2017 Draft thread

[briztoon]

What you have to do is forget that he is an academy pick, remove the emotion from it and watch him play to see how you should rate him and it makes it easier to rate him.

Already do that.

 

[Ruse]

Might be interested in this video I have just uploaded to my channel along with 27 others from the SA vs Allies game.

Thanks Giantroo you're a pretty great guy.

 

[briztoon]

Why do you care so much about Twomey?

Why do you care that I care?

I like listening to his podcast. Well in the absence of other options. That's all we're discussing.

 

[Nunez]

Why do you care so much about Twomey?

Why do you keep posting?

 

[Ruse]

Why do you care that I care?

I like listening to his podcast. Well in the absence of other options. That's all we're discussing.

I don't really give a shit about your life just curious when a man cries about another man.

 

[Ruse]

Why do you keep posting?

 

[briztoon]

I don't really give a shit about your life just curious when a man cries about another man.

Really wonder why you even bother checking in or post any more, when all you do is look to troll people.

If your posting is reflective of who you are in real life, then you are definitely one individual the club can do without as a fan.

 

[Nunez]

Honestly mate, I'd prefer you post like Puddy than how you currently post. Better yet, stick to trolling on fb.

 

[Ruse]

Really wonder why you even bother checking in or post any more, when all you do is look to troll people.

If your posting is reflective of who you are in real life, then you are definitely one individual the club can do without as a fan.

What you think you're better than me?

 

[Ruse]

Honestly mate, I'd prefer you post like Puddy than how you currently post. Better yet, stick to trolling on fb.

Its cool that you seem to know me when i only post a few times a month because I have no idea who the **** you are and why you think you're top shit.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Our academy kids get overrated every year. Started back with Conway and Tickner and just kept happening.

 

[a mayes ing]

The problem is how come our academy kids get overrated and then go down the draft but Sydney, GWS and GC kids have kids at the top. What are we doing wrong?

 

[Hollow Knight]

The problem is how come our academy kids get overrated and then go down the draft but Sydney, GWS and GC kids have kids at the top. What are we doing wrong?

I'll take Hipwood and Andrews over any other kids to have come through the other three academies. Apologies to Heeney and Mills but gun talls are like gold.

Other clubs Academy players slide too. Scheer and Mutch spring to mind from last year's draft.

 

[jackess]

The problem is how come our academy kids get overrated and then go down the draft but Sydney, GWS and GC kids have kids at the top. What are we doing wrong?

It's our fault bigfooty amateur experts overrate them?

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

The problem is how come our academy kids get overrated and then go down the draft but Sydney, GWS and GC kids have kids at the top. What are we doing wrong?

Really doesn't matter as long as we unearth the odd gem, as we have.

 

[a mayes ing]

It's our fault bigfooty amateur experts overrate them?

Pretty sure Twomey has overrated Ballenden and Keayes last year and several others. So not just BF.
I definitly love the odd gem that we have been getting lately but would be good to know that we are getting a highly rated prospectt not just be surprised that someone breaks out. Plus our KPP's are set, would be good to get some academy midfield prospects

 

[bungalow_bill]

Our academy kids get overrated every year. Started back with Conway and Tickner and just kept happening.

By the looks of things it seems Hipwood was way underrated. Where was he generally expected to go? Same with Andrews - wasn't he a pick in the 60's?

 

[Simba Moyo]

By the looks of things it seems Hipwood was way underrated. Where was he generally expected to go? Same with Andrews - wasn't he a pick in the 60's?

I believe Hipwood started being talked about as a first round prospect when he joined the AFL academy in his draft year. Eventually drafted at pick 14 via a bid from Richmond

Harris has been a shock to everyone, I'm fairly sure no-one really expected his rise to come on so well so quickly..and adding in his maturity and leadership, it's a welcome surprise for the Lions. Bid on pick 42(?) by North Melbourne and taken by us in the now defunct draft system with pick 61

 

[M Malice]

We have done extremely well through the academy, Harris Andrews and Eric Hipwood will be stars of the competition and we got them on the cheap considering what they are doing now particularly at their age. Ben Keays I think is also going to be a very good reliable mid for us, you can see he just wants it so bad, he will succeed.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

I believe Hipwood started being talked about as a first round prospect when he joined the AFL academy in his draft year. Eventually drafted at pick 14 via a bid from Richmond

Harris has been a shock to everyone, I'm fairly sure no-one really expected his rise to come on so well so quickly..and adding in his maturity and leadership, it's a welcome surprise for the Lions. Bid on pick 42(?) by North Melbourne and taken by us in the now defunct draft system with pick 61

Pick 34. Andrews was a bit of a bolter in the he wasn't talked about a huge amount as a junior but was in the mix for most of his draft year.

But there is a definitely a trend of overrating young kids as they come through the system. For whatever reason, be it the lower level of competition in junior club footy, school footy or the lack of comparable development programs, they don't tend to come on as well. I do think there's a general trend towards QLD kids being able to coast a bit more through their junior footy - it's not that they can't play to a high level, but mentally I think they learn not to have to be one all the time, which is why you see some of them look like they're going to bust open a game with some brilliant play then go quiet again.

Plus, and I'll say it again at the risk of sounding like a broken record, but there is a tendency for draft watchers, professional and amateur, to include QLD Academy kids into their calculations without seeing them play a great deal or knowing a huge amount about them. You can draw your own conclusions as to why.

It's easy to form a superficial conclusion though - the first time I saw Isaac Conway playing as a top-up in the twos I thought he'd be a star. I noticed the good things about his game (contested ball winning) and didn't see the other flaws that have so far prevented him from having a decent AFL career.

 

[jackess]

Andrews was only in the academy for one year so he was definitely a bolter.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

I remember watching an U18 match out at Windy Hill in Andrews draft year. From memory Qld were playing a NT side that wasn't very competitive. Andrews played CHB with some time in the ruck and so didn't see a lot of action and really I didn't come away with any particular impression of him being a likely pick up. And boy was he skinny - made Hammo look like the Hulk. Bearing in mind the focus at that time for the Lions was fairly and squarely on Hammo and an under-age Keays. Others taking the limelight in that team were Lachie Weller, Preuss, Uebergang and Liam Dawson although Dawson didn't play that day. Full credit to our guys for seeing the potential in Harris.

 

[Dylan12]

This article is related to both this and next year's draft period, although I highly doubt the mods would want a 2018 Draft Thread created this prematurely so I've split the two draft periods.

2017 Draft

WILL COULD BE UNLEASHED

ONE of the most hyped cross-sport prospects is set to be unleashed on the national stage for the first time this weekend.

Vic Metro is likely to name cricket-football gun Will Sutherland for its derby clash against Vic Country at Punt Road Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Unlike other possible draftees such as Jack Clayton, Connor Ballenden and the aforementioned Lukosius — who all gave up promising cricket careers to pursue AFL dreams — Sutherland has yet to make a call on his sporting future.

And perhaps a few Under 18 national footy games against the best young talent in the country over coming weeks could help him make up his mind.

Sutherland, the son of Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland, hasn’t played a TAC Cup game yet. But the 195cm key prospect has starred at school footy level this year, playing predominantly up forward while also having stints in the midfield.

“I watched him play for Scotch College a couple of weeks ago and boy does he like the physicality of the game,” AFL national football talent manager Mick Ablett told Fox Footy.

“I couldn’t believe he was listed at 195cm, he looks a lot bigger than that. He’s a powerful unit who gets up into the midfield.”

Sutherland, who turns 18 in October, has the potential to be one of the top key-position prospects of this year’s draft — that is, if he chooses to go down the football pathway.

As well as being a star footballer, Sutherland is an emerging cricket star and could be offered a rookie contract with Cricket Victoria. He’s an all-rounder that could suit the crash-and-bash style of T20 cricket.

Elsewhere, both South Australia and the Allies are hopeful of regaining key players from injury for the back end of the champs.

Exciting midfielder Charlie Spargo missed the Allies’ clash on the weekend after picking up a nasty shoulder injury the previous week against Vic Country.

Assistant coach Tadgh Kennelly said the injury was “a bit of a concern going forward”, so whether he lines up in the back end of the champs remains to be seen.

For SA, Andrew McPherson has missed his state’s first two games due to a leg injury. It’s been a huge blow for the side, as McPherson is one of the best distributors off half-back in this year’s draft class.

SA has the bye this weekend, but coach and talent manager Brenton Phillips indicated on the weekend that he was hoping to bring McPherson to Melbourne for the side’s final two games of the championships against the two Victorian teams.

CHAMPS EYE-CATCHERS

VIC Metro kicked off its national championships campaign on Sunday in fine style — and possible top 10 pick Jack Higgins was at the forefront.

Higgins, one of the most diligent and professional players of this year’s draft class, starred in Metro’s opening win over Western Australia, booting two goals from 30 disposals — of which 22 came in the first half — to go with nine marks and seven clearances.

Numerically, Higgins has been one of the best and most consistent performers at underage level this year, playing predominantly through the midfield while also pushing forward. Terry Wallace described the Oakleigh Charger as a pure “ball hunter” — a trait that would appeal to several AFL clubs.

Several other Victorian players stood out during the 38-point win over WA. Adam Cerra boosted his top 10 hopes with 24 touches, while on-ball bull Cameron Rayner (one goal from 23 disposals and six clearances) and Richmond father-son prospect Patrick Naish (22 touches) also found plenty of the ball. Big man Hayden McLean booted two goals.

There weren’t too many standout players for WA. However 193cm forward Oscar Allen continued his good patch of form, booting three goals to go with the three he kicked against SA the week prior. Allen, a Jack Gunston-type, is arguably WA’s best prospect alongside Jake Patmore, who had 19 touches against Vic Metro.

In Adelaide, Crows father-son prospect Jackson Edwards — the son of Crows legend Tyson Edwards — continued his impressive start to the champs, racking up 22 touches and six clearances against the Allies. He was close to SA’s best the week before against WA too.

But arguably the most eye-catching performance by a player eligible for the 2017 draft was by ruckman Callum Coleman-Jones. The SA skipper finished with a whopping 28 disposals to go with five marks and 15 hit-outs, proving his ability to cover the ground with aplomb. His contested marking was also prominent.

The Allies didn’t have too many stars, however Northern Territorian Zac Bailey was prominent with 22 disposals, six tackles, five inside 50s and four clearances.

The game finished in sour circumstances, with Hugo Barry, who had kicked two goals, being stretchered off with a serious-looking knee injury as the final siren ran.

2018 Draft

TRADERS, beware.
This year’s exchange period is not the time to be moving future first-round draft picks.

The 2018 draft pool is stocked with high level top-end talent, already drawing parallels and comparisons with “Super Drafts” of years gone by.

The first two rounds of this season’s national under 18s championships have so far acted as an ideal platform for the country’s elite underage prospects to showcase their immense potential.

South Australian trio Jack Lukosius, Izak Rankine and Connor Rozee are already being touted as early picks, while teammate Jackson Hately has also impressed.

Highly rated Vic Metro twins Max and Ben King have not yet featured in the championships, though both remain widely viewed as top five prospects ahead of next year’s draft, while Vic Country duo Sam Walsh and Jye Caldwell have also caught the eye of recruiters.

West Australian pair Ian Hill and Tom Joyce have been among their side’s most promising players so far in the carnival, with a host of father-son and academy prospects also building a profile.

North Melbourne could miss out on promising father-son duo Nick Blakey (available to Brisbane as part of its academy) and Bailey Scott (available to Geelong as father-son and Gold Coast as part of its academy), but has Tasmanian gun Tarryn Thomas waiting in the wings. Thomas, a versatile player, is part of the North’s next-gen academy and has starred in the Allies’ two championships games, averaging 16 disposals, seven tackles and six intercepts so far.

But he is far from the only bottom-age player to make a name for themself so far this year, with South Australia’s trio of Lukosius, Rankine and Rozee among the most exciting.

Lukosius, a 194cm forward, kicked three goals from eight marks as South Australia defeated the Allies on the weekend, with his ability to roam up the field a particular highlight.

“He worked his butt off, even to the point where he was pretty close to exhaustion by the end of the game and could hardly raise a gallop,” South Australia talent manager Brenton Phillips told the SANFL website after Saturday’s match.

“That just shows the work he put into the game itself. He just presents, especially in that first quarter where he came off his direct opponent and presented up at the ball really nicely.”

Rankine made his senior SANFL debut with West Adelaide as a 16-year-old, kicking four goals to go with 24 disposals in a match against North Adelaide in April. “If he was on an AFL list, he’d be playing right now — he’s that good,” Phillips said of Rankine. “He’s good enough to be playing AFL football right at this point in time.”

Rozee has also shown plenty of class in the championships, while Hately had 27 disposals in South Australia’s opener against Western Australia earlier in the month.

The King twins, both standing at 201cm, remain the most highly rated of the underage draft hopefuls, with some recruiters suggesting they could go with Picks 1 and 2 next year.

Max has kicked 10 goals in his last three games with Haileybury College, while Ben has spent time playing forward recently after starting the season in defence.

Hill and Joyce have also enhanced their draft reputation following a pair of strong championships performances for Western Australia.

The rise of such elite bottom-age prospects has given clubs something to think about, with the likes of GWS Giants midfielder Josh Kelly still out of contract at season’s end.

North Melbourne, St Kilda and Carlton have been linked to Kelly, but would almost certainly have to trade future first-round selections in order to prize him from GWS.

Dustin Martin and Nat Fyfe also remain out of contract, but are restricted free agents and would only require trades if Richmond and Fremantle respectively matched rival bids.

Such a shame Rankine isn't available this year. From the u/18 games I have seen, even though Rankine is a bottom ager, I'd draft Rankine over every one else this year if it was possible.

I have no idea what our strategy is for this year's draft / trade period, but I know I wouldn't be adverse to doing a deal that sees us acquiring another early pick next year.

 

[ZoBlitz]

It might be me but it feels like every year they talk about next year's draft being so much better than the current year's.

 

[Cockliff38]

It might be me but it feels like every year they talk about next year's draft being so much better than the current year's.

I said this earlier this year, and often it's true, but after watching a few championship games it's legitimately the underagers that standout.