2010 mock draft

[WALL-e]

Reads the play very well as well.

He'd be a lovely floating defender, who long term could play a role somewhat like Lake.

 

[Toadvine]

I think he'll be more of a Harry O'brien. Drop in the hole to help out the key defenders and then rebound hard with his long accurate kicking.

 

[WALL-e]

Short term I see Harry O with less run.

 

[TradeDraft]

Well said, he also one of the elite kicks in this draft.

Good at Both

 

[Balony_pony16]

well the way the lions are going, they should be in the running for either gaff or Parker? I think the lions will finish in the botton 2 which will give us 4 or 6.

I just hope GC and the others fight over the talls

 

[Balony_pony16]

Can someone make a top 10 list for the midfielder?

 

[Cupar Kane]

1. David Swollow (WA)
2. H. Bennell (WA)
3. Brodie Smith (SA)
4. Jared Polec (SA)
5. Luke Parker (VC)

Would be my top 5 Midfielders.... Andrew Gaff looks great also, but from games I have seen looks more of a link man half back type....

 

[ArdentEagle]

Going through the videos I really like the look of Jayden Pitt. I'd love some info on him. He looks very classy to me, quick and good on both sides

 

[rusman]

1. David Swollow (WA)
2. H. Bennell (WA)
3. Brodie Smith (SA)
4. Jared Polec (SA)
5. Luke Parker (VC)

Would be my top 5 Midfielders.... Andrew Gaff looks great also, but from games I have seen looks more of a link man half back type....

could ya squeeze Atley in there?

 

[corncob95]

KPFs: Steven May (NT- possibly could get snapped up by GC), Lucas Cook (VIC - Have him going early teens), Jamie Solly (SA - Probably best available KPF if you went in that direction), Tom Lynch (VIC-KPF), Luke Mitchell (injured, could be 2nd round) *Could be amongst the KPFs available at pick 18*

Smalls (mid/f): Jayden Pitt (VIC - Would at this stage be my choice at your pick) and Josh Caddy (VIC) I think would be possible as mids/ forwards. Both will go around that selection. Have Pitt in the late teens at the moment and Caddy in the 20s.

No Jed Lamb?

 

[dajesmac]

It's pretty hard to construct a phantom draft without knowing which teams get which picks. Some teams will draft based on needs, most likely teams finishing off their rebuilds ie Melbourne, West Coast, maybe Richmond, whereas teams like Geelong and Hawthorn will go straight to best available.

For example I'd like to think that West Coast with pick four will go for the offensive goal kicking mid type of Parker over the inside accumulator in Gaff because he have Ebert, Stevens, Masten etc already.

 

[Galileo9]

It's pretty hard to construct a phantom draft without knowing which teams get which picks. Some teams will draft based on needs, most likely teams finishing off their rebuilds ie Melbourne, West Coast, maybe Richmond, whereas teams like Geelong and Hawthorn will go straight to best available.

For example I'd like to think that West Coast with pick four will go for the offensive goal kicking mid type of Parker over the inside accumulator in Gaff because he have Ebert, Stevens, Masten etc already.

isnt it the other way around? given that we are shite, our needs are everywhere and hence we need best available. what good is it for geelong and hawks to go for best available when its in its window and both have ageing players needing replacing. they dont draft for "future" given its their window. they would be nuts to.

 

[folester41]

i was thinking the same thing galileo

 

[Blue and Silver]

I guess it all depends on the situation. If a team is confident it can get quality players of one type later down the track than it may pick needs above best available. In West Coasts case they may be assured they can pick up an outside midfielder with their second pick so might use their first on a KPP knowing that another midfielder may be a better prospect.

 

[dajesmac]

isnt it the other way around? given that we are shite, our needs are everywhere and hence we need best available. what good is it for geelong and hawks to go for best available when its in its window and both have ageing players needing replacing. they dont draft for "future" given its their window. they would be nuts to.

Hm, fair enough point but I disagree in our case, we've drafted pretty well the last 2 drafts (and decently enough in the one before that IMO) picking up mids such as Swift, Shuey Sheppard, Stevens + Masten and Ebert, also Smith aswell, which leads me to think we probably don't desperately need a mid right now. We could probably do with a KPP rather than a mid, which is where the Needs Vs Best Available comes into play, for example Gaff (best available) vs Darling (Needs).

I don't necessarily think we should draft Darling I'm just making a point.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

No two midfielders are the same we can add plenty to our mix by selecting a Gaff or Atley. Don't need a midfielder like Parker or Smith.

 

[dext]

Hm, fair enough point but I disagree in our case, we've drafted pretty well the last 2 drafts (and decently enough in the one before that IMO) picking up mids such as Swift, Shuey Sheppard, Stevens + Masten and Ebert, also Smith aswell, which leads me to think we probably don't desperately need a mid right now. We could probably do with a KPP rather than a mid, which is where the Needs Vs Best Available comes into play, for example Gaff (best available) vs Darling (Needs).

I don't necessarily think we should draft Darling I'm just making a point.

You can never have too many quality mids, and I know our mids we have are young and going to get better but as it stands we really lake a good midfeild. As much as I would like to have darling on the list, we would be silly to pass up gaff if available. I think people have the wrong impression of gaff, has a good inside game, but is mainly an outside mid linking others with very good skills, and we don't have many of those types on our list.

 

[LemmingMaster]

Just turn a tall midfielder into a defender, use the Geelong method. Having players like Kelly and Enright floating around the defensive 50 is like gold.

 

[The Secrets Out]

Who will essendon be looking for?

 

[Axel.]

IMO they need a midfielder. Green will probably be available at their pick.

 

[Ysaye]

Hm, fair enough point but I disagree in our case, we've drafted pretty well the last 2 drafts (and decently enough in the one before that IMO) picking up mids such as Swift, Shuey Sheppard, Stevens + Masten and Ebert, also Smith aswell, which leads me to think we probably don't desperately need a mid right now. We could probably do with a KPP rather than a mid, which is where the Needs Vs Best Available comes into play, for example Gaff (best available) vs Darling (Needs).

I don't necessarily think we should draft Darling I'm just making a point.

Have you drafted well in the last two drafts?

I honestly think that you have to really assess very carefully how good the cattle that you have are, despite what you have picked up. From an outsider's perspective, you don't have many players that are currently good users of the ball (Naitanui seems as good a kick as any of the above mentioned players bar maybe Stevens and Smith). Whilst I believe that one or two might have the talent to become quality kicks, there is a fair chance that they might not either.

The modern game revolves around having an effective midfield, and at the moment its the area of the game that you are generally getting killed in. IMO a midfielder who has the skills and one of either ball winning ability and height, or a pacy outside the packs, would really help your team.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Just turn a tall midfielder into a defender, use the Geelong method. Having players like Kelly and Enright floating around the defensive 50 is like gold.

Stevenson, Smith and Sheppard. All can play through the middle and all are rebounding defenders at the moment.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Have you drafted well in the last two drafts?

I honestly think that you have to really assess very carefully how good the cattle that you have are, despite what you have picked up. From an outsider's perspective, you don't have many players that are currently good users of the ball (Naitanui seems as good a kick as any of the above mentioned players bar maybe Stevens and Smith). Whilst I believe that one or two might have the talent to become quality kicks, there is a fair chance that they might not either.

The modern game revolves around having an effective midfield, and at the moment its the area of the game that you are generally getting killed in. IMO a midfielder who has the skills and one of either ball winning ability and height, or a pacy outside the packs, would really help your team.

Priddis and A.Selwood isn't our future midfield.

Midfielders with genuine outside ability are a must but we arent short on them in reality.

 

[David3030]

1. Swallow
2. Day
3. Bennell
4. Gaff - Richmond to go best available?
5. Solly - Gold Coast to go for KPP with this pick? At this stage Darling/Cook/Solly are about equal. Solly has had a field day so far in a dominant SA side. I think Solly is ahead though, at 193cm is a bit taller, can go midfield also. Cook at 194cm has good size about him as well. Darling's size (190cm) and drop off in form to see him drop.
6. Prestia in the mix (if West Coast) - may possibly go for someone who can run/break lines. Prestia the most likely at this stage? Others in the mix are Parker, Polec and Atley.
7. Parker
8. Darling -if Melbourne - surely someone to help out Watts. May go with the more developed body of Darling (190cm, 90kg) over Cook (194cm, 80kg)
9. Tape (SA) - Gold Coast to go for a good defender. Wilson also in the mix.
10. Polec (probably Adelaide's pick - local boy Polec)

Quite a deep draft IMO. After the top 10, there will still be gems like Blayne Wilson, Brodie Smith, Green (Tassie), Miles (NT), Lamb, Cripps, Libba, Wallis, Max Otten, Tom Schneider, Ben Jacobs, Lycett, Hallahan & Shane Kerston.

Is Tape a relative (hope F/S) of Jamie Tape? Played 100 games at Richmond late 80's early 90's and was killed in a car crash a few years ago. Jamie Tape came to Richmond from SA and went back there when his AFL career ended.

 

[dajesmac]

Have you drafted well in the last two drafts?

I honestly think that you have to really assess very carefully how good the cattle that you have are, despite what you have picked up. From an outsider's perspective, you don't have many players that are currently good users of the ball (Naitanui seems as good a kick as any of the above mentioned players bar maybe Stevens and Smith). Whilst I believe that one or two might have the talent to become quality kicks, there is a fair chance that they might not either.

The modern game revolves around having an effective midfield, and at the moment its the area of the game that you are generally getting killed in. IMO a midfielder who has the skills and one of either ball winning ability and height, or a pacy outside the packs, would really help your team.

When I said we've drafted well I didn't just necessarily mean kicking skill. Naitanui @ 2, I'm not going to get into a debate about, then Shuey who I think will be a freak and Swift who has shown at the end of 2009 that he has the potential to be elite. Smith looks very at home at this level too so far, and Jones @ 53 has looked very good as a defender/midfielder for Peel before sustaining a broken ankle. All successful picks so far.

Sheppard was a very, very solid pick at 7, and undoubtedly the best available, and Stevens was a steal @ 23. The questionable one I will concede is Weedon @ 22 who sort of came from no where, and as a medium forward (186cm) he doesn't fulfill the small forward need but I'm not going to rule him out yet.

I think 2008 and 09 were very good drafts for us yes.

As for ball users, all of the above are decent, especially Shuey and Smith, with the exception of Naitanui who is a ruck and will rarely be given an outside role. Swift lacks penetration but makes up for it in other areas.

We've also rookie listed between 2007-09 some exceptional ball users in Stevenson, Hams and Strijk, all of whom are in the 22 consistently in the past month at least. Not bad for debut seasons.

I do agree that we need a pacy outside player, I just think we're stacked for inside mids atm. Would you say Atley fits that mould? I have heard virtually nothing on him tbh. Gaff is an outside player but doesn't have elite pace nor skills, just a sensational work rate. If there was a skillful inside mid worth pick 4, he would be worth a look, but I haven't heard of many so far.