Big Footy Phantom Draft 2014 - Trial Run

[Skippos]

Pick 82 - Gold Coast - Matthew Ah Siu
Height: 194cm, Weight: 78Kg; D.O.B.: 20/07/1996
Club: South Fremantle (WA)

Very poor man's Paparone IMO.

Both high endurance very tall midfielders who look a bit rubbish when played as a target down forward. Both have offensively bad kicking techniques and goofy gaits.

Even then though while Paparone's kicking technique is poor I'm not sure I've ever seen one as bad as Ah Siu's. I fully admit I can't really look at him as a solid player because of it but I just don't know how he's going to make it unless he seriously fixes that technique.

 

[Snoop Dog]

Yoda_ sorry pal have to keep rolling and believe me it gives me no pleasure for you to have Knighta's next pick (hence why gave you extra time) as he is the kid I would take with North last selection.

# 84 Essendon - Ryan Lim (Clarement / 186cm / 75kg)

FWIW I have been a fan of Ryans ever since came to Champs 12 months ago as a bottom ager. He was terrific in a side that struggled and whenever he got near the ball he had intensity and purpose. His weapon is his run. He just goes all day and he gets to a lot of contests. He is adept at winning his own footy and giving quick release and then attacking off HB and looking to get it back again. Watch his champs this year and he was good at it. He attacks and his run has potential to move momentum in a game. People knock his kicking and I watched it very carefully at champs and it was good. He went at 80%+ DE in at least 3 of his games from memory as well.

 

[Lavan Ruban]

# 84 Essendon - Ryan Lim (Clarement / 186cm / 75kg)

FWIW I have been a fan of Ryans ever since came to Champs 12 months ago as a bottom ager. He was terrific in a side that struggled and whenever he got near the ball he had intensity and purpose. His weapon is his run. He just goes all day and he gets to a lot of contests. He is adept at winning his own footy and giving quick release and then attacking off HB and looking to get it back again. Watch his champs this year and he was good at it. He attacks and his run has potential to move momentum in a game. People knock his kicking and I watched it very carefully at champs and it was good. He went at 80%+ DE in at least 3 of his games from memory as well.

Pick 84! He's dropped heaps, no doubt, but I expected him to go between 40-60. Wanted him myself with 86.

 

[Lavan Ruban]

Collingwood #83 - Waylen Manson (WA - Fwd)

I might pick Johann Wagner then.

 

[Snoop Dog]

# 85 North Melbourne - Jack Johnstone (Williamstown / 185cm / 85cm)

Every side needs a bloke like our ex Gippy boy in Jack. Softest part of his body is his teeth! HB flanker for Willy who I thought was a bit unlucky to miss. He has worked on his speed and endurance and been playing super footy off HB for Willy and even starting to push up the ground a bit further and playing some different roles. 2nd year in the VFL and last year was a standout in the finals and his progress is a bit like Jack Frosts in that regard. This year he has improved again and his game in the Foxtel Cup GF showed his class. Wet ball, clean hands, snagged a ripping goal on the run which showed the pace and poise he has. Can play tall or small as well as lockdown a player and mix it physically ....in fact he has always enjoyed the that aspect to the game. If you havent seen him think Chris / Brad Scott type of player. Few sides could well do with him.

 

[Snoop Dog]

Pick 84! He's dropped heaps, no doubt, but I expected him to go between 40-60. Wanted him myself with 86.

I agree he has been massively over sold. I'd be keen on swannies Monocle view as suspect they might debate the ball use issue but I wasnt worried about it all.

 

[Snoop Dog]

Lavan Ruban you are up

 

[Wizard17]

Pick #78 - Western Bulldogs: Dan Howe

Was tempted to pick Matt Panos just to give the Dogs board a laugh but held back.

Will get the write up for this pick and my last one done over the next couple days.

Good selection one of the overagers that I like this year. The others being Fox and Grace. Would be a good option to enter that medium sized swingman role.

 

[Offsider]

Very poor man's Paparone IMO.

Both high endurance very tall midfielders who look a bit rubbish when played as a target down forward. Both have offensively bad kicking techniques and goofy gaits.

Even then though while Paparone's kicking technique is poor I'm not sure I've ever seen one as bad as Ah Siu's. I fully admit I can't really look at him as a solid player because of it but I just don't know how he's going to make it unless he seriously fixes that technique.

I think that he is slightly faster than Paparone, although Paparone has the edge in his ability to win the ball on the ground and in contested situations. You are right on his kicking, his technique is horrible and he has a high ball drop which leads to a lot of miss kicks and an inability to deftly kick the ball.

There are some real weaknesses with his game, but there is some talent there and at Pick 84 you can't really complain with a 194cm athlete who marks well and moves round the ground well and finds the ball reasonably well for a taller type.

 

[Knightmare]

I might pick Johann Wagner then.

Unpopular as the selection may be any time you can late draft get a difference maker you take the chance and Manson is definitely a difference maker, raw as he is.

Have seen some of his games from back in 2011 on YouTube and he's got clear AFL talent and front half talent and it seems like he's matured and developed that want to be there which was the missing ingredient.

Will get a bio up when I get the chance and hopefully make a compelling case for a club to take a chance on Waylen.

 

[Skippos]

Yeah the Waylen pick is all class. If I'd remembered him I'd have been partial to the punt too.

Too much natural talent not to punt on and hope he succeeds in the AFL environment.

 

[Skippos]

I think that he is slightly faster than Paparone, although Paparone has the edge in his ability to win the ball on the ground and in contested situations. You are right on his kicking, his technique is horrible and he has a high ball drop which leads to a lot of miss kicks and an inability to deftly kick the ball.

There are some real weaknesses with his game, but there is some talent there and at Pick 84 you can't really complain with a 194cm athlete who marks well and moves round the ground well and finds the ball reasonably well for a taller type.

At the end of the day, there are 6 year olds with more fluent kicking techniques than Ah Siu. That's enough for me.

 

[swansfan51]

At the end of the day, there are 6 year olds with more fluent kicking techniques than Ah Siu. That's enough for me.

And there are 6 year olds with better endurance than Waylen Mansen.

 

[Lavan Ruban]

#86 Port Power
Adam Marcon (Williamstown / 180cm / 80kg)

Midfielder Adam Marcon has been averaging 24 disposals per game, three marks, and six tackles from 14 games at Williamstown this season, after crossing over from the Northern Blues.

He was awarded the 2014 Frank Johnson Medal for his 29-disposal and five-mark best-on-ground performance against South Australia in the state game. He also impressed in the Foxtel Cup clash against Aspley, with 16 disposals, ten tackles, and three second-half goals.

At the age of 22 and going off his form I'd be very surprised if he was passed up altogether. I reckon he's got more value than Sam Dwyer, who was drafted at 26 yet had immediate impact.

Rightly so, he was invited to the state draft combine along with teammates Jack Johnstone and Jake Owen.

With such a late pick, I was strongly considering 27-year-old Chris Cain, who is averaging 23 disposals a game - slightly down from 25 in 2013 - and just under a goal per game this year. However at Marcon's ripe age he is a longer-term prospect. Furthermore, Cain could not only slip to the rookie draft but go late in it, with Ian Callinan drafted with #64 in the 2010 rookie draft at age 28. Both would add depth to a side in a premiership window.

There was one other player I was seriously considering: Central Districts' Johann Wagner, who is currently a contestant on The Recruit. It's likely that Wagner would have made his way onto a list had he played out the year with Districts, rather than joining the Fox8 show. In 2013, he kicked 87 goals at local level and kicked 8 representing SA Country against Western Australia.

 

[TJ1996]

Selection 75: Melbourne

Haiden Schloithe. 182 cm 82 kg . Midfielder . South Fremantle.

however his feistiness and attack on the ball is not miss placed as his endeavour is more often than not rewarded by the umpires as he does seem to get a pile of frees for his first to the ball efforts. .

Or dropping his knees like Hams every time.

 

[Lavan Ruban]

Unpopular as the selection may be any time you can late draft get a difference maker you take the chance and Manson is definitely a difference maker, raw as he is.

Have seen some of his games from back in 2011 on YouTube and he's got clear AFL talent and front half talent and it seems like he's matured and developed that want to be there which was the missing ingredient.

Will get a bio up when I get the chance and hopefully make a compelling case for a club to take a chance on Waylen.

His athletic ability and natural talent are definitely worth it with pick #83. Wouldn't mind him at the Dogs. He's got the capability to not be a handy player but an integral player, if his fitness improves and he can avoid homesickness.

83 Collingwood - Waylen Manson (The Recruit / 193cm / 82kg)

Love how everyone's been drafted from an Under 18 or state league club and then it goes Manson from The Recruit. The show has created an intriguing situation in terms of drafting.

 

[Yoda_]

His athletic ability and natural talent are definitely worth it with pick #83. Wouldn't mind him at the Dogs. He's got the capability to not be a handy player but an integral player, if his fitness improves and he can avoid homesickness.



Love how everyone's been drafted from an Under 18 or state league club and then it goes Manson from The Recruit. The show has created an intriguing situation in terms of drafting.

FWIW Manson kicked 3 goals for Beaumaris in VAFA Premier division on the weekend so he isn't there. Oh, and a B.Goss was named in the bests also for one of the 'Old..'s sides too.

 

[Skippos]

FWIW Manson kicked 3 goals for Beaumaris in VAFA Premier division on the weekend so he isn't there. Oh, and a B.Goss was named in the bests also for one of the 'Old..'s sides too.

Has filming not wrapped up?

Johann Wagner played a SANFL game for Centrals a month or so ago. At a guess they're all playing footy now waiting for the 'live finale?'

 

[Knightmare]

His athletic ability and natural talent are definitely worth it with pick #83. Wouldn't mind him at the Dogs. He's got the capability to not be a handy player but an integral player, if his fitness improves and he can avoid homesickness.

Love how everyone's been drafted from an Under 18 or state league club and then it goes Manson from The Recruit. The show has created an intriguing situation in terms of drafting.

I had a completely different player in mind this time yesterday (Oscar McDonald) but having followed the program I've enjoyed how Manson has adjusted. He's completing all the challenges despite everything he's doing being uncomfortable and new to him. He seems to be getting on pretty well with and opening up to the other recruits. It's still all a huge challenge for him but none the less he's matured considerably since 2011 and is as a person developing and tracking in the right direction so I'm liking his chances.

 

[Lavan Ruban]

Has filming not wrapped up?

Johann Wagner played a SANFL game for Centrals a month or so ago. At a guess they're all playing footy now waiting for the 'live finale?'

Yes, I think that's the case. I've seen stats from Brendan Goss and Ryan Semmel's games from last weekend. Not sure why Wagner hasn't been playing in the last month, though.

 

[blueiris]

Collingwood #83 - Waylen Manson (WA - Fwd)

Interesting pick could really pay off though

 

[Chris25]

Not sure why Wagner hasn't been playing in the last month, though.

Injured his knee a couple of months ago.

 

[beowulf]

beowulf with the swans picks feel you've gone a bit too ruck centric. We have two genuinely decent prospects in Naismith and Nankervis on our list. are there any 25-26 state league rucks who would be considered in the real mock? Feel that swans list gaps in order are KPD, utility, mature ruck then outside mids

Fair enough. I was certainly considering the key defensive posts, and I hope I have managed with Vickers - Willis and Davis to address that issue.
As far as mature rucks, that is a good question: I don't think there is a lot not on AFL lists at the moment. Darcy Cameron at Claremont was overlooked last year, and I consider him a very good chance to be picked up this year. But there isn't anyone else that shouts "Pick me!" in my opinion.
If Sydney want a mature ruckman, then they are more likely to trade for one that to draft one.

One of the things I did consider in my picks was that Sydney prefer guys who don't just tap. Both Read and Cripps are known for their marking more than anything else, and both have the ability to play in different roles.
It is quite possible that Sydney may decide to trade rather than draft, but I did not consider that. I picked the best guys I could for a perceived weakness.

Most of the outside mids I really like have already been pilfered by other recruiters, and fair enough in the dog eat dog world of recruiting. I had a number of nice players on my list only for them to disappear. Hopefully I can find a decent mid left. There are a couple I like, but they are small. Sydney doesn't tend to go that small, but we shall see how the names drop out.

 

[Offsider]

After what happened with Dayle Gartlett at Hawthorn earlier this year, I don't think any team will take a risk on Manson who is much more of a risk at leaving and going back home imo. I dare say a lot of teams have put a line through him and won't touch him. There is no doubting his physical talents and his goal kicking prowess, through the question remains will he be found out at AFL or even VFL/SANFL/WAFL level playing better opposition, I suspect that he will be found out a fair bit with his lack of endurance.

 

[beowulf]

Manson really surprised me by having such a small fitness base. He even ran out of steam playing in Darwin the season before last. If he was fair dinkum about being picked up he would have worked on that. It doesn't look like he has.
He also hasn't lasted a season anywhere from memory. That does not suggest he will make it through the tough times that young recruits often have. I expect him not to be picked up.