eDPS Draft Watch 2018

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RedmanWasHere

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ICYMI, here are the names on training placement at each clubs:


Adelaide: Dylan Stephens, Will Gould, Karl Finlay

Brisbane Lions: Tom Griffiths*, Will Martyn, Bruce Reville*, Kobe Tozer, Saxon Crozier*, Samson Ryan*, Malcolm Rosas (NT), Joel Jeffrey* (NT)

Carlton: Caleb Serong, Brodie Kemp, Matt Rowell, Lachlan Potter

Collingwood: Trent Bianco, Brock Smith

Essendon: Andrew Courtney, Emerson Jeka, Ryan Gardner

Fremantle: Jeremy Sharp, Luke Jackson, Jack Buller, Trent Rivers

Geelong: Cooper Stephens, Darcy Chirgwin, Flynn Perez

Gold Coast: Connor Budarick, Ashton Crossley*, Hewago Paul-Oea, Alex Davies*, Jack Johnson*, Matt Conroy*, Ben Jungfer* (NT), Malcolm Rosas (NT), Joel Jeffrey* (NT)

GWS: Liam Delahunty, Tom Green, Matt McGrory, Charlie Byrne*

Hawthorn: Marcus Toussaint, Jamieson Rossiter, Dylan Williams

Melbourne: Noah Anderson, Fraser Phillips, Charlie Dean

North Melbourne: Mitch O'Neill, Will Peppin*, Jared Dakin*, Jackson Callow*, Sam Collins*, Oliver Davis*

Port Adelaide: Jackson Mead, Cameron Taheny, Kysaiah Pickett

Richmond: Jack Mahony, Lachlan Ash, Fischer McAsey

St Kilda: Bigoa Nyuon, Hayden Young, Sam Flanders

Sydney: Luke Parks*, Jackson Barling*, Hamish Ellem*, Josh Rayner, Braedon Campbell*, Errol Gulden*, Will Chandler

West Coast: Mitch Georgiades, Elijah Taylor, Rhai Arn Cox, Deven Robertson

Western Bulldogs: Jack Bell, Hugo Ralph-Smith, Josh Worrell, Darcy Cassar


Some possible first name first timers are:

Fischer.
Jamieson.
Saxon.
Samson.
Emerson.

While it's back to the future with Errol, Bruce and Malcolm.
 
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ICYMI, here are the names on training placement at each clubs:


Adelaide: Dylan Stephens, Will Gould, Karl Finlay

Brisbane Lions: Tom Griffiths*, Will Martyn, Bruce Reville*, Kobe Tozer, Saxon Crozier*, Samson Ryan*, Malcolm Rosas (NT), Joel Jeffrey* (NT)

Carlton: Caleb Serong, Brodie Kemp, Matt Rowell, Lachlan Potter

Collingwood: Trent Bianco, Brock Smith

Essendon: Andrew Courtney, Emerson Jeka, Ryan Gardner

Fremantle: Jeremy Sharp, Luke Jackson, Jack Buller, Trent Rivers

Geelong: Cooper Stephens, Darcy Chirgwin, Flynn Perez

Gold Coast: Connor Budarick, Ashton Crossley*, Hewago Paul-Oea, Alex Davies*, Jack Johnson*, Matt Conroy*, Ben Jungfer* (NT), Malcolm Rosas (NT), Joel Jeffrey* (NT)

GWS: Liam Delahunty, Tom Green, Matt McGrory, Charlie Byrne*

Hawthorn: Marcus Toussaint, Jamieson Rossiter, Dylan Williams

Melbourne: Noah Anderson, Fraser Phillips, Charlie Dean

North Melbourne: Mitch O'Neill, Will Peppin*, Jared Dakin*, Jackson Callow*, Sam Collins*, Oliver Davis*

Port Adelaide: Jackson Mead, Cameron Taheny, Kysaiah Pickett

Richmond: Jack Mahony, Lachlan Ash, Fischer McAsey

St Kilda: Bigoa Nyuon, Hayden Young, Sam Flanders

Sydney: Luke Parks*, Jackson Barling*, Hamish Ellem*, Josh Rayner, Braedon Campbell*, Errol Gulden*, Will Chandler

West Coast: Mitch Georgiades, Elijah Taylor, Rhai Arn Cox, Deven Robertson

Western Bulldogs: Jack Bell, Hugo Ralph-Smith, Josh Worrell, Darcy Cassar


Some possible first name first timers are:

Fischer.
Jamieson.
Saxon.
Samson.
Emerson.

While it's back to the future with Errol, Bruce and Malcolm.
 

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eDPS

Devon Goods
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Thread starter #983
Ive been slack compared to last years pre-season in watching old replays but i will try and start this week with the plan again to release an updated top 30 in March or early April. Ill be honest i felt a little burned out by the end of it and im sure Pie 4 Life would agree that a break from watching juniors has been refreshing haha.
 

LemmingMaster

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Ive been slack compared to last years pre-season in watching old replays but i will try and start this week with the plan again to release an updated top 30 in March or early April. Ill be honest i felt a little burned out by the end of it and im sure Pie 4 Life would agree that a break from watching juniors has been refreshing haha.
I would take a break, there is no massive benefit getting information out at the moment. There will be a number of changes and only a handful of people reading the information.
 
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Ok it’s been a while since I last posted but I had a last minute reprieve and went back into AFL system again so kept quiet whilst employed – but now definitely retired so want to share my thoughts again.
I would like to share some thoughts of how things work inside AFL land with regards recruiting and how that differs a little from what I sometimes read here.
When looking at a draft crop I think the one thing that sometimes is over looked by many here but absolutely is the most important issue for recruiters is a boy’s exposure and performance to top level footy at a young age. For many the AFL is the first exposure to ‘open age’ football so we are really interested in performances of boys against older peers. So that means National Championships (and to a lesser degree TAC finals) and school footy is really important in your bottom age years. If you look at last few drafts there have been high end picks who didn’t have great draft years but have shown earlier they can mix it against older bodies and that is what AFL is – look at Caldwell, McHenry & Butters from 2018 – all high picks). So if we look at 2019 draft crop what have AFL recruiters noted to this point?
Overall 2019 is a very strong draft – it’s way deeper than 2019 – but will be judged harsher purely on the lack of high end talls – there are basically none at this stage who are demanding a top 10 pick (although Luke Jackson you could make a case for). Vic Metro will be seriously strong in 2019 and will provide a large number of high picks.
Ok I just wanted to get this started before giving my opinions below. Please note my opinions are based on my first hand experience only at this stage – so I am only commenting about performances that I have witnessed live. So this is largely based on U16 Nationals, APS/AGSV footy (17-18), AFL Academy (NZ game), U18 Nationals and TAC.
I have deliberately left out the Futures GF game as whilst we watch it – most recruiters discount performances as it brings together a large number of boys who have not played for weeks and isn’t a level playing field. And if you watched closely this year the game was coached from a very different angle by both coaches. Tony Bamford coached Black team and played his best players in best positions all day – whilst Luke Power (White) gave priority to players not part of AFL Academy particularly in mid field and this impacted greatly on the game. So don’t read much into this game – that said Rowell and Serong were outstanding…

So for 2019 this is where most AFL recruiters have things at this stage - there are 9 standouts above all others at this time:
Vic Metro: Rowell, Anderson, Mahony & Williams
Allies: O’Neill & Green
WA: Sharp & Jackson
Vic Country: Serong

The tier below include Gould, Kemp, Gardner, Flanders & C Stephens (Vic Country).

And there are 5 at the moment who are clearly at the top end (in no particular order):

Matt Rowell (Nationals : 19.5 disposals per game (0 goals) & TAC Finals (22.6 disposals/0.6 goals):
Already been a lot written about him so I will not go on too much here – I first saw him at U15 Nationals and have seen him at U16 Nationals, APS and TAC many times. The boy is a star – ultra professional and one of best mid fielders of last few years. Has comprehensively beaten older boys almost every time he has played against them. Ignore his height – he is now 180cm but strong, fast and determined. Only possible criticism from AFL standpoint is his versatility in that he has had very little exposure forward or back over last few years – that said it doesn’t worry me at all he is going to be a star.

Noah Anderson: (NC: 18.0 disposals/2.0 goals & TAC Finals: 18.3 disposals/1.5 goals):
Again no surprise here – player of U16 Nationals, perfect size, elite endurance and a natural leader (was captain of AFL Academy team – voted by players). Big game player – his game against WA in Nationals was almost as good as Izak Rankine against Metro. It is important with Noah to realise how he was used in Nationals and with Chargers late in TAC year – everyone knows he can play in midfield but was predominately used forward only to develop his AFL versatility but his numbers and impact was outstanding – will most likely move to full time mid- field role in 2019 and expect him to dominate. I think most clubs see him as a logical pick 1 at this stage as his size and endurance would see him likely to play in round one 2020.

Jack Mahony: (NC: 17.0 disposals/1.5 goals & TAC Finals: 21.0 disposals/1.5 goals):
I think Jack is the one flying under radar in threads but certainly not with recruiters. I think this is largely due to him breaking his collarbone in first TAC game after Nationals and missing rest of school and TAC season. He returned in Dragons first final after 8 weeks out and had 25 touches in limited mid field time and then kicked 2 goals as predominant small forward against Stingrays in a depleted Dragons team in Prelim. Important here to recognise how Dragons use bottom agers – they rarely play them in influential roles and thus it seems always the Dragons is where draft bolters come from (think Mcgrath and Taranto in 2016, Brayshaw in 2017 and again Bailey Smith last year) – Mahony is that player in 2019. Was arguably best on ground in first half of WA Nationals game – changed the game with Rowell when moved to outside mid in SA game and was outstanding in NZ game (as were Rowell and Anderson). Can play mid and forward and has dominated school team since first playing as a 15 year old. Tied with Sam Walsh in Yo Yo test at 2018 TAC testing so speed/endurance is elite. Like Rowell people are concerned about his size – although I hear he is now 179cm and November born so size isn’t an issue.

Mitch O’Neill: (NC: 20.0 disposals/0.8 goals):
Like Mahony is a bit under the radar – which is hard to say about a boy who was All Australian as a bottom ager. He had an outstanding Nationals and that just backed up what we saw in NZ in AFL Academy game. This game is a bit of a joke from a results aspect but the NZ team are adults with big bodies and it has always been fascinating to watch young boys work the way through this problem. Mitch got added to Academy squad for this Trip and really impressed us both during the game and at training and interviews. On field he is an elite 2 way runner who never stops working and will definitely benefit from his exposure through 4 games of Nationals in 2018. The change to TAC for a Tassie based player will only help Mitch’s development further in 2019. I have only seen him live in Nationals, NZ and GF game so I personally have limited exposure but he is on this list because he is rated very highly by a large number of clubs.

Dylan Williams (NC: 12.0 disposals/4.0 goals & TAC Finals: 11.0 disposals/4.7 goals):
Dylan is the tricky one on this list. There are some who will say that he has to be in mix for pick 1 purely on what he did in 2018 – and then there are others who will say that Vic Metro rated him below Rowell, Anderson & Mahony as he only played one game in Nationals and not against SA in final game – and they will also highlight the nature of his goals – he gets an incredible amount of his goals from snaps and leading his defender under the ball and getting it out the back – the criticism here being he will not get away with this at AFL level. My view – whilst he is not a high possession winner, he is a very clever footballer who has performed extremely well both forward and back and that versatility will hold him in good stead. 2019 will define his draft position but in 2020 he will be playing AFL football.

Please note that I have only mentioned players who have has bottom age experience in 2018 Nationals because at this point clubs have them at the top of their lists. There are plenty of boys with promise who we will find out more shortly…
 

eDPS

Devon Goods
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Thread starter #986
Ok it’s been a while since I last posted but I had a last minute reprieve and went back into AFL system again so kept quiet whilst employed – but now definitely retired so want to share my thoughts again.
I would like to share some thoughts of how things work inside AFL land with regards recruiting and how that differs a little from what I sometimes read here.
When looking at a draft crop I think the one thing that sometimes is over looked by many here but absolutely is the most important issue for recruiters is a boy’s exposure and performance to top level footy at a young age. For many the AFL is the first exposure to ‘open age’ football so we are really interested in performances of boys against older peers. So that means National Championships (and to a lesser degree TAC finals) and school footy is really important in your bottom age years. If you look at last few drafts there have been high end picks who didn’t have great draft years but have shown earlier they can mix it against older bodies and that is what AFL is – look at Caldwell, McHenry & Butters from 2018 – all high picks). So if we look at 2019 draft crop what have AFL recruiters noted to this point?
Overall 2019 is a very strong draft – it’s way deeper than 2019 – but will be judged harsher purely on the lack of high end talls – there are basically none at this stage who are demanding a top 10 pick (although Luke Jackson you could make a case for). Vic Metro will be seriously strong in 2019 and will provide a large number of high picks.
Ok I just wanted to get this started before giving my opinions below. Please note my opinions are based on my first hand experience only at this stage – so I am only commenting about performances that I have witnessed live. So this is largely based on U16 Nationals, APS/AGSV footy (17-18), AFL Academy (NZ game), U18 Nationals and TAC.
I have deliberately left out the Futures GF game as whilst we watch it – most recruiters discount performances as it brings together a large number of boys who have not played for weeks and isn’t a level playing field. And if you watched closely this year the game was coached from a very different angle by both coaches. Tony Bamford coached Black team and played his best players in best positions all day – whilst Luke Power (White) gave priority to players not part of AFL Academy particularly in mid field and this impacted greatly on the game. So don’t read much into this game – that said Rowell and Serong were outstanding…

So for 2019 this is where most AFL recruiters have things at this stage - there are 9 standouts above all others at this time:
Vic Metro: Rowell, Anderson, Mahony & Williams
Allies: O’Neill & Green
WA: Sharp & Jackson
Vic Country: Serong

The tier below include Gould, Kemp, Gardner, Flanders & C Stephens (Vic Country).

And there are 5 at the moment who are clearly at the top end (in no particular order):

Matt Rowell (Nationals : 19.5 disposals per game (0 goals) & TAC Finals (22.6 disposals/0.6 goals):
Already been a lot written about him so I will not go on too much here – I first saw him at U15 Nationals and have seen him at U16 Nationals, APS and TAC many times. The boy is a star – ultra professional and one of best mid fielders of last few years. Has comprehensively beaten older boys almost every time he has played against them. Ignore his height – he is now 180cm but strong, fast and determined. Only possible criticism from AFL standpoint is his versatility in that he has had very little exposure forward or back over last few years – that said it doesn’t worry me at all he is going to be a star.

Noah Anderson: (NC: 18.0 disposals/2.0 goals & TAC Finals: 18.3 disposals/1.5 goals):
Again no surprise here – player of U16 Nationals, perfect size, elite endurance and a natural leader (was captain of AFL Academy team – voted by players). Big game player – his game against WA in Nationals was almost as good as Izak Rankine against Metro. It is important with Noah to realise how he was used in Nationals and with Chargers late in TAC year – everyone knows he can play in midfield but was predominately used forward only to develop his AFL versatility but his numbers and impact was outstanding – will most likely move to full time mid- field role in 2019 and expect him to dominate. I think most clubs see him as a logical pick 1 at this stage as his size and endurance would see him likely to play in round one 2020.

Jack Mahony: (NC: 17.0 disposals/1.5 goals & TAC Finals: 21.0 disposals/1.5 goals):
I think Jack is the one flying under radar in threads but certainly not with recruiters. I think this is largely due to him breaking his collarbone in first TAC game after Nationals and missing rest of school and TAC season. He returned in Dragons first final after 8 weeks out and had 25 touches in limited mid field time and then kicked 2 goals as predominant small forward against Stingrays in a depleted Dragons team in Prelim. Important here to recognise how Dragons use bottom agers – they rarely play them in influential roles and thus it seems always the Dragons is where draft bolters come from (think Mcgrath and Taranto in 2016, Brayshaw in 2017 and again Bailey Smith last year) – Mahony is that player in 2019. Was arguably best on ground in first half of WA Nationals game – changed the game with Rowell when moved to outside mid in SA game and was outstanding in NZ game (as were Rowell and Anderson). Can play mid and forward and has dominated school team since first playing as a 15 year old. Tied with Sam Walsh in Yo Yo test at 2018 TAC testing so speed/endurance is elite. Like Rowell people are concerned about his size – although I hear he is now 179cm and November born so size isn’t an issue.

Mitch O’Neill: (NC: 20.0 disposals/0.8 goals):
Like Mahony is a bit under the radar – which is hard to say about a boy who was All Australian as a bottom ager. He had an outstanding Nationals and that just backed up what we saw in NZ in AFL Academy game. This game is a bit of a joke from a results aspect but the NZ team are adults with big bodies and it has always been fascinating to watch young boys work the way through this problem. Mitch got added to Academy squad for this Trip and really impressed us both during the game and at training and interviews. On field he is an elite 2 way runner who never stops working and will definitely benefit from his exposure through 4 games of Nationals in 2018. The change to TAC for a Tassie based player will only help Mitch’s development further in 2019. I have only seen him live in Nationals, NZ and GF game so I personally have limited exposure but he is on this list because he is rated very highly by a large number of clubs.

Dylan Williams (NC: 12.0 disposals/4.0 goals & TAC Finals: 11.0 disposals/4.7 goals):
Dylan is the tricky one on this list. There are some who will say that he has to be in mix for pick 1 purely on what he did in 2018 – and then there are others who will say that Vic Metro rated him below Rowell, Anderson & Mahony as he only played one game in Nationals and not against SA in final game – and they will also highlight the nature of his goals – he gets an incredible amount of his goals from snaps and leading his defender under the ball and getting it out the back – the criticism here being he will not get away with this at AFL level. My view – whilst he is not a high possession winner, he is a very clever footballer who has performed extremely well both forward and back and that versatility will hold him in good stead. 2019 will define his draft position but in 2020 he will be playing AFL football.

Please note that I have only mentioned players who have has bottom age experience in 2018 Nationals because at this point clubs have them at the top of their lists. There are plenty of boys with promise who we will find out more shortly…
This is fantastic mate really appreciate your thoughts here, noticed you included Kemp in that next tier down and wanted your opinion of him as a player and what role you think he is best suited to because he has shown to have an impact in all 3 areas of the ground so far.
 

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I think he is a defender first. Really like him as excellent one on one and uses ball very well by foot. Watched at GGS, NZ, Nationals and i think this suits him best. Did see him play mid with Pioneers and he was very good - but DPS as you know Bendigo are poor and someone has to get ball in their midfield...
 

eDPS

Devon Goods
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Thread starter #988
I think he is a defender first. Really like him as excellent one on one and uses ball very well by foot. Watched at GGS, NZ, Nationals and i think this suits him best. Did see him play mid with Pioneers and he was very good - but DPS as you know Bendigo are poor and someone has to get ball in their midfield...
Im hoping he gets some midfield time in the champs, id like to see how he goes there against the very best mids but knowing Vic Country they will just play him in key positions because he is "tall". He looked to have a good goal kicking routine to me aswell so he always has that up his sleeve.
 
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Ok it’s been a while since I last posted but I had a last minute reprieve and went back into AFL system again so kept quiet whilst employed – but now definitely retired so want to share my thoughts again.
I would like to share some thoughts of how things work inside AFL land with regards recruiting and how that differs a little from what I sometimes read here.
When looking at a draft crop I think the one thing that sometimes is over looked by many here but absolutely is the most important issue for recruiters is a boy’s exposure and performance to top level footy at a young age. For many the AFL is the first exposure to ‘open age’ football so we are really interested in performances of boys against older peers. So that means National Championships (and to a lesser degree TAC finals) and school footy is really important in your bottom age years. If you look at last few drafts there have been high end picks who didn’t have great draft years but have shown earlier they can mix it against older bodies and that is what AFL is – look at Caldwell, McHenry & Butters from 2018 – all high picks). So if we look at 2019 draft crop what have AFL recruiters noted to this point?
Overall 2019 is a very strong draft – it’s way deeper than 2019 – but will be judged harsher purely on the lack of high end talls – there are basically none at this stage who are demanding a top 10 pick (although Luke Jackson you could make a case for). Vic Metro will be seriously strong in 2019 and will provide a large number of high picks.
Ok I just wanted to get this started before giving my opinions below. Please note my opinions are based on my first hand experience only at this stage – so I am only commenting about performances that I have witnessed live. So this is largely based on U16 Nationals, APS/AGSV footy (17-18), AFL Academy (NZ game), U18 Nationals and TAC.
I have deliberately left out the Futures GF game as whilst we watch it – most recruiters discount performances as it brings together a large number of boys who have not played for weeks and isn’t a level playing field. And if you watched closely this year the game was coached from a very different angle by both coaches. Tony Bamford coached Black team and played his best players in best positions all day – whilst Luke Power (White) gave priority to players not part of AFL Academy particularly in mid field and this impacted greatly on the game. So don’t read much into this game – that said Rowell and Serong were outstanding…

So for 2019 this is where most AFL recruiters have things at this stage - there are 9 standouts above all others at this time:
Vic Metro: Rowell, Anderson, Mahony & Williams
Allies: O’Neill & Green
WA: Sharp & Jackson
Vic Country: Serong

The tier below include Gould, Kemp, Gardner, Flanders & C Stephens (Vic Country).

And there are 5 at the moment who are clearly at the top end (in no particular order):

Matt Rowell (Nationals : 19.5 disposals per game (0 goals) & TAC Finals (22.6 disposals/0.6 goals):
Already been a lot written about him so I will not go on too much here – I first saw him at U15 Nationals and have seen him at U16 Nationals, APS and TAC many times. The boy is a star – ultra professional and one of best mid fielders of last few years. Has comprehensively beaten older boys almost every time he has played against them. Ignore his height – he is now 180cm but strong, fast and determined. Only possible criticism from AFL standpoint is his versatility in that he has had very little exposure forward or back over last few years – that said it doesn’t worry me at all he is going to be a star.

Noah Anderson: (NC: 18.0 disposals/2.0 goals & TAC Finals: 18.3 disposals/1.5 goals):
Again no surprise here – player of U16 Nationals, perfect size, elite endurance and a natural leader (was captain of AFL Academy team – voted by players). Big game player – his game against WA in Nationals was almost as good as Izak Rankine against Metro. It is important with Noah to realise how he was used in Nationals and with Chargers late in TAC year – everyone knows he can play in midfield but was predominately used forward only to develop his AFL versatility but his numbers and impact was outstanding – will most likely move to full time mid- field role in 2019 and expect him to dominate. I think most clubs see him as a logical pick 1 at this stage as his size and endurance would see him likely to play in round one 2020.

Jack Mahony: (NC: 17.0 disposals/1.5 goals & TAC Finals: 21.0 disposals/1.5 goals):
I think Jack is the one flying under radar in threads but certainly not with recruiters. I think this is largely due to him breaking his collarbone in first TAC game after Nationals and missing rest of school and TAC season. He returned in Dragons first final after 8 weeks out and had 25 touches in limited mid field time and then kicked 2 goals as predominant small forward against Stingrays in a depleted Dragons team in Prelim. Important here to recognise how Dragons use bottom agers – they rarely play them in influential roles and thus it seems always the Dragons is where draft bolters come from (think Mcgrath and Taranto in 2016, Brayshaw in 2017 and again Bailey Smith last year) – Mahony is that player in 2019. Was arguably best on ground in first half of WA Nationals game – changed the game with Rowell when moved to outside mid in SA game and was outstanding in NZ game (as were Rowell and Anderson). Can play mid and forward and has dominated school team since first playing as a 15 year old. Tied with Sam Walsh in Yo Yo test at 2018 TAC testing so speed/endurance is elite. Like Rowell people are concerned about his size – although I hear he is now 179cm and November born so size isn’t an issue.

Mitch O’Neill: (NC: 20.0 disposals/0.8 goals):
Like Mahony is a bit under the radar – which is hard to say about a boy who was All Australian as a bottom ager. He had an outstanding Nationals and that just backed up what we saw in NZ in AFL Academy game. This game is a bit of a joke from a results aspect but the NZ team are adults with big bodies and it has always been fascinating to watch young boys work the way through this problem. Mitch got added to Academy squad for this Trip and really impressed us both during the game and at training and interviews. On field he is an elite 2 way runner who never stops working and will definitely benefit from his exposure through 4 games of Nationals in 2018. The change to TAC for a Tassie based player will only help Mitch’s development further in 2019. I have only seen him live in Nationals, NZ and GF game so I personally have limited exposure but he is on this list because he is rated very highly by a large number of clubs.

Dylan Williams (NC: 12.0 disposals/4.0 goals & TAC Finals: 11.0 disposals/4.7 goals):
Dylan is the tricky one on this list. There are some who will say that he has to be in mix for pick 1 purely on what he did in 2018 – and then there are others who will say that Vic Metro rated him below Rowell, Anderson & Mahony as he only played one game in Nationals and not against SA in final game – and they will also highlight the nature of his goals – he gets an incredible amount of his goals from snaps and leading his defender under the ball and getting it out the back – the criticism here being he will not get away with this at AFL level. My view – whilst he is not a high possession winner, he is a very clever footballer who has performed extremely well both forward and back and that versatility will hold him in good stead. 2019 will define his draft position but in 2020 he will be playing AFL football.

Please note that I have only mentioned players who have has bottom age experience in 2018 Nationals because at this point clubs have them at the top of their lists. There are plenty of boys with promise who we will find out more shortly…
do you reckon Oneill will defiantly get drafted, what clubs would need a player like him
 

Eastcoasteagle

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Ok it’s been a while since I last posted but I had a last minute reprieve and went back into AFL system again so kept quiet whilst employed – but now definitely retired so want to share my thoughts again.
I would like to share some thoughts of how things work inside AFL land with regards recruiting and how that differs a little from what I sometimes read here.
When looking at a draft crop I think the one thing that sometimes is over looked by many here but absolutely is the most important issue for recruiters is a boy’s exposure and performance to top level footy at a young age. For many the AFL is the first exposure to ‘open age’ football so we are really interested in performances of boys against older peers. So that means National Championships (and to a lesser degree TAC finals) and school footy is really important in your bottom age years. If you look at last few drafts there have been high end picks who didn’t have great draft years but have shown earlier they can mix it against older bodies and that is what AFL is – look at Caldwell, McHenry & Butters from 2018 – all high picks). So if we look at 2019 draft crop what have AFL recruiters noted to this point?
Overall 2019 is a very strong draft – it’s way deeper than 2019 – but will be judged harsher purely on the lack of high end talls – there are basically none at this stage who are demanding a top 10 pick (although Luke Jackson you could make a case for). Vic Metro will be seriously strong in 2019 and will provide a large number of high picks.
Ok I just wanted to get this started before giving my opinions below. Please note my opinions are based on my first hand experience only at this stage – so I am only commenting about performances that I have witnessed live. So this is largely based on U16 Nationals, APS/AGSV footy (17-18), AFL Academy (NZ game), U18 Nationals and TAC.
I have deliberately left out the Futures GF game as whilst we watch it – most recruiters discount performances as it brings together a large number of boys who have not played for weeks and isn’t a level playing field. And if you watched closely this year the game was coached from a very different angle by both coaches. Tony Bamford coached Black team and played his best players in best positions all day – whilst Luke Power (White) gave priority to players not part of AFL Academy particularly in mid field and this impacted greatly on the game. So don’t read much into this game – that said Rowell and Serong were outstanding…

So for 2019 this is where most AFL recruiters have things at this stage - there are 9 standouts above all others at this time:
Vic Metro: Rowell, Anderson, Mahony & Williams
Allies: O’Neill & Green
WA: Sharp & Jackson
Vic Country: Serong

The tier below include Gould, Kemp, Gardner, Flanders & C Stephens (Vic Country).

And there are 5 at the moment who are clearly at the top end (in no particular order):

Matt Rowell (Nationals : 19.5 disposals per game (0 goals) & TAC Finals (22.6 disposals/0.6 goals):
Already been a lot written about him so I will not go on too much here – I first saw him at U15 Nationals and have seen him at U16 Nationals, APS and TAC many times. The boy is a star – ultra professional and one of best mid fielders of last few years. Has comprehensively beaten older boys almost every time he has played against them. Ignore his height – he is now 180cm but strong, fast and determined. Only possible criticism from AFL standpoint is his versatility in that he has had very little exposure forward or back over last few years – that said it doesn’t worry me at all he is going to be a star.

Noah Anderson: (NC: 18.0 disposals/2.0 goals & TAC Finals: 18.3 disposals/1.5 goals):
Again no surprise here – player of U16 Nationals, perfect size, elite endurance and a natural leader (was captain of AFL Academy team – voted by players). Big game player – his game against WA in Nationals was almost as good as Izak Rankine against Metro. It is important with Noah to realise how he was used in Nationals and with Chargers late in TAC year – everyone knows he can play in midfield but was predominately used forward only to develop his AFL versatility but his numbers and impact was outstanding – will most likely move to full time mid- field role in 2019 and expect him to dominate. I think most clubs see him as a logical pick 1 at this stage as his size and endurance would see him likely to play in round one 2020.

Jack Mahony: (NC: 17.0 disposals/1.5 goals & TAC Finals: 21.0 disposals/1.5 goals):
I think Jack is the one flying under radar in threads but certainly not with recruiters. I think this is largely due to him breaking his collarbone in first TAC game after Nationals and missing rest of school and TAC season. He returned in Dragons first final after 8 weeks out and had 25 touches in limited mid field time and then kicked 2 goals as predominant small forward against Stingrays in a depleted Dragons team in Prelim. Important here to recognise how Dragons use bottom agers – they rarely play them in influential roles and thus it seems always the Dragons is where draft bolters come from (think Mcgrath and Taranto in 2016, Brayshaw in 2017 and again Bailey Smith last year) – Mahony is that player in 2019. Was arguably best on ground in first half of WA Nationals game – changed the game with Rowell when moved to outside mid in SA game and was outstanding in NZ game (as were Rowell and Anderson). Can play mid and forward and has dominated school team since first playing as a 15 year old. Tied with Sam Walsh in Yo Yo test at 2018 TAC testing so speed/endurance is elite. Like Rowell people are concerned about his size – although I hear he is now 179cm and November born so size isn’t an issue.

Mitch O’Neill: (NC: 20.0 disposals/0.8 goals):
Like Mahony is a bit under the radar – which is hard to say about a boy who was All Australian as a bottom ager. He had an outstanding Nationals and that just backed up what we saw in NZ in AFL Academy game. This game is a bit of a joke from a results aspect but the NZ team are adults with big bodies and it has always been fascinating to watch young boys work the way through this problem. Mitch got added to Academy squad for this Trip and really impressed us both during the game and at training and interviews. On field he is an elite 2 way runner who never stops working and will definitely benefit from his exposure through 4 games of Nationals in 2018. The change to TAC for a Tassie based player will only help Mitch’s development further in 2019. I have only seen him live in Nationals, NZ and GF game so I personally have limited exposure but he is on this list because he is rated very highly by a large number of clubs.

Dylan Williams (NC: 12.0 disposals/4.0 goals & TAC Finals: 11.0 disposals/4.7 goals):
Dylan is the tricky one on this list. There are some who will say that he has to be in mix for pick 1 purely on what he did in 2018 – and then there are others who will say that Vic Metro rated him below Rowell, Anderson & Mahony as he only played one game in Nationals and not against SA in final game – and they will also highlight the nature of his goals – he gets an incredible amount of his goals from snaps and leading his defender under the ball and getting it out the back – the criticism here being he will not get away with this at AFL level. My view – whilst he is not a high possession winner, he is a very clever footballer who has performed extremely well both forward and back and that versatility will hold him in good stead. 2019 will define his draft position but in 2020 he will be playing AFL football.

Please note that I have only mentioned players who have has bottom age experience in 2018 Nationals because at this point clubs have them at the top of their lists. There are plenty of boys with promise who we will find out more shortly…
Mahony is a gun, from what I saw of him at nationals.
 
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Richmond
Fantastic insight. Very balanced!

You’ve named Green top tier but not in your top 5. Would be interested in your thoughts given his form for the gws neafl was strong.
Also given he’s gws academy will take him...?


Ok it’s been a while since I last posted but I had a last minute reprieve and went back into AFL system again so kept quiet whilst employed – but now definitely retired so want to share my thoughts again.
I would like to share some thoughts of how things work inside AFL land with regards recruiting and how that differs a little from what I sometimes read here.
When looking at a draft crop I think the one thing that sometimes is over looked by many here but absolutely is the most important issue for recruiters is a boy’s exposure and performance to top level footy at a young age. For many the AFL is the first exposure to ‘open age’ football so we are really interested in performances of boys against older peers. So that means National Championships (and to a lesser degree TAC finals) and school footy is really important in your bottom age years. If you look at last few drafts there have been high end picks who didn’t have great draft years but have shown earlier they can mix it against older bodies and that is what AFL is – look at Caldwell, McHenry & Butters from 2018 – all high picks). So if we look at 2019 draft crop what have AFL recruiters noted to this point?
Overall 2019 is a very strong draft – it’s way deeper than 2019 – but will be judged harsher purely on the lack of high end talls – there are basically none at this stage who are demanding a top 10 pick (although Luke Jackson you could make a case for). Vic Metro will be seriously strong in 2019 and will provide a large number of high picks.
Ok I just wanted to get this started before giving my opinions below. Please note my opinions are based on my first hand experience only at this stage – so I am only commenting about performances that I have witnessed live. So this is largely based on U16 Nationals, APS/AGSV footy (17-18), AFL Academy (NZ game), U18 Nationals and TAC.
I have deliberately left out the Futures GF game as whilst we watch it – most recruiters discount performances as it brings together a large number of boys who have not played for weeks and isn’t a level playing field. And if you watched closely this year the game was coached from a very different angle by both coaches. Tony Bamford coached Black team and played his best players in best positions all day – whilst Luke Power (White) gave priority to players not part of AFL Academy particularly in mid field and this impacted greatly on the game. So don’t read much into this game – that said Rowell and Serong were outstanding…

So for 2019 this is where most AFL recruiters have things at this stage - there are 9 standouts above all others at this time:
Vic Metro: Rowell, Anderson, Mahony & Williams
Allies: O’Neill & Green
WA: Sharp & Jackson
Vic Country: Serong

The tier below include Gould, Kemp, Gardner, Flanders & C Stephens (Vic Country).

And there are 5 at the moment who are clearly at the top end (in no particular order):

Matt Rowell (Nationals : 19.5 disposals per game (0 goals) & TAC Finals (22.6 disposals/0.6 goals):
Already been a lot written about him so I will not go on too much here – I first saw him at U15 Nationals and have seen him at U16 Nationals, APS and TAC many times. The boy is a star – ultra professional and one of best mid fielders of last few years. Has comprehensively beaten older boys almost every time he has played against them. Ignore his height – he is now 180cm but strong, fast and determined. Only possible criticism from AFL standpoint is his versatility in that he has had very little exposure forward or back over last few years – that said it doesn’t worry me at all he is going to be a star.

Noah Anderson: (NC: 18.0 disposals/2.0 goals & TAC Finals: 18.3 disposals/1.5 goals):
Again no surprise here – player of U16 Nationals, perfect size, elite endurance and a natural leader (was captain of AFL Academy team – voted by players). Big game player – his game against WA in Nationals was almost as good as Izak Rankine against Metro. It is important with Noah to realise how he was used in Nationals and with Chargers late in TAC year – everyone knows he can play in midfield but was predominately used forward only to develop his AFL versatility but his numbers and impact was outstanding – will most likely move to full time mid- field role in 2019 and expect him to dominate. I think most clubs see him as a logical pick 1 at this stage as his size and endurance would see him likely to play in round one 2020.

Jack Mahony: (NC: 17.0 disposals/1.5 goals & TAC Finals: 21.0 disposals/1.5 goals):
I think Jack is the one flying under radar in threads but certainly not with recruiters. I think this is largely due to him breaking his collarbone in first TAC game after Nationals and missing rest of school and TAC season. He returned in Dragons first final after 8 weeks out and had 25 touches in limited mid field time and then kicked 2 goals as predominant small forward against Stingrays in a depleted Dragons team in Prelim. Important here to recognise how Dragons use bottom agers – they rarely play them in influential roles and thus it seems always the Dragons is where draft bolters come from (think Mcgrath and Taranto in 2016, Brayshaw in 2017 and again Bailey Smith last year) – Mahony is that player in 2019. Was arguably best on ground in first half of WA Nationals game – changed the game with Rowell when moved to outside mid in SA game and was outstanding in NZ game (as were Rowell and Anderson). Can play mid and forward and has dominated school team since first playing as a 15 year old. Tied with Sam Walsh in Yo Yo test at 2018 TAC testing so speed/endurance is elite. Like Rowell people are concerned about his size – although I hear he is now 179cm and November born so size isn’t an issue.

Mitch O’Neill: (NC: 20.0 disposals/0.8 goals):
Like Mahony is a bit under the radar – which is hard to say about a boy who was All Australian as a bottom ager. He had an outstanding Nationals and that just backed up what we saw in NZ in AFL Academy game. This game is a bit of a joke from a results aspect but the NZ team are adults with big bodies and it has always been fascinating to watch young boys work the way through this problem. Mitch got added to Academy squad for this Trip and really impressed us both during the game and at training and interviews. On field he is an elite 2 way runner who never stops working and will definitely benefit from his exposure through 4 games of Nationals in 2018. The change to TAC for a Tassie based player will only help Mitch’s development further in 2019. I have only seen him live in Nationals, NZ and GF game so I personally have limited exposure but he is on this list because he is rated very highly by a large number of clubs.

Dylan Williams (NC: 12.0 disposals/4.0 goals & TAC Finals: 11.0 disposals/4.7 goals):
Dylan is the tricky one on this list. There are some who will say that he has to be in mix for pick 1 purely on what he did in 2018 – and then there are others who will say that Vic Metro rated him below Rowell, Anderson & Mahony as he only played one game in Nationals and not against SA in final game – and they will also highlight the nature of his goals – he gets an incredible amount of his goals from snaps and leading his defender under the ball and getting it out the back – the criticism here being he will not get away with this at AFL level. My view – whilst he is not a high possession winner, he is a very clever footballer who has performed extremely well both forward and back and that versatility will hold him in good stead. 2019 will define his draft position but in 2020 he will be playing AFL football.

Please note that I have only mentioned players who have has bottom age experience in 2018 Nationals because at this point clubs have them at the top of their lists. There are plenty of boys with promise who we will find out more shortly…
 
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Glad you enjoyed the read...just to clarify the 5 mentioned earlier are the 5 that across the range of Clubs are constantly seen as above all others...
Tom Green will be drafted by GWS in 2019.
The cynic in me says GWS will be doing everything in their power in 2019 to ensure that Tom doesn't stand out too much and hope he falls down the draft order...
 

briztoon

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Ok it’s been a while since I last posted but I had a last minute reprieve and went back into AFL system again so kept quiet whilst employed – but now definitely retired so want to share my thoughts again.
I would like to share some thoughts of how things work inside AFL land with regards recruiting and how that differs a little from what I sometimes read here.
When looking at a draft crop I think the one thing that sometimes is over looked by many here but absolutely is the most important issue for recruiters is a boy’s exposure and performance to top level footy at a young age. For many the AFL is the first exposure to ‘open age’ football so we are really interested in performances of boys against older peers. So that means National Championships (and to a lesser degree TAC finals) and school footy is really important in your bottom age years. If you look at last few drafts there have been high end picks who didn’t have great draft years but have shown earlier they can mix it against older bodies and that is what AFL is – look at Caldwell, McHenry & Butters from 2018 – all high picks). So if we look at 2019 draft crop what have AFL recruiters noted to this point?
Overall 2019 is a very strong draft – it’s way deeper than 2019 – but will be judged harsher purely on the lack of high end talls – there are basically none at this stage who are demanding a top 10 pick (although Luke Jackson you could make a case for). Vic Metro will be seriously strong in 2019 and will provide a large number of high picks.
Ok I just wanted to get this started before giving my opinions below. Please note my opinions are based on my first hand experience only at this stage – so I am only commenting about performances that I have witnessed live. So this is largely based on U16 Nationals, APS/AGSV footy (17-18), AFL Academy (NZ game), U18 Nationals and TAC.
I have deliberately left out the Futures GF game as whilst we watch it – most recruiters discount performances as it brings together a large number of boys who have not played for weeks and isn’t a level playing field. And if you watched closely this year the game was coached from a very different angle by both coaches. Tony Bamford coached Black team and played his best players in best positions all day – whilst Luke Power (White) gave priority to players not part of AFL Academy particularly in mid field and this impacted greatly on the game. So don’t read much into this game – that said Rowell and Serong were outstanding…

So for 2019 this is where most AFL recruiters have things at this stage - there are 9 standouts above all others at this time:
Vic Metro: Rowell, Anderson, Mahony & Williams
Allies: O’Neill & Green
WA: Sharp & Jackson
Vic Country: Serong

The tier below include Gould, Kemp, Gardner, Flanders & C Stephens (Vic Country).

And there are 5 at the moment who are clearly at the top end (in no particular order):

Matt Rowell (Nationals : 19.5 disposals per game (0 goals) & TAC Finals (22.6 disposals/0.6 goals):
Already been a lot written about him so I will not go on too much here – I first saw him at U15 Nationals and have seen him at U16 Nationals, APS and TAC many times. The boy is a star – ultra professional and one of best mid fielders of last few years. Has comprehensively beaten older boys almost every time he has played against them. Ignore his height – he is now 180cm but strong, fast and determined. Only possible criticism from AFL standpoint is his versatility in that he has had very little exposure forward or back over last few years – that said it doesn’t worry me at all he is going to be a star.

Noah Anderson: (NC: 18.0 disposals/2.0 goals & TAC Finals: 18.3 disposals/1.5 goals):
Again no surprise here – player of U16 Nationals, perfect size, elite endurance and a natural leader (was captain of AFL Academy team – voted by players). Big game player – his game against WA in Nationals was almost as good as Izak Rankine against Metro. It is important with Noah to realise how he was used in Nationals and with Chargers late in TAC year – everyone knows he can play in midfield but was predominately used forward only to develop his AFL versatility but his numbers and impact was outstanding – will most likely move to full time mid- field role in 2019 and expect him to dominate. I think most clubs see him as a logical pick 1 at this stage as his size and endurance would see him likely to play in round one 2020.

Jack Mahony: (NC: 17.0 disposals/1.5 goals & TAC Finals: 21.0 disposals/1.5 goals):
I think Jack is the one flying under radar in threads but certainly not with recruiters. I think this is largely due to him breaking his collarbone in first TAC game after Nationals and missing rest of school and TAC season. He returned in Dragons first final after 8 weeks out and had 25 touches in limited mid field time and then kicked 2 goals as predominant small forward against Stingrays in a depleted Dragons team in Prelim. Important here to recognise how Dragons use bottom agers – they rarely play them in influential roles and thus it seems always the Dragons is where draft bolters come from (think Mcgrath and Taranto in 2016, Brayshaw in 2017 and again Bailey Smith last year) – Mahony is that player in 2019. Was arguably best on ground in first half of WA Nationals game – changed the game with Rowell when moved to outside mid in SA game and was outstanding in NZ game (as were Rowell and Anderson). Can play mid and forward and has dominated school team since first playing as a 15 year old. Tied with Sam Walsh in Yo Yo test at 2018 TAC testing so speed/endurance is elite. Like Rowell people are concerned about his size – although I hear he is now 179cm and November born so size isn’t an issue.

Mitch O’Neill: (NC: 20.0 disposals/0.8 goals):
Like Mahony is a bit under the radar – which is hard to say about a boy who was All Australian as a bottom ager. He had an outstanding Nationals and that just backed up what we saw in NZ in AFL Academy game. This game is a bit of a joke from a results aspect but the NZ team are adults with big bodies and it has always been fascinating to watch young boys work the way through this problem. Mitch got added to Academy squad for this Trip and really impressed us both during the game and at training and interviews. On field he is an elite 2 way runner who never stops working and will definitely benefit from his exposure through 4 games of Nationals in 2018. The change to TAC for a Tassie based player will only help Mitch’s development further in 2019. I have only seen him live in Nationals, NZ and GF game so I personally have limited exposure but he is on this list because he is rated very highly by a large number of clubs.

Dylan Williams (NC: 12.0 disposals/4.0 goals & TAC Finals: 11.0 disposals/4.7 goals):
Dylan is the tricky one on this list. There are some who will say that he has to be in mix for pick 1 purely on what he did in 2018 – and then there are others who will say that Vic Metro rated him below Rowell, Anderson & Mahony as he only played one game in Nationals and not against SA in final game – and they will also highlight the nature of his goals – he gets an incredible amount of his goals from snaps and leading his defender under the ball and getting it out the back – the criticism here being he will not get away with this at AFL level. My view – whilst he is not a high possession winner, he is a very clever footballer who has performed extremely well both forward and back and that versatility will hold him in good stead. 2019 will define his draft position but in 2020 he will be playing AFL football.

Please note that I have only mentioned players who have has bottom age experience in 2018 Nationals because at this point clubs have them at the top of their lists. There are plenty of boys with promise who we will find out more shortly…
Great to read your insights with an emphasis on your inside knowledge.

Are you happy to field questions on particular players or positions?

The Lions still need some outside run and run from the backline. I've been looking at Lachlan Potter, Lachlan Ash and Brock Smith. Are you able to offer any insights in to those kids, and any other kids that might fit the bill.

Cheers.
 
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Richmond
Thanks appreciate your thoughts

Glad you enjoyed the read...just to clarify the 5 mentioned earlier are the 5 that across the range of Clubs are constantly seen as above all others...
Tom Green will be drafted by GWS in 2019.
The cynic in me says GWS will be doing everything in their power in 2019 to ensure that Tom doesn't stand out too much and hope he falls down the draft order...
 

PMBangers

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Glad you enjoyed the read...just to clarify the 5 mentioned earlier are the 5 that across the range of Clubs are constantly seen as above all others...
Tom Green will be drafted by GWS in 2019.
The cynic in me says GWS will be doing everything in their power in 2019 to ensure that Tom doesn't stand out too much and hope he falls down the draft order...
No reason to be cynical like that, we've not attempted that in the past with the likes of Hopper, Kennedy, Setterfield, Perryman, Cumming and Himmelberg all being exceptional in their draft years and receiving first round bids.
Green is, as it stands, the clear contested ball player in the 2019 pool as it stands and even if he doesn't progress as predicted clubs won't forget that. Delahunty is the one that we'd want to not do too much this year anyway ;)
 
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