Analysis 2016 Draft...

[Mr MysteryGuest]

According to part two of the Berry piece, our recruiters went out to Ballarat in the middle of the year and took Berry out to breakfast, if that means anything. We told him not to worry about how his injury woes may affect him and that we just wanted to see him back playing and having fun.

Starting to think that our pick will be between Berry and Hayward, if there still there.

 

[azza77]

On the Seedsman/Hampton topic, when we picked up Hampton I was extremely bullish about him.

Size, extreme speed, agility, clean hands... He was and still is a very good prospect. But acquiring that foot injury, Cameron spending time in the midfield, Seedsman making an impact in the first 22 and the drafting of Milera has set him back a long way.

Imo, if Smith, Milera, Atkins and Seedsman are to take the wing duties from here on in, Curtly needs to develop into and inside/outside mid. He needs to be able to win his own ball off the deck and fire off a hand pass, or receive a hand pass/ruck tap from the edge of the circle and burn off his opponents coming out of the contest. Similar to CC, but with more size and starting from the inside.

If we were asking Seedsman to do this, I would give him very little chance of making it. But Curtly could, and if given the chance to develop this game in the SANFL could become a Yolmen, with better foot skills and CC like pace. That is someone I want in the 22. As Curtly said in an interview early this year, he sees himself more as a midfielder forward than a back flank.

His engine and fitness levels are the biggest thing standing in his way right now. I'd love to see him in that role, but he's never had a huge tank and he's going to have to do a mountain of work to get there.

Even after coming back from the footy injury and getting some game time under his belt he was fading in and out of games badly, going unsighted for whole quarters. His decision making also needs a lot of work imo. Will be 24 next year so time isn't exactly on his time in terms of building natural fitness and changing into a whole new role.

 

[headache1]

Hampton Im not convinced by but Seedsman? I think he's been a great get with a lot of footy still ahead of him. Having him and Smith up and running together is so important and compliments our game plan, as we saw earlier on in the year

Getting him up and running seems to be the hard part, and what has held him back so far throughout his AFL career. Agree though, having a guy on either side of the ground capable of kicking those blisteringly fast, penetrating, flat kicks goes a long way to opening things up.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

On the Seedsman/Hampton topic, when we picked up Hampton I was extremely bullish about him.

Size, extreme speed, agility, clean hands... He was and still is a very good prospect. But acquiring that foot injury, Cameron spending time in the midfield, Seedsman making an impact in the first 22 and the drafting of Milera has set him back a long way.

Imo, if Smith, Milera, Atkins and Seedsman are to take the wing duties from here on in, Curtly needs to develop into and inside/outside mid. He needs to be able to win his own ball off the deck and fire off a hand pass, or receive a hand pass/ruck tap from the edge of the circle and burn off his opponents coming out of the contest. Similar to CC, but with more size and starting from the inside.

If we were asking Seedsman to do this, I would give him very little chance of making it. But Curtly could, and if given the chance to develop this game in the SANFL could become a Yolmen, with better foot skills and CC like pace. That is someone I want in the 22. As Curtly said in an interview early this year, he sees himself more as a midfielder forward than a back flank.

If Dougy drops out, and Menzel doesn't make his case, I think a Hampton/Greenwood duo rotating through the centre square and forward line would add an awesome new dynamic to our squad.

The lad has the ability, we'll know in another 2 seasons if he can make a roll like that his own.

Hampton has showed no evidence of being to play consistent midfield footy

I think it's a pipe dream

Things holding him back
* injury history
* endurance
* decision making
* concentration ( ability to stay in the game )

If he hasn't done it at any level in last 4-5 yrs I don't see that changing

 

[Pdub]

Has us taking Hayward, FWIW

Every year most mock drafts have us taking the next best SA talent, but other than Milara we have taken interstate kids.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

I just simply fail to understand why a lot of you are dismissing Hampton as a chump. The man is mature, played 51 games already, was sidelined by a long term injury for most of our last year and a lot of you want to write him off. Amazing! He made his way back later in the year and showed enough to suggest he will be a pretty handy pickup for us. So we can take a nonproven kid at least 2 years away from even getting an AFL game. Think Wigg, 2 years later he is still waiting to get a taste.

He may one day be able to play half back or half forward but he has shown no evidence that he can step up to be an AFL midfielder

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Who are the good footballers from St Peters College in AFL currently?

Definitely not Will Minson

There ain't many off top of head

PAC has a few including Viney and George Hewett ( Sam Day, Harry Wigg)

Doesn't really matter , most of his footy has been learnt at north Adelaide and under sticks Phillips according to his interviews

He's a gun . I'd be happy and I can see midfield minutes
I'd be happy with a few others also

 

[azza77]

Hampton has showed no evidence of being to play consistent midfield footy

I think it's a pipe dream

Things holding him back
* injury history
* endurance
* decision making
* concentration ( ability to stay in the game )

If he hasn't done it at any level in last 4-5 yrs I don't see that changing

Essentially this.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Wayne, you're changing the goal posts now. It was he wouldn't go in the first round originally. Starting taking those Pics.

YES i did .......I am pretty sure that statement was b4 Gold Coast accumulated 4 draft picks ....if not for that, iam comfortable no-one would grab him (high risk)

That said, i am also comfortable saying he'll be a BUST! .....here's hoping i don't have egg on my face

 

[Mismatched]

Nah look I agree, think we made the right choice going for Seedsman, when he's got a good run of games he's been very dangerous off a wing with his boot, speed and spread. Able to get in the contest more than one would think, too.

Gut feel says Hampton won't make it, myself. Think he's behind a fair few of our outside mids. He's the one we shouldn't have traded for, IMO.

Seedsman for mine will always be a little frustrating, similar to Jenkins, but I think he's one that suits our gameplan really well. He's a real classic wingman, tall, light, run all day with a long leg, use him Properly and he's a real asset, just don't expect him to be something he's not.

Hampton has a little more versatility and I think is one who will end up being a bit of an outside/in type midfielder who rotates through the flanks as well. Watching a bit of Hampton late in the season, he's certainly got pace, agility with no shortage of ego, which I like and he will take the game on. Needs to get his fitness/conditioning right though, could still be anything for us, but has a bit of work to do.

 

[azza77]

Who are the good footballers from St Peters College in AFL currently?

Lachie Neale the big one that comes to mind.

Im fairly sure there is one other but I can't think of their name right now.

 

[Mismatched]

Lachie Neale the big one that comes to mind.

Im fairly sure there is one other but I can't think of their name right now.

Phil Davis was St Peters wasn't he?

 

[azza77]

Phil Davis was St Peters wasn't he?

Correctamundo sir

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Lachie Neale the big one that comes to mind.

Im fairly sure there is one other but I can't think of their name right now.

He was a country border, as was Riley Knight. Not sure how long they actually spent there.

 

[Ozzie]

He may one day be able to play half back or half forward but he has shown no evidence that he can step up to be an AFL midfielder

What was queried is whether he would ever make it as an AFL footballer.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Who are the good footballers from St Peters College in AFL currently?

...Good footballers from Saints?

Now if we're taking Pulteney Grammar ......

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

...Good footballers from Saints?

Now if we're taking Pulteney Grammar ......

Josh Francou?

 

[Ozzie]

YES i did .......I am pretty sure that statement was b4 Gold Coast accumulated 4 draft picks ....if not for that, iam comfortable no-one would grab him (high risk)

That said, i am also comfortable saying he'll be a BUST! .....here's hoping i don't have egg on my face

View attachment 310505

And having pics on the net for peeps to laff at.

 

[matty p]

so apparently venables is unlikely to be considered at our pick 13, not as highly rated by us as berry and a couple others

Thank goodness for that, I think Venables will bust. Berry would be a very solid pick for us. I'm hoping for Berry if Brodie doesn't fall to our pick.

 

[Bicks]

Part 2 : Going Places : Jarrod Berry

Going places: Jarrod Berry learns to curb his enthusiasm
Callum Twomey November 15, 2016 7:06 AM

Going Places: Jarrod BerryThe Victorian prospect explains how he has overcome family adversity to push on towards this year's NAB AFL Draft

Friday, July 29
A MONTH before Vic Country's first game of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, Jarrod Berry suffered a shoulder injury that threw his preparation for the carnival into a spin.

He thought it would be a two-week layoff, but his break was extended by an extra two weeks and the first game he played in five weeks was Country's opening-round clash against Western Australia in Perth. The break, naturally, left him a little underdone, and short on form.



Berry had 10 disposals in Country's defeat and came home wanting to play more in the midfield in round two, against Vic Metro.

He did that to some extent, and had some good passages of play that exhibited his power and speed and ability to break the lines (he had four inside-50s from 12 disposals). But still he didn't think he influenced the game much, as he saw his side give up a 20-point three-quarter time lead to lose by two points. After the game, he felt some pressure start to build. He sat in the Simonds Stadium rooms worried about how his year was unfolding.

"I was thinking about the big picture way too much," he says. "I'd be out there in games worrying about not playing well, and that was the wrong approach. I was never going to be able to turn it around with that outlook."


A knee injury early in the round-three game against South Australia limited Berry's output, and ruled him out of Vic Country's final game of the carnival late in June. As captain of his state, he watched that game from the Simonds Stadium stands, looking on as Country lost to the Allies by a goal.

Dealing with setbacks
The knee injury has kept him out since that game, as the Rebels take a cautious approach to his recovery. And after struggling with the stresses that have arisen in his draft year, the break has afforded Berry a chance to get his priorities in order.

"I actually don't look at it as a negative, because I learnt from that period, which was a lot about coping with the pressures in your under-18s year," he says.

"It doesn't matter what the media is saying about you, or where they're ranking your draft position. And, as hard as it is and easy as it sounds, you have to ignore what your mates are saying about the draft.

"I put too much pressure on myself. But it's driven from my competitive nature and having such high expectations of myself. Sometimes that pressure builds up – that's with school, footy, everything. My self-drive is about being the best I can be, and when I have a bad game it adds to the pressure. Until this year I probably hadn't stressed as much."

"I completely took the fun out of footy. I don't know why that happened – it was probably a combination of injuries and pressure and thinking about it all too much. I've had to get that right," Berry says.

Berry is due to return in two days for the North Ballarat Rebels in their TAC Cup clash against the Bendigo Pioneers. In some ways, the break came at a good time, and has given him a chance to take stock. After the carnival, Berry sought advice about how to keep his mind on the things that matter.

In action for the NAB AFL All Stars. Picture: AFL Photos

When Adelaide's recruiters visited Ballarat to interview him (they took him out for breakfast), they told him not to worry about the end of the year and that they just wanted to see him back playing and having fun. He also kept in close contact with his manager, Matt Bain of Stride Sports, who gave him counsel after helping other prospects through similar pressures.

Berry went through a thorough process to pick Bain as his manager before the start of the season. Former Rebels captain Darcy Tucker was willing to provide advice and guidance on his experiences, which helped greatly in this process. After receiving a stack of letters from agents – the first part of the process by which the managers must abide – Berry, his dad and former Richmond player and Berry's uncle, Todd Menegola, narrowed the list to six. Then they sent out questionnaires to each company, asking them to describe how they would manage him.

Some player managers were surprised. "They probably found it a pain," Berry says. Each responded in different ways and with varying levels of detail. Berry cut his options to four after the answers came back, and then three, before meetings with the agents at their offices. He didn't want to rush the decision, and was keen to do it his way, even if the written responses were a unique starting point.

"We had no doubt all three would have been perfect fit for me but in the end it was a decision made solely on how comfortable I felt with the manager," he says.

Matt and I were having lunch one day and I had a real connection with him. It came down to gut instinct by that stage. We just wanted someone who was honest and true to my needs."

Player managers were put through the griller as Berry assessed his options. Picture: AFL Photos

Just as Berry needed to make a choice between managers, clubs will need to make a call on him in four months. His form and injuries have made him a difficult prospect to assess.

"He's a hard one because last year (he) was very good, but he probably hasn't been able to show that same form," one scout said.

"He started the season seen as among that top batch, and he probably fits in somewhere in the first round. Everyone will have different views on where he plays at the next level He wants to be a midfielder; I see him maybe playing as a tall defender who can provide rebound.

"But you know he's going to do everything possible to get there as an AFL player. He's that type of kid. And those are the ones you draft with the most confidence."

Berry has thought plenty about how clubs have assessed his season; too much, probably. But with more than a month left in the TAC Cup year, he sees a chance to get back on track.

"I haven't really played much more than three games in a row this year and haven't really shown much in those games. I've just struggled to get out on the park," he says.

"But I can't dwell on the past. It's happened. I just want to play footy and enjoy myself for the rest of the season.

"I'm confident it will all come together at the end of the year. I'm excited about getting out there and having some fun again."


Monday, October 31
JARROD Berry is in his bedroom at Clarendon College, winding down after finishing his year 12 maths exam this morning. He has two more exams this week – physical education and accounting – before his secondary school studies are completed. Combining school and football is an often forgotten challenged faced by draft prospects – consider boys in country regions who spend weekends travelling to and from games.

But Berry finds it handy to have something other than the draft on his mind. "It's a good diversion from what's happening with my footy. It's an outlet to keep your mind on something else," he says.

"I've got three weeks between my last exam and draft day, so I'm going to head back to Horsham and spend some time with dad. It's going to be a long wait."

School is an outlet away from footy for many draft hopefuls. Picture: AFL Photos

Berry's injury battles have made it a year he doesn't reflect on so fondly. After returning to North Ballarat's TAC Cup side after the mid-season knee injury, he had the best patch of form for the season. His Rebels coach Gerard FitzGerald had always planned on pushing him forward at some point of the season, and that's where he hit form.

Playing in a midfield/forward role, Berry kicked three goals in his return against Bendigo, backing it up with another three-goal performance against the Northern Knights. He had 18 disposals in that game, plus five tackles and seven clearances, and was the most imposing player on the ground.


"He was really showing some stuff," one recruiter says. "He was quick, powerful, tough – all those things we've come to expect from Jarrod. It was good for him to put in one of those dominant games."

Berry was starting to feel like himself again. He was fit, which made an obvious difference. And he had managed to forget about what everyone was thinking about his place in the draft, focusing instead on just playing.

He was named in the Rebels' best the following week against the Eastern Ranges, before facing the Geelong Falcons in the final round of the season leading up to the finals.

The focus of attention
Like the first time the sides met in round one, the Falcons were physical and took every chance to rough up the Rebels, particularly Berry and star midfielder Hugh McCluggage, a favourite to be the No. 1 pick. Berry copped a forearm to the back in the first quarter, and then a knock to the nose that required him to leave the field to have it patched up.

Berry is rated a strong chance to be taken in the NAB AFL Draft's first round. Picture: AFL Photos

When the club's doctors were doing that, he mentioned his sore back. But it wasn't too painful, and he thought it was just a bump. He played out the rest of the first half, but during the main break, as his body cooled down, the pain increased and he was struggling to breathe. He was told to head to the toilet and fill a cup with urine. "I brought it back and it looked like a glass of red wine," he says.

The club's doctors immediately asked Troy, who was watching the game in the crowd, to come into the rooms, as their fears grew that he had kidney damage. He was rushed to hospital, where scans showed he had bruised the organ. There were also concerns, at least in the first few hours, he had lacerated a kidney and would require surgery, but fortunately that wasn't the case.

"It was pretty scary. I had to stay in hospital for two nights to let the kidney recover," he says. "Once I got out it was around the time we were finishing our coursework at school and I really wanted to do that, even though I couldn't walk around so well. I probably rushed that a bit."

There was no rushing his return to the field. The injury ended his season for the Rebels (they were knocked out in the second week of the finals), with Berry's final game of the year on AFL Grand Final eve in the NAB All Stars contest, featuring nearly 50 of the top prospects for this draft year.

Berry's urine sample after his kidney injury 'looked like a glass of red wine'. Picture: AFL Photos

The kidney injury capped what was a frustrating season for him, as he dealt with a range of fitness issues. Some were unavoidable, but he thinks he will need to slightly change the way he plays.

"Dad always says to make sure I look after myself. I'll have to work on it, and work on assessing each situation better instead of always going at it. If you want a long career you can't be knocking yourself out," he says.

"A few clubs mentioned the 'dumb courage' thing at the combine."

The NAB AFL Draft Combine was the end to Berry's year he hoped for. Despite limited preparation because of the bruised kidney, Berry put in an outstanding four days of testing at Etihad Stadium. He won the 3-kilometre time trial (in 9:46 minutes), was a joint winner of the beep test (level 15.1), finished in the top-five in the repeat sprints (24.99 seconds), and in the top-10 for the agility (8.29 seconds), clean hands and kicking tests. It could not have gone much better.

"We all knew how athletic he is, so it wasn't really a surprise that he did so well," one scout says.

"But it was the way he did it that I think would have reminded everyone about his talents. Those tests aren't just about athleticism; they're also about how competitive a player is. There's nowhere to hide at the combine and he took it on."

Putting in the hard yards in the 3km time trial at the NAB AFL Draft Combine. Picture: AFL Photos

The combine was the final piece of Berry's season, and might be an important one. His form and injury battles appear to have shut him out of top-10 contention, but he might still fit into the top-20 on November 25.

He knows he will need to move from Ballarat whichever club selects him, and he’s hoping the Blues pick him up.

"I'd love to go to Carlton. It would be a bit of a fairytale as my uncle Tracy, who passed away earlier this year, was a massive Carlton fan. To be able to pull on the navy blue would be something awesome in that way," he says.

That said, Berry knows he’ll be inspired to play for whichever club he is selected by. "It'll another step towards the ultimate dream to play football on the big stage," he says.

"It will mean a fair bit to me. You don't get to see all the work and sacrifices that family and friends put in behind the scenes, but to get to a club would be an awesome opportunity and one I've been trying to get for a long time.

"Hopefully that might repay some of the support we have received along the way."

Berry plans to spend draft night with his family. His brothers, Joel and Thomas, know they will be almost as nervous as Berry, and Berry thinks the same feeling will be running through his dad.

He also knows his mum, more than three years after her passing, will be with him, too. "When I go to bed sometimes she goes through my mind and I just want to do her proud," he says.

"I know she's looking down on me and trying to keep me safe. I'm sure it will be a really a special moment."

READ PART ONE: The grief driving Jarrod Berry's crack at the big time

 

[Bicks]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-11-15/he-does-things-ive-never-seen-why-shai-bolton-stands-out

He does things I've never seen': Why Shai Bolton stands out
Ben Guthrie November 15, 2016 7:00 AM

Shai Bolton shows off his blistering pace at the Combine


He does things on the football field that I've never seen another player do
South Fremantle player development manager Jason Pedulla
http://www.afl.com.au/draft/road-to-the-draft
SHAI Bolton is one of those players who will regularly bring the crowd to its feet.

The wiry West Australian draft prospect is blessed with blazing speed, a supreme confidence in his ability and a natural instinct for the game.

"He does things on the football field that I've never seen another player do," South Fremantle player development manager Jason Pedulla says.



One of those audacious things he attempted was a handball behind his back to a teammate for his colts side early in the WAFL season.

It was the round three game against East Perth when the ball became lodged behind Bolton's back when he attempted the unthinkable.

"To even think about trying to do something like that is rare and to pull something like that off is even rarer – he's extremely enjoyable to watch," Pedulla says.



Those special attributes were on display in the NAB AFL All Stars game on Grand Final eve, as Bolton collected 16 touches, seven inside 50s and a goal in a standout performance.

Anyone who was watching from the Punt Road Oval stand that afternoon saw Bolton leave opponents in the dust with his run and carry and use his spring to haul in a footy he had no right to mark.

It was a performance that put him in top-20 contention in this year's NAB AFL Draft.

"As soon as I get the ball and I have space I try to take off," Bolton says.

"You've got to play to your strengths and that's mine."


Bolton, who turns 18 in December, followed that up with bags of four goals in two straight finals games for South Fremantle to end the season.

The 177cm small forward, who can also push onto the wing when required, also kicked seven goals from 20 disposals in round 22 to further underline his talent.

He also demonstrated mental resilience to bounce back from stress fractures in his back that kept him sidelined in his bottom-age under-17 season.


Bolton, who lived in Mandurah in 2016 after originating from Forrestdale just outside Perth, has a strong football pedigree. His father Darren played two matches for Fremantle in 1999, which he feels has been helpful as he prepares for his own football journey.

Despite his standout showings at WAFL level, Bolton – even by his own admission – was a little down on his output when playing for Western Australia in the Under-18 Championships.

The unassuming youngster still kicked five goals for the carnival but won just 27 per cent of his possessions contested – the second-lowest percentage of any player to play at least three games in division one.

Even still, AFL talent development manager Michael Ablett has watched Bolton play regularly this season and believes clubs would be silly to pass on such a talent.

"You've got to take the good with the bad," Ablett says.

"He's going to do some things where he might cost you a goal and then he might kick four in a quarter and win you a game too.

"That's what makes those guys so valuable and that's probably why they go a little bit earlier in the draft than what they maybe should."

To confirm his standing in the draft, Bolton ran 2.95 seconds in the 20m sprint test at the NAB AFL Draft Combine and placed second in the running vertical jump test (94cm off his left leg) behind only top-pick fancy Andrew McGrath.

Pedulla stressed to Bolton throughout the year to keep the natural flair in his game, but also to focus on doing the team things like chasing and pressuring the opposition.

"He needs to do the little things week in, week out and the flashy things are going to follow," Pedulla says.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Does Berry have an entourage of journos following him around 24/7?

 

[hey shorty]

Does Berry have an entourage of journos following him around 24/7?

Seems like it, moreso than the guys touted to go top 3.

 

[Bicks]

Does Berry have an entourage of journos following him around 24/7?

He was one of three chosen by the AFL's Cal Twomey for this year's "Going Places" promotion where the AFL follow their year from the get go, the others were Sam Petrevski-Seton and Ben Ainsworth which were posted earlier in this thread. They did the same last year, generally players that had an outstanding year as Under Agers the previous year.

 

[DD#23]

He was one of three chosen by the AFL's Cal Twomey for this year's "Going Places" promotion where the AFL follow their year from the get go, the others were Sam Petrevski-Seton and Ben Ainsworth which were posted earlier in this thread. They did the same last year, generally players that had an outstanding year as Under Agers the previous year.

just briefly what are the main reasons Berry is a realistic chance to be there at our pick?

sounds Lever-like upstairs, are the guys ahead of him just that more exciting or do people tend to overlook those "interview" qualities when they're drawing up phantoms?