Offsiders Phantom Draft

[Offsider]

I have put together a few profile for a couple of prospects, probably only a top 30 or so. I generally go off my own ratings and there are a few that I don't rate highly this year. I don't rate McCarthy at all as a key forward, he reminds me of Tom Lee and more of an athletic third tall. I rate Salem extremely highly but he would not go to Brisbane generally at pick 7 factoring in homesickness (but I pretend that doesn't exist! as mine are ratings purely on playing ability outside of Dayle Garlett, who I would only have as a late first round player on talent only not top 10). I think Cripps will go top 15, he is a gun, and Eli Templeton is also right up there.

Pick 1: Greater Western Sydney Giants – Thomas Boyd
Height: 199cm, Weight: 102kg, DOB: 22/08/1995
Club: Eastern Ranges (Vic Metro)

Thomas Boyd is the best player in this years draft and even at this stage looks certain to go at pick 1. He is a big strong full forward, who has the dominant presence and goal kicking ability to be the number 1 target in the AFL, and he projects as a future Coleman medallist. He has also shown the ability, and has the size and strength to be the second ruckman and give a chop out to the main ruckman, perhaps for just 10% of the game. I think GWS will take him and possibly develop him this way, although it might be best to just leave him at full forward. Boyd is almost the perfect full forward imo, and although he has a few weaknesses, most of them can be worked on and will develop over time. His junior form has been excellent when he has played this year, averaging over 4.5 goals a game in TAC cup and the U18 champs show his elite goal kicking ability.

Strengths

• Great mark – Boyd has excellent hands and rarely drops marks when he gets both hands to them. His contested marking is good, although it stands that he could use his body a little better and he will take some time to develop this aspect of his game at AFL level. On the lead Boyd is elite, he extends his hands high and takes the ball at the highest point.
• Strong at the contest – Boyd hits the contest hard and always makes a contest if he doesn’t mark it he will bring it too ground.
• Elite Goal Kicker – Boyd is a great goal kicker at junior level, he looked set for a dominant under 18 carnival before hurting his ankle kicking 9 goals in 5 quarters of footy.
• Strength - Looks to be a big strong power forward with a well developed body and is supreme physical presence, will end up similar to Tom Hawkins/Travis Cloke. At 199cm and over 100kg Boyd is already a beast and when he extends is arms up at the ball very few defenders can spoil him.
• Skills – Boyd is an excellent set shot, his technique is great (has a lot of practice!), around the ground his disposal is reasonably good and he is definitely above average for a player his size.
• Versatility to play in the ruck – Boyd has shown that he can occasionally play in the ruck and give a chop out (primarily at AIS level), he actually performed quite solidly and this could bee beneficial moving forward.
• Work Rate – Boyd looks to have a very good work rate for a key forward, he pumps multiple leads out and he works up the ground well. Endurance wise he seems to be reasonably good, this will improve in an AFL environment though.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Athletically – Boyd is not an elite athlete yet is probably just above average for a kid his size. Speed wise he still seems to get separation on the lead, yet will this be an issue at AFL level with faster defenders? His turning circle is not the best (or the worst), but he is capable of picking the ball up on the half volley and spinning round and snapping the ball round the corner. He is probably a better athlete than Cloke or Brown and similar to Roughead, although not the endurance base yet.
• Ground work – Boyd is solid but not elite with his hands, he can fumble occasionally below his knees, yet more often than not he is very clean (nit-picking a bit here). Boyd kicks most of his goals from marks and set shots.
• Forward pressure needs improvement – this is common with most young forwards so not that much of a concern.

Pick 2: Greater Western Sydney Giants – Matthew Scharenberg
Height: 190cm, Weight: 89kg, DOB: 18/09/1995
Club: Glenelg (SA)

GWS pick up the next best player on my list in Matt Scharenberg. I am not sure at this stage where he will play, he looks like he could be an excellent third tall in defence, he can rotate forward and kick goals, and he is also capable of playing as tall midfielder. He may not be exactly what GWS need (what do they need?), yet he has class, skill, athleticism and is a dominant two-way player who will help the Giants win games. His form this year in the U18 champs was exceptional and highlighted all his skills, he played mainly as a half-back but also showed that he could perform at a high level off a wing and through the midfield. His form in the seniors at SANFL level has also been pretty decent and he has shown the ability to provide elite rebound. I expect that Scharenberg will start his career off at half-back and then move into the midfield, yet even if he stays at half-back he will still be an elite player imo.

Strengths:

• Versatility – Scharenberg can play most positions on the ground to a high level, he has shown the ability to play on both talls and smalls in defence, he is capable of playing forward and being a target. His midfield work is also very good and always improving.
• Overhead skills – Scharenberg is very strong overhead, his marking is great, and if played as a third tall I would be surprised if he did not become an excellent intercept marker. He is also pretty decent defensively one on one when the ball comes in to a contest and he is a good spoiler.
• Athleticism – He is one of the best all round athletes in this years draft class, his pace is above average (I wouldn’t expect him to be a line breaker however he provides excellent run from defence), he is very agile and steps round players well (his movement in traffic is exceptional), his vertical leap and power off the mark are similarly good. All in all Scharenberg is a smooth mover and athletically he should have no problems in the AFL.
• Reading of the play – Scharenberg reads the play very well, he picks up a lot of disposals in the back half, he spoils contests well as the third man up a lot, and runs the lines well. Scharenberg also has a lot of time with the footy and makes good decisions, his footy IQ is very good.
• Defensive ability – Defensively Scharenberg looks to be an excellent prospect as a third tall type, he out played Jesse Hogan last year and has shown the ability to match up on taller types and win one on one contests. His intercept marking is the best in this years draft imo and he is very good when the ball hits the ground. His rebound out of defence is also top notch.
• Disposal – I actually rate Scharenberg’s disposal and the times I have seen him play he looks like his disposal by foot is reasonably good, although by no means elite. He generally makes excellent decisions although he can go safe on occasions.
• Consistency – Scharenberg is a consistent player, he always seems to perform each week and plays his role well. He seems to consistently rack up the disposals and this is impressive for a young kid.

Weaknesses/ Areas of Improvement

• Where is his best position and where will he end up? Will Scharenberg ever take the next step and become a dominant midfielder as he is capable of or will he grow an inch and hold down CHB?
• Inside ball winning ability – At this stage Scharenberg has not shown much in the way of inside clearance ball winning ability. Still he has a lot of potential and given that he has not played much inside mid, and the way that the game seems to slow down a lot when he has the footy.

Pick 3: Saint Kilda– Josh Kelly
Height: 182cm, Weight: 73kg, DOB: 12/02/1995
Club: Sandringham Dragons (Vic Metro)

The Saints take the next best mid and the best midfielder in the draft imo. Kelly is an elite outside mid with the ability to go inside and win his own disposal, he has excellent disposal, finds a ton of the ball and wins most of the one on one contests he is in. His work-rate is brilliant and he really sets a strong example, I expect him to start from day 1 for the Saints and be one of their better players. He was excellent at the U18 champs averaging 27 disposals and using the ball excellently on his preferred left foot. At the moment he is quite skinny, 182cm and 73kg, so I expect that he will start as an outside mid and play a role similar to Andrew Gaff at West Coast, he does have a reasonable inside game and I would still expect him to overtime become a good all round mid.

Strengths

• Footy IQ – Kelly has excellent footy smarts, and his reading of the game and game sense are elite. He runs and spreads to the right spots, always puts himself in the right position and makes excellent decisions when he has the ball.
• Athleticism – Kelly is an elite endurance athlete, probably the best in the draft, he run a 9minute and 48second 3km at the draft camp last year which placed him no. 1. He uses his endurance in continually running to the right spots and in gut running as well. Kelly has good pace, in particular a decent top end speed and uses it to run the lines well, although he didn’t test well last year on the field speed is not really a problem.
• Skills – His skills by foot are elite, Josh rarely misses a target and is a super smart ball user. Whilst not a penetrating kick he still hits his targets very well and weights the ball well. His use of the ball by hand is excellent.
• Work ethic – Josh has a super work ethic and from all reports he is an excellent trainer.
• Outside game – Kelly’s outside game is elite, he is damaging by foot, finds a ton of the ball and is really creative.
• Defensive game – As an outside mid, Kelly is a willing tackler and chases hard, he still could run a bit harder and lock his man down defensively more however.

Weaknesses/ Areas of Improvement

• Inside game – Josh Kelly’s inside game is not as bad as it is made out to be, yet he plays similar to a lesser Mark Murphy, as that player who is not a genuine in and under player but is still capable of winning clearances. It is still an area that he is working on, yet should not be too much of an issue imo as he should be more of a receiver with his ability to carry the footy and his elite skill set.
• Size – At the moment Kelly is quite skinny and I would expect that he will need to put on a fair bit more muscle to compete well at AFL level.
• Marking – as a shorter mid Josh’s marking is not a feature of his game. He could improve a little in contested situations yet will never be a great marking midfielder.

 

[Offsider]

Pick 4: Western Bulldogs– James Aish
Height: 183cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 08/11/1995
Club: Norwood (SA)

The Bulldogs pick up the next best player on my list and the one of the classiest players in the draft imo in James Aish. He is a smooth wingman, who is capable of winning his own ball on the inside, but his spread from the contest, willingness to run to space, ability to run with the ball, and excellent disposal and elite disposal efficiency make him an excellent prospect going forward. I expect that he might start slowly next year, but he will improve and he will show flashes of brilliance still. He does need to improve his inside game a fair bit as he hangs around the outside of contests a lot, yet he has the ability to cleanly win his own ball. Aish projects as an elite wing at AFL level. At the U18 champs he was a little underdone and did not average huge disposal numbers, but when he did get the ball he used it exceptionally and he was super efficient. He has also has some great for at SANFL senior level, and shown off his footy smarts, ability to win the ball and elite disposal skills. For the Bulldogs he will be excellent with their inside ball winners and provide a lot of class on the outside.

Strengths

• Skills – Aish has elite skills, his kicking is very good, he makes good decisions and although not a penetrating kick he seems to weight his passes very well. Aish always seems to pick the right option, especially with his handballs and puts the player in a great position most of the time.
• Athleticism – Aish is a smooth athlete who whilst probably not elite is still able to break the lines and evade players with his combination of speed and agility. Aish seems to have decent endurance, he gut runs well, gets to the right spots and just continues to spread from the contest.
• Footy IQ – Aish has excellent footy IQ, he makes great decisions with the ball and rarely gives the ball away. He runs to the right spots and is really clever with his angled running so he can be spotted up for a short chip pass. Aish just possess all round footy smarts and will just continue to make excellent decisions.
• Hurt factor – Aish has high hurt factor due to his disposal efficiency and ability to deliver the ball cleanly inside 50. Additionally Aish is also good at creeping forward and kicking goals, although this could improve a little bit.
• Outside Game – Aish has a terrific outside game, in that he finds the ball well and uses it efficiently. He reads the game really well and just finds space to lead up take an uncontested mark or receive a handball. Once he has it then he hits his target whether a short option or long option he makes the right decision and executes.

Weaknesses/ Areas of Improvement

• Inside/contested ability – Aish is capable of winning the ball on the inside and is a solid contested player but he could improve this area a little. The potential is there and once he gets stronger with his ability to move through traffic I expect that he will improve in this area.
• Marking – Aish is a solid mark, yet don’t expect him to become an elite overhead mark for a mid.
• Defensive game – Aish could stand to improve his tackling a bit. This could be in part due to his shoulder though.
• Ball winning – Aish is not a huge ball winner, and he needs to consistently find more of the ball imo. When he finds a fair bit of it he is really damaging. He can also be tagged quite easily out of games. This should improve as he improves his inside game imo, and it is a result of his preference for uncontested ball.

Pick 5: Gold Coast Suns – Jack Billings
Height: 183cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 18/08/1995
Club: Oakleigh Chargers (Vic Metro)

Gold Coast pick up the next best player on my list in Jack Billings who is a versatile utility, who is probably best as a half-forward who can have stints in the midfield. Billings is one of the most dangerous players in this years draft as he is a goal kicker and sets up a lot of goals with his elite disposal. He is a real x-factor type player who can create something out of nothing and can do the impossible, although not a massive clearance winner, his one on one work is excellent. He was reasonably good at the U18 champs this year, and showed off his class making most disposals really count, I did think though that he played better last year, although he did struggle this year with injuries.

Strengths

• Disposal – Billings has a sublime, silky kick, very similar to Nick Dal Santo in that he just continues to hit targets with precision. His kicking for goal whether on the run or by set shot is also very good. Basically he is that typical smooth left foot kick.
• Decision Making – Jack makes excellent decisions with the ball when he has it and rarely wastes a possession. His vision is particularly excellent and he just sees things that others don’t. He also reads the play very well and finds space nicely
• Marking – Billings is excellent overhead and has great hands for a player is size. He reads the ball in the air well, and positions himself nicely. He is also great at leading up to the ball and finds space well.
• Hurt factor – as Billings plays forward of center a fair bit he has great hurt factor with his disposal and is very damaging. He kicks goals, he creates opportunities and he delivers the ball into forward 50 exceptionally.
• Forward ability – As a forward, Billing’s is very good and has quite a nicely rounded game as a medium marking forward. He is great at leading up to the ball, is a very good mark for a medium sized player and is good at leading up to the ball. He is also good when the ball is on the ground and is very clever and smart with his ball use and positioning. He is excellent at finding space where there is none, which is important for a forward. He is capable of crumbing the ball, although this area could use some improvement imo.
• X-factor – Billings has a ton of x-factor, he can kick the difficult games, make the hard look easy and turn games with just a quick 10 minute burst.
• Athleticism – Billings has pretty good athletic ability although I would say he is not elite. His speed looks above average, he creates separation on the lead easily, he runs with the ball well. Another strength of Billing’s is his agility as he is super slippery able to turn opponents inside out well and has a neat side step. His endurance looks to be quite good, although this will need to improve somewhat if he can run through the midfield.

Weaknesses/ Areas of Improvement

• Will he ever transition into a midfielder? He has the talent to be a very good outside/inside mid, but at the moment he plays best as a forward. I think that he will start forward and have stints in the midfield.
• Hardness/defensive game – Imo I have seen Billings on a number of occasions skirt around the edge of packs waiting for a handball out rather than going in and getting it, it seems to be his style (more of a receiver). He could also do with improving his defensive game, and laying more tackles.
• Frontrunner – Billings is a little bit of a front runner imo and relies on others to do the hardwork and win the contested ball. He often plays well when his team do well and can go missing when his team is playing poorly, this is partly due to his role as a forward though.

Pick 6: Collingwood Magpies– Kade Kolodjashnij
Height: 190cm, Weight: 76kg, DOB: 09/08/1995
Club: Launceston (TAS)

Collingwood pick up the next best prospect imo, although they do not have a real need for a running half-back he should provide some run and carry to a team lacking in that. There is not much between pick 7 and pick 19 at this stage and all have their positives and project as very good propsects, which is scary as one of the top teams could take away a prospect who has top 10 potential. Still Kade has some absolute elite qualities for a half-back/winger and is very damaging as a player. His kicking is exceptional an he sets up play very well from the back half, and is a good at running forward and creating scoring opportunities. For mine he was alongside Matt Scharenberg the best performed half-back in the U18 champs and showed that he could dominate games as a half-back and really set up attacks from defence. Kade has a load of potential and really could fit well with West Coast as that additional runner from defence or even off a wing, with his precision ball use and excellent decision making.

Strengths

• Athleticism – Kade is an above average athlete, he is a very smooth mover and has deceptive pace. He has enough speed to keep up with most forwards defensively, offensively he can run with the football well and carry it out of the back half. He doesn’t possess elite pace and isn’t a true line breaker but he has a good speed and is capable of carrying the footy. He has above average endurance and runs well to the right spots always making himself available as an option.
• Ball winner – Kade is an excellent ball winner on the outside and he knows exactly where to run to receive the ball. He is one of those players that is capable of racking up a ton of uncontested ball, yet is still good enough to win the ball in contested situations and in one on one contests.
• Footy Smarts – Kade appears to have excellent footy smarts, which is evident in the way he can find a ton of the ball and uses it well. His decision making with ball in hand is excellent and I have rarely seen him flustered when under pressure.
• Disposal – Kade has an excellent left foot, he can kick it quite a long distance probably close to 60m at his best. He is quite precise with his left foot and very good at spotting up targets up to about 45m away, from their he can be a little more iffy. I also think that he is good by hand and he usually takes the right option.
• Versatility - I actually think that he would make a fantastic winger or half-back with his skill set and he certainly is a very versatile utility. As a half-back he looks to play as more of a quarterback, he provides excellent run and elite ball use coming out of defence, his defensive ability is also improving and he reads the play well. As a winger he is also capable of running the lines and playing that link role, he is also good at winning the ball in contested situations, although he is not a natural stoppage player. Personally though I think he would best utilised as an elite half-back.

Weaknesses/ Areas of Improvement

• Inside ball winning ability – At the moment Kade plays more as a receiver and is just not that inside clearance player, although he could potentially develop that side of his game, I feel that he will be kept as a receiver due to his skill and decision making.
• Development – I have a feeling that Kade may take a year or two to adjust to AFL level, especially with his body, yet he has elite potential as a half-back. Still he has performed excellently at TSL level and shown an ability to dominate games to the point where he is tagged.
• Defensive game – This is one area I am a little bit iffy on Kade with, he is not a poor defender and actually shows a bit, yet he could still stand to improve this aspect. Man to man defence appears to be his worst skill set, he needs to tighten up this area. He is pretty decent at zoning off and has shown an ability to take intercept marks.

Pick 7: Brisbane Lions – Christian Salem
Height: 183cm, Weight: 82kg, DOB: 15/07/1995
Club: Sandringham Dragons (Vic Metro)

Brisbane pick up the next best player and a potential mid who uses the ball exceptionally well. He is not too far in front of the other mids between here and pick 20 but separates himself with his upside and hurt factor imo. Salem has the potential to be an important part of Brisbane’s midfield rotation, and whilst he probably won’t start in the centre square he has the outside ability and potential to play as a linkman and goal kicking half-forward whilst he develops. Salem is a talented mid who whilst better on the outside is more than capable of winning his own ball and has improved throughout the year in that aspect. He had a solid U18 champs where he averaged 15 and a half disposals, but he showed his class in patches and his elite kicking as well. Throughout the year at both the U18 champs and the TAC cup he has shown how damaging he can be and that at his best he can really cut an opponent to pieces. His disposal, decision-making and athleticism will translate to AFL level and make him a very good player imo.

Strengths

• Disposal – Salem is an excellent kick and is very efficient with his ball use. What stands out about Salem’s kicking is his ability to hit the target with well weighted kicks. Salem also is very clean by hand and puts players in better positions than himself more often than not.
• Outside Run – Salem is a very good outside player, he runs with the ball well and finds space easily. Combined this with his elite disposal and decision making and you have a very damaging player.
• Hardness – Salem goes in hard at the ball and he doesn’t like to hang on the outside of packs. He is quite a physical player and has no problem diving in at the ball or making a tackle. His tackling is also pretty strong.
• Footy Smarts – Salem appears to have pretty good footy smarts without the ball in that he runs to the right spots, although he can be caught out of position on occasions. With the ball, however, Salem makes excellent decisions and reads the game so well he just knows who to kick it to.
• Goal Kicking midfielder – Salem hits the scoreboard pretty well as a midfielder, and can even be used as an effective half-forward.
• Athleticism – I think that Salem is an above average athlete but not an elite one. He has enough pace to get himself out of trouble but isn’t your typical line breaker imo. It’s his agility which really stands out he is very good at slipping out of tackle attempts and has a good side step. He is a very smooth mover and just glides through contests and around the ground. His endurance is elite as he runs over a 15 beep test.

Weaknesses/ Areas of Improvement

• Not the best clearance winner – Although Salem is very clean with his hands, has good footy smarts and is hard at the ball he is not a natural clearance player. He has improved this a fair bit this year and with a bit more hard work he will become a solid clearance/inside player, although I doubt he will be elite in this area.
• Consistency – One of Salem’s biggest issues is his consistency, he can on occasions just have an off game and not really impact the game. Also he can disappear during games, he might have a purple patch for 10 minutes where he can turn a game and then struggle to find it for the next couple of quarters.
• Salem is not a huge disposal winner, he only averages just over 15 disposals a game at the U18 champs, but he does make each disposal count. This is an area that can be worked on imo.

Pick 8: North Melbourne Kangaroos – Luke McDonald
Height: 188cm, Weight: 80kg, DOB: 09/02/1995
Club: Oakleigh Chargers (Vic Metro)

North pick up Luke McDonald as a father son, and they should be very happy that they have committed to him as he looks an excellent prospect and has a ton of talent. Luke is a bit of a utility in that he can play as a half-back, an outside mid or even move into an inside mid and still perform at an exceptionally high standard. With time and space he is one of the most damaging players in this years draft. His form this year has been solid but could have been better, although he had a solid U18 Champs where he showed off his versatility and skill level, he has also shown some excellent signs in the VFL and his finals series was excellent, although he had an indifferent year overall. In saying that he has struggled a fair bit of this year with injury and his performances whilst still very good are not a complete reflection. Last year he was super impressive, especially in the TAC cup finals where his inside work really shone and won games for Oakleigh. Luke is ready to go as a player and I would not be surprised to see him play in round 1 provided he is injury free.

Strengths

• Kicking – McDonald is one of the best kicks in this years draft on his left foot. He can hit targets over 60m away, he makes great decisions, but his best attribute imo with his disposal is his penetration and the fact that the ball reaches its destination very quickly. He does tend to fall in lover with bombing the ball 60m and needs to hit shorter targets, perhaps a lack of composure?
• Versatility/all round game – Luke has a pretty complete game as a junior footballer, as a half-back he can shut an opponent down yet still be an excellent rebounder and the type of player who will be given the ball purely for his hurt factor. As a mid, Luke is capable of winning the ball on the inside and is good round the clearances, yet is capable of spreading and really hurting opposition on the outside.
• Marking – Luke is a pretty decent mark and is strong overhead in contested situations. Defensively his particularly good, although I think the next stage of his development will see him improve his third man up type marking.
• Athleticism – Luke McDonald is an excellent athlete, and tests very well apparently. His pace is great, although I think he needs to back himself in more and utilise it more so he can really run with the ball and split defences open (he is capable but from when I have seen him this could stand to improve). Other than that Luke has decent all round athletic ability as he is pretty agile and evasive, has a solid vertical leap and is good endurance wise (although this could improve a little for a full time mid imo).
• Size – Luke has good size for a mid/HBF at 188cm and looks to be in that taller category of players.
• Clean hands – Luke rarely fumbles, his hands are clean and he uses his handball well.
• Footy Smarts – Luke has excellent footy smarts he reads the play well, undoubtedly from his excellent blood lines and time spent playing the game. One concern is that he can occasionally go for too much with his kicking.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• There are not many weaknesses to Luke McDonalds game, he is close to the complete footballer imo. I am not sure where he will play, will he play as a rebounding defender or make the move into becoming a permanent full time mid? At the moment he is best off a half-back flank.
• I am not 100% sold on whether he will become a star I think it is more likely that he will become a very good player and key component of North.
• Consistency? From what I have seen when at his best Luke is a genuine match winner, yet I have also seen the odd average game where he is not as good as he can be. Still not an issue imo as this can be common with junior players.

 

[Offsider]

Pick 9: Melbourne Demons – Nathan Freeman
Height: 181cm, Weight: 85kg, DOB: 16/06/1995
Club: Sandringham Dragons (Vic Metro)

Melbourne could really use an explosive midfielder who will provide some x-factor to their team. I strongly considered either Bontempelli or Sheed here, but I felt that Freeman had too much talent and upside to pass up at this stage. I rate Freeman very highly as he has the ability to become one of the better players in the draft and be more damaging than the other players considered here. I have been quite harsh on him in this profile, but the basics are there he is a decent kick and has an aggressive inside game where he uses his pace well. He could do with improving his consistency and his weaknesses at this stage aren’t true weaknesses but areas that he is solid in and could do with some further improvement, which should come over time. He has a lot of natural talent and his attack at the ball is great and something, which should really help him at AFL level. His form this year in the U18 champs was pretty decent in the 3 games he played as he averaged 20 disposals and showed his speed and ability to burst out of contests. He has also had a good TAC cup this year, although he could use his speed more and tighten up his disposal, which would allow him to impact games more. Nathan Freeman has a lot of upside and has the ability to become a damaging fast inside ball winner similar to Dangerfield without the forward ability or height. He has a developed body already and could play next year, but I expect him to come in straight away with his elite pace and endurance and be a solid, albeit inconsistent on occasions, midfielder.

Strengths

• Speed/Athleticism – Freeman has speed, lots of it and most importantly he uses it. He has the ability to accelerate very quickly and he uses his pace to get out of contested situations well and breaks games open with his ability to run forward of contests with the ball. I would like to see him use his speed on the outside a bit more to really run and carry with the footy. His endurance is also very good and he gets round the ground well, he also has a decent side-step and is super quick off the mark.
• Hardness – Freeman is a bit of a hard nut in that he does a lot of his best work at top speed. He hits contests hard and at pace, he doesn’t take a backwards step and looks to really relish the physical contest.
• Hurt Factor – With his speed and ability to burst out of stoppages Freeman is a very damaging player. He has the ability to create something out of nothing and his clearance wins are generally very damaging and can lead to scoring opportunities. He generally prefers to kick the footy rather than handball it which makes him more damaging.
• Strength/power – Freeman has a great blend of core strength and power, which when mixed with his speed make him a great young prospect. He is hard to tackle and is capable of not only beating attempted tacklers but also standing in tackles and handballing the ball out.
• Marking – Personally Freeman is not an elite marking mid, but he is very capable one on one and is good at leading up as a forward. He has strong clean hands and uses his body effectively. He also appears to read the ball well in the air, this is an area he can learn to develop to give him an extra bow to his game as his forward work whilst solid can improve to give him more versatility.
• Clean Hands – Freeman looks to have good clean hands he doesn’t fumble the ball much both on the ground and at pace. He is particularly good at picking the ball up at pace and puts his body over the ball effectively.
• Disposal – I think that Freeman is an above average kick, although he is not elite and improvement is there. I think that most of the problem with Freeman’s disposal though is his decision making. When in space and with time he can spot up targets well, he has decent length on his kick and does not overtly float them. He is capable of kicking well at full pace but needs to steady a bit more on occasions.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Outside game – Freeman seems to find the ball reasonably well on the outside and he spreads from the contest well, but he does need to improve this area of his game. He has the potential to be a very damaging outside player, but could do with breaking the lines more and really utilising his speed to spread from the contests hard to dangerous positions. He needs to consistently find the ball in space more.
• Decision Making – I have some major concerns over Freeman’s footy smarts in that under pressure he can panic. His first option when under pressure seems to be to blindly bomb it forward as far as possible, he is not great at utilising the handball. It is an area he needs to work on probably in a lower level. He does seem to read the game pretty decently and he does run to the right spots without the ball.
• Inside Game – Not a real weakness as he has a very damaging inside game but more so as he is a one trick pony imo. Whilst Freeman is excellent at bursting out of stoppages and using his pace and power he can be a bit of a hit and a miss type player, or either just bombing it blindly ahead if he gets it. He is not great (or that poor either to be honest) at extracting the ball in a contest and dishing it off, he is generally the one who prefers to receive that first handball. Still he has the potential to be a very good inside player.

Pick 10: Collingwood Magpies - Marcus Bontempelli
Height: 194cm, Weight: 83kg, DOB: 24/11/1995
Club: Northern Knights (Vic Metro)

Collingwood pick up the next best player on my list and one who has really bolted up my draft list with a strong finish to the year. At this stage Bontempelli is a little bit raw, yet has shown that when he puts it all together he can break games open. At the moment he projects as a tall midfielder/flanker type, I do think his inside work needs to continue to improve, although the basics are there. His U18 Championships were nothing special, although his last game against Vic Country was quite good and he showed off his ability to run and carry on occasions, his TAC cup form has also been pretty decent and he has shown some good inside ability towards the end of the year. He has shown the ability to not only perform at a high level as a mid, but also go forward and take contested marks and be a genuine goal kicking option.

Strengths

• Size – He has excellent size for a mid/wingman at 194cm and he moves reasonably well, I think he will put on a fair bit more muscle and once he improves his strength he will be hard to tackle with his game sense and agility.
• Footy smarts – Bontempelli has good footy smarts, although I am not sure 100% on this due to his consistency issues. Nevertheless he runs to the right spots and he uses the ball well when he has it. The best quality that he has is that he is never rushed with the ball and always seems to have time, which he often creates with his side step and knowledge of where the opposition is.
• Good all round game/Versatile – He has shown the ability to have a good blend of inside and outside ball winning ability. His inside clearance work is improving and he has no problem winning his own ball, on the outside when he gets the ball he quite damaging. He is also very dangerous as a forward and a goal kicking option who presents well.
• Hurt factor – with his games sense, ability to run with the ball, kick it long and float forward to good effect Marcus is very damaging. He is a good goal kicker and a very dangerous option up forward with his marking.
• Marking – Marcus is a decent mark for a midfielder for his size at 194cm and presents a dangerous option for opponents. He is too tall for most mids and smaller players as he leaps at the ball well (he has a good vertical leap) and marks the ball at its highest point. He doesn’t have classic sticky hands though and can drop marks he gets his hand too.

Weaknesses/Areas of improvement

• What position will he end up playing? He plays primarily as a tallish half-forward who has stints in the midfield, one of my major issues with him is will he transition into becoming a full time midfielder.
• Athleticism – Bontempelli is an average athlete, other than his endurance which still needs some improvement. He is quite slow off the mark and lacks a decent burst, yet with his rangy long stride he is capable of running with the footy well. He does have good agility and is able to step round opponents and break out of contests reasonably well. Bontempelli does have a good vertical leap and is capable of taking contested marks and hangers.
• Skills – I think Marcus’s skills are reasonable but there is definitely some improvement there. He is a long kick of the ball (not elite distance though), he hits most of his targets and generally makes good decisions, yet is prone to a few clangers. By hand he is good although on a few occasions I have noticed a tendency to give it to a man under pressure, but generally he puts a player in space and he has decent vision.
• Consistency – Bontempelli has issues with consistency in games as he can go missing for whole quarters, when on he is super dangerous yet at times he can look lost as well.
• Defensive game – like most draft picks Bontempelli’s defensive game is poor and he could do with improving his tackling a fair bit.
• Inside Game – Although his inside game has improved a lot especially late in the year for the Knights he still has a fair bit of improvement left. He is dangerous in that he makes great decisions and is a decent size, yet he still has to improve on his general clearance work.

Pick 11: West Coast Eagles - Dominic Sheed
Height: 183cm, Weight: 82kg, DOB: 10/03/1995
Club: Subiaco (WA)

West Coast pick the next best player up and add another good young prospect to a midfield in need of some class. I give the edge here to Dom Sheed over the two Lennon and Cripps as I feel that he is a better midfielder and his ball use is better than Cripps. Dom projects well as an inside mid at the next level who spreads from the contest well and can even go forward and be dangerous. To be honest I am not sure why he deserves to be this low, he could be up at 7, but I feel that the other prospects all have more upside and could become more damaging. He was excellent through the U18 champs and a deserving winner of the Larke Medal, he won a ton of the ball and used it well. I look at Dom Sheed and I am uncertain if he will ever be an elite player, but I think he will be more that midfielder who is not the number 1 mid in the team but still an important part of the team.

Strengths

• Disposal – Sheed has above average disposal, although I would not say is an excellent or elite kick. He is good at spotting up targets forward of the ball, especially in that medium range. He can be prone to just blindly bombing it forward when under pressure on the occasions I have seen him.
• Goal Kicking – Sheed is capable of going forward and kicking goals to great effect. He is also a pretty decent mark one on one in the forward line and makes himself dangerous. This gives him good versatility to spend time forward resting from the midfield, which is a huge plus imo.
• Endurance – Sheed looks to have good endurance as he spreads really well from the contest and runs all day. It does need to improve a little to get up to AFL standard.
• Inside/outside game – Sheed has a very well rounded game for a midfielder in that he can win the contested ball but spreads well from the contest and is great in space. His inside work is above average, he is a good clearance winner and uses the handball well as he has quick hands. He won’t burst away from the stoppages but he does push hard and spreads very well and finds space. On the outside he is not super quick or a great mark yet he runs to the right space and uses the ball well. He is not an elite inside or outside player but he does both to a very high standard.
• Footy Smarts – Sheed looks to have great footy smarts in that he knows where to get the footy and he uses it really well. He is one of those players that has time and he just sees the game unravelling before him. He is also very good at finding space around the ground.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Speed – Sheed is average with his speed and pace off the mark, he isn’t the type of guy is going to carry the ball or burst through packs. Still it isn’t a true weakness and he is not slow by any means, as he tested solidly at 3.00s over 20m.
• Jack of all trades master at none? I don’t really see Sheed as having that elite defining characteristic, I look at him and struggle to see what puts him ahead of the pack and think that he is very good at everything and a well rounded player but probably not an elite player.

Pick 12: Richmond Tigers – Ben Lennon
Height: 187cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 05/06/1995
Club: Northern Knights (Vic Metro)

Next on my list of best available is Ben Lennon the versatile utility who can do a little bit of everything but looks especially dangerous played as a half-forward. At this stage, between there is not much that separates the players, and I think that the Tigers may prefer a true midfielder like Cripps over a versatile utility like Lennon as he offers them an elite inside ball winner which is something they lack. He had a pretty decent U18 championships and showed off his value as a utility particularly as a medium marking forward, but was quite poor and never showed his value as a midfielder. He has had an excellent year so far in the TAC cup and has really pushed himself up the rankings as he has shown he can play as a mid and find the ball well. Comparisons to Brendan Goddard are apt imo, although I am unsure if he has the all round class that Goddard has.

Strengths

• Kicking – Everyone knows but Ben Lennon is one of the best kicks in this years draft. He can roost the ball 60m +, has a low flat kick and has excellent penetration. It is a real weapon and whether kicking for goal or hitting team-mates with 60m bullet passes, he is an elite kick in every sense of the word. He can try and do to much with the ball though, sometimes he needs to take the obvious easy option.
• Marking – Lennon is very good over his head, he has sticky hands jumps at the footy and takes it at the highest point. As a forward there are not too many defenders capable of going with him in the air at his height, and he is too fast and agile for tall defenders.
• Size – At 187 Lennon is a terrific size for a utility as he can mark well, kicks it and is quite a powerful player. I think he has a fair bit of strength and power, particularly off the mark and he can be hard to tackle.
• Versatility – Lennon is extremely versatile, he is very good as a medium marking forward who pushes up the ground. He can play well as a half-back flank and really sets up play nicely with his elite kicking. He can be thrown anywhere and will perform to a high standard.
• Footy IQ – Lennon appears to have pretty decent footy smarts, he reads the play well, especially in the forward half and he makes good decisions with the ball. He is also very good in the contests and wins a lot of one on one contests either with the ball in the air or on the ground. He finds a fair bit of the ball around the ground, especially at TAC Cup level and always impacts the games that he plays in.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• What position will he end up playing? I probably think he is best played as a half-forward type, although he is also excellent playing of the half-back line and setting up play. He could be a real weapon down back with his kicking able to clear zones.
• Will he ever end up being a full time mid? Lennon is developing as a midfielder, and has shown in the TAC cup that he can play as a mid and push up the ground to great effect, but I think he will be a rotational mid at best.
• Athleticism – Lennon is not an elite athlete but he is probably above average. He has average speed, he runs with the ball on occasions and in space but don’t mistake him for a line breaker. He is reasonably agile and moves well in traffic. I think he has a good vertical leap and this evident in marking situations.
• Endurance – Lennon needs to improve his endurance and his ability to run through the midfield, play off a wing. This should come with time in an AFL environment.
• Defensive Game – Lennon’s defensive game could use some work, and he needs to improve his tackling and pressure.
• Inside Game – One area that Lennon needs to improve is his clearance work, he is good as a receiver but not a natural distributor of the ball in stoppages by hand preferring to kick and stay on the outside. Still someone needs to receive the handball.

Pick 13: Carlton Blues - Patrick Cripps
Height: 192cm, Weight: 88kg, DOB: 18/03/1995
Club: East Fremantle (WA)

Carlton is a team that could use a good tall forward yet I think that they should go for the best available mid, as I rate the mid prospects higher than McCarthy. This is definitely higher than most have Cripps, yet as an inside mid who is capable of dominating in contested situations but is also good at spreading from the contest he represents excellent value and upside. I think he will take a little bit more time to develop in the two’s, primarily to work on his outside ability, versatility and just to tighten up his disposal, but he is capable of having an impact to some extent in his first year. Cripps has had a very good year this year both in the U18 champs, where he made All Australian, and at WAFL Colts level where he has dominated at times. Throughout the U18 champs Cripps showed that he was a very good inside player and capable of winning clearances and contests, as he averaged 6 clearances a game. He has also shown the ability to spread well from the contest and along with his disposal this has really improved throughout the year. Personally I think that Cripps could be a bit of a hidden gem in this year’s draft and turn out to be one of the better inside mids especially given his size.

Strengths

• Inside Game – Patrick is one of the best inside players in the draft and probably ranks second behind Crouch for mine as far as pure clearance winners are concerned. His hands in close are exceptional, he is very clean, he reads the ball well and makes excellent quick decisions. He also has the strength and size at 192cm to stand up in tackles, absorb hits and lay tackles. I think he has the capabilities to be an above average clearance player and part of a strong midfield group going forward.
• Strength/power – Cripps looks to be pretty strong already, he is a good size for a mid and seems to have a fair bit of power. He appears be quite quick off the mark and has a good initial burst (not elite but more power in that he can break tackles). I think he will develop into a powerful tall inside mid.
• Decision Making/footy smarts – Cripps makes good decisions with ball in hand and has an excellent footy brain imo. He will be the type of player who makes those around him look better as he is excellent at giving the ball to those in better positions than himself in stoppages and makes quick decisions under pressure. He is also getting better at spreading from the contests and his outside game has shown some real improvement throughout the year. He is a natural ball winner and just accumulates possessions with ease.
• Clean Hands – Cripps has very clean hands and rarely fumbles the footy, he is great at finding the ball and keeping his feet in contests.
• Kicking – Cripps is a slightly above average kick of the footy imo, although certainly not an elite kick by any stretch. He seems to have a good technique and he has definitely improved this year, but he does tend to float the ball a little to much imo, and bombs it to contests instead of hitting up the short option. There is definitely room for improvement but he does hit most of his targets.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Cripps has a kick to handball ratio of roughly 1:1, this limits his hurt factor a bit. Additionally a lot of his clearances are done with handballs not breaking away and kicking the pill forward. He is still reasonably damaging though as he tends to handball to players who are in space and able to make a good decision.
• Marking – Cripps looks to have the potential to develop his marking and is a reasonably good mark overhead. He is strong through the core and has very clean hands so this could be a strength in the future, although at the moment it needs improvement.
• Athleticism – Cripps is not a super athlete, but he is not a poor athlete either, probably just your average AFL athlete. He won’t burst out of packs or side step players with ease but that isn’t his game. Endurance wise though I think he is pretty good, although he should improve in that area.
• Outside Game – Once again this area has really improved throughout the year but I still think that it is not a true strength of his and there is still some improvement left. Cripps spreads very well from the contest and works hard but he is not super damaging with his outside play given that he doesn’t run with the ball much.
• Versatility – At this stage Cripps doesn’t have much versatility and only really plays as an inside player to a high standard. He could do with really developing his outside game and in particular his forward play as he has shown an ability to push forward and kick goals at Colts level. This would take his game to the next level.

 

[Offsider]

Pick 14: Greater Western Sydney Giants - Trent Dumont
Height: 185cm, Weight: 83kg, DOB: 30/06/1995
Club: Norwood (SA)

GWS pick up the next best prospect imo and another midfielder who is capable of developing into a real utility type who is capable of filling a role anywhere effectively. Trent Dumont has a ton of talent and projects to be a very good midfielder who is both capable on the inside and outside, he is a very good ball user and has a good defensive game as well. He is best as a mid but could do with working on a few aspects of his game such as his versatility and forward ability yet he will add another good ball user and solid contested player to GWS’s midfield, and a real bruiser on the inside who hits the contest very hard. He has had a good year and shown that he can play a vital role in the midfield at both U18 level where he averaged 17 disposals and at Senior level in the SANFL where he has shown that he can find the ball use it and match it very well with the bigger bodies. I don’t like player comparisons really but he is similar in some ways to Nick Vlaustuin as he is not a big name or a highlight reel player yet he does the team things and always goes hard at the ball and uses it very well.

Strengths

• Elite tackler – Trent is an elite tackler, he hunts opponents well and he is very strong once he makes contacts. He is good at tackling around contests and keeps the ball in the stoppages well. His pressure acts are excellent as well.
• Power – Whilst not a great athlete he is quite a powerful strong player. He is strong and has good core strength. He stands in tackles well and holds his feet in contests a lot. He is probably capable of playing games next year.
• Disposal – Trent has an above average kick, he makes good decisions with the ball and he hits his targets well. He just knows what to do with the ball and he manages just to kick the ball to the right position. Trent is also excellent with the handball, he has a quick release and frees up his arms well in contact. He is super efficient and quite damaging with his ball use going forward.
• Footy smarts – Trent has good footy smarts, he knows where to run, he wins clearances and he just reads the play really well. With ball in hand he sees the game unfolding before him and puts it to his teammates advantage. He
• Inside/outside game – Trent has a pretty well rounded game and is good both on the inside with his clearance winning ability and tackling, as well as with his outside game and his ability to pinpoint passes to teammates. His inside game is good, although he is not elite on the inside like Matt Crouch, he wins his fair share of clearances and uses it to his teammates advantage, I wouldn’t say he is a natural though. On the outside Trent is pretty decent as his ball use is very good, he won’t break the lines but he will run to the right spots and be efficient with his ball use.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Athleticism – Dumont probably possesses solid athleticism, but by no means good athletic ability. His speed is solid, and he is quite agile. Endurance wise he is above average and he gets round the ground well, makes it to tons of contests, and wins a fair bit of the ball.
• Goal Kicker – As a midfielder Trent is not a noted goal kicker and could work on kicking more goals.
• Marking – Trent is not a great overhead mark for his size, although not really a concern.
• Trent could do with developing other parts of his game as he is generally a mid at this stage, he could improve his defensive play and have stints at half-back or improve his goal kicking and move forward to become even more dangerous.

Pick 15: Sydney Swans – Luke Dunstan
Height: 185cm, Weight: 83kg, DOB: 29/01/1995
Club: Woodville-West Torrens (SA)

The Swans pick up the next best player imo in Luke Dunstan, he will be able to play a role from year one imo and might be a part of their midfield rotation, although probably just depth. Luke is a very good all round mid and has the capability to play well on the inside yet also spread well and find the ball on the outside. He is a natural ball winner whose best position is as a midfielder, yet he has shown and should continue to develop his ability as a forward to take his game to the next level. His U18 champs were very good and showed his ability to find the ball as averaged over 22 disposals and won a good mix of contested and uncontested ball. He has also gone superbly in the SANFL seniors and shown. He is a very well rounded mid, and by all reports is an excellent leader too, and should become a valuable part of the Swans midfield.

Strengths

• Inside/outside game – Luke has a very well rounded game in that he is good inside at winning clearances and spreads well from the contest and finds the ball in space. His clearance work is above average, but not elite, he is strong over the ball and is capable of bursting through clearances. His outside game is good in that he finds a fair bit of the ball in space and seems to dispose of it reasonably well, although he does lack a little hurt factor.
• Footy Smarts – Luke looks like he has above average footy smarts, he reads the ruck taps well spreads to the right spots and seems to make good decisions. He is a very good accumulator of the ball and has no problem racking up disposals.
• Hardness – Dunstan doesn’t take a backwards step and always goes in hard at the ball. He is a good tackler and works hard to keep the ball in contested situations.
• Leadership – Luke has captained the South Australian U18 side this year to victory, coaches have also raved about his leadership skills and his willingness to push himself.
• Marking – Luke is a great mark for a midfielder and this should translate to AFL level very well and could potentially make him a dangerous proposition as a forward. He is strong through the core and seems to absorb contact well which helps him a lot.
• Endurance – Luke looks to have above average endurance as he gets round the ground well, finds a fair bit of the footy
• Power – Although Luke has only average speed and endurance, he appears to have a fair bit of power and core strength. He has a good initial burst, and an above average vertical leap too imo. He is very good at standing in tackles and getting the ball out by hand.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Lacks hurt factor – Dunstan lacks a bit of hurt factor with his disposal imo. He can go sideways a bit and prefers to either bomb it to a contest or chip it short. Also he uses the handball more than most and handballs it almost as much as he kicks it. In saying that I was impressed that he did kick 3 goals in a senior SANFL game recently.
• Kicking – Not a true weakness but an area that is definitely capable of being improved imo. He is good over short distances but can struggle to pin point those 40m + passes and rarely attempts them preferring to kick long from what I have seen.
• Athleticism – Luke is an average athlete, he is not particularly fast and likely to break lines, nor is he ridiculously agile. He does have a good first step though and is reasonably quick off the mark which is evident in contested situations.
• I don’t believe that Luke will become an elite player, for mine he is more that number 2 or 3 even 4 best mid who will still be very good and a vital player for their team.

Pick 16: Geelong Cats - Matthew Crouch
Height: 181cm, Weight: 80kg, DOB: 21/04/1995
Club: North Ballarat Rebels (Vic Country)

At this point in time Geelong have the pick of a group of mids including Crouch, Acres, Zak Jones and Taylor who are all really talented and worthy of being first round types. I feel that Crouch would best suit Geelong and is the most talented of the remaining players given that he is the best inside player, wins the most ball and has a solid defensive game. He may not have the skills of Dumont or Taylor yet he is just as damaging given his clearance winning ability and the shear volume of ball he wins. I would expect that Crouch can come in and play a role from day 1. Crouch spent some time out early in the year with injury but returned in the last 2 games of the U18 champs, and showed his ability in the last game racking up 27 disposals and 6 clearances against Vic Metro. He actually played pretty well for Frankston collecting 25 disposals which indicates his elite ball winning ability, as well as showing that he could handle playing against big bodied kids. His TAC Cup form has been very good this year, he averages 37 disposals a game and has shown a nice inside/outside game. With his poor kicking and lack of athleticism Crouch can be accused of lacking hurt factor, Yet he hurts the opposition by the shear number of clearances he wins and the amount of ball that he finds.

Strengths

• Elite ball winner – Matt Crouch is probably the best ball winner in the draft, he can rack up a ton of disposals. He wins a good blend of inside/outside ball now and is really improving his game. He could potentially average close to 30 disposals in the AFL. He does need to improve his outside ball winning ability and his endurance.
• Inside game – Matt has an elite inside game, and is the best clearance winner in the draft imo. He racks up a ton of clearances is hard at the ball and is a good tackler to boot. He wins a lot of first possessions but is also really good at receiving handballs from players and then giving it to another player in a better position.
• Hands – Personally I think that Matt Crouch has the best handball in this years draft, he has a very quick release, he can get it away under pressure and whilst being tackled effectively. He is very creative with his ball use by hand and will almost always put teammates in excellent positions. Additionally he is also very clean below the knees and rarely fumbles.
• Tackling – Crouch is an excellent tackler, especially round the contests. He works hard defensively and tries to keep the ball in the area if he can’t get it. When he tackles a player they generally stick.
• Strength/power – Crouch is a strong player and hits the contest hard. He looks to have good core strength, he can stand in tackles well and keeps his arms free. He is quite hard to tackle, and he is strong through the hips as well.

Weaknesses/ Areas of Improvement

• Endurance – Crouch has reasonably poor endurance, despite the fact that he seems to get to a ton of contests and he spreads reasonably well.
• Kicking – Crouch’s kicking is average, although it has come a fair way and is definitely improving. I doubt he will ever be a very good kick but I think he has the potential to improve and become at the least a good kick and efficient disposer of the ball.
• Athleticism – I would say that Crouch is an average athlete his pace is average although he has a quick first step. He looks to be reasonably agile but nothing special.
• Hurt Factor – He is not the most damaging player, as he doesn’t break lines and he doesn’t have an elite kick. He is more the player that will rack up 30+ touches, win clearances, and not be that recognised yet still be one of the major reasons why his team won.

 

[Offsider]

Pick 17: Fremantle – Blake Acres
Height: 190cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 07/10/1995
Club: West Perth (WA)

At this stage Fremantle could use a tall, and McCarthy would definitely come into play, but I rate a few players quite highly and Acres the highest. He projects well as a versatile type capable of playing through the midfield, off a wing or as a half-back. He has a good defensive game, but is a great ball winner, has good athletic ability and a ton of potential. I like him best as a tall midfielder/winger who uses his height and footy smarts to his advantage. He missed a fair bit of this year and struggled in general with his shoulders, yet he played through it and managed it. He had a solid U18 champs but did nothing special or poor, yet he was one of the better players at WAFL colts level and showed a propensity to find the ball, averaged 26 disposals a game, and use it effectively. I think he may take a year or so and there are potential issues with injury, yet he could turn out to be a real steal imo.

Strengths

• Athleticism – I don’t think Blake is an elite athlete but he is definitely above average imo. His pace is pretty decent, and he looks to have a good top speed and runs with long loping strides, which means he should have no problem running and carrying the footy. He is also pretty agile, and has a good vertical leap which is evident in his marking. Endurance wise I would say he is probably above average and spreads well and gets round the ground with ease.
• Outside Ability – Blake is a very damaging outside player as he runs well with the ball, kicks it long and racks up the disposals. Acres is great at finding the ball and is a high possession winner. He has averaged just under 27 disposals in the Colts this year and shown how damaging he is once he has it. He runs with the ball very well and finds space easily in the back-half as well.
• Defensive Game –Blake has a good defensive game and is capable of shutting an opponent down when playing off half-back. He is strong overhead and is rarely out marked, and has shown that he can even play tall at a pinch with his leap. He does tackle well and is strong in contact, which isn’t surprising given he has a strongish body.
• Marking – He is very strong overhead and is particularly good when allowed to leap at the ball and extend his arms. He has clean hands over his head and he absorbs contact pretty well. He also looks to have pretty good core strength already.
• Versatility – Acres is capable of playing multiple positions at a high level, he is very good as a half-back, capable as a forward or inside mid, but best used imo as an outside winger where is running ball winning ability makes him so dangerous.
• Footy Smarts – Blake Acres reads the game very well and gets himself to the right positions to win the ball. In defence he comes off his man well to intercept the ball and also provides options as a player who rebounds the ball well. He also plays pretty smart and seems to have time when in contested situations.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Disposal – Whilst Blake is not a poor kick and he has plenty of potential to be a very good kick it is one area that he does need to tighten up. He has a long straight penetrating and he does prefers to kick long, often to contests. He could do with lowering his eyes on occasions and improve his ability to hit targets. Still he has a decent technique and looks to have room to grow as well.
• Inside/Clearance game – Blake is solid in the clearances but this is one area that could definitely use some improvement, and probably will considering he hasn’t played much as an inside mid.
• Shoulder – Blake has had an ongoing shoulder problem this year, and missed the opening 3 rounds of the U18 champs before being clearly hampered. I am not sure what the medical reports are

Pick 18: Saint Kilda – Lewis Taylor
Height: 174cm, Weight: 73kg, DOB: 12/02/1995
Club: Geelong Falcons (Vic Country)

Saint Kilda could use a taller inside mid but they should not risk giving up on better talent. Lewis Taylor gives the Saints another classy young midfielder, he has a fair bit of talent and resembles a shorter Jack Stevens with his speed and ability to find the ball. His form this year has been excellent both at TAC cup level and in the U18 champs he was duly rewarded for his excellent play with All Australian selection. Although he is short I think that Lewis Taylor has a ton of talent and will make a decent AFL player with his skill set. He will probably start as a crumbing forward (although I do have doubts here) with stints in the midfield whilst he builds his fitness and endurance but he should move into the midfield pretty quickly.

Strengths

• Athleticism – Lewis Taylor is quick, but not elite, he is excellent not only over the first 5m but seems to have the ability to sustain this pace. This allows him to run with the ball well and break lines. With his initial speed, as well as excellent agility Taylor is good at bursting through stoppages and is really damaging. Endurance wise I would say that he is well above average as he runs the lines well and consistently gets to contests.
• X-Factor – Lewis has some excellent tricks and has some serious excitement to his game. He plays with a high energy and can really break lines.
• Footy Smarts – Lewis has excellent footy smarts and just knows where to find the ball and how to use it effectively. At the Champs he averaged over 24 disposals, and at TAC cup level this year he has averaged over 31 disposals which is a testament to his ball winning ability and consistency. His decision making is also excellent and is evident is his great ball use.
• Inside/outside ability – Lewis has a very well rounded game, he is pretty good with his clearance work and great at bursting through stoppages and packs. I do have concerns over how this will translate to AFL level given his size, or lack there of. On the outside Lewis runs to space very well and can break the lines with his speed and ability to have multiple possessions in a chain.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Height/Size – it is obvious, but it is still a concern given that he is 174cm and he can occasionally get pushed around on the inside. I think the key will be to develop a strong body, and as he will be more an outside runner/half forward type this is not a huge concern for me.
• Goal Kicking – His goal kicking has been down a little this year, mainly as he has been playing higher up the ground. Lewis showed last year that he can be dangerous around goals and is constant threat with his ability to crumb and find space. It would make him an even more dangerous prospect if he can consistently push forward as he did last year and regain his goal kicking form again.
• Skill – He has a solid skill level and is probably an above average kick, but he just makes poor decisions on occasions, and can stuff up simple passes. I would call his kicking neat, he is not a huge powerful kick seems to have the ability to be a good kick, he just needs to pay more attention and execute better. Additionally Taylor is good by hand, and uses it effectively with the 1-2’s.
• Marking – At his height Taylor’s marking is pretty average, don’t bomb it high to him! Pretty self-explanatory.
• Tackling/defensive pressure – Lewis is not the best defensive player and can be caught out with his defensive pressure and his two way running.

Pick 19: Saint Kilda – Zak Jones
Height: 183cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 15/03/1995
Club: Dandenong Stingrays (Vic Country)

Next player up on my list of best available is Zak Jones, the strong inside midfielder who plays very similarly to his brother at the Demons. He started off the year as a late draft prospect but rose up the draft rankings with an excellent set of performances at the U18 champs and a strong finish to the year at TAC cup level. He started off as a half-back flanker but moved into the midfield and shown an aptitude for winning the hard-ball and turned into a bit of a clearance king. At AFL level he probably doesn’t have the pace to play as a lock down small defender, but moving forward his position is as an inside mid, who is strong in the clearances but capable of spreading from the contest well. I think

Strengths:

• Inside work/ Contested Ball winning ability – Zak is a very good inside player and has really developed this aspect of his game this year. He attacks the contest hard, puts his head over the ball and is clean with his hands. He also has good composure and makes good decisions under pressure. I expect that he will develop this aspect of his game the more he plays as a mid. He won’t break through packs with speed, isn’t a smooth moving type and can be caught with the ball but he is a bustling mid who puts his head over the ball and attacks the contest well.
• Footy Smarts – Zak reads the game very well, as a half-back he is constantly impacting contests, he works hard and just finds the ball easily. With the ball he makes good decisions, he isn’t overly quick but he seems to know when to get rid of the ball and whom it give it to.
• Disposal – He has a good kick on him, but he is definitely not elite. He can make good 50m passes and he hits his targets well. He does not have elite power or penetration in his kicking and they can float a little, but he does weight the ball nicely. He is also good by hand and sets players up nicely.
• Defensive Game – Zak has a good defensive game and performed very well for a player of his size. He is strong overhead, is a very good tackler and plays tight defence on his man. He is a good candidate to match up on those medium forwards although he could struggle with his speed. His defensive work round the contests is good and he works hard to tackle and keep the ball in.
• Strong body – Zak has a strong body and looks to have good core strength. He hits the contest hard and knows how to use his body well. I expect him to become a big bodied inside mid.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement:

• Outside game – one area that Zak could improve a fair bit in is his outside game. He is certainly capable and finds the ball well, but he isn’t a line breaker or super strong overhead and he isn’t a great endurance athlete. Still he could improve his spread a little and push forward more.
• Athleticism – Zak is an average athlete, his pace is average bordering on poor and he will never be a line breaker, although I think he has a reasonable burst. Agility wise he is average and could do with developing a better sidestep. His endurance also could do with improving a bit so he can find more cheap ball round the ground.
• Zak is not a hugely damaging midfielder, but more of a workman type who will go unnoticed. He will be an important component of a midfield but not the star player imo.
• Goal Kicking – Zak plays more in the defensive half as a mid and could do with improving his forward game and pushing up the ground to impact the scoreboard.

Pick 20: Greater Western Sydney Giants – Jonathan Marsh
Height: 193cm, Weight: 89kg, DOB: 17/10/1995
Club: East Fremantle

Gold Coast pick up another versatile type who I rate highly on pure talent even if I am a bit unsure of where he will end up playing. Jonathan Marsh is a real x-factor type player with a ton of speed, excitement and a fair bit of skill. As for where he will end up playing, I would probably say as a flanker/wing type instead of the CHF role he played for WA at the U18 champs. He was solid at that role but his marking wasn’t a feature and he relied more on smaller/flanker type traits in his blinding speed, clean hands and decent skill set (does need to improve). He is a good size at 193cm and should make for an excellent wing, and has shown in both the WAFL and U18 champs that he can play that link role between the 50’s to a high level. At the moment he is a little bit raw and has to clean up some areas of his game, but the talent and work ethic is there for him to succeed. I think he adds more versatility, excitement and x-factor, as well as a real point of difference to the giants.

Strengths

• Athleticism – Marsh’s athleticism is elite in every sense of the word. His speed is the best in the draft, and he knows how to use it to his advantage. He is also quite agile, has a decent vertical leap, and seems to be quite strong and have good core strength.
• Hurt factor – He breaks lines, burns opponents off and with his run and carry especially towards the forward line, it makes him a very damaging player. Marsh is a real x-factor player and plays the game with real flair.
• Hardness/ability to win one on one contests – Marsh goes hard at the ball and he is great at winning the ball in one on one contests. He just as that innate ability to win the ball if its kicked to him, either by mark or with his follow up work which is also great.
• Match Winner - Despite the fact he is a very raw prospect and has a ton of areas to work on, he has go a ton of talent and still manages to impact games. He is a match-winner who can win games with a few flashes of brilliance.
• X - Factor - Marsh has a ton of X-Factor and when on is absolutely brilliant. His pace and goal nous make him a dangerous prospect in the forward half.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Skills – I think that Marsh has a reasonably skill set, probably above average but by no means elite as he can be prone to making mistakes. His field kicking is reasonably good and he spots up targets nicely, especially inside forward 50. His goal kicking can be a little iffy on occasions yet I don’t really have a huge problem there. He is decent enough with the handball although he wins a lot of uncontested ball and prefers to kick it.
• Marking – His marking is reasonable but not anything spectacular and what you would expect of a player his height, or a key forward in general. I expect this to improve over time, but he will never be a great contested mark just a decent tall marking wing/flanker type.
• Endurance – Marsh has pretty poor endurance and he needs to improve so he gets up the ground better. For a full time wing this will need to improve a lot imo.
• Footy Smarts – I think that Marsh has reasonable footy smarts although I am not sure they are super and he can get caught out a little. I thought that his games in the U18 champs were a step forward and really showed that he can find the ball well and be a focal point of a team.
• Defensive pressure – defensively Marsh can be a bit lacklustre, although this is common in junior players. With his speed he could be a real menace if played forward.
• What position will he play? At this point it is not clear where Marsh will play, what is clear is that he has a ton of talent and ability. Being that in-between size at 193cm also makes it hard for Marsh to be anything but a tall mid/flanker/wing type player.
• Consistency – At this stage Jonathan Marsh has shown that he can be a bit inconsistent, both between games and in games. When firing though he is a true game winner and x-factor type player.

 

[Offsider]

Pick 21: Port Adelaide – Cameron McCarthy
Height: 194cm, Weight: 83kg, DOB: 01/04/1995
Club: South Fremantle (WA)

Port pick up the next best prospect imo in McCarthy and one who probably doesn’t suit their needs all that well. If they wanted a midfielder type then Eli Templeton would be the pick, alternatively I rate Darcy Gardiner as the best key defender. McCarthy is a tall forward who I think is best suited to playing as that second or third option. He is the type who will use his athleticism imo to kick goals, rather than strength and power. I feel that in marking contests he can be pushed around to easily and he lacks core strength. I see him becoming a similar type of player to what Tom Lee is, and I feel that he will be an important, but complimentary part of a forward line rather than the main part. There is no doubting his talent though and he is a good athlete who is a good size and marks well. He had a good U18 champs where he showed off his goal kicking ability and performed reasonably as the main target before he broke is leg, although the defenders he played on were not the best. I expect he will take a while but he could become a solid player but not a star.


Strengths

• Marking – McCarthy is a good mark and has very sticky hands. He is at his best when he is able to have a free run and jump into contests and use his great vertical leap and sticky hands to pull down contested marks. He is also pretty decent on the lead and leads to good spots and creates separation from most defenders.
• Good height/length – McCarthy is a good height for a key forward at 195cm and he has long arms with a great wingspan. This makes him very dangerous when leaping at the ball as when he extends is arms and takes the ball at the highest point he is hard to stop.
• Vertical Leap – Cameron has a very good vertical leap and is good at running an jumping into packs. Combined with his long arms it makes it hard for defenders to spoil him when he takes the ball at the highest point.
• Athleticism – McCarthy is an above average athlete, he is quick very agile and has a good leap. He looks to be quick off the mark and creates separation on leads very well, he moves nicely and glides effortlessly across the ground. He is also very agile and capable of spinning around snapping goals with ease. His athleticism should translate to AFL pretty well, but he may struggle creating separation on the lead as he doesn’t have elite pace.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Kicking – McCarthy is not a poor kick but he is not great either imo, and there is a fair bit of improvement there. His set shot kicking is awkward in style and he has a high ball drop, it is not however poor and he converts more than he misses. His field kicking is decent and he is capable of hitting his targets but he is not consistent from what I have seen and heard.
• Size/Strength – McCarthy is very skinny and slight at the moment so he will take a while to bulk up (if ever actually does). As he is actually skinny he lacks a fair bit of body strength and is not a power athlete by any means. The lack of size and strength means that he is not the greatest one-on-one contested mark and does not use his body to great effect. He is likely to take a few years bulking up and is definitely a long term project.
• Endurance – McCarthy could do with improving his endurance and working more up the ground. This should allow him to push up the ground and find more of the ball.
• Defensive game/tackling – He could do with improving his defensive game and chasing and tackling a bit more. He is also not the best tackler and this could stand to improve a fair bit.

Pick 22: Brisbane Lions – Darcy Gardiner
Height: 193cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 01/04/1995
Club: Geelong Falcons (Vic Country)

Darcy is next on my list and suits Brisbane’s need for a key defender. He lacks a bit of size and may struggle to match up on the taller types which is a concern and why he drops a bit, but he measured in at 193cm so he should be able to play on those forwards around 195cm. He is the best key defender in the draft imo, and has the best defensive ability, personally I don’t rate Cameron Giles defensive ability at all really after reviewing him and he won’t be in my top 30. Darcy has a lot of intangible qualities like competitiveness, leadership and a never say dies attitude that should hold him in good stead in the AFL. He will want to play a similar role to Darren Glass does currently at West Coast (more a third or second KPD), he has a similar skill set but maybe just lacks the all round game and agility that Glass has but he should be aiming for that type of position. He had a reasonable champs in what was a pretty average year for talls, he dominated Darcy Hourigan who is the type of player he will match up well on. I think he has a fair bit of development left as do all talls but he is capable of making an immediate impact, also he is a risky prospect imo as he is a chance at being a bust.

Strengths

• Defensive game – Darcy has probably the best defensive game in the entire draft imo and is excellent at shutting down forwards. He is very good overhead in marking contests, he is strong through the core and he gets a fist in more often than not. He is also quick enough to stay with most forwards on the lead, although he can be burnt by fast leading forwards. He does all the little things very well as a defender, the one percenters.
• Competitive nature – Darcy hates to be beaten and is a really competitive person. He has that typical stingy defensive mindset and this drives him to beat opponents regularly.
• Footy Smarts – Gardiner looks to have very good footy smarts as a defender and is great at nullifying kicks coming into the forward line. He reads the ball really well in the air, and positions himself very well in contests to make the spoil.
• Kicking – Generally when he has time and space Darcy Gardiner is a very good kick. He has the ability to hit targets nicely and he weights his passes well. He also has a good long kick on him and could do with using this more.
• Versatility – Gardiner has a bit of versatility in that he can move forward and present a dangerous marking option who is capable of kicking multiple goals. He could play as a bit of a swingman at AFL level, or potential even if developed right he could be a KPF, although I prefer him as a defender.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Size – At 192cm Gardiner is not the ideal height to be a key defender, nor does he have the long limbs to spoil effectively bigger bodied key forwards. Recently dominant key forwards have tended to be closer to 200cm rather than 192cm he will struggle to defend these types of players. At the U18 champs he played on Hourigan who is 191cm rather than the taller Harvey, which perhaps indicates that he will play not as a no. 1 key defender but rather as a secondary or third tall type defender. This is why he drops a bit lower as I see him more as a second or third tall defender, and I am unsure if his skill set is adequate for this.
• Rebounding/Offensive game – Not a real weakness but an area that Gardiner could improve a fair bit in, especially if he does become a third tall defender. He can find the ball ok, but is not a high possession winner and he could do with using the ball better as well. It is a work in progress but he is improving in this area.
• Athleticism – Darcy is not an elite athlete imo but rather just an above average one. His speed is above average although he can be burnt by faster players, he is also not the most agile player and has a sizeable turning circle. Endurance also needs to be improved a bit.
• Decision making with ball in hand – Under pressure Gardiner can struggle to hit targets especially by foot. He tends to get flustered and just looks to kick it as far as possible.
• Ground level ability – Darcy is not the best key defender when the ball hits the ground and he struggles against smaller more agile forwards imo. He really needs to fix this area as it will catch him out at AFL level, especially if he becomes more of a third tall defender.

Pick 23: Adelaide Crows – Eli Templeton
Height: 182cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 19/08/1995
Club: Burnie Dockers (Tas)

Adelaide pick up the next best midfielder imo in Eli Templeton and one of the last of the decent group up until about 25. He project well as more of an outside midfield type given his slight build and elite endurance. I think that over time he has the skills to become a solid inside player and he is at the moment a reasonable contested type. He is a very well rounded mid and doesn’t have to many weaknesses. He has had a great year and was excellent for Tasmania at the U18 champs being their third best player behind KK and Nankervis. He may take a while to fully develop but the potential is there and I rate him very highly.

Strengths:

• Endurance – Eli has elite endurance running 3km in 10 mins and 5 seconds and coming fourth in the beep test with a 15.3. It shows on the ground too when he plays as he is capable of bobbing up everywhere, he wins a ton of uncontested ball and just runs and runs and runs.
• Skills – I rate Eli’s skills quite highly and think that they are a strength of his. His kicking is above average without being elite, but if there is a target to hit he hits it without fuss and he won’t make too many mistakes. He is very good by hand, he is great at putting a player in a better position especially from a clearance.
• Footy Smarts – I rate Eli’s footy smarts quite highly both with the ball and without. With the ball he makes good decisions, he sometimes takes the easier option but he usually makes something happen and rarely turns it over. Without the ball he runs to the right spots, finds the ball easily and just works well into space, he is good with taking the right angles to find space.
• Work Rate – Eli’s work rate is first class, he runs very well from contest to contest finds a heap of the ball. He also pushes back hard to help the defence out which is impressive.
• Outside game – Although he doesn’t have elite speed or he isn’t a great mark Eli is still a damaging outside player. He is good at running with the ball, is capable of taking a few bounces when in space and just using his endurance really effectively. His ball use is also good and he makes good decisions.
• Clean Hands – I really rate Eli’s clean hands and his ability to pick the ball up well either at pace or under pressure. He rarely fumbles which is good.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement:

• Speed – Eli doesn’t posses a ton of speed and is not a true line breaker. Occasionally he will get caught trying to do to much. He is still capable of running with the ball and is not slow at all.
• Marking – Eli is not a great mark and is fairly weak overhead. In contests he normally stays down as a rover.
• Inside Game – One massive area of concern that I have with Eli is his inside game. He is not a big kid and gets pushed around plus he prefers to be a receiver imo. He does put his head over the ball, he is clean and makes good decisions so there is the scope for improvement. As it stands he is a reasonable inside player it just will take a while and a bit of improvement for it to convert to AFL level.
• Size/Strength – One concern that I have with Eli is his size and strength. He is a skinny kid and gets pushed around to easily for my liking. He will need to hit the gym and put some weight on which will take time.

Pick 24 - Billy Hartung
Height: 178cm, Weight: 67kg, DOB: 24/01/1995
Club: Dandenong Stingrays

At this stage the next best player on my list is Billy Hartung. He may not be exactly what Hawthorn are after but they could still use talent and Billy has a heap of that imo. He has some great strengths and is a good outside receiver type with his endurance and skills. Still his weaknesses are fairly huge too as he has no inside game really and lacks size and strength. He has the ability imo to turn into a good winger type and potentially a decent defensive tagger type too. His form this year was very good and he had a mixed U18 champs where he showed flashes of how damaging he could be. All up he is a very dangerous player and a great little prospect.

Strengths:

• - Speed – Hartung has above average speed and is very quick off the mark. He has that ability to break away from opponents put a few metres between himself and them and then run and carry with the footy. This makes him capable of being one of those 100m players who are really damaging.
• - Endurance – Billy has elite endurance and just runs all day up and down the ground. He really uses his endurance to his advantage in being able to break lines through hard running (and speed!), as well as being able to constantly present and be an option. With capped interchanges coming in players with elite endurance will be even more important.
• - Skills – Hartung has above average skills and he hits most targets especially over short to medium distances. He can kick it long and he seems to have decent penetration on his kicks and is quite dangerous with ball in hand. He is not that elite damaging ball user more the smart efficient type imo.
• - Footy Smarts – Hartung appears to have very good footy smarts, in that he is great at finding the footy and making good decisions with it. He averages over 27 disposals at TAC cup, which highlights his elite ability to find the ball on the outside and accumulate possessions, he also puts himself in good positions to receive a handball out of contested situations. With ball in hand he is great at hitting up targets and making good decisions as he generally picks out the right option and uses the ball efficiently.
• Hurt Factor – Hartung is one of the more damaging players in this years draft in that he is excellent at finding the ball, running with it and disposing of it effectively. He also gets a lot of ball forward of center and is a very capable goal kicker with his ability to run hard nearly unmatched.
• Outside ability – Hartung is very good as an outside mid and does a lot of damage with his run and neat ball use. He runs hard and gets lots of handball receives showcasing his preference to stay on the edge of packs as a receiver. With his size and endurance it seems that this strong damaging outside game will translate to AFL level imo.
• Defensive/Tagging ability – Hartung has shown that he has a good defensive game and has the ability to tag a player. In the U18 Champs he a good game against James Aish and shut him down pretty effectively. With his elite endurance I think he has the ability to be a good two way player.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement:

• Inside/Contested ball winning ability – Hartung is a poor inside player and not a first possession winner. He will win the odd clearance by being in the right place but generally finds the ball well in space and gets a lot of handball receives. I would not expect him to become a good inside player but primarily an outside player given his size and hurt factor on the outside.
• Marking – Billy is not a good mark at all and doesn’t compete well in contests.
• Size – Hartung is quite small at 178cm and 72 kg, he looks like he will put on some more muscle but I don’t think he will have the frame to be a dominant inside player and he looks like he will play primarily as an outside mid.
• Strength – Hartung doesn’t have a lot of core strength, he is not super strong through the core and lacks the ability to stand in and break tackles.

Pick 25: Brisbane – Zach Merrett
Height: 179cm, Weight: 76kg, DOB: 03/10/1995
Club: Sandringham Dragons (Vic Country)

Brisbane pick up Zach Merrett who I have moved a fair bit up my draft board recently. I feel that he is a bit underrated on here and he has a fair bit of upside to his game as an attacking half-forward/outside midfielder. He has no inside game of any real note, but his outside game is very dangerous as he combines great speed with a good kick. Zach has had a good year so far both at TAC cup level and in the U18 champs. He averaged 19 disposals and 5 tackles at the U18 champs for an average Vic Country team, and he showed his ability to run with the football and make good decisions with it. At TAC cup level he has done very well and averaged almost 25 disposals, although he has been fed the ball by a very strong midfield group at Sandringham with Freeman, Salem and Kelly all excellent prospects themselves. I think he could potentially be a good AFL player, although I suspect he will take a few years to develop his game before he consistently plays at senior level.


Strengths:

• Athleticism – Zach is a very good all round athlete, with great speed, agility and good endurance. He is very quick off the mark and has a high cruising speed, which gives him the ability to break lines and run and bounce the footy over distance. He is also quite agile and has a very good sidestep which he uses effectively to get himself out of trouble. Endurance wise he is above average and he runs the lines well. This should improve with more preseasons though.
• Outside Game – With his ability to run to the right spots, his speed and his ability to hit the target with his kicking I think he will become a decent outside player. He may be limited due to his contested ball winning ability and size yet he still has the ability to make an impact.
• Goal kicker – Zach is capable of hitting the scoreboard, and he seems to be a dangerous forward. He is good at running inside 50 and kicking goals on the run and I think he has potential to be a decent crumbing player.
• Disposal – Zach is not an elite kick by any means but he is definitely above average and capable of hitting most targets. He kicks the ball with a fair bit of power and I think he has the potential to be a damaging kick but he seems to take the less risky option more often than not. When he does kick it long he can miss the target a bit but I have seen him make some great passes over 50m that are bullets.
• Decision Maker – Zach is a very good decision maker, both with the footy and running to the right spots. He runs the lines well and takes good angles to get into space, which helps him find a fair bit of the footy. With the footy he is very good and he his ability to pick the right option is impressive.
• Tackling – For a small kid Zach is actually very good at tackling and has a decent defensive game. He lays a pretty strong tackle and isn’t afraid to take a hit which is a good sign.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement:

• Inside Game – One area that really needs improvement with Zach’s game is with his inside contested ball winning ability. It’s the major issue that I have with his game as he relies on others to feed the ball out to him, which was one of the reasons he drops down on my list so far as he has some great strengths. Still he has the ability to improve this area as he is a good decision-maker and is quite clean with his hands. He does however tend to float on the edge of packs
• Height/size – at 179cm and 76kg he is a little on the small side, which is probably the reason he plays outside. He is on the small side and he does get pushed off the ball a little to easily for my liking.
• Marking – Zach is not a strong mark, which is not really surprising. Still it limits him to some extent as an outside midfielder type.

 

[Offsider]

Pick 26: Essendon Bombers – Dwayne Wilson
Height: 178cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 17/01/1995
Club: Sturt (SA)

Essendon pick up an x-factor type in Dwayne Wilson, who has a ton of upside and skill but at the moment just lacks consistency. Wilson is an outside mid, and has all the skills needed to make it as an outside midfielder in the AFL. His speed is excellent, he runs with the ball and is excellent at finishing off his good work. He had a reasonable U18 Champs averaging 16 disposals I think and showed flashes of his ability but was a bit consistent. His form for Sturt at Colts has been excellent and he has shown signs at reserves level. All in all he has a ton of potential and is that typical indigenous outside player in the Daniel Pearce, Bradley Hill, Lewis Jetta mould.

Strengths

• Speed/Agility – Dwayne has excellent speed and he knows how to use it, he is a line breaker runs with the ball well on the outside. He is also very agile and has a neat side step to get out of contested situations well.
• Disposal – He has an excellent kick and hits targets with ease. He has a lot of x-factor in his disposal and is capable of pulling off some unbelievable kicks. His disposal efficiency is excellent and he rarely wastes the ball.
• Hurt factor – With his kicking ability combined with his speed and run and carry Dwayne is as damaging as any one in this years draft. He can break a game open with just a few disposals.
• Footy IQ /Decision making – Wilson has excellent decision making ability he usually picks the right target and hits it, and rarely makes a poor decision. As an outside player he generally runs to the right spots is often the one who gets the handball on the outside from the inside mid and is capable of breaking a game open. Additionally he has very clean hands and rarely fumbles the ball, he is great at picking the ball up at full speed.
• Goal kicking mid – He has the ability to run forward of the ball, even running with the ball to the 50 and slotting goals nicely.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Consistency – Dwayne can float in and out of games, and has on occasions just played some poor games. When on he can tear a game apart and just generates scoring chains, he just needs to do this on a consistent basis.
• Clearance work/inside ball winning ability – One of the biggest issues with Dwayne is his clearance work, he is pretty poor and just skirts the edge of packs. He will also need to improve his one on one ball winning ability as he can get pushed out of contests.
• Size – Dwayne needs to put on some muscle as he can get pushed around a bit. He is that typical indigenous kid who is quite skinny and needs a few years to build his endurance and muscle.
• Defensive ability – Dwayne is a bit of a forward runner and is a poor defensive player. Additionally he needs to improve his tackling and general defensive pressure.
• Marking – his marking is pretty poor, needs to put on more size.

Pick 27: Gold Coast - Tom Cutler


Pick 28: Brisbane Lions - Nicholas Bourke


Pick 29: Greater Western Sydney Giants - Toby Nankervis


Pick 30: North Melbourne Kangaroos - Cameron Conlon

This is my top 30.

The top Queensland Prospects this year are:
1. Cain Tickner
2. Isaac Conway
3. Johnathan Freeman
5. Jarred Ellis
5. Archie Smith
6. Luke Rogerson
7. Ryley Buntain

These are the most likely to be picked up imo.

 

[Rack Watts]

a yo bb grl

 

[Wally Matera]

Ummm... WTF???

That was a lot of work for no real value.

Does someone want to tell him that the scum has pick 6?

 

[irel]

Ummm... WTF???

That was a lot of work for no real value.

Does someone want to tell him that the scum has pick 6?

Easy bud, provide a link to your work mate?

Fantastic information offsider, top notch as usual.

 

[Sin City]

Great work Offsider, absolutely terrific effort!

 

[Untouchables22]

I like this draft offsider.

it's how I think the players should fall, but not necessarily how I think they will fall.

 

[SSSSSS]

Great work. Few curveballs which I like.

 

[HARKER]

Great work Offsider, absolutely terrific effort!

Double me up on the comment. Great work Offsider.

 

[Stylo]

Yep, cracking phantom. I like that you've comprehensively outlined each player's weaknesses, these things often make juniors sound like 250 game club legends

 

[winalotroos]

Double me up on the comment. Great work Offsider.

Anything Harker is happy with so am I, very good work, love the detail, look forward to the rest.

 

[manny100]

Great work Offsider, the query on Freeman's decision making under pressure is a real worry for a top 10 pick. I expect to see a couple of surprises in the order of the top 10 tomorrow,
Cheers, M

 

[HARKER]

Anything Harker is happy with so am I, very good work, love the detail, look forward to the rest.

Shut up you.
Hate bumping into mates on these boards.

Don't worry about the other picks Offsider, just drop in your 39 & 51. That's all that matters anyway.

 

[winalotroos]

Shut up you.
Hate bumping into mates on these boards.

Don't worry about the other picks Offsider, just drop in your 39 & 51. That's all that matters anyway.

It won't matter much you will only pick up hacks anyways, but wait that will suit you guys.

 

[HARKER]

It won't matter much you will only pick up hacks anyways, but wait that will suit you guys.

You see what happens.

Another misinformed North supporter derailing a quality thread. Shouldn't have expected anything better.

 

[winalotroos]

You see what happens.

Another misinformed North supporter derailing a quality thread. Shouldn't have expected anything better.

Sorry was just waiting for " Offsiders" to complete his work, and your an easy target.

 

[Offsider]

I like this draft offsider.

it's how I think the players should fall, but not necessarily how I think they will fall.

It is more of a reflection of how I think they should fall, and my own ratings.

 

[Offsider]

Great work Offsider, the query on Freeman's decision making under pressure is a real worry for a top 10 pick. I expect to see a couple of surprises in the order of the top 10 tomorrow,
Cheers, M

It is not a huge concern, more of an issue that needs a bit of fixing and should come with his game maturing. Improvement should also come with his overall inside and outside game imo. He would be a good top 10 pick and was strongly considered at 7, and would be my pick at 7 with Salem's homesickness concerns.

 

[Bradschi]

Fantastic write up Offsider, really appreciate the work you've put into each of the kid you wrote about.