Ardent's Phantom draft up to pick 23. The important picks :-D

[ArdentEagle]

I thought I'd give it a go. When I sat down to work on this I never imagined it would fall the way it did. My selections we're based on needs/best available/Inside whispers.

* I didn't want to conform to every other draft so if I felt the club needed to go a different way I did.

*I've only seen most of these players on videos - which have been studied very hard. I have a mate who works in development in one of the clubs who I've consulted regarding certain players.

* I've left detailed player descriptions out as there are numerous other drafts with all the info.

*Otherwise go to afldraftinfo.com for all the descriptions
I'd like to thank LynchBeast for the website and I'd love for a couple of the drafting pro's to take it over for him next year - You know who you are


Let the flaming begin!




1. Melbourne - Scully - Certain

2. Melbourne - Trengove - Almost certain

3. Richmond - Martin - The Tigers could go a tall or Moribito here but after the past recruiting woes they won't wont to take a Risk and Martin is almost a guaranteed 10 year player for them.

4. Fremantle - Moribito - Could pull a surprise and go Cunnington or Rohan but the W.A factor and huge potential will sway them to Moribito

5. North Melbourne - Rohan - They need more flash and X-factor. Especially when Boomer goes. They have plenty of Vanilla so its time for a ginger injection

6. Sydney Swans - Cunnington - Could be an SCG specialist. A perfect replacement for Kirk when he retires and could play Rnd 1. A Roo's special

7. West Coast Eagles - Black - I really believe the WC recruiting department will go for who they consider the best available with this pick. I've got a feeling they'd have him ranked ahead of Butcher. 1. He'll be more versatile 2. His running prowess and endurance will suit Subi oval perfectly 3. He's a W.A boy so no Judd factor. I've heard comment from someone inside WCE football club that thinks he'll be as good as Pav!

8. Port Adelaide - Lucas - They'll go for best available and he fills a need for them. They like drafting W.A boys too.

9. Port Adelaide - Butcher - Replacement for Tredrea. Westhoff will never be a 70 goal a year player this bloke could. Also a need

10. Essendon - Bastinac - Best available IMO and bloody good player and he'll help Watson with the clearances.

11. Melbourne - Talia - They'll go tall with this pick, Ready made KPD an area which Melbourne are very light on.

12. Carlton - Griffiths - Carlton don't need to draft a mid they need to go for the best of whats left in the talls. Panos would fill a need for them but I think Griffiths on potential could be a 1 in 5 years type of player. Huge upside but a risk with the injury problems. He'll have access to the finest medicos money can buy.

13. Adelaide - Jetta - No huge holes in Adelaide's line up. The only problem is age to some of their stars. Mcleod, Goodwin and Edwards. They go for the best available and have a ready made player in Jetta

14. Sydney - Melksham - Best available. Can play inside or out, at this point I can't see them passing him up.

15. Western Bulldogs - Carlisle - The best of whats left for who they can groom to replace Hall after he's gone. Versatile too.

16. Port Adelaide - Tapscott - It would be hard to pass up the local boy at this stage. Will help out down forward and be Ports answer to Patrick Dangerfield.

17. Geelong - Sheppard - A great pick up at this stage and I think he's guaranteed to a least best a serviceable player at AFL level. With Harley retiring they have to have a shuffle around of the backline. Mackie may take over CHB and Sheppard could fit into Mackie's role of the running back perfectly.

18. Melbourne - Vardy - Best Ruckman available and he'll play a significant amount of time up forward too. Needs based also

19. Richmond - Panos - They picked up a great mid with 3, they'll need to go tall with the 2nd selection. Riewoldt is coming along nicely, Panos's game gets compared to Matthew Lloyd. If he turns out like him the Tigers forwardline is set for 10 years. Also a glaring need.

20. Fremantle - Taylor - Big risk, big reward. Freo are said to be very keen on him and he'll be gone come their next selection. So they'll have to snaffle him how if they want him

21 North Melbourne - Christensen - Probably equal best available with Bartlett being the larger risk due to the injury. Good player

22 West Coast Eagles - Bartlett - Best available, I rate his potential right up there but he is a bigger risk due to the knee. His our Swift pick for this yearr. We don't need him straight away so he'll have all the time he needs for his knee to recover. Can go forward too

23 West Coast Eagles - Moore - He's the a typical Eagles player. Close to 190cm who can play on the wing or up forward. Great leap and looks a natural footballer to me. Best available.This is the one I found the hardest, I didn't select a small forward because I believe we'll pick up Johnny Bennell in the PSD or Rookie Draft as he has as much potential as any of the other small forwards left. In saying that I've also heard that we're really keen on Weedon. Fyfe may be the other choice, infact if it was me I'd draft him before Moore as he has Lecras written all over him.

I'd like to thank RCRM for afldraftinfo.com
A great site and a fantastic database of information

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Melksham over batsinac for Essendon

 

[ArdentEagle]

Melksham over batsinac for Essendon

Yeah he was the other choice but I rate Bastinac slightly higher and think he'll end up an elite player. Just my opinion

 

[hilly]

No offence but I think it's a bit of wishful thinking having North take Christensen (who I reckon is pretty average) over Moore and to a lesser extent Bartlett.

 

[ArdentEagle]

No offence but I think it's a bit of wishful thinking having North take Christensen (who I reckon is pretty average) over Moore and to a lesser extent Bartlett.

No offence taken. I don't think he's pretty average and he's nowhere near the risk of Bartlett. Moore is certainly a strong chance and I guess it depends on how you recruiters rate the players. I just thought he was better fit for you.

Like a I said in my initial post. I'm not conforming to the common consensus and I have my own order of ranking for the players. I've only seen videos of both - in which Christensen impressed me more.

 

[saxymaxy]

Would be really happy with this draft from a WC point of view

Really starting to warm to Aaron Black at 7, and would be much more than happy with bartlett at 22. And Moore's definitely a good pick up

 

[ArdentEagle]

Would be really happy with this draft from a WC point of view

Really starting to warm to Aaron Black at 7, and would be much more than happy with bartlett at 22. And Moore's definitely a good pick up

I'd be happy with that draft too. That's just how the cards fell

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Yeah he was the other choice but I rate Bastinac slightly higher and think he'll end up an elite player. Just my opinion

I do feel we need a player like Melksham more in that he can tear games apart. I agree, it is difficult. In the end I feel we will grab one of Lucas or Melksham at 10, exactly who I don't know. If we had a pick in the mid teens no dramas with Bastinac, I just feel at 10 we are overpaying a bit.

 

[hilly]

No offence taken. I don't think he's pretty average and he's nowhere near the risk of Bartlett. Moore is certainly a strong chance and I guess it depends on how you recruiters rate the players. I just thought he was better fit for you.

Like a I said in my initial post. I'm not conforming to the common consensus and I have my own order of ranking for the players. I've only seen videos of both - in which Christensen impressed me more.

Guess we'd have to agree to disagree on Christensen. No argument with the 'type' of player you've selected though.

Good to see some ballsy selections though (Black @ 7).....I'll post mine on Tuesday so everyone on here can return fire at me

 

[ArdentEagle]

Guess we'd have to agree to disagree on Christensen. No argument with the 'type' of player you've selected though.

Good to see some ballsy selections though (Black @ 7).....I'll post mine on Tuesday so everyone on here can return fire at me

I think they'll pull the trigger on Black because he won't be there at the next pick and I rate him very highly. Apparently so do some people in high places

 

[WATTStheMATTER]

11. Melbourne - Talia - They'll go tall with this pick, Ready made KPD an area which Melbourne are very light on.

Our defence is probably an area in which we least need players. But Talia can play forward so it doesn't matter

 

[Blueboys7]

Nice effort.

From a Carlton perspective I don't think we would take Griffths. Despite his potential he is just too injury prone and won't fit into our drafting strategy of taking 'best available'.

It wouldn't suprise me to see us draft another mid/flanker if the likes of Talia and Butcher are gone (most likely).

 

[ArdentEagle]

Our defence is probably an area in which we least need players. But Talia can play forward so it doesn't matter

The selection was a part needs/Best available tall. I figured that you had already grabbed the 2 gun mids so why not get the next best available tall. As you said he can go forward or back but I had him pegged in the back half mainly.

Reasons being : He's a great rebounding defender and he'll free up Davey to go to the HFF and cause massive headaches for everyone.

Brad Green will be playing a lot of time up forward. You have Jurrah and Watts will be coming along nicely. Sylvia as well.

So a forward half of Jurrah, Green, Davey, Silvia, Watts, Maric, Wonaeamirri. Plus your 2 new star recuits in Scully and Trengove resting and rotating through there and it looks very very promosing to me.

Your back half doesn't look to have that much class IMO. Most of them are more your honest blue collar type players with the exception of Grimes. Talia will add another dimension epecially when it comes to your taller back line players.

 

[ArdentEagle]

Nice effort.

From a Carlton perspective I don't think we would take Griffths. Despite his potential he is just too injury prone and won't fit into our drafting strategy of taking 'best available'.

It wouldn't suprise me to see us draft another mid/flanker if the likes of Talia and Butcher are gone (most likely).

I just couldn't bring myself to pick a mid as you already have an all-star line up in that area. I wanted to pick Talia for you but in my draft Melbourne took him just before your selection. Carlisle was my other choice but I'm a huge wrap for Griffiths as a talent. If he lives up to his potential I'd hate to imagine your forward line with the twin towers of a Griffiths/Kruezer combo and having Waite rotate through there. Garlett/Betts/Yarran to do the crumbing. Let alone Judd and Murphy resting there too. A scary thought!

 

[Wally Carter]

Rohan is a project player.

I will be surprised If North bypass Cunnington or Butcher to choose him.