Prediction Best 22 for 2019

[SnusCG]

If the coaching staff are serious the people have to 'earn their spots' - then Wil Powell has gotta be in the team round 1. His rate of development has been steep and he's been a big contributor both JLT's

 

[briztoon]

It will be interesting to see if Dew and co. prioritise getting games in to your kids, or trying to win games.

2016 and 2017 it was pretty clear the Lions coaching staff prioritised getting games in to our then first and second year players ahead of playing some of our more senior players who could have performed a little better.

The difference might, and it would have been close, maybe an extra one or two wins each year.

As fan I try to be objective when discussing my team (at a games I’m anything but objective).

My view of the Gold Coast is trying to find a balance between developing your kids, and being competitive in games.

I know Brisbane’s coaching staff put a big emphasis on players reaching specific KPI’s and wining quarters.

This year it changes for us.

Honestly wish you guys the best for this season.

Can’t believe you don’t have a Death Riding Brisbane thread.

 

[Choppers]

Honestly, why would you believe that? We're rivals, sure and I hope my boys kick your a*se twice this year and every year, but why would I want to see your mob fail....I only want that, when you play us. I long for the day when both Clubs are in the top 8 consistently.....they would be happy days....

 

[GCStormie]

Honestly, why would you believe that? We're rivals, sure and I hope my boys kick your a*se twice this year and every year, but why would I want to see your mob fail....I only want that, when you play us. I long for the day when both Clubs are in the top 8 consistently.....they would be happy days....

because we have their first pick would be the obvious answer. any other year your statement would apply

 

[Jirik13]

Honestly, why would you believe that? We're rivals, sure and I hope my boys kick your a*se twice this year and every year, but why would I want to see your mob fail....I only want that, when you play us. I long for the day when both Clubs are in the top 8 consistently.....they would be happy days....

I hope one day when both teams play finals AFL will schedule Qclash on Fri night.

 

[briztoon]

Honestly, why would you believe that? We're rivals, sure and I hope my boys kick your a*se twice this year and every year, but why would I want to see your mob fail....I only want that, when you play us. I long for the day when both Clubs are in the top 8 consistently.....they would be happy days....

GCStormie got it first time. On the Brisbane board, Death Riding threads are for when we hold another teams first round draft pick. So we have a Death Riding Collingwood thread (with GC tacked in there, because we hold your second round pick) because we hold Collingwood's first round draft pick.

because we have their first pick would be the obvious answer. any other year your statement would apply

 

[Choppers]

because we have their first pick would be the obvious answer. any other year your statement would apply

Looks like I got that completely wrong by not understanding what a "Death Riding " Thread meant.

 

[Choppers]

GCStormie got it first time. On the Brisbane board, Death Riding threads are for when we hold another teams first round draft pick. So we have a Death Riding Collingwood thread (with GC tacked in there, because we hold your second round pick) because we hold Collingwood's first round draft pick.

My apologies. I got the meaning of the thread completely wrong...

 

[briztoon]

My apologies. I got the meaning of the thread completely wrong...

All good. Every clubs board has a different character, and what might fly or have one meaning on one clubs board, might not be acceptable or have a different meaning on another clubs board.


I don't interact on other clubs boards. Only here, for that sense of QLD camaraderie. And also because I'm a draft junkie, and over the past couple of years GC has drafted some of the kids I've been very high on. I spent all of 2016 talking up Ainsworth on the Lions board, only to see him land at GC. I spent all of 2017 & most of 2018 talking up Rankine on the Lions board, only to see him land at GC as well.

I also like discussing how teams build a list, and have an interest in trading and drafting from that perspective. So GC starting at the bottom and rebuilding their list is interesting to me. Both for what happens on the field and off the field. Putting the right coaches in place, the right player development coaches,
a teams recruitment team philosophy and draft history, also with Brisbane and GC, the importance of the welfare department and the role they play in settling in draftees and their interactions with players families.

Unlikely that you would, but if you every have the time, it's interesting to listen to the Lions podcast when our head of player welfare, Andrew Crowell, is on. We have a private FB group for players parents, called Parents of the Pride. One thing our team does is live stream our training sessions for parents to watch their boys train and interact with after training.

I'm sure GC do something similar, but as I don't read your club site or follow the Suns on social media, I'm not sure how much work your player welfare department does. Only info get is what I read here. So if I'm making a comment, it's purely based of what your clubs posters are saying.

 

[Fat Pizza]

[QUOTE="briztoon, post: 59852375, member: 168593 We have a private FB group for players parents, called Parents of the Pride. One thing our team does is live stream our training sessions for parents to watch their boys train and interact with after training.[/QUOTE]
Wow. I've never heard of clubs doing that.

 

[Cochblocked]

[QUOTE="briztoon, post: 59852375, member: 168593 We have a private FB group for players parents, called Parents of the Pride. One thing our team does is live stream our training sessions for parents to watch their boys train and interact with after training.

Wow. I've never heard of clubs doing that.[/QUOTE]
Yeah i've never heard of that. Seems like a lot of effort for something that isn't really worth it.

 

[briztoon]

Yeah i've never heard of that. Seems like a lot of effort for something that isn't really worth it.

Obviously our Welfare department, players and their parents believe it's worth it.

 

[Lord_Flashheart]

Sunraysia anything like the above going on with our guys?

Is there any appetite for it? In particular I guess for interstate recruits?

 

[Sunraysia]

Sunraysia anything like the above going on with our guys?

Is there any appetite for it? In particular I guess for interstate recruits?

Not to my knowledge.
I line up with Bods and all the other locals to view public training sessions. I could maybe get access, as a parent, to other sessions but haven't because I don't think I have a need to be in my son's workplace.
But what's happening at the Lion's could be beneficial to interstate parents.

 

[gcsunsfc]

All good. Every clubs board has a different character, and what might fly or have one meaning on one clubs board, might not be acceptable or have a different meaning on another clubs board.


I don't interact on other clubs boards. Only here, for that sense of QLD camaraderie. And also because I'm a draft junkie, and over the past couple of years GC has drafted some of the kids I've been very high on. I spent all of 2016 talking up Ainsworth on the Lions board, only to see him land at GC. I spent all of 2017 & most of 2018 talking up Rankine on the Lions board, only to see him land at GC as well.

I also like discussing how teams build a list, and have an interest in trading and drafting from that perspective. So GC starting at the bottom and rebuilding their list is interesting to me. Both for what happens on the field and off the field. Putting the right coaches in place, the right player development coaches,
a teams recruitment team philosophy and draft history, also with Brisbane and GC, the importance of the welfare department and the role they play in settling in draftees and their interactions with players families.

Unlikely that you would, but if you every have the time, it's interesting to listen to the Lions podcast when our head of player welfare, Andrew Crowell, is on. We have a private FB group for players parents, called Parents of the Pride. One thing our team does is live stream our training sessions for parents to watch their boys train and interact with after training.

I'm sure GC do something similar, but as I don't read your club site or follow the Suns on social media, I'm not sure how much work your player welfare department does. Only info get is what I read here. So if I'm making a comment, it's purely based of what your clubs posters are saying.

Who are you talking up for this coming year?
If you could organise for a gun pacy midfielder I’d be grateful.
Cheers.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[briztoon]

Who are you talking up for this coming year?
If you could organise for a gun pacy midfielder I’d be grateful.
Cheers.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

From a Lions perspective, before we traded our first round pick to you guys, I was really keen on small forward/midfielder Sam Flanders from the Gippsland Power.


If you end up with pick 1, I don't know how you can go past Matthew Rowell. He's a little undersized at 180cm, but kid is a gun. There's an ex recruiter who comments on eDPS on the rare occasion. This his write up for Rowell.

Matt Rowell (Nationals : 19.5 disposals per game (0 goals) & TAC Finals (22.6 disposals/0.6 goals):
Already been a lot written about him so I will not go on too much here – I first saw him at U15 Nationals and have seen him at U16 Nationals, APS and TAC many times. The boy is a star – ultra professional and one of best mid fielders of last few years. Has comprehensively beaten older boys almost every time he has played against them. Ignore his height – he is now 180cm but strong, fast and determined. Only possible criticism from AFL standpoint is his versatility in that he has had very little exposure forward or back over last few years – that said it doesn’t worry me at all he is going to be a star.

 

[eDPS]

From a Lions perspective, before we traded our first round pick to you guys, I was really keen on small forward/midfielder Sam Flanders from the Gippsland Power.


If you end up with pick 1, I don't know how you can go past Matthew Rowell. He's a little undersized at 180cm, but kid is a gun. There's an ex recruiter who comments on eDPS on the rare occasion. This his write up for Rowell.

My only little query on Rowell is his kicking can be inconsistent, one of the safest picks you can have as someone who will play 200 games and average 20+ disposals a game.

 

[Jirik13]

From a Lions perspective, before we traded our first round pick to you guys, I was really keen on small forward/midfielder Sam Flanders from the Gippsland Power.


If you end up with pick 1, I don't know how you can go past Matthew Rowell. He's a little undersized at 180cm, but kid is a gun. There's an ex recruiter who comments on eDPS on the rare occasion. This his write up for Rowell.

Yep, the pick we got from Lions will be handy.

 

[briztoon]

Probably worth reading the whole post, if you haven't read it before.

Ok it’s been a while since I last posted but I had a last minute reprieve and went back into AFL system again so kept quiet whilst employed – but now definitely retired so want to share my thoughts again.
I would like to share some thoughts of how things work inside AFL land with regards recruiting and how that differs a little from what I sometimes read here.
When looking at a draft crop I think the one thing that sometimes is over looked by many here but absolutely is the most important issue for recruiters is a boy’s exposure and performance to top level footy at a young age. For many the AFL is the first exposure to ‘open age’ football so we are really interested in performances of boys against older peers. So that means National Championships (and to a lesser degree TAC finals) and school footy is really important in your bottom age years. If you look at last few drafts there have been high end picks who didn’t have great draft years but have shown earlier they can mix it against older bodies and that is what AFL is – look at Caldwell, McHenry & Butters from 2018 – all high picks). So if we look at 2019 draft crop what have AFL recruiters noted to this point?
Overall 2019 is a very strong draft – it’s way deeper than 2019 – but will be judged harsher purely on the lack of high end talls – there are basically none at this stage who are demanding a top 10 pick (although Luke Jackson you could make a case for). Vic Metro will be seriously strong in 2019 and will provide a large number of high picks.
Ok I just wanted to get this started before giving my opinions below. Please note my opinions are based on my first hand experience only at this stage – so I am only commenting about performances that I have witnessed live. So this is largely based on U16 Nationals, APS/AGSV footy (17-18), AFL Academy (NZ game), U18 Nationals and TAC.
I have deliberately left out the Futures GF game as whilst we watch it – most recruiters discount performances as it brings together a large number of boys who have not played for weeks and isn’t a level playing field. And if you watched closely this year the game was coached from a very different angle by both coaches. Tony Bamford coached Black team and played his best players in best positions all day – whilst Luke Power (White) gave priority to players not part of AFL Academy particularly in mid field and this impacted greatly on the game. So don’t read much into this game – that said Rowell and Serong were outstanding…

So for 2019 this is where most AFL recruiters have things at this stage - there are 9 standouts above all others at this time:
Vic Metro: Rowell, Anderson, Mahony & Williams
Allies: O’Neill & Green
WA: Sharp & Jackson
Vic Country: Serong

The tier below include Gould, Kemp, Gardner, Flanders & C Stephens (Vic Country).

And there are 5 at the moment who are clearly at the top end (in no particular order):

Matt Rowell (Nationals : 19.5 disposals per game (0 goals) & TAC Finals (22.6 disposals/0.6 goals):
Already been a lot written about him so I will not go on too much here – I first saw him at U15 Nationals and have seen him at U16 Nationals, APS and TAC many times. The boy is a star – ultra professional and one of best mid fielders of last few years. Has comprehensively beaten older boys almost every time he has played against them. Ignore his height – he is now 180cm but strong, fast and determined. Only possible criticism from AFL standpoint is his versatility in that he has had very little exposure forward or back over last few years – that said it doesn’t worry me at all he is going to be a star.

Noah Anderson: (NC: 18.0 disposals/2.0 goals & TAC Finals: 18.3 disposals/1.5 goals):
Again no surprise here – player of U16 Nationals, perfect size, elite endurance and a natural leader (was captain of AFL Academy team – voted by players). Big game player – his game against WA in Nationals was almost as good as Izak Rankine against Metro. It is important with Noah to realise how he was used in Nationals and with Chargers late in TAC year – everyone knows he can play in midfield but was predominately used forward only to develop his AFL versatility but his numbers and impact was outstanding – will most likely move to full time mid- field role in 2019 and expect him to dominate. I think most clubs see him as a logical pick 1 at this stage as his size and endurance would see him likely to play in round one 2020.

Jack Mahony: (NC: 17.0 disposals/1.5 goals & TAC Finals: 21.0 disposals/1.5 goals):
I think Jack is the one flying under radar in threads but certainly not with recruiters. I think this is largely due to him breaking his collarbone in first TAC game after Nationals and missing rest of school and TAC season. He returned in Dragons first final after 8 weeks out and had 25 touches in limited mid field time and then kicked 2 goals as predominant small forward against Stingrays in a depleted Dragons team in Prelim. Important here to recognise how Dragons use bottom agers – they rarely play them in influential roles and thus it seems always the Dragons is where draft bolters come from (think Mcgrath and Taranto in 2016, Brayshaw in 2017 and again Bailey Smith last year) – Mahony is that player in 2019. Was arguably best on ground in first half of WA Nationals game – changed the game with Rowell when moved to outside mid in SA game and was outstanding in NZ game (as were Rowell and Anderson). Can play mid and forward and has dominated school team since first playing as a 15 year old. Tied with Sam Walsh in Yo Yo test at 2018 TAC testing so speed/endurance is elite. Like Rowell people are concerned about his size – although I hear he is now 179cm and November born so size isn’t an issue.

Mitch O’Neill: (NC: 20.0 disposals/0.8 goals):
Like Mahony is a bit under the radar – which is hard to say about a boy who was All Australian as a bottom ager. He had an outstanding Nationals and that just backed up what we saw in NZ in AFL Academy game. This game is a bit of a joke from a results aspect but the NZ team are adults with big bodies and it has always been fascinating to watch young boys work the way through this problem. Mitch got added to Academy squad for this Trip and really impressed us both during the game and at training and interviews. On field he is an elite 2 way runner who never stops working and will definitely benefit from his exposure through 4 games of Nationals in 2018. The change to TAC for a Tassie based player will only help Mitch’s development further in 2019. I have only seen him live in Nationals, NZ and GF game so I personally have limited exposure but he is on this list because he is rated very highly by a large number of clubs.

Dylan Williams (NC: 12.0 disposals/4.0 goals & TAC Finals: 11.0 disposals/4.7 goals):
Dylan is the tricky one on this list. There are some who will say that he has to be in mix for pick 1 purely on what he did in 2018 – and then there are others who will say that Vic Metro rated him below Rowell, Anderson & Mahony as he only played one game in Nationals and not against SA in final game – and they will also highlight the nature of his goals – he gets an incredible amount of his goals from snaps and leading his defender under the ball and getting it out the back – the criticism here being he will not get away with this at AFL level. My view – whilst he is not a high possession winner, he is a very clever footballer who has performed extremely well both forward and back and that versatility will hold him in good stead. 2019 will define his draft position but in 2020 he will be playing AFL football.

Please note that I have only mentioned players who have has bottom age experience in 2018 Nationals because at this point clubs have them at the top of their lists. There are plenty of boys with promise who we will find out more shortly…

 

[briztoon]

Yep, the pick we got from Lions will be handy.

I see what you did there. Bastinac

 

[SnusCG]

Probably worth reading the whole post, if you haven't read it before.

Been eyeing off Noah Anderson since Cal Twomey mentioned him in an article a while ago. Looks very much like a high impact prototype big bodied mid/fwd

 

[Peel67skin]

From a Lions perspective, before we traded our first round pick to you guys, I was really keen on small forward/midfielder Sam Flanders from the Gippsland Power.


If you end up with pick 1, I don't know how you can go past Matthew Rowell. He's a little undersized at 180cm, but kid is a gun. There's an ex recruiter who comments on eDPS on the rare occasion. This his write up for Rowell.

Depend on availability I can't see anything go wrong with Rowell ,Noah Anderson or WA Jeremy sharp , IMO sharp could do a Jordan Clark and climb up .

 

[SnusCG]

Post-JLT this is where I think the team is at

FB: Ballard - Collins - Harbrow
HB: Hanley - Hombsch - Murdoch
C: Fiorini - Swallow - Martin
HF: Lukosius - Wright - Sexton
FF: Macpherson - Burgess - Ainsworth

RR: Witts - Miller - Miles

I/C - Bowes - GHS - Ah Chee - Weller

EMG: Powell

Bolded are locks

Noteable absentees: Rankine (Hamstring), Thompson (ACL), Lemmens (Ankle), Holman (underdone), Brodie (???), Powell (not sure who's spot he takes), Corbett (Ankle)

 

[briztoon]

Been eyeing off Noah Anderson since Cal Twomey mentioned him in an article a while ago. Looks very much like a high impact prototype big bodied mid/fwd

Depend on availability I can't see anything go wrong with Rowell ,Noah Anderson or WA Jeremy sharp , IMO sharp could do a Jordan Clark and climb up .

With two likely top ten picks, you should potentially be looking at pairing two of the Oakleigh boys if possible.

What do believe are your team needs at seasons end?

 

[SnusCG]

With two likely top ten picks, you should potentially be looking at pairing two of the Oakleigh boys if possible.

What do believe are your team needs at seasons end?

TLDR: Midfield currently, but come seasons end probably defence


I think most would say it's our midfield, but we'll need to look and reassess as the season goes on.
The thing about the club currently is that a lot of our players - particularly our key midfield cogs are all under 23:
Miller - Has improved every year. Only 22 turning 23 this year - could very well become a big name player this year
Fiorini - Primed for a break out year. hugely talented. 21
Bowes - likely to be a midfielder this season onwards. similar player to McCluggage, just finds a lot of time and space and impacts games. 21
Ainsworth - Likely to be 50/50 Mid/Fwd this season. Can rack up disposals and strong when put forward. 21
Brodie - Can't believe he's not guaranteed starter this year but big disposal and clearance winner. 21

And then there's the mature guys in:
Miles - Came 5th in the B&F at Richmond 2014 which they played finals during. Good, solid citizen who can provide clearances and body coverage.
Swallow - last season was his first full season back from the PCL injuries that ruined 2 years, could/should push up from 22 to 24/25 average possessions
Horlin-Smith - Benefits the team because of leadership and provides a mature body
Martin - more mid minutes this year. Talent in spades. 23

if even 1 or 2 of the younger guys steps up to a B+ or A grader, our midfield starts to look a lot better, and with some nice depth which I think is a huge possibility - which would lead me to think defence is our biggest worry. Issue with that though is there are very few small defenders worth using a top 10 pick on (really only McGrath in the last few years) and our tall defensive stocks aren't a huge concern right now. So I imagine we would just go for best available again