Draft Watcher Davo-27's 2019 Draft Watch

[LegendLewis]

Think the hawks will be trying to get one pick in the range of 16 to 25 for next years first as they have someone in mind in that range.
It will be interesting to watch to see if they manage to trade before the finn bid or how they manage it after the finn bid.
so much to play out...I love the draft

 

[ML4Hodgy]

Would you trade your future first round pick for pick 21 in this years draft?

Biggest issue would be where Finn goes. If he goes in the first round, it’s a ‘first round pick’ and we’ll have taken 2 in the last 4 years. If he doesn’t, and we only take 1 first Rd pick, and trade next years for a second this year, we may be barred from trading our future first next year.
I imagine we’d see that as a big negative in case a player we like becomes available.
But if the player we want is still there, I can see us doing the deal

 

[THE_GUN]

Biggest issue would be where Finn goes. If he goes in the first round, it’s a ‘first round pick’ and we’ll have taken 2 in the last 4 years. If he doesn’t, and we only take 1 first Rd pick, and trade next years for a second this year, we may be barred from trading our future first next year.
I imagine we’d see that as a big negative in case a player we like becomes available.
But if the player we want is still there, I can see us doing the deal

Better get Richmond to bid on him then

 

[Davo-27]

i wanted to make a list of players that are my favourites pre-draft for 2019, these are not all rated first round choices, but i liked these players the best this year

M.Rowell - obviously the number 1 pick, i was a fan of his last season after his finals series, especially his grand final and futures game performance, he really stood out as a quality player, the only criticism i have for him is he looked for Anderson too much, ignoring better options to feed his mate.

B.Kemp - loved what i saw from him at Bendigo and then to follow it up with one of the best champs performances i have seen, because he was a mister fix it, he missed out not only on the Larke Medal but the VC MVP, which i think he was close to winning in both categories imo.

C.Serong + S.Flanders - loved how tough they were on the inside, raging bulls, who hunt the ball, can both go forward and kick a goal, both talented players that have a lot of similarities in their game, both good contested marks for their height and strong country lads, Flanders is a bit better at standing up in the big games and Serong is a bit better user of the ball i found

L.Jackson - one of the best all round rucks i have seen in the juniors, reminds me of a mix of P.Ryder and B.Grundy, very bouncy with his movements, wins majority of taps and loves a clearance, use of the ball is good and he even kicked a bunch of goals after the champs in the WAFL

L.Ash - love how he plays, similar to Heath Shaw in that he has a solid defensive side, wins a lot of contests and then his run out of defence is blistering, rarely runs into trouble and his disposal is also good at times excellent

W.Gould - as an underager played CHB because he has the physical ability to play with the talls, but its his work as a running hbf and taking the kick-ins, his defensive work is solid as he intercepts and counter-attacks and he isnt shy to put his weight to use in the contest, he is a winner and takes people on, he also has a laid back country personality, won a SANFL premiership as a key player in that team averaging around 20 disposals per game, i dont have the stats, but every week it seemed he racked up big numbers for Glenlg, came into the combine after celebrating what was a big achievement for him winning the SANFL Premiership as an 18 yr old country kid and probably got on the turps a bit too much which led to him being 6 or so kegs overweight and hurting his combine testing.

T.Rivers - played as a hbf for WA, but has the ability to play mid and can kick goals as well, good line running and safe disposal from defence, he is a great size and shape for AFL, he is a smart player and has overcome some issues in the pre-season to have a great year this year.

J.Sharp - athletic tall wing/hbf, in last years champs he was one of the better players for WA, speeding down the wing, hitting perfect passes, this year put in a good performace in the Trial game between WA and SA, as a half back played a high quality game, in the champs he had some moments that werent perfect like kicking on the full a few times and missing goals from long range, but overall was an impressive player again for WA, i like his consistency and his performances in the WAFL were also good so shows he can step it up

T.Ruscoe - another WA lad that was super impressive at the champs, tall and strong build, smart, uses the ball really well, his long kicks out of defence were always good, strong in the contest and smart with ball in hand, doesnt get the recognition he deserves imo

H.Schoenberg - for him to have as big an impact as he did in the champs for SA was impressive, he then had some good performances in the SANFL Reserves to put his name up there as a player with good potential, his champs showed that he has a good work ethic, good skills and endurance.

M.Georgiades - while everyone is talking up Jones, Sharman, Jeka, the best tall forward is forgotten about because of an injury last year, he could have returned in the WAFL late, but they held him back to make sure he was fit and ready to go for the club that drafts him, if his medicals are cleared then he would be the best tall forw prospect imo by a long shot

B.Smith - the best shut down defender in the draft, theres plenty of rebound defenders, tall defenders, intercept defenders, but if you are looking for a shut down defender that can also rebound well, then Smith is the best choice imo

E.Taylor - for a medium forward this guy knows where the goals are, has lovely hands above his head and could be the next Gunston type, has a bit f x-factor and plays taller than he is at 185cm, can be a little low production though, has good athletic traits

N.Cahill - as a forward his point of difference is his team orientated play, he gives off more goal opportunities than he kicks goals, and he averages just under 2 a game, works hard to kick a goal or provide a team mate with an opportunity to kick a goal, his team orientated football sets him apart from most other forwards imo

M.Mellis - he was by far the best eastern ranges player all year, he has good speed, he is small at 173cm, but he is impressive, playing as forw/mid and averaging good numbers, everytime eastern needed a lift he would step up, he got put on a wing for VM which obviously isnt his best position and performed ok, one of the most under-rated kids in the draft imo

J.Davies - i have liked what i have seen from him all year, plays the defender role just as you would want a player to, gets into good positions, is really strong aerially and then off the ground he is solid also, using the ball very well and rarely makes mistakes, he stands out as a quality player and got some recognition late in the season, but could be a rookie that comes good and im hoping the Hawks grab him if available

A.Carafa - an inside mid that gets under packs or runs from packs and feeds team mates, very unselfish player, doesnt go for the glory and just plays good footy, reminds me of Jack Ross from last years draft in that doesnt get talked about a lot then plays good footy in Richmonds system when given a chance, could be a Richmond type pick up in this years draft.

Z.Pretty - i've been a fan of his all year, doesnt get much recognition, big disposal and clearance player, good height and size for the mid, lacks a little athleticism, but gives it his all and is the type of player coaches push to get their best, seems to have good endurance and smart user of the footy, either a good rookie option or a star for a VFL team, time will tell, but i like the way he plays and he is an outside chance as to whether he gets drafted or not

 

[Davo-27]

have not done a top 50 since August, mostly listing groups of talent in tiers and Phantoms which i dont usually like doing, but i thought it would be interesting who the clubs have interest in ect, but i prefer to just list the best players like i will do here, so i guess ill smash out a quick top 50 pre-draft, these are my reads from watching a lot of u18 footy so it may differ to other peoples reads.

1. Matthew Rowell
2. Noah Anderson
3. Brodie Kemp
4. Luke Jackson
5. Lachlan Ash
6. Caleb Serong
7. Tom Green
8. Sam Flanders
9. Liam Henry
10. Hayden Young
11. Fischer McAsey
12. Deven Robertson
13. Dylan Stephens
14. Will Gould
15. Trent Rivers
16. Cooper Stephens
17. Jeremy Sharp
18. Miles Bergman
19. Kysaiah Pickett
20. Trent Bianco
21. Will Day
22. Jay Rantall
23. Cody Weightman
24. Josh Worrell
25. Trey Ruscoe
26. Finn Maginness
27. Harry Schoenberg
28. Mitch Georgiades
29. Dylan Williams
30. Sam De Koning
31. Flynn Perez
32. Elijah Taylor
33. Jackson Mead
34. Josh Shute
35. Charlie Comben
36. Cameron Taheny
37. Karl Finlay
38. Ned Cahill
39. Riley Garcia
40. Jack Mahony
41. Brock Smith
42. Darcy Chirgwin
43. Mitch O'Neill
44. Ryan Byrnes
45. Thomson Dow
46. Dyson Hilder
47. Adam Carafa
48. Nick Bryan
49. Harrison Jones
50. Mitch Mellis

Pasini, Cumberland, Prior and J.Davies unlucky not to fit into my 50

 

[Procrastinator35]

Think the hawks will be trying to get one pick in the range of 16 to 25 for next years first as they have someone in mind in that range.
It will be interesting to watch to see if they manage to trade before the finn bid or how they manage it after the finn bid.
so much to play out...I love the draft

Would love for Kemp to slide to our pick 13.

 

[Davo-27]

thoughts on Round 1

1. GC - Matthew Rowell - 180cm 78kg - obvious first pick, safe pick, (good endurance)
2. GC - Noah Anderson - 191cm 87kg - goal kicking mid, another obvious pick, (good speed, agility + endurance)
3. Melb - Luke Jackson - 199cm 94kg - top end ruck talent, obvious pick, (good endurance)
4. GWS - Lachlan Ash - 187cm 83kg - heath shaw replacement, high quality running hbf, (elite endurance, good speed, vertical)
5. Syd - Dylan Stephens - 183cm 74kg - winger who can kick a nice run-away goal, (elite speed, agility and good endurance, vertical)
6. Adel - Fischer McAsey - 197cm 91kg - key defender who dominated the champs, (below average speed)
7. Frem - Hayden Young - 188cm 83kg - quality long kicking intercept def, (elite agility, good speed, vertical)
8. Frem - Caleb Serong - 178cm 83kg - inside bull of a mid and sml forw, contested mark, (elite endurance, good agility, vertical)
9, Frem - Liam Henry* - 180cm 68kg - silky smooth mover and user of the ball, best skills in draft pool imo, (elite agility, good speed, vertical)
10. GWS - Tom Green* - 190cm 89kg - tough inside mid with great cont poss and clearance numbers, (good speed, agility, endurance)

top 10 was as everyone expected except for the late Green bid and D.Stephens ahead of Flanders

11. GC - Sam Flanders - 183cm 82kg - tough inside mid and forw, GC traded up to take advantage of his slide (elite agility, vertical, good speed, endurance)
12. Melb - Kysaiah Pickett - 171cm 71kg - melb reached for the best pressure forw in the draft pool (good speed, vertical, below average endurance)
13. Haw - Will Day - 189cm 76kg - hawks reaching and taking a skilful intercept hbf with safe disposal (good speed, agility, vertical)
14. Port - Miles Bergman - 189cm 83kg - reach for a winger/hff, inconsistent but improving (elite speed, vertical, good endurance)
15. West - Cody Weightman - 178cm 75kg - big reach for an energetic forw (elite agility, good vertical)
16. Geel - Cooper Stephens - 188cm 83kg - lands about where he would have before injury (elite endurance, good speed, vertical)
17. Carl - Brodie Kemp - 192cm 89kg - huge slide for a player i rate very highly (elite speed, agility, good endurance)
18. Port - Mitch Georgiades - 192cm 87kg - the best KPF in the draft pool, considered a reach, but not really (elite speed, vertical)
19. Geel - Sam De Koning - 201cm 86kg - reach for the 2nd best tall def (good agility, below average vertical)
20. Carl - Sam Philp - 186cm 79kg - the surprise packet, drafted mainly based on combine results imo (elite speed, endurance, good agility)
21. Rich - Thomson Dow - 184cm 76kg - another reach, inconsistent, when on is talented (elite agility)

Flanders makes sense at 11, Pickett also makes sense as pressure forws are worth their weight in gold, Day is a quality player, Bergman is inconsistent, but was good late for sandy once he played a role he was natural in, Weightman is a reach, but one of the better sml forw options, C.Stephens showed with a great combine that his broken leg is not an issue, Kemp slid far for a kid i rate very highly, Carlton should be happy, Georgiades is a bit of a reach, but he is the best KPF and so it makes sense imo, De Koning is also a bit of a reach, but he is a talented tall man, Philp is a real shock, Carlton going for an athlete>footballer type and Dow is a very un-richmond like pick, but he is a talent when he is on, a bit inconsistent though.

Robertson, Gould going undrafted so far was a surprise, i guess teams are scared off by the less than average kicking of Robertson and the condition Gould turned up to the combine in, otherwise they are 2 high end talents still on the board.

 

[Davo-27]

Hawthorn

for Hawthorn i was hoping we would take Kemp with pick 13, then grab Maginness and trade in before or after the bid on Maginness to grab Sharp, for a draft haul of Kemp, Sharp and Maginness, ensuring we have a dominant midfield for the next 10 years, that was my daydreaming fantasy and the future will reveal if i was right or wrong

instead reality hits and we got Day, Maginness and Morris, Day is a good player, but he is surplus to our needs as we have a lot of young good general defenders, he is a good player though and i am happy to have him at the club, Maginness is a good mid who has good athletic qualities and plays a good brand of footy, the one query is on whether he can win enough of the ball and use his speed more often to break away from packs which he doesnt do enough of, Morris is a decent prospect, but had a poor champs kicking 2 goals in 4 games and struggled to get into games averaging 6 disposals a game at the champs, even when the ball did go to him he got beaten by defensive structures, he has a good u18 record and good reserves record of kicking goals, but averages 9 disposals in the u18's and 8 disposals in reserves, his champs form is a worry.

 

[Cadillac]

What do you tHink of the Dogs draft haul Davo?

 

[Davo-27]

What do you tHink of the Dogs draft haul Davo?

Western Bulldogs

#15 Cody Weightman - was a reach, but is one of the better small forws, very exciting player and you drafted for position rather than best available which is often the Bulldogs strategy and works more often than not, was clearly the best small forw at the champs with high flying attempt at marks, good goal sense and good speed, he can also play hff and kick running goals from 50 as i saw on a few occasions for Dandenong, maybe needs to add more of a defensive game which is why Pickett went first in the draft, as pressure forws are very good in this meta of football, but has a lot of x-factor.

#53 Louis Butler - as a late pick he is fine, i saw him take a few courageous marks as a hbf, his disposal is mixed and he knows how to find the ball, but he is a bit vanilla for me, doesnt really stand out or do anything special, could be a handy role player if he gets an opportunity at the next level

#62 Riley Garcia - this was a good pick up, he and Robertson destroyed all the other teams inside mids, their combination was super strong in the champs, he reminds me of Dion Prestia (GC/Rich) in the way he plays and i think he is a good pick up, he did his knee in the last game of the champs where he had 7 disposals in 80% of the first quarter and was about to get an 8th before injurying his knee, he was on track to be one of the best players in that game, still averaged 20 disposals, would have been around 23 if not injured, good clearance and first receiver inside mid

 

[Davo-27]

some players unlucky not to be drafted and might get a rookie chance.

O'Neill, Finlay, Shute, Chirgwin, Kelly, Cassar, Sharman, Sturgess, Carafa, J.Davies, Mellis, Stapleton, Pretty, J.Jackson, Thorne

 

[andleanback]

some players unlucky not to be drafted and might get a rookie chance.

O'Neill, Finlay, Shute, Chirgwin, Kelly, Cassar, Sharman, Sturgess, Carafa, J.Davies, Mellis, Stapleton, Pretty, J.Jackson, Thorne

Only o’neill got rookied out them. I thought hanrahan would’ve got a chance

 

[Davo-27]

Only o’neill got rookied out them. I thought hanrahan would’ve got a chance

yea every year theres a handful of talent that doesnt get picked up, they are very harsh on the u18 talent and yet dud 25 year olds get re-rookied no problems, its very odd the attitude, to pick up known bad players at the expense of unknown potential based on combine results or fear they wont work out, happens every year

 

[Cadillac]

Western Bulldogs

#15 Cody Weightman - was a reach, but is one of the better small forws, very exciting player and you drafted for position rather than best available which is often the Bulldogs strategy and works more often than not, was clearly the best small forw at the champs with high flying attempt at marks, good goal sense and good speed, he can also play hff and kick running goals from 50 as i saw on a few occasions for Dandenong, maybe needs to add more of a defensive game which is why Pickett went first in the draft, as pressure forws are very good in this meta of football, but has a lot of x-factor.

#53 Louis Butler - as a late pick he is fine, i saw him take a few courageous marks as a hbf, his disposal is mixed and he knows how to find the ball, but he is a bit vanilla for me, doesnt really stand out or do anything special, could be a handy role player if he gets an opportunity at the next level

#62 Riley Garcia - this was a good pick up, he and Robertson destroyed all the other teams inside mids, their combination was super strong in the champs, he reminds me of Dion Prestia (GC/Rich) in the way he plays and i think he is a good pick up, he did his knee in the last game of the champs where he had 7 disposals in 80% of the first quarter and was about to get an 8th before injurying his knee, he was on track to be one of the best players in that game, still averaged 20 disposals, would have been around 23 if not injured, good clearance and first receiver inside mid

Thanks heaps for your write up mate. You’re the best scout on this website. Absolutely love it.
Im keen to see if we can play butler on a wing and use his foot skills. It’s a massive need opposite Hunter

 

[Heaps of fun]

How do you rate North's work Davo-27? McGuinness fan?

 

[LegendLewis]

Hey davo,
Just a big big thanks for your work mate.
It has been an absolute pleasure reading your informative thread
Keep up the good work!

 

[Davo-27]

How do you rate North's work Davo-27? McGuinness fan?

#31 Charlie Comben - he is a good ruck/forw prospect, very rarely plays full games in the ruck as he always played with other specialist rucks in his teams, but has a competitive technique, its his athleticism around the ground and strong contested marking that sets his apart from the others, can also mark inside 50 and kick goals, needs to fill out a little, but he is one of the better big men in the draft pool

#34 Jack Mahony - he is a sml forw/mid, good kick for goal, was tried mid this year with mixed success, one of the better users of the footy for VM, played well in both the 2018 and 2019 champs, i like him as a sml forw/mid mix, but he has not been great in either area, like he doesnt get 30 disposal games with good clearance numbers and he doesnt have big goal kicking games, his point of difference is his quality ball use and the ability to kick goals, he rated good agility and below average speed at the combine

#35 Flynn Perez - liked what i saw from him last season, running quick hbf with good agility and height, very confident with ball in hand and seemed to use it well, did his knee in pre-season training with VC, trained at Geelong and got praise from Selwood pre-injury, missed all of his draft year, but was included in the VC squad, would like to see how he dealt with the pressures of his draft year as that can change a players rating, a bit of risk for reward with this pick.


Maginness - im a fan of his, but i would've liked it if he got the ball more often and showed the speed he apparently has on field, also usually good endurance should equate to more disposals and it doesnt with Finn so thats a slight issue as well, i was surprised by his test results, because he usually gets caught in a pack or isnt in the right position to receive the ball, maybe he needs to work on positioning and breaking away from packs? once he is taught those things he should improve a bit, but if he is 18 now and doesnt know these things, im worried he might not learn them, in saying all of this, if he develops to the best of his potential, best case scenario is he turns out similar to Josh Kennedy (Joey)who was also a 3rd generation F/S who went on to have a good career at Sydney, we'll wait and see

 

[Heaps of fun]

#31 Charlie Comben - he is a good ruck/forw prospect, very rarely plays full games in the ruck as he always played with other specialist rucks in his teams, but has a competitive technique, its his athleticism around the ground and strong contested marking that sets his apart from the others, can also mark inside 50 and kick goals, needs to fill out a little, but he is one of the better big men in the draft pool

#34 Jack Mahony - he is a sml forw/mid, good kick for goal, was tried mid this year with mixed success, one of the better users of the footy for VM, played well in both the 2018 and 2019 champs, i like him as a sml forw/mid mix, but he has not been great in either area, like he doesnt get 30 disposal games with good clearance numbers and he doesnt have big goal kicking games, his point of difference is his quality ball use and the ability to kick goals, he rated good agility and below average speed at the combine

#35 Flynn Perez - liked what i saw from him last season, running quick hbf with good height, very confident with ball in hand and seemed to use it well, did his knee in pre-season training with VC, trained at Geelong and got praise from Selwood pre-injury, missed all of his draft year, but was included in the VC squad, would like to see how he dealt with the pressures of his draft year as that can change a players rating, a bit of risk for reward with this pick.


Maginness - im a fan of his, but i would've liked it if he got the ball more often and showed the speed he apparently has on field, also usually good endurance should equate to more disposals and it doesnt with Finn so thats a slight issue as well, i was surprised by his test results, because he usually gets caught in a pack or isnt in the right position to receive the ball, maybe he needs to work on positioning and breaking away from packs? once he is taught those things he should improve a bit, but if he is 18 now and doesnt know these things, im worried he might not learn them, in saying all of this, if he develops to the best of his potential, best case scenario is he turns out similar to Josh Kennedy (Joey)who was also a 3rd generation F/S who went on to have a good career at Sydney, we'll wait and see

Thank you but I meant Matt McGuinness, who we just added as a cat B rookie. Should have said so, sorry.

 

[Davo-27]

Thank you but I meant Matt McGuinness, who we just added as a cat B rookie. Should have said so, sorry.

McGuinness is a tall hbf from Tassie, good long kick on him, decent intercept mark, quick with good agility, but his 19.4 in the yo-yo test is pretty poor so a bit of an issue with endurance also got 89cm on the running vertical jump so has some hops, was always one of the best from Tassie it seemed, he's a 19 year old from last years draft pool and has been rewarded for a good year for Tassie Devils this year it seems, i like him as an ok player, but i believe Knightmare likes him more than i do, he talked him up a bit this year.

 

[Heaps of fun]

McGuinness is a tall hbf from Tassie, good long kick on him, decent intercept mark, quick with good agility, but his 19.4 in the yo-yo test is pretty poor so a bit of an issue with endurance also got 89cm on the running vertical jump so has some hops, was always one of the best from Tassie it seemed, he's a 19 year old from last years draft pool and has been rewarded for a good year for Tassie Devils this year it seems, i like him as an ok player, but i believe Knightmare likes him more than i do, he talked him up a bit this year.

Sounds like a great Cat B choice. Skinny with poor endurance is a terrible mix but height, leap, disposal and his ability to rack up the footy is rare. Will be able to sit on the list and develop for a while.

 

[andleanback]

yea every year theres a handful of talent that doesnt get picked up, they are very harsh on the u18 talent and yet dud 25 year olds get re-rookied no problems, its very odd the attitude, to pick up known bad players at the expense of unknown potential based on combine results or fear they wont work out, happens every year

I think it’s the cost (player development, adjusting to the system etc) of bringing in a lot of new rookies when they might only be there for a year, re rooking players a lot less time and effort getting someone they already know. Plus rookies being able to play without being upgraded means, mature recycled players can fill a immediate need.

 

[GUMBLETRON]

Most of the recycled players are contracted anyway, just being moved to the rookie list to allow more national draft picks.

 

[Procrastinator35]

Felt that Carlton allowing Gold Coast to slip-in & take Flanders at 11, was a down-payment for the Coasters allowing Martin to slide to them in the Pre-season draft.

The Blues & SOS covered all their angles in this draft.

 

[Procrastinator35]

Summation of Hawk Draft haul:

Will Day....Said in my first sighting of him that he reminds me of Dean Laidley, the way he plays.....Hope he turns out as good.
Finn Son of.....Solid inside bull.....Will take time to adjust & develop, but good signs all-round.....A Josh Kennedy clone.
Josh Morris....Quick leading mid-sized forward, who is a good mark & a beautiful kick on goal.....Is there still a place in modern-day footy for his type?
Michael Hartley.....Solid, mature & experienced key defensive back-up for Frawley & Frost.
Emerson Jeka...Best contested marking tall at TAC Cup this year.....Great on the lead.....Just cover your eyes & pray to the Gods when he's kicking for goal but.
Harry Pepper....A bit of shake'n'bake from out of defence….Has speed & great rebound from out of defence…..Good kick too for a small to medium defender.

A Pretty good mix all-round.....Just missed out on a young developing ruckman & a quick, small forward or 2.

 

[Davo-27]

so thats it, i probably wont add anything else except i think only 1 player was unlucky and that was Josh Shute, all the other players were speculative and could have got a rookie chance, good luck to all the players that got drafted and we move on to next years group.