Draft Watcher Davo-27's 2020 u18 Draft Watch

[Davo-27]

Power Rankings
1. Will Phillips - Oakleigh - 180cm 80kg
2. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan - GWV/Oakleigh - 195cm 90kg
3. Logan McDonald - Perth - 197cm 86kg
4. Denver Grainger-Barras - Swan Dist - 194cm 78kg
5. Elijah Hollands - Murray - 189cm 85kg
6. Riley Thilthorpe - West Adel - 201cm 100kg
7. Archie Perkins - Sandringham - 188cm 79kg
8. Braeden Campbell - Sydney A - 181cm 75kg
9. Tanner Bruhn - Geelong - 183cm 74kg
10. Lachlan Jones - WWT - 186cm 89kg
11. Heath Chapman - West Perth - 193cm 81kg
12. Reef McInnes - Oakleigh - 193cm 86kg
13. Oliver Henry - Geelong - 188cm 77kg
14. Nathan O'Driscoll - Perth - 187cm 78kg
15. Nikolas Cox - Northern - 200cm 87kg
16. Jackson Callow - Tas - 194cm 100kg
17. Eddie Ford - Western - 189cm 83kg
18. Tom Powell - Sturt - 183cm 74kg
19. Jack Carroll - East Frem - 187cm 76kg
20. Kaine Baldwin - Glenlg - 193cm 90kg
21. Brandon Walker - East Frem - 183cm 75kg
22. Oliver Davis - Tas - 182cm 75kg
23. Errol Gulden - Sydney A - 175cm 75kg
24. Jack Ginnivan - Bendigo - 183cm 77kg
25. Luke Edwards - Glenlg - 188cm 83kg
26. Finlay Macrae - Oakleigh - 186cm 78kg
27. Brayden Cook - South Adel - 189cm 82kg
28. Bailey Laurie - Oakleigh - 179cm 78kg
29. Caleb Poulter - WWT - 192cm 79kg
30. Connor Downie - Eastern - 185cm 82kg
31. Sam Berry - Gippsland - 181cm 80kg
32. Joel Western - Claremont - 172cm 68kg
33. Zac Dumesny - South Adel - 186cm 80kg
34. Brodie Lake - NT/Peel/Central Dist - 185cm 79kg
35. Blake Coleman - Brisbane A - 180cm 79kg
36. Zane Trew - Swan Dist - 188cm 80kg
37. Zach Reid - Gippsland - 202cm 83kg
38. Cody Brand - Calder - 196cm 87kg
39. Shannon Neale - Sth Frem - 202cm 91kg
40. Charlie Lazzaro - Geelong - 179cm 73kg
41. Isiah Winder - Peel - 180cm 79kg
42. Taj Schofield - WWT - 178cm 72kg
43. Carter Michael - Brisbane A - 188cm 74kg
44. Zavier Maher - Murray - 185cm 82kg
45. Lachlan Carrigan - Sandringham - 191cm 78kg
46. Max Heath - Sandringham - 203cm 94kg
47. Maurice Rioli Jnr - NT - 173cm 73kg
48. Harry Sharp - GWV - 183cm 69kg
49. Jake Bowey - Sandringham - 175cm 67kg
50. Clayton Gay - Dandenong - 184cm 78kg

a couple of state league players i think might get drafted, Tom Highmore and Jackson Ramsay

Jackson Ramsay

Age

29

Ht

184cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.0

4star

K

7.5

3star

HB

8.5

5star

M

2.7

3star

T

3.2

5star

MG

216.8

3star

No current season stats available

D

14.4

4star

K

7.0

3star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

MG

239.0

4star

(not going to speculate where they might go).

others outside of the top 50 include, Seamus Mitchell, Luke Pedlar, Henry Walsh, Kalin Lane, Liam McMahon, Sam Collins, Josh Green, Campbell Edwardes, Jackson Cardillo, Jack Avery, James Borlase, Lochlan Jenkins, Max Holmes, Connor Stone.

 

[eDPS]

if you go back through my 2019 thread i rate both of them funnily enough, but i think production was their downfall, keen to see if they fix that this year



thats why i didnt rate him as highly as the media and some others did last year, but performing at a good level at the champs was why he was drafted i would think.

His elite athleticism and scope for improvement would have been the main selling points you would think not to mention his good leading patterns and versatility.

 

[Davo-27]

His elite athleticism and scope for improvement would have been the main selling points you would think not to mention his good leading patterns and versatility.

i agree with his athleticism, i saw him in the ruck for calder and he wasnt that impressive, so versatility seems to be as a forward only?, but i liked his trial game where he kicked 4 goals and the high leading role he played for Vic Metro where he led into space on the wing or where he clunked a few marks for scoring opportunities, i was just saying i liked him around where he got drafted whereas the media ect had him top 20 or something, some comparing him to Riewoldt ect, which was what my comment meant.

 

[eDPS]

i agree with his athleticism, i saw him in the ruck for calder and he wasnt that impressive, so versatility seems to be as a forward only?, but i liked his trial game where he kicked 4 goals and the high leading role he played for Vic Metro where he led into space on the wing or where he clunked a few marks for scoring opportunities, i was just saying i liked him around where he got drafted whereas the media ect had him top 20 or something, some comparing him to Riewoldt ect, which was what my comment meant.

Personally I’ve seen him do plenty of great work in the ruck especially the year before , the Reidwoldt comparisons in context where more for the leading patterns and endurance , obviously if he had all his traits he would have been talked up as a top 5 pick

 

[Davo-27]

well it seems the season is being postponed? i guess we'll see what happens?

 

[briztoon]

Are they still training?


Pretty sure the Lions academy have canceled all sessions.

 

[kickthething]

Are they still training?


Pretty sure the Lions academy have canceled all sessions.

No, all contact is stopped and the clubs have all gone into a hiatus. A number of the clubs had already cancelled jumper presentation nights.

 

[RooIntheZoo]

Reassessing from 31 May I believe


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[kickthething]

Reassessing from 31 May I believe


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Yep...nothing until May 31 at the earliest

 

[briztoon]

Yep...nothing until May 31 at the earliest

I’ll be very, very surprised if anything is played before the end of August.

I’m actually expecting nothing will happen until the end of the school year.


If I was a top age kid, I’d be begging my parents to shop for the most affordable second hand gym equipment that can be set up in the garage or back patio, a rebound net, and anything else skills base.

Get a good running program sorted, and maybe the 3 best players you can find for kick to kick and non contact drills.

And as much hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes you can buy.

I believe it’s going to be a long, boring autumn, winter and spring.

 

[kickthething]

I’ll be very, very surprised if anything is played before the end of August.

I’m actually expecting nothing will happen until the end of the school year.


If I was a top age kid, I’d be begging my parents to shop for the most affordable second hand gym equipment that can be set up in the garage or back patio, a rebound net, and anything else skills base.

Get a good running program sorted, and maybe the 3 best players you can find for kick to kick and non contact drills.

And as much hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes you can buy.

I believe it’s going to be a long, boring autumn, winter and spring.

wouldnt surpise me if nothing is played at all....and the draft is not held this year as well. If the AFL season does not complete or minimum games, the setting may be right for the AFL to lift the draft age to 19 and wait until next year?

 

[briztoon]

wouldnt surpise me if nothing is played at all....and the draft is not held this year as well. If the AFL season does not complete or minimum games, the setting may be right for the AFL to lift the draft age to 19 and wait until next year?

I don’t agree with changing the draft age.

If we had a college sports system similar to the States, I would agree.

But not in our current s.


If the AFL wanted to fund a National U19 League, then I would agree.

Have the best U17’s, U18’s and U19’s in a National comp.

You could do away the State academy hubs and National Championships. Squads of 44.

Run a proper home and away, 7 team competition, so 12 rounds.

NAB league remains, along with all other state based under age competitions as the next tier down.

If there’s a long term injury to a player, team calls someone up from what ever their state based competition is.

 

[philthy05]

People who suggest raising the draft have no grip on reality.

En masse have 100% of kids in school and football programmes have to decide to go to uni or get a job, or both and balance those commitments with trying to play semi-professional football and train very hard in the hope they get drafted. Get real. We would lose heaps of kids.

 

[andleanback]

People who suggest raising the draft have no grip on reality.

En masse have 100% of kids in school and football programmes have to decide to go to uni or get a job, or both and balance those commitments with trying to play semi-professional football and train very hard in the hope they get drafted. Get real. We would lose heaps of kids.

How we lose more kids at under 19? First year uni/ apprentice isn’t less time that year 12

 

[kickthething]

People who suggest raising the draft have no grip on reality.

En masse have 100% of kids in school and football programmes have to decide to go to uni or get a job, or both and balance those commitments with trying to play semi-professional football and train very hard in the hope they get drafted. Get real. We would lose heaps of kids.

That makes no sense....I think you might find the exact opposite of what you are suggesting. There is a little thing called VCE for one thing that takes a fair bit of headspace. To have u19 means players in their draft year can focus 100 per cent on football if they want to and also, school football is out of the way meaning you absolutely get the best playing the best each weekend.

I am not fussed 18 or 19, I think if you look at how the game is being played now w shorter quarters, now 1 full round...the AFL are taking opportunities to run agendas right now and I think it is not impossible that this is one they may also run with.

 

[philthy05]

That makes no sense....I think you might find the exact opposite of what you are suggesting. There is a little thing called VCE for one thing that takes a fair bit of headspace. To have u19 means players in their draft year can focus 100 per cent on football if they want to and also, school football is out of the way meaning you absolutely get the best playing the best each weekend.

I am not fussed 18 or 19, I think if you look at how the game is being played now w shorter quarters, now 1 full round...the AFL are taking opportunities to run agendas right now and I think it is not impossible that this is one they may also run with.

So kids who leave school are all going to pause getting a job or going to uni taking the gamble that they will get drafted in a year? How many kids do you think can do that?

How would balancing uni or work with football allow them to focus on football more than school?

 

[kickthething]

So kids who leave school are all going to pause getting a job or going to uni taking the gamble that they will get drafted in a year? How many kids do you think can do that?

How would balancing uni or work with football allow them to focus on football more than school?

Because they are no longer at school.

The question becomes more real if there is no real amount of AFL played...list rules for this year willchange for the circumstance. Clubs themselves may not be able to make list decisions on their current list let alone recruiting.

Right now it’s no more than an interesting conversation...I think every option will be up for consideration, nothing is black and white right now.

 

[philthy05]

Because they are no longer at school.

I’m baffled at what this is supposed to mean..

You think all these kids that have dreams and ideas that maybe they could be drafted leave school and do nothing while waiting to be drafted?

They don’t go to uni, or get a job, or both?

 

[BigDance]

I don’t agree with changing the draft age.

If we had a college sports system similar to the States, I would agree.

But not in our current s.


If the AFL wanted to fund a National U19 League, then I would agree.

Have the best U17’s, U18’s and U19’s in a National comp.

You could do away the State academy hubs and National Championships. Squads of 44.

Run a proper home and away, 7 team competition, so 12 rounds.

NAB league remains, along with all other state based under age competitions as the next tier down.

If there’s a long term injury to a player, team calls someone up from what ever their state based competition is.

I can’t see how a national weekly comp with these ages would be possible. You can’t have any kid who is still at school in WA flying across the country on a semi- regular basis to play one game of footy. It’s a three day turn around to take a day of travel, potentially a day of aclimatising (two hour time change) and then a game and flying home. They are not going to play their best footy nor perform at school. That’s why all national carnivals are run over a week or two. It’s not feasible. There isn’t a national comp for kids which is played like you suggested for any sport that I can think of as they are still children. Great idea but I doubt this would ever happen.

 

[Mego Red]

I’m baffled at what this is supposed to mean..

You think all these kids that have dreams and ideas that maybe they could be drafted leave school and do nothing while waiting to be drafted?

They don’t go to uni, or get a job, or both?

I agree with most of what you're posting here - but the time demands of the last year of high school far outweigh the first year of uni or a retail job (assuming they still exist in the future).

 

[Davo-27]

with the coronavirus and the affect it is having on the economy, at the very least it seems the AFL clubs will reduce lists, at worst we might lose some clubs to debt, even though the AFL have mortgaged Docklands to ensure we keep 18 clubs alive, the debt and recession/depression that could follow might have a larger impact than the AFL can handle.(a mini recession in the 90's ended Fitzroy and nearly took out another 4-6 clubs to mergers)

so in saying what could be, i would predict maybe 30-40 kids this year being drafted maybe less, only the best will get a chance to be drafted, clubs wont have the room to develop anyone going into 2021 i would think, which is bad news unfortunately

 

[kickthething]

with the coronavirus and the affect it is having on the economy, at the very least it seems the AFL clubs will reduce lists, at worst we might lose some clubs to debt, even though the AFL have mortgaged Docklands to ensure we keep 18 clubs alive, the debt and recession/depression that could follow might have a larger impact than the AFL can handle.(a mini recession in the 90's ended Fitzroy and nearly took out another 4-6 clubs to mergers)

so in saying what could be, i would predict maybe 30-40 kids this year being drafted maybe less, only the best will get a chance to be drafted, clubs wont have the room to develop anyone going into 2021 i would think, which is bad news unfortunately

Agree with this if a draft goes ahead, the issue is knowing who the best of the best is a bit of a lottery without any current form. Clubs may be reluctant to take a chance with so few dollars to risk.

 

[PMBangers]

so in saying what could be, i would predict maybe 30-40 kids this year being drafted maybe less, only the best will get a chance to be drafted, clubs wont have the room to develop anyone going into 2021 i would think, which is bad news unfortunately

Could almost view it as a positive, you'd assume those unlucky to miss out will still be decent quality and go state league, may mean some more attention around the VFL/SANFL/WAFL/NEAFL and such for 2021 (assuming those comps still run)
Watched any footage in the time off Davo? any movers?

 

[Davo-27]

Could almost view it as a positive, you'd assume those unlucky to miss out will still be decent quality and go state league, may mean some more attention around the VFL/SANFL/WAFL/NEAFL and such for 2021 (assuming those comps still run)
Watched any footage in the time off Davo? any movers?

have not watched any more vision from last year, might get onto that later? without seeing the WA and SA talent this year i cant make solid calls on their talent, im hopeful of a carnival happening at some point this year to see how they play under pressure and at a fairly high standard of footy.

most of my thoughts on the best players is in the OP, but i will watch a couple of rounds in the middle of last year i skipped to get some more vision at some point, which is usually filled with underagers and see who stands out?

 

[kickthething]

have not watched any more vision from last year, might get onto that later? without seeing the WA and SA talent this year i cant make solid calls on their talent, im hopeful of a carnival happening at some point this year to see how they play under pressure and at a fairly high standard of footy.

most of my thoughts on the best players is in the OP, but i will watch a couple of rounds in the middle of last year i skipped to get some more vision at some point, which is usually filled with underagers and see who stands out?

Was there any practice game vision. Would be good to have some of those posted somewhere if available

 

[Davo-27]

Top 10 Midfield Prospects imo:
Will Phillips, the best midfield prospect by far imo, composure, balance, performs in big games, good disposal, runs good lines, seems to have good athletic qualities as well, there are only 3 other mids who could challenge his supremacy this year
Nathan O'Driscoll, big tough inside midfielder, big bodied with a booming kick, being an interstater i would like to see more, but from the small sample i have seen he is legit
Reef McInnes, Collingwood have a star midfielder who can also go forward and play as a crumbing forward, tall rangey mid (inside and outside game) with good skills and an x-factor around goal
Tanner Bruhn, another i have seen a small sample of his footy, but i like what i saw, was injured for most of 2019 but came back with a bang and played skillful and good tough footy
Errol Gulden, played mostly as a mid for Syd A, but played more as a small forward for the Allies and was a star for both teams, is under-rated by some imo, this kid knows how to find the footy and executes with good skills, really stood out in the academy series for Syd Academy as one of their best
Oliver Davis, was probably Tassies best player for the 2019 season as an under-ager, tough in and under mid for a team needing an extractor
Braeden Campbell, talented winger/hff, a little over-rated on his 3 goal futures performance imo, but still a talented and beautiful kicking outside player who Sydney will be happy to land with Gulden
Connor Downie, long kicking winger who seems to have good endurance and glides across the field, can kick a nice long goal from outside 50, Hawks are in need of future wingers
Alex Davies, good tall inside mid, noticed him in the Academy Series and then he played well in the futures Game which made people take notice, GCS will probably pre-list him before the draft
Finlay Macrae, brother of Bulldogs Macrae, skillful running mid, just makes the top 10, has yet to really stand out in quality, but comes from a good footy family

(other mids i want to mention are: Sam Berry, Charlie Lazzaro, Thomas Panuccio)

Top KPF Prospects:
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, goal kicking tall leading forward with good marking skills and a decent kick at goal, the Bulldogs should get the steal of the draft
Jackson Callow, has played some really good footy in the nableague in 2019, kicks bags of goals, plays the Jeremy Cameron flexible tall forward role and has sticky hands, marking bullets and tough high balls like its nothing with good body work on opponents.
Kaine Baldwin, saw some footage of him and he seems to be a tall strong bodied forward who leads and takes contested marks, seems a good kick at goal, but would like to see more of his games to confirm whether he has more flexibility to his game.
Oliver Henry, really liked his season in 2019, played really well as a defender and forward, i think his future is as a forward?, seems to be a talented player in general
Logan McDonald, good leading patterns, played well for WA in the carnival, unfortunately missed a few long range shots, but in general is a decent prospect
Nikolas Cox, rangey tall that had a good carnival and should kick on when 2020 resumes

Top KPD Prospects:
Denver Grainger-Baras, intercept marking player who stamps himself on a game, was very impressive in the championship winning game Vs Vic Country when they started getting on a roll
Nick Stevens, flexible tall defender can play in the air and off the ground, has the ability to go forward potentially as well

Top General Forward Prospects:
Elijah Hollands, high marking hff, who could move into the midfield, was a quality marking forward for Murray and VC last season with some outstanding long goals and his marking was a highlight all year
Archie Perkins, great mark overhead for a medium sized player, Bartel like, smart link up player with some flair and goal kicking ability
Eddie Ford, another strong marking talent with good goal sense and team orientated play, he first stood out to me in the vic metro trials and since then has been a quality player to look out for
Jack Ginnivan, clever smart medium forward, a Luke Breust type that gets into good places and finishes off any half opportunity that presents
Bailey Laurie, popped up out of nowhere to have a good finals series for Oakleigh and made people take notice
Blake Coleman, team orientated, goal kicking small forward, kicked some wonderful goals for Brisbane in 2019

Top General Defender Prospects:
Luke Edwards, high performing half back, who was unlucky not to be All Australian in 2019 Champs, didnt play great in the futures game, but was still a good player, tied to Adelaide under father-son but issues with his brother makes the link unclear?
Sam Collins, had to fill in as CHB for Tassie for most of the year and performed admirably, also played some midfield minutes late in the season when some taller players came back in, showed some ability to win the footy in the guts.
Josh Clarke, was the main rebound player from the top of the table Eastern in 2019, always seemed to be full of energy and run, won many contests and also broke open opponents with his run and carry
Clayton Gay, played CHB for Dandenong as an under sized under ager and performed very well, was a standout for Dandenong in an average year for them after winning their break through premiership in 2018

Top Ruck Prospects:
Riley Thilthorpe, he is the lone top quality ruck that i can think of, good mark, a bit lumbering, but good goal kicker and good tap work

P.S. i may have missed some top players from SA and WA as i have yet to see many of them play games.