Emma Quayle interview

[Lach72]

Here is the interview from your questions put to Emma a few weeks ago.
I've cut a few questions out as they've been overtaken by events at the draft.

Please keep your responses respectful as we want her and others to feel free to contribute regularly.
I will ask her for a follow up closer to the draft.

Fremantle Specific Questions
1. Do you think Fremantle will target a specific need with first couple of draft picks or just go for the best available when their picks come around?
In the past few years the Dockers seem to have just honed in on the ones they want (ie, Hill, Fyfe). So I don’t see why they won’t do that again. Having said that this draft is interesting, especially for the clubs that finished up the top of the ladder and have late first-round picks. If there is a certain player they really want – but would normally risk getting in the second round – they may just have to pick him to make sure of it. And same goes for need. There aren’t, for instance, a heap of top young ruckmen in this pool. So if someone really needs to get one onto their list, they may just have to bite the bullet early.
2.
3. Do you know if any clubs (besides Gold Coast) have expressed any early strong interest in a player? Particularly Freo.
You hear bits and pieces but to be honest it’s probably not until a few weeks before the draft that you can narrow that down.
4. Can you think of any players that could fill a 2-3 year gap as a solid backup ruck whilst Zach Clarke develops?
How does Jon Griffin sound??
5. Is there a shift in focus on players drafted? We on BF have noticed that skills and football smarts seem to be more important than just the pure athletes that have recently be drafted.
Kicking efficiency is right up there. So many goals are caused through turnovers these days. So I think you’re right. Players need to be able to win the ball, make good decisions and use it well.
6. Does this give a better chance for players in the mould of Barlow, Hasleby who are pure footballers to be drafted?
I think so. Someone like Dion Prestia from Calder could well be a top 10-12 pick this year. He’s about 175 centimetres, so normally that would see him marked down. But he wins the ball at stoppages, is quick off the mark, is smart and has a great kick on him.
7. After rating them at #16 and #25 respectively in the 2008 draft class, how has she seen the development of Michael Walters and Casey Sibosado? With one having played just a handful of games and the other yet to debut, does she stick by her ratings?
I stick by them. I thought Walters was great towards the end of the season, and let’s remember it was only his second year. I always thought he might need a bit of time to truly pick up on how hard he needs to work. He was one of the better players in the Hawthorn final, in my opinion, and also the loss to the Hawks in Launceston. Casey has taken longer, obviously, but from what I’ve heard the move to Perth has been good for him. I’d be surprised if he isn’t at the Dockers next year and hopefully he will play some senior footy. I sometimes wonder how much impact the WAFL club a draftee gets assigned to impacts on their development.
8. Fremantle have a specific needs: Good inside mid to help Barlow Mundy etc and free Pavlich to play CHF, KPB/KPF, small backman to replace an aging Roger Hayden, and also to free up Broughton and Duffield to play attacking half back/midfield.
Our picks at this stage are likely to be 20, 37, 54 and 71. What are your thoughts on likely available players around those picks?

There should be plenty of midfielders around. I’ll know more closer to the draft, but maybe someone like Mitch Hallahan would appeal. Prestia too, but I think he’ll be gone by 20. Give me longer to work this all out though!
General Draft Questions
1. Will Sam day go to the Gold coast at pick 1,2,3? Is there any truth to the rumour of him not being prepared to go to any clubs that are not in South Australia or Victoria?
Gold Coast will pick David Swallow, Harley Bennell and Day with the first three picks.
2. Where do you think Polec and Smith will go?
Polec would be in the mix for West Coast and for Brisbane. I think both are a big chance. If that doesn’t happen, I can’t see him falling outside the top 10 at this stage. Smith will be in the mix for a few of the top 10 clubs too (Brisbane, Richmond, Essendon) but when you throw Dyson Heppell, Shaun Atley, Josh Caddy and Prestia in, there are plenty of midfielders for them to choose from. A couple have to fall outside the 10. But once again….. I need more time! Get back to me a couple weeks out from the draft. Now that trade week is ending, the recruiters will all start doing more work on their draft lists.
3. The Slider v The Bolter

Regarding Jack Darling, do you feel his height will restrict him holding down a key position and where she feels he may be drafted, and who might be interested?


Jayden Pitt could be the bolter this year as an underdeveloped player with a big upside ala JMP last year. What are her thoughts on him and could he become a top 10 proposition post Draft Camp?

I don’t think top 10 for Jayden – maybe top 20. He is a very smart and instinctive player though, not unlike Fyfe in that way. A natural.

Re Jack, it’s so hard to pick at this stage. Maybe Eagles would look at him, same with Brisbane, but I’m not convinced of either. Speaking to him at the draft camp, he was adamant that he could play midfield and seemed frustrated that he had been pigeon holed as an undersized key forward. That said, there are some offfield issues that concern people about Jack, and I’m sure he would have been grilled about them at the draft camp. He is obviously recovering from a head injury too – clubs would be going right through that information and making sure he’s going to make a full recovery before deciding whether to go for him or not.



4. Top 5 mature age names and what round are they most likely to go in the drafts?
I think we’ve probably just seen Gold Coast trade a few of them. Krakouer was hot property, for obvious reasons. I haven’t seen heaps of Peter Faulks at Williamstown, but can remember him as a junior and liked him them. Cam Richardson and Isaac Smith from North Ballarat have both created plenty of talk. But to be honest I find it hard to comment on the state league players, as between covering AFL, catching as much under18s as possible and trying to have a life, I don’t really get to see anything other than the occasional VFL game on TV. Some more names will spring up closer to the draft.
5. How do you view the strength of this draft compared to 2008, both in terms of the elite talents and also the depth of the first 30-40 picks? How much has the Gold Coast's priority access to the nations under 18s before this year affected the quality of this draft?
I think he depth is fine, it’s easy to come up with 50 names that seem draftable, which is a good sign. I think the top three are standouts and then it evens out, but there are at least 20 names I’m convinced will play good senior footy, barring mishap. If the 17-year-olds that the Gold Coast signed were in this draft pool, it would be the best one I can remember, and I’m not exaggerating. Guys like Josh Toy, Maverick Weller, Luke Russell, Trent McKenzie and Brandon Matera would all be genuinely pushing for top 10 spots.
6. Assuming that the imminent restrictions on rotations will skew recruiters' preferences towards endurance rather than impact players, who are the elite runners in this year's crop?
7. How do you think the Gold Coast will draft, for needs or best player at their picks available. Could it allow some highly rated youngsters to slide and some less thought about kid's to be selected earlier than expected?
Yes to both, I think. It’s interesting, because the Gold Coast will have their list of who they want, and they’ll be trying to get all the names at the top of their list, or as many as possible. So they’ll be trying to suss out what the clubs around them in the top 10 are going to do, so that the can manipulate the situation and get the players they want. Whereas Brisbane, Richmond, Essendon etc, will want Gold Coast to pick the players they don’t want, so tat the players they are keen on fall to them. For instance, Essendon might want a midfielder, but start spreading the word that they want a ruckman – hoping Gold Coast take Daniel Gorringe or Scott Lycett before their pick, and that an extra mid drops through. That’s probably just a long way of saying that there will be a lot of mind games going on in the leadup to the draft. It’s going to be hard to figure out.
8. Who are the skilled quick outside mids of this draft: Harvey/Davey/Dal Santo types?
To be honest there aren’t heaps. I like Prestia because he is quite explosive off the mark. He wasn’t in the top 10 over 20m at the camp, but when you watch him play it’s obvious he takes off pretty well. Atley has some pace too but he doesn’t use his quick first few steps all that much – he’s usually in there getting the ball out. Bennell is the only one at the top end with that breakaway pace. There are a lot of inside mids in this draft – all those names I mentioned above, except maybe Polec, who does have a bit of dash and creativity.
9. Who is the Biggest Smokey? Who has the Biggest Upside? Who is the Most Risky Prospect
I think it’s fair to put Darling in the risky category. He may have gone top 3 had he been old enough for the draft last year, but clubs will be weighing up all those factors I mentioned above. He can absolutely play, though. I need a bit more think time on the smokey/upside – although Joel Wilkinson did extremely well in almost every test at the draft camp and, on top of all that, is a brilliant kid. Has only started playing footy in the last two years, captained Queensland this year and is studying to be an orthopedic surgeon (he considered neurosurgery!). During the national championships he didn’t seem to be on anyone’s radar, but I hope he gets an opportunity, even as a rookie.
10. Tip for pick 4?
Jack Darling, Andrew Gaff, Jared Polec…. But I reserve the right to change my mind!
11. Which players attitude to and preparation for football impresses you most from reports?
There were so many good kids at the draft camp. All so talkative. The only quiet one was Harley. I found Shaun Atley to be really impressive. Smart, level headed, independent. Dyson Heppell is very similar. Mitch Wallis will follow in his dad’s footsteps and captain the Doggies one day. But as I said, I did 15 interviews up there and all the boys were fantastic,
12. What do you make of Patrick Veszpremi's current situation at the Swans, and rumours that he is unhappy, wants to leave, and not rated by the Swans coaching staff?
I’m glad he’s come back to Melbourne. I would have liked him to stay up there and work so hard they were forced to play him, but it just didn’t seem that they were going to. I think the Bulldogs will be a good fit for Pat provided that he comes to the party and works hard, which I’m sure he will. He needs a chance. He’s grown up a lot in the past year I think. Not having games handed to him has probably made him realise how badly he wants them. I really, really want him to make it.
13. Have you seen much of WA's Tom Mitchell? If so, where do you think he might have gone in the draft had he not signed with Sydney under the Father/Son rule?
I only saw one AIS-AFL Academy game and he looked really classy. But it’s too hard to say at this stage – I think he is next year’s draft anyway?
14. Will Myles Sewell be drafted? By who? Which round?
It’s hard to see, at this stage. But I’m sure they recruiters have all kept watching him. If he gets picked up I’d say it would be as a mature-aged rookie. Funnily enough I can still remember him doing his 20m sprints at a state screening day many years ago!
15. In what order do you rate these midfielders in terms of potential and which ones are you the biggest fan of? Gaff, Atley, Smith, Polec, Caddy?
I like Atley, Polec, Gaff, Smith Caddy. But there is only a smidgeon between them – I really, really like all of them! As I mentioned, heaps of good midfielders in this draft!
16. Around where do you think Heppell will go in the draft? Also, thoughts on Matt Little?
Maybe Brisbane. If not, I think he will be gone inside 10 or just out.
17. Who do you think will be available out of the gun mids at Essendon's first pick and who she thinks they’ll go for?
I think Polec will be gone, to either West Coast, Brisbane or Richmond. Gaff will probably be gone, and same with Heppell, but there’s a chance they will be there. I like Atley for the Bombers, or Prestia. But any one of those other boys could be there. They will have a choice, I can say that for sure. Get back to me closer to the draft!
18. Where do you see some of the WA boys (ones like J Cripps and B Wilson) going, ie draft round/picks?
Cripps could push up into second round, maybe. I haven’t heard too much on Blayne yet, but I will know more in a few weeks. I think he’s done enough to get drafted, but I don’t think it will be in the first two rounds at this stage.
19. Daniel Gorringe is an interesting prospect. A bit undersized as a ruckmen but very good skills and leap for a player his size. Where do you think he will end up? Have you heard who may be interested?
I think he’ll go to Gold Coast.
20. Where is Mitch Hallahan likely to end up and with what pick range?
Somewhere from 20 onwards, I would say.
21. Also, has she been following the progress of Troy Taylor? Did late season form justify her similarly high rating, and is he now aware of what he has to do to realise his potential?
I think he’s just starting to. Someone explained it to me the other day that he is starting to feel attached to the group and sense the responsibility he has to them. Troy has a long way to go and Richmond are probably also still figuring out the best way to work with him. But I think we all saw a bit of his raw talent this year. It’s such an important time in his life because footy starts to really work out for him, it could change the whole course of his life. That sounds a bit clichéd, but I can’t think of a better way to put it. He’s another one I really want to see make it.
22. Will the Dees go for best available or go tall, as many of us expect?
They’d be sussing that out now. I think tall. With all those good mids, they will have a choice. Someone like Lycett, Lucas Cook or Luke Mitchell might fall into that bracket. But then again, if they’re really attached to a midfielder, they will just have to pick him. I know I’ve said this a lot, but get back to me in a few weeks.
23. Are you ever going to write another "The Draft"?
I would love to, but I would have to muster up the energy as it was a heap of work. It would be easier second time around though. The other thing I would like to do is update the original, maybe in another four or five years, depending on what happens to the five boys involved. So far they have all made pretty interesting starts, for different reasons. So we’ll see. I do need to get stuck into another book sometime soon though, just waiting for a good idea to come into my head.

 

[E Shed]

Nice work Lach! (and thanks to Emma).
Interesting read.

 

[DockerLand1]

Nice work Lach! (and thanks to Emma).
Interesting read.

Great work Lach. I really rate Emms'a opinion and she is always a football expert who's articles that I will read with interest. It makes me feel that Fremantle are doing the right thing holding onto their early draft picks and pushing for another one with Taz.

A very interesting read!

 

[dominguez]

Thanks for that Lach. Interesting that she says that there's very few ruckmen in this years draft, which probably had an impact in us trading for Griffin. We don't really need another ruckman for next season, but needed to add one over this trade/draft period to shore up our stocks for 2012 and beyond.

 

[Nickos66]

Cheers Lach, interesting read. Not much can be definitively answered yet and Emma's not immune either. I guess we're all going to have to wait and keep up with developments at the same time.

 

[Dormammu]

Thanks Lach, some good reading there. Not sure why she didn't answer my question but, ah well, perhaps it wasn't the easiest. Cheers

 

[Freo Shark]

Thanks Lach and Emma!

 

[Lach72]

Thanks Lach, some good reading there. Not sure why she didn't answer my question but, ah well, perhaps it wasn't the easiest. Cheers

There were a couple that I deleted as they were redundant after trade week.

Maybe one of them?

 

[Dormammu]

There were a couple that I deleted as they were redundant after trade week.

Maybe one of them?

Nah, you kept it in (thanks!) but she brushed past it (#6 in the general questions)

 

[Stronzo]

Fantastic work

 

[pinkus maximus]

thanks Lach and Emma

 

[Selggad]

Brilliant. Fantastic work Lach, that you have cultivated the relationship with Emma, and many thanks to Emma as well for her time and input.

 

[silverscope]

Thanks Lach! Doing a great job on the interviews, do you have anyone lined up for the next interview? (Maybe a retired great.... Hase?? )


Also big thanks to Emma for taking the time out to answer some questions for us Football tragics.

 

[Lach72]

I had solly lined up, spent so long faffing around he left the club

 

[Hello Newman!]

Great effort, good read, cheers

 

[silverscope]

I had solly lined up, spent so long faffing around he left the club

Ahh that's right. I remember now. Oh well... do you have someone else lined up or are you busy at the moment? Could be a good chance, over the off-season, to do someone like Harvey as I'd daresay he would have a little bit more time on his hands now than during a season.

 

[Lach72]

I haven't as yet.

I might drop them a line soon though...training should be starting in the next 3-4 weeks

 

[silverscope]

I haven't as yet.

I might drop them a line soon though...training should be starting in the next 3-4 weeks

Just on that isn't it usually 6 weeks after GF for young players and 8 weeks after GF for the elder statesmen?

 

[Big Sledge #32]

Cheers Lach, was a really interesting read & thanks to Emma who took the time out to answer the fans questions.

 

[ballanFYNE]

Didn't realize until now. Cheers Lach.