List Mgmt. 2019 Draft Prospects

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What does everyone think our target will be this year? Given we drafted a KPD/KPF (Naughton), half-back/wing (Richards), inside mid (Porter) and general forward (Gowers) in 2017, then a whole mixed bag in 2018, mainly focusing on speed (inside/outside mid Smith, inside mid West, half back Vandermeer, small forward Cavarra, outside mid/wing Hayes, intercept defender Khamis, half back/interceptor Young and ruck Sweet).

Seem like we've covered most types in the last couple of years, but I guess depending on how some of these guys pan out, I can see us targeting another decent tall (with the delisting of Collins + Campbell, retirement of Redpath, trading of Roughead + Adams). Really hope we don't grab another inside mid as I feel we're way overstocked in this department.

Obviously in the first round, you just grab best available, but will be interesting to see what we go for based on current list demographic
This guy impressed me in a few of the champ games last year. Bit early to say who goes where though.

 
This guy impressed me in a few of the champ games last year. Bit early to say who goes where though.


If the highlights are anything to go by, seems a decent kick (bit wonky but hits his targets), has good vision and looked a good mark. Not bad leg speed on him either. Also that is one massive kid for his age - hopefully wouldn't end up like Kieran Collins

I'll be keen to keep watching
 
The obvious needs are a good KPP and a dynamic small forward with good defensive/tackling skills.

If we go for any KPP we need to make sure they have mobility (agility with at least average pace) and good hands overhead. Those attributes seem to be key. Look at the best in the game. Sometimes you can get away with being about average in one of those as long as you're very good in the other (eg Franklin is around average for a KPP at overhead marks but his mobility and pace for a big man are elite).

Then look at those recent KPP prospects that have disappointed us:
  • Collins - slow
  • Roberts - slow
  • Redpath - lacked agility, cruelled by injuries
  • Campbell - poor mobility when used as a KPF
  • Boyd - poor overhead - if he could take CMs every week he'd be a genuine star
And those that have worked:
  • Naughton - not super quick but is fairly mobile and has elite hands
  • Zaine Cordy - OK overhead but quite mobile, good agility for a tall player
  • Hamling - reasonable overhead and good mobility
The jury is still out on Schache and Young who are still developing physically but they do have good mobility. Young is probably a better overhead mark than Schache but neither are elite in that area.

In summary, no more lumbering tanks please, Sam Power. They might look OK against skinny U18 kids but they don't suit the modern game when they get to senior level.
 

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Might get back on the U18's this year. Interested to see the reformatting of the TAC cup. Well overdue IMO. Most recent group have made a great start to the AFL season. Was a fan of Caldwell and Duursma last year as players that didn't get a lot of hype in the lead up. Will try and pick a few bolters this year once again.
 
The obvious needs are a good KPP and a dynamic small forward with good defensive/tackling skills.

If we go for any KPP we need to make sure they have mobility (agility with at least average pace) and good hands overhead. Those attributes seem to be key. Look at the best in the game. Sometimes you can get away with being about average in one of those as long as you're very good in the other (eg Franklin is around average for a KPP at overhead marks but his mobility and pace for a big man are elite).

Then look at those recent KPP prospects that have disappointed us:
  • Collins - slow
  • Roberts - slow
  • Redpath - lacked agility, cruelled by injuries
  • Campbell - poor mobility when used as a KPF
  • Boyd - poor overhead - if he could take CMs every week he'd be a genuine star
And those that have worked:
  • Naughton - not super quick but is fairly mobile and has elite hands
  • Zaine Cordy - OK overhead but quite mobile, good agility for a tall player
  • Hamling - reasonable overhead and good mobility
The jury is still out on Schache and Young who are still developing physically but they do have good mobility. Young is probably a better overhead mark than Schache but neither are elite in that area.

In summary, no more lumbering tanks please, Sam Power. They might look OK against skinny U18 kids but they don't suit the modern game when they get to senior level.

Our list would look a lot more balanced if we still had Hamling. Hamling/Cordy down back and Naughts/Schache up forward and we'd have to be pretty happy with our KP stocks. As it stands I feel like we're still one quality KP short of having a nice balanced list. Would love for Young to make it but it's hard to call at this stage whether he ever will and if he does how long it might take.
 
If the highlights are anything to go by, seems a decent kick (bit wonky but hits his targets), has good vision and looked a good mark. Not bad leg speed on him either. Also that is one massive kid for his age - hopefully wouldn't end up like Kieran Collins

I'll be keen to keep watching
WILL GOULD
Club
: Glenelg, South Australia
Position: Key Defender
Size: 190cm, 93kg
Champion Data player comparison: Dylan Roberton
Foxfooty.com.au says: The key defender made the Under 18 All-Australian team in 2018 after a standout carnival for championship winning side South Australia. The Glenelg tall was a general down back, showing off his intercept marking and impressive reading of the flight of the ball in air. He averaged 15 disposals throughout the carnival, hitting up targets coming out of the back half effectively. Arguably one of the better tall prospects for 2019.
 
I too would like one more quality tall on the list although given our age profile I wouldn't be scared of trading for someone mature - we get Jamarra in 2020 who I have high hopes for as a developing tall.

A genuine goal-kicker would be nice, someone with real goal sense. Still a little surprised we passed on Curtis Taylor last year. Perhaps later in the year Caverra shows he can play that role and we end up just taking best available. Maybe even another ruck/forward given after Trenners we only have the very raw Sweet on the list, and a Boyd whose playing future is uncertain.
 
I too would like one more quality tall on the list although given our age profile I wouldn't be scared of trading for someone mature - we get Jamarra in 2020 who I have high hopes for as a developing tall.

A genuine goal-kicker would be nice, someone with real goal sense. Still a little surprised we passed on Curtis Taylor last year. Perhaps later in the year Caverra shows he can play that role and we end up just taking best available. Maybe even another ruck/forward given after Trenners we only have the very raw Sweet on the list, and a Boyd whose playing future is uncertain.
Cam Taheny looks special up forward, but is likely to go top 5 at this rate so that would probably be out of our reach unless we tank or trade up
 
Cam Taheny looks special up forward, but is likely to go top 5 at this rate so that would probably be out of our reach unless we tank or trade up
We tend to weigh our selections towards improvement during the year so will be interesting to see out strategy in 2019, but will keep an eye on Taheny.
 

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We tend to weigh our selections towards improvement during the year so will be interesting to see out strategy in 2019, but will keep an eye on Taheny.
Also worth mentioning that Bailey Williams could very well be on his way back to SA, and English (God forbid) back to WA as both are out of contract. Would surely net us a huge draft hand (comparable to Port/GWS in 2018) so guys like Taheny, even if they are top 5 picks, may not necessarily be out of reach
 
Also worth mentioning that Bailey Williams could very well be on his way back to SA, and English (God forbid) back to WA as both are out of contract. Would surely net us a huge draft hand (comparable to Port/GWS in 2018) so guys like Taheny, even if they are top 5 picks, may not necessarily be out of reach
Is there anything to the English flight risk thing other than typical fan paranoia and the media joining dots fairly simplistically saying "he's good and he's from interstate, therefore he'll be lured back sooner rather than later"?

I suspect we see a bit more of it with players leaving GCS and GWS but in each case their reasons are a bit more complex. Neither club has an established tradition, culture or wide fan base. Gold Coast is a pioneering outpost and GWS have a fairly clear policy of turning over players - even guns - until they get the right mix that is sustainable under the cap. We seldom see it with players from Sydney.

What proportion of gun SA and WA players really do go home after being drafted to a Vic club? And is it so much more than players who go the other way, like Wingard who actually left his home state to play in Victoria half way through his career? Then there are stars like Franklin who changed clubs in mid-career but it wasn't to go back west. Marcus Adams too.

Genuine question. I'd be interested to see whether the stats actually support the paranoia. My suspicion is that it's actually not as big a problem as people assume, even if the occasional higher profile player like Jesse Hogan, Tim Kelly or Hamling does go back.
 
Our list would look a lot more balanced if we still had Hamling. Hamling/Cordy down back and Naughts/Schache up forward and we'd have to be pretty happy with our KP stocks. As it stands I feel like we're still one quality KP short of having a nice balanced list. Would love for Young to make it but it's hard to call at this stage whether he ever will and if he does how long it might take.
The Hamling trade involved us sending Joel Hamling, Pick 40 and Pick 63 in return for Pick 35, Pick 43 and Pick 61.

We then on-traded Pick 35 and Pick 43 for Pick 26 and Pick 80. This Pick 26 was used on Patrick Lipinski (28). The Pick 61 was used on Fergus Greene (70).

Probably more upside in Lipinski + Greene than there was in just Hamling, but from a list demographic perspective, Hamling would be very nice for us right now.
 
Is there anything to the English flight risk thing other than typical fan paranoia and the media joining dots fairly simplistically saying "he's good and he's from interstate, therefore he'll be lured back sooner rather than later"?

I suspect we see a bit more of it with players leaving GCS and GWS but in each case their reasons are a bit more complex. Neither club has an established tradition, culture or wide fan base. Gold Coast is a pioneering outpost and GWS have a fairly clear policy of turning over players - even guns - until they get the right mix that is sustainable under the cap. We seldom see it with players from Sydney.

What proportion of gun SA and WA players really do go home after being drafted to a Vic club? And is it so much more than players who go the other way, like Wingard who actually left his home state to play in Victoria half way through his career? Then there are stars like Franklin who changed clubs in mid-career but it wasn't to go back west. Marcus Adams too.

Genuine question. I'd be interested to see whether the stats actually support the paranoia. My suspicion is that it's actually not as big a problem as people assume, even if the occasional higher profile player like Jesse Hogan, Tim Kelly or Hamling does go back.
For what it's worth - there is absolutely nothing to say that English would go back to WA. His manager has specifically said he's very happy in Victoria. The only concern is how hard West Coast will likely come after him given how terrible their ruck stocks are with Naitanui getting on and Lycett gone.

The concern is random events occurring entirely outside our control (aka family illness) that lead to the player wanting to return "home" (as we saw with Hamling and Collingwood saw with Beams a while back). I would say it's more likely than not that he sticks around, especially given there's been no real indication that he would leave, just that I'm also willing to admit that drafting interstate players leaves an inherent risk that they may eventually want to go back to their home state. In the scenario I mentioned, I'd say Williams is twice as likely to go than English, although both are more likely to stay imo
 
Way too much to play out before we can say he'll be out of reach.
Bytel was rated as a potential number 1 pick towards the end of 2017/start of 2018, and ended up going in the 40s. Nothing to say the same doesn't happen to Taheny. Also no way of knowing where we finish anyway, I'm just saying based purely on the very little information we have, a top 5 pick looks unlikely and that could very well be where Taheny lands. But as you said, way too much uncertainty yet, season's only just started :)
 
Some of the stats from the NAB League from the weekend:

Mitch Martin (GWV) - 1 goal,1 behind, 25 disposals (18 kicks, 7 handballs), 7 marks, 3 tackles, 7 I50, 4 R50
Hayden Young (DS) - 17 disposals (15 kicks, 2 handballs), 5 marks, 4 tackles, 2 I50, 6 R50
Hugo Ralphsmith (SD) - 1 behind, 17 disposals (11 kicks, 6 handballs), 2 marks, 2 tackles, 2 I50
Angus Hanrahan (SD) - 1 goal, 1behind, 23 disposals (13 kicks, 10 tackles), 4 marks, 7 I50, 1R50
Riley Bowman (SD) - 3 goals, 1 behind, 11 disposals (7 kicks, 4 handballs), 3 marks, 2 tackles
Josh Worrell (SD) - 11 disposals (5 kicks, 6 handballs), 4 marks, 5 tackles, 3 I50

Will add more later. It is a bugger to type these out on a phone.
 
Just realised I missed a few of the season previews...

2018 FINISH: Premiers (18-1 record)
2018 BEST AND FAIREST: 1. Campbell Hustwaite / 2. Sam Fletcher / 3. Bailey Williams
2018 TEAM OF THE YEAR SELECTIONS: Craig Black (Coach), Zac Foot, Sam Fletcher, Campbell Hustwaite, Bailey Williams
2018 AFL DRAFTEES: Sam Sturt (Fremantle), Will Hamill (Adelaide), Bailey Williams (West Coast), Zac Foot (Sydney), Toby Bedford (Melbourne), Lachlan Young* (Western Bulldogs), Matthew Cottrell* (Carlton), Sam Fletcher* (Gold Coast)
OTHER FORMER PLAYERS ON AFL LISTS:
  • Selected in 2005: Nathan Jones (Melbourne) 264 games
  • 2008: Shane Savage (Hawthorn/St Kilda) 56/85
  • 2009: Tom Scully (Melbourne/GWS/Hawthorn) 31/121/0, Ryan Bastinac (North Melbourne/Brisbane) 121/40, Dylan Roberton (Fremantle/St Kilda) 37/91, Levi Casboult* (Carlton) 104
  • 2010: Tom Lynch (Gold Coast/Richmond) 131/0, Luke Parker (Sydney) 173, Dylan Shiel (GWS/Essendon) 135/0, Adam Treloar (GWS/Collingwood) 79/60
  • 2011: Matthew Buntine (GWS) 50, Nick Haynes (GWS) 105, Darren Minchington* (St Kilda/Hawthorn) 28/0
  • 2012: Lachie Whitfield (GWS) 114, Taylor Garner (North Melbourne) 34, Lewis Pierce (St Kilda) 4
  • 2013: Zak Jones (Sydney) 73, James Harmes* (Melbourne) 69
  • 2014: Jack Lonie (St Kilda) 50, Bailey Dale (Western Bulldogs) 40
  • 2015: Jacob Weitering (Carlton) 56, Brandon White (St Kilda) 10, Bailey Rice (St Kilda) 11, Kurt Mutimer (West Coast) 4
  • 2016: Josh Battle (St Kilda) 7, Myles Poholke (Adelaide) 9
  • 2017: Luke Davies-Uniacke (North Melbourne) 7, Hunter Clark (St Kilda) 15, Aiden Bonar (GWS) 4, Tom De Koning (Carlton) 2, Oscar Clavarino (St Kilda) 0, Thomas Murphy* (North Melbourne) 4
2019 AFL ACADEMY:
  • Level 2 (18yo): Ned Cahill, Sam De Koning, Bigoa Nyuon, Hayden Young
2019 HEAD COACH: Nick Cox (first season)
2019 SEASON START: vs GWV Rebels @ MARS Stadium, Saturday March 23

TOP 2019 AFL DRAFT PROSPECTS
Hayden Young
(local club – Somerville): “Hayden was in our best 22 last year and played as a half back/midfielder in our premiership side. He’s a really strong competitor and his kicking is elite – that’s his biggest weapon. He’s learning to be more of an inside midfielder instead of a half back that pinch-hits in the midfield and he’s getting better and better as he goes along.”
Ned Cahill (Mount Eliza): “Ned was our 23rd player in the Grand Final. He played predominantly as a small forward last year and his ability to find space and know where the ball is going is elite. He has really good goal sense and he’s really quick with his hands and decision-making. He’s also learning the craft of being inside midfielder.”
Sam De Koning (Mornington): “Sam played seven games last year around a few injuries. His strength is his marking and we’re looking for him to step up and be really physical with the way he defends in the back line and when he goes forward a bit this year. He’s about 199cm tall but there’s not much of him at the moment.”
Bigoa Nyuon (Rowville Hawks): “Bigoa is part of St Kilda’s Next Generation Academy. He’s pretty raw and has a fair way to go in his development, but he’s a great athlete with great agility and he’s working really hard on his footy fundamentals. He’ll play as a ruckman and go forward or back; he’s a pretty versatile tall.”

POTENTIAL DRAFT SURPRISE PACKET
Blake Kuipers
(Rosebud): “Blake came into our program last year from a volleyball background. He’s played volleyball for Australia and Victoria and he’s still playing now, but his football improvement over this pre-season has been impressive. He’s about 198cm tall, he can jump, he has agility and his game awareness is getting better and better.”

BOTTOM-AGER TO WATCH
Kobi George
(Berwick): “Kobi is an indigenous player who’s part of Melbourne’s Next Generation Academy. His ball control and ability to sidestep is exceptional and he’s very quick off the mark, but we just need to get his endurance levels up a bit. He could be one to watch.”

LEADERSHIP MATERIAL
Hayden Young (see above) will be our sole captain. We think his leadership on and off the ground is second to none. Ned Cahill (see above) will be our vice-captain, with Jarryd Barker (18yo in 2019, Cranbourne) and Luca Goonan (18yo, Mount Eliza) the deputy vice-captains.”

FAMOUS FOOTBALL RELATIONS
Sam De Koning
(see above): Son of former AFL player Terry De Koning – 31 games for Western Bulldogs – and brother of current AFL player Tom De Koning – two games for Carlton.
Bigoa Nyuon (see above): Brother of former Essendon AFL player Gach Nyuon.

TEAM STRENGTHS
“I think our strengths will be our contested ball and speed around the contests. We want to be known to be really competitive, but I reckon we might start the season slowly. Our 17-year-olds didn’t get much exposure last year because our top-agers were so dominant, but hopefully they can come out and show what they’ve got early on.”

SEASON PREVIEW: OAKLEIGH CHARGERS BOYS
Oakleigh Chargers Talent Manager Jy Bond gives his thoughts on the club’s upcoming NAB League Boys season.

2018 FINISH:
Runners-up (12-6-1 record)
2018 GRAND FINAL BEST-ON-GROUND: Matthew Rowell
2018 BEST AND FAIREST: 1. Jack Ross / 2. Isaac Quaynor / 3. Matthew Rowell
2018 TEAM OF THE YEAR SELECTIONS: Noah Answerth, Riley Collier-Dawkins, Will Kelly, Isaac Quaynor
2018 AFL DRAFTEES: Isaac Quaynor (Collingwood), Riley Collier-Dawkins (Richmond), James Rowbottom (Sydney), Xavier O’Neill (West Coast), Will Kelly (Collingwood), James Jordon (Melbourne), Jack Ross (Richmond), Noah Answerth (Brisbane), Ben Silvagni (Carlton), Atu Bosenavulagi (Collingwood), Will Golds* (Hawthorn)
OTHER FORMER PLAYERS ON AFL LISTS:
  • Selected in 2005: Marc Murphy (Carlton) 249 games
  • 2006: Todd Goldstein (North Melbourne) 212, David Mackay (Adelaide) 202, Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide) 199, Nick Smith* (Sydney) 211
  • 2007: Andy Otten (Adelaide) 106
  • 2008: Luke Shuey (West Coast) 177, Daniel Hannebery (Sydney/St Kilda) 208/0
  • 2009: Jamie Macmillan (North Melbourne) 139
  • 2010: Andrew Gaff (West Coast) 175, Ryan Lester (Brisbane) 117
  • 2011: Dom Tyson (GWS/Melbourne/North Melbourne) 13/94/0, Adam Tomlinson (GWS) 115, Toby Greene (GWS) 126, Lin Jong* (Western Bulldogs) 61
  • 2012: Jackson Macrae (Western Bulldogs) 118, Jack Viney (Melbourne) 98
  • 2013: Jack Billings (St Kilda) 85, Luke McDonald (North Melbourne) 96, Tom Cutler (Brisbane) 63, Jay Kennedy-Harris (Melbourne) 34, Darcy Byrne-Jones (Port Adelaide) 64, Jake Kelly* (Adelaide) 53
  • 2014: Jordan De Goey (Collingwood) 71, Darcy Moore (Collingwood) 54, Daniel McKenzie (St Kilda) 34, Toby McLean (Western Bulldogs) 60, Marc Pittonet (Hawthorn) 5, Jack Sinclair* (St Kilda) 64
  • 2015: David Cuningham (Carlton) 16, Jack Silvagni (Carlton) 43, Tom Phillips (Collingwood) 50, Ben Crocker (Collingwood) 23, Dan Houston* (Port Adelaide) 39
  • 2016: Jordan Ridley (Essendon) 3, Ed Phillips (St Kilda) 7, Josh Daicos (Collingwood) 12, Patrick Kerr (Carlton) 4, Nick Larkey (North Melbourne) 2, Taylin Duman* (Fremantle) 10
  • 2017: Ed Richards (Western Bulldogs) 21, Jack Higgins (Richmond) 20, Toby Wooller (Brisbane) 0
2019 AFL ACADEMY:
  • Level 2 (18yo): Noah Anderson, Trent Bianco, Matthew Rowell, Dylan Williams
  • Level 1 (17yo): Finlay Macrae, Will Phillips, Samuel Tucker, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan
2019 HEAD COACH: Leigh Clarke (third season)
2019 SEASON START: vs Eastern Ranges @ RSEA Park, Sunday March 24

TOP 2019 AFL DRAFT PROSPECTS
Noah Anderson
(local club – Booroondara Hawks): “Noah is almost physically ready to step into an AFL program. His work rate is elite and his ball use and decision-making also makes him as close to ‘ready-to-go’ as you could be. He’ll play in the midfield this year and I’d like to see him go forward as he can be very damaging. He’s a very good leader and an impressive young man.”
Matthew Rowell (Canterbury): “Matt’s work rate and dedication to training is elite. He’ll play in the midfield for us this year, but he can play anywhere on the ground. He and Noah seem to have primed themselves for the next level already in the way they prepare. Matt leads by example and I’m not sure there’s a more professional player in the NAB League Boys this year.”
Dylan Williams (Surrey Park): “The upside to a player like Dylan is really exciting. He’s a lively personality and I think his football is lively too. There’s not much he can’t do in the forward line – he has a lot of tricks – but we’ll use him in a variety of positions to show what he can do this year. We just have to work on his aerobic running a bit.”
Trent Bianco (Doncaster): “Trent is a smooth-moving, classy ball-user and link player. He certainly works hard on the track and takes his footy seriously. He’s a good character and will be in our leadership group this year. We’ll have him playing for us all season given that he’s finished school.”

POTENTIAL DRAFT SURPRISE PACKETS
Nick Bryan
(Glen Iris): “Nick is a developing tall player. He’s worked hard over the pre-season and his early practice match form has been promising. He’s very lightly framed at the moment, but he has very soft hands in the ruck and an elite vertical leap. He’s 200cm tall and could still be growing.”
Josh May (Surrey Park): “I’m expecting some good football from Josh this year. He’s 190cm-plus and skinny, but he’s going to grow into his body and we’ve been grooming him to play as an outside midfielder who can also play as a tall. He played for Vic Metro in 2015 and 2016.”

BOTTOM-AGER TO WATCH
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan
(Scotch College): “We’re very fortunate that Jamarra has come to our program this year from the GWV Rebels while he boards at Scotch College. He’s a developing tall player with great reach and great hands and he moves the ball well.”

LEADERSHIP MATERIAL
Noah Anderson (see above) and Matthew Rowell (see above) are rounded kids who lead by example. It’s exciting to have them in our program for the other kids to learn off, and when they’re at training the group feeds off their intensity. Trent Bianco (see above) is a good character and Lucas Westwood (18yo in 2019, Doncaster East) has a good relationship with the group as well. We’re blessed with a lot of good leaders in the program.”

FAMOUS FOOTBALL RELATIONS
Zac Hart
(19yo, Old Xaverians): Son of former AFL player Ben Hart – 311 games for Adelaide.
Lachlan Johnson (18yo, Scotch College): Son of former AFL player Chris Johnson – 264 games for Fitzroy/Brisbane.
Tom Graham (19yo, Old Scotch): Son of former AFL player Mark Graham – 223 games for Hawthorn/20 for Richmond.
Daniel Romero (18yo, St Kevin’s): Son of former AFL player Jose Romero – 89 games for North Melbourne/122 for Western Bulldogs.
Noah Anderson (see above): Son of former AFL player Dean Anderson – 83 games for Hawthorn/67 for St Kilda.
Harrison Free (17yo, Camberwell): Son of former AFL player Tony Free – 133 games for Richmond.
Finlay Macrae (17yo, Kew Rovers): Brother of current AFL player Jack Macrae – 118 games for Western Bulldogs.
Other famous sporting relations:
Brayden Fleming (17yo, Surrey Park): Son of former Australian cricketer Damien Fleming.

TEAM STRENGTHS
“We’re just a very even team with no glaring gaps across the field. We’re fortunate to have talent that we can play in a variety of positions – many are athletically able to run through the midfield and physically strong enough to hold down key positions. We only lost the Grand Final by six points last year and we had 11 players drafted, so hopefully we’ll continue on from where we left off in 2018.”

SEASON PREVIEW: GIPPSLAND POWER BOYS
Gippsland Power head coach Rhett McLennan gives his thoughts on the club’s upcoming NAB League Boys season.

2018 FINISH:
3rd (13-3-2 record)
2018 BEST AND FAIREST: 1. Noah Gown / 2. Tye Hourigan / 3. Xavier Duursma
2018 TEAM OF THE YEAR SELECTIONS:Xavier Duursma, Kyle Reid
2018 AFL DRAFTEES: Xavier Duursma (Port Adelaide), Irving Mosquito (Essendon), Noah Gown (Essendon)
OTHER FORMER PLAYERS ON AFL LISTS:
  • Selected in 2004: Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn) 275 games
  • 2005: Dale Thomas (Collingwood/Carlton) 157/81, Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood) 277
  • 2006: Tyson Goldsack (Collingwood) 165
  • 2009: Nathan Vardy (Geelong/West Coast) 25/32
  • 2010: Dyson Heppell (Essendon) 151
  • 2011: Sam Docherty (Brisbane/Carlton) 13/79
  • 2012: Tim Membrey (Sydney/St Kilda) 1/69
  • 2013: Jack Leslie (Gold Coast) 28
  • 2014: Lukas Webb (Western Bulldogs) 24, Jordan Cunico (Geelong) 15
  • 2015: Harry McKay (Carlton) 15, Ben McKay (North Melbourne) 1, Josh Dunkley (Western Bulldogs) 43, Sam Skinner (Brisbane) 1, Tom Papley* (Sydney) 60
  • 2016: Ben Ainsworth (Gold Coast) 29
  • 2017: Callum Porter (Western Bulldogs) 0, Changkuoth Jiath* (Hawthorn) 0
2019 AFL ACADEMY:
  • Level 2 (18yo): Riley Baldi, Leo Connolly, Sam Flanders, Fraser Phillips, Caleb Serong, Brock Smith
  • Level 1 (17yo): Zach Reid
2019 HEAD COACH: Rhett McLennan (first season)
2019 SEASON START: vs Murray Bushrangers @ Swinburne Centre, Saturday March 23

TOP 2019 AFL DRAFT PROSPECTS
Caleb Serong
(local club – Warragul): “Caleb is a disciplined, mature kid who’s doing everything he possibly can to be drafted. He has a great footy brain and we’ll probably play him a little bit in the midfield and a little bit in the forward line this year. He’s going to school at Geelong Grammar, so we’ll have him for a handful of games this season.”
Sam Flanders (Moe): “Sam is quite a powerful athlete with great goal sense and a very good leap. We’ll probably play him as a utility that can go through the midfield, up forward and even a little bit down back. He’s a tough match-up given his size – he’s about 183cm – and the fact he can play tall or small.”
Fraser Phillips (Warragul): “Fraser will play across half forward and provide some good link-up between the midfield and forward line this year. He’s very smooth-moving, has a nice left-foot kick and good goal sense and footy smarts. He hurt his knee in Round 15 last season but his rehab and recovery from that has been really good.”
Brock Smith (Moe): “Brock is another one who can play in all three areas of the ground, but he’ll probably play a bit more forward this year than he did last year. He’s a really good size to be so versatile – he’s about 188cm – and he’s very strong for his age. He’s explosive and hard at it.”
Riley Baldi (Moe): “Riley will play as a midfielder and a little bit up forward this year. He had a really good 2018 season as a bottom-ager where he was rated very highly in regards to his clearance work. He has very good midfield craft, good skills both in close and on the outside, and he’s a natural extractor of the footy.”
Leo Connolly (Moe): “The thing that really stands out when you see Leo on the field is his skill on both sides of the body; his kick on one foot is as good as on the other. He has speed to burn and will probably play on a wing or a flank at either end of the ground this year. He’s an exciting prospect.”

POTENTIAL DRAFT SURPRISE PACKETS
Charlie Comben
(Sale): “Charlie has missed the majority of the last three seasons due to impact injuries to his jaw and collarbone (twice). He’s physically developed in that time to be a very impressive athlete at a ruck’s height. His pre-season has been super and he looks like being a great addition to our list as a ruck/forward.”
Tye Hourigan (Traralgon): “Tye was the runner-up in our best-and-fairest last year as a defender, but he’s a kid who just ticks the boxes no matter where he plays and what role he’s given. He’s a good size – he’d be 190cm-plus – and can play tall or small, and he’s a very good decision-maker.”

BOTTOM-AGER TO WATCH
Zach Reid
(Leongatha): “Zach is already a genuine AFL ruckman’s height at around 200cm and has some time on his side to grow into his body. He’s all arms and legs at the moment, but he has some great skills for a big man. He’s also a fast learner, he’s really competitive and he’s shown he has some versatility in other positions.”

LEADERSHIP MATERIAL
Brock Smith (see above) is someone who stands out as a really mature young man. He’s graduated from high school and shows really good leadership qualities. Ryan Sparkes (18yo in 2019, Inverloch-Kongwak) polled highly in our best-and-fairest last year and he’s a tall defender who’s really worked hard on the leadership side of his game. He’s someone who can show our bottom-agers what it takes to play at this level.”

FAMOUS FOOTBALL RELATIONS
Kyle Dunkley
(19yo, Sale): Son of former AFL player Andrew Dunkley – 217 games for Sydney – and brother of current AFL player Josh Dunkley – 43 games for Western Bulldogs.
Will Papley (17yo, Bunyip): Brother of current AFL player Tom Papley – 60 games for Sydney.
Fraser Phillips (see above): Son of former AFL player Garry Phillips – three games for Geelong.
Zac Skinner (18yo, Moe): Brother of current AFL player Sam Skinner – one game for Brisbane.
Jake van der Pligt (18yo, Leongatha): Grandson of former AFL player Des Meagher – 198 games for Hawthorn.

TEAM STRENGTHS
“I think our strength will be the experience our boys got last year; we played a lot of bottom-agers and on average we had 12 in our side each week. A lot of those guys have played together at Gippsland since under-15s, so they know each other fairly well and we’re hoping that cohesiveness will roll into their top-age year.”

2018 FINISH: 4th (11-7 record)
2018 MORRISH MEDAL: Liam Stocker
2018 BEST AND FAIREST: 1. Corey Watts / 2. Liam Stocker / 3. Ryan Byrnes
2018 TEAM OF THE YEAR SELECTIONS: Ben King, Bailey Smith, Liam Stocker
2018 AFL DRAFTEES: Max King (St Kilda), Ben King (Gold Coast), Bailey Smith (Western Bulldogs), Liam Stocker (Carlton), Joel Crocker (North Melbourne), Harry Reynolds* (Sydney)
OTHER FORMER PLAYERS ON AFL LISTS:
  • Selected in 2006: Josh Kennedy (Hawthorn/Sydney) 13/214 games, Tom Hawkins (Geelong) 232
  • 2008: Jack Watts (Melbourne/Port Adelaide) 153/19, Tom Lynch (St Kilda/Adelaide) 6/117
  • 2009: Jack Gunston (Adelaide/Hawthorn) 14/158, Max Gawn (Melbourne) 99, Tom Nicholls (Gold Coast) 45
  • 2010: Ben Jacobs (Port Adelaide/North Melbourne) 26/64, Jarryd Lyons (Adelaide/Gold Coast/Brisbane) 55/37/0
  • 2011: Fletcher Roberts (Western Bulldogs) 49, Sam Frost* (GWS/Melbourne) 21/48
  • 2012: James Stewart (GWS/Essendon) 18/27
  • 2013: Josh Kelly (GWS) 100, Christian Salem (Melbourne) 70, Zach Merrett (Essendon) 103, Tom Langdon (Collingwood) 80, Karl Amon (Port Adelaide) 42
  • 2014: Angus Brayshaw (Melbourne) 58, Brayden Maynard (Collingwood) 73, Ed Vickers-Willis (North Melbourne) 14, Ed Langdon (Fremantle) 46
  • 2016: Andrew McGrath (Essendon) 41, Tim Taranto (GWS) 37, Will Setterfield (GWS/Carlton) 2/0, Jack Scrimshaw (Gold Coast/Hawthorn) 4/0, Oliver Florent (Sydney) 32, Cameron Polson (Carlton) 13, Corey Lyons (Brisbane) 0
  • 2017: Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle) 17, Will Walker (North Melbourne) 4, Charlie Constable (Geelong) 0, Nathan Murphy (Collingwood) 2, Hamish Brayshaw (West Coast) 0, Joel Amartey* (Sydney) 0
2019 AFL ACADEMY:
  • Level 2 (18yo): Jack Bell, Miles Bergman, Darcy Chirgwin, Andrew Courtney, Charlie Dean, Jack Mahony, Fischer McAsey, Hugo Ralphsmith, Joshua Worrell
  • Level 1 (17yo): Roman Anastasios, Jake Bowey
2019 HEAD COACH: Josh Bourke (first season)
2019 SEASON START: vs Calder Cannons @ RSEA Park, Sunday March 24

TOP 2019 AFL DRAFT PROSPECTS
Jack Mahony
(local club – St Kevin’s): “Jack played some really good games as a bottom-ager last year. He’ll stand out as a small/medium player who finds the ball and kicks it really well. He’s probably one of the elite midfielders we have this year.”
Hugo Ralphsmith (East Brighton): “Athletically, Hugo is probably in the top 10 players across the competition with his speed and power. He can play behind the ball and also through the midfield. He should use his endurance to go to the next level this year.”
Andrew Courtney (Beaumaris): “Andrew is a 200cm big-bodied ruckman who might spend time as a forward or defender this year. He has really good hands above his head and is naturally aggressive. Athletically, he covers the ground really well and has great speed for a big bloke.”
Joshua Worrell (Bentleigh): “Josh is a super athlete and really talented. His skills are at an elite level, he trains with good intent and he’s a natural competitor. He had some grounding playing in defence last year, but we think he may be a taller inside midfielder.”
Charlie Dean (Collegians): “Charlie is another taller midfielder who could play in a key position at either end of the ground. He’s elite in his application to training. He’s also a cricketer who’s been playing in the firsts for Wesley College over the summer.”
Finn Maginness (East Brighton): “Finn is elite in his running and he could probably break the 2km time trial record if he put his mind to it. He played as a third tall with limited opportunities last year, but we see him as potentially being a big-bodied midfielder.”
Corey Watts (Beaumaris): “Corey might get pushed up into the Vic Metro Academy pretty early this season. He won the best-and-fairest last year but has really transformed his body this pre-season and looks lean and aggressive. He’ll play further up the ground after being a key defender in 2018.”
Angus Hanrahan (19yo in 2019, St Kevin’s): “From what I’ve seen, Angus is the best forward-half ball-user we have. He’ll play as a medium-sized forward with the ability to play significant game time in the midfield. He’s doing everything he needs to do as an over-age player.”
Riley Bowman (19yo, Crib Point): “I brought Riley with me from the Dandenong Stingrays this year. He’s 200cm tall and an elite kick on both feet. He probably didn’t have the season he should’ve had last year, but he’ll get more time as a forward here while playing the majority of time as our ruck.”

LEADERSHIP MATERIAL
“Our players have picked Ryan Byrnes (18yo, Beaumaris) to be our captain this year, supported by Finn Maginness (see above) and Corey Watts (see above) as vice-captains.”

FAMOUS FOOTBALL RELATIONS
Tyson Milne
(18yo, Parkdale): Son of former AFL player Stephen Milne – 275 games for St Kilda.
Charlie McKay (17yo, Prahran): Son of former AFL player Andrew McKay – 244 games for Carlton – and sister of 2018 Carlton AFL Women’s draftee Abbie McKay.
Tom Grant (17yo, East Sandringham): Son of former AFL player David Grant – 191 games for St Kilda/seven for Melbourne.
Jackson Voss (18yo, Beaumaris): Son of former AFL player Brett Voss – 35 games for Brisbane/135 for St Kilda.
Finn Maginness (see above): Son of former AFL player Scott Maginness – 131 games for Hawthorn.
Jai Florent (18yo, Old Mentonians): Brother of current AFL player Oliver Florent – 31 games for Sydney.
Jeremy Goddard (18yo, Geelong Amateur): Brother of current AFL player Hugh Goddard – 10 games for St Kilda/now at Carlton.

TEAM STRENGTHS
“We have an even balance of talent and a lot of depth of midfielders and key-position players. Our speed and the versatility of our players will definitely be our biggest strengths, but the biggest issue is going to be getting our best team on the park consistently due to a lot of boys’ private-school football commitments. The first three rounds – when we have those players available – are going to mean a lot.”
 

2018 FINISH:
5th (10-8 record)
2018 BEST AND FAIREST: 1. Ely Smith / 2. Lachlan Ash / 3. Jimmy Boyer
2018 TEAM OF THE YEAR SELECTIONS:Hudson Garoni, Ely Smith
2018 AFL DRAFTEES: Ely Smith (Brisbane), Laitham Vandermeer (Western Bulldogs), Jacob Koschitzke (Hawthorn), Mathew Walker (Hawthorn), Finbar O’Dwyer (Carlton), Jordon Butts* (Adelaide)
OTHER FORMER PLAYERS ON AFL LISTS:
  • Selected in 2003: David Mundy (Fremantle) 294 games
  • 2004: Brett Deledio (Richmond/GWS) 243/18
  • 2006: Ben Reid (Collingwood) 142, Jarrod Harbrow* (Western Bulldogs/Gold Coast) 70/154
  • 2007: Ben McEvoy (St Kilda/Hawthorn) 91/96, Dawson Simpson (Geelong/GWS) 28/11
  • 2008: Jack Ziebell (North Melbourne) 188, Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood) 211, Sam Wright (North Melbourne) 132, Tom Rockliff (Brisbane/Port Adelaide) 154/18
  • 2009: Sam Reid (Sydney) 121, Taylor Duryea (Hawthorn/Western Bulldogs) 118/0, Alex Keath (Gold Coast/Adelaide) 0/12
  • 2010: Shaun Atley (North Melbourne) 176, Anthony Miles (GWS/Richmond/Gold Coast) 10/61/0, Jonathon Ceglar (Collingwood/Hawthorn) 0/61
  • 2011: Jamie Elliott (Collingwood) 89, Jack Crisp* (Brisbane/Collingwood) 18/92
  • 2012: Tom Clurey (Port Adelaide) 60, Matt Taberner* (Fremantle) 62
  • 2013: Jarman Impey (Port Adelaide/Hawthorn) 75/24, Kayne Turner* (North Melbourne) 58
  • 2014: Caleb Marchbank (GWS/Carlton) 7/28, Daniel Howe (Hawthorn) 50, Dougal Howard (Port Adelaide) 30
  • 2015: Josh Schache (Brisbane/Western Bulldogs) 27/13, Clayton Oliver (Melbourne) 60
  • 2016: Will Brodie (Gold Coast) 11, Jy Simpkin (North Melbourne) 35, Todd Marshall (Port Adelaide) 10, Esava Ratugolea (Geelong) 8, Ryan Garthwaite (Richmond) 2, Harry Morrison (Hawthorn) 22, James Cousins* (Hawthorn) 7, Max Lynch* (Collingwood) 0, Zach Sproule* (GWS) 0
  • 2017: Charlie Spargo (Melbourne) 18, Ben Paton (St Kilda) 3, Harrison Jones* (Hawthorn) 0, Doulton Langlands* (St Kilda) 0
2019 AFL ACADEMY:
  • Level 2 (18yo): Lachlan Ash, Will Chandler
  • Level 1 (17yo): Ethan Baxter, Charlie Byrne, Elijah Hollands
2019 HEAD COACH: Mark Brown (first season)
2019 SEASON START: vs Gippsland Power @ Swinburne Centre, Saturday March 23

TOP 2019 AFL DRAFT PROSPECTS
Lachlan Ash
(local club – Shepparton): “Lachie is extremely fit and has a good mix of speed and endurance. He’s a half-back flanker who reads the play really well, is very clean with the football and is very competitive. We’ll develop him through the midfield this year. He played in Shepparton’s senior (Goulburn Valley FL) premiership in 2018.”
Will Chandler (Corowa Rutherglen): “Will is in the Allies AFL Academy squad and he had a strong bottom-age season last year. He’s a small forward with really strong defensive pressure and a beautiful left-foot kick. He also played a bit in the midfield and on a wing in 2018, and he might get some time across half back this year.”
Cameron Wild (local club TBC): “Cam played for the Northern Knights last year but he has relocated to Shepparton. He’s physically really strong and played through the midfield and on a wing with the Knights. He’s one of our best performers athletically and we’re hoping he can be a strong player through the midfield for us this year.”
Jimmy Boyer (Congupna): “Jimmy finished third in our best-and-fairest last year playing a half back/midfield role, and he’ll probably move into the midfield full-time this year. He’s an unassuming player who’s very good with his work inside the contests and very clean with his ball use.”
Will Christie (19yo in 2019, Wangaratta Rovers): “Will has been with us for two years but he’s only played a handful of games (five). He’s a developing 200cm tall forward who will do a bit of work in the ruck. He’s very agile when the ball hits the ground, has good leg speed and is a strong contested mark.”
Liam Fiore (19yo, Shepparton United): “Liam suffered an injury during the 2018 pre-season and didn’t play his first game until Round 9, but he performed really well late last year. He’s a 196cm key defender and we think that if he continues his development, he’ll be a strong prospect.”

POTENTIAL DRAFT SURPRISE PACKET
Nick Irvine
(Tungamah): “Nick appeared in four matches for us as a bottom-age player in 2018. He played across half back last season and featured in our best players in the Elimination Final against the Sandringham Dragons. He’s had a strong pre-season and is looking to have a consistent year at either half back or half forward.”

BOTTOM-AGER TO WATCH
Elijah Hollands
(Wodonga): “Elijah played the last three games for us in 2018 as a 16-year-old – and kicked goals in each of them. He played at centre half forward for Vic Country in last year’s (NAB AFL) U16 Championships and earned All Australian selection. He pretty much ticks all the boxes.”

LEADERSHIP MATERIAL
Lachlan Ash (see above) and Will Chandler(see above) have shown leadership skills with their approach to training. We also have some other boys who have been good on the track and might be in the leadership group, like Nick Irvine (see above), Jimmy Boyer (see above), Dylan Clarke (18yo, Wodonga Raiders), Jye Chalcraft (18yo, Shepparton United) and Hudson Kaak (18yo, Seymour).”

FAMOUS FOOTBALL RELATIONS
Cameron Wild
(see above): Son of former AFL player Jason Wild – 70 games for Collingwood.
Will Chandler (see above): Son of former AFL player Jeff Chandler – 50 games for North Melbourne.
Elijah Hollands (see above): Son of former AFL player Ben Hollands – eight games for Richmond.

TEAM STRENGTHS
“We’ll probably have a fairly strong midfield group; we have some boys in our midfield who played quite a few games last year. We also have a team goal to be able to handle the travel component of a long season a bit better this year, just being a bit smarter in the way we prepare for and recover from travel. We haven’t won a game in August since 2015 and that’s probably when the players are getting a bit tired.”
 
After the Picken retirement I've decided to do a list of 20 yo's and under players in the NAB League and at Footscray that are well worth a look.

Riley Bowman (198cm, 89kg) - Key Forward with excellent skills at ground level and by foot. Can backup ruck.

James Blanck (195cm, 85kg) - Key Defender with ability to read the play and intercept. Bit raw atm.

Cody Hirst (178cm, 67kg) - mid/forward with pace and elite agilty (beat Hills record) was cut down with injuries most of last year. A player that constantly lays pressure and could make it as a small forward.

Charlie Sprague (188cm, 83kg) - forward in a similar mould to Billy Gowers

Kyle Dunkley (185cm, 84kg) - inside mid and brother to Josh. VD mentioned him a bit in the VFL thread.

Jed Hill (179cm, 70kg) - high impact forward that has moments of brilliance in games and can move up the ground. Bit raw atm.

James Cleaver (186cm, 80kg) - highly athletic Utility with lots of pace and a very good leap.

Liam Fiore (195cm, 86kg) - another Key Defender that was very good late last year after a slow start with injuries.

Zane Barzen (191cm, 78kg) - 3rd tall forward that was highly rated at the start of last year. Work in gym required.

Joe Ayton-Delaney (180cm, 74kg) - half back/ midfielder that has started this year very well. Bit stiff to miss out being rookied in my opinion.

Angus Hanrahan (183cm, 74kg) - outside mid/forward with elite skills by foot. If we continue the trend of last draft by getting excellent ball users he'd be high on the list.

Austin Hodge (190cm, 83kg) - tough forward who can pinch hit in the center that possesses a cannon of a kick. Playing at Footscray.

Cody Henness (193cm, 83kg) - Key Back with very good ability 1v1. Played TAC a few years back so my memory is a bit hazy.
 
After the Picken retirement I've decided to do a list of 20 yo's and under players in the NAB League and at Footscray that are well worth a look.

Riley Bowman (198cm, 89kg) - Key Forward with excellent skills at ground level and by foot. Can backup ruck.

James Blanck (195cm, 85kg) - Key Defender with ability to read the play and intercept. Bit raw atm.

Cody Hirst (178cm, 67kg) - mid/forward with pace and elite agilty (beat Hills record) was cut down with injuries most of last year. A player that constantly lays pressure and could make it as a small forward.

Charlie Sprague (188cm, 83kg) - forward in a similar mould to Billy Gowers

Kyle Dunkley (185cm, 84kg) - inside mid and brother to Josh. VD mentioned him a bit in the VFL thread.

Jed Hill (179cm, 70kg) - high impact forward that has moments of brilliance in games and can move up the ground. Bit raw atm.

James Cleaver (186cm, 80kg) - highly athletic Utility with lots of pace and a very good leap.

Liam Fiore (195cm, 86kg) - another Key Defender that was very good late last year after a slow start with injuries.

Zane Barzen (191cm, 78kg) - 3rd tall forward that was highly rated at the start of last year. Work in gym required.

Joe Ayton-Delaney (180cm, 74kg) - half back/ midfielder that has started this year very well. Bit stiff to miss out being rookied in my opinion.

Angus Hanrahan (183cm, 74kg) - outside mid/forward with elite skills by foot. If we continue the trend of last draft by getting excellent ball users he'd be high on the list.

Austin Hodge (190cm, 83kg) - tough forward who can pinch hit in the center that possesses a cannon of a kick. Playing at Footscray.

Cody Henness (193cm, 83kg) - Key Back with very good ability 1v1. Played TAC a few years back so my memory is a bit hazy.

Thanks.

After watching Young yesterday, we need one of the KPDs.
 
After the Picken retirement I've decided to do a list of 20 yo's and under players in the NAB League and at Footscray that are well worth a look.

Riley Bowman (198cm, 89kg) - Key Forward with excellent skills at ground level and by foot. Can backup ruck.

James Blanck (195cm, 85kg) - Key Defender with ability to read the play and intercept. Bit raw atm.

Cody Hirst (178cm, 67kg) - mid/forward with pace and elite agilty (beat Hills record) was cut down with injuries most of last year. A player that constantly lays pressure and could make it as a small forward.

Charlie Sprague (188cm, 83kg) - forward in a similar mould to Billy Gowers

Kyle Dunkley (185cm, 84kg) - inside mid and brother to Josh. VD mentioned him a bit in the VFL thread.

Jed Hill (179cm, 70kg) - high impact forward that has moments of brilliance in games and can move up the ground. Bit raw atm.

James Cleaver (186cm, 80kg) - highly athletic Utility with lots of pace and a very good leap.

Liam Fiore (195cm, 86kg) - another Key Defender that was very good late last year after a slow start with injuries.

Zane Barzen (191cm, 78kg) - 3rd tall forward that was highly rated at the start of last year. Work in gym required.

Joe Ayton-Delaney (180cm, 74kg) - half back/ midfielder that has started this year very well. Bit stiff to miss out being rookied in my opinion.

Angus Hanrahan (183cm, 74kg) - outside mid/forward with elite skills by foot. If we continue the trend of last draft by getting excellent ball users he'd be high on the list.

Austin Hodge (190cm, 83kg) - tough forward who can pinch hit in the center that possesses a cannon of a kick. Playing at Footscray.

Cody Henness (193cm, 83kg) - Key Back with very good ability 1v1. Played TAC a few years back so my memory is a bit hazy.

I want someone large, skilful with a big dose of mongrel.... any of these fit that bill?


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