Podcast Ep. 6.64 - THE DRAFT: Vic Country Pt. 1 - Thursday 8pm

[Macca19]

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

Sam Walsh
Toby Bedford
Xavier Duursma
Laitham Vandermeer
Zac Foot
Thomas Berry
Sam Fletcher
Mitch Riordan
Oscar Brownless
Hudson Garoni
Riley Bowman

Ask any questions here!

 

[Schulzenfest]

Are there not enough real players in this draft pool to discuss, and is that why you're reviewing people with clearly made up names like 'Laithlin Vandermeer' and 'Hudson Garoni'?

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Are there not enough players in this draft pool to discuss, and is that why you're reviewing people with clearly made up names like 'Laithlin Vandermeer' and 'Hudson Garoni'?

Macca is taking names off Mad as Hell now.

 

[Andre]

Are there not enough players in this draft pool to discuss, and is that why you're reviewing people with clearly made up names like 'Laithlin Vandermeer' and 'Hudson Garoni'?

Art Vandelay is in part 2 I assume.

 

[DaTBird187]

Oooo can I play?

Mango Featherduster
Max Powerless
Jack Swimtits

 

[Jonts]

Interested on your thoughts on Brownless, there's some debate on his role at AFL level

 

[Nelson051]

Loving your work guys keep it up!

Magic Ball Time:

8 years into the future Ollie is about 32 years old and is starting to regress and we decide to change captains

This draft class will be 26 years old and coming into there peak. With 3 picks in the first round as we currently sit. I would think one of these players would take over as our next captain!

So who do you believe has the best leadership qualities in the first round and who if we draft do you think will be a perfect fit to be captain of our club?

 

[benblinkau]

Gatorade or H2O?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Macca19]

SAM WALSH

183 / 74 / RF

Clubs: Geelong / Vic Country

Positions: Out/In Midfield

Stats:

Sam has been the standout midfielder in the TAC Cup competition for 2 seasons now. He had arguably the best bottom age season of all time in 2017, averaging 29 disposals, 4 tackles and 5 inside 50s to go with 20 disposals a game at the Champs. He backed that up with almost identical stats in 2018, but with a stronger performance at the Champs, picking up 29 disposals, 7 tackles and over 4 clearances a game to be named the Larke Medallist.

Gamestyle:

Sam is an explosive midfielder who excels outside the pack where he can burst away and use his running power to his teams advantage. He is capable of playing close to the pack where his ability to follow the drop of the ball can be a standout. But, it is as a receiver where Sam is at his best. Playing as the 2nd or 3rd disposal away from a stoppage is where he dominates, receiving the ball and running off down field. He has these long strides and it doesn’t take long for him to run 15-20m before kicking further down the field. He is a natural ball magnet, has exceptional endurance and loves to follow up the play. Sam is the type of midfielder that likes to get involved multiple times in the same possession string. Sam’s skills can be a mixed bag. In space he can deliver bullet like passes into the forward line, whereas under pressure he is prone to rushing his disposal and delivering half volleys. He is confident on his left foot, but at this stage his confidence in his wrong side outweighs his ability to consistently hit targets with his wrong foot. Sam has developed his inside ability well over the course over the last 12 months where he now looks comfortable playing as a stoppage midfielder. His ability to get first possession whilst also being able to break free from tackles makes him a great prospect.

At 186cm, Sam is a good size for an outside midfielder. He is well built already, can stand up in tackles and has quite a strong core. It is his running power where he excels, almost always in perpetual motion, stalking the packs waiting for the ball to break free for him to run onto. He is quick, is capable of repeat sprinting all day and at under 18 level is very hard to stop. His running ability will give him a good head start at AFL level.

Sam is the best midfielder in this draft. His blend of athleticism, sheer pace and football nous makes him a tantalising proposition at the highest level. Sam will be able to play from round 1/year 1 on a list and would be my early lock for the rising star next year. Just how far can he go at AFL level? He will be at All Australian level within 5 years and will stay at an elite level for most of his career.

Draft Range: 1-2

Sam has all the tools to become a damaging AFL player and every team would want him in their squad next year. He looks like being drafted as the first pick this year and is a very worthy pick 1. There is nothing more he could have done and is the best midfielder on talent and potential drafted in the last 5 years.

 

[Macca19]

TOBY BEDFORD

176 / 65 / RF

Clubs: Dandenong / Vic Country / Melbourne NGA

Positions: Small Midfielder, Small Forward

Stats:

Toby had a solid year for Dandenong in the TAC Cup, averaging 13 disposals and 5 tackles a game in their premiership winning team. He played all 4 games for Vic Country at the Championships, averaging 12 disposals and 7 tackles a game, but failed to kick a goal.

Gamestyle:

Toby is a quick, agile small who can play on ball or up forward. He is one of the most exciting athletes in this years draft pool, possessing electrifying speed and an ability to weave his way through traffic.

Physically Toby has all the tools to make it as a small forward at AFL level. He has great turn of pace, can zip his way around players with ease and loves to take the game on. He’ll try and find a way past 2 or 3 opponents before somehow finding space and using the ball. It is that athletic side of his game that is the catalyst for the rest of his game. His defensive pressure is very good, he is a manic chaser and a good tackler despite his size. He never seems overly far away and can pounce on either the ball or an opponent in the click of the fingers.

The football side is where things need to catch up. He’s not the most skilful player going around, although he holds his own. He can make mistakes and his decision making can let him down quite often. He needs to find a way to impact the scoreboard more. He will be earmarked for a role inside 50 with his pace and defensive pressure, but he’ll need to show he can score more goals than he has in the past before he gets a chance there.

If the football side of his game catches up, then he has the tools to make it at AFL level.

Draft Range: 50-Rookie

There is a chance a bid may come late in the piece but it looks more likely that Bedford falls to the rookie draft, where Melbourne can select him for free.

 

[Macca19]

XAVIER DUURSMA

184 / 70 / RF

Clubs: Gippsland / Vic Country

Positions: In/Out Midfield

Stats:

Xavier has played TAC Cup football for the last three seasons, culminating in an excellent year in 2018 averaging 23 disposals, 5 tackles and a goal a game for Gippsland. He was a little underwhelming at the Champs in comparison to that form, averaging 14 disposals and 2 inside 50s a game.

Gamestyle:

Xavier is a general midfielder with some explosive traits to go with good inside instincts. He is a hard runner, has a lot of pace off the mark, but is still quite raw in terms of skills.

Physically he looks the package. He plays bigger and taller than he is, has a good frame and could become a super powerful midfielder in a few years time. He has a lot of burst speed to breakaway from stoppages, has good agility to evade tackles and will in time have the core strength to break through tackles.

The football side has promise, but still needs some work. He is a long right foot kick, but he is by no means a clean user of the ball. His kicking can be a real mixed bag. His kicking can range from perfect long kicks to the lead to short floaters that miss the target. He can get caught in blind kicking forward at times. His handballing skills are a highlight. He has quick hands and has a handball like a bullet. He has shown to be a ball magnet and is decent in front of goals as well.

There is a lot of development left in Xavier. He can be cleaner with the ball and with some more physical development, he has the potential to provide some genuine x-factor and power to an AFL midfield unit.

Draft Range: 10-30
Xavier could easily turn into a physical beast at AFL level. He has the frame to become a really big body in a midfield group. He has form at TAC Cup level but is he damaging enough? He can find plenty of the ball but his kicking really lets him down. It’s that which may see him fall into a potential late second round pick. Port might look at him with 10 or 15, the Crows at 13 and 16 will be keen and Geelong with 12 will consider him too. If he falls beyond those, then Melbourne at 23, Gold Coast at 24 and and 29 will look to him.

 

[Macca19]

LAITHAM VANDERMEER

180 / 76 / RF

Clubs: Murray / Vic Country

Positions: Outside Midfield, Back Flank

Stats:

Laitham played as an overager in the TAC Cup this year and shone for Murray, picking up an average of 21 disposals and 3 inside 50s a game. He was rewarded with 4 games for Vic Country, where he averaged 12 disposals – his output effected by breaking a collarbone early in the final match.

Gamestyle:

Laitham is a speedy line breaking midfielder with good endurance and nice foot skills. He shows good pace with the ball in hand and doesn’t mind taking the game on.

What he does best is receive across half back, have a run, deliver an effective pass to a team mate and keep running to provide an option down the ground. He is capable of zipping through traffic and is one of the better kicks in this years draft.

Whilst this all sounds great there are a couple of issues with his game. The first part is that he is very outside. He doesn’t have much of an inside game and does play almost solely as a receiver. He does rely on players feeding him the ball quite a bit. Whilst he does use the ball well and he does have impressive pace, there is an overriding sense that Laitham is a bit vanilla. He’s an entirely competent player but does he have enough standout attraibutes to make it at AFL level?

Draft Range: Late/Rookie

He’s a hard runner with good skills and good endurance. Whilst a bit vanilla, he has the traits to get himself on an AFL list. If it is going to happen this year, it will be most likely on the rookie list.

 

[Macca19]

ZAC FOOT

180 / 71 / RF

Clubs: Dandenong / Vic Country

Positions: Outside Midfield, Forward Flank

Stats:

Zac had a consistent season for Dandenong, kicking 16 goals in 14 matches and averaging 14 disposals and 3.5 inside 50s a game. His early season form was rewarded with 4 matches for Vic Country at the Championships, where he played mostly on a wing and picked up 11 disposals and 3 tackles a game.

Gamestyle:

Zac is a lively small forward who can play as an outside midfielder as well. He has good agility, has good pace and can kick a goal.

At his best he is an athletic midfield receiver who doesn’t mind going in and getting his own ball as well. He shows good pace away from a pack and generally has a good kick going inside 50. When up forward he shows good goal sense, is capable of kicking goals under pressure but is also capable of setting up others with clever short kicks.

He can be inconsistent and his skills can let him down on occasion. He is prone to clangers and just needs to learn to settle before moving on the ball. It looks like the rest of his body needs to catch up to his brain at times.

He is an interesting player. If he can improve his decision making and his skill execution then there is a neat AFL player there in the making. Whether he can do that is another question.

Draft Range: 40-60

Zac has some good athletic traits and plenty of potential. If he can put it all together there is an AFL player in there. He comes with some big question marks though. Third round onwards is his range.

 

[Macca19]

THOMAS BERRY

185 / 85 / RF

Clubs: GWV Rebels / Vic Country

Positions: Small Defender, Inside Mid, Defensive Forward

Stats:

Tom has played a multitude of roles throughout the year, but performed well at TAC Cup level averaging 20 disposals and 2 inside 50s a game. He was a solid role player at Champs level, picking up 11 disposals and 4 tackles a game.

Gamestyle:

Thomas is a tough small who is probably the best true utility in this draft pool. He can play anywhere on the park – whether its as a ball winning inside midfielder, a shutdown role on a small forward or as a goal kicking half forward.

Thomas looks best though as an inside midfielder. He is very good athletically, has great pace, good running power and is tough as nails. He’s good at performing an attacking role at stoppages, either in getting first possession of the ball or playing as that 2nd disposal away from the stoppage.

Defensively he is very good. His positioning is first class, he loves getting into a scrap and rarely loses one on one contests. His impressive pace makes him an ideal candidate to play on quicker small forwards and his strength means he can often out muscle his opponents as well.

His work up forward does need some work, but he is capable of playing that Boak type hard running high half forward role. Pushing into the midfield, then running back to be a marking option inside 50. The main thing that needs work though is his skills. Athletically he is great but when it comes to disposing of the ball, it’s where he lets himself down. He makes a lot of errors and just needs to think through his options more. Skill execution is also an issue where he chooses the right option but just misses the target.

If he can work on his skills then there is a sound AFL player here. Strong, gifted athletically and versatile, it’s a package that should see him get plenty of interest.

Draft Range: 35-Late

Whilst he has some impressive traits he looks like the type that on draft night you go “gee he went a bit late”. There might be a bit of Dylan Clarke in him in that regard. Teams will start to get interested around the late second/early third are but may fall later on in the draft.

 

[Macca19]

SAM FLETCHER

188 / 77 / RF

Clubs: Dandenong / Vic Country

Positions: Inside Mid

Stats:

Sam had a very consistent year for Dandenong in the TAC Cup, averaging nearly 24 disposals, 5 clearances and 7 tackles a game to be one of the premier inside midfielders in the competition. He played 3 games at the Championships, averaging 15 disposals and 8 tackles for Vic Country.

Gamestyle:

Sam is an inside midfielder who wins plenty of the ball, but needs to improve his outside game. He’s a player that excels at the stoppages. He is great at getting first possession, is clever when he does get the ball and is a one touch player. His handballing skills are elite and he just knows how to find the ball.

At the moment though Sam is very much just an inside player. He needs to find a way to spread better and find more of the ball around the ground. Whilst his hands are elite, his foot skills need improvement. He is inconsistent by foot, is prone to errors and can have trouble hitting players inside 50 on the lead.

He is by no means the finished article and should have plenty of development left in him. The core of what he does is alright, it’s just the finishing touches to his game which needs improvement. At 188 he’s a good size for an inside mid, but at the moment there is a bit of an Andrew Moore feel about him.

Draft Range: 40-Rookie

There will be plenty of teams who like his inside game and will hope that they can make him a more rounded player once in their system. He will start to come under consideration from the third round and may fall to the rookie draft, where he would provide great bang for your buck.

 

[Macca19]

MITCH RIORDAN

186 / 79 / RF

Clubs: Dandenong / Vic Country

Positions: In/Out Mid

Stats:

Mitch had an inconsistent year in 2018. He missed a number of games with injury and managed just the 8 matches across the TAC Cup and Championships. He averaged 14 disposals, 3 tackles and 3 inside 50s a game for Dandenong, whilst only managing a small role for Vic Country.

Gamestyle:

Mitch is a good sized midfielder who can play both inside and outside. He excels on the inside though where his natural ball winning ability comes to the fore.

He is a strong stoppage player, can one touch the ball and dish off creative handballs to those running past. He is a good size at 186cm and has good strength to stand up in tackles.

He does find a bit of outside ball but could do more. He’s not a big disposal winner and that is something he will need to improve. He is capable of playing a defensive role either through the midfield or on a back flank as well.

Draft Range: 50-Rookie

Whilst he has some good midfield traits and some impressive running power, it is likely that Mitch will fall later on in the draft, through the third round onwards.

 

[Macca19]

OSCAR BROWNLESS

186 / 76 / RF

Clubs: Geelong / Vic Country / Geelong FS

Positions: In/Out Midfield, Forward Flank

Stats:

Oscar had a good year for Geelong at TAC Cup level, averaging 19 disposals and 4 clearances a game as a first string midfielder. He was solid in the Champs, picking up 15 disposals and 4 tackles a game.

Gamestyle:

Oscar is a big bodied midfielder who can play both inside and outside, whilst also performing a role up forward. He has good size, has good evasive skills but has some negative traits to his game.

The best part of his game is his ability to win the ball in the midfield and keep out of trouble. He is consistent in his ability to win the ball and find it both inside and out. He works hard across the ground to spread and provide an option out wide, but can be a little safe and ‘sideways’ in his disposal in such instances. It’s inside where he looks good. He can weave out of trouble, can sell candy as good as anyone and can stand up in tackles. He is a hunter and puts his head over the ball. He isn’t afraid to cop physical pressure to win the ball.

What does let him down is his disposal. It can be sloppy when coming out of the midfield looking inside 50. When under pressure he can miss targets. His kicks tend to fall short of their intended target fairly regularly. To go with that, he lacks pace. He looks sluggish out on the field and whilst he can run all day, he lacks the speed to be able to keep ahead of an opponent.

With some physical refinement and the ability to hone his skills in an AFL environment, there is a potential AFL player there. But, there is much work to be done!

Draft Range: 40-Late

There are signs that Oscar could become a decent AFL player and a bid should come for him at some point, even just to keep Geelong to account. It won’t come early though and looks like being more of a mid-late third onwards. Geelong will no doubt match a bid for him.

 

[Macca19]

HUDSON GARONI

195 / 91 / RF

Clubs: Murray / Vic Country

Positions: Key Forward

Stats:

Hudson was a star at TAC Cup level in 2018, kicking 38 goals in 15 games and averaging nearly 7 marks a game. He was inconsistent at the Champs, but ended up with 4 goals in 3 games and averaging 7 disposals and 3 marks a game.

Gamestyle:

Hudson is a big key forward who is a strong mark and kicks plenty of goals. At 195cm and 91kg he’s a well built kid who’s often been bigger and stronger than his opponents.

His marking is one highlight of his game. He is a decent mark in front of his eyes and he can take a good contested mark. His use of his body has been good at underage level. In front of the sticks he is a reliable, accurate kick and has a good set shot action.

The big question with Hudson is just how much development he has left in him. He’s well built already, isn’t overly quick and has relied on out marking smaller, lighter opponents at TAC Cup level. There will be some that question whether he is just another man child who won’t get the same luxury at AFL level as what he has had in his junior career.

Draft Range: Late/Rookie

Whilst he was a high output player at junior level, he won’t be afforded the luxury of being bigger and stronger than his peers once he hits AFL level. There are some large question marks over his game which will see him drop late in the draft or more likely as a rookie selection.

 

[Macca19]

RILEY BOWMAN

198 / 85 / RF

Clubs: Dandenong / Vic Country

Positions: Ruck, Resting Forward

Stats:

Riley had a good year for Danenong, kicking 15 goals from 14 games and averaging 12 disposals and 17 hitouts a game. His form for Vic Country was ok, averaging 9 disposals and 20 hitouts.

Gamestyle:

Riley is a strong ruckman who uses excellent positioning to win hitouts. He is a ‘modern’ size at 198, is capable of playing up forward and can kick goals.

Riley’s positioning is elite out of the ruckmen in this draft. He is smart, knows how to outbody his opponents fairly and has a good hitout to advantage ratio. There is a bit of Primus in how he plays. He isn’t overly athletic, doesn’t have a big leap, isn’t quick but he knows how to get in front and direct taps to his teammates.

Up forward he provides a solid target. He can take a good mark, has strong hands and is an accurate kick for goal. He can kick multiple goals and be a match winner up forward.

As mentioned he does struggle physically. He doesn’t have a lot of pace and when the ball hits the ground he is often out of the contest.

If he can improve his athleticism under an AFL program then he could become a competent ruck at AFL level. He will need to find some extra leap to be able to match it with more athletic AFL ruckmen.

Draft Range: 40-Rookie

It’s hard to see where he fits in this draft given the lack of ruckmen in the draft pool. He could go through the third round but it wouldn’t surprise at all if he drops to the rookie draft.