Draft Watcher Knightmare's 2013 phantom draft

[Lazar Goz]

I know Bontempelli wouldn't slip to our pick that he's what we need and maybe Dumont

Think we should be looking at Lennon or Hourigan as defenders to nurture after Richards retires

 

[Ciderhound]

Knightmare - in my opinion, Richmond need a quality outside midfielder with good pace. What are the most likely options that will fall between pick 8-15.

 

[Rayklienig]

Think we should be looking at Lennon or Hourigan as defenders to nurture after Richards retires

They won't be key backs

 

[Dale4captain]

Thoughts on Ben Cavarra? Looks very similar to Hrovat last year. Think he'll push his way into the top 30 by the end of the year.

 

[Knightmare]

Knightmare - in my opinion, Richmond need a quality outside midfielder with good pace. What are the most likely options that will fall between pick 8-15.

Billings would be the ultimate fit for Richmond in my view as that complete class midfielder who can also go forward.

But for pace Bontempelli would be a great choice with Ben Lennon that other possible option.

 

[Knightmare]

Thoughts on Ben Cavarra? Looks very similar to Hrovat last year. Think he'll push his way into the top 30 by the end of the year.

Cavarra is a good one but I'm not going to call him the next Hrovat.

Hrovat was in his own category. He was the most dominant player in the TAC, most dominant in the APS competition and the most dominant player through the u18 championships last year.

Cavarra is one of the best players in the TAC with what he is producing now but he's still not in that same category.

Would be a great choice as a rookie for a club ok with going small though!

 

[offshore]

Lewis Taylor is a walk up start in round 1 next year as a small forward who will spend some time in the midfield. I am pretty sure the recruiters wont let him slip past the top 10.

 

[GrandBlue]

Lewis Taylor is a walk up start in round 1 next year as a small forward who will spend some time in the midfield. I am pretty sure the recruiters wont let him slip past the top 10.

Agreed. He might be short, but he was without question the star of the day. Looked a class above everyone else, including the Metro boys.

 

[captainrich]

hey KM just wondering is this a very bad year for key position prospects and ruck prospects, boyd is the only genuine tall you have going in the two rounds are there any quality tall prospects there abouts that you expect to rise up the rankings later on in the year, Lions are in need of a quality one bad

 

[Bert Man]

Hey KM, Jonathan Freeman seems to be doing alright. Where would you rank him at the moment compared to the other KPF?

 

[Lazar Goz]

KM, Just wondering where Perris places at the end of the year.
Will he go straight to the senior list or an academy rookie like Brandon Jack, Sam Naismith and Daniel Robinson?
Cheers champ

 

[MCTigers]

Sheed and Billings both have strong cases to be in your top 10. Some might also argue Josh Kelly should be inside that top 10 also.

With Garlett being overlooked last year while I strongly agree with you that he is an exceptional talent and a guy who is producing and even improving his game on field clubs don't actively look to spend high draft selections on problem guys and I consider where you have him getting drafted at the moment to be exceptionally misleading.

Garlett was a first round quality talent last year also and was overlooked for who he is off the field. Guys rarely change who they are and I haven't heard any evidence that he has changed his habits or who he is off the field despite his continued on field production and even improvement (which was also there last year).

So until there are very strong suggestions that a number of clubs are looking at selecting him first round (I just don't see it with clubs avoiding problem guys for PR and team chemistry reasons) he's more likely a 3rd round or later type prospect who a club may take a chance on or alternatively may again be completely overlooked if they don't trust him.

I'd hate to see Garlett in your top 10 at seasons end and go undrafted. I know I've learnt my lesson with Waylon Manson.

Garlett is a top 10 certainty and the talk coming out of WA is that he really settled off the field and enjoying his footy more than ever. Swans inner sanctum believe he is the best of the recent bunch of indigenous footballers to be drafted by the club (Walters, Yarran etc) and he is not without a chance of winning the Sandover Medal.

Any comparison between Waylon Manson and D Garlett is outlandish full stop.

Still can't believe a club didn't back their respective welfare departments with him, because he would be in the starting 18 this at each of the 18 clubs. In my opinion Richmond should move heaven and earth to secure him, back Williams to do the same with him as he has done with Martin.

Just remember ten years ago his behaviour would have been the norm amongst draftees, he looks to have learnt his lesson. KM I'd love to watch you eat a big piece of humble pie come draft time when he goes top 10. Amen.

 

[Patron]

I Don't think any WA team will pick Garlett up. He needs to move.

 

[Knightmare]

Hey KM, Jonathan Freeman seems to be doing alright. Where would you rank him at the moment compared to the other KPF?

He is doing well and it's a draft of limited key forward options which puts him in the mix.

It's large Boyd......Gardiner (though better as a defender)..Hourigan (undersized).. J.Scott (undersized)..Tickner and Conlon...Ben Brown (mature age)...Mitch Harvey.. Cameron McCarthy.. Toby Nankervis.. then Jonathan Freeman.

Really that whole group is in the mix but from Ben Brown onward it's not clear who goes and who doesn't.

KM, Just wondering where Perris places at the end of the year.
Will he go straight to the senior list or an academy rookie like Brandon Jack, Sam Naismith and Daniel Robinson?
Cheers champ

Perris if in the draft would probably go somewhere around the 3rd round mark. In saying that I like him enough to take him late 1st round - early 2nd round if he were in the draft because I like the way he goes about his footy.
Perris should be senior listed at seasons end.

Garlett is a top 10 certainty and the talk coming out of WA is that he really settled off the field and enjoying his footy more than ever. Swans inner sanctum believe he is the best of the recent bunch of indigenous footballers to be drafted by the club (Walters, Yarran etc) and he is not without a chance of winning the Sandover Medal.

Any comparison between Waylon Manson and D Garlett is outlandish full stop.

Still can't believe a club didn't back their respective welfare departments with him, because he would be in the starting 18 this at each of the 18 clubs. In my opinion Richmond should move heaven and earth to secure him, back Williams to do the same with him as he has done with Martin.

Just remember ten years ago his behaviour would have been the norm amongst draftees, he looks to have learnt his lesson. KM I'd love to watch you eat a big piece of humble pie come draft time when he goes top 10. Amen.

It's fantastic to hear that he is settled off the field and enjoying his footy. I'm enjoying his continued on field improvement. As an outsider I can only speculate but my feel has been that he's always trained hard given his ongoing improvement both last year and this year but just off-field was a mess.

I also agree with the Swans inner sanctum who believe that Garlett is big time and better than Walters and Yarran (though I'm especially appreciating Walters play this season in particular with the All Australian form he was showing and the way he was Fremantle's better forward before injury). Garlett I feel is a better rounded player and more consistent while sharing like Walters and Yarran also being exceptionally damaging.

It's more a question with Garlett of is a club going to take a risk on the young fella? I'm not so sure. I'm certainly not thinking early at this stage. Clubs are only interested in bringing the best characters into their clubs and my sense with Garlett is that a number of clubs will always have a black line through his name given what he was doing away from footy.

Clubs do look to bring the best possible talents into their clubs but rarely if they feel there is any potential that the guy they are looking to bring in will be a problem player. Clubs will this year be looking for that evidence of that turnaround. A great first step is what he is doing on field so he is part of the way there but showing off-field development is what will be expected and will be more difficult to prove to clubs.

Manson and Garlett are entirely different situations. Manson unlike Garlett is in no had any perceptions about being a problem guy, it's more with him there were the questions of whether he would be able to handle the adjustment to a professional footballing environment which just isn't a question with Garlett. I merely bring Manson up because he is a guy I was wrong about with regards to eventual draft position and clubs not wanting to take a risks.

I'm also with you that Garlett would be best 22 on any team. His talent and production is undeniable and it's not something I've never questioned.

The bigger issue for Garlett is that the norm has changed. While his behaviour in the AFL was considered normal and acceptable 15-20 years ago the AFL now is completely different. It's now all about professionalism and unless you toe the team line and meet those expectations you won't last long and this will be Garlett's greatest challenge and obstacle.

I'd be exceptionally surprised to see Garlett go top 10. I can't see a club taking the risk with a pick inside the first two rounds of the draft on him at this point. In saying this things change and I could well be proven very wrong.

If he makes it into the AFL I personally think he'll be a success given not only his production but then also improvement showing me that he does work hard at his game and will continue to improve, it's just whether a club takes the chance and takes the chance early is more my question.

Remember my draft is about what I think clubs will do. Not what I'd do. I'd be taking him probably not in the top 10 but certainly the first round but until I hear that clubs are also rating him this highly I'll remain sceptical.

 

[Bert Man]

He is doing well and it's a draft of limited key forward options which puts him in the mix.

It's large Boyd......Gardiner (though better as a defender)..Hourigan (undersized).. J.Scott (undersized)..Tickner and Conlon...Ben Brown (mature age)...Mitch Harvey.. Cameron McCarthy.. Toby Nankervis.. then Jonathan Freeman.

Really that whole group is in the mix but from Ben Brown onward it's not clear who goes and who doesn't.

Ben Brown is a beauty and definitely one of your favorites. Do you think he has much upside as a ruckman? He has played some great footy up forward.

 

[bananatigz]

thanks for all the effort you put in, Jesse Tardio's chances? strung together a few good games

 

[h3LLo chitty]

have you heard anything about a kid called julian eimutis km?

 

[Knightmare]

Ben Brown is a beauty and definitely one of your favorites. Do you think he has much upside as a ruckman? He has played some great footy up forward.

I went cold on Brown last year having seen him get pushed around a bit too easily but he's become stronger this year and has for mine been one of the real improvers from the state leagues over the past 12 months which is what you look for in the talls to get a feel for whether there is more upside in their games.

I wouldn't recruit him as a ruckman. He's not going to be a 20+ hitout ruckman per game even if he was played as a no.1 ruckman. As a no.2 ruckman who plays most of his minutes forward he could be an option with his leap good and more size on his frame now but what makes him a genuine AFL prospect is his contested marking ability as a key forward. When you're 199cm and have the ability in the air, in the contest and now 1v1 that Brown has he can make something of himself and do some damage at the next level.

thanks for all the effort you put in, Jesse Tardio's chances? strung together a few good games

Tardio is a good one. Incredibly impressive tackling forward and can hit the scoreboard. As a rookie could be a situational selection for a club lacking forward 50 pressure.

have you heard anything about a kid called julian eimutis km?

Has found some of the footy in the past but haven't seen much of him this year so hard to get a feel for exactly where his game is at. Is he injured? Don't think he's played much for Sandy this year.

 

[Thurlow2Mackie]

Thoughts on Brady Grey, KM? In great form this year in the TSL and for Tassie. Have you seen much of him play?

 

[jjami15]

KM, first of all I personally am very grateful for the insight that you give everyone with your opinions/insights into players in each draft. Even though I have not seen any vision of them at the moment I wouldn't be disappointed with any of Scharenberg, Dunstan, Sheed who you have around our pick. IMO of the three I would prefer Dunstan. We lack an inside presence that he could potentially bring. I look at the top teams and their midfielders and see strong bodied mids throughout their midfield brigade. Of the three would you say that Dunstan would fit that bill the best and could the other two possibly become that as well.

 

[Mofra]

KM, a bit of a left field suggestion but what do you think of Ben Warren's chances of getting another go at the highest level?

Playing well for Werribee (kick two big bags this year) and is ~24 which is certainly young enough to carve out a 100+ game career if form allows.

 

[Knightmare]

Thoughts on Brady Grey, KM? In great form this year in the TSL and for Tassie. Have you seen much of him play?

Grey played well v Vic Country but need to see more first. Probably one of Tasmania's better 4-5 prospects this year at this point.

While off topic big Nankervis has really looked like a man among boys for you fellas. If he keeps elevating his game I'd be interested to see whether a club give him a shot.

KM, a bit of a left field suggestion but what do you think of Ben Warren's chances of getting another go at the highest level?

Playing well for Werribee (kick two big bags this year) and is ~24 which is certainly young enough to carve out a 100+ game career if form allows.

Warren gets up for those ABC televised VFL games doesn't he?

I see him as a situational type selection where he may be a fit for 3-4 teams looking for his specific type but wouldn't be of best 22 relevance for the rest of the competition. He's a class above VFL level but at AFL level would only be effective for a team looking for a marking forward as a 3rd option or perhaps a high half forward he could be a fit. I look at Western Bulldogs and Brisbane as the types of teams who could accomodate him. Sydney could be another with Richmond possibly that final team that could use him depending on how they view Aaron Edwards and the development of O'Hanlon and McDonough.

 

[Thurlow2Mackie]

Grey played well v Vic Country but need to see more first. Probably one of Tasmania's better 4-5 prospects this year at this point.

While off topic big Nankervis has really looked like a man among boys for you fellas. If he keeps elevating his game I'd be interested to see whether a club give him a shot.

Yep, Nankervis is going really well. I didn't even have him on the radar at the start of the year, after he was overlooked last year, but I am starting to change my mind on that. Think he has a reasonable shot for a rookie spot.

Agree on Grey. I'd have him after Templeton, the Kolodjashnij's, and Webster. But he is catching up on Webster. I think he'd be a real damaging player in a better team, and might see him shine when Tassie start playing the div 2 sides.

 

[Swanzforeva]

KM have you got any info on two academy players for the swans Watson and Green both made the best for NSW

 

[Chris Grant]

Noticed you have Perris at 15 in your rankings. Wouldn't that mean he would have to go in your 1st round pick for Sydney looking at this article? Obviously someone would have to bid on him.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-04-30/southern-clubs-in-mix-for-top-queenslanders