Draft 2011 - Board Q&A

[POBT]

Quigs, on Hamling, I saw Emma Quayle say that he's the skinniest KPP she's seen since Notte. He's listed at 78kgs which is skinny but not waife like. I seem to recall Notte being substantially lighter than that.

Does Hamling have the sort of frame that will carry more muscle? I have to say that I am a bit hesitant on taking the really skinny KPPs as they seem quite hit and miss but Hamling is one I am quite keen on for some reason.

 

[POBT]

The bloke who gave the news that Richmond were going with Conca last year has said they are going with Kersten if he is there.

Kersten and JRiewoldt will be an interesting forward line mix.

I wonder if Richmond losing faith in Griffiths?

 

[Quigley]

Quigs, on Hamling, I saw Emma Quayle say that he's the skinniest KPP she's seen since Notte. He's listed at 78kgs which is skinny but not waife like. I seem to recall Notte being substantially lighter than that.

Does Hamling have the sort of frame that will carry more muscle? I have to say that I am a bit hesitant on taking the really skinny KPPs as they seem quite hit and miss but Hamling is one I am quite keen on for some reason.

Hamling is never going to be a huge guy but he compares okay in weight with a few other taller prospects. He was up to 80kgs at Combine which was the same weight as Schade who is 2 cms taller and Bussey who is almost 3cms taller than he is. Personally I see him has having more of a Fletcher like build rather than Notte. Notte was freak in his ability to resist puting on weight. There are usually a few guys each year like Hamling who are just less developed than their piers. He probably won't play next year but give him a year in a program with a couple of preseasons and he should be fine.

 

[Quigley]

13. How much weight do you put on a player’s performance after the under 18 champs? Do you think that TAC Cup form can be a bit misleading when you consider that players from other States are generally playing seniors/reserves State level footy?

Well given that I get to see very little of these guys apart from at the Champs I tend to weight it very highly. The professionals though who get to see their whole body of work rightly weight it a bit less. Champs are still definitely important to give teams an idea how a player is going to step up when the pressure is on and the intensity and talent level goes up a notch.

Personally I have always found TAC Cup form to be overrated especially when it is regularly held up against what a WA or SA kid is doing in the WAFL or SANFL. There are excellent players in the TAC but they are all underaged and the depth of talent is not the same as in the senior leagues. It’s much easier to cruise through and dominate if you have talent or size in the TAC. It’s not so easy against men with more size and pretty good talent themselves. If a SA or WA kid is dominating in the Colts but does not step it up to have a significant impact at senior level it is counted very much against them. I am sure the same kids could dominate in the TAC if they had the chance but their state leagues do not protect them like the Victorians protect their own. It’s not a level playing field and it’s always easier to make a case for a player dominating against lesser opposition than someone who is only holding their own in senior company.

With that said what teams generally want to see is how the guys respond after the Champs no matter where they are situated. In SA and WA the kids generally do not play seniors until after the Champs. Teams look for guys who come back and really step things up. They want guys who work on things identified at the champs and bring that into their games. If a guy has a so so champs but comes back and dominates this is usually more highly thought of than if it happens earlier in the year. Teams want to see players continuing to improve and them bringing the higher standards that they had to play at at the Champs back to whatever competition they play in.

 

[Quigley]

9. The TAC Grand Final normally elevates a few blokes in the draft rankings. Did anyone impress you in that game that you hadn’t really rated before?

I don’t think there was anyone who really stood up and helped themselves as much as Sidebottom and Melksham did in their years but there are definitely a few who put themselves forward. Viney was the best player on the ground but he is not available until next year anyway.

Fletcher Roberts is probably the borderline selection who helped himself the most. He is pretty middle of the pack for a KPF athletically but kicking four last quarter goals to pull your team back for a win in the GF really helped his cause. He is not going to astound you but he is a hard working type in the Jackson Paine mould and will provide a contest and is a pretty good finisher.

On the other side of the fence Nick Murphy also put his name forward. I see him as more of a rookie pick but he helped his cause with a good game in the GF.

Darou continued his good season but his measures will be hard to overcome. Greene kept his name right up at the pointy end with 30+ possessions and Woodward showed what he can do as well and would not have hurt his chances of being picked.

Frost is one guy who may have cost himself a few spots in the draft. I have heard people calling him the dreaded S word coming out of the game (soft not the one you were thinking).

Considering like situations though a guy who helped himself a great deal with his GF performance was Neale in the SANFL U18 final. He collected 40+ possessions and worked his guts out in a losing team. Teams take note of these types of performances and I would be surprised if someone did not pick him up now. The fact that he tested better than most would have expected would not hurt either.

 

[Quigley]

Okay I think that's all of the questions that were given to me. Happy to answer any others people might have.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Cheers for the effort Quigs.

 

[POBT]

Cheers for the effort Quigs.

Agreed....both for this thread and the heap of other information and analysis that you have shared.