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Draft value still there
24 November 2006
Daniel Davini
fremantlefc.com.au
Fremantle will maintain its policy of selecting the best available player at tomorrow’s AFL National Draft in Melbourne.
After last month’s aggressive trade week, in which the club landed the prized signings of Chris Tarrant and Dean Solomon, Fremantle will have three picks tomorrow – at 31, 52, and 77.
Recruiting Manager Phil Smart says the strength of this year’s Draft, which has been touted as the best since the 2001 “Super Draft”, will ensure a quality player will be available at pick 31.
“We expect to get a player that we rate in our top 20,” Smart said.
“From what we’ve seen so far, the first four or five in the Draft are a fair bit better than the rest, but after that there’s about 30 players that are pretty even.
“Some of them will go on to become good players, others won’t.”
While in the early days of the Fremantle Football Club players were picked for certain position within the team, the focus in recent times has been on selecting the best available player.
“In saying that if we get a couple of players of similar size and similar type in the Draft, with our third pick we’d probably steer away from the same type,” Smart says.
Some draftees will be obvious due to their immense talent, but Smart says many less-talented players will get a call-up if they have impressed recruiting staff with the right attitude towards the game.
“I think in the modern day, with the amount of training the players have to do and the publicity that young players get, if they haven’t got the right disciplines to go along with the talent they’ll probably struggle,” he said.
The day promises to be an exciting one for many Western Australian youngsters, with Smart predicting between 15 and 20 players to be selected in the National Draft and next month’s Rookie Draft.
Two players are expected to go in the top five tomorrow – Peel Thunder key forward Scott Gumbleton and East Perth ruckman Matthew Leuenberger.
South Australian teenager Bryce Gibbs, son of former West Perth & Glenelg star Ross Gibbs, is expected to be claimed by Carlton with the number one pick, but Smart says Fremantle would take a different approach.
“If I was picking the top three, we’d be going Gumbleton, Gibbs and Leuenberger, but what the other clubs decide to do we don’t know.”
The AFL National Draft commences at 7:00 WST tomorrow morning, and details of Fremantle’s selections will be available on fremantlefc.com.au
24 November 2006
Daniel Davini
fremantlefc.com.au
Fremantle will maintain its policy of selecting the best available player at tomorrow’s AFL National Draft in Melbourne.
After last month’s aggressive trade week, in which the club landed the prized signings of Chris Tarrant and Dean Solomon, Fremantle will have three picks tomorrow – at 31, 52, and 77.
Recruiting Manager Phil Smart says the strength of this year’s Draft, which has been touted as the best since the 2001 “Super Draft”, will ensure a quality player will be available at pick 31.
“We expect to get a player that we rate in our top 20,” Smart said.
“From what we’ve seen so far, the first four or five in the Draft are a fair bit better than the rest, but after that there’s about 30 players that are pretty even.
“Some of them will go on to become good players, others won’t.”
While in the early days of the Fremantle Football Club players were picked for certain position within the team, the focus in recent times has been on selecting the best available player.
“In saying that if we get a couple of players of similar size and similar type in the Draft, with our third pick we’d probably steer away from the same type,” Smart says.
Some draftees will be obvious due to their immense talent, but Smart says many less-talented players will get a call-up if they have impressed recruiting staff with the right attitude towards the game.
“I think in the modern day, with the amount of training the players have to do and the publicity that young players get, if they haven’t got the right disciplines to go along with the talent they’ll probably struggle,” he said.
The day promises to be an exciting one for many Western Australian youngsters, with Smart predicting between 15 and 20 players to be selected in the National Draft and next month’s Rookie Draft.
Two players are expected to go in the top five tomorrow – Peel Thunder key forward Scott Gumbleton and East Perth ruckman Matthew Leuenberger.
South Australian teenager Bryce Gibbs, son of former West Perth & Glenelg star Ross Gibbs, is expected to be claimed by Carlton with the number one pick, but Smart says Fremantle would take a different approach.
“If I was picking the top three, we’d be going Gumbleton, Gibbs and Leuenberger, but what the other clubs decide to do we don’t know.”
The AFL National Draft commences at 7:00 WST tomorrow morning, and details of Fremantle’s selections will be available on fremantlefc.com.au
