Podcast Ep. 6.62 - THE DRAFT: SA Pt. 2 - Thursday 8pm

[Macca19]

Join myself and Portia at 8pm Thursday at https://www.spreaker.com/user/portfanradio as we discuss our second batch of potential draftees from South Australia. The players discussed will be:

Izak Rankine
Connor Rozee
Hugo Munn
Tom Sparrow
Riley Grundy
Tom Lewis
Boyd Woodcock
Finn Betterman
Ben Jarvis

Ask any questions here!

 

[Ports2GetLukosius]

What will Macca do when we draft Ben King over Rankine?

 

[Incarnate]

So, apart from watching post pubescent boys runing around fields of grass chasing red leather, deep frying dead fish dreams and sipping on exotic tea leaves plucked by the callusesed hands of child slaves, what do we think about the needs and wants of our club coming into the draft. Are they secondary or clearly at the forefront of our recruitment teams mind? What do we want? What do we need? Are we thinking short term or are we playing the long game? And why the hell does my elbow click when i do this...

 

[Jonts]

you haven't seen anything of Luke Bogle ?

wouldve played champs if it wasn't for a broken wrist and did some great things for south at u18 level
would love to take the genuine mid as a rookie/ late pick

 

[mic59]

Who are the most likely we would have taken if we had a full draft hand instead of trading into 5? Are there any players we might rookie if they aren't drafted?

 

[Revan11]

Which player that we draft at 5, 10 or 15 will give us the same reaction from Macca that drafting Atley did?

Ice block or icy pole?

How do you pronounce Lego?

 

[TheFVK]

Why do we seem so much keener to trade away our depth than any other club?

 

[philthy05]

you haven't seen anything of Luke Bogle ?

wouldve played champs if it wasn't for a broken wrist and did some great things for south at u18 level
would love to take the genuine mid as a rookie/ late pick

Yeah would have been interested to hear about bogle and Chapman as I’ve not watched that much of either of them.

I haven’t seen a listed height for bogle anywhere either.

Have you seen Grundy play local footy? What’s his ball use like and does he ever do any rebounding? Was a pure shutdown at champs but I like his height size reach and ability to put size on I think and athleticism but mostly I like that he seems to love to make contact with players.

Timeline on Rozee transitioning from a flanker to genuine mid? I love him but I wonder if he could take a long time to become a genuine 20+ touch mid.

 

[Macca19]

Bogle looks around 180 but its hard to tell

 

[benblinkau]

If we do not get a key position player in the national draft, are there any likely players worth looking at in the rookie draft?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Far Kern]

How can it possibly matter which high end SA talent we might get if we can’t manage them, can’t develop them, and they then leave? How could I allow myself to love any of them again?

Why are magic beans so alluring?

 

[neddy36]

Luke Bogle
Height: 178cm
Weight: 69kg
5m: 1.08
20m: 3.13
Agility: 8.87
Yo-Yo: 21.2

My question: Do you think the prolific numbers that Connor Rozee posted in 2017 at SANFL U18s as a midfielder has been forgotten by the entire BF recruiting community?

 

[philthy05]

Luke Bogle
Height: 178cm
Weight: 69kg
5m: 1.08
20m: 3.13
Agility: 8.87
Yo-Yo: 21.2

My question: Do you think the prolific numbers that Connor Rozee posted in 2017 at SANFL U18s as a midfielder has been forgotten by the entire BF recruiting community?

Thanks

Jesus that is slow for a little guy. Can’t see him even getting rookied at that height and pace.

Yeah. Rozee played sanfl seniors all year and champs so all we got to see of him was as a flanker. I know he played lots of midfield the year before but plenty of kids have done that. I really like Rozee but without seeing him play midfield against the kids his age and just with a general feel of his game I suspect we don’t see him in the midfield for quite a few years, as opposed to Walsh smith hately Caldwell who I think move in there earlier.

Macca spoke quite a bit about Rozee last year from memory.

 

[Macca19]

Rozee was the best midfielder in the country as a 16yo and looked like another Whitfield.

 

[Interstater]

My question: What do you think of this review of our trade period?

http://www.lystics.com/podcast
2 - Trade Review: Which club are we poles apart on? The Middle 6 Reviewed - Player Movement Period Wrap Part 3

Port starts at 16:45

PS: I just listen to it, not connected in any way.

 

[Daylight2nd]

Portia & Macca .. put your reputations on the line. At what pick will Rankine go? If he's still there at pick 3 (behind Walsh/Luko) do you think Port will try pick swap to get him and if so what do you think we will offer. Also if he's still there at pick 4 (behind Walsh/Luko/Rozee) do you think Port will try pick swap with St Kilda and if so what would we offer?

 

[Visenfest]

Any SA lads overlooked last year who are a decent chance of getting drafted this year? What I really mean to ask is, how do you feel about Big Butts in comparison to this time last year?

 

[Macca19]

IZAK RANKINE

180 / 76 / DS

Clubs: West Adelaide / SA

Positions: Small Midfielder, Small Forward

Stats:

Izak has been a star for a number of years, impressing on debut as a 16 year old for West Adelaide in 2016. He was a bottom age All Australian in 2017, averaging 19 disposals and kicking 6 goals. He followed that up with a 2nd All Australian crowm in 2018, leading the Championships in goals with 12, whilst averaging 16 disposals and 5 inside50s a game. Izak kicked 15 goals in 10 senior games for West Adelaide this year.

Gamestyle:

Izak is an enigmatic, damaging small who can play either as a small forward or through the midfield. He loves to receive the ball and take off, manoeuvring around opponents before delivery further up field. His skill level, at his best, is exceptional. He has creative handball and can really clear space with some clinical 1-2s. He has freakish skills on his right foot when in space and able to really see his options ahead. He has a well weighted kick and can kick to a lead. He has great x-factor in front of goal and is capable of kicking freak goals. He can often try to do too much and work himself into trouble, leading to ineffective kicks and intercept disposals at times. He is at his best when he can receive the ball, run, create and provide an option for multiple possessions in the one play.

Izak may be short and slender but he is one of the naturally gifted athletes in this years draft pool. The first thing you notice is his pace. Not only does he have good top end speed but his turn of pace is something special. He can turn on the jets and zoom away from most opponents. To add to his speed is his agility. He can turn on a dime, can weave and trick his way out of trouble and when on song is as close to untackleable as you can get.

Despite playing SANFL senior football for 3 years now, there is plenty of scope for improvement with Izak. He needs to work on his opposite side and has the opportunity in an AFL structure to improve his fitness and size as well. He is the type of player who can play plenty of football as a forward from year 1 and is capable of having a Cyril Rioli type debut season. Izak has the capability to move into a midfield position in the future. The question is whether he has the body to move into being a key stoppage player in the future to use his smarts and agility to advantage at AFL level.

Draft Range: 3-8

Izak is arguably the most naturally talented player in this draft pool. He has skill, he has x-factor, he adds excitement and has all the physical attributes to go with it as well. Pace, agility, marking, tackling. He has it all. In any other year he’d be just about a lock to go pick 1. As it stands he’ll start to be under consideration for Gold Coasts pick 3. St Kilda at 4 will consider him. Port at 5 should be picking him. If he falls pas Port then Gold Coast at 6 is almost a sure thing and there is zero chance he drops past Adelaide at 8.

 

[Macca19]

CONNOR ROZEE

185 / 72 / RF

Clubs: North Adelaide

Positions: Outside Midfield, Forward Flank

Stats:

Connor was a steady performer at SANFL level this year, averaging 13 disposals and a goal in a game in a number of different roles from small forward to small defender. He impressed as a bottom ager in the 2017 Championships with 14 disposals and over a goal a game. He followed that up with a mixed Championships this year, averaging 13 disposals and 4 tackles a game.

Gamestyle:

Connor is an athletic, enigmatic half forward who can also play as an outside midfielder. He is classy, has plenty of x-factor and is damaging with the ball. He has an enormous leap which he uses to his advantage and is a good mark. He is most damaging forward of centre where he can use his pace and clean skills to advantage. He is a long right foot kick and often hits targets. He is good in front of goal and has a clean set shot. Where he really gains an advantage is with his defensive work. He is a strong chaser, a decent tackler and puts on plenty of defensive pressure.

As an outside midfielder he shows good running capacity, but can struggle in terms of output. When finding the ball he uses it effectively going inside 50. His ability to find the ball in space and run makes him a damaging weapon. Whilst predominantly outside, he is more than capable of winning his own ball, can handball effectively under pressure and is evasive.

He does lack consistency in games, can go missing for periods of time with little impact.

There is plenty to like about Connor’s future scope as an AFL player. He may not be the type that will have a big impact straight away, but by around year 3 he will start to have a big impact on games. He is the type of player that could deliver in big games and win finals. He will need to work on his consistency in games and work on delivering more 4-quarter performances.

Draft Range: 3-10

Connor hasn’t had the most spectacular 12 months but he still looms as a potentially elite AFL player. He has the physical attributes in good pace, great agility, a huge leap as well as an elite kick and good decision making. He can play all over the park. It may take a while but he has A grade AFL football in him and once he gets there, he will stay at that level for a long time. Gold Coast are interested with 3. Port will be keen at 5 and 10. Adelaide at 8. Western Bulldogs at 7 looks a natural fit as well.

 

[Macca19]

HUGO MUNN

197 / 94 / RF

Clubs: Sturt

Positions: Key Forward, 2nd Ruck

Stats:

Hugo was a solid contributor at SANFL senior level in 2018, averaging 7 disposals and kicking 7 goals in 10 games. He was impressive at Championships level, kicking 9 goals in 4 matches up forward.

Gamestyle:

Hugo is a key position forward with excellent foot skills. He has a confident set shot routine and is one of the best kicks of the football in this years draft. Lovely ball drop, kicks through the ball, he rarely misses a set shot on goal. His field kicking is also a highlight, being able to pin point passes to other leading forwards.

Physically, at 94kg he is already a big lad, has good muscle definition and can be strong one on one. What he does lack though is the ability to turn his physical advantage into more marks and more positive work for his team. He struggles to turn those one on one contests into contested marks, doesn’t know how to use his size to his advantage at the moment and can be well held because of it.

What he is capable of doing is finding space. He can lose his defender easily by dropping back and changing direction on the lead. When he plays like this he can be damaging. His actual leading does need work. At the moment he falls into the trap of wanting the ball on his head so he can try and outmark his opponent by height, as opposed to leading strongly towards either the ball or to space.

His ruckwork is tidy, he follows up the play well whilst in the midfield, but again needs to find a way to find more of the football.

Hugo needs a lot of work on his forward craft, but the raw tools are there. He is a good size, a wonderful kick of the ball. He just needs to learn the craft of leading and also needs to improve his contested marking. A raw AFL player is there however. His scope for improvement is big. Just what he could be at AFL level is the great unknown. He could turn into a Kurt Tippett, a dual position, marking machine. Or he could end up like Mason Shaw and not get a go.

Draft Range: 25-50

With his size and potential improvement, Hugo will be sought after on draft night, but it is likely to come late 2nd round onwards. Gold Coast at 24 and 29 might look to him, as might Melbourne at 28. St Kilda at 36 woul be keen, as would Brisbane, Essendon and Collingwood.

 

[Macca19]

TOM SPARROW

182 / 80 / RF

Clubs: South Adelaide / SA

Positions: In/Out Mid

Stats:

Tom showed some decent form as a 2nd string midfielder for SA at the Championships, averaging 11.5 disposals, 5 tackles and 3 clearances a game. He was great in SA’s big win against WA to open the Championships, picking up 8 clearances from 12 disposals.

Gamestyle:

Tom is an explosive inside midfielder who is hard at the ball and has good foot skills. He thrives on the contest and is elite at winning the contested ball.

What sets Tom apart is his pace. He has pure speed, is lightning quick off the mark, has a good side step and has good top end speed as well. He is capable of winning first possession of the ball at stoppages, breaking free of a tackle and running off with the ball. He has a big kick, can hit targets and is efficient on the run. Tom has good strength, has a mature body already and can cope with physical pressure.

As the season wore on Tom improved his ability to win more of the football outside. He is an inside beast, but was able to spread better and find some more football so he could use his pace and ability to run with the ball a bit more. When you combine that ability to spread well from the contest with his ability to win the ball outside then he has a package that not many other players have in this years draft.

Tom has the body that can cope with AFL football in his debut season, but he will need to perform at state level before he gets the chance at AFL level.

Draft Range: 20-50

This kid could become a genuine superstar. That ability to win his own ball, burst out of a stoppage and hoof the ball inside 50 would have every club interested. Can he put it all together and win more of the ball at higher levels of football? That’s the question. He looms as a boom or bust type. Some clubs may be interested early 2nd round but he looks more likely being drafted through the 3rd round.

 

[Macca19]

RILEY GRUNDY

194 / 78

Clubs: Sturt / SA

Positions: Key Defender

Stats:

Riley averaged just 5 disposals at the National Championships, but showed some good defensive work and an ability to spoil.

Gamestyle:

Riley is a key defender who has good defensive instincts, but lacks attacking nous. He is a shutdown defender first and foremost, capable of keeping up on the lead, has good reach and good spoiling capability. Whilst quite slender at the moment, he shows good strength and can battle effectively one on one.

Where he lacks at the moment is in attacking from the backline. He is not a rebounding defender, doesn’t win a lot of the ball and at this point doesn’t take a lot of intercept marks. He is a decent user of the football, but just doesn’t get it often. He can lack tenacity at the contest at times, looks a bit lackadaisical and tends to hang back from the pack a little bit.

With further development, Rileys defensive work would look alright at AFL level. He will need to add an attacking part to his game however. There are few key defenders who are solely defensive these days. Most need to rebound, intercept mark and provide an attacking option when not with the ball. This will be the test for Riley. Can he continue to develop his craft into a more complete game, or is he stuck being a shutdown defender? It may not stop him getting on an AFL list, but it may stop him from becoming a regular at AFL level.

Draft Range: 40-Rookie

The lack of any form of attacking game is something that may stop him from being drafted in the national draft. Whilst defensively he has a lot of promise, he needs to improve his intensity and needs to provide something when his team has the ball. He looks likely as a 3rd round pick but there is a chance he does fall to the rookie draft.

 

[Macca19]

TOM LEWIS

179 / 77 / LF

Clubs: Sturt / South Australia

Positions: Inside Midfield

Stats:

Tom proved to be a high disposal winner at reserves and U18 level for Sturt. He was a solid contributor for SA at the Championships, picking up 15 disposals, 4 clearances and 9 tackles a game.

Gamestyle:

Tom is a small but stocky inside midfielder with neat skills and great awareness. Tom is a footballers footaller – a bit short, a bit slow, not overly athletic, bit of a large bum but he gets the job done. What he lacks in athleticism and height, he more than makes up for in awareness, ball winning ability and good old fashioned footy iq. He knows where to be, he knows how to win the ball and he knows how to get into space.

His best trait is his ability to win a ground ball. His body positioning is first class, not just in how he positions himself at stoppages, but his ability to swing that butt around, knock someone off the ball and grab first possession. Once with the ball in his hands, his strength and movement in being able to work his arms free to effectively use the ball is as good as anyone’s in this draft pool.

He has some Sam Mitchell type qualities in his ability to just slightly shimmy his hips, or to even just stand dead still, find a gap and move through it to effect a kick or handball. He is hard to tackle because of this. His foot skills are ok. He is good at hitting short leading targets with his left foot kick, but can blaze away with the ball as well. He can get good purchase on the ball from a standing start. At this point he is pure inside and must learn to find some more outside ball.

Physically his lack of any burst speed may be an issue. He is slow off the mark and has no real speed once he gets going either.

Tom Lewis is comparable to someone like Jack Graham. Like Tom, Jack was a strong but slow, short inside midfielder with questionable scope for physical improvement at AFL level. It’s why despite being the Larke medallist he fell down the list on draft night. But as we have seen at AFL level, these negatives have not stopped Jack from having an impact, being one of the best afield in Richmonds premiership. Tom is in the same boat. Physically it’s doubtful he can improve a lot more. He’s already a well built kid. He will need to work on his fitness as well as some speed conditioning. It’s hard to predict a lot of improvement with Tom, but he has enough left in the bag to become an AFL footballer. Will he star? Probably not, but he can become a dependable foot soldier for a club looking for an inside midfielder with some real grit who will give it all he’s got.

Draft Range: 50-Rookie

Whilst physically there Is work to be done, you just can’t deny how well he wins the football and disposes of it inside. Clubs looking for a potential value pick will look to Tom from the third round onwards. It is likely he may fall to the rookie draft, where he would be a perfect pick for a team looking for an inside midfielder.

 

[Macca19]

BOYD WOODCOCK

174 / 68 / RF

Clubs: North Adelaide / South Australia

Positions: Small Forward, Outside Midfield

Stats:

Boyd had a wonderful season at SANFL level in 2018, kicking 12 goals in 8 matches and averaging just under 14 disposals a game. He shot to stardom with a stunning finals series, kicking three goals in each of the Preliminary Final and Grand Final victories. He played just the one game at the Championships, picking up 12 disposals, 4 marks and 1 goal.

Gamestyle:

Boyd is a classy small midfielder who can play as a small forward. He has clean skills, is a natural ball winner and can be a defensive weapon as well.

Boyd is all about pressure. He chases well, he tackles hard despite his size and he can play a defensive role in a team. But he’s not all about the defence. He is one of the best ball winners in the draft and has proven to be a high disposal winner. He can win plenty of clearances in the middle despite his size and is great and collecting the ball whilst on the move, putting separation between his opponent.

Whilst not an overly long kick he is a clean user of the ball on his right foot. He hits targets, can kick goals from any angle and is clever with his decision making. He has an awkward kicking action on his left foot but it is strangely effective.

Physically he is small, very small. He needs to put on some muscle. He is quick, especially off the mark, he is lightning over the first 5-10 metres. He is a good mark for someone his size, capable of out marking opponents taller and stronger than him.

Draft Range: 40-Rookie

Clubs will be very impressed with his end of season form at senior level. He showed plenty of x-factor and to do it on the biggest stage, at senior state level was incredible. He will start to come under consideration from the third round, where clubs looking for a clever goalsneak will come knocking.

 

[Macca19]

FINN BETTERMAN

180 / 73 / DS

Clubs: Norwood / South Australia

Positions: Out/In Mid, Back Flank

Gamestyle:

Finn is a small midfielder who is a classy user of the ball. He is a great kick and despite being slender he isn’t afraid to throw his body into danger.

What Finn does best is use the ball. He is a one touch player, a clean handballer and can move through traffic with elegance. His foot skills can be elite. He is a beautiful kick to a leading forward, knows how to correctly weight a kick to a lead and can find targets under pressure.

Athletically is what lets him down a bit. He has below average pace and it can cause him issues at times. He lacks core strength and needs a lot of work on building up and conditioning for AFL football.

Does he have enough tricks to be an outside player at AFL level? That is the main question. There is a bit of James Aish about him in the way he moves and his lack of pace.

Draft Range: Rookie

If Finn is to be drafted, it will be as a rookie, where clubs will hope to improve him physically to go with his impressive football iq.