List Mgmt. 2024 Young Talent Time (Drafting)

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Ysaye

Ysaye

Norm Smith Medallist
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Nov 10, 2005
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We might as well setup a thread for this year I guess, given we. Given we theoretically have three first round picks, we can start by throwing a few videos of some of the key prospects down here (thanks noobermensch) so that people can start familiarizing themselves roughly with players preseason:

Josh Smillie


Tyler Welsh


Levi Ashcroft


Kayle Gerryen


Sid Draper


Finn O'Sullivan


Jagga Smith


Jonty Faull


Nash King
 

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Dockeroo said:
Tyler Welsh and Ashcroft are father son selections aren’t they? Jeez Brisbane are getting some luck from this rort recently 🤷‍♂️
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There are a number of F/S this year:
Brisbane: Levi Ashcroft
Adelaide: Tyler Welsh
Carlton: Lucas and Ben Camporeale
Port Adelaide: Louie Montgomery

And relevant Northern Academy:
Gold Coast: Leonardo Lombard, Caleb Nancarrow
Sydney: Joe Harrison
Brisbane: Sam Marshall
 
If we don’t end up getting our trade targets, the higher we get in the draft the better. Quality way more than quantity at this stage and you’d hope with it being seemingly compromised again that there will be another chance to get into the top 10
 
Joao said:
Tell me all about the small/medium forwards and forward/mids (actual ones who might play forward at AFL level).
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Profiles of four small forwards who may feature in the Top 30:
  • Jesse Dattoli - 178cm Small Forward for the Northern Nights, kicked 8 goals from 6 games (1.3 goals a game), averaged 3 tackles a game. Michael Alvaro's notes from his one game for Vic Metro as a bottom ager: "Dattoli was his usual busy self on Saturday, starting forward before rotating through midfield and even shifting out to a wing. The bottom-ager looked most lively in the attacking half, where he played high and got his hands on the ball plenty. He contributed some clean work up in the corridor and also found the goals with a 40-metre set shot in term two, but put a couple of rushed efforts wide in open play. When on-ball, it was Dattoli’s distribution by hand which stood out most."
  • Benny Barrett - 174cm Small Forward (Port NGA) for Southern Districts - 13 goals from 15 games in the SANFL, averaging 3.5 tackles per game in 2023. Barrett won the award for best U16 player in the SANFL U18s in 2022 with the following written about him: "South Adelaide speedster Benny Barrett has held on to win the inaugural SANFL U16 Best and Fairest Medal with 24 votes. A member of the victorious Torrens University SA U16 team, Barrett edged out teammate Phoenix Hargrave and Glenelg’s Charlie McAuliffe on 23. The creative 16-year-old attracted seven first preferences while landing votes in nine of the 14 matches he played with the Panthers in 2022. Averaging 21 disposals, six clearances and four tackles this season, Barrett not surprisingly received three votes for his stunning performance in Round 8 where he collected 33 disposals, six marks, six tackles, six clearances, 10 inside 50s and two goals."
  • Isaac Kako - 175cm Small Forward for the Calder Cannons (Essendon NGA), 24 goals from 16 games (2.2 per game), averaging 1.6 tackles. House of Footy wrote: "One of the most exciting players to watch in the 2024 draft class, the Essendon NGA member starred for the Calder Cannons up forward and through the middle throughout the year. Kako kicked two opening term goals in the U17 Futures game, displaying his ability to be clean below his knees, with his evasive game style and footy smarts making him an attractive target for teammates inside 50." you can watch his 22 possession, 7 goal haul game below.
  • Malakai Champion - 176cm Small Forward / Midfielder for Subiaco Lions (West Coast NGA), 22 goals from 14 games in the colts (1.6 goals per game) averaging 2.1 tackles per game. Comments by Adam Jones on being selected for the national academy: “It’s a significant recognition because generally the best 30 or so players nationally are selected each year by a panel with AFL recruiters and AFL Academy staff,” Jones said. “On average, around 85 per cent of players selected in national academies end up getting drafted. “Malakai is a dangerous small forward who has electric speed which he used to apply pressure. His goal sense is outstanding, which makes him very good offensively and defensively.” Round 15 highlights below.


 
Ysaye said:
Profiles of four small forwards who may feature in the Top 30:
  • Jesse Dattoli - 178cm Small Forward for the Northern Nights, kicked 8 goals from 6 games (1.3 goals a game), averaged 3 tackles a game. Michael Alvaro's notes from his one game for Vic Metro as a bottom ager: "Dattoli was his usual busy self on Saturday, starting forward before rotating through midfield and even shifting out to a wing. The bottom-ager looked most lively in the attacking half, where he played high and got his hands on the ball plenty. He contributed some clean work up in the corridor and also found the goals with a 40-metre set shot in term two, but put a couple of rushed efforts wide in open play. When on-ball, it was Dattoli’s distribution by hand which stood out most."
  • Benny Barrett - 174cm Small Forward (Port NGA) for Southern Districts - 13 goals from 15 games in the SANFL, averaging 3.5 tackles per game in 2023. Barrett won the award for best U16 player in the SANFL U18s in 2022 with the following written about him: "South Adelaide speedster Benny Barrett has held on to win the inaugural SANFL U16 Best and Fairest Medal with 24 votes. A member of the victorious Torrens University SA U16 team, Barrett edged out teammate Phoenix Hargrave and Glenelg’s Charlie McAuliffe on 23. The creative 16-year-old attracted seven first preferences while landing votes in nine of the 14 matches he played with the Panthers in 2022. Averaging 21 disposals, six clearances and four tackles this season, Barrett not surprisingly received three votes for his stunning performance in Round 8 where he collected 33 disposals, six marks, six tackles, six clearances, 10 inside 50s and two goals."
  • Isaac Kako - 175cm Small Forward for the Calder Cannons (Essendon NGA), 24 goals from 16 games (2.2 per game), averaging 1.6 tackles. House of Footy wrote: "One of the most exciting players to watch in the 2024 draft class, the Essendon NGA member starred for the Calder Cannons up forward and through the middle throughout the year. Kako kicked two opening term goals in the U17 Futures game, displaying his ability to be clean below his knees, with his evasive game style and footy smarts making him an attractive target for teammates inside 50." you can watch his 22 possession, 7 goal haul game below.
  • Malakai Champion - 176cm Small Forward / Midfielder for Subiaco Lions (West Coast NGA), 22 goals from 14 games in the colts (1.6 goals per game) averaging 2.1 tackles per game. Comments by Adam Jones on being selected for the national academy: “It’s a significant recognition because generally the best 30 or so players nationally are selected each year by a panel with AFL recruiters and AFL Academy staff,” Jones said. “On average, around 85 per cent of players selected in national academies end up getting drafted. “Malakai is a dangerous small forward who has electric speed which he used to apply pressure. His goal sense is outstanding, which makes him very good offensively and defensively.” Round 15 highlights below.


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We really need a small forward with plenty of tricks.
Sure speed is one of them, but it didn’t work out for Western.
A dangerous player in the air, to compliment Freddy and Switta.
If Champion has that then it’s hard not to be impressed.
Has that pest like quality that always ruffles the opposition 👍
 
blue shark said:
We really need a small forward with plenty of tricks.
Sure speed is one of them, but it didn’t work out for Western.
A dangerous player in the air, to compliment Freddy and Switta.
If Champion has that then it’s hard not to be impressed.
Has that pest like quality that always ruffles the opposition 👍
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TBH if tricks are what you are looking for, I like the foot skills of Jack Delean better than any of these guys (both for depth and accuracy), he is also better in the air than any of them as well (he has a very good jump which was top 10 in the combine).

I think it is likely that Dattoli, Barrett and Champion will all play significant amounts of midfield time this year, so to that degree they are more in the vein of Freddy / Switta as high half forward or hybrid forward / mid types whilst Kako will probably stay closer to goal and is probably closer to your conventional forward pocket.
 
Ysaye said:
TBH if tricks are what you are looking for, I like the foot skills of Jack Delean better than any of these guys (both for depth and accuracy), he is also better in the air than any of them as well (he has a very good jump which was top 10 in the combine).

I think it is likely that Dattoli, Barrett and Champion will all play significant amounts of midfield time this year, so to that degree they are more in the vein of Freddy / Switta as high half forward or hybrid forward / mid types whilst Kako will probably stay closer to goal and is probably closer to your conventional forward pocket.
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Any thought on Delean potential to play early? He played at sanfl level didn't he?
 
Snuffaluphagus said:
If we don’t end up getting our trade targets, the higher we get in the draft the better. Quality way more than quantity at this stage and you’d hope with it being seemingly compromised again that there will be another chance to get into the top 10
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100%.

The bid teams will want to trade out their first round picks.

Depending on where Adelaide ends up on the ladder but we could trade for their pick.
 
theGav56 said:
Any thought on Delean potential to play early? He played at sanfl level didn't he?
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Yes he played at SANFL level and yes in short quite a lot of potential to play earlier, especially if he gets a good start in the first two WAFL rounds and if there are either injuries or we need more firepower.
 
If we don't hit our trade targets I'd be happy to move up the draft order even if it means Freo only get 2 1st round picks.

Chances are best available will be a mid with our first. I'm not sure if we need a mid, however, if that mid ends up being good enough to push one of our mids onto a wing then it could be better for Freo long term.

Would be great if a gun small forward lasted to our second pick.
 

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pK75 said:
Great write up, but how does 24 goals from 16 games equal average of 2.2 per game?
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No idea - Im only a mathematician so I leave arithmetic to computers! :p maybe I was looking at a stat from a previous year - sorry for the mistake!

Edit - looked it up again and it was 22 goals from 11 games, so the average was right and the other two numbers wrong.
 
King Huskii said:
Freo will have to have a really poor year or be able to trade up for him. He looks a gun and has big wraps on a few draft sites
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Collingwood might have a premiership hangover and drop out of the top 4. Its extremely hard to win back to back.

Port might fall if their veterans drop off.

We might just get into the bottom half of the eight.

Saints miss finals.

Our team may have three picks between 11-14 and pick in the 20's.

Adelaide has Welsh and Lions Ashcroft which are likely top 5 picks.

Alot of moving parts but its not impossible.
 
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