Draft Watcher Knightmare's 2015 Draft Almanac

[Knightmare]

Stoked to get johnson and bonner ....

What's Johnsons footskills like ? Both runners from what I know.

Johnson has only played the one game this year in the TAC Cup due to injury. So a current evaluation is not overly practical, but off 2014 play Johnson was relatively innefficient and at times lacked consistency by foot.

Hey Knight, quick question do you think Gold Coast picked well? Personally I'm not to sure about some of the selections but I'll see what you say before I form an opionon.

None of Gold Coast's selections this year leave me particularly excited.

Pick 9 is very early for Ah Chee who while better through the season half of the season in WA, was very ordinary through the u18 championships. He has pace and can hit the scoreboard, but he just hasn't done enough of that to justify such a high selection.

Fiorini at 20 while earlier than expected is an ok selection as a productive outside mid who is reliable with his ball use. So he could plausibly be a piece.

Schofield is an elite endurance runner in this draft and showed some glimpses through the U18 championships for WA but a pick in the 30s is again earlier than expected.

Overall I'm not excited or optimistic about the group Gold Coast selection, but it's opinion until play gets under way next season.

Knightmare, Could you in the next week possibly add a profile on Tom Doedee? There isn't really much to be found on him, he's a 187cm defender and I, like many on BF am bloody flabergasted! AFC obviously rate him and think he can move into the midfield like a Pendelbury type from what I've read, but we need more. Do you have one?

There will if there isn't already be various articles and probably a player profile for Doedee on the AdelaideFC website. I have yet to create a Doedee profile but if enough Adelaide fans deem the level of detail to be inadequate then over the coming weeks if I can find some time then I'm happy to oblige.

 

[Knightmare]

Just saw he finished 9th in the 3km time trial with a 10.12 which would place him towards the elite level

Looking at most recent testing results on my part would have helped. It didn't occur to me Bonner would be inside the top 10 to think to check. His endurance has evidently improved, not that he had any 3km times recorder in my records (March 2014) but he had not achieved a 14 beep by that point, but then again maybe the 3km running style and less changing of direction suits him better.

 

[Alite]

Disagree, hawks did well but north got steals, filled needs and got good young players for the future.

Steals for NM? I don't see them. Ben McKay is a project player who moves more like a ruckman than an KPP (watch his videos closely and think of David Hale). IMO he needs to become a ruckman / forward... and that will take time.
Clarke: Seems a very willing type who outworks his opponents without any outstanding attributes... but can he outwork Hartung, Smith or Hill?
Hibberd: looks a great athlete with good rebounding capacity. Videos did not show him in a 1 on 1. OK, maybe a seal, maybe.
None of these guys are an outstanding steal IMO. I think Freo got the greatest value from their picks in the draft with Balic and Tucker

Burton on the other hand could be... anything. Lead up forward, Half back interceptor (Gibbo's understudy), pinch hitter in the midfield.
Lovell is a needs player for the Hawks who has that midfielder IQ. I just hope the hawks tell him he cannot kick with his preferred foot (the right) for the first year. At AFL level he needs a left foot. I hope he becomes Mitchells understudy.
Hardwick: was in the top ten at the combine for relative leap. Great hands and speed and has recently kicked bags of 12, 10 and 8 goals against his peers at TAC cup level. Outstanding attributes.

Again I say, the Hawks easily got the players with more potential. Remember ~100 players, including rookies, will be drafted and maybe 25 (a guess) will play more than 10 afl games. KM do you know a more accurate number? I'm backing the Hawks coaches to help all three of our picks into long term premiership players.

 

[Since 2001]

Steals for NM? I don't see them. Ben McKay is a project player who moves more like a ruckman than an KPP (watch his videos closely and think of David Hale). IMO he needs to become a ruckman / forward... and that will take time.
Clarke: Seems a very willing type who outworks his opponents without any outstanding attributes... but can he outwork Hartung, Smith or Hill?
Hibberd: looks a great athlete with good rebounding capacity. Videos did not show him in a 1 on 1. OK, maybe a seal, maybe.
None of these guys are an outstanding steal IMO. I think Freo got the greatest value from their picks in the draft with Balic and Tucker

Burton on the other hand could be... anything. Lead up forward, Half back interceptor (Gibbo's understudy), pinch hitter in the midfield.
Lovell is a needs player for the Hawks who has that midfielder IQ. I just hope the hawks tell him he cannot kick with his preferred foot (the right) for the first year. At AFL level he needs a left foot. I hope he becomes Mitchells understudy.
Hardwick: was in the top ten at the combine for relative leap. Great hands and speed and has recently kicked bags of 12, 10 and 8 goals against his peers at TAC cup level. Outstanding attributes.

Again I say, the Hawks easily got the players with more potential. Remember ~100 players, including rookies, will be drafted and maybe 25 (a guess) will play more than 10 afl games. KM do you know a more accurate number? I'm backing the Hawks coaches to help all three of our picks into long term premiership players.

Take into consideration where they drafted. i know that people agree.

 

[Alite]

Agree Brisbane brained it from what I can tell. I didn't even think you would have points left to go for Mathieson & Skinner.

Brisbane got Keays ridiculously cheaply at 24. At 24 he was worth just 785 points but at his proper value Keays would have been worth more than 1500 points.
Brisbane had a massive number of "extra" points in hand as other AFL club recruiters were ... to put it nicely... circumspect about annoying other recruiters with a thought to future trades. To put it less nicely, they were too gutless to bid real value for academy players unless it was expected of them. Take your pick of reasons. Personally, I think the answer is in-between. KM, do you agree?

 

[Alite]

Take into consideration where they drafted. i know that people agree.

OK... If I am North Melbourne's recruiter I would have: First I put a bid on Ben Keays at 23. Brisbane match it. Then I begrudgingly pass on Collins as NM have enough KPB to sink a ship... and instead choose Darcy Tucker (outside run with quality delivery). Next pick: Mitchell Hibberd, then, Harley Balic (great vision). At 43 I'd take Parsons, Holmes, Stewart or Hackett (on a needs basis) and round it out with Gach Nyuon as a project player and the All Australian U18 ruckman. If ruck coverage is needed then rookie draft Sam Grimley.

NOW that would be a great draft for the Kangaroos.

 

[Alite]

Not a chance. I'd take Burton, Lovell and Hardwick (power and skill) over McKay, Clarke, Hibberd, Wagner and Mountford (solid contributers) any day of the week and twice on Weekends. The Hawks picks could help them to a GF in a few years, NM's picks only to the 8.

For mine Carlton, not surprisingly, got the most out of their picks as did Melbourne, Freo and Brisbane. GWS, Swans and St Kilda were par for the course. Richmond's Rioli seems to me to be more a wingman when people say they need a small forward. Essendon needed a quality KPF, Fiorini to GCS must have been on a needs-basis, West Coast's Partington & Cole are at best solid, while Adelaide made a Doedee by not taking Burton.
Hawks came in 4th on my scale and NM much lower.

I must say Doedee looks pretty good. Adelaide went the known quantity over Burton's broken leg.
On the positive side for the Hawks, the go home factor is probably reduced with Adelaide choosing to not take Burton when they had the chance.

 

[TwentyNine]

OK... If I am North Melbourne's recruiter I would have: First I put a bid on Ben Keays at 23. Brisbane match it. Then I begrudgingly pass on Collins as NM have enough KPB to sink a ship... and instead choose Darcy Tucker (outside run with quality delivery). Next pick: Mitchell Hibberd, then, Harley Balic (great vision). At 43 I'd take Parsons, Holmes, Stewart or Hackett (on a needs basis) and round it out with Gach Nyuon as a project player and the All Australian U18 ruckman. If ruck coverage is needed then rookie draft Sam Grimley.

NOW that would be a great draft for the Kangaroos.

And in one sentence, I knew you know nothing about our list.

 

[TwentyNine]

So KM any chance we've dragged ourselves above 17th best drafters in the league after nabbing ya boi Hibbo with our third pick?

 

[sonnywalters]

Just want to put out a big thankyou to knighmare for some incredible workload and some real quality stuff.
A thankless task but you really proved yourself an expert tonight.
Your predictions and ratings were the most accurate for all of the phantom's I have seen. So well done.

 

[sonnywalters]

Johnson has only played the one game this year in the TAC Cup due to injury. So a current evaluation is not overly practical, but off 2014 play Johnson was relatively innefficient and at times lacked consistency by foot.



None of Gold Coast's selections this year leave me particularly excited.

Pick 9 is very early for Ah Chee who while better through the season half of the season in WA, was very ordinary through the u18 championships. He has pace and can hit the scoreboard, but he just hasn't done enough of that to justify such a high selection.

Fiorini at 20 while earlier than expected is an ok selection as a productive outside mid who is reliable with his ball use. So he could plausibly be a piece.

Schofield is an elite endurance runner in this draft and showed some glimpses through the U18 championships for WA but a pick in the 30s is again earlier than expected.

Overall I'm not excited or optimistic about the group Gold Coast selection, but it's opinion until play gets under way next season.



There will if there isn't already be various articles and probably a player profile for Doedee on the AdelaideFC website. I have yet to create a Doedee profile but if enough Adelaide fans deem the level of detail to be inadequate then over the coming weeks if I can find some time then I'm happy to oblige.

I think the AFL got it right with GWS - but I see the Suns as being a headache for the AFL for decades to come.

Take a look at the zoning system - Brisbane, GWS and the Swans all did well out of zoning. But the GC? Nothing. Big head ache in what is a sporting graveyard. Basket case alert is sounding.

 

[typewriter]

Knightmare, Could you in the next week possibly add a profile on Tom Doedee? There isn't really much to be found on him, he's a 187cm defender and I, like many on BF am bloody flabergasted! AFC obviously rate him and think he can move into the midfield like a Pendelbury type from what I've read, but we need more. Do you have one?

Dodee is 1on1 defender with great shut down attributes similar to an Allan toovey from Collingwood. Was a former elite basketball er, who has only switched back to football the past 12 months or so. Has good closing speed and disciplined in his play. Is a ripper kid! Who will thrive in the elite environment. His kick can be a little inconsistent, but that will improve the more time he spends at the elite level.

This time 10 years ago pies fans and the rest of the footy world were bagging out the pendlebry selection as being way to early- look how that turned out.

Sent from my SM-T330 using Tapatalk

 

[Pykie]

Steals for NM? I don't see them. Ben McKay is a project player who moves more like a ruckman than an KPP (watch his videos closely and think of David Hale). IMO he needs to become a ruckman / forward... and that will take time.
Clarke: Seems a very willing type who outworks his opponents without any outstanding attributes... but can he outwork Hartung, Smith or Hill?
Hibberd: looks a great athlete with good rebounding capacity. Videos did not show him in a 1 on 1. OK, maybe a seal, maybe.
None of these guys are an outstanding steal IMO. I think Freo got the greatest value from their picks in the draft with Balic and Tucker

Burton on the other hand could be... anything. Lead up forward, Half back interceptor (Gibbo's understudy), pinch hitter in the midfield.
Lovell is a needs player for the Hawks who has that midfielder IQ. I just hope the hawks tell him he cannot kick with his preferred foot (the right) for the first year. At AFL level he needs a left foot. I hope he becomes Mitchells understudy.
Hardwick: was in the top ten at the combine for relative leap. Great hands and speed and has recently kicked bags of 12, 10 and 8 goals against his peers at TAC cup level. Outstanding attributes.

Again I say, the Hawks easily got the players with more potential. Remember ~100 players, including rookies, will be drafted and maybe 25 (a guess) will play more than 10 afl games. KM do you know a more accurate number? I'm backing the Hawks coaches to help all three of our picks into long term premiership players.

Your underselling Clarke here, he averaged 25 touches a game in the TAC Cup and kicked a goal a game, he has a greatmix of leg speed and endurance, I wanted him at #21, so to get him at #30 is excellent.

 

[dlanod]

I think the AFL got it right with GWS - but I see the Suns as being a headache for the AFL for decades to come.

Take a look at the zoning system - Brisbane, GWS and the Swans all did well out of zoning. But the GC? Nothing. Big head ache in what is a sporting graveyard. Basket case alert is sounding.

They have a few coming through next year. The academies are still hit and miss in a given year. Sydney had 3 last year, 1 this and none (at this stage) next year. Gold Coast had 1 (Weller was an academy boy but not eligible for nomination) last year, 0 and then at least 2 next year.

 

[BlackGun1]

Knight why do you think Keays was bid on so low? Recruiters just didn't really bother in the end knowing Lions were always going to match?

 

[Adoyle]

Knight why do you think Keays was bid on so low? Recruiters just didn't really bother in the end knowing Lions were always going to match?

I think opinions were polarised on Keays, the clubs who did like liked others more and those that didn't obviously didn't bid

 

[Brentmeister]

I must say Doedee looks pretty good. Adelaide went the known quantity over Burton's broken leg.
On the positive side for the Hawks, the go home factor is probably reduced with Adelaide choosing to not take Burton when they had the chance.

I often wonder if that actually comes into the "go-home" decision. It's a fair point and a lot of competitive young lads would have an "up yours" mentality to the home club who overlooked them. I really hope Burton has a good career - it's always saddening when a talented kid has a career derailed by injury.

 

[CharlieKelly]

just curious: who's your prediction to go to Carlton at #1 in the Rookie Draft on Friday?

 

[philthy05]

Knights... Whats the deal with hopper (Ballarat - 900+km from western Syd) Kennedy (400+km from Syd although actually inside nsw :0 ) and himmelberg (east lake - 270km from Syd in Canberra )

Are these kids actually from the places they played junior footy ? And why is gws zone so widely defined?

 

[Dunny82]

Hey KM,
Thanks for all your effort this year and answering all the questions put forward of you!

I'm interested to hear your thoughts on Melbourne's midfield and Brisbane's tall timber. Petracca, Brayshaw, Oliver, Viney, Tyson (might have missed a few) are some of the young midfield brigade going forward. What role do you see for these guys a few years down the track? Petracca playing forward/mid and Oliver being primary extractor?

And how about your thoughts Brisbane's talls? Schache obviously focus point up forward but then there's Gardiner, Andrews, Clarke, Hipwood, Close, McStay etc.

 

[Adnan]

Your underselling Clarke here, he averaged 25 touches a game in the TAC Cup and kicked a goal a game, he has a greatmix of leg speed and endurance, I wanted him at #21, so to get him at #30 is excellent.

I rate Clarke as a top 15 player from this years draft, if not in the top 10, inside and outside midfielder with a lot of a lot of run and carry, freakish goal sense and knows how to gather the pill, he does everything just fine, kickings been to one this critisised of him, but if you look at his rate of improvement in his kicking from 18 months ago, you will notice a drastic improvement, which only means he should get better. Very gelous of the Kangas with both Clarke and Hibberd

 

[dlanod]

Knights... Whats the deal with hopper (Ballarat - 900+km from western Syd) Kennedy (400+km from Syd although actually inside nsw :0 ) and himmelberg (east lake - 270km from Syd in Canberra )

Are these kids actually from the places they played junior footy ? And why is gws zone so widely defined?

Hopper is actually from Leeton. He only played at Ballarat because he boarded there this year. His family is all still in Leeton, which is in GWS's zone.

If you check out the zones you'll see GWS and Sydney splitting all of NSW in two, and Brisbane and GC doing the same for Qld. If Hopper and Kennedy are blowing your mind, wait until GC prelist a kid from Cairns (1800+ km from GC)!

 

[Bicks]

Hopper is actually from Leeton. He only played at Ballarat because he boarded there this year. His family is all still in Leeton, which is in GWS's zone.

If you check out the zones you'll see GWS and Sydney splitting all of NSW in two, and Brisbane and GC doing the same for Qld. If Hopper and Kennedy are blowing your mind, wait until GC prelist a kid from Cairns (1800+ km from GC)!

Yestin Eades drafted by the Bombers also boarded and played in Ballarat this year and he's from a place in WA 2 or 3 hours from Perth and that's only 3,300km from Ballarat.

 

[dlanod]

Yestin Eades drafted by the Bombers also boarded and played in Ballarat this year and he's from a place in WA 2 or 3 hours from Perth and that's only 3,300km from Ballarat.

That's it, I'm counting him as a GWS academy player!

 

[philthy05]

Hopper is actually from Leeton. He only played at Ballarat because he boarded there this year. His family is all still in Leeton, which is in GWS's zone.

If you check out the zones you'll see GWS and Sydney splitting all of NSW in two, and Brisbane and GC doing the same for Qld. If Hopper and Kennedy are blowing your mind, wait until GC prelist a kid from Cairns (1800+ km from GC)!

That makes more sense that they have just split the states in two.


Rather see them develop players inside their zones rather then going off to vic towns though. Better players playing inside western Sydney clubs will raise the level and skill of everyone much more then plucking kids from here and there and sending them off to Ballarat , although I don't know whose decision that was or if gws has any say in that or if that was a random once off thing. Just my opinion , but if gws wants to reach out to the million locals in their backyard , bring up the level of footy in their backyard. More important really then winning 15 games a season over 12 games a season in the afl.