, although sometime I can question his decision making skills, but for the main they are fine. He rebounds very well out of the back half and can have multiple disposals in a scoring chain off HB. His hands are good and he is very clean below his kees and puts his head over the ball, and he will dispose of it quickly and efficently by hand. Athletically he is well above average, he has very good pace and agility and will not get caught out much on the lead and his closing pace is good and he can get the spoil in quite efficently. He is also very agile and has a good vertical leap and is quite evasive and can take running bounces with ball in hand. His endurance appears to be reasonable but maybe needs to improve a touch to match it with the elite CHF of the comp, but eh will learn from the best in Bock and this will give him time to learn. He is a very good young player, and has a lot of potential but will take a while due to his build.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Pick 12: Scott Lycett
DOB: 29/Sep/92, Height: 202, Weight: 92
Club: Port Adelaide/Thevenard

This AIS graduate has already broken into the Port Magpies seniors to crack a SANFL league game 6 times.

Extreemly mobile for his 'pure' ruck size and is a very good tap ruck. Really understands how to use his body in around the ground ruck contests, but still has to master the centre bounce, or more accurately the running jump and ruck. He's much more at home protecting space and palming down than he is flying through the air. Luckily for him, he has all the right attributes to be good at this as well.

He has a solid leap, though he won't set the ND record (for his height it's quite good), and coupled with his length and knowledge of the ruck game (appears the most developed ruck IQ in the draft), he could have as much impact in the centre of the ground as he will around it.

He's a real competetor and that head won't drop. He'll test fantastically in the interviews and this will help him adjust to the training loads, games styles and mental strains of AFL football.

A lovely frame, begging for more weight in the right places in excess of his already impressive size. He's not too far off having regular impact games at SANFL level and pushing for AFL level play; given a full AFL PS, I'd say he'd be close to ready come next year.

One thing I really like about Scott is his hands. Very, very quick for a ruckman and he puts them in the right spot. Assesses the situation quickly, and is a very good decision maker; things that don't seem to come naturally in our 200cm+ friends. His quick hands, coupled with his tendancy to get in and under packs, getting his hands dirty, and laying tackles will only see vast improvement with the weight he will put on.

He gets forward very well, showing an understanding of recognising space, and a will to damage. He's a solid mark, but needs to improve on his set shot kicking. His kicking style in general is fine, but he has ball drop problems (like most rucks). This will likely be ironed out with full time coaching at Alberton.

Mobile 200cm's don't come along too often, and with Port's deficiancies in the ruck, this is a lovely match. This will release Trengove to a KPP post, and give them a damaging ruck who gets forward, very much in the shape of a taller Lade (less developed, with kicking needs).

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Gold Coast Suns

Pick 13: Matthew Watson
DOB: 16/07/1992, Height: 194cm, Weight: 99kg
Club: Calder Cannons

GC need another tall defensive option IMO and I decided that I would pick up a more bigger bodied defender who can play on the gorrilla forwards, and Matthew Watson is that type of player. He is one of the best KPD's in the draft IMO and provides good drive coming out of defence through that wonderful left foot of his. I can see him being a ready made player and I think he will have an impact next year, I see him as a similar type of player to Michael Hurley from the Bombers in that ready made KP prospect, although Watson is probably only going to be a defender at this stage. He reads the play well and is very strong in the contest and good at getting in a fist, he is also quite good defensively on the lead but may struggle against the atheltic players with pace off the mark. Another issue IMO is how ready made he is, very similar to Darling and whether he has been dominating due to his size, and whether this will translate to AFL, but IMO I think there is enough ability there to make sure it does.

Skills wise Watson is very good, he has a lovely long left foot, that is powerful accurate and will hit most targets, he will provide a lot of drive from defence and zones will be easier to pick out, Geez GC are going to have some gun kicks in there defence with potentially Josh Toy and Trent Mckenzie all able to kick 60m as well. He also is very strong in the contests and rarely gets pushed off the ball, and he reads the play very well. He is also quite clean below his knees and is able to compete well when the ball is on the ground and is very competitive and tackles strongly. Athletically I have a few question marks on Watson, Draft Camp will be important. He appears to have reasonable pace, but may struggle with fast lead up players, and he has also got above average agility and a solid vertical leap. He is not got standout qualities like Patrick McCarthy but he does have a good slid base and no real weakness, I would like to see him improve his endurance. All in all he is very good prospect who is good defensively and also provides great rebound, there were a couple of others considered here but none had the all round package of Watson and he compliments McCarthy nicely.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Pick #14 Adelaide - Luke Parker 181cm, 78kg - Dandenong Stingrays

Parker in my eyes ticks just about every box you can have for a quality midfield prospect. He does the inside well and the outside well, noted by his marking and goalkicking abilities. The crows have just lost Goodwin, McLeod, Edwards and Burton from their midfield and although they have some good kids coming through in Sloane, Henderson, Mackay etc, they still need a lot more, especially given the fact they went so tall over the past couple of years. They definitely need 180-190cm midfield types now to actually win the ball out the middle and Parker is close to elite at winning the footy, he forte is the contested ball, he has a raw hunger for it and is a dog at a bone type of player. He reads ruck taps fairly well I think, knows where to position himself in order to make the clearance, he is a good clearance player and has good quick hands in close and doesn't mind some body contact. His speed is not express however but I wouldn't call him a plodder. Pretty much average in this regard but has the brain to make up for any perceived lack of pace. Skills are good, mostly, but I have seen him make a few rushed decisions which make his skills look just that bit more ordinary than they otherwise are. But I think some of that comes from his rush of blood when he hunts the footy so much. One of the better midfield prospects in the draft, a solid pick at #14.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Gold Coast Suns

Pick 15: Billie Smedts
DOB: 08/06/1992, Height: 187cm, Weight 77kg
Club: Geelong Falcons (VIC)

For my last first round pick I have picked up a kid with a ton of upside, who is a bit of utility type who is very talented but has had an injury interrupted year and may slip a bit because of this. He is a medium sized defender who is very strong defensively, good in the air, and athletic; he can also push forward and be an option and present problems due to his marking ability, he also has the potential to be a very good midfielder. I rate him highly and think that he may take a while but he should be a beauty and provides not only a very strong offensive option, but also a very good defensive option who can curb the influence of a gun medium forward and zone off and provide a chop out for the tall defenders.

Skills wise Smedts is very good, he is got good hands and is clean below the knees and can dish off a handball quickly and efficently. I also consider Smedts to be a very good kick he is a classy ball user and will hit targets and is also very creative with his ball use. When mixed with his ability to run out of defence this makes him a very damaging player, and should see him considered to be a very good player. His marking is also very strong for a player his size, he reads the ball well in flight and has sticky hands, he is also very courageous and will back into packs with eyes only for the ball.

Athletically he is very good, he is super agile and evasive and has a nice side step and is hard to tackle, he looks to have good core strength. He is also got good speed, particuraly off the mark and can really use it and take bounces and break the lines off HB which makes you sit up and take notice. At this stage his endurance is relatively poor/average, maybe due to injuries, but this needs to improve for him to be considered to be a wingman. All in all Smedts looks to be a very good utlity type who has a bucket load of potential and well worth pick 15.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

# 16. Lucas COOK. 194 cm 82 kg. 03.03.92 North Ballarat.

At the risk of being conservative here I have thought that Cook would be a very good selection for Melbourne. Last year they took their fill of mids with Scully, Trengrove and Tapscott. I see Cook and Watts as teaming up well and providing a pair of key forwards for the next decade.This selection completes the Melborne pieces of the jigsaw puzzle.

Cook is a good overhead mark and is clean below his knees. Has good agility for his height . More importantly he is an accurate kick at goals ranging around the 65% accuracy mark at shots on goal. Cook had a good under 18 championship and was rewarded with selection in the All Australian team. I was impressed with his ability to read the game well.

Others I considered for this pick were Dyson Heppell and Josh Caddy. Whilst I rate Heppell as a better player I eventually settled on Cook as he just seemed the correct fit for Melbourne.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Pick 17 - North Melbourne - Josh Caddy 186cm/81kg - Northern Knights.


I think North are in the box seat at this pick to get one of Smedts, Pitt, Caddy or Harper; and I think it will be one of those 4 that get read out on draft day.

North are in the hunt for speed, however, Caddy is the best available at this pick.

An absolute clearance machine, he is powerful in the contest and reads the game extremely well. He will develop into a physically intimidating midfielder once he fills out in the coming years.

Goes forward and kicks goals, combine him with Swallow, Cunnington, Ziebell and Bastinac and you have the best young inside group in the league by a long way.

AA u/18 midfielder, who dominated at TAC Cup level.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Hawthorn Pick 18: Joel Wilkinson (Broadbeach - QLD)
183cm, 78kg

Selecting Wilkinson might come as a surprise to some who haven't seen a whole heap of him but I don't think come draft day he will be available at this point.

Wilkinson is an exciting player from an athletics background who in my mind ticks all the boxes. Pretty new to the game of AFL, but has shown immediate potential and his upside is as high as anyone in this draft. The thing about Wilkinson is that he is more than just a high upside draftee. He also has the commitment and desire to get the best out of himself which is something you just can't teach. He loves his footy and is looking for the challenge. Unlike many converts to Aussie rules football Wilkinson is very willing to put his head over the ball and get the hard ball and tackle. He exudes responsibility and leadership. Without a doubt he is future captain material and the club who takes him on draft night will be very pleased with their selection.

Hawthorn fans have been craving for some speed to go with their fantastic inside players and Wilkinson adds just this. He is a utility who could learn any role which would also be pretty appealing. I see him developing into an explosive outside mid who takes on the game. Really looking forward to seeing this guy play at AFL level and some of the highlights he will produce will be something. I think we might see a bit of him in year 1, but from year 2 expect him to start to put things together.

My other considerations at this selection were Dyson Heppell and Keiran Harper who both are outstanding prospects.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Pick 19 Sydney - Kieran Harper (Eastern Ranges)

I have a number of guys available still at this stage but believe this guy was the most talented. Can play midfield, forward or back and has very good skills as well as an ability to run. Has had some injuries this year but looks to have a fair bit of upside in him.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Snoop Dog said:

yeah did not get it...............anyway I was going to give you the next off my order if hadnt heard by lunch and as fate would have it..............it was Mitch Hallahan. Ticks a lot of boxes, lovely prospect

Click to expand...

Yes, I have to agree. The pm I sent that disappeared into nothingness had a list of 5 players on it. Mitch was 2nd, behind Caddy.

When I sat down to think about this, I tried to use the patterns I've noted with Wayne Hughes. WH never uses his first pick on needs, always on talent: pick the guy with the most talent, no matter where he plays.
Needs comes in the next couple of picks or in trading.
His last pick in the ND is ALWAYS a speculative pick - trying a bottom age kid or an unlikely pick who could turn up trumps. [It hasn't actually worked yet, but that is the idea.]

So, I made up a list of players and put it in the order that I thought most talented and I ticked off the guys as they got chosen.

I've seen Mitch play a few times and have been impressed. Basically, he gets his own ball.
OK: some details:
Mitch Hallahan (Dandenong Stingrays, Vic)
Height: 182cm, Weight: 77kg, DOB: 23/08/92

The data I got from afl.com.au.
I know Carlton need a tall, strong defender and a tall forward more than a midfielder, but with the guys who remain, I think Hallahan is the best. Jamie Solly is probably the next forward in line, and while he shows a fair bit, I think he is more realistic in the 2nd round. As the West Coast showed in the mid 2000's and Carlton showed in the days of the Mosquito Fleet, a top midfield hides a multitude of sins.
Hallahan is a gutsy mid who gets his own ball. Even better, he usually hits a target when he gets it. That is not alway a case for many mids who may get clearances under real pressure.
Hallahan is not quite a tackling machine, but he averages 5 tackles in the U18 Champs. If he doesn't get it, he makes it hard for his opponent.
The other thing I really like is that he wins one on one contests. Few midfields find that a disadvantage.

He has looked fast enough while he has played, but I won't be sold on him (or anyone) until I see them lay finals footy and the Draft Camp data

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Hi Guys - a bit busy at the moment so will post the write up later....

Pick 21: Dyson Heppell
Club: Gippsland Power
Height/Weight: 187cm / 79 kg
Honours: Gippsland Power Captain, U18 All Australian Defender
Pros: Leadership, Tackling, Disposal, Good Size for a Midfielder
Cons: Endurance, Lack of midfield experience
Why Freo?: Retirement of Hasleby and (potentially) loss of Headland and Mundy will probably leaves a longer term requirement for taller utilitys/midfielders. I am picking him on the potential that he has to be a strong midfielder.
At this pick, I almost picked one of: Lamb, Andreoli, Wilson, Cripps.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Pick 22: Mitchell Wallis.
DOB: 24/10/92, Height: 185, Weight: 79
Club: Calder Cannons

The Bulldogs will be very happy with this kid. One of their father-son picks this year, Mitch is the son of Steve who played 261 games for the club. His disposal efficiency and averages are extremely high, his clearance work is top notch, has a good pair of hands, great work rate and his inside fifty entries are a class above. He also reads the play very well and uses the football smartly.

He was the captain of the VIC Metro side in this years u/18 championship, where he averaged 28 disposals with a 83 percent efficiency (and if you’re into super coach he averaged 140 points) in his three games before he got injured.

Re: 2010 Big Footy Official Phantom Draft- Trial Run

Well I do believe it's my pick. Made a list of five players just before the North selection, and decided to just go with the highest rated player left. First on the list was Harper, #3 was Wilkinson, #4 was Heppell and #5 was Caddy.

So #2 on the list and my selection is....

Pick 23 - St Kilda: Jed Lamb
DOB: 19 October 1992
Height: 181cm
Weight: 77kg
Teams: Vic Country, Gippsland Power, Yarram
Player comparison: Chris Knights (forward), Justin Sherman/Sharrod Wellingham (midfielder)

I think Lamb could be one player who different recruiters will rate very differently. Some would have him top 15 (which I do) but others would probably view him as a second round pick. It all depends on how they see him developing. Is he a forward or does he have the potential to move into the midfield?

A bit of background on Lamb first. Played largely off half back at Yarram, but had a limited impact in that role at TAC Cup level. Was moved to full forward one day and kicked 4 goals in the second half. Played there for the rest of the season, and finished the year with 47 goals from 17 games. And that was that for Lamb. He has continued in the forward role this season at Gippsland, and at the moment has 33 goals from 10 games (including a career best of 6 on Saturday). During the U18 Championships, Lamb again played up forward for Vic Country and kicked 4 goals against Vic Metro.

Playing as a small forward, I could see Lamb having a decent impact in his debut season. He is almost a hybrid small forward, which is why I suggested Knights as a possible comparison. Not a genuine crumber, but not a real marking forward. He can however mark strongly on the lead and his awareness and goal sense does makes him dangerous on the ground.

But in my opinion, his best game came when he was moved up onto a wing. He has all the makings of being a successful midfielder/wing - pace, determination, foot skills, awareness and arrogance. He can break the lines, and if I were a forward he is someone I'd like kicking the ball to me.

In a time when a lot of the kids coming through the ranks are all fairly similar and so professional they have little on field personality, Lamb is someone who could become a cult hero at his new club.