Footy Tragic's 2012 Phantom Draft

[KING-JAMES]

Great write up by Kristian Pisano. Obviously a lot of effort put into this!

PICK 1 – GWS: LACHIE WHITFIELD
Height: 184cm, Weight: 77kg, DOB: 18/7/1994
Recruited from: Dandenong Stingrays
It’s fairly unanimous now that everyone agrees Lachie Whitfield will be the number one pick.
He made his name last year when he made the All-Australian side in the National Champs just before he turned 17, averaging 21 disposals and being one of Vic Country’s better players alongside Brad Crouch, Taylor Adams, Clay Smith, Matthew Buntine and Devon Smith.
This season he just consolidated and won the Larke Medal for the best player in the National Championships.
He was excellent, mostly playing from half forward and working up, but he was just a step ahead of everyone else and did as he wished. Here’s a breakdown of what he did;
Game 1: Did not play.
Game 2: 19 kicks, 8 handballs, 27 disposals, 85% efficiency, 10 marks, 3 tackles, 3 goals.
Game 3: 18 kicks, 9 handballs, 27 disposals, 74% efficiency, 6 marks, 4 tackles, 3 goals.
Game 4: 9 kicks, 4 handballs, 13 disposals, 31% efficiency, 4 behinds.
Game 5: 17 kicks, 9 handballs, 26 disposals, 69% efficiency, 10 clearances, 10 inside 50’s, 2 goals.
Game 4 was his worst performance by far. Credit goes to Vic Metro’s Tom Temay, who was all over him.
In the TAC Cup it was much the same. It almost seemed like he cruised through the year but he still managed to average 16 kicks, 9 handballs, 25 disposals, 6 marks, 4 tackles and a goal a game from his 8 matches.
At the Combine, he was sick, so his poor sprint times must be ignored. He came last and almost last in all of them and didn’t do the endurance testing.
One thing that did stick out though, and this is more a laugh than anything else serious, is he had the smallest hands at the Combine. All I could think about was Stephen A. Smith’s rant about the Pau Gasol and Kwame Brown trade some years ago. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s the link;
Hope you had a laugh. Back to Whitfield; Last year he ran a monstrous beep test (it was 16+), but he is an endurance machine. His pace isn’t extreme, but like the very elite midfielders in the competition in Gary Ablett and Trent Cotchin, he has a very short burst that enables him to get away quickly.
Whitfield is mostly an outside midfielder. He isn’t really one to bash and crash, but what he does do is read the play off the packs and ruck duals which is the way he wins his clearances. Often you’ll see a scrimmage and then find Whitfield coming out with it the other way and you think ‘how’. He more so glides through the pack rather than bustles, if that makes any sense.
He’s also a left footer, but one of those rare ones that is very capable on his right side. He isn’t the longest kick in the draft, but he does get nice penetration and his kicking less than 40m is pretty pin point.
What he’s shown this season is his versatility, playing mostly up forward but still winning lots of the footy and kicking goals. Up forward he has excellent goal sense and is a pretty good mark overhead for his size.
I think he’ll start next season up forward for GWS, much similar to how Stephen Coniglio started, and then will slowly be pushed up into the midfield.



PICK 2 – GWS: TROY MENZEL
Height: 187cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 22/9/1994
Recruited from: Central Districts/Golden Grove
Where Troy Menzel will fall will be fascinating. At this stage it looks like he won’t get past the Western Bulldogs, but now it’s looking pretty likely that he’ll go top 3.
Troy did his knee when he was 16 and controversially seemed to have been given some very poor advice and went down the track of LARS surgery.
As we know LARS is a quicker fix and isn’t quite as effective as the standard knee reconstruction.
It seems he’s gone on to play unaffected since but then he had groin issues during this year’s National Champs and missed the rest of those but then came back and played very solidly for Central Districts until he tweaked his knee late in the season.
It’s unfair to put him in the ‘injury prone’ basket yet, but you can’t help and look at his brother Daniel at Geelong and draw some type of conclusions.
I won’t harp on about that, because I’m not a doctor, but the good thing is, is that’s he’s a bloody good footballer!
He’s a left footed midfielder who played a lot of forward in the SANFL, but where I see him most suited is how Steve Johnson played this season.
Menzel is so creative through the middle and his kicking is precise, but he is an absolute magician around the goals, displaying that in the National Champs where he kicked 15 goals and 1 behind in his only two games.
He is pretty quick, not elite, but quick and his endurance seems to be pretty good.
He played 8 games in the SANFL and averaged 8 kicks, 4 handballs, 12 disposals, 4 marks, 1 tackle and just under 2 goals a game playing around half forward.
He’s just a very smart footballer, and a left footed Steve Johnson isn’t the worst comparison.
GWS would be taking a massive risk here, admittedly, but they’ve got so much talent already, I think they can afford to be a bit cheeky here as this could massively pay off.




PICK 3 – GWS: LACHIE PLOWMAN
Height: 192cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 11/9/1994
Recruited from: Calder Cannons
First of all, I think this is a massive, massive reach, but the word is that GWS will pull the trigger here.
It’s not a slight on Plowman, but it’s just the type of player he is, and what he’ll become, is not why I’m not sold he’s worth a top three draft pick considering who’s still on the board.
Plowman suffered an elbow injury which saw him miss the National Championships and quite a lot of the TAC Cup where he only played six games this season.
From those games he averaged 15 possessions, 3 marks and 3 tackles with 80% disposal efficiency.
What Plowman is, and what I see him as, is a third tall defender. He’s not too dissimilar to Andrew Mackie with the way he reads the play and isn’t afraid to go up for those third up grabs.
Plowman likes to run and create off the half back line, and I guess that’s really appealing to some people.
Personally, what I like to see from a rebounding defender is pace, and he doesn’t really have that. At the Combine he tested in the bottom 13% for all the sprint categories and in the bottom 22% for agility. In the endurance testing it was pretty acceptable though.
He really likes to take on the man when he’s running with the ball, but he does get caught a lot because he just doesn’t have the elite pace to break away.
What Plowman can do though, is kick. He’s got a very nice short kick on him and long kicks are quite penetrating.
If he were a bit taller he’d be the perfect size for a key defender, but his style of play doesn’t convince me that he is one. There’s talk he may even be able to push through the midfield in the future, but I haven’t seen anything with his ball winning ability to confirm that.
Long term I see him as a third up tall, in the mould of Andrew Mackie and Grant Birchall. Is it worth a top three pick? I don’t think so, but we’ll soon find out.



PICK 4 – MELBOURNE: JIMMY TOUMPAS
Height: 182cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 2/1/1994
Recruited from: Woodville West Torrens
Late mail suggests Greater Western Sydney are going to pass on Jimmy Toumpas, leaving Melbourne to strike and possibly sending Ollie Wines down the draft order, although I wouldn’t be surprised if Wines goes here and Toumpas goes to the Bulldogs.
In my opinion Jimmy is right up there neck and neck with Lachie Whitfield in number one status, so I’m really surprised to find out GWS are considering over looking him.
Jimmy had a hip operation soon after the National Champs so we didn’t get to see him finish out the year in the SANFL or test at the Combine but from his 5 senior games he averaged 10 kicks, 4 handballs, 14 disposals, 4 marks, 2 tackles, 2 clearances and kicked 7 goals and 3 behinds.
These are his National Championship stats;
Game 1: 20 kicks, 15 handballs, 35 disposals, 10 marks, 1 goal.
Game 2: 5 kicks, 3 handballs, 8 disposals, 1 goal from ONLY 32% game time.
Game 3: Did not play.
Game 4: 15 kicks, 5 handballs, 20 disposals, 80% efficiency, 4 marks.
Game 5: 20 kicks, 6 handballs, 26 disposals, 92% EFFICIENCY, 9 marks, 5 tackles.
As you can see, Toumpas rarely wastes a disposal. His kicking style is so clean. Unfortunately game 1 didn’t have efficiency stats, but if Toumpas has 20 kicks in a game, at least 15 of those are hitting the direct target.
Unfortunately due to him not testing at the Combine, we didn’t get a definitive figure of just how good his endurance is, but I can tell you now, it’s amazing. There are not many midfielders that will go toe to toe with him for an entire match. This is the reason why he has very high ‘mark’ stats, because he doesn’t stop at one play, he’ll gut run to the next one and impact that.
Purely, Toumpas will be an outside midfielder. He’s so effective in that that role, that I don’t see why a club would try to mould him into something he’s not. He’s not an Ollie Wines or Jack Viney that just crack in and get the contested ball. Sometimes people often think it’s a slight on a player when they’re purely outside, but it’s not. Toumpas will prove to be an elite midfielder, just not your standard bulldozing one. He’s much like Andrew Gaff in some ways, and I reckon they’ll have a few awesome head to head battles in years to come.
Immediately, I can see Toumpas slotting into half back starting next season for whoever he plays for. He’s very versatile because of his endurance and ability to read the play and his precision ball use will be as asset for a club down back short term.
Toumpas’ speed is also very good. I think he was a bit hampered with that hip injury he’s been carrying through the season and we didn’t get to see his break away speed like he showed in the SANFL last season.
He got his hip operation out of the way nice and early, and from all reports he should be ready to start some type of modified program as soon as he’s drafted so from that end he seems to have come out OK.
He’s going to have a very fine career, and his leadership is second to none, so we might even have a future AFL captain on our hands here.
Melbourne desperately needs any type of midfield class they can get, and Toumpas is the perfect start.


PICK 5 – WESTERN BULLDOGS: JONATHAN O’ROURKE
Height: 184cm, Weight: 73kg, DOB: 21/4/1994
Recruited from: Calder Cannons
O’Rourke is the kind of player the Bulldogs desperately need. They need some class on the outside to compliment the likes of Tom Liberatore, Mitch Wallis, Clay Smith and Koby Stevens.
On draft night, if Jimmy Toumpas is still here, they’ll jump all over him and take O’Rourke with pick 6.
O’Rourke is another one of those players in this draft class that is more suited to the outside ball.
Like the others, he is an elite endurance runner, which was confirmed at the Combine. Pace-wise he’s around average, testing about 50% for the sprints, but endurance is his go.
He plays a very high efficiency game, using it well both by hand and foot, which showed in the TAC Cup where he used it at 70% and in the Champs at 76%.
O’Rourke is the perfect run and spread player to compliment the young inside midfielders of the Western Bulldogs who I mentioned earlier. He links up well, finds lots of space, and importantly uses it to advantage.
In the TAC Cup he averaged 23 disposals and in the Champs 19 disposals. It’s around his mark. If he’s ever going to push up to be a ball winner in the top echelon, he’ll need to improve his inside game, which I think will only improve with natural progression and a bigger body.
He’s also a great character, so any deficiencies in his game you know he’ll work on.



PICK 6 – WESTERN BULLDOGS: JAKE STRINGER
Height: 191cm, Weight: 94kg, DOB: 25/4/1994
Recruited from: Bendigo Pioneers
Jake is one of my favourite players in the draft and I think he’d be a very good fit for the Bulldogs at this pick.
Jake is monstrous kid, now standing at 191cm and 94kg. He plays through the middle and centre half forward.
As has been well documented, Stringer badly broke his leg last season. He was in some fine form, and was really looking like he could be a potential number one pick in this year’s draft in my opinion.
A year later, and it appears not a whole lot has changed, which is good. He’s come back and played some really good footy including some games in the VFL.
How’s this for a return from a broken leg? In his first TAC Cup game back, Stringer amassed 23 disposals (19 kicks), 11 marks (6 contested), and he kicked 9 goals and 6 behinds. In his second game back he got 20 disposals, 8 marks (5 contested) and kicked another bag of 4 goals and 6 behinds. And in the third game he collected 31 possessions and laid 5 tackles. He then went on to average 21 possessions, 5 marks (2 contested) and 3 goals overall for the TAC season, definitively announcing the return of a very gifted footballer.
His National Champs were disappointing. He played three games but didn’t really get near it until game five where he had 15 possessions, 4 clearances and 6 tackles from only 60% game time.
When you think of a kid his size you’d be excused to think athletically he isn’t that great, especially coming off a broken leg. It isn’t the case. Admittedly he’s not in the condition he was in last year, but if that’s the worst of his problems, he’s going OK.
At the Combine he didn’t test in the endurance categories, but his results in the sprints and jumps suggested he’s slowly getting it all back. In the running jump he was in the top 35%, standing jump in the top 45%, 5m sprint in the top 38% and the 10m sprint in the top 40%. Those numbers aren’t outstanding, but they’re a lot better than I thought they would’ve been and they will only improve once he continues to get strength back in his leg.
As a player, well, he’s a contested possession winning midfielder and key forward moulded into one. As a midfielder, I love him, but then again, any player who loves to get their hands dirty, throw their body around and win clearances has a soft spot in my heart. That’s Stringer. He’s not the cleanest midfielder; he’s not a Gary Ablett or Trent Cotchin that leaves a little fairy dust as they go on in and get the ball; but he just gets the job done. With a frame his size, you’d expect him to muscle around and just clear players out like a Mack truck, and that’s what he does.
I’ll be the first one out there to admit his disposal isn’t in the ‘A’ grade standard, but frankly I don’t care. It’s not terrible; in fact it’s not even that bad. He’ll kick long and get it out of harms way, but what he offers is contested ball winning ability, size, clearances, and defence. Again, someone as big as him, you could excuse for being a bit lacklustre defensively, but he’ll lay some crunching tackles don’t you worry.
Then, as a midfielder, he has the ability go forward, stay there, and change games. What he offers up forward is a presence that will play taller than what he is with his contested marking capabilities and ability to win a one on one battle.
Because he plays in the midfield, winning the footy is in his DNA, so he attracts so much attention in the forward 50. When the opportunity presents itself, he’s a little ‘hit and miss’ in front of goal.
The negatives about Stringer are the impact his broken leg will have long term, his disposal and the fact he is a very much a man child.
In this day and age, you’d think his leg will be managed professionally, and everything can only improve from there. He wasn’t ever at full fitness this year, and still isn’t, but you’re recruiting him for what he’ll do in the next 15 years, not in the next year.
The fact he’s dominated kids who clearly aren’t anywhere near his size doesn’t concern me. The important thing is that he dominated what he should have even at half fitness.
There are lots of people who don’t rate Stringer as high as me, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he fell come draft night, but he has the potential to be a very special player in the Matthew Pavlich mould who can change games on his own by his versatility and sheer strength.



PICK 7 – PORT ADELAIDE: JOSH SIMPSON
Height: 184cm, Weight: 73kg, DOB: 9/2/1994
Recruited from: East Fremantle
I was tossing up between Simpson and Grundy here, but I get the feeling Port will want a midfielder here instead of a ruckman.
The reason I’ve chosen Simpson is because Port Adelaide are very interested.
Simpson is quite familiar with South Australia. He moved there last year and went to school in Adelaide and even represented South Australia in the National Champs last season. This year he moved back to Western Australia, but from all reports it wasn’t because he was homesick, it was because he wanted to spend it with his family while he could.
Simpson is very similar to Lewis Jetta in some ways, in the fact he’s a wingman who’s very quick, impacts games with minimal possessions and goes forward and kicks goals.
He doesn’t win a whole lot of the footy, but he is a very good kick and he does know how kick a long ball.
When thinking about it, he’s almost the ideal replacement for Danyle Pearce, except he adds probably a bit more speed and endurance, coupled with the ability to go forward and really have an impact.
He played 12 games in the Colts this season, averaging 14 disposals and a goal a game.
This was his National Champs breakdown;
Game 1: Did not play.
Game 2: 13 kicks, 5 handballs, 18 disposals, 56% efficiency, 10 marks, 7 inside 50’s, 3 goals.
Game 3: 10 kicks, 5 handballs, 15 disposals, 53% efficiency, 5 inside 50’s.
Game 4: 3 kicks, 6 handballs, 9 disposals, 56% efficiency, 7 tackles, 1 goal.
Game 5: 5 kicks, 9 handballs, 14 disposals, 79% efficiency, 3 inside 50’s.
It’s pretty obvious to see he isn’t the greatest ball winner in the world. I think at AFL level this will only increase due to better players being around him.
It’s definitely not a lack of fitness or work rate. He’s a very hard worker on the field, and off the field, and it showed in his Draft Combine results.
He was in the top 14% for skin folds, top 30% for all the sprints, top 16% for agility, ran a 13.8 shuttle run, top 40% for VO2 max, top 27% for repeat sprints and top 35% for the 3km time trial.
He is a great athlete, and I think things like disposal counts which in turn lead to more scoreboard impact will come.



PICK 8 – BRISBANE: KRISTIAN JAKSCH
Height: 194cm, Weight: 83kg, DOB: 7/10/1994
Recruited from: Oakleigh Chargers
I’ve got KJ landing at Brisbane with pick 8, and this is based on what I’ve heard.
The Lions do have a need for another tall, and Jaksch appears to be the best available; well in Brisbane’s eyes anyway.
What will appeal to clubs is Jaksch’s versatility. He can productive at both ends of the ground, and until this season hadn’t really played up forward, but I still think he’ll make it as a key defender, with his ability to read the game and kick the ball.
Firstly, athletically, he’s about the standard for a player his size. He’s not Spencer White or Mason Wood, but he’s not terrible. He didn’t do any endurance tests at the Combine, but he did the sprints and jumps where he was in the top 47% for the standing vertical, top 16% for the running jump, top 44% for the 5m sprint, bottom 38% for the 10m sprint and bottom 40% for the 20m sprint.
His best game of the season was in the National Champs where he kicked 6 goals against Tasmania up forward. He really cut them up, also taking 10 marks, 5 of those contested. Apart from that he didn’t do much else in the Champs, having playing roles a bit all over the ground.
From his 12 games in the TAC Cup he averaged 15 disposals and 5 marks and kicked 16 goals.
I worry about his production when he’s up forward, as he doesn’t strike me as the type of player to really take a game by the scruff of the neck and kick a bag of goals (obviously apart from one that one game against Tasmania).
His kicking is very good for a bloke his size. He kicked it at 70% in the TAC Cup this season. This is why I like him in defence. You want your best ball users behind the ball, so having Jaksch back there isn’t a liability as it would for say some other guys.
As I mentioned before, he does read the play very well and he can take a nice grab. One thing though, and it’s picky, is that sometimes he has this habit of dropping his head when under the ball. It’s not a question of bravery, but it just seems like a technical issue in his marking which I’m sure will be rectified at an AFL club quite easily. As a result of that, he can take his eyes off the ball and sometimes taking a two-grab mark or drop it, when in fact he’s normally quite a nice clean mark.
Overall he’s a solid prospect. I’m not totally sold, but out of the talls, he does seem like the one that is the most natural when it comes to football ability. I do feel this is a bit of a reach, as there are some decent midfielders on the board, but since there is a distinct lack of talls in the draft this year, if you want the highly rated ones, you’re going to have to pull the trigger early.
I’ll be interested to see where the club who he’s drafted to want to develop him, but for me, he’s a defender all the way.



PICK 9 – RICHMOND: OLIVER WINES
Height: 188cm, Weight: 90kg, DOB: 7/10/1994
Recruited from: Bendigo Pioneers
So Wines ends up at pick 9. I must admit, I even surprised myself at this, but just working through my predicted lists of each club and little bits that I’ve heard through the grapevine, there is every chance Wines or someone else who isn’t expected to will slip through. There is every chance Wines will be taken ahead of Toumpas by Melbourne, but if they don’t this is every possibility. If not, it was Nick Vlastuin at this pick.
If he’s available at pick 9, I think Richmond will eat him up. The lookout is for an inside midfielder and Wines is one of the very best in the draft.
His most recent measurements at the Combine had him at 188cm and 90kg. This isn’t a kid, he’s a man already.
I mentioned during the week that he’s as AFL ready as Dustin Martin was in 2010. He’s on that level.
Ollie Wines is just a clearance, contested and tackling beast. Everything Richmond is after is right here. He played a fabulous 10 games for Bendigo this year, averaging 25 possessions, 5 marks and a brilliant 8 tackles. To put it in perspective, Andrew Swallow led the AFL with 7 tackles a game in 2012. He used the ball at 64%, but you have to factor in the amount of possessions of his are contested.
At the National Champs, nothing changed. He averaged 25 possessions again (53% of those contested), at 63% efficiency, with 5 marks, 4 clearances, 4 inside 50’s and 5 tackles a game.
His consistency was remarkable right through the season. Including the Champs, he only fell under 20 disposals twice (from 14 games) and 4 games over 30 possessions.
My absolute favourite Ollie Wines game all season, was when he carved Queensland up, collecting 31 possessions (17 contested), at 81% efficiency, with 6 marks, 5 clearances, 7 inside 50’s and 5 tackles. That was an inside midfielder’s game right out of the scrap book. They are Ryan O’Keefe Finals 2012 numbers.
At the Combine he tested very well. The standout for me was the 14.3 shuttle run in hot conditions and the VO2 max sitting in the top 10%. He was also top 23% in the 3km time trial. In the sprints he sat at about the bottom 40% mark, but you can’t have everything. The fact he is capable of elite endurance, at his size, is excellent.
Skills wise aren’t where he stands out, but it’s more the fact it’s not a strength of his more than it is a weakness. His foot skills are, say, on par with Josh Kennedy, and heck, if you want to compare the two players you probably wouldn’t be too far off.
What you’re getting with Wines is a competitive beast, much in a similar mould to Nick Vlastuin. He’ll become a very good inside midfielder at AFL level, I have no doubt. You just can’t go past his size. It’s incredible for someone who’s just turned 18 years old.
On draft night, if Jimmy Toumpas is passed up by GWS, I can see Melbourne taking Toumpas instead, leaving Wines a possible option for Port Adelaide and that’s about it. I could be way off the mark, but that’s my reading of it anyway.




PICK 10 – ESSENDON: JOE DANIHER (FATHER-SON)
Height: 201cm, Weight: 89kg, DOB: 4/3/1994
Recruited from: Calder Cannons
As has been widely noted, the Bombers get an absolute steal here. Joe Daniher is my number one in this draft by quite a long way, and if he remains injury free he’ll take the competition by storm.
He’s a tall (really tall) forward that is capable of playing through the ruck, but I think up forward is where he’ll play his best footy.
He played 7 games for the Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup this season, kicking 18 goals, and averaging 16 disposals and 9 marks (2.3 contested).
He only played 2 games in the Champs and it was game 5 where he announced himself on TV, with 16 disposals, 11 marks (7 contested) and 4 goals. He really should’ve kicked 10, but his kicking was wayward.
There really isn’t much else to say with Daniher. He’s a lovely, long left foot kick, even though his conversion doesn’t always tell the true tale, but he is 201cm tall and the ball does have to travel a long way down to the boot.
It’s hard to see him not becoming one of the premier tall forwards in the game really quickly, so Essendon are truly blessed.

 

[KING-JAMES]

PICK 11 – CARLTON: SAM MAYES
Height: 187cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 20/5/1994
Recruited from: North Adelaide
I have Mayes sliding a little and that’s through nothing other than what I predict the clubs orders to be in the top ten, because it seems the likes of Troy Menzel, Jake Stringer, Kristian Jaksch and Lachie Plowman will be taken early.
Like Lachie Whitfield, Sam Mayes stood out in last year’s National Championships as a 17 year old, where he made the All-Australian team.
He played 15 SANFL seniors games, averaging 8 kicks, 5 handballs, 13 disposals, 5 marks, 2 tackles, 2 clearances and he kicked 12 goals and 12 behinds and in his two U/18 games he had 21 and 26 disposals.
In those Champs he kicked 13 goals in his 5 games playing as half forward and rotating through the midfield to go with 15 possessions and 5 marks.
In the 2012 Champs, this was his breakdown;
Game 1: 18 kicks, 9 handballs, 27 disposals, 8 marks, 1 goal, 4 behinds.
Game 2: 10 kicks, 9 handballs, 19 disposals, 68% efficiency, 7 marks.
Game 3: 7 kicks, 3 handballs, 10 disposals, 80% efficiency, 3 marks, 4 clearances.
Game 4: 9 kicks, 8 handballs, 17 disposals, 71% efficiency, 4 marks, 5 clearances, 2 goals.
Game 5: 11 kicks, 8 handballs, 19 disposals, 79% efficiency, 6 marks, 4 clearances, 1 goal.
He didn’t do any testing at the Combine, but his skin folds were outstanding, outlining his professionalism.
Mayes has already played lots of senior football for North Adelaide, and put in a very good finals series just recently.
As a player, Mayes is a very smooth-moving half forward that is capable of going through the midfield.
He is definitely one of the best field kicks in the draft, and his set shot kicking especially is outstanding.
On the lead he’s hard to stop. He’s a very good mark overhead and does have good speed to get separation on his opponent.
The query on Mayes is if he will become a full time midfielder in the AFL and does he have that ball winning capacity.
I don’t think he’ll ever be a 30 possession player, but 20 Mayes possessions are just as good. He’s a little like Shaun Burgoyne in that regard. Not a player comparison, but more so ‘quality per possession’.
On draft night he has the scope to even go top three, so I wouldn’t be surprised.

PICK 12 – GWS: BRODIE GRUNDY
Height: 202cm, Weight: 100kg, DOB: 15/4/1994
Recruited from: Sturt
This is the bargain of the draft right here. Arguably a top three talent but it’s becoming an increasing trend where drafting a ruck with an early pick is unfashionable.
You can see the reasoning behind it, when you look at a team like Richmond who needed a ruck, they just went out and traded for one in Ivan Maric, or Geelong this year with Hamish McIntosh.
No matter which way you put it though, every club in the top ten who is in need of a ruck is crazy to overlook Brodie Grundy.
Grundy comes from a basketball background, and is a late comer to the game of AFL, but has taken to it like a duck to water.
He’s already an incredible size for an 18 year old, which enables him to really make a mockery of the other rucks in this draft class.
His height, agility, and competiveness really make him the complete package and its little wonder why he’s rated as one of the best ruckman to come out of the draft in recent years.
Athletically, he’s no Nic Naitanui, but he’s more like a Dean Cox style ruckman where he becomes another midfielder after the initial ruck tap.
Up forward he’s also dangerous. His contested marking is a feature, and because of his immense size, he’s kicked some bags of goals already.
He didn’t do any endurance testing at the Combine, but I’d say for a ruckman that it is nothing to worry about. He links up well, spreads and gets to every contest he needs to.
Again, he was another player that made the All Australian side as a 17 year old last season in the National Champs where he went up against Billy Longer. He averaged 10 disposals and 24 hitouts from his 5 games.
This is a breakdown of his Champs this season;
Game 1: 9 kicks, 11 handballs, 20 disposals, 4 marks, 26 hitouts, 3 goals.
Game 2: 9 kicks, 8 handballs, 17 disposals, 4 marks (3 contested), 36 hitouts.
Game 3: 11 kicks, 2 handballs, 13 diposals, 14 hitouts, 4 clearances, 3 goals.
Game 4: 8 kicks, 5 handballs, 13 disposals, 5 marks, 25 hitouts.
Game 5: 9 kicks, 3 handballs, 12 disposals, 7 marks, 20 hitouts, 3 goals.
Grundy also played a lot in the SANFL.
He played 8 seniors games, averaging 2.8 kicks, 3.6 handballs, 6.4 disposals, 1.4 marks, 1.6 tackles, 1.1 clearances, and 12.9 hit outs.
He also played 5 reserves games, averaging 6.6 kicks, 2.8 handballs, 9.4 disposals, 2 marks, 1.2 tackles, 2.2 clearances, 25 hit outs and kicked 1 goal and 2 behinds.
In his two U/18 games he produced one of the best games you’ll ever see with 33 disposals, 10 marks, 49 hit outs, and 5 goals and 2 behinds. The other one was the Grand Final where he got it 18 times, with 6 marks, 38 hit outs and kicked 2 goals and 1 behind.
He is by so far the best ruckman in this draft that it isn’t funny.

PICK 13 – GOLD COAST: TAYLOR GARNER
Height: 187cm, Weight: 77kg, DOB: 8/1/1994
Recruited from: Dandenong Stingrays
There’s some talk that Garner may go as high as Richmond’s pick 9, but won’t go past Sydney’s pick 23. Gold Coast is particularly keen on Garner if Simpson isn’t available and they also like Aidan Corr who’s a big chance to land here.
I feel Gold Coast, like GWS, are in the position to get a bit exotic. Garner isn’t exactly that, but he’s just undergone a shoulder reconstruction after dislocating it about 6 times during the National Championships. He showed great courage to keep on getting back, and having shoulder troubles myself, it isn’t fun!
Garner doesn’t come with a lot of exposed form. This was his first season in the TAC Cup, playing 8 games before injury, and he played 4 games in the Nation Champs.
He’s shown enough though to suggest he’ll be a very fine player if he can get over the shoulder issues.
He’s a medium half forward who is pretty mercurial and has a very nice overhead mark for his size.
He averaged 14 disposals, 5 marks (1.5 contested) and kicked 14 goals in his 8 games in the TAC Cup.
The game in which he really announced himself was in game 3 of the National Champs where he had arguably the best performance of anyone during the entire carnival. His stat line was 12 kicks, 8 handballs, 20 disposals (14 contested), 75% efficiency, 8 marks (3 contested), 6 hit outs (yep), 6 tackles and 3 goals.
He was amazing that day, showing he could do it all. He’s not your typical half forward, and that’s why some liken him to Nathan Fyfe, but I think he’s a much better kick than Fyfe. I think he’ll end up a midfielder, and with all the bells and whistles he has, I think he’ll become an inside midfielder with all the tricks others don’t.
He has the talent to be a really special player; it’s just a matter of whether that shoulder will let him.

PICK 14 – GWS: AIDAN CORR
Height: 195cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 17/5/1994
Recruited from: Northern Knights
Corr’s a big chance to land at Gold Coast with pick 13 too.
He’s really bulked up lately, because last time I checked he was at 80kg.
Corr’s a key defender, but more an attacking one who would ideally be the third one up instead of taking a key post.
He played a lot up the ground for the Knights as well, even going up to the wing at stages.
His kicking is a highlight for a guy his size.
Athletically, he’s one of the best talls in the draft.
He tested top 8% in the 5m sprint, top 3% in the 10m sprint and top 6% in the 20m sprint. He was also top 31% in agility and he ran a 12.7 shuttle run.

PICK 15 – NORTH MELBOURNE: JACKSON MACRAE
Height: 189cm, Weight: 76kg, DOB: 3/8/1994
Recruited from: Oakleigh Chargers
I have Macrae slipping which some might see as a surprise, but before, say, the National Champs, he wasn’t considered an elite prospect.
Having said all that, his National Champs were very, very good. His stand out game, like Jaksch, was when Vic Metro trounced Tasmania. He collected 22 disposals (15 kicks) at 82% efficiency, 7 marks and he kicked 6 goals.
He went to get some handy numbers throughout the carnival and he used the ball effectively.
In the TAC Cup, his output was much the same. He averaged 22 disposals from his 12 games, at 77% efficiency, with 5 marks and a goal a game.
His TAC Cup Grand Final had everyone talking, when he scored the winning point and got handed the TAC Medal for the best player on the ground with 26 disposals at 77% efficiency.
Macrae is a left footed midfielder. At the moment he is very much outside, but he has a nice frame and should fill out. I’ve seen some comparisons likening him to Scott Pendlebury. In some aspects I can see it. Macrae has time when he gets the footy. He’s one of those players where time seems to stop, because he doesn’t rush, has a very nice sidestep and his agility is very good. At the AFL Combine this got confirmed, where he ranked in the top 20% for agility, top 6% for the 5m sprint, top 7% for the 10m sprint and top 24% for the 20m sprint. It’s the very quick initial few steps that see him get out of trouble very easily, and as a result he’s able to find team mates by hand, as confirmed by his 89% handball efficiency.
In regards to his kicking; he’s neat. It’s not elite, and he doesn’t really have much penetration because his kicking style is slightly awkward. Anything around the 30m to 40m you can expect him to spot someone up OK, but I haven’t seen anything to suggest he can kick it much further than that. That all comes with conditioning and he’ll be able to increase his power at an AFL club, and I’d suspect his kicking style will get tweaked as well.
I don’t see him ever becoming an inside midfielder in the purest form, but that’s not to say he doesn’t crack in when he has to; he does. He’s just more suited to sitting around the pack and getting the ball fed to him, which I suspect will be his role in the AFL and where he’ll be most damaging.
The other aspect about Macrae which may see him slide is his endurance. He ran a 12.1 shuttle run, on a 30 degree day, so we’ll be a bit lenient there, but he was also in the bottom 6% for repeat sprints and bottom 23% for VO2 max.
For a midfielder those figures are slightly worrying since clubs are so hell bent on endurance these days, so it will be interesting to see if it affects him in the ranks.
I don’t think it will too much, as he’s still an outstanding talent that has some very good qualities that a lot of kids in this draft don’t. For a club to land him in the teens they’ll be pretty happy and I still wouldn’t rule him out for the top ten.

PICK 16 – GEELONG: NICK VLASTUIN
Height: 187cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 19/4/1994
Recruited from: Northern Knights
Vlastuin is another one of my favourites in the draft, and if Ollie Wines hadn’t have been available at Richmond’s pick 9, this is where I would have placed him.
For some reason, talking to a lot of people, they don’t regard him as a top ten pick. Obviously I don’t have him top ten in this draft, but if I were to do it ‘power rankings’ style, he’d most likely be in there. It’s almost like he’s ‘unfashionable’. Why? I have no idea.
Vlastuin is the closest thing to Luke Hodge I have seen coming through the junior ranks. The half-back Hodge, and the midfield Hodge.
It’s everything from his big size, excellent foot skills, manic attack on the ball and leadership qualities that remind me of Hodge. Hopefully he doesn’t have as many injury issues, although I think this is the reason why he isn’t talked about a bit more.
He’s been playing sore nearly all season, and as a result we didn’t get to see much midfield time from him in the National Champs, but he still made the All-Australian side. He consistently used the footy above 75% and cut off lots of attacks off half back, showcasing his ability to read the play and take intercepting marks in space or contested.
In the TAC Cup it was much the same, playing 10 games and averaging 18 disposals, 5 marks and 6 tackles at a healthy efficiency rate.
At his best, and fittest, Vlastuin is a legitimate inside midfielder. He craves the contested ball and you’ll struggle to find many players who go in harder at the footy (Steve Morris is a good example).
With his big size he’s able to position himself well and win those clearances with ease, and that will only translate into the AFL.
On the outside, he’s polish, which is why I rate him so high. He’s not the absolute best kick in the draft, but he’s up there. He’s very safe with short distance kicking and he has very good penetration on his long kicks, safely covering 50m.
Aerially he doesn’t have the biggest jump as he’s not really an athlete as such, but I really, really like his overheard marking. I think it will become a feature in his game at AFL level.
The reason he probably isn’t that ‘fashionable’ is because he’s not a pure athlete. He’s not overly quick and doesn’t have the spring in the air that some others have.
At the Combine he didn’t test for any of the jumps or sprints, but he ran a 13.2 shuttle run in 30 degree weather, and was in the top 40% in the 3km time trial. He clearly isn’t at his fittest, so the myth that he doesn’t have a tank is officially put to bed.
What Vlastuin is, is a natural footballer. I have no doubt he’ll become an AFL captain one day. He leads on the field by example, and supporters will love him because he gives his all at every contest.

PICK 17 – FREMANTLE: KAMDYN MCINTOSH
Height: 192cm, Weight: 85kg, DOB: 3/4/1994
Recruited from: Peel Thunder
I’ve got McIntosh here as a bolter, and that’s because I really like him, he’s local and Freo need a key defender.
He’s had a really underrated season, and in the last four games he made his debut in the WAFL seniors, not looking out of place at all.
He has a very good rebounding game, like Tom Clurey, and also an enormous tank.
He tested top 5% for the 3km time trial, top 3% for VO2 max, and ran a 14.8 shuttle run.
He can play a variety of positions and on a variety of players, but what I like is his ball use. It’s very, very good.

PICK 18 – COLLINGWOOD: BEN KENNEDY
Height: 174cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 3/3/1994
Recruited from: Glenelg
I actually wouldn’t be surprised if Kennedy was a big slider on Thursday night.
You could say Collingwood their Alan Didak replacement right here.
Kennedy has been putting in big games at U/18 level for two years now.
He is tiny, but effective. A left footed Devon Smith wouldn’t be too far off the mark. They’re very similar, smart players who like to hit the scoreboard.
He kicks the ball a long way for a guy his size. I remember one kick in game 5 of the Champs (I think), and it went about 65m along the wing.
He’s just a very clever player, and I don’t think his height will be an issue. He has a lot of weapons.
He played 4 SANFL seniors games, averaging 6 kicks, 4 handballs, 10 disposals, 2 marks, 2 tackles, 1 clearance and kicked 2 goals and 4 behinds.
He also played 4 reserves games, averaging 8 kicks, 7 handballs, 15 disposals, 3 marks, 1 tackle, 2 clearances and kick 4 goals and 2 behinds.
In his 2 U/18 games he had 26 and 29 disposals.
He didn’t do any testing at the Combine.

PICK 19 – COLLINGWOOD: TIM O’BRIEN
Height: 193cm, Weight: 80kg, DOB: 28/3/1994
Recruited from: Glenelg
O’Brien’s highly rated by a lot of South Australians.
His contested marking is a feature and he really provides a contest up around centre half forward consistently.
He is still very skinny, so he’ll need lots of work in the gym.
His kicking for goal is very good. I really like his technique; it’s nice and fluent.
At the Combine he tested very well in the sprints, but he’ll need to work on his endurance.
He played 11 SANFL reserves games, averaging 5 kicks, handballs, 9 disposals, 3 marks, 1 tackle and kicked 13 goals and 5 behinds.

PICK 20 – ADELAIDE: MASON WOOD
Height: 192cm, Weight: 80kg, DOB: 13/9/1993
Recruited from: Geelong Falcons
Adelaide are very keen here if they indeed get a pick.
Mason Wood comes into this draft as an over age player, having already spent a year in the TAC Cup system where he only managed to play three games for the Geelong Falcons in 2011. Since then, he’s had quite the growth spurt, and is now measuring up at 192cm.
Wood plays a lot half forward and through the wing, at times during the TAC season he played a bit through the key forward role.
Athletically he’s very gifted. At the Draft Combine he was top 12% in the 5m sprint, top 14% in the 10m sprint, and top 21% in the 20m sprint. In the agility he was in the top 8%, he ran a 13.3 shuttle run and he was top 18% in the 3km time trial.
His endurance isn’t spectacular, but it’s good and for this reason I like him up the field playing the sort of role Isaac Smith does for the Hawks off a wing.
Mason’s got a nice left foot kick on him. He is prone to spraying a few, and at the moment he is very left side dominant, so that is a definite concern as he won’t get that time and space at AFL level.
His marking and ability to go forward and impact the scoreboard is a feature of his game. He averaged a very impressive 2 contested marks a game and also kicked 23 goals from his 15 games.
It is very likely he is still growing and could end up around 194cm, but the style in which he plays doesn’t scream out to me as a key forward.
The talent is there, and there is obvious upside in a pick like this.

PICK 21 – COLLINGWOOD: DEAN TOWERS
Height: 190cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 4/5/1990
Recruited from: North Ballarat
Dean Towers is ready to go, and I think he’ll fall early.
He tested elite for speed and leaping at the Combine, which confirms what he’s shown us at VFL level.
There is a bit of a knock on his kicking though.
I think he’s an ideal replacement for Leon Davis, as it’s pretty obvious Collingwood missed him this season.

PICK 22 – WESTERN BULLDOGS: SAM COLQUHOUN
Height: 180cm, Weight: 73kg, DOB: 20/12/1994
Recruited from: Central Districts
Colquhoun impressed in the National Championships, displaying his ability to read the play, use the ball precisely and run and carry.
The Bulldogs could really use him to replace Robert Murphy in the future, as his ideal position is off half back.
He didn’t test at the Combine, but I’d suspect his engine is very good. He’s not exactly quick but he’s not slow.
He really stood up in the finals series for Central Districts reserves on the wing where he averaged 26 possessions.

PICK 23 – SYDNEY: DAYLE GARLETT
Height: 180cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 9/1/1994
Recruited from: Swan Districts
Garlett, on talent, is top 10 without doubt, but his Combine results were severely underwhelming.
I think the best thing for him is to go to somewhere like Sydney where there are no distractions, he’s far from home and he can just focus on his footy.
As a player he’s a left footed outside midfielder that is just a pure game breaker.
He can turn a game on its head quickly with his ability to run forward and use precision pass through the midfield.
He is extremely quick, although it didn’t show at the Combine which still leaves me scratching my head.
He’s not shy to take the game on, and he’ll confidently take several bounces down a wing or take someone on which will just bust open a zone.
He’s capable of becoming the Cyril Rioli and Lewis Jetta mix, it’s just a matter of putting him in the right environment.

PICK 24 – BRISBANE: JESSE LONERGAN
Height: 182cm, Weight: 91kg, DOB: 14/11/1994
Recruited from: Launceston
A semi-slide for Lonergan, and that’s because of exposed form. To be honest I haven’t seen a whole lot of him.
He didn’t particularly have a good Champs, and that was due to injury troubles.
He is purely an inside midfielder that likes to handball mostly, but what he is, is an awesome size.
He isn’t the quickest bloke, testing in the bottom half for all of the sprints, but he was in the top 1% for agility. He also ran a 13.2 shuttle run and was top 48% in the 3km time trial.

PICK 25 – ST KILDA: TOM CLUREY
Height: 192cm, Weight: 85kg, DOB: 23/3/1994
Recruited from: Murray Bushrangers
The Saints desperately need a key defender here, and they’ll get one of Clurey or Tanner Smith you’d think.
Clurey tested amazingly at the Combine for endurance, running a 15.1 shuttle run, ranking #1 for VO2 max, top 2% in the 3km time trial, and at least top 41% in all of the sprints.
His rebounding game is very good and he uses the ball very well. The comparisons with Sam Fisher aren’t without merit.

PICK 26 – ST KILDA: NATHAN HROVAT
Height: 175cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 23/2/1994
Recruited from: Northern Knights
I think this is about Hrovat’s spot. Coming into the year, he wasn’t on the radar, but an outstanding TAC Cup season and National Carnival saw him shoot up the ranks.
He is very small but solidly built, so it doesn’t affect him too much.
At the Combine, he doesn’t particularly test all that well, but he is a super professional kid that will work to get it right.
In space his kicking seems fine. He has a nice technique and gets good penetration.
He plays mostly inside, so his efficiency stats are way down, and it’s something he’ll need to work on. He tends to rush a lot and the pressure will only increase at AFL level.
He averaged 27 disposals in the TAC Cup from his 8 games, never dropping under 20, although it was at 56% effectiveness.
His Champs were also fantastic, averaging 25 possessions at 70% efficiency, using the ball much better.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go a little earlier on Thursday night.

PICK 27 – MELBOURNE: JACK VINEY (FATHER SON)
Height: 178cm, Weight: 82kg, DOB: 13/4/1994
Recruited from: Casey Scorpions
I’m not going to harp on about Viney too much; we all know how good he is.
If he goes in the draft, I’d most likely have him in top five, so Melbourne get a massive bargain.
He’s a sensational inside midfielder that just goes at the contest harder than the next person, every single time.

PICK 28 – GWS: MATTHEW DICK
Height: 188cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 3/11/1994
Recruited from: Calder Cannons
Dick’s really risen this season (oh no, I went there), but in all seriousness he’s an outstanding talent.
I think he’ll be a very good half back flanker in the Shaun Atley mould but with better disposal.
At the Combine he was top 16% in the 5m sprint, top 2% in the 10m sprint, top 5% in the 20m sprint, ran a 13.5 shuttle run and was top 24% in repeat sprints.
He’s an incredible athlete with very good size, and outstanding skills.

PICK 29 – HAWTHORN: ADAM CARTER
Height: 180cm, Weight: 72kg, DOB: 17/4/1994
Recruited from: South Fremantle
Carter’s a bit of a bolter here. The Hawks need midfielders, because Hodge, Mitchell and Sewell are not getting any younger.
He actually reminds me a little of Sam Mitchell in a way. He’s very short, but he has outstanding skills and just burrows in and under and gets the footy.
He averaged 19 disposals in his 12 games at Colts level and 15 disposals at the Champs at 79% disposal efficiency.
His Combine was also excellent. He was top 35% in the 10m and 20m sprints, top 24% in agility, top 17% in the 3km time trial, top 22% in VO2 max and also ran a 14.1 shuttle run.
I can see him becoming a very good midfielder for a long time.

PICK 30 – PORT ADELAIDE: TIM BROOMHEAD
Height: 182cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 22/3/1994
Recruited from: Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide born, Port Adelaide drafted.
Broomhead is a really nice midfield talent, who has good speed and agility.
His endurance needs to be worked on, and that’s why he was playing a lot up half forward and through the midfield, but it doesn’t seem anything too alarming.
He played 10 SANFL seniors games, averaging 8 kicks, 4 handballs, 12 disposals, 3 marks, 1 tackle, 1 clearance, and kicked 9 goals and 8 behinds.
He also played 6 reserves games, averaging 14 kicks, 6 handballs, 20 disposals, 7 marks, 2 tackles, 2 clearances and kicked 7 goals and 4 behinds.
I really like his disposal. It seems to divide opinion, but I think in the AFL it will be one of his assets.

PICK 31 – PORT ADELAIDE: BRODIE MURDOCH
Height: 188cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 21/1/1994
Recruited from: Glenelg
Port Adelaide takes a second South Australian here in Brodie Murdoch, brother of Jordan.
He’s not too dissimilar from his brother either, playing high half forward with stints in the middle and can also play off half back.
He played 10 SANFL reserves games, averaging 8 kicks, 4 handballs, 12 disposals, 4 marks, 3 inside 50’s, 2 tackles, 1 clearance and kicked 2 goals and 4 behinds.
At the Combine he tested outstandingly for endurance.
He possesses a very nice left foot kick and has a nice leap on him too, so he can take a grab.
Did I mention he plays like his brother?

PICK 32 – RICHMOND: RORY ATKINS
Height: 186cm, Weight: 81kg, DOB: 12/7/1994
Recruited from: Calder Cannons
Atkins is mostly an outside midfielder who’s a very good disposer by hand and foot.
He played 13 games for Calder this season and averaged 20 disposals and 6 marks at 75% disposal efficiency off mostly a wing.
The way he plays actually reminds me very much of Kade Simpson with his left foot.
He isn’t the quickest player, which totally ruins that comparison, but his endurance is OK. He was in the top 37% in the 3km time trial and ran a 12.9 shuttle run in the hot conditions.

 

[KING-JAMES]

PICK 33 – BRISBANE: NICK GRAHAM
Height: 183cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 12/6/1994
Recruited from: Gippsland Power
It’s really hard to ignore Nick Graham’s TAC Cup season where he won the Morrish Medal (TAC Cup Best and Fairest).
He shone in the TAC Cup Grand Final, almost willing Gippsland over the line by himself with 3 goals and 25 possessions playing mostly off half forward and then pushing into the midfield.
Graham was consistent all season for Gippsland. He averaged 25 disposals (17 kicks), 5 marks, 6 tackles and 1.5 goals a game at 64% disposal efficiency. Only one time he got under 20 possessions.
Graham didn’t do any testing at the Combine, but he does seem to possess pretty good endurance. He isn’t quick by any means, but he isn’t a plodder either.
His ability to find the ball so much and so consistently means he reads the game really well, and that’s the best way I can sum him up; he’s just a natural footballer.
Overhead, for his height, he is very good. He does have a lot of strings to his bow, and even though he’s not the most dangerous kick of the ball; it’s by no means disastrous.
I can see him getting into the 20-30 range on Draft night, and that’s why I’ve put him here. He has the runs on the board, he works hard, and I think he’d make a really good fist of making it as an AFL player whether it be as an inside midfielder or even a half forward.
Because he has shown he can kick goals, win the ball a lot, and take a nice mark, it tells me he has lots of characteristics that make him versatile, and that’s what it’s all about at AFL level.

PICK 34 – RICHMOND: SAM LOWRIE
Height: 187cm, Weight: 80kg, DOB: 22/7/1994
Recruited from: South Fremantle
Sam Lowrie comes in as one of my favourite players in the draft. He hasn’t received much fan fare because he is looked at behind the likes of Dayle Garlett, Josh Simpson, Mason Shaw and Nick Rodda in the Western Australian ranks.
Standing at 187cm, Lowrie is a nicely sized midfielder from South Fremantle, who has now enjoyed two very good seasons at WAFL Colts level.
In round 11, last season, Sam broke both bones in his leg as a 16 year old. He missed the rest of the season but made his return in round two this year, and hasn’t missed a beat since. Before he broke his leg, he was averaging 21 disposals, 5 marks, 3 tackles and 2 goals a game.
This season he stepped it up again, averaging 15 kicks, 24 disposals, 7 marks, 2 tackles and a goal a game.
I was looking forward to seeing him in the flesh at the National Champs this year, but unfortunately his game time was very limited and he didn’t even get an invite to the Draft Combine.
From his limited opportunities at the Champs, I was most impressed, showing his class in the limited minutes he was actually in the midfield, because a lot of the time when he was on the ground he was stuck on a half forward flank.
He only averaged 60% game time at the Champs, and from that he managed to get 10 kicks, 16 disposals, 72% disposal efficiency, 6 marks, 4 tackles and 3 clearances a game. Statistically his two best games were in games one and three, where he got 21 disposals in each of those, but I thought game five was his best. It was televised, if you want to go back and look at it, and even though he only spent 58% of the game on the ground, in that short time he gathered 8 kicks, 4 handballs, 6 of those possessions contested, 83% disposal efficiency, and also a brilliant 6 clearances.
You see a lot of players win the contested ball and cough it up, but Sam shows great awareness of knowing where his teammates are and he’ll more often than not find a target.
While I see Sam more as an outside midfielder because he’s very good at linking up, spreading from the contest and possesses a great running game, he does have the ability to go inside, win clearances and use his big frame to win the contested ball.
I’m not sure of his results at the State Screening, but I anticipate he would’ve recorded some very good results in the endurance categories.
The other great thing about Lowrie is his size. He’s got an AFL ready body. Standing at 187cm, it gives him some serious versatility to play a variety of positions. He is a really good overhead mark which makes him a very good option to be a modern day wingman with his spread and endurance.
I think the fact he broke his leg last year may be the reason for the lack of talk about him, but I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if he snuck into the top 30 on draft night.

PICK 35 – ESSENDON: JASON ASHBY
Height: 187cm, Weight: 76kg, DOB: 16/5/1994
Recruited from: Oakleigh Chargers
Essendon are very keen on Jason Ashby and might bite the bullet here.
He doesn’t get talked about, because he’s pretty unfashionable, but he does most things well.
His straight line speed isn’t great, but he’s a very big tank and proved that at the Combine.
He’ll make his name off a half back flank. He’s a decent kick of the footy without being spectacular, but he is really good overhead and tackles well.
As a defender he’s accountable too. He’s not one of those one-way half back flankers.

PICK 36 – CARLTON: TIM MEMBREY
Height: 189cm, Weight: 88kg, DOB: 26/5/1994
Recruited from: Gippsland Power
Where Tim Membrey will fall is one thing I’ll be intrigued about come draft night.
I’ll most likely get slammed for where I’ve positioned Membrey in this Phantom Draft, because he has received a lot of media attention, and some people have even talked about him being a top ten draft pick.
I will not be surprised if he goes in the top 20, and I will not be surprised if he fell outside the 50’s. Does that make any sense at all?
There’s bound to be a club that really likes him, hence the chance of seeing him go slightly early. There is also every chance Membrey will be another one of those players that is hyped up before the draft only to fall right out of it when it actually comes around.
On face value, when you look at his performances, there is a lot to like about him. There is absolutely no doubt that Membrey was the stand out forward in the TAC Cup this season, kicking 49 goals from 13 games. He averaged 14 possessions a game, 5 marks (1.5 contested), and 3 tackles. He wasn’t held goalless all season and in 10 of his 13 games he kicked 2 or more goals, showing his consistency.
The qualm about Membrey is ‘how does he get better?’
Standing at only 189cm, he simply isn’t tall enough to be the style of full forward he is at TAC Cup level in the AFL.
Tim Membrey has been labelled with the comparison to Jack Darling. The fact he’s an undersized forward and a very good kick supports that comparison but I’m struggling to find anything else. Jack Darling has an outstanding motor. He runs from flank to flank leading until his defender feels ill. Membrey is very much a ‘stay at home’ forward. You won’t find him outside the forward 50 all too often. As we know at AFL level, forwards need more strings to their bow than just sitting in the goal square and taking contested marks. This is where the comparison falls down. Jack Darling gets on his bike and goes up the field only to motor back and uses his endurance to get separation on his defender. Jack can take the contested marks, but it’s not his only avenue to possessions and goals.
Tim also has a habit of preferring to outmuscle his opponent rather than lead up (like Darling) at the ball.
Simply put, at AFL level he won’t get away with that. He’ll be playing on much stronger defenders than he does in the TAC Cup, and they’ll also be taller than him. With modern day zones, teams playing seven and eight man defences, he won’t be able to get away with being a ‘stay at home’ forward.
The challenge for him is to create more strings to his bow. The need will be for him to get fitter, and be able to work a ton between the flanks instead of inside the forward 50 exclusively. The days of that type of forward are over at AFL level, unless they’re at least 197cm plus, which Membrey is not.
In terms of his fitness, and the ability to get better at covering the ground, he did record solid, but not spectacular endurance numbers at the Combine. He recorded a 13.1 on the Shuttle Run but then posted a disappointing time in the 3km time trial. In the agility testing he landed in the bottom 17%.
If Membrey can work on the above, he could become a handy AFL player, because as I mentioned previously, he’s a prodigious kick for goal and he is a great mark for his size, but it’s all about putting in the hard yards. He has shown he is a good character and will leave no stone unturned.

PICK 37 – FREMANTLE: MASON SHAW
Height: 198cm, Weight: 87kg, DOB: 15/1/1994
Recruited from: South Fremantle
I’m picking Shaw as a slider. There is something about him that I don’t like, and I don’t know what it is.
There is no doubting his performances in the Colts. He’s kicked 106 goals from 31 games at that level; outstanding.
He’s big and agile too, and a dead eye dick in front of goal.
His leading to me doesn’t seem natural. It’s actually almost a case of what I see in Chris Dawes.
Maybe the fact he was sharing a forward line with Jesse Hogan and a lost Marco Paparone, I don’t know. He just seemed a bit all over the place at the Champs.
This one could seriously come back to bite me, but every time I see him live, I leave disappointed.

PICK 38 – NORTH MELBOURNE: NATHAN WRIGHT
Height: 185cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 16/02/94
Recruited from: Dandenong Stingrays
Wright is a dashing defender with some serious leg speed.
He also posted some good results at the Combine for endurance.
His kicking, especially short distances, is suspect to me, but he does have a very penetrating long kick when he’s on the run.
He loves to take the game on, and that’s what you want to see with guys who have his pace.
He played 7 games in the TAC Cup this season, averaging 16 disposals at 69% efficiency.

PICK 39 – COLLINGWOOD: LIAM MCBEAN
Height: 203cm, Weight: 87kg, DOB: 25/8/1994
Recruited from: Calder Cannons
Collingwood are apparently interested so I’ll put him here.
Much like Jordan Roughead from the Bulldogs, I don’t think McBean is a ruckman, but he is more a defender to me.
He has massive potential and is very agile for a guy his size.
He also has lovely disposal, and it shows in his efficiency stats.

PICK 40 – FREMANTLE: JOSH SAUNDERS
Height: 182cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 31/8/1994
Recruited from: Geelong Falcons
Saunders is a favourite of mine. He doesn’t come with a lot fan fare, but he’s a very nice inside midfielder from the Geelong Falcons.
He played 12 games this season averaging 23 disposals at a really healthy 70% efficiency along with 5 tackles a game.
He didn’t test at the Combine, and I don’t have the Screening results, but he seems to be able to run all day and have some nice toe.
The best thing is, he’s very efficient.

PICK 41 – ST KILDA: JAKE CALVERT
Height: 192cm, Weight: 93kg, DOB: 30/5/1993
Recruited from: Dandenong Stingrays
I like Calvert. He’s done some very nice things throughout the year and his contested marking has really stood out, which St Kilda needs in the future.
He did play a lot in the ruck for Dandenong outlining his athleticism and he won a lot of the ball for a bloke his size, often having games in the low 20’s for disposals.
I also love the pressure he puts on. Some big blokes just stand there thinking they’re not expected to put pressure on, but he does and he really wants to impact the play in any way.

PICK 42 – NORTH MELBOURNE: BRANDT COLLEDGE
Height: 192cm, Weight: 89kg, DOB: 25/10/1994
Recruited from: Perth
Brandt is a tall forward from Perth that has shown some impressive signs in the Colts.
Unfortunately he didn’t do any testing at the Combine, but I’d anticipate he has a big tank. He had a few games in the Colts where he had possession counts in the high 20’s and recorded over 10 marks.
In his 15 games at Colts level, ranging from 2011 to 2012, he’s averaged 13 kicks, 7 handballs, 20 disposals, 9 marks, and just over a goal a game.
He only played in the last two games in the National Champs, but didn’t do a whole lot.
North Melbourne has a lot of tall forwards who just don’t find the footy. Colledge does, and now it’s just a matter of development.

PICK 43 – RICHMOND: TOM TEMAY
Height: 180cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 6/2/1994
Recruited from: Sandringham Dragons
Temay’s known for the lock down job he did on Lachie Whitfield in the National Champs, and it was mighty impressive. He also had 20 odd touches himself.
Temay’s more a half back type with decent disposal. I’ve heard some people say it’s very good, but I’m not convinced it’s anything out of the ordinary; just solid.
I think he could be used well as a negating defender or midfielder in the future with his big tank which is what the Richmond recruiters typically look at. He didn’t test in the endurance categories at the Combine, but he was around average for the sprints.

PICK 44 – ST KILDA: JASON PONGRACIC
Height: 183cm, Weight: 87kg, DOB: 21/4/1994
Recruited from: Dandenong Stingrays
Pongracic is a big bodied inside midfielder that was really highly rated at the start of the season. He’s tapered off a little and went on to average 19 disposals from his 10 games at TAC Cup at 58% efficiency.
He suffers from hip injuries so we really haven’t gotten to see the best of him this season.

PICK 45 – SYDNEY: TANNER SMITH
Height: 196cm, Weight: 87kg, DOB: 9/3/1994
Recruited from: North Ballarat
Very good shut down defender, with little to no rebounding game, so that’s why I have him sliding a little.
In the real thing I can see him going as high as top 30. He’s now a really nice size, and his endurance testing at the Combine was very good.
The Swans need a succession plan for Ted Richards and they’ve got one here.

PICK 46 – WEST COAST: NICK RODDA
Height: 196cm, Weight: 98kg, DOB: 6/7/1994
Recruited from: West Perth
West Coast need to starting planning for the end of Darren Glass and the possibility of Mitch Brown leaving at the end of next season as they only have four genuine key defenders on their list.
They can start with Rodda from Perth. I have him slipping because he tested poorly for endurance at the Combine, but his sprint times were absolutely excellent for a guy his size.
Daniher ate him up in game 5 of the National Champs, but that was to be expected.
He’s a really good size, with a nice rebounding game, and with that speed for a guy his size, is really impressive.

PICK 47 – SYDNEY: JACKSON THURLOW
Height: 189cm, Weight: 77kg, DOB: 28/3/1994
Recruited from: Launceston
Thurlow’s a third tall in defence type that can also push through the midfield. He played loose during the Champs and really stood out with his contested marking and ability to read the play.
At the Champs, in game 1 he collected 25 possessions with 8 tackles. In game 2 he amassed an amazing 45 possessions at 76% efficiency, with also 11 marks. Game 3; 20 possessions and 8 marks at 85% efficiency. Game 4; 19 possessions at 79% efficiency and 14 possessions at 93% efficiency.
To me, he’s the perfect modern player and best of all he uses it well.

PICK 48 – NORTH MELBOURNE: DANIEL CURRIE
Height: 199cm, Weight: 92cm, DOB: 15/2/1989
Recruited from: North Adelaide/Sydney Swans
After being delisted by the Swans, Currie has gone to North Adelaide and played some decent footy which I think will see him be given a second chance as a 23 year old.
He played 21 games, averaging 5 kicks, 6 handballs, 11 disposals, 4 marks, 2 tackles, 23 hit outs and he kicked 10 goals and 6 behinds.

PICK 49 – MELBOURNE: ANDREW BOSTON
Height: 179cm, Weight: 76kg, DOB: 23/3/1994
Recruited from: Broachbeach
Boston’s the name player for Queensland this year and he’s done pretty well playing in the NEAFL among bigger bodies.
He played 9 games for Broadbeach, averaging 15 kicks, 3 handballs, 18 disposals, 6 marks, 4 inside 50’s, 2 tackles, 1 clearance and kicked 15 goals and 5 behinds.
He’s mostly an outside midfielder with the ability to push forward and kick goals.
He can win a lot of the ball, and showed that during the Champs on occasions.
His ball use stands out. He’s very balanced and can kick off both feet.
I have him dropping because his Combine results weren’t the best for both sprints and endurance, so it may limit his ability to play full time midfield in the AFL.
He may be best suited to a half forward line at the top level, but it can be improved.

PICK 50 – WESTERN BULLDOGS: LACHLAN HUNTER (FATHER SON)
Height: 181cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 13/12/1994
Recruited from: Western Jets
The Bulldogs get a bargain here. Hunter is a very crafty half forward/midfielder that had an extremely good season in the TAC Cup. From his 8 games he averaged, 16 kicks, 10 handballs, 26 disposals, 6 marks, 4 tackles and 2 goals a game.
He’s the perfect replacement for say, Daniel Giansiracusa.
His endurance will need to be worked on, hence maybe limiting his ability to play full time midfield, but he tested #1 for agility at the Combine.
PICK 51 – WESTERN BULLDOGS: SPENCER WHITE
Height: 196cm, Weight: 85kg, DOB: 22/9/1994
Recruited from: Western Jets
Spencer White comes into this draft as the David Gourdis, Waylon Manson type where nobody knows exactly where he’ll go, or if he’ll go.
I think you’re slightly surer of what you’ll get with Spencer, but he does come with uncertainty all the same.
White is a very athletic tall forward coming off a 36 goal season in the TAC Cup.
He was fairly consistent through the year, kicking goals in all but three games and often using his crazy athleticism to pinch hit in the ruck.
In terms of his athleticism, he’s up there with the very best. White was in the top 2% at the Draft Combine for the standing vertical jump, he was the best at the running jump (coming within 2cm of Nic Naitanui’s record), top 10% in the 5m sprint and 10m sprint and top 7% in the 20m sprint.
His straight line pace is incredible and when you combine that with his jump, it makes him a very scary prospect as a developing full forward.
In terms of getting up the ground, this is where the problem could lie. He doesn’t win a whole lot of the ball as it is, only averaging 10 disposals a game but his endurance has been questioned as well. He ran a 12.7 in the shuttle run, and that was in 30 degree heat so he didn’t too badly there. He was in the bottom 12% in the 3km time trial and the bottom 41% for VO2 max recordings.
Playing up the ground really isn’t his game, but it is needed in modern footy just to run your opponent around, get dangerous and just get yourself in the game. He can get shut out of games quite easily, when his opponent is on top and he can often seem to lose interest and not chase as hard as what he usually would.
Defensively, he shouldn’t be a liability with his athleticism. He averaged 1.5 tackles a game, which isn’t too bad for a key forward.
Where he’s most dangerous is deep forward, so the ball can be sat on top of his head and he can run and jump at it. His contested marking is a feature, where he averages 1.7 a game but his conversion is even more impressive. He kicked 36 goals and 12 behinds for the season, putting him in the elite category for goal conversion. He also kicked the ball at 71% through the season, which is outstanding for a key forward.
If you’re looking at potential, you don’t get much better than Spencer White. On pure athleticism he’s the best key forward in the draft but it’s all about how hard he works and how he’s developed when he’s drafted.

PICK 52 – ESSENDON: JACOB BALLARD
Height: 188cm, Weight: 87kg, DOB: 26/2/1994
Recruited from: Northern Knights
Depends at who’s available at this pick, Essendon could strike on Ryan Exon, but Ballard seems like a nice fit.
He had an excellent TAC Cup season, averaging 25 disposals, 5 marks and 6 tackles from his 12 games off half back and through the midfield.
He had one amazing game in round 13 where he laid 17 tackles.
His kicking is also pretty decent.
At the Combine he tested pretty average for pace, but was right up there in endurance on all levels.
His best game at the Champs was game 2 where he had 28 disposals at 71% efficiency, with 7 marks, 4 clearances, 3 tackles and a goal.

PICK 53 – MELBOURNE: MARVIN WARRELL
Height: 180cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 19/9/1994
Recruited from: South Fremantle
Marvin is an interesting talent, and no doubt could sneak into the top 30.
What will see him slip is his poor Combine. There has to be a reason, but I’m not sure of it. He tested very badly.
As a talent though he’s impressive, and he had a good Champs, before quieting down, but then finished off the season with a bang, and a best on ground performance in the Colts’ Grand Final.
He can play a variety of positions, from small forward to midfield to half back, but I think his best position is in the midfield. The Combine results suggest he won’t be able to play there though.
He’s very aggressive at the contest and tackles well. It will be very interesting to see where he lands.

PICK 54 – ADELAIDE: BEN KEARNS
Height: 184cm, Weight: 77kg, DOB: 12/11/1994
Recruited from: Gippsland Power
Kearns seems like a really good talent.
He’s been a little inconsistent this season in the TAC Cup, but he’s also produced some ripping games including a 5 goal haul in the first final.
He averaged 16 possessions and kicked 21 goals from his 15 games as a medium forward.
Admittedly a bit of speculative pick, and he didn’t test west at the Combine, but basically every player’s speculative at this point in the draft.

PICK 55 – ESSENDON: NICK KOMMER
Height: N/A, Weight: N/A, DOB: 28/9/1990
Recruited from: East Perth
Kommer’s currently training with Essendon, so I’ve put him here as they seem to be after some sort of immediate fix for their midfield.
He averaged 19 disposals and a goal a game for East Perth in the WAFL this season.
Admittedly I haven’t seen a lot of him.

PICK 56 – CARLTON: MATTHEW HAYNES
Height: 190cm, Weight: 76kg, DOB: 19/3/1994
Recruited from: Northern Knights
Haynes has a lot about him, and I really had trouble ranking him.
He’s arguably one of the quickest players in the draft, testing superbly at the Combine, but I’m not sure where he fits, because I don’t really rate his kicking.
There is no doubt his awesome pace will appeal to clubs.
He also only played 5 TAC Cup games this season, averaging 17 disposals at 59% efficiency.
I worry about his endurance, ball winning ability and kicking, which is why I think he’ll slide. No doubt he has incredible pace and is a nice size though.

PICK 57 – GOLD COAST: LEIGH OSBORNE
Height: 182cm, Weight: 80kg, DOB: 13/03/90
Recruited from: Frankston
Osborne is a running half back flanker from the VFL who should get his chance at this draft.
He was invited to the National Combine and tested elite in the sprint categories. He also ran a 12.6 shuttle run in the hot weather.
He’s a long left foot kick with experience, so that’s why I put him down for the Suns.

PICK 58 – NORTH MELBOURNE: BEN SAUNDERS
Height: 186cm, Weight: 82kg, DOB: 25/12/1991
Recruited from: South Fremantle
Saunders is a mature age medium forward from South Fremantle.
He kicked 66 goals and 42 behinds from his 20 games in the WAFL and I think he’s definitely worth a punt with a later pick.

PICK 59 – GOLD COAST: KYAL HORSLEY (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 60 – GOLD COAST: CLAY CAMERON (ZONE SELECTION)
Height: 190cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 27/5/1994
Recruited from: Mt Gravatt

PICK 61 – WEST COAST: SEAN LYNCH
Height: 185cm, Weight: 77kg, DOB: 30/1/1994
Recruited from: South Fremantle
Lynch is a half-back type who prefers to dispose by foot.
From his 16 games in the Colts he averaged 18 disposals.
He had a couple of really good games in the Champs, getting disposal counts in the low 20’s and efficiency counts in the high 70’s which is what you want from your distributor.
He’s also a nice size, with really good endurance, running a 14.2 shuttle, and in the top 14% in the 3km time trial. His pace isn’t great though ranking down the bottom for the sprints.

PICK 62 – WEST COAST: DEAN KENT
Height: 180cm, Weight: 81kg, DOB: 24/2/1994
Recruited from: Perth
Kent is a big bodied midfielder who was unlucky not to make the Western Australian squad for the National Champs.
He averaged 23 disposals from his 20 games at Colts level this season, with a lot of those being kicks.
His best work is done at stoppages and he does have some nice disposal to compliment the outside game.

PICK 63 – NORTH MELBOURNE: SHANE NELSON
Height: 179cm, Weight: 73kg, DOB: 11/5/1993
Recruited from: West Perth
Nelson didn’t get a go a last year to many people’s surprise, but he went back to West Perth and consolidated.
He finished off the season in the WAFL averaging 25 disposals, with a lot of those being contested at a pretty good efficiency.
He also had a very good State Screening getting good results for sprints, endurance and agility.

PICK 64 – ADELAIDE: IAN CALLINAN (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 65 – GWS: WILL HAMS
Height: 179cm, Weight: 71kg, DOB: 14/7/1994
Recruited from: Gippsland Power
I’m a fan of Hams.
He’s an inside midfielder and he had a really good season for Gippsland.
He played 15 games, averaging 18 disposals completing a nice season.
Hams tested extremely well for endurance at the Combine, running a 14.4 in the shuttle, top 26% in the 3km run and top 8% in VO2 max testings.
He’s a good little player that can play a variety of positions, but his kicking is hit and miss, I must admit.

PICK 66 – SYDNEY: JAKE MCKENZIE
Height: 180cm, Weight: 72kg, DOB: 12/5/1994
Recruited from: Western Jets
Jake is the younger brother of Trent McKenzie from the Gold Coast.
Unfortunately he doesn’t share the same ‘cannon’ as his brother but he’s still a decent midfield prospect.
He tested very well in the standing and running jumps at the Combine and also in the sprints and agility, ranking in the top 25% in all of them. He didn’t do the endurance tests apart from the 3km time trial where he was in the bottom 43%.
He played 12 games in the TAC Cup this season, averaging only 13 possessions.
His athletic attributes are hard to ignore though.

PICK 67 – SYDNEY: JACK HANNATH
Height: 201cm, Weight: 97kg, DOB: 9/7/1991
Recruited from: Central Districts
Probably second to Dan Currie in the SANFL ruck stakes, Jack Hannath is another mature age ruck in this draft.
He was invited to the National Combine where he tested pretty well. His standing vertical was in the top 22%, ran a 13.5 shuttle run, top 29% in the 3km time trial and top 30% in VO2 max.
He’s also grown a couple of centimetres since his last draft year.
He played 22 games in the SANFL, averaging 7 kicks, 2 handballs, 9 disposals, 4 marks, 2 tackles, 3 clearances, 25 hit outs and kicked 6 goals and 4 behinds.

PICK 68 – HAWTHORN: TOM FIELDS
Height: 189cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 19/12/1992
Recruited from: Labrador
Mature age wingman from Labrador who’s currently training with Essendon.
He’s got a very long left foot kick on him, and he isn’t too dissimilar to Clinton Young to be honest. He’s known for his 60m goals on the run, but very much plays on the outside.

 

[KING-JAMES]

PICK 69 – GWS: BRAD HARTMAN
Height: 188cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 16/11/1994
Recruited from: Sturt
Hartman will possibly go much higher in the real thing.
Outstanding athlete who can play in a variety of positions from full forward, to half forward, to midfield to half back and even had some stints in the ruck outlining his leap.
He had a great year in the SANFL U/18’s coming second in the league’s goalkicking.
In his 18 U/18 games he averaged 11 kicks, 8 handballs, 19 disposals, 6 marks (2.2 contested), 3 tackles, and kicked an amazing 50 goals and 52 behinds.
He has some serious talent to burn.

PICK 70 – MELBOURNE: BEN ROSS

Height: 179cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 21/9/1998

Recruited from: Werribee Tigers

I always liked Ben Ross at North Melbourne. He was delisted at the end of last season, and this season went on to win the J.J. Liston Trophy in the VFL.
Melbourne needs some more experienced bodies in the midfield and Ben Ross can provide that and have an impact immediately.

PICK 71 – CARLTON: MARCO PAPARONE
Height: 194cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 3/9/1994
Recruited from: East Fremantle
Paparone, to me, strikes as a midfielder in a key position forward’s body.
I had no idea where to put him, but to me he just looks ungainly even though he gets some nice disposal numbers.
He averaged 17 disposals, 7 marks and kicked 45 goals in his 17 games in the Colts.
The problem is he’s not a key forward. I don’t think he’s hard enough and he doesn’t impact the contest enough.
During the Champs he tended to sit on the wing, and if he makes it, that’s where it’ll be, but I don’t think his disposal is up to scratch. A lot of people thought he was outstanding, but I didn’t see it. He averaged 16 disposals at 57% efficiency in his 4 games.

PICK 72 – HAWTHORN: HARLEY MONTGOMERY
Height: 178cm, Weight: 72kg, DOB: 20/2/1994
Recruited from: Sturt

Montgomery played in defence alongside Sam Colquhoun for South Australia in the National Champs and did quite well.
He played exclusively as a back pocket.
He didn’t test at the Combine, but he does have a 15+ shuttle run to his name.
He does have a nice attacking game and some neat disposal, so I definitely think he has the game to develop into a full time midfielder.


PICK 73 – MELBOURNE: MICHAEL EVANS (PROMOTED ROOKIE)
PICK 74 – MELBOURNE: DAN NICHOLSON (PROMOTED ROOKIE)


PICK 75 – ESSENDON: RYAN EXON
Height: N/A, Weight: N/A, DOB: N/A
Recruited from: Oakleigh Chargers

Essendon are keen on the Oakleigh captain with a late pick.
He’s an insider midfielder who averaged 18 disposals and 7 tackles from his 21 games in the TAC Cup this season.

PICK 76 – CARLTON: TOM LANGDON
Height: 189cm, Weight: 82kg, DOB: 10/6/1994
Recruited from: Sandringham Dragons

Still unsure of where Langdon fits as a player, but he’s shown some good signs as a midfielder and down back.
He’s quite effective in the midfield, more as an outside player and he has some decent disposal, recording some nice efficiency stats.
Down back he’s not big enough to take the key post, but he can play that third or fourth man up role and do quite well.


PICK 77 – ST KILDA: JARROD LIENERT
Height: 191cm, Weight: 80kg, DOB: 5/8/1994
Recruited from: Sturt
Lienert is a third tall defender who has really impressed at U/18’s level in South Australia.
St Kilda would get a bit of a bargain here. He can play on most forwards, and offers really good rebounding, but reads the play well and can take a grab. I think the fact he started off as a forward really helped him.
He only played the one game in the National Champs, so he doesn’t have a whole heap of exposed form, but he played pretty well in that one against Northern Territory.

PICK 78 – NORTH MELBOURNE: MAJAK DAW (PROMOTED ROOKIE)


PICK 79 – GEELONG: SHANNON TAYLOR
Height: 179cm, Weight: 82kg, DOB: 5/2/1994
Recruited from: Claremont

Immensely quick player who tested through the roof at last year’s Combine. He didn’t do any testing this year.
He had a pretty decent year at Colts level, playing around the midfield, but I think he’ll make it as a small forward.
His kicking is still a little hit and miss, but there is definitely something to work with here.


PICK 80 – FREMANTLE: CLANCEE PEARCE (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 81 – WEST COAST: BRAD DICK (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 82 – COLLINGWOOD: LAINE WILKINS
Height: 189cm, Weight: 77kg, DOB: 30/3/1994
Recruited from: Peel Thunder
Wilkins is a really good athlete, testing very highly in the vertical jumps and sprints but tested poorly in endurance.
A lot of people rate him highly, but he just doesn’t do enough for me. His kicking is a bit suspect for an outside player, and he just doesn’t win enough of the ball.
He’ll need to really build up his tank and improve his skills if he wants to be damaging.

PICK 83 – PORT ADELAIDE: DARCY FORT
Height: 203cm, Weight: 83kg, DOB: 6/8/1993
Recruited from: Geelong Falcons
Fort is an over age, long term ruck prospect.
He’s still very skinny, but shows some nice skills around the ground.
He tested very poorly at the Combine for both endurance and speed, so this is a really speculative pick with a long term vision


PICK 84 – GWS: SAM FROST (PROMOTED ROOKIE)


PICK 85 – WESTERN BULLDOGS: HARRISON MARSH
Height: 189cm, Weight: 82kg, DOB: 13/1/1994
Recruited from: East Fremantle

I like Marsh as a midfielder, and think long term that will be his position.
In the National Champs he played as a third tall in defence, which I think made him go under the radar a little and hence the slip.
He’s a massive body that loves the contested footy and kicks it quite well.
He’s a very good athlete too, and his speed and ability to mark the ball overhead is probably what people like of him coming out of defence which is understandable.
He averaged 15 disposals in the Colts this season playing a similar role. I wouldn’t be surprised if he went much higher in the real thing.

PICK 86 – PORT ADELAIDE: TOM JONAS (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 87 – BRISBANE: JACK CRISP (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 88 – RICHMOND: STEVEN BALDASSO
Height: 183cm, Weight: 71kg, DOB: 10/10/1994
Recruited from: Norwood

Steven is a midfielder from Norwood who seems to have some decent footy ability.
His Combine results were pretty poor, testing down the bottom in both the sprints and endurance which may see him slip and even right out of the draft.
He did play some good footy in the U/18’s though and shows he can win the ball and be a productive midfielder.

In his 15 U/18 games, he averaged 10 kicks, 12 handballs, 22 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles, 4 clearances, and also kicked 10 goals and 13 behinds.

PICK 89 – ESSENDON: TIM SUMNER
Height: 187cm, Weight: 83kg, DOB: 9/10/1994
Recruited from: Woodville West Torrens
Really talented although inconsistent half forward. He didn’t test at the Combine in endurance, but he showed he had some real toe in the sprints.
He doesn’t win enough of the ball which will see him slip, but he can produce some magic because his ball use is normally very good.
He’s the brother of Byron Sumner, who was delisted by Sydney.

PICK 90 – CARLTON: LEVI CASBOULT (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 91 – ST KILDA: SAM DUNELL (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 92 – NORTH MELBOURNE: SAM GIBSON (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 93 – GEELONG: JESSE STRINGER (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 94 – FREMANTLE: LEE SPURR (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 95 – COLLINGWOOD: MARLEY WILLIAMS (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 96 – SYDNEY: LOUIS HERBERT
Height: 187cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 27/6/1994
Recruited from: North Ballarat Rebels
Probably have him too low as his best is very, very good. He kicked 37 goals from his 17 TAC Cup games this season, but he doesn’t find a whole lot of the footy.
His marking is very good for his height.
He’s a genuine ‘x-factor’ player, who could go as high as pick 40 in the real thing.

PICK 97 – GWS: ANDREW PHILLIPS (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 98 – WESTERN BULLDOGS: TOM CAMPBELL (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 99 – BRISBANE: NIALL MCKEEVER (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 100 – RICHMOND: KYLE MARTIN
Height: 182cm, Weight: 81kg, DOB: 17/9/1990
Recruited from: Frankston
Again, doubtful Richmond will take this pick but Martin is a mature age player from Frankston.
He seems a really nice inside midfielder that can go and have an impact up forward as well. He tackles strong and wins clearances at VFL level.

PICK 101 – ESSENDON: MAX DUFFY
Height: 185cm, Weight: 80kg, DOB: 4/11/1993
Recruited from: East Fremantle
Duffy went undrafted last season, but his performance in the WAFL in 2012 might see him get a gig as a speculative late pick.
He is mercurial up forward, but I’d really like to see some more defensive work from him.


PICK 102 – CARLTON: ZACH TUOHY (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 103 – NORTH MELBOURNE: AARON MULLETT (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 104 – SYDNEY: MICHAEL CLOSE
Height: 196cm, Weight: 85kg, DOB: 30/7/1994
Recruited from: North Ballarat Rebels
Probably could have him much higher, but I’m still unsure. Has massive endurance and can play at either end. He has been hampered by injury this season so we haven’t got to see a whole lot of him but he is still very inconsistent. The difference between his best and worst is pretty large.


PICK 105 – WESTERN BULLDOGS: JASON JOHANNISEN (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

PICK 106 – ESSENDON: MARK BAGULEY (PROMOTED ROOKIE)




PICK 107 – SYDNEY: HARRY CUNNINGHAM (PROMOTED ROOKIE)

 

[LemmingMaster]

Good to see some interesting mock drafts appearing on this board. Good work KP.

 

[GrandBlue]

Excellent draft with really good, detailed explanations. Top marks.

 

[year of the cat]

Great effort. You clearly have far too much time on your hands ;-)

 

[winalotroos]

Very good job, some surprises, I think North or Essendon will take Ben Jacobs, with their pick in the thirties

 

[juzzo]

Should probably make sure you credit Kristian in your OP.

 

[KING-JAMES]

Should probably make sure you credit Kristian in your OP.

T'was the plan. Had to be stingy on those 30,000 characters haha.
I'll fix it up now!

 

[year of the roo]

Taylor Hine?

 

[MaddAdam]

With a good sub this journo student kiddie could be an excellent footy writer.

"It’s fairly unanimous now that everyone agrees Lachie Whitfield will be the number one pick."

Yeah, if it is unanimous, everyone does agree.

And things can't be fairly unanimous. It is or it isn't.

But it is very rare I'll read a mock draft to the end and this was a cracker. Good work Kristian.

 

[Sunny_]

Really good mock. Some interesting choices in there, and I like the reasoning.

First I've really read that the Suns are keen on Garner though, KING-JAMES. Outside of Chris' mock, and I think his is more on a needs basis without any sources.

You appear to suggest that the Suns have actually put some time into him?

 

[Tazwegian]

PICK 24 – BRISBANE: JESSE LONERGAN
Height: 182cm, Weight: 91kg, DOB: 14/11/1994
Recruited from: Launceston
A semi-slide for Lonergan, and that’s because of exposed form. To be honest I haven’t seen a whole lot of him.
He didn’t particularly have a good Champs, and that was due to injury troubles.
He is purely an inside midfielder that likes to handball mostly, but what he is, is an awesome size.
He isn’t the quickest bloke, testing in the bottom half for all of the sprints, but he was in the top 1% for agility. He also ran a 13.2 shuttle run and was top 48% in the 3km time trial.

Where did you get the idea he isn't quick? He came second in agility, and 7th in repeat sprints, and he got a flat 3.00 seconds in the 20m sprint.

Also, his form in the champs was pretty good actually. Particularly considering he was returning from injury. He was named in Tassie's best in every game he played, and although his numbers don't look amazing, when you add in the fact that he got more contested possession in those three games than anyone else in that same period (35), you can see it was up to him to play purely inside footy. I think only Jack Martin got more tackles than him over those three games also. Add in four goals, and you have a very solid champs.

I could possibly see him sliding to 24 though. That is the bottom end of where I see him going, but it could definitely happen.

 

[_kp_]

Hi guys. I'm the author of this Phantom Draft.

This is the link to the actual article. http://www.footytragic.com/blog/2012-post-season/kristians-2012-phantom-draft/

It's a bit easier to read (spacing) than what it seems to be on here.

It also has an introduction which explains a few things, like my decision to not include the likes of Taylor Hine and Ben Jacobs.

 

[_kp_]

Where did you get the idea he isn't quick? He came second in agility, and 7th in repeat sprints, and he got a flat 3.00 seconds in the 20m sprint.

Also, his form in the champs was pretty good actually. Particularly considering he was returning from injury. He was named in Tassie's best in every game he played, and although his numbers don't look amazing, when you add in the fact that he got more contested possession in those three games than anyone else in that same period (35), you can see it was up to him to play purely inside footy. I think only Jack Martin got more tackles than him over those three games also. Add in four goals, and you have a very solid champs.

I could possibly see him sliding to 24 though. That is the bottom end of where I see him going, but it could definitely happen.

I didn't say he wasn't quick. I said he wasn't the quickest. His straight line speed results showed that at the Combine, but I did mention his agility recording which was outstanding.

 

[_kp_]

Really good mock. Some interesting choices in there, and I like the reasoning.

First I've really read that the Suns are keen on Garner though, KING-JAMES. Outside of Chris' mock, and I think his is more on a needs basis without any sources.

You appear to suggest that the Suns have actually put some time into him?

I have heard that Josh Simpson won't get past the Gold Coast.

If he isn't available, it's a toss up between Aidan Corr and Taylor Garner.

 

[Tazwegian]

I didn't say he wasn't quick. I said he wasn't the quickest. His straight line speed results showed that at the Combine, but I did mention his agility recording which was outstanding.

You said he tested bottom half for all the sprints though. Where'd you get that info? I wouldn't have thought 3.00 would be anywhere near bottom half, and his repeat sprints were pretty close to elite.

 

[_kp_]

With a good sub this journo student kiddie could be an excellent footy writer.

"It’s fairly unanimous now that everyone agrees Lachie Whitfield will be the number one pick."

Yeah, if it is unanimous, everyone does agree.

And things can't be fairly unanimous. It is or it isn't.

But it is very rare I'll read a mock draft to the end and this was a cracker. Good work Kristian.

Thanks for that mate. Duly noted.

 

[_kp_]

You said he tested bottom half for all the sprints though. Where'd you get that info? I wouldn't have thought 3.00 would be anywhere near bottom half, and his repeat sprints were pretty close to elite.

I've listed the Combine results for nearly every player. I didn't make them up. They're sorted in percentiles.

 

[_kp_]

You said he tested bottom half for all the sprints though. Where'd you get that info? I wouldn't have thought 3.00 would be anywhere near bottom half, and his repeat sprints were pretty close to elite.

To be exact;

5m sprint; Bottom 3%.
10m sprint; Bottom 29%.
20m; Top 49%.

 

[Tazwegian]

To be exact;

5m sprint; Bottom 3%.
10m sprint; Bottom 29%.
20m; Top 49%.

Cheers. You got a link for where that came from?

 

[_kp_]

Cheers. You got a link for where that came from?

No link.

 

[Tazwegian]

No link.

Hmm. Well, even if that info is correct, I wouldn't put much stock in it. Lonergan has very good speed, as evidenced by his repeat sprints. Not sure how many attempts you get at the 20m sprint, but I am sure he could do better if what you are saying is correct. Just seems odd that 3.01 would be bottom half, and then he would go on to be top 7 in the repeat sprints.

 

[_kp_]

This is a link to my Phantom Draft from last year if anyone's interested.

http://www.footytragic.com/blog/2011-phantom-draft/footy-tragic-phantom-draft-2/#comments