Draft Watcher Bastyy's 2022 AFL Draft Watch

[Bastyy]

I haven't made an update in a long time, and with the draft a month away I should probably show my rankings and talk about prospects I like. I don't want to seem like a poser in 10 years when I tell people I was "The first person excited for Hugh Bond".

For my rankings this time around I wanted to have a clear cut answer for why I think each prospect is good. For those who don't watch u18 games as much as myself or other draft watchers it's hard to understand "why" a player is exciting or good from the information provided. So for each player on my rankings I will have a bottom line that I'll explain later on when I release some draft profiles before the draft, they all might seem confusing and pointless, but I promise I will try to explain them all.

1. George Wardlaw (Midfielder/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - George Wardlaw is; The footballer I wanted to be)
2. Will Ashcroft (Midfielder/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - Will Ashcroft is; As advertised)
3. Harry Sheezel (General Forward/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - Harry Sheezel is; A highlight reel)
4. Aaron Cadman (Tall Forward/Vic Country) (The Bottom Line - Aaron Cadman is; Worth reaching for)
5. Elijah Tsatas (Midfielder/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - Elijah Tsatas is; Too fast)
6. Jhye Clark (Midfielder/Vic Country) (The Bottom Line - Jhye Clark; Would never lie to you)
7. Cam McKenzie (Midfielder/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - Cam McKenzie is; The exact player recruiters want)
8. Jedd Busslinger (Tall Defender/Western Australia) (The Bottom Line - Jedd Busslinger is; Making a boring position exciting)
9. Mattaes Phillipou (Midfielder/South Australia) (The Bottom Line - Mattes Phillipou is; Cooler than his name)
10. Reuben Ginbey (Midfielder/Western Australia) (The Bottom Line - Reuben Ginbey is; Going to make you say "woah")

The top 10 are all very exciting talents. In particular the Top 8 players are all some of my favourites and will more than likely become great AFL players. I have a hard time ranking Wardlaw/Ashcroft and Sheezel. I think Wardlaw's talent and performance are obvious enough to any casual draft watcher that saying he's better than Ashcroft isn't controversial (even if it isn't the most popular opinion) but the absolute sheer numbers of Ashcroft's performances mean that ranking Sheezel above Ashcroft feels wrong. I think that Sheezel will be a better player, but if we're ranking how good they are at an u18 level, I cannot bring myself to putting Sheezel in 2nd.

11. Oliver Hollands (Midfielder/Vic Country) (The Bottom Line - Oliver Hollands is; Consistent)
12. Lachie Cowan (General Defence/Tasmania) (The Bottom Line - Lachie Cowan is; Worthy of his accolades)
13. Bailey Humphrey (Midfielder-Forward/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - Bailey Humphrey is; A BigFooty favourite)
14. Matthew Jefferson (Tall Forward/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - Matthew Jefferson is; Really, really good at his job)
15. Harry Barnett (Ruckman/South Australia) (The Bottom Line - Harry Barnett is; What I want all Ruckman to be)
16. Mitch Szybowski (Midfielder/Vic Country) (The Bottom Line - Mitch Szybowski is; Better than his ranking suggests)
17. Ed Allan (Midfielder/Western Australia) (The Bottom Line - Ed Allan is; More than a proof of concept)
18. Brayden George (General Forward/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - Brayden George is; Worth waiting a year for)
19. Darcy Jones (Small Forward/Western Australia) (The Bottom Line - Darcy Jones is; What I wanted Joel Western to be)
20. Elijah Hewett (Midfielder/Western Australia) (The Bottom Line - Elijah Hewett is; A Footballer)

A lot of these players are exciting with a risk of being a bust. I can see a world where Harry Barnett, Ed Allan, Darcy Jones and Elijah Hewett don't work out but I am excited by their upside (as well as less impressed by the players below) them that they are deserving of their high rankings. Lachie Cowan is one of my favourites because he's one of few Tasmanians I have ever been "unsure" of before the year started but he has risen to really be one of my favourites

21. Josh Weddle (General Defence/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - Josh Weddle is; Proof size doesn't matter)
22. Henry Hustwaite (Midfielder/Vic Country) (The Bottom Line - Henry Hustwaite is; Teasing me)
23. Olli Hotton (Small Forward/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - Olli Hotton is; Impactful)
24. Lewis Hayes (Tall Defender/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - Lewis Hayes is; Going out of stock quickly, so get in line)
25. Alwyn Davey

Multiple players found. Use birthday to differentiate. eg [PLAYERCARD="23/11/1962"]Joe Smith[/PLAYERCARD]

Jr. (Small Forward/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - Alwyn Davey

Multiple players found. Use birthday to differentiate. eg [PLAYERCARD="23/11/1962"]Joe Smith[/PLAYERCARD]

Jr is; Going to get BT excited)
26. Jed Hagan (Utility/Western Australia) (The Bottom Line - Jed Hagan is; Effortlessly good)
27. Kobe Ryan (Midfielder/South Australia) (The Bottom Line - Kobe Ryan is; Someone I keep apologising for)
28. Charlie Clarke (Small Forward/Vic Metro) (The Bottom Line - Charlie Clarke is; The definition of X-Factor)
29. Sam Gilbey (General Defence/Western Australia) (The Bottom Line - Sam Gilbey is; Never disappointing)
30. Jed Adams (Tall Defender/Western Australia) (The Bottom Line - Jed Adams is; Not going out of stock quickly, but he should be)

Another group of players who I probably wouldn't rate as high any other year. Kobe Ryan in particular is a player that I "keep apologising for" where I see his talent and want him to go higher but his performances don't warrant him going any higher than 27.

Overall I'm not excited too much by this draft, if I wanted some talented small players this is a great draft but for just about anything else there is a cut off of talent that happens much earlier than in previous drafts. I don't even think the WA class is particularly exciting yet I have 8 players from WA in my top 30. If that doesn't say something about this draft class I don't know what does.

I've managed to have a list of about 60 players I would draft, and I'll disclose the rest of that list once the draft gets closer

Let me know if you like this Bottom Line idea, I think it's a fun way to the describe draftees and I encourage you to ask what the hell each of them means. I promise you they all make sense and I do have an explanation for them all

 

[Chris25]

Reuben Ginbey (Midfielder/Western Australia) (The Bottom Line - Reuben Ginbey is; Going to make you say "woah")

“Woah, I can’t believe West Coast traded down for this guy?”

 

[Bastyy]

“Woah, I can’t believe West Coast traded down for this guy?”

I did personally say woah when West Coast decided not to back themselves in to foster an elite top 3 level talent, but I try to keep my views on West Coast separate from my rankings so I don't alienate the West Coast posters who interact with my posts

 

[PMBangers]

Hey cobba,

interesting way to tell us you don't watch footy, hope it works out for you xx

regards,
Post Meridiem Bangers

P.S. Enjoy seeing someone else as a fan of Szybkowski, I will defend him until the day I die

 

[Bastyy]

Hey cobba,

interesting way to tell us you don't watch footy, hope it works out for you xx

regards,
Post Meridiem Bangers

P.S. Enjoy seeing someone else as a fan of Szybkowski, I will defend him until the day I die

I am deeply offended by the assumption I watch no football. I watched one game and based the rest off the rankings you make

Thanks again

Love, Mitchszybowskifan35

 

[ArdentEagle]

“Woah, I can’t believe West Coast traded down for this guy?”

I know this was a joke but I think we'll actually take Buss if the Cats don't take him first.

 

[Futbolista]

I rarely bag a player but Ginbey's kicking technique isn't quite right. By the time ball get's to boot it is too low. He's always dragging the ball down by 5-10 metres.

Everything else is great. Pace, strength, courage.....all taken care of.