Draft Profiles - Western Australia

[GOALden Hawk]

http://www.hawkheadquarters.com/article.aspx?articleid=975

That's it for the profiles (decided to do WA in one hit).

It might take me a bit of time to check all the links on the phantom draft, but it should be up tomorrow or Monday. And then I can have a rest!

Obviously there are plenty of WA boys who didn't come to the carnival that I don't know much about, such as Lukas Teague etc etc. I'm hoping our WA posters can fill us in so there are no surprises come Saturday November 22.

 

[Sera]

Well done Goalden, I agree with most of your profiles. You have missed a few players but if you have only seen the championships I guess there is little point in doing them. I'm just waiting for Yakuza to come on and slam you for saying Farren Ray is a downhill skier.

 

[funky_monk]

Originally posted by Sera
Well done Goalden, I agree with most of your profiles. You have missed a few players but if you have only seen the championships I guess there is little point in doing them. I'm just waiting for Yakuza to come on and slam you for saying Farren Ray is a downhill skier.

So what is Farren? Is he an over-rated junior or is he a potential star?

Been getting so many mixed reports and since Freo is still a chance to get him... is he worth pick 10?

 

[shmardin]

Originally posted by funky_monk
So what is Farren? Is he an over-rated junior or is he a potential star?
is he worth pick 10?

You will find out on draft day. Recruiters genrally get it right these days.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

I think he is a top 10 pick. And just because you are a downhill skier does not mean you are soft. As I say in his profile, his marking ability and willingness to throw himself into a pack is scary - there are few like him.

BUt unless he puts on about 15kg he will be a wingman because he has pace and likes to carry the ball. It's his sloppy disposal at pace that concerns me more than his size or "skiing". Still worth a top 10 pick I'd say.

 

[evo]

Originally posted by GOALden Hawk
I think he is a top 10 pick. And just because you are a downhill skier does not mean you are soft. As I say in his profile, his marking ability and willingness to throw himself into a pack is scary - there are few like him.

BUt unless he puts on about 15kg he will be a wingman because he has pace and likes to carry the ball. It's his sloppy disposal at pace that concerns me more than his size or "skiing". Still worth a top 10 pick I'd say.

What exactly is a downhill skier?I 'd never heard this term before I came to Bigfooty.
I assumed it was someone soft or a reciever but you say the way Ray goes into pack is scary.Please Explain.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

Originally posted by evo
What exactly is a downhill skier?I 'd never heard this term before I came to Bigfooty.
I assumed it was someone soft or a reciever but you say the way Ray goes into pack is scary.Please Explain.

It's someone who runs forward of the ball when a teammate gets it so they will pick up an easy kick in space. The Bulldgos under Terry Wallace (and most of last year) are the masters of it. Looks great when it comes off, not so great when your direct opponent gets it.

Based on what I've seen, Ray is not the type of player to sit on his man - he will concentrate on getting the footy and let his opponent do the same. Nothing wrong with that, plenty of AFL players do it, but you have to make sure you either get more of it or your possessions are more damaging.

 

[dasler]

Pretty decent descriptions there GH, well done. Not to much i can say with that apart from great effort.

 

[Sera]

Originally posted by dasler
Pretty decent descriptions there GH, well done. Not to much i can say with that apart from great effort.

Perhaps you can tell us about some of the South Freo boys like Theo Adams and Lukas Teague. Everyone seems to rave about his skill level, why isn't he more talked about? Also, I seem to remember you saying you rate Jovanovic highly. All i really remember about him is when Herrington took him to the cleaners at the nationals.

 

[dasler]

Originally posted by Sera
Perhaps you can tell us about some of the South Freo boys like Theo Adams and Lukas Teague. Everyone seems to rave about his skill level, why isn't he more talked about? Also, I seem to remember you saying you rate Jovanovic highly. All i really remember about him is when Herrington took him to the cleaners at the nationals.

Theo Adams
Extremely tough and uncompromising. Busts apart packs and is an aggressive player. Does alot of running, finds the ball but his question mark is his disposal, it's pretty average but I must give it to him he has improved 1000% on last year. Has an ungamely kicking style but he is pretty decent. 4th 5th round selection, definitely worth a rookie listing.

Lukas Teague
The silkiest player I have ever seen. Just seems to be one of those players who does it and it looks in slow motion he does everything with such ease. Pretty quick and great endurance, really found his position on the wing this year. Drawback is he is so soft it isnt funny. Doesn't like physical game and very rarely gets involved in the tough hard stuff. His skills are too hard to ignore so someone may take a punt on him.

Craig Jovanovic
You don't play a bigger guy on a small forward do you...he was played out of position on Herrington. Very hard and physical player, pretty quick and has a long raking left foot. Felt he is more suited to running off a HBF or the wing where he can use his speed. Only downfall really is he needs to work on his kicking accuracy. Definite smokey for me.

 

[YAKUZA]

Originally posted by dasler
Lukas Teague
The silkiest player I have ever seen. Just seems to be one of those players who does it and it looks in slow motion he does everything with such ease. Pretty quick and great endurance, really found his position on the wing this year. Drawback is he is so soft it isnt funny. Doesn't like physical game and very rarely gets involved in the tough hard stuff. His skills are too hard to ignore so someone may take a punt on him.
[/B]

He's not a downhill skier I hope! only joking. Tell you what I'd like his golf handicap.

 

[dasler]

Originally posted by YAKUZA
He's not a downhill skier I hope! only joking. Tell you what I'd like his golf handicap.

HA HA HA no I wouldn't go that far because he does get his own ball. Yeah he is a very very good golfer isn't he.

 

[Weaver]

Originally posted by evo
What exactly is a downhill skier?I 'd never heard this term before I came to Bigfooty.
I assumed it was someone soft or a reciever but you say the way Ray goes into pack is scary.Please Explain.

Alan Jeans rather famously said footy is a simple game, either we have the ball, they have the ball or no one has the ball.

When no one has the ball a decision needs to be made. Do you go in the pack and get it, do you stay with your man in case the opposition get it, or do you take off down the field gambling that a teammate will win the ball. Some guys take off forward every chance they get.

Downhill skiers also generally never chase back (you can't ski uphill - ie a one-way player) this means that their opponent is normally free and wins a lot of the ball, and when turnovers happen they are free to get easy kicks by loitering behind the play.

It is not the same as being soft, it is the same as being selfish and a bit of a show-pony. In the days of more accountable footy, floods and picking up runners even if they are not your man, coaches mark this type of player a little harder than they used to. You have to be prepared to work without the ball.

 

[YAKUZA]

So does that make Ray a Downhill Skier and if so is he the only one in the Draft given that he is the only one that the term has been applied to?

 

[Sera]

Originally posted by YAKUZA
So does that make Ray a Downhill Skier and if so is he the only one in the Draft given that he is the only one that the term has been applied to?

I knew it was coming

 

[Weaver]

Originally posted by dasler
Theo Adams
Extremely tough and uncompromising. Busts apart packs and is an aggressive player. Does alot of running, finds the ball but his question mark is his disposal, it's pretty average but I must give it to him he has improved 1000% on last year. Has an ungamely kicking style but he is pretty decent. 4th 5th round selection, definitely worth a rookie listing.

I really liked the tagging work he did in the championships and marked him down as one to draft late. A few months later and with time to reflect I now think of him as a very big body who was able to bump and bully his way around. Basically most 60kg under 18 midfielders bounced off this kid who is 85kg+. I think when he goes to the AFL his main weapon will be nullified and there might not be too much more to him.

Originally posted by dasler
Craig Jovanovic
You don't play a bigger guy on a small forward do you...he was played out of position on Herrington. Very hard and physical player, pretty quick and has a long raking left foot. Felt he is more suited to running off a HBF or the wing where he can use his speed. Only downfall really is he needs to work on his kicking accuracy. Definite smokey for me. [/B]

I'll disagree about the Herrington match-up. SA played small defenders on him and he beat them in the air, his marking is his main weapon. Playing Mundy on him was a master-stroke, it took away his pacy leading and his overhead marking.

Jovanovic didn't catch the eye in the champs, but there are 20 other games in a year so I'll take your word for it. He looked like an honest back-pocket type but they are not overly prized.

 

[Weaver]

Originally posted by funky_monk
So what is Farren? Is he an over-rated junior or is he a potential star?

Both. Allthough seemingly a heated debate, the question is whether he will go top-5 or top-20. No one is suggesting he won't be taken and I think the latest anyone has said he will go is early 2nd round.

Some say top-5 but I think that would be a big reach for a pure-winger without any accountability and who can win the ball but not really damage an opponent. I see him dropping out of the top-10 crowded out by more complete midfielders and key position players.

 

[YAKUZA]

Originally posted by Sera
I knew it was coming

I guess that makes you a genius sera but that can't be right given that you're Ryley Dunns number 1 Fan. Incidentally does Ryley fall into the Downhill Skier category given the difficulty he has finding the ball as a Midfielder?

 

[BigCat1]

I only say Ray play a couple of games and from what I saw he loved to sit at the back of the packs and sweep and mop up. He wasn't accountable but he certainly wasn't running forward of the ball. Got quiet a few of those handballs out the back from a marking tall, which used to be Buckley and Craig Bradley's specialty.

 

[Sera]

Originally posted by YAKUZA
I guess that makes you a genius sera but that can't be right given that you're Ryley Dunns number 1 Fan. Incidentally does Ryley fall into the Downhill Skier category given the difficulty he has finding the ball as a Midfielder?

LOL, nice try You still haven't told us whether you think Farren Ray is a downhill skier?

 

[Weaver]

Originally posted by YAKUZA
I guess that makes you a genius sera but that can't be right given that you're Ryley Dunns number 1 Fan. Incidentally does Ryley fall into the Downhill Skier category given the difficulty he has finding the ball as a Midfielder?

Dunn's problem is that he likes to get a good look at the ball and take a run-up at it. Makes him an ideal flanker. When he goes on the ball, the bloody thing doesn't sit still long enough for him to catch up to it ... that and the fact that he is always busy driving his head into the stomach of his opponents.

Farren doesn't bother with that. He just runs into space, sticks his hand in the air and screams "kick it to me, kick it to me".

 

[YAKUZA]

Originally posted by Weaver

Farren doesn't bother with that. He just runs into space, sticks his hand in the air and screams "kick it to me, kick it to me".

Well I guess he must have done a lot of that when WA went down to VICM by 98pts and he was BOG?

Better judges than you and the majority of Recruiting Managers see him in a much different light and that is why he will go before you think he will.

 

[Weaver]

Originally posted by YAKUZA
Well I guess he must have done a lot of that when WA went down to VICM by 98pts and he was BOG?

Better judges than you and the majority of Recruiting Managers see him in a much different light and that is why he will go before you think he will.

Can't help but notice that best on ground for Vic Metro that day was his direct opponent Phil Georgios who had almost the same number of touches that day. Can't see too many putting Georgios in the top 20. Getting 30 touches of your own is fine, but when your opponent gets 26?

 

[YAKUZA]

Originally posted by Weaver
Can't help but notice that best on ground for Vic Metro that day was his direct opponent Phil Georgios who had almost the same number of touches that day. Can't see too many putting Georgios in the top 20. Getting 30 touches of your own is fine, but when your opponent gets 26?

A fair comment but not really relevant to the issue.

All that aside, I enjoyed reading your profiles and also the others that are posted. I guess we shall all have to wait and see what pans out next Saturday, should it come to pass that I am wrong about Ray you can rest assured that I will be quick to admit it.

 

[zanzi]

A couple of your comments were fairly spot on Dasler, however “majority” were not. You never hear about talent such as the blokes you mentioned because the AFL only rave about the top 10 (as usual). As for the rest, they are all in a lottery game!

As far as Adams, Teague & Jovanovic go…

Adams “can be” an aggressive/tough player but unfortunately has a poor kicking style & lacklustre disposal. Otherwise I’d possibly rate him as a rookie list contender.
As for Teague & Jovanovic, well both show pure class & are very natural athlete’s. An AFL club would be stupid not to atleast have them on their rookie list’s…Jovanovic has always been an allrounder at sport.

As for Teague, he’s definitely “silky” to say the least, similar to James Hird. However, Teague is nearly a year younger than most colt’s player’s, therefore he’s lucky to have an entire year up his sleeve to build himself up. Anyway, since when has size mattered d/head Dasler? Isn’t the aim of the game to get the footy & properly dispose?

Quote from Dasler: HA HA HA no I wouldn't go that far because he does get his own ball…
You said it yourself, he can get that ball & that’s all that matters!

As for a dark horse, I’d bet on Jovanovic for sure…