BigFooty Official 2012 Big Footy Phantom Draft

[Thunderstruck]

A few days?

Just going to skim it, are you?

Think you need to take annual leave for his write-ups

 

[beowulf]

It looks like my turn. Unless someone wants to formally pick Daniher for Essendon.
Pick 11: Carlton
Lachlan Plowman
I'll post a write up tonight. I was also very tempted by Menzel, a kid I rate very highly. Menzel has the ability to kick goals.
I basically went for Plowman because Malthouse likes a strong defence and Carlton's key defenders tend to be fragile. Jamo has never seen a season through because of some sort of injury, even though he is excellent value when he is fit.
To be honest, I also thought Stringer would still be available at Pick #11, as I rated him probably too highly: I saw him before he got injured. However, he has been selected already. Melbourne take the risk and could reap the rewards.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Hi All

Just wondering who made the decision that Fremantle will only use three live picks?

They have 4 players out of contract + Anthony and I thought there was a good chance they could use pick 60 as a live pick, and upgrade Spurr and Pearce with a later picks.

 

[Sin City]

It looks like my turn. Unless someone wants to formally pick Daniher for Essendon.
Pick 11: Carlton
Lachlan Plowman

Great pick

Guess it's unlikely he'll be there in the real thing but if he was I reckon we couldn't get his name out quick enough.

 

[Snoop Dog]

Pick 9 - Richmond - Jackson Macrae - Oakleigh Chargers

Write up to come.

didnt take you long TFL....hoping for him I wonder?

 

[Chris25]

Hi All

Just wondering who made the decision that Fremantle will only use three live picks?

They have 4 players out of contract + Anthony and I thought there was a good chance they could use pick 60 as a live pick, and upgrade Spurr and Pearce with a later picks.

I have no intention of making only three picks.

 

[Snoop Dog]

Dont have my list with me so let me take an hour or two to get to it and come back.

Menzel is tempting isnt .....or the safer bet being.....

 

[Snoop Dog]

# 12 GWS

Troy Menzel - Central Districts / 187cm / 77kg / '94

In the Phantom a few years ago I let Joel Selwood slip past when I knew he was a top 5 talent but i let those knees spook me......that wasnt going to happen again. Menzel is a freak, he is just a natural footballer and you are glued to watching what he does when he is near the ball. Typically plays around the fwd half but I think he has scope for the middle. Has good pace, a really good leap on him, he has strong hands and he is a lovely kick. What stands out with this kid is he influences games regularly. I struggle to find someone he reminds me of because he is quite unique but like his brother he just has a sense for where the goals are and a thirst to make sure he is involved. I hope he slips to Collingwood but I think come draft day he will be gone by we have finished the 10th pick if a club backs his knees in otherwise would be pretty sure he will be in the burnt orange of the mountain men.

 

[TJ1996]

Isn't pick 64 Richmond's?

 

[Offsider]

I had penciled Menzel in for pick 13 before Snoop pounced, I really thought he would slide as well.

In the end it was a very hard choice here as there was no clear standout, seeing as my next pick is at like 50 odd I see no point in naming the other players I considered here. I rated Taylor Garner very highly and almost took him, he should be a super player and his game is very well rounded. I considered Membrey, I like him as a prospect but not this early, comparisons to Darling are good, but he is not the athlete or the prospect Darling was imo. Josh Simpson is also a very good prospect and given Scott Clayton's recruitment strategy should be a lock .

In the end the player I took was:

Pick 13: Gold Coast - Ben Kennedy

write up to follow

 

[beowulf]

It looks like my turn. Unless someone wants to formally pick Daniher for Essendon.
Pick 11: Carlton
Lachlan Plowman
I'll post a write up tonight. I was also very tempted by Menzel, a kid I rate very highly. Menzel has the ability to kick goals.
I basically went for Plowman because Malthouse likes a strong defence and Carlton's key defenders tend to be fragile. Jamo has never seen a season through because of some sort of injury, even though he is excellent value when he is fit.
To be honest, I also thought Stringer would still be available at Pick #11, as I rated him probably too highly: I saw him before he got injured. However, he has been selected already. Melbourne take the risk and could reap the rewards.

Lachie Plowman
Calder Cannons (VIC)
17
191 cm
86 kg
Lachie Plowman is one of higher rated defenders in this cohort and could very well go top 10. He was a vital player for Calder this season, but one who missed important games through injury. His missed the Champsionships, after being in the original squad and basically struggled with injury until the TAC Cup finals. When he returned, he was one of the Cannons best.
Plowman has real poise, good defensive skills and the ability to win the contested ball both in the air and on the ground. His disposal is good and his hands are strong as an ox. He reads the play well and gives good rebound as well as good defensive value.
At this point he is rated top 2 for defenders. He is the Talia or Hurley in this cohort. And it is truly amazing how Calder keep coming up with genuine top value key defenders.

 

[TheSunGod]

I had penciled Menzel in for pick 13 before Snoop pounced, I really thought he would slide as well.

In the end it was a very hard choice here as there was no clear standout, seeing as my next pick is at like 50 odd I see no point in naming the other players I considered here. I rated Taylor Garner very highly and almost took him, he should be a super player and his game is very well rounded. I considered Membrey, I like him as a prospect but not this early, comparisons to Darling are good, but he is not the athlete or the prospect Darling was imo. Josh Simpson is also a very good prospect and given Scott Clayton's recruitment strategy should be a lock .

In the end the player I took was:

Pick 13: Gold Coast - Ben Kennedy

write up to follow

Interesting pick Offsider. Funnily enough, I was only thinking a few hours ago that Kennedy wouldn't be a bad result if we didn't get my other likes in Stringer, Vlastuin or Simpson. Other than Matera who I'm confident will make it, I feel the Suns are lacking in the small forward department. Aaron Hall, Jacob Gillbee and a few others have shown glimpses but none have convinced me they're our answer to crumb off Lynch, Day, Dixon etc. in the long term. Look forward to reading your write-up and justification for picking Kennedy here ahead of other possibles.

 

[Humble Minion]

Everyone has gone by the BF playbook pretty much for the first 10. Garlett the main exception although I would be a bit surprised if Melb took Stringer over Wines. I have to say though I think the best 10 were those picked.

So would I to be honest, but i'm picking based on my opinion, not on what I think Melbourne will do, so Stringer it is!

(Worth noting, unless we hear otherwise before the phantom is finished, i'm going to be doing my drafting on the assumption that the tanking business will not result in Melb losing any draft picks in this or future years. If they do, and if they find out before the draft, then they would probably go with the more conservative options rather than shoot for the stars on riskier types)

Anyway, writeup...

Jake Stringer - Bendigo Pioneers (Vic C) - 191cm 91kg

Purely and simply, probably right up there with the best pure talents in the draft year. Obviously his well-publicised major leg break and concerns over how it'll affect his future are the main questions over him. He ticks every other box imaginable, with the possible exception of lightning pace. He's a strong grab, gets big amounts of the ball, generally a good kick on goal, enormously aggressive and physical at the ball and the man, mentally very strong, and a hard, prolific tackler. He's played both as a kpf (with a bag of 9.7 at TAC cup level this year, and multiple 5s even as a 16yo in 2010) and as a big midfielder. Probably his least-appreciated asset is his lightning hands in close and his excellent vision when looking for an option to clear to by hand from a stoppage.

He started the year with a huge bang, then had a poor champs series which I think has seen his stocks fall undeservedly. From all I hear, he had the pins in his leg removed in May-ish, and was still feeling the effects for the next few months, both in the TAC and the u18s. He looked slow and underdone, and as these were the televised games I think that's stuck in people's heads. But as the season wore on he worked his way back into form (off a very limited preseason base) and wound up putting in some very creditable performances in the VFL as a 23rd man for Bendigo running through the midfield, and even scored respectably well in Bendigo's VFL B&F.

He obviously hit the upper-body weights hard during his year off injured, he's got very little bulking up left to do and if anything will need to work on fining down and getting his engine back. Because of his leg, his workload will probably need to be managed for a year or two, but you'd do it because of what he offers in the long term. He's in the best couple of key position forwards AND the best couple of bullocking inside mids in this draft, he leads from the front, has confidence out the wazoo, and will die (or kill...) for the footy. Think a Pavlich type, a little shorter but a lot angrier and more of a clearance monster.

I'm not looking at needs with picks this early, and Jake is simply too good to pass up.

 

[Snoop Dog]

I had penciled Menzel in for pick 13 before Snoop pounced, I really thought he would slide as well.

I was actually going to go Vlaustin and wait for Menzel but if one bloke on this board had the nuts to take Menzel with his only Rd 1 pick it was you.

 

[Snoop Dog]

Would have thought taking Vlaustin was a no brainer here but I am tempted by Garner, Vlaustin and Jaksch. I think I will stay clear of Garner only because I dont want to hit 2 kids who have serious injury issues coming into the draft. The last two I am massive fans of and they are probably both two of my favourite players but in my own mock at the moment I have Vlaustin higher so will go with him;


# 14 GWS
Nick Vlaustin - Northern KNights / 187cm / 83kg / '94

Terrific competitor who has spent the last couple of years a part of the AIS and getting access to all their goodies. Rotates between mid and HB but showed at champs against high class opposition how well he might settle onto a HBF for a side in 2013 for some senior games. Reads the game really well, quick first 5-10m, excellent one touch hands and just seems to have the time and vision to use the ball so well. If you have watched you will see him take very lateral options that open up the game. His ball use by hand and foot is good but he has a combination of things that remind me of Luke Hodge at a similar age. Big call but he is a super talent. Thats not to say he should go higher as he has some things to work on but he has the ethic to work on it and make a valuable contribution to an AFL side in years to come.

 

[Offsider]

I was actually going to go Vlaustin and wait for Menzel but if one bloke on this board had the nuts to take Menzel with his only Rd 1 pick it was you.

Yeah I rate him top 6 on talent, he should be a great player if his knee holds up. Also I would have taken the risk as Gold Coast have already taken the best player from this years draft imo. O'Meara offsets that risk as he looks like he will be a great player, they could probably take a risk and it could pay off and they could get 2 elite prospects, or they could get one elite prospect and one injury riddled one if it doesn't pay off. Alternatively they could get a good-very good prospect like Ben Kennedy, but he is not in the same league as far as pure talent when compared to Menzel.

 

[Snoop Dog]

Yeah I rate him top 6 on talent, he should be a great player if his knee holds up. Also I would have taken the risk as Gold Coast have already taken the best player from this years draft imo. O'Meara offsets that risk as he looks like he will be a great player, they could probably take a risk and it could pay off and they could get 2 elite prospects, or they could get one elite prospect and one injury riddled one if it doesn't pay off. Alternatively they could get a good-very good prospect like Ben Kennedy, but he is not in the same league as far as pure talent when compared to Menzel.

hadnt thought of like that but you are very right they can take the risk

 

[TFLUA-Tiger]

didnt take you long TFL....hoping for him I wonder?

I was at my computer praying that Mayes would somehow slide past Raymann and Quigs. Then when he didn't, I thought at least Garlett is on the board still. And then, went, oh shit, it's Quigley. He'll take him. And my clear next av
ailable was MacRae.

Having said that, MacRae was the highest ranked player still on the board and was pretty stoked to be able to get both a player I really like, and one that suits what the Tigers need.

Write up to come when i'm off my phone.

Pretty clear cut drafting so far. I was willing to take Garlett at 9, but not Menzel, but didn't think he'd slide far.

15 onwards is where the fun starts. Will be especially interesting to see where the first of Clurey, Shaw, Jaksch, and the rest of the KPP's go.

 

[Raymann]

Pick 7 - Port Adelaide

Sam Mayes - North Adelaide (187/78/94)

With the three picks I have for Port I will be selecting the best player available and were possible a focus on classy mids. I doubt whether there is a more classier player in this draft other than Sam Mayes. I also tend to favour the player that has performed over the journey as opposed to players who have a break out year in their final year. I understand that there are always exceptions (Greene of GWS) it is just my preference when selecting players for a long term career. For Port I will also favor the local (SA) talent.

Sam Mayes is one of those players who has performed at the highest level for the last three years. He was selected in the AFL-AIS for the last two years after a standout u16 nationals in Sydney 2010. I can recall how dominate he was as a KPF. He reminded me of the Ex Hawthorn premiership player in Tony Hall (also from SA). The way they both moved and in particular the similar way they attacked the ball in the air - they seem to hover.

Sam also had an outstanding u18 champs in 2011 making All Australian as an underaged player selected at CHF, no mean feat! Again he impressed me with his ability to turn quality defenders around. His ability to mark and lead was exceptional and I can recall how he was able to kick a couple of goals on Kelly (VC). I think the only goals kicked on Kelly for the carnival.

Sam probably did not have the 2012 champs that some would have liked, but I think that this was more due to SA trying to improve his draft position and show the footy world that he can also play thru the midfield, something that did not come naturally to Sam. In my opinion still had a good carnival, but probably not to the level of some of the other higher rated mids. Still I can remember Sam getting a lot of the footy and a goal in the first ten minutes of the Etihad game v Wines & Whitfield. So he can match these guys, just needs the learn some of the finer points to midfield positioning. Unfortunately I did not see much more of Sam for the remainder of 2012. From what I can gather from other posters is that he more than held his own in open company for Nth Adel.

As a footballer he is a high level athlete with great skills duel sided, well balanced and focused. I haven't elaborated on his talents as so many phantom drafters have said it all (see KM or Chris25).

 

[GloblFotbalCrsis]

DRAFT ORDER (NOTE: Left in the ‘pass’ selections in case I have it wrong and we need to add one back)
58 North Melbourne
59 Geelong -
60 Fremantle - Lee Spurr (RU)

Just saying Geelong traded that pick to gold coast along with the compo pick for caddy, the AFL website has it wrong. Geelongs second pick is pick 79.

 

[LemmingMaster]

Pick 15 Kristian Jaksch (194cm forward - Oakleigh)
Speaking to a North follower before this mock he told me a few names to look out for and I agreed that would be a good option. The only problem with this concept was the fact they're all off the board at this stage so it is time to find a replacement for Petrie. I may be shot down in flames from all the North followers, but I have a feeling that a midfielder or small defender will still be on the table at North's next pick. A player of Jaksch quality will not be around the mark.
Having started as a defender and also moving forward he just has that little bit of aggression that is nice in a player. He manages to find seperation from backs or has good closing speed as a defender, considering I have not seen his testing results, it would be good to get an understanding of his true speed. Reads the play before most players and is very strong overhead.
I think he will play his best football as a forward then again just like Carlton's Henderson, he still has the ability to play in the back half.
Petrie should take him under his wing and it will be good to see a ready made replacement.

EDIT: Can I just add, I am EXTREMELY hungover at the moment... so my write up is all over the shop.

 

[year of the roo]

Pick 15 Kristian Jaksch (194cm forward - Oakleigh)
Speaking to a North follower before this mock he told me a few names to look out for and I agreed that would be a good option. The only problem with this concept was the fact they're all off the board at this stage so it is time to find a replacement for Petrie. I may be shot down in flames from all the North followers, but I have a feeling that a midfielder or small defender will still be on the table at North's next pick. A player of Jaksch quality will not be around the mark.
Having started as a defender and also moving forward he just has that little bit of aggression that is nice in a player. He manages to find seperation from backs or has good closing speed as a defender, considering I have not seen his testing results, it would be good to get an understanding of his true speed. Reads the play before most players and is very strong overhead.
I think he will play his best football as a forward then again just like Carlton's Henderson, he still has the ability to play in the back half.
Petrie should take him under his wing and it will be good to see a ready made replacement.

Nice pick. Losing Pedersen, Edwards and McIntosh we lost a lot of tall forward options. Yes, we have a few in reserve still but there are no guarantees among them.

Who else were you looking at for North?

 

[LemmingMaster]

Nice pick. Losing Pedersen, Edwards and McIntosh we lost a lot of tall forward options. Yes, we have a few in reserve still but there are no guarantees among them.

Who else were you looking at for North?

Kennedy, Garlett, Menzel, Macrae, Stringer....They all managed to be removed from the board.

I'll allow this phantom draft to progress a little further before giving away my next options, but needless to say I would have preferred some outside pace for North's midfield. They have some nice inside midfielders developing, they just need to add some speed to their midfield. I may be able to do this with the second pick in the draft by picking a small defender and allowing Atley to move into the midfield. Atley was HIGH on my list when he was drafted (4th from memory) and watching his progression this year has pleased me, always thought that first 5-20m was Judd early Judd like.

I can honestly say that I am a little shocked at the midfielders run in this phantom draft and North may have been gifted one of the best talls in this draft. Petrie will/should be a great mentor Jaksch and in 3 years when Petrie is almost ready to retire you will have a ready made replacement.

 

[Joshen]

I can't see us going tall that early when we have have young KPFs in Hansen, Tarrant, Black, Daw and Curran all in line.

 

[Wee Jessies]

I can't see us going tall that early when we have have young KPFs in Hansen, Tarrant, Black, Daw and Curran all in line.

Jaksch, Tarrant and Hansen can all play KPD. I think most clubs go best available at this point.