2015 Phantom Draft

[Headless]

Nice draft. Thank you for the effort.

Gee, you're touchy. I already acknowledged that McDonald is a star, no need to repeat it. Salem isn't THAT good, and Melbourne won't be going anywhere without a defence which they hardly have.

I think Salem will become one of our best players if not our best player.

 

[croweyrocks]

Lobbe is the gun I was talking about. Ryder is hardly a ruckman but a forward option. That could change however with the recruit of Dixon.

Fair enough, I respect your opinion but Ryder IMO is a much better ruckman than Lobbe

 

[master bate]

Salem is nothing special thus far. Was great in his debut year but can't say he was game changing this year. McDonald is a terrific player, I agree. But who else is there? Frost would surely have to play next year, and Dunn way past it. Garland and Grimes go alright but they're nothing special. The club need another injection of defenders sometime. You have plenty of talent in the midfield.

I consider shut down defenders as one position group and rebound back flankers a different position on a spectrum with wingmen and half forwards really.

For lock down defenders Melbourne are pretty well stocked:
Talls: Dunn, Tom McDonald, Oscar McDonald and Sam Frost
Medium Sized: Col Garland
Smalls: Nev Jetta, Tom Bugg
Dunn and Garland need to be replaced by the younger talent but they are there/not a huge priority.

Rebound defenders are definitely a huge priority:
We traded for Melksham to play on one back flank and Salem is definitely good enough for the other back flank. After that we have a rookie by the name of Mitch White who is a pretty decent prospect but it's very early days. Billy Stretch can play half back but he's more a wingman. Lumumba and Grimes are playing out their days.

So you are right to say it's a need. Probably more so than inside mid. But it's not like you can ever have too many inside mids. Petracca and Brayshaw look just as adept at half forward. Vince and Nath Jones over the next few years could go to half back like Sam Mitchell or Matty Boyd have done. Neal-Bullen can easily adapt to playing on a wing, even more so if his kicking improves.

I just think it's too big a leap to take Tucker over Oliver. We can target a defender later in the draft. If you are winning the contested ball and playing the game on your terms you can always find a good outside player with a trade I think. Look at this year with Lewis Jetta, Aish, Yarran, Rosa moving clubs. It's much harder to find a gun ball winner up for grabs.

 

[getgaff]

Great effort adammania9. I love the Ryan Clarke pick, been watching his draft movements closely and believe that he is the type of midfielder we can use and should be available in the 20 - 30 range.

As for the second pick I like that you've gone tall forward. Hoping that we draft a tall forward that we can develop in the WAFL and prime that player for when Kennedy retires. Can't say I know enough about Tom Wilson but. Care to elaborate on him?

 

[adammania9]

Great effort adammania9. I love the Ryan Clarke pick, been watching his draft movements closely and believe that he is the type of midfielder we can use and should be available in the 20 - 30 range.

As for the second pick I like that you've gone tall forward. Hoping that we draft a tall forward that we can develop in the WAFL and prime that player for when Kennedy retires. Can't say I know enough about Tom Wilson but. Care to elaborate on him?

I'm not too knowledgeable about players outside the Top 25-30 on the AFL.com.au's phantom draft, so all I can say is he'd be a solid tall forward option and he's one of the best blokes available before you start getting those guys who are delisted after two seasons and can't get a game.