Podcast Ep. 6.60: THE DRAFT: Allies Pt. 2

Join myself and Portia from 8pm Thursday night at https://www.spreaker.com/user/portfanradio as we go through our second batch of potential draftees from the Allies. The players discussed will be:

Nick Blakey
Kieran Briggs
Chayce Jones
Fraser Turner
Tarryn Thomas
Nicholas Baker

Ask any questions here!
 

Cam1870

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With the Watts situation as it is, what is an appropriate response from the club at this time? KT apparently is "aware of it".
 
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NICK BLAKEY

194 / 80 / LF

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Clubs: Sydney Academy / NSW / Allies

Positions: Key Forward, Outside Midfielder

Stats:

Nick played just the one game at NEAFL level for Sydney this year, picking up 10 disposals, 4 marks and a goal.

He impressed as a bottom ager last year at the Champs, averaging 10 disposals and 4 marks a game. He played 3 games in the 2018 Championships, averaging just under 12 disposals and 4 marks and inside50s a game.

Gamestyle:

Nick is a modern hybrid forward who is athletic, dominant and can play anywhere on the ground. He looks best as a lead up forward where he can use his athleticism, pace and agility to advantage. He is capable of playing on a wing or as a tall midfielder and could play off a back flank as well.

His game is all based around his athleticism. He is super quick on the lead, has a bgi natural leap and has sticky hands. He is a good mark in front of his eyes, can mark running full pace and can also mark strongly at the highest point. He is arguably the best mark in this years draft.

His foot skills are also a strong point. He is a good kick for goal, has a natural run up and a smooth kicking action with a bent leg. He is clever around the ground, can see the play unfold and his field kicking is also a strong point.

There are a lot of little things he does well, from knocks to opponents, clever flicks, good body work, positioning in contests, quick hands, kicks to leads. He’s also quite an aggressive player. He’s good and he knows it and doesn’t mind trying to get into his opponents head.

He is capable of playing a role in year 1as a lead up 3rd tall forward or as a tall wingman. He has the smarts to play this sort of role whilst his body catches up. It’s doubtful he will ever be a power forward type, but will always be a more athletic type of forward. The main issue surrounding his game at the moment is his durability. He has had a lot of concerning injuries already for someone so young, which brings his potential durability into question.

Draft Range: 4-15
Nick is elite in every sense of the word. Capable of the brilliant, of the inspiring and with some regularity, he has all the tools to become an elite player at AFL level. A bid will come in the first round and it could come as high as St Kilda’s pick 4. Port at 5 and the Dogs at 7 will look at bidding on him as well.
 
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KIERAN BRIGGS

200 / 98 / RF

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Clubs: GWS Academy / NSW / Allies

Positions: Ruck

Stats:

Kieran was a surprise packet at the Championships, being named All Australian after some consistent form for the Allies. He picked up an average of 13 disposals and 24 hitouts a game, showing his ability around the ground, whilst averaging 5 marks and kicking 3 goals for the championships.

Gamestyle:

Kieran is a well built ruckman with good agility and a lovely kick. He shows good agility for a player of his size and strength and has decent pace for a big man as well.

His ruckwork, whilst a work in progress does show loads of promise. Due to his strength he can get in front position at ruck contests and is capable of getting hands on the ball. His ability to direct taps can at times be brilliant and his follow up work is usually pretty good as well.

His physicality is a real mixed bag. At times he looks super aggressive at ruck contests and can lay some crunching tackles. At others he looks completely timid and is easily pushed off the ball and beaten in contests by guys 20cm/20kg smaller than him. He needs to learn to focus in all contests and not just assume because of his size he will win the ball.

His foot skills are a real highlight. He has a good kicking action and a good long direct kick. He can be a goal scoring threat when resting up forward.

The raw tools are there with Briggs but the question must be how much further development he has left in him. He will improve his ruck work and if he can improve his focus in contests he has AFL potential.

Draft Range: 35-60
Kieran looms as the best of a poor bunch of ruckmen in this years draft. It’s possible that a bid will come for him as high as a third round pick but he more likely fits a little bit later. He has an impressive build, has good skills and can rest up forward. Given GWS’ ruck stocks, it is highly likely they will match any realistic bid for him.
 
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CHAYCE JONES

180 / 74 / RF

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Clubs: Tasmania, Allies

Positions: In/Out Midfield

Stats:

Chayce was a star at the Championships. He had an outstanding Div 2 Champs before making All Australian after averaging 21.5 disposals and 6.5 tackles for the Allies. He backed that up with some excellent performances at senior level in Tasmania.

Gamestyle:

Chayce is a small midfielder who loves to hunt the ball. He has good inside instincts and picks up plenty of outside footy as well. He excels around the packs where he gets in and under to win the ball. He is a master of the quick kick forward out of a pack.

But, Chayce isn’t just an inside player. He gets plenty of the ball outside of stoppages as well. He is a hard runner, has good pace and endurance and finds himself in good position through the middle of the ground. He can spread well and get the ball wide on the wings where he can run and kick forward.

His skill level is above average. He is a good handballer in close and has a nice right foot kick. He doesn’t go beyond his ability with his disposal. Maybe he is a bit vanilla, but his ‘pest’ nature makes him an interesting player.

He is slight, he is small so will need some time to build his body up a little bit, especially if he is to play as a centre square midfielder. There is potential for him to be a small defender in the future. His ability to tackle and his speed would make him a good shut down player.

Draft Range: 14-30
Chayce is a skilful player, has great tenacity and just knows how to play as a midfielder. Does he have enough tricks for AFL level? Potentially given the right role he could have a very good career. His form at Champs level shows he can perform in big games. GWS love these types of players so he could be a chance with 11 but more realistically 19. Fremantle at 14 might show some interest as a potential longer term Neale replacement. Port at 15 will look at him. Brisbane at 18 will have a look. It’s hard to see him going past the Bulldogs at pick 27.
 
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FRASER TURNER

186 / 75 / RF

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Clubs: Tasmania / Allies

Positions: Out/In Midfield

Stats:

Fraser was one of the stars for the Allies at the Championships and was unlucky not to be named All Australian. He averaged 22.8 disposals a game and kicked 3 goals across the Champs, with his best game coming against WA with 24 disposals and 2 goals.

Gamestyle:

Fraser is a pacey, hard running midfielder who excels on the outside but can win his own ball as well. He looks best receiving the ball in space so he can use his pace to advantage before a long kick further down the field.

Physically he has the package for an outside midfielder. He is a good height at 186, has real power in his running and is very quick. He always seems to be moving, making it hard for his opponents to effectively defend him. He is an arc to arc player, is often used as the go-to player in the defensive 50 but can also be seen delivering inside 50 as part of the same play as well.

His skills are another highlight of his game. He has a lovely right foot kick, can hit targets consistently over short or long distance and he is a fine kick for goal. He doesn’t need a lot of time to steady before he can use the ball effectively.

Defensively he needs to improve. He isn’t a great tackler and he needs to put on more defensive pressure.

Draft Range: 25-50
There is clear AFL potential with Fraser. Hard runner, good delivery, quick and full of impact, he is a player that will interest many AFL clubs. The Dogs at 27 will be keen, as will Brisbane at 30 and he would match well with Sydney with one of their 30’s picks. Richmond at 37 would be interested as will Fremantle.
 
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TARRYN THOMAS

189 / 71 / RF

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Clubs: North Launceston, Tasmania, Allies

Positions: In/Out Midfield, 3rd Tall Forward

Stats:
Tarryn has been on the radar for AFL clubs for a long time now. He has played in the under 18 championships for three seasons, winning Tasmania’s MVP award at both the U16 & U18 champs as a 16 year old in 2016. He backed that up with solid form at last years U18 champs as a bottom ager playing on a wing and through the midfield.

This year his championship form was a mixed bag. He won the Hunter-Harrison Medal as the best player in the Division 2 championships after some stunning performances, especially against Sydney. However, he failed to find similar form at the Division 1 champs, struggling for impact and averaging 16 disposals, 6 tackles and under 2 clearances a game.

Gamestyle:
Tarryn is a talented tall midfielder who has good inside instincts and has plenty of x-factor. He can be a match winner, is a hard runner and can play a role up forward as well.

Tarryn is at his best when playing inside, stalking the stoppages and hunting the ball. He can regularly win first possession and is capable of finding space at stoppages – he isn’t just a grab and bang it forward stoppage mid. He is elite at fighting for and winning the ground ball and finding a teammate under pressure. He knows how to use his body with timely bumps to put himself in prime position to win the ball.

He plays taller than he is, has good reach and is a good mark. He is a strong defensive player, has a great tackling technique and could play as an effective tagger. Where he lets himself down is in his disposal. His kicking lacks consistency. At times he can hit targets regularly, is a fine shot at goal and can find people inside 50 with smart kicks. At others he burns the ball too easily, misses simple targets and puts teammates under pressure with sloppy disposal.

Physically he is a really good size and has a frame that should be able to put on plenty of muscle. He lacks some top end speed but makes up for it with good endurance and is a good reader of the play.

Draft Range: 10-25

There is plenty to like about Tarryn but there is still a little bit of risk involved with him. He did lack some development this year and showed some worrying form at times. But, when he is good, he is really good. He has raw talent in spades, plenty of x-factor and will be given every chance to succeed. So whilst he’s not part of the elite that he looked like being at the start of the year, he’s not far off it. A bid should come in the teens for him and it might just come from Port Adelaide around pick 10. North will be hoping he falls to a 20’s pick.
 
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NICHOLAS BAKER

189 / 81 / RF

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Clubs: Launceston / Tasmania / Allies

Positions: Hybrid Defender

Stats:

Nick was a solid contributor for the Allies at the National Championships, picking up 14 disposals and 3 tackles a game playing through the defensive half of the ground.

Gamestyle:
Nicholas is a hybrid defender in the Tom Jonas mould who can play on both small and tall opponents. Possessing good speed, aggression and defensive nous, Nick can switch between shut down roles and more attacking roles in the back half.

Skillwise Nick is pretty smart with the ball. He has a big right foot kick and loves to run with the ball, making him more of a 70m player coming out of the back line. He likes to take the game on, but can run himself into trouble at times whilst searching for an option down field.

Defensively he is good. He has a good leap, can get the spoil in when wrestling an opponent, but can lose his opponent on the lead.

Overall he looms as more of a 3rd tall who can intercept if he was to get drafted.

Draft Range: Late/Rookie
There is potential with Nick, but there is enough doubt there that he looks likely as a late or rookie pick. His aggression and defensive ability will interest teams and as a rookie pick, he would be a bargain.
 

Jonts

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Enjoyed the listen good job so far

also I'm pretty sure i heard it's pronounced

Tarr-en not

Ta-Rin
 
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