Knightmare
Brownlow Medallist
- Sep 22, 2010
- 19,533
- 19,542
- AFL Club
- Collingwood
- Other Teams
- Chicago Bulls
- Banned
- #1
*Old thread reached 1000 posts so time for a new thread.
Link to old thread... http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=821968
While I'm at it I thought I'd make it up to date my player rankings as well as ideas for improvement. Updated list my ideas for delistings + retirements. As well as adding a number of relevant prospects we should look at in this years draft and some new trade ideas worth consideration.
Where I rate players based on season 2011 (reputations mean nothing on this list and form from years gone past does not come into consideration with regard to this list):
----- A graders
1. Scott Pendlebury: As he does every year has reached a whole new level. Continuing to build on his inside game and I would argue that he is very close to being the best midfielder in the league! Gets up consistently for those big games which is a measure of a champion. I suspect he will work on his contested marking ability over the offseason and add that to his game next season. Also look for Pendles to hit the gym hard over the summer so that he comes back even stronger next season.
2. Dale Thomas: The big things Daisy has added into his game over the past 24 months is not just his tackling and pressuring ability but also his endurance which has allowed him to produce greater numbers more consistently and influence the contest going both ways more consistently which is big for this team. In those last two finals really liked some of his clearance work and hardness at the footy and I expect him to come back stronger and a better clearance player next season. Expect him to spend much of his time in the gym to allow him to play that more inside game.
3. Dane Swan: Had an electric start to the season then seemed to struggle with some niggling injuries. Went to Arizona and came back fresh as a daisy and won a brownlow. Just needs to keep working on his ball use and inside ball winning + tackling. Expect production to continue next season.
4. Travis Cloke: Big season for the big forward and showed that he is one of the premier key forwards around the league. Big presence, strong 1v1, high work rate and unbelievable contested marking were the features of his game throughout the season. Goal kicking accuracy allot better this season and will no doubt continue to work hard on it over the break. Will also no doubt continue to work on body work and 1v1 contests as well as contested marking to further build on his greatest strength.
5. Ben Reid: Had an incredible season just continues improving with every game which is rather scary! Continues to improve defensively and his long kicking from defence still remains a serious weapon. Reads the ball like Maxy off the opposition boot and could be best described as a Sam Fisher with close to the best kick in the league. Kicking is a beautiful thing to watch with that 60-65m penetration and the speed and accuracy he can get them off to its intended target. Every game somehow seems to get into my best which is impressive for a KPD! Unfortunately had the poor finals series due to the injury he was carrying and after getting smashed in that final quarter of the grand final by Hawkins will want to come back hard next season. Will continue to work on the defensive side of his game as well as his strong marking game down back. Would also look to improve his closing speed and ability in the air which I think can still improve further. No doubt kicking will be further utilised next season so expect him to continue to make that better – if that is possible. And will also spend considerable time in the gym so that he gets stronger in those 1v1s.
6. Luke Ball: Had a sensational season and probably the best for his career! Makes our whole team better with his inside work and is a big reason why we are as good as we are. Like Cloke his professionalism is the reason why he is as good as he is and has added serious leadership to the team which has been a big factor in our success. Playing as hard as he did in 2010 but with a couple of differences worth mentioning since we all know what Ball does. Ball this season has been able to add an extra 10m to his kicking penetration and now can kick the full 50m if he wants to, and now can kick much more accurately to a target over a 30-40m range which is great to see! Certainly has increased his endurance and is really moving around the ground allot better and taking allot more marks than he would have previously. Speed is better which is also helping increase his tackling numbers. Has added marking into his game and is now taking strong marks around the ground as well as up forward. Amazingly accurate goal kicker whether it be from around the ground or from set shots. Kicked a number of clutch goals throughout the year with the highlights being the sealer v West Coast in that first final then with the match winning snap v Hawthorn which was near identical but from the other side. Over the offseason might continue to work on his marking ability and make it a further strength when he pushes forward as well as his kicking penetration to add that extra 5-10 metres. Could also continue working on his endurance, is very good already but with his tireless work ethic I think he can further improve it.
----- AA Form
7. Chris Tarrant: When talking about Tarrant the big things to note are his new found maturity, new leadership skills and willingness to speak up and be vocal. Really settled down back and is a key part of our defensive unit. Can be relied on and you can tell he plays for his jumper week in, week out which you just love to see. Much better at full back than he is at full forward now, as much as he’d hate to admit it. Down back would like for him to continue to attack the ball more and go for a couple more of those rebounding marks when practical. Was always a strong marking forward and needs to further utilise his ability to understand when the ball is coming into his direction to further advantage. Could from here on in be managed a little because he is a great asset and the more years we can get out of the champ the better.
8. Leon Davis: How good has this guy been this season? Fantastic story and could have gone either way. Has got his trademark speed back again which he didn’t have in 2010 and looks like a new man down back, and you can tell he really enjoys playing back there. Can beat his man 1v1 and is doing some creative and lively things down back. Kicking in from kick outs this season has been a highlight and his kicking consistency and decision making have only got better as the season has gone. Playing the footy of his life! Unfortunate to see that he has is decided to move on because the money wasn’t quite up to his expectations, $250k is still very decent money and as a vet with probably one more year left in him probably a little disappointing to see him reject our offer. Regardless has had a fantastic career with plenty of highlights and a couple of very productive seasons in those last few years in particular.
9. Heath Shaw: Really down back had a serious season and is our real defensive general. Offensively allot more consistent and isn’t getting tagged out of games as he has been over the past few years. Would have no doubt have received a position on the AA team had it not been for this whole betting thing forcing him to miss the remainder of the H+A season. Came back hard in the finals series and played some hard, intense footy. Will want to have a big offseason and come back even better for Buckley next year. Look for him to further improve his conditioning and endurance so that he can further push up the ground and provide even more quality rebound from the back half. Also look for him to hit the gym hard and add that little bit more size.
10. Alan Toovey: Has been a solid defensive anchor again in 2011 and even at times is adding some dash from defence and delivering some nice passes by foot which is nice to see. Kicking skills on the improve and very reasonable now after many questioned his kicking ability early career. Just doesn’t ever seem to get beaten on the lead or in 1v1s and defends against leading forwards as well as anyone and just spoils everything. Been absolutely sensational this season and has consistently shown that improvement from year to year. Just needs to further add to his rebounding ability from defence and knowing when he can leave his man and go for a run as well as continue to working on his footskills to make it better than average. Also would like to see him hit the gym and add a little bit more size without losing any of his speed.
----- Clear best 22
11. Dayne Beams: Has missed some time with injury this season but has been fantastic as always. Has built that set shot goalkicking into his game and is converting those shots he missed last year! Again winning allot of the ball and using it well with high hurt factor, rarely misses a target and is just one of those players where you just really want the ball in their hands because you know they are going to hurt the opposition every time. Next step is spending more time in the midfield, which he can certainly do with his ball winning ability. Needs to keep working hard on the defensive side to his game as well as building up that endurance as possibly working on his inside game and understand when to run forward and when to go for the inside ball. Do all this and hit the gym hard and add significantly more size on and he can be a regular part of our midfield rotation.
12. Sharrod Wellingham: Had a slow start to the season but has since then started to pick up where he left off in 2010. Still needs to become more of a consistent 4 quarter player but it was a great sign in the game where both Dale Thomas and Dane Swan were both missing against Melbourne where Sharrod stepped up and played his best game for his career so far. Hopefully a sign for things to come because in that game he really lifted with that added responsibility. I think next year might be a big year for Sharrod. He really needs to increase his production and numbers next year if we are to take that next step. Needs to build up that endurance+ work rate if he wants to improve his numbers + consistency. Also while his inside game is already good, look for him to keep working on his inside game so that he can become a more permanent inside player.
13. Ben Johnson: When he is playing is going really well, but has had some hamstring difficulties which have unfortunately kept him out of the action for much of the season. Best 22 if he can keep injury free. Form is good. Expect one more year from Ben, but might need to be managed and rested to ensure that he can get through the season and be ready to have a big impact in September. 2012 will probably be his last season but does definitely have that one more year left in him.
14. Andrew Krakouer: How good is the guy? Fantastic recruit and has done a fantastic job to establish himself in our best side. Has earned his position. Outstanding fit both up forward and through the midfield. Every game he seems to do something special and have an influence on the game. Real game breaker and a great asset. What he is really good at doing is creating time for himself in situations where others would have to rush the ball on less effectively. As the season has progressed Krakouer has really improved his tackling game. Look for him to continue to work on his endurance and work rate, as well as continuing to work further on the defensive side of his game. Could also do with some time in the gym and that little bit more size on his frame if he wants midfield time in 2012.
15. Steele Sidebottom: Is playing some good football again in 2011. Being in his 3rd year I would like to see Sidebottom have a bigger influence more often. If he can find that next level it will be big for us! Would like for us to start playing him through the midfield for more significant minutes, more than has the endurance to play a big part in there. The thing he has added to his game this year is his tackling which has been superb and really great to watch. Often throughout the season i’ve felt even though Sidey gets his 20 disposals often enough he really lacks that big impact on the game and can go pretty unnoticed. Needs to become more of an inside ball winner and add some more hurt factor when he has the ball to take the next step. Improving further on his kicking would be really beneficial and adding some lower, quicker kicks into his arsenal would be handy. Showed some nice signs in this year’s grand final of that ability and composure in traffic so just needs to keep working on his ability in those pressure situations. Needs to become more of an inside ball winner and needs to win more of that hard ball and not just wait outside of the packs all the time or just stream forward hoping we will win the ball. Also adding some more size would do his midfield aspirations no harm to allow him to play that more inside role.
16. Darren Jolly: Seemed to be carrying injury late 2010 and injury so far this year for the first time in a long time has been getting the better of him. Might need to be managed Brad Ottens style from here on in. Critical if we are to again have September/ October success again! Real competitor and will always work his tail off to play in every game such is his professionalism and preparation. Don’t think he has more than 2 years left in him so we really need to have a replacement ready now since Witts and Ceglar will both take time to develop into consistent and AFL quality ruckmen.
17. Chris Dawes: Had a great start to the season and with injury difficulties hasn’t ever been able to regain that confidence he was showing early season. Very important part to the side structurally and is so important because of the way he compliments Cloke and helps take pressure off him only making our forwardline harder to defend. Needs to keep working hard on that contested marking ability and needs to continue working on taking it more consistently and taking it at its highest point. Would also like to see him continue to work hard in that gym and become even stronger without losing any speed or endurance, not quite at the Cloke level of strength yet but if he can keep building will make our big two even harder to stop.
18. Harry O’Brien: Hasn’t really played like himself this year. Certainly nowhere near the level he was playing at in 2010 and really needs to work hard to get back to anything close to that form because he is a long way off his best! Only really looked ok at times but without any real consistency. Perhaps injury has been behind this but would hope he can rebound in 2012! Needs to build back to his best conditioning. Also would like to see him work on his decision making, typically he goes for his 10-15m run then bombs away as far as he goes, would like to see him take some time to have a look around and consider his decisions more when generating that drive from the back half. The final thing I’d recommend for Harry is to reduce his media commitments, get the feeling he is doing too much and that it would benefit his footy to reduce that workload. Side note, if things don’t work out for him next year at some stage I’d consider moving him forward as a medium forward, not super confident that Macaffer will break clearly into our best side, but I think O’Brien has the attributes to make the move forward and have an impact. Backline depth is generally pretty good so we might be able to afford to make this move at some point. Perhaps a preseason idea to try out.
19. Nick Maxwell: Has been underwhelming this season due to injury difficulties. Vital for on and off-field leadership and still clearly best 22 assuming fit and ready to go. Needs to get the body right for next season. Would also get him to hit the gym hard. Needs to add significant size to firstly help become more durable considering the type of game he plays, but also think it will help make him a better player because physically he can impose himself to a greater extent. Has a naturally thin body type so it will be difficult for Maxy to gain that size but really just has to work through it with the KPPs and get on a heavy weights program similar to what they do.
20. Leigh Brown: Has played his role well all season without standing out. Why he is so important is because he is that big body up forward who can take the pressure off Cloke and Dawes to help further increase their effectiveness. Also his tackling for a big bloke is sensational and is an absolute highlight of his game. Very important player structurally and an important player even if his stats sheet might not suggest it. Will need to find a replacement either on our own list or trade into a replacement. My recommendation is to trade hard for Geelong’s Trent West.
21. Alan Didak: Has understandably had a slow start to the season but hasn’t really ever looked settled this year. Can’t burn off opponents like he could previously but more importantly he isn’t hitting targets he would hit 100% of the time by foot which is the big worry for mine. Still clever with the ball and is every bit a vital part to the Collingwood machine. Over the break will have to work hard to fully get his conditioning back to his best and Arizona will be big for him! Needs to his get pace, endurance and even strength up to the best he can because if he can get back to his 2010 form he could be a big part in our premiership chances in 2012! Also would like to see him work as hard as possible on getting his kicking back to the best he can. If he can do all that then as finishing touches would be to work on tackling as well as marking ability to get him to that next level.
----- Best 22 Quality (But not guaranteed games every week at Collingwood)
22. Jarryd Blair: Had really lively start to the season but probably hasn’t fully recaptured that form. Tackling was good throughout the season but his influence wasn’t nearly as consistent as you would like. Have always believed that Blair is best through the midfield and like McCarthy suffers from being behind better players. Will be a real fight next year with the likes of Fasolo and possibly even Seedsman looking to take his place in the senior side. To improve further Blair really needs to develop that top level speed because we do need that fast tackling forward. Would also look for him to work on endurance to give himself the best chance to push into the midfield but also if playing forward to significantly work his opponent over through superior work rate and running ability. To be honest I’d look to trade Blair on now, has been a regular over the past 2 seasons, played in all the grand finals and really his value will never be higher. Will help relieve salary cap space, with a developing Fasolo will likely get passed by. Additionally the development of Ugle and the addition of Elliot mean that Blair can easily be replaced with a like for like swap which makes it an even more logical trade option.
23. Tyson Goldsack: Glandular fever has meant a slow start to the season where he lost all that weight. Ideal sub option with his flexibility of position and most importantly with his ability to close games harder than just about anyone. Would easily make any other opposition best 22. What makes Goldsack so good is his closing speed which allows him to go for incredibly impressive tackles. As well as this with his length which allows him to spoil opponents pretty easily. Long kicking is a highlight even if from kickouts he is rather predictable. Real confidence player who if given regular opportunities at AFL level can perform to an incredibly high level and to a higher level than maybe believe. To improve I’d look for Goldsack to improve his composure under pressure, looks more pressured than most when he has ball in hand and really needs to become much quicker and cleaner by hand. Also needs to continue working at reading the ball and providing rebound off opposition kicks as the likes of Reid and Maxwell do to perfection. On kickouts really needs to improve and look for more options as well as clean up the consistency of his kicking a fair bit. Some additional size would do Goldy no harm since he is very slender.
24. Alex Fasolo: How good has this kid been? First season kid who coming into the draft was considered a top 35 prospect. Really nice surprise to see him drop to us, and he has not disappointed. Has looked fantastic so far on a forward flank for us and with every week continues to get better. His kicking for goal as well as his tackling have been highlights. Can win the hard ball and you’d think he will only get better. One thing Fas really needs to work on is his unselfishness. At every opportunity he just blasts off for goal, even in unrealistic situations and really needs to look for those team options allot more consistantly. In the future he needs to better sum up when to go for goal and when to pass off. Really needs to become allot less selfish and make the Medhurst transformation from a forward who plays for himself to a forward who plays to get team mates involved and make them look better and help them get into the game. Would also like to see Fasolo work on his tackling pressure inside 50 as well as work on his endurance and work rate so that he can work his man over and more consistently have an influence. Size will come and no doubt will also spend time adding serious size over the summer and well as work on his inside ball winning ability which already isn’t bad, but is something that could be a big strength in coming years for Fas.
----- Depth at this stage but hopefully many will be more than this in the future (Where they are at based on form now)
25. John McCarthy: Has absolutely dominated at VFL level to such an extent that he has forced his way into the senior side during the middle bit of the season. Certainly hasn’t looked out of place at AFL level both up forward or through the midfield but at the same time doesn’t look good enough to ever break into our best 22 permanently which is the question with McCarthy. Quality depth and a fantastic surprise with one of his first injury free seasons in recent memory. Plays his best footy through the midfield but because our midfield is so loaded there just isn’t room for him in our best 22 unless it is for injury. Along with Simon Buckley has done a fantastic job of improving and proving viable options for when injuries hit. Don’t see him being around long term with better talent coming through in Fasolo, Bolton and Seedsman make him very replaceable player since it will be a hard task to go past any of our existing midfielders. Had a disappointing close to the season considering the way he was dominating for the most part at VFL level which was probably the only thing I considered disappointing about McCarthy’s season. Is at that age where maybe he gets delisted. Maybe he gets traded.
26. Simon Buckley: Started out this season making terrible decisions much of the time, and looked pressured, but with regular games started to gain some confidence in his ability but has in this later part like McCarthy really tapered off. A bit like Goldy, a real confidence player who performs best when his coach and playing group have complete faith in his ability. Has a great long kick on him! But at the age of 24 you’re looking for a best 22 player and not a career fringe player who is only really there as injury cover. There are better young talents coming through in Bolton, Young and Seedsman who make him very much expendable at his age like McCarthy. I don’t regard Simon as best 22 material yet, and I’m not sure he ever will be for Collingwood with superior young talents coming through. Is at that age where maybe he gets delisted. Maybe he gets traded. But I get the feeling we will retain him for another season. Personally would trade though because after a reasonable season his trade value likely won’t be any higher this time next year!
27. Josh Thomas: Absolute clearance machine and wins plenty of the contested footy. Such a good inside reader of the ball and in congestion is a standout. Tackling is solid. Has fantastic breakaway speed and a reasonable skill set. Could soon go from a very good inside player to a dominant inside player if he continues adding that size to his frame. Would be THE optimal replacement if Luke Ball was ever to miss a game. Needs to continue to add more size to his frame. Also improving his endurance is vital to take that next step, and probably could to add some positional flexibility because it won’t be easy knocking anyone out of the midfield rotation! So maybe like Luke Ball that means learning how to play forward. Needs to trail Luke Ball all off season because his game is just so similar and he could learn so much from him. Perfect player to model his game on and hopefully in 2-3 years time can do everything that Luke is doing now and eventually replace him.
28. Cameron Wood: Will need to keep developing if he wants to make a career for himself at AFL level! At this stage he looks like a depth ruckman only. Certainly not someone you would want playing as your no.1 ruck if you want a serious chance of winning a premiership! Particularly struggles at boundary throw-ins and physically just gets out muscled far too easily because he lacks that strength through the legs and also that core strength. Desperately needs to add that core strength and strength through the legs if he is ever going to take that next step. Really needs to build up his endurance base to allow him to work harder around the ground for more than a quarter or a half each game, which is obvious because he never puts together four quarter efforts. Also needs to become more consistent by hand and by foot as well as working on his contested marking ability. Will be retained at year’s end, but with Witts likely to join us next year he needs to lift significantly if he wants to have a long career at AFL level. Because he isn’t playing nearly well enough to get a ruck job at any team and will be passed very quickly! Also next season I wouldn’t at any stage plan to play Jolly and Wood in the same side, Wood cannot play the no.2 ruck role and up forward is a liability and unlike L.Brown, since Wood doesn’t have that pressure side to his game. Wood should be pushed to develop into a no.1 ruckman. But I do have my doubts it will ever eventuate.
29. Lachlan Keeffe: Keeffe is an interesting one who has since arriving at the club shown great progress. Really seems to be a quick learner even though he started football late after having come from a soccer background. Still very skinny and needs to add another 10+kg, but for a 204cm kid who can run and kick like a medium size player, that is a huge win! With N.Brown’s current knee issues it looks entirely possible that Keeffe pushes past him as a defender. This offseason Keeffe will need to work hard on firstly building up his strength significantly and adding as much size as he can but also work on his ruckwork and learn the position and things such as where to run, when to push forward and generally learn the position and role as best he can because with the retirement of Leigh Brown, Keeffe looks like the logical and least bad choice as replacement based on what we have on our list. Hasn’t closed out the season as hard as I might have liked but I think he will come back hard and continue his improvement in 2012 and hopefully break into the squad as a regular.
30. Paul Seedsman: Skinny, but not out of his depth at VFL level. Classy ball user with pace and great agility. Tackles well and his tackles stick which is pleasing for such a skinny lad. Needs to put on significant size over the break before AFL debut, but showing some great promise. Consistent from game to game and continues to show improvement which is a great sign. Don’t be surprised to see Seedsman break through into the senior side next year and surprise a few. Very encouraging start to his career. Plays not unlike a young Pendlebury. Don’t be surprised to see him play fairly regularly in the senior side next year. Just needs to work hard in the gym to build up his body as well as working on his contested ball winning ability.
31. Jye Bolton: How good has this kid been? Had a great start to the season, started to taper off but gee he has come back hard and finished off the season well! Very happy with the way he has started off his career! Could very easily play on a on a wing or forward flank at AFL level without much difficulty. Has fantastic endurance and you can see how much he loves playing footy. Just tries his guts out every time he takes the field and watching him play you see a player who really, really wants to make it. Another of those rookie selections who like a Nick Maxwell will just will his way into the senior side through wanting it more than the next player. Deserves to be promoted onto the senior list at the end of the season. I’d like to see young Bolts continue to work on the consistency of his kicking. Inside game is coming along nicely and will no doubt put more work into it. Looks likely to break through for a couple of games next year at the rate he is coming along. I’m cautiously optimistic for his future and if he keeps working hard on his game I think he can make the grade.
32. Luke Rounds: Had a slow and inconsistent start to the season but has put that behind him and strung together some better games in the second half of the season. Has nice speed, and played a fantastic game on Brent Harvey which he seems to have taken allot of confidence out of. Still has a long way to go if he wants to come close to becoming a best 22 player at some point though. Do have my doubts as to where he will fit and whether he will be good enough long term and personally would be very open to trading him. Think a few could pass him by but none the less I think he will be retained for another season since he is so young and has shown he can compete at AFL level. Even if he only looks long term like a depth player. Hope I’m wrong though! To take that next step probably needs to work on his endurance and work rate, as well as this would also like to see him improve on his contested ball winning ability. Was drafted as a midfielder and I’d like to see him get a shot in there since I don’t really like what he has produced up forward or down back – due to lack of consistency.
33. Ben Sinclair: Speedy player with incredible hardness and desire to continually go hard at the man for the tackle. Really reminds me allot of Jaxson Barham. Still needs to physically develop more as well as improve the consistency of his kicking. Will have enjoyed his debut game and will want to keep building on his form for next season. Over the break just needs to add significant size and as well as this continue to work on the consistency of his kicking and also continue to build up his endurance.
34. Kirk Ugle: Tiny fella. Has loads of speed. Defensive pressure is very good and needs to keep building on this! Needs to impact the scoreboard more and add a few more strings to his bow. But has talent and a fair bit to work with. Less advanced than Blair was at this stage of his development. But better as a pure, natural forward. Could add more penetration to his set shot goal kicking, but with time that should develop. Also has midfield potential. A fair bit of talent to work with. Just needs to keep improving and adding more strings to his bow to give himself the greatest chance of making the grade. Over the break needs add significant muscle but also needs to work particularly hard on his strength through the legs so that he can add that extra kicking penetration. Would also like to see him continue to work on his tackling pressure and finishing skills around goal because if he makes the side, this is what he will make the side off.
35. Tom Young: Had a slow start to the season after taking out the VFL B+F last year, but has slowly started to look better as the season has gone. Shows nice dash from defence and isn’t afraid to take on opposition players, even seems to have some midfield potential. Is a big time ball winner. Has a nice work rate. Can accumulate big tackling numbers. Will be interesting to see what role he develops into. Allot of things need cleaning up if he wants to make the grade. Still seems to be learning the structures. Needs to develop much cleaner hands. Allot of work over the break needs to go into his kicking needs to be cleaned up as well as his decision making. Needs to develop serious core strength so that when he takes on players he can break the tackles more easily because he too often gets caught and goes to ground and can get pushed around a little. Think he can develop into a solid AFL level player if he continues to progress and continues to work hard on his weaknesses and learn the game, but still has a long way to go. Promising start to his career but not nearly there and if far from assured of a career at the next level.
36. Brent Macaffer: Had a slow start to the season with injury issues and really hasn’t picked up where he left off in 2010 unfortunately. Has been struggling with injury throughout the season and seems to have been struggling with the pace of the game. Needs to lay those hard tackles inside 50 as he was in 2010 while also being another marking presence up forward as we know he can be. Kicking goals is a bonus and in future seasons will want him to start to hit the scoreboard more consistently. Should with a full preseason get back to playing some of his better footy and hopefully he can get back to, if not improve on his 2010 form, because when he is playing his better footy he can be a very valuable player. Will want to have a solid preseason though. Really needs to get his conditioning back to his best. Work hard at his speed, agility and work rate. Needs to get back his tackling and marking ability. Then as a finishing touch would look for him to improve on his goal kicking. Would not trade firstly because he doesn’t have any value due to his season which suffered due to injury, but secondly because we don’t have another like for like replacement on our list, other than perhaps Daniel Farmer as a medium forward.
----- Development projects who still need time and aren’t ready to play senior footy.
37. Shae McNamara: Has had an up and down season with some spectacular highs, but just as many spectacular lows. Still learning the game and still makes lots of mistakes. But gee he can do some special things sometimes for someone his size! Has had some fantastic games in the ruck and now looks to have found a spot on the wing, which really suits him. Needs to play well and have an influence more consistently if he ever wants to make the grade. While older than Wood the thing working in McNamara’s favour is that unlike Wood he has make some serious progress and in his good games can seriously dominate. But at the age of 26 it is hard to keep a project player around for a 3rd season.
38. Thomas Gordon: Big key position player who should have gone in the main draft last year. Strong overhead and one on one. Has been really solid for a first year KPD and his kicking is a feature. Like him because he has that ability to play back or forward. Worth persisting with as a rookie even if as depth and well and truly deserves a second season for mine because he has looked solid. To improve needs to continue to work on his speed and agility so that he can keep all opponents. Will no doubt spend considerable time in the gym over the break to continue his physical development. Also would like to see Gordon work hard on his rebounding game from defence and develop his ability to mark in 1v1 situations and ability to read the ball off the opposition boot better than the forward so that he can take the intercepting mark.
39. Jonathan Ceglar: The bonus we got out of the Krakouer deal. Solid ruck prospect who has at times shown some good signs in the first half of the season but has since really dropped off. Can look dangerous up forward at times. Has a long way to go but I think he will put the work in. Needs time. With Witts likely in 2-3 years time to take over from Jolly when he retires Ceglar might be a good no.2 ruck option because he does have the ability to play forward and look dangerous at times which makes him a good candidate for the role. Interestingly since Witts has joined the VFL squad Ceglar seems to have made an extra special effort to play some better footy. But long term I do see Witts as the better player. Regardless Ceglar is worth persisting with but needs time. Needs to hit the gym hard and add as much size as he can. Liked some of his work up forward and working on his leading patterns and contested marking ability would be of great benefit.
40. Daniel Farmer: Had a very slow start to the season but has since that mid way point really started to show great progress. Needs to get stronger because he can get bumped off the ball too easily and needs to continue to work on winning his own ball. Work rate is getting better and is starting to play smarter, learning to run to the right places and look dangerous up forward at times. Think he can have a future, but needs time and needs to work hard to make it happen. Needs a big preseason because he is a long way back but if he applies himself there is absolutely no reason why he can’t make it. Worth persisting with and would give him a second season on the senior list. Big things are really working on that strength as well as ability to win the contested footy. Would also like to see Farmer add some more weapons to his game, so some extra kicking penetration, some more pace and improved marking and tackling ability will help.
41. Paul Cribbin: Has done allot better than expected! Not out of his depth at VFL level which is great to see for the young Irishman. When he has the ball in hand looks very good at times. Has nice pace. Still learning the game. Allot of improvement to come, still needs to get better defensively and would like for him to add tackling into his game which always seems to take the longest for the Irish to learn. Looks good on a back flank or on a wing. Worth giving him a second year. Improve his tackling, marking and add some more size and continue to work on his skill level and decision making and maybe he can take that next step.
42. Scott Reed: Being in his 3rd year on the rookie list a decision needs to be made as to whether he gets promoted or delisted. With our list situation it will be incredibly difficult to fit him onto our senior list. Can let himself down with his ball use sometimes and really needs to find a role. Needs to play more consistency from week to week and the development just hasn’t been there this year. Won’t be retained.
43. Declan Reilly: Has shown some promising signs in the few VFL games he has played. Developing key position forward still with a long way to go. Can take a good grab and his set shot goalkicking is quite good. Needs to put on allot of size, and needs to build up his endurance. Very much a project. Needs to continue to develop if he wants to be retained. Probably doesn’t have enough of a standout feature for my liking to develop into more than just a depth KPF which is my question with Reilly. Unlikely to be retained, we can possibly do better, but lack of KPF depth works in his favour. I’d like to see him persist with his footy because I think he could have a solid VFL career.
44. Jack Perham: The mature age forward had a really strong start to the season up forward but after the first 7/8 games he has completely dropped off form wise. Was drafted as a depth KPF to replace Jack Anthony, but to be honest don’t even view him enough to be insurance. In the later part of the season got shifted back and was ok, but hardly incredible and we have more than enough key defenders on our list. Should get delisted, just hasn’t impressed me for enough this year and doesn’t look like any threat to break into our side at any stage.
45. Trent Stubbs: Was a Hawthorn NSW/ACT scholarship boy who decided to enter the national draft. Fascinating prospect and good athlete. Has missed most of the season. In the limited games we have seen his performances haven’t been anything incredible which is to be expected given the time he has been out. Don’t think he should receive a 2nd season on the senior list. Maybe we rookie him but that’s up to the club if they think he is worth a full season.
---- Yet to play/ injured (ignore the numbering)
46. Nathan Brown: Injured. Would probably be best 22. Look forward to seeing him back next year and hopefully he can have a better injury run in future seasons! Just needs to get all his injuries right and needs to get back to tip top condition for next season. Absolute top priority. Needs to build up that strength in the knees so that knee injuries don’t continue because long term he is a critically important piece!
47. Brad Dick: Has performed below expectation this season. Seems to be suffering from the same thing Sean Rusling has (too much time out of the game with injury and not enough confidence in his body when playing). Really needed to get his speed back as well as his tackling, but after his knee reco I have serious doubts that Dicky will get back to his early career best at all now unfortunately. His tackling energy and heart is what made him stand out and made him such a dangerous player. If we were to retain him he would take a good 2 years to get back into AFL condition, so I would definitely delist him because at his age we are better off trying out a new talent through the draft. With a list as strong as we have, it makes it near impossible to keep Dicky which is a shame because he is a great kid. Wouldn’t rookie him either. Obviously a player who can do what he use to be able to do would be big for us, but just don’t think Dick is any chance of getting back to anything close to his best with all the knee and shoulder injuries he has had. Has zero confidence in his body and you could see it all year, not committing to tackles and not attacking games in the way he used to early in his playing career.
48. Tom Hunter: Retired.
2011 final best 22:
F: Andrew Krakouer Chris Dawes Steele Sidebottom
HF: Dayne Beams Travis Cloke Ben Johnson
CEN: Dale Thomas Scott Pendlebury Sharrod Wellingham
HB: Nick Maxwell Ben Reid Leon Davis
B: Heath Shaw Chris Tarrant Alan Toovey
FOLL: Darren Jolly Luke Ball Dane Swan
BENCH: Harry O’Brien Leigh Brown Alan Didak Jarryd Blair
EMG: Tyson Goldsack Alex Fasolo Cameron Wood
Projected list changes at end of 2011 season: (Huge list turnover last year. Will elect to go minimal list turnover this year you’d think. Particularly with a VERY strong draft to come in 2012)
Retire:
Leigh Brown (Has already announced retirement. Has been a handy role player in his couple of years with the club. Is going to give coaching a go and will join Neeld in Melbourne. Think he might prove to be a good choice by Neeld)
Delist:
Brad Dick (Sad that he has had such a bad run with injuries. Just can’t see him getting back to his best and will take too much time to get back up to pace. Not in our best interests to give him another season for mine, waste of list space)
Trent Stubbs (Last pick in last years draft. Has been out for most of the season and hardly played a VFL game. Up to the club whether they want to offer him a rookie position, but certainly shouldn’t be retained on the senior list)
Possible delist (really comes down to how many draft selections we want to use this year):
John McCarthy: Has had a solid and injury free season. Has been ripping it up at VFL level and at AFL level hasn’t looked out of place. The question is whether he will ever break into the best 22. For me the answer looks to be a clear no because currently there are much better talents in our side and better talents coming through (Fasolo, Bolton and Seedsman). So his position is at risk given his age and lack of best 22 potential. Could be a good trade option for other teams though because he is still without a doubt an AFL level talent.
Simon Buckley: Buckley is in the same boat as McCarthy. Has had a very good season and has exceeded the expectations of most. But the same question applies. Where does he fit in our best 22? I don’t believe he does. Ben Johnson won’t be around for many more years and he looks like a fairly natural replacement but I believe like with McCarthy there are better young talents in (Bolton, Young and Seedsman) who make him expendable and don’t really make him best 22 relevant – which at the age of 24 you really need to be. Given his good season could be a good trade option for other teams because his kicking is a big weapon and I suggest there would be more than a couple of best 22s he could fit into. Won’t ever have more value than he does from a Collingwood perspective so move him on now.
Rookie delist:
Tom Hunter (Retired)
Jack Perham (Was drafted to replace Jack Anthony as some immediate forward depth. Started the season on fire, but has really dropped off in a hurry and just no longer looks competitive. We can do better)
Scott Reed (3rd year, but just no spot for him in senior side. No obvious player who he could possibly replace in the near future. Looks like a depth player only which isn’t good enough for a senior upgrade)
Shae McNamara (2nd year, will be 26 at the end of the year. While he has been a neat experiment, it is very hard to retain him even with the strong progress he has made. Too inconsistent and too far back)
Possible delist:
Declan Reilly (Still very young, but in the Jack Carter boat of 2010. Improving but very long term project and doesn’t have enough standout talent to suggest that he will be best 22 at any stage)
Trade week possibilities:
With the retirement of Leigh Brown I’d be pushing hard to find an immediate replacement through trade week. Trent West is the optimal replacement and for mine because he is an upgrade who could also take over long term as the no.1 ruckman but can also play the no.2 role alongside Jolly which makes him an ideal fit. Otherwise I’d be looking at value and players who look like they could fit clearly into our best 22 – which will not be easy.
Trades I’d look at:
Marty Clarke (Via GWS): (It will come down to whether he wants to come back for starters, no guarantees. But if he does want to come back I’d be very keen to get him back on board. Kicking very good and weighs his kicks perfectly and endurance is elite. Physically stronger than when he left, but will take time to get his AFL touch back. I’m confident he will work and get back into the side, possibly as a forward flanker)
Luke Brown (Via GWS): (Really nice attacking half back who I’d really be keen to get in a Marty Clarke deal. GWS probably want to keep him because he is quality, but if we trade pick 25 to GWS I’d want Luke Brown in return)
Ben Brown (Via GWS): (Player I was keen on last year. Ruckman/key forward. Plays both well and probably like him most as a forward. Could play that no.2 ruck role. Really raw but the talent is there. Could be a long term no.2 ruck option)
Adam Kennedy (Via GWS): (Mid/back flanker. What stands out is his maturity and leadership skills. Real high character type. Good all rounder. Someone I know Buckley would like)
Ahmed Saad (Via GWS): (Probably the best crumbing forward running around the state leagues. Really lively type, gives good tackling energy and knows where the goals are. Could step into the senior side immediately to let allow a Sidebottom or Krakouer most midfield minutes)
Sam Dwyer (Via GWS): (Probably the best mid running around at VFL level. Is that class above. Immediate player and hard worker. Very agile and has nice pace and skill level very good. Delivery to forwards is great. Could also play some forward flank as well as midfield)
Tim Mohr (Via GWS): Probably the final of the players I’d look at via GWS if we look for a 2nd player in a trade for Clarke. Key position defenders and probably the better of those going around the state leagues. While we have enough developing KPDs he is good enough to come in now and not look out of place and with injury questions still on Nathan Brown maybe in 2-3 years time could prove to be a reasonable pickup)
Trent West (My no.1 trade target. Perfect replacement for Leigh Brown as our no.2 ruck. Has the versatility to play forward or back. Strong mark overhead. Big leap. Strong enough to play the no.1 ruck role now and is good enough to take over the no.1 role once Jolly retires. Think he will develop into a top 10 league ruckman and soon. Get him because he will be completely untouchable this time next year)
Danyle Pearce (Would give our midfield that next dimension with his line breaking ability. As an outside player would only benefit from playing in a better team and it is not unrealistic to think his production and influence will increase with it)
Majak Daw (Is my other possible Leigh Brown replacement. Super athletic tall. Can move into the ruck and compete well in there while also having the pace and ability to play other positions. I’m convinced he will make the grade at AFL level and the man is ready to play now. Get him now before value increases because this likely will be the only chance to get him if we want him!)
Sam Gilbert (Had a poor season, but is a proven player and we all know what he can produce. Might need a change of club and I think we would be that ideal club for him. Maxwell is starting to show his age and likely won’t be around for too many more years. Gilbert is as good of a like for like replacement down back you can get. Is another of those who can read the ball as well as anyone and just gets all those marks off opposition kicks. Valuable. Would be a clear top 15 player at the club for mine)
Josh Toy (Rumour is that he wants to return to Victoria and if true I’d recommend that Collingwood get in on the action. High level talent for Gold Coast who probably hasn’t benefited from playing a defensive role down back and because of it hasn’t played senior games regularly. Incredible attacking defender who is physically very strong and is amongst the best kicks you will ever see with either foot and his penetration is first rate. Would look at him if the right trade possibility came up. Defensively isn’t incredible and still has a long way to go but I think he could be a big time player for us if we could add him)
Players I would have on the trade table: (Outside of this wouldn’t be comfortable trading anyone else)
Simon Buckley: Has had a big year and shown big improvement. Has a big weapon of a kick on him but not sure where he fits in our future plans because he isn’t a best 22 player. Can see him being of AFL relevance for a number of other AFL clubs and I think a few might come knocking at our door.
John McCarthy: Has dominated at VFL level and then stepped in at AFL level and also looks quite good. Just outside of our best 22 and it is hard to see him getting in with the likes of Swan, Pendlebury, Thomas, Ball, Wellingham and the like all ahead of him. Could be a good value pickup for another club and would receive greater opportunities and regular games which would be fantastic to see because he can play.
Luke Rounds: Someone I’d consider putting on the market if it means getting a deal through. Unsure if he will make our best 22 over the next few years which is why I’d put him on the market. But had a great debut game shutting down Brent Harvey down back. The weapon Rounds possesses is his speed and when up and going can give serious dash from defence or through the midfield. Maybe another club see value in him. If not will be retained no problem.
Ben Sinclair: Another of those I’d be willing to move on if an opposition club if it means getting a deal through. Very Jaxson Barham-esque in that he is a super speedy tackling machine and like Barham probably isn’t necessarily the best ball user or decision maker. Under Buckley this will be something I’m sure he will put a heavy weighting on and long term not confident he will make it. This doesn’t necessarily mean he has looked out of place at AFL level but more so a case of like with Rounds we probably have some better young talent coming through on our list and it is hard to see him securing that permanent position in our best 22 at any stage.
1st round pick 2011: Been a long time since we have had the opportunity to use this selection now since we have been active in trade week but if it means getting an important trade through it is probably one of the more realistic assets we can trade. But certainly I’m fine with keeping it, there are more than just a couple of options I’m warming to who could be available when our 1st selection comes around so by no means does it need to be traded.
Brad Dick: Will be delisted if no club wants him. Maybe a club like West Coast throw a garbage pick at us (eg. 5th or 6th round pick they have no intention of using). Just up to opposition clubs to weight up whether they are willing to deal with his poor run with injuries and give him the time to recover and get back his confidence in his body which won’t be a quick process! Won’t be back to anything near his best before 2013 which is the risk involved in taking Dicky on.
Jarryd Blair: Many would consider this a questionable trade. Is our lucky charm and has been good since joining the club. Best 22 at this stage. But to be honest I don’t think he will be best 22 next year with Fasolo who should pass him by. Value is probably as high as it ever will be so I would be very open to trading if it means we can retain other key players – Toovey + Macaffer.
Tyson Goldsack: Might request a trade in which case perhaps we have move him on and probably for his career would recommend it to be perfectly honest because he will receive greater opportunity at other clubs. If he wants to stay I would have no objection to keeping him because he looks like a logical replacement for Maxwell in 2 or so years when he retires.
Have been rumoured. But would not trade:
Brent Macaffer: Now isn’t the most logical time to move Macaffer on since he has had a season ruined by injury. Like with Goldsack I have no problem with us keeping him because long term I do think he has chances to make it into our best side because he can play a unique role as a strong medium forward who also gives that strong tackling pressure in our forward half. It would take a very good deal to consider moving him, a pick less than 30 just wouldn’t be in our best interests. There has been talk West Coast are interested so something like Macaffer and Dick for pick 23 might be somewhere around the mark if he is to be traded. But if anything less than this don’t want to hear about it personally. Is a required player in my books and would trade S.Buckley/McCarthy and even Blair before I move Macaffer.
Alan Toovey: Toovey based on the quality of season he had is not worth trading. His type being a high level role player just isn’t something which is typically in demand and you are just never going to get the currency back for a player like this. Is absolutely a must retain. Only type of trade I would even consider entertaining is a trade for a ruckman of Trent West’s quality or better. Toovey could be replaced, Tarrant would be a likely option because he can play tall + small meaning N.Brown comes back into our best 22, but still you just don’t trade away required players. Toovey this year played to an All Australian standard by position and considering the way he has improved with every season it just isn’t in our best interests to move him on. Simple as that. Just needs to get that contract sorted out.
Trade week analysis:
Additions:
Marty Clarke: Really great to have Marty back. From all reports is in fantastic shape and has come back with maturity and an attitude and determination which suggests that he will attack this preseason hard. Endurance is still very good but has over his time in Ireland really stacked on some muscle to his unconventional stocky frame. Kicking was always a big strength of Marty’s and his ability to weight his kicks and put it to the perfect spot for targets up the ground is his big strength. Would like to see Marty used as an attacking wing or possibly as a high forward flank because his delivery to forwards is fantastic, and also seems to have the instincts of someone who wants to be more involved in general play more often and really attack the game more through offensive influence. Will want to work on his tackling ability which has gone to that next level since he was last at the club, could work on building that right foot and under Buckley you’d expect he’d want Marty to be able to win more of his own contested footy at his size and be better in those congested situations. I don’t think Marty will start off in our best 22, but what I do know is that he will work until he makes it back into our best side, will definitely be eying a spot for ANZAC Day as he loves the big stage. One other additional note about the Marty Clarke trade is that it really makes Simon Buckley a little unnecessary because he can play much the same positions and roles, but probably is that little bit better in most categories – is a better kick (slightly less penetration even though I think it would be closer than many think), Marty’s endurance is much better but most importantly Marty’s decision making ability is significantly better and doesn’t get pressured with the footy as Buckley can.
Jamie Elliott: Handy small forward to get in the Clarke deal. Gives us a crumbing forward who can give us big tackling pressure in the forward half. Is probably a depth quality forward, but is good enough to come into the side if required and allows us to delist Brad Dick. What would have caught Derek Hine’s eye would have been his game v Tasmania in the u18 champs this year where he individually dominated the game both through the midfield and up forward. In terms of this year’s draft would have been a late/rookie selection.
Peter Yagmoor: Talented wing/back flanker from Queensland. Has a high skill level and a nice left foot kick on him. Fair bit of talent to work with. Was drafted/traded into with the idea of being a long term Leon Davis/Ben Johnson replacement. Would have been a mid draft option otherwise.
Did we overpay? I do consider pick 25 for Clarke and Elliot to be overpaying. Marty at his age and considering he is by no means a lock in our best 22 would be worth no more than our 2nd round selection on his own. Then Elliot was really a needs based pick, and like last year with Ceglar taking this needs based player before the draft happens is handy, but again even with Elliot I do think we overpaid. This isn’t to say we necessarily lost this deal, for all we know pick 25 doesn’t play a game and Clarke/Elliot go on to have long careers with the Pies, but I ndo feel we payed above market value, even if it means we get our man back and add a handy player who fills a necessary need.
But in saying that we have overpaid, I’m not disappointed in the trade as others might be. Very happy to get Marty back and really excited to see what he can produce and Elliot isn’t really a bad selection either and is a reasonably good, ready to play 19 year old.
The price paid for Yagmoor was not bad. Had he not been zoned would on draft day gone somewhere around pick 50, so trading pick 47 for Yagmoor and pick 50 is quite a reasonable deal. Fills a need with Davis leaving and Johnson likely with only one more season left in him.
Projected best 22 2012 (End of season based on what we have now):
F: Andrew Krakouer Chris Dawes Alex Fasolo
HF: Luke Ball Travis Cloke Marty Clarke
CEN: Dale Thomas Scott Pendlebury Paul Seedsman
HB: Nick Maxwell Ben Reid Harry O’Brien
B: Heath Shaw Chris Tarrant Alan Toovey
FOLL: Darren Jolly Sharrod Wellingham Dane Swan
BENCH: Dayne Beams Steele Sidebottom Lachlan Keeffe Ben Johnson
EMG: Alan Didak Nathan Brown Cameron Wood
Draft plan:
Those we can add pre draft:
Those I would add pre draft to our senior list:
Jarrod Witts (NSW/ACT Scholarship. 209cm, 114kg ruckman! Showed allot since joining the Collingwood VFL side and showed that he can be a physical presence up forward. He blows up pretty easy in the ruck and can’t spend long periods in there at this stage because the match fitness isn’t there but he has shown more than just a couple of signs to suggest that he might have a future at AFL level with time. Has that big body and is starting to use it to advantage which is great to see! Should go senior list)
To add to rookie list:
Michael Harley (NSW/ACT Scholarship. Key position defender. 196cm. Athletic background and was high jumper. Like Witts has shown promise this season and also looks like great value! Stylistically he plays allot like Presti. Limited offensive game. Interesting KPD prospect and would likely have gone in the main draft otherwise, good get)
Caolan Mooney (Irish recruit. Haven’t seen the kid play but from the highlight clips I’ve seen he has incredible speed. Talk is he will start in a forward pocket, maybe this is the work on the defensive side of his game, which often takes a while for the Irish to develop. With his athleticism could be a really nice long term option on a wing)
Some who I’d recommend we look at with each selection:
Pick 50:
Waylen Manson would be my choice if for whatever reason he slides regardless of whoever else is available. Is the most talented player in this year’s draft and the sky is the limit for the guy. He could develop into a better player than Jonathan Patton if he applies himself to his footy. Is someone who could easily fit into a forwardline along with Dawes/Cloke or Witts and whoever else we have in our forwardline as he showed playing alongside Fevola. Just marks everything that comes in his general direction because he has the big leap, long arms and ability to take it at the highest point consistently, so as another marking target up front he would add allot, looking at all those marks Geelong took down back over our forwardline in the grand final, with Manson in our forwardline we would be taking allot more of those inside 50 marks and be allot more dangerous when we enter the forward 50 with those high entries.
We have the resources to help Manson make the transition to the big city and adjust to the culture change. Playing footy and producing will be the easy part. If drafted would recommend Andrew Krakouer work closely with him and do everything in his power to make Manson fit in. Would also recommend Nathan Buckley as coach to form a strong bond with him, because if he can feel like a part of the Collingwood family and if our players can show him that they have his back, I’m confident he can develop into an out and out super star of the competition. As well as this Manson is really the only key forward option with the potential to develop, because after all the best key forwards just about always come from the 1st round, so getting Manson at 50, whether he works out or not is a gift because you just don’t get that much talent that late in any draft anymore, very rare a player of this quality slips through. Has allot of holes in his game: defensive side of his game nonexistent at this stage, doesn’t handball, is a goal first mentality forward, but personally very happy with the fit.
If Manson is not available which I suspect best available is the best approach. Some others I’d look at if available include: Sebastian Ross, Shane Kersten, Josh Waldhuter, Murray Newman, Thomas Sheridan, Jimmy Webster, Sam Kerridge, Lee Spurr Sam Frost, Michael Bussey, Tom Downie, Jordan Lockyer, Jackson Paine, Jackson Merrett, Jack Newnes and Kyal Horsley.
Pick 65:
Daniel Currie (Now that he has been delisted by Sydney he is one I very much want. Is the best option out there as an immediate replacement for L.Brown in that no.2 ruck role. As a ruckman is an upgrade and is that little bit taller but Currie also adds a fair bit around the ground and can sneak forward and take a big grab which is why I see him as a really good fit into our side and a significantly better no.2 ruck option to Cameron Wood. Fits our age profiling perfectly, is young enough to develop with the list but is also pretty ready to play which makes him the ideal addition. Quality at 65 being a fairly shallow draft will be limited and considering we have already added Elliot and Yagmoor during trade week we don’t need more young kids. In Currie we add a similar potential premiership player who could like Leigh Brown a couple of years back similarly be a bargain)
Pick 67:
Jarrod Witts (Through NSW/ACT Scholarship promotion)
Rookie draft options:
Michael Hartley (Through NSW/ACT Scholarship promotion)
Caolan Mooney (Via Ireland)
*Daniel Farmer (To be rookied)
*Jye Bolton (Do I have to beg? Please re-rookie!)
Daniel Currie: (If available and if we don’t take in the national draft. Is a must take)
Ben Brown: Overlooked last year but doesn’t mean he isn’t worth a look this year now that he has recovered from his knee reco. Project tall KPF/ruckman. Might also be able to get via GWS.
Haiden Schlothe: Small forward of the Mark LeCras type. Really knows where the goals are and is dangerous whenever he has the ball in his hands. Also is a great tackler inside 50. Would take over Jamie Elliot and even with a few of those smaller forward options would still very much draft. Rate him inside my top 30 prospects on quality.
Beau Black: Was a NSW/ACT rookie aligned with Geelong. Geelong have decided not to take him as a rookie. Super high level athlete with an incredible leap and good speed + endurance. Have liked his play as a disciplined small shut down defender.
Mitch Brewer: Big ruckman who like Witts is from a rugby background. 204cm and 119kg. 19 year old. Showed big improvement up in QLD this year and that’s the thing you look for in these types of rookie ruckman. If we don’t take Currie in the national draft, Brewer would be the other player I’d really push hard for us to look at as a possibility. Long term as an option to play with Witts would be very imposing for any side to play against.
Matthew Jacquier: Talented medium forward with a really nice skill set. Skill level very high and finishes well around goal.
Aseri Raikiwasa: Athletic undersized key defender. High level athlete, well built already and was captain of the SA u18 side.
Brett Eddy: If we are looking at an immediate KPF, Eddy is the man. Was having a super first season at VFL level but then hurt his knee. Won’t be back immediately but this just works into our favour if we want to rookie him because it will mean clubs will be put off drafting him in the main draft.
Jimmi Savage: High upside talented KPF who is an unbelievable athlete. Went in the rookie draft to GWS last year but has since gone back to SA. If he can prove he wants another shot he is worth taking a chance on. Might be able to get via GWS.
Ben Gazzola: Probably my preferred choice as a mature age KPF option. 21 year old. Very much a rookie type pick and only played his first year of SANFL this year. But potential is there. Big leap. Big strong body. Strong mark. Endurance is there. Probably not too unlike a Dawes which structurally makes him a possible rookie fit.
Patrick Rose: Small forward who had a great year at VFL level. Is one of those smalls who can really play up forward as a bit of a marking presence. Is a great finisher whenever around goal whether it be from a set shot or in general play. Has great agility and can dance around players. Really like his game and think of the mature agers Rose would be one of the better fits. Could replace Macaffer in our forward set up.
Dean Galea: Most ready to go key position player if looking around the state leagues. Had a great season and during the finals was fantastic. The thing that goes against him is his height (188cm). But is similar to Jack Anthony in many respects in that he is a big, aggressive physical presence and is a very strong mark overhead always marking at its highest point – which he needs to at his height.
Sam Dwyer: Immediate player who has been ripping it up at VFL level all season. Midfielder who can also play forward. Skill level is very good and has nice pace. Could fit into our rotation and best 22. Might also be able to get via GWS if keen.
Mark Baguley: Hard working, high character defender from Frankston VFL. Has been noted by the media that we are looking at him as a potential option. Might also be able to get via GWS if keen.
Link to old thread... http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=821968
While I'm at it I thought I'd make it up to date my player rankings as well as ideas for improvement. Updated list my ideas for delistings + retirements. As well as adding a number of relevant prospects we should look at in this years draft and some new trade ideas worth consideration.
Where I rate players based on season 2011 (reputations mean nothing on this list and form from years gone past does not come into consideration with regard to this list):
----- A graders
1. Scott Pendlebury: As he does every year has reached a whole new level. Continuing to build on his inside game and I would argue that he is very close to being the best midfielder in the league! Gets up consistently for those big games which is a measure of a champion. I suspect he will work on his contested marking ability over the offseason and add that to his game next season. Also look for Pendles to hit the gym hard over the summer so that he comes back even stronger next season.
2. Dale Thomas: The big things Daisy has added into his game over the past 24 months is not just his tackling and pressuring ability but also his endurance which has allowed him to produce greater numbers more consistently and influence the contest going both ways more consistently which is big for this team. In those last two finals really liked some of his clearance work and hardness at the footy and I expect him to come back stronger and a better clearance player next season. Expect him to spend much of his time in the gym to allow him to play that more inside game.
3. Dane Swan: Had an electric start to the season then seemed to struggle with some niggling injuries. Went to Arizona and came back fresh as a daisy and won a brownlow. Just needs to keep working on his ball use and inside ball winning + tackling. Expect production to continue next season.
4. Travis Cloke: Big season for the big forward and showed that he is one of the premier key forwards around the league. Big presence, strong 1v1, high work rate and unbelievable contested marking were the features of his game throughout the season. Goal kicking accuracy allot better this season and will no doubt continue to work hard on it over the break. Will also no doubt continue to work on body work and 1v1 contests as well as contested marking to further build on his greatest strength.
5. Ben Reid: Had an incredible season just continues improving with every game which is rather scary! Continues to improve defensively and his long kicking from defence still remains a serious weapon. Reads the ball like Maxy off the opposition boot and could be best described as a Sam Fisher with close to the best kick in the league. Kicking is a beautiful thing to watch with that 60-65m penetration and the speed and accuracy he can get them off to its intended target. Every game somehow seems to get into my best which is impressive for a KPD! Unfortunately had the poor finals series due to the injury he was carrying and after getting smashed in that final quarter of the grand final by Hawkins will want to come back hard next season. Will continue to work on the defensive side of his game as well as his strong marking game down back. Would also look to improve his closing speed and ability in the air which I think can still improve further. No doubt kicking will be further utilised next season so expect him to continue to make that better – if that is possible. And will also spend considerable time in the gym so that he gets stronger in those 1v1s.
6. Luke Ball: Had a sensational season and probably the best for his career! Makes our whole team better with his inside work and is a big reason why we are as good as we are. Like Cloke his professionalism is the reason why he is as good as he is and has added serious leadership to the team which has been a big factor in our success. Playing as hard as he did in 2010 but with a couple of differences worth mentioning since we all know what Ball does. Ball this season has been able to add an extra 10m to his kicking penetration and now can kick the full 50m if he wants to, and now can kick much more accurately to a target over a 30-40m range which is great to see! Certainly has increased his endurance and is really moving around the ground allot better and taking allot more marks than he would have previously. Speed is better which is also helping increase his tackling numbers. Has added marking into his game and is now taking strong marks around the ground as well as up forward. Amazingly accurate goal kicker whether it be from around the ground or from set shots. Kicked a number of clutch goals throughout the year with the highlights being the sealer v West Coast in that first final then with the match winning snap v Hawthorn which was near identical but from the other side. Over the offseason might continue to work on his marking ability and make it a further strength when he pushes forward as well as his kicking penetration to add that extra 5-10 metres. Could also continue working on his endurance, is very good already but with his tireless work ethic I think he can further improve it.
----- AA Form
7. Chris Tarrant: When talking about Tarrant the big things to note are his new found maturity, new leadership skills and willingness to speak up and be vocal. Really settled down back and is a key part of our defensive unit. Can be relied on and you can tell he plays for his jumper week in, week out which you just love to see. Much better at full back than he is at full forward now, as much as he’d hate to admit it. Down back would like for him to continue to attack the ball more and go for a couple more of those rebounding marks when practical. Was always a strong marking forward and needs to further utilise his ability to understand when the ball is coming into his direction to further advantage. Could from here on in be managed a little because he is a great asset and the more years we can get out of the champ the better.
8. Leon Davis: How good has this guy been this season? Fantastic story and could have gone either way. Has got his trademark speed back again which he didn’t have in 2010 and looks like a new man down back, and you can tell he really enjoys playing back there. Can beat his man 1v1 and is doing some creative and lively things down back. Kicking in from kick outs this season has been a highlight and his kicking consistency and decision making have only got better as the season has gone. Playing the footy of his life! Unfortunate to see that he has is decided to move on because the money wasn’t quite up to his expectations, $250k is still very decent money and as a vet with probably one more year left in him probably a little disappointing to see him reject our offer. Regardless has had a fantastic career with plenty of highlights and a couple of very productive seasons in those last few years in particular.
9. Heath Shaw: Really down back had a serious season and is our real defensive general. Offensively allot more consistent and isn’t getting tagged out of games as he has been over the past few years. Would have no doubt have received a position on the AA team had it not been for this whole betting thing forcing him to miss the remainder of the H+A season. Came back hard in the finals series and played some hard, intense footy. Will want to have a big offseason and come back even better for Buckley next year. Look for him to further improve his conditioning and endurance so that he can further push up the ground and provide even more quality rebound from the back half. Also look for him to hit the gym hard and add that little bit more size.
10. Alan Toovey: Has been a solid defensive anchor again in 2011 and even at times is adding some dash from defence and delivering some nice passes by foot which is nice to see. Kicking skills on the improve and very reasonable now after many questioned his kicking ability early career. Just doesn’t ever seem to get beaten on the lead or in 1v1s and defends against leading forwards as well as anyone and just spoils everything. Been absolutely sensational this season and has consistently shown that improvement from year to year. Just needs to further add to his rebounding ability from defence and knowing when he can leave his man and go for a run as well as continue to working on his footskills to make it better than average. Also would like to see him hit the gym and add a little bit more size without losing any of his speed.
----- Clear best 22
11. Dayne Beams: Has missed some time with injury this season but has been fantastic as always. Has built that set shot goalkicking into his game and is converting those shots he missed last year! Again winning allot of the ball and using it well with high hurt factor, rarely misses a target and is just one of those players where you just really want the ball in their hands because you know they are going to hurt the opposition every time. Next step is spending more time in the midfield, which he can certainly do with his ball winning ability. Needs to keep working hard on the defensive side to his game as well as building up that endurance as possibly working on his inside game and understand when to run forward and when to go for the inside ball. Do all this and hit the gym hard and add significantly more size on and he can be a regular part of our midfield rotation.
12. Sharrod Wellingham: Had a slow start to the season but has since then started to pick up where he left off in 2010. Still needs to become more of a consistent 4 quarter player but it was a great sign in the game where both Dale Thomas and Dane Swan were both missing against Melbourne where Sharrod stepped up and played his best game for his career so far. Hopefully a sign for things to come because in that game he really lifted with that added responsibility. I think next year might be a big year for Sharrod. He really needs to increase his production and numbers next year if we are to take that next step. Needs to build up that endurance+ work rate if he wants to improve his numbers + consistency. Also while his inside game is already good, look for him to keep working on his inside game so that he can become a more permanent inside player.
13. Ben Johnson: When he is playing is going really well, but has had some hamstring difficulties which have unfortunately kept him out of the action for much of the season. Best 22 if he can keep injury free. Form is good. Expect one more year from Ben, but might need to be managed and rested to ensure that he can get through the season and be ready to have a big impact in September. 2012 will probably be his last season but does definitely have that one more year left in him.
14. Andrew Krakouer: How good is the guy? Fantastic recruit and has done a fantastic job to establish himself in our best side. Has earned his position. Outstanding fit both up forward and through the midfield. Every game he seems to do something special and have an influence on the game. Real game breaker and a great asset. What he is really good at doing is creating time for himself in situations where others would have to rush the ball on less effectively. As the season has progressed Krakouer has really improved his tackling game. Look for him to continue to work on his endurance and work rate, as well as continuing to work further on the defensive side of his game. Could also do with some time in the gym and that little bit more size on his frame if he wants midfield time in 2012.
15. Steele Sidebottom: Is playing some good football again in 2011. Being in his 3rd year I would like to see Sidebottom have a bigger influence more often. If he can find that next level it will be big for us! Would like for us to start playing him through the midfield for more significant minutes, more than has the endurance to play a big part in there. The thing he has added to his game this year is his tackling which has been superb and really great to watch. Often throughout the season i’ve felt even though Sidey gets his 20 disposals often enough he really lacks that big impact on the game and can go pretty unnoticed. Needs to become more of an inside ball winner and add some more hurt factor when he has the ball to take the next step. Improving further on his kicking would be really beneficial and adding some lower, quicker kicks into his arsenal would be handy. Showed some nice signs in this year’s grand final of that ability and composure in traffic so just needs to keep working on his ability in those pressure situations. Needs to become more of an inside ball winner and needs to win more of that hard ball and not just wait outside of the packs all the time or just stream forward hoping we will win the ball. Also adding some more size would do his midfield aspirations no harm to allow him to play that more inside role.
16. Darren Jolly: Seemed to be carrying injury late 2010 and injury so far this year for the first time in a long time has been getting the better of him. Might need to be managed Brad Ottens style from here on in. Critical if we are to again have September/ October success again! Real competitor and will always work his tail off to play in every game such is his professionalism and preparation. Don’t think he has more than 2 years left in him so we really need to have a replacement ready now since Witts and Ceglar will both take time to develop into consistent and AFL quality ruckmen.
17. Chris Dawes: Had a great start to the season and with injury difficulties hasn’t ever been able to regain that confidence he was showing early season. Very important part to the side structurally and is so important because of the way he compliments Cloke and helps take pressure off him only making our forwardline harder to defend. Needs to keep working hard on that contested marking ability and needs to continue working on taking it more consistently and taking it at its highest point. Would also like to see him continue to work hard in that gym and become even stronger without losing any speed or endurance, not quite at the Cloke level of strength yet but if he can keep building will make our big two even harder to stop.
18. Harry O’Brien: Hasn’t really played like himself this year. Certainly nowhere near the level he was playing at in 2010 and really needs to work hard to get back to anything close to that form because he is a long way off his best! Only really looked ok at times but without any real consistency. Perhaps injury has been behind this but would hope he can rebound in 2012! Needs to build back to his best conditioning. Also would like to see him work on his decision making, typically he goes for his 10-15m run then bombs away as far as he goes, would like to see him take some time to have a look around and consider his decisions more when generating that drive from the back half. The final thing I’d recommend for Harry is to reduce his media commitments, get the feeling he is doing too much and that it would benefit his footy to reduce that workload. Side note, if things don’t work out for him next year at some stage I’d consider moving him forward as a medium forward, not super confident that Macaffer will break clearly into our best side, but I think O’Brien has the attributes to make the move forward and have an impact. Backline depth is generally pretty good so we might be able to afford to make this move at some point. Perhaps a preseason idea to try out.
19. Nick Maxwell: Has been underwhelming this season due to injury difficulties. Vital for on and off-field leadership and still clearly best 22 assuming fit and ready to go. Needs to get the body right for next season. Would also get him to hit the gym hard. Needs to add significant size to firstly help become more durable considering the type of game he plays, but also think it will help make him a better player because physically he can impose himself to a greater extent. Has a naturally thin body type so it will be difficult for Maxy to gain that size but really just has to work through it with the KPPs and get on a heavy weights program similar to what they do.
20. Leigh Brown: Has played his role well all season without standing out. Why he is so important is because he is that big body up forward who can take the pressure off Cloke and Dawes to help further increase their effectiveness. Also his tackling for a big bloke is sensational and is an absolute highlight of his game. Very important player structurally and an important player even if his stats sheet might not suggest it. Will need to find a replacement either on our own list or trade into a replacement. My recommendation is to trade hard for Geelong’s Trent West.
21. Alan Didak: Has understandably had a slow start to the season but hasn’t really ever looked settled this year. Can’t burn off opponents like he could previously but more importantly he isn’t hitting targets he would hit 100% of the time by foot which is the big worry for mine. Still clever with the ball and is every bit a vital part to the Collingwood machine. Over the break will have to work hard to fully get his conditioning back to his best and Arizona will be big for him! Needs to his get pace, endurance and even strength up to the best he can because if he can get back to his 2010 form he could be a big part in our premiership chances in 2012! Also would like to see him work as hard as possible on getting his kicking back to the best he can. If he can do all that then as finishing touches would be to work on tackling as well as marking ability to get him to that next level.
----- Best 22 Quality (But not guaranteed games every week at Collingwood)
22. Jarryd Blair: Had really lively start to the season but probably hasn’t fully recaptured that form. Tackling was good throughout the season but his influence wasn’t nearly as consistent as you would like. Have always believed that Blair is best through the midfield and like McCarthy suffers from being behind better players. Will be a real fight next year with the likes of Fasolo and possibly even Seedsman looking to take his place in the senior side. To improve further Blair really needs to develop that top level speed because we do need that fast tackling forward. Would also look for him to work on endurance to give himself the best chance to push into the midfield but also if playing forward to significantly work his opponent over through superior work rate and running ability. To be honest I’d look to trade Blair on now, has been a regular over the past 2 seasons, played in all the grand finals and really his value will never be higher. Will help relieve salary cap space, with a developing Fasolo will likely get passed by. Additionally the development of Ugle and the addition of Elliot mean that Blair can easily be replaced with a like for like swap which makes it an even more logical trade option.
23. Tyson Goldsack: Glandular fever has meant a slow start to the season where he lost all that weight. Ideal sub option with his flexibility of position and most importantly with his ability to close games harder than just about anyone. Would easily make any other opposition best 22. What makes Goldsack so good is his closing speed which allows him to go for incredibly impressive tackles. As well as this with his length which allows him to spoil opponents pretty easily. Long kicking is a highlight even if from kickouts he is rather predictable. Real confidence player who if given regular opportunities at AFL level can perform to an incredibly high level and to a higher level than maybe believe. To improve I’d look for Goldsack to improve his composure under pressure, looks more pressured than most when he has ball in hand and really needs to become much quicker and cleaner by hand. Also needs to continue working at reading the ball and providing rebound off opposition kicks as the likes of Reid and Maxwell do to perfection. On kickouts really needs to improve and look for more options as well as clean up the consistency of his kicking a fair bit. Some additional size would do Goldy no harm since he is very slender.
24. Alex Fasolo: How good has this kid been? First season kid who coming into the draft was considered a top 35 prospect. Really nice surprise to see him drop to us, and he has not disappointed. Has looked fantastic so far on a forward flank for us and with every week continues to get better. His kicking for goal as well as his tackling have been highlights. Can win the hard ball and you’d think he will only get better. One thing Fas really needs to work on is his unselfishness. At every opportunity he just blasts off for goal, even in unrealistic situations and really needs to look for those team options allot more consistantly. In the future he needs to better sum up when to go for goal and when to pass off. Really needs to become allot less selfish and make the Medhurst transformation from a forward who plays for himself to a forward who plays to get team mates involved and make them look better and help them get into the game. Would also like to see Fasolo work on his tackling pressure inside 50 as well as work on his endurance and work rate so that he can work his man over and more consistently have an influence. Size will come and no doubt will also spend time adding serious size over the summer and well as work on his inside ball winning ability which already isn’t bad, but is something that could be a big strength in coming years for Fas.
----- Depth at this stage but hopefully many will be more than this in the future (Where they are at based on form now)
25. John McCarthy: Has absolutely dominated at VFL level to such an extent that he has forced his way into the senior side during the middle bit of the season. Certainly hasn’t looked out of place at AFL level both up forward or through the midfield but at the same time doesn’t look good enough to ever break into our best 22 permanently which is the question with McCarthy. Quality depth and a fantastic surprise with one of his first injury free seasons in recent memory. Plays his best footy through the midfield but because our midfield is so loaded there just isn’t room for him in our best 22 unless it is for injury. Along with Simon Buckley has done a fantastic job of improving and proving viable options for when injuries hit. Don’t see him being around long term with better talent coming through in Fasolo, Bolton and Seedsman make him very replaceable player since it will be a hard task to go past any of our existing midfielders. Had a disappointing close to the season considering the way he was dominating for the most part at VFL level which was probably the only thing I considered disappointing about McCarthy’s season. Is at that age where maybe he gets delisted. Maybe he gets traded.
26. Simon Buckley: Started out this season making terrible decisions much of the time, and looked pressured, but with regular games started to gain some confidence in his ability but has in this later part like McCarthy really tapered off. A bit like Goldy, a real confidence player who performs best when his coach and playing group have complete faith in his ability. Has a great long kick on him! But at the age of 24 you’re looking for a best 22 player and not a career fringe player who is only really there as injury cover. There are better young talents coming through in Bolton, Young and Seedsman who make him very much expendable at his age like McCarthy. I don’t regard Simon as best 22 material yet, and I’m not sure he ever will be for Collingwood with superior young talents coming through. Is at that age where maybe he gets delisted. Maybe he gets traded. But I get the feeling we will retain him for another season. Personally would trade though because after a reasonable season his trade value likely won’t be any higher this time next year!
27. Josh Thomas: Absolute clearance machine and wins plenty of the contested footy. Such a good inside reader of the ball and in congestion is a standout. Tackling is solid. Has fantastic breakaway speed and a reasonable skill set. Could soon go from a very good inside player to a dominant inside player if he continues adding that size to his frame. Would be THE optimal replacement if Luke Ball was ever to miss a game. Needs to continue to add more size to his frame. Also improving his endurance is vital to take that next step, and probably could to add some positional flexibility because it won’t be easy knocking anyone out of the midfield rotation! So maybe like Luke Ball that means learning how to play forward. Needs to trail Luke Ball all off season because his game is just so similar and he could learn so much from him. Perfect player to model his game on and hopefully in 2-3 years time can do everything that Luke is doing now and eventually replace him.
28. Cameron Wood: Will need to keep developing if he wants to make a career for himself at AFL level! At this stage he looks like a depth ruckman only. Certainly not someone you would want playing as your no.1 ruck if you want a serious chance of winning a premiership! Particularly struggles at boundary throw-ins and physically just gets out muscled far too easily because he lacks that strength through the legs and also that core strength. Desperately needs to add that core strength and strength through the legs if he is ever going to take that next step. Really needs to build up his endurance base to allow him to work harder around the ground for more than a quarter or a half each game, which is obvious because he never puts together four quarter efforts. Also needs to become more consistent by hand and by foot as well as working on his contested marking ability. Will be retained at year’s end, but with Witts likely to join us next year he needs to lift significantly if he wants to have a long career at AFL level. Because he isn’t playing nearly well enough to get a ruck job at any team and will be passed very quickly! Also next season I wouldn’t at any stage plan to play Jolly and Wood in the same side, Wood cannot play the no.2 ruck role and up forward is a liability and unlike L.Brown, since Wood doesn’t have that pressure side to his game. Wood should be pushed to develop into a no.1 ruckman. But I do have my doubts it will ever eventuate.
29. Lachlan Keeffe: Keeffe is an interesting one who has since arriving at the club shown great progress. Really seems to be a quick learner even though he started football late after having come from a soccer background. Still very skinny and needs to add another 10+kg, but for a 204cm kid who can run and kick like a medium size player, that is a huge win! With N.Brown’s current knee issues it looks entirely possible that Keeffe pushes past him as a defender. This offseason Keeffe will need to work hard on firstly building up his strength significantly and adding as much size as he can but also work on his ruckwork and learn the position and things such as where to run, when to push forward and generally learn the position and role as best he can because with the retirement of Leigh Brown, Keeffe looks like the logical and least bad choice as replacement based on what we have on our list. Hasn’t closed out the season as hard as I might have liked but I think he will come back hard and continue his improvement in 2012 and hopefully break into the squad as a regular.
30. Paul Seedsman: Skinny, but not out of his depth at VFL level. Classy ball user with pace and great agility. Tackles well and his tackles stick which is pleasing for such a skinny lad. Needs to put on significant size over the break before AFL debut, but showing some great promise. Consistent from game to game and continues to show improvement which is a great sign. Don’t be surprised to see Seedsman break through into the senior side next year and surprise a few. Very encouraging start to his career. Plays not unlike a young Pendlebury. Don’t be surprised to see him play fairly regularly in the senior side next year. Just needs to work hard in the gym to build up his body as well as working on his contested ball winning ability.
31. Jye Bolton: How good has this kid been? Had a great start to the season, started to taper off but gee he has come back hard and finished off the season well! Very happy with the way he has started off his career! Could very easily play on a on a wing or forward flank at AFL level without much difficulty. Has fantastic endurance and you can see how much he loves playing footy. Just tries his guts out every time he takes the field and watching him play you see a player who really, really wants to make it. Another of those rookie selections who like a Nick Maxwell will just will his way into the senior side through wanting it more than the next player. Deserves to be promoted onto the senior list at the end of the season. I’d like to see young Bolts continue to work on the consistency of his kicking. Inside game is coming along nicely and will no doubt put more work into it. Looks likely to break through for a couple of games next year at the rate he is coming along. I’m cautiously optimistic for his future and if he keeps working hard on his game I think he can make the grade.
32. Luke Rounds: Had a slow and inconsistent start to the season but has put that behind him and strung together some better games in the second half of the season. Has nice speed, and played a fantastic game on Brent Harvey which he seems to have taken allot of confidence out of. Still has a long way to go if he wants to come close to becoming a best 22 player at some point though. Do have my doubts as to where he will fit and whether he will be good enough long term and personally would be very open to trading him. Think a few could pass him by but none the less I think he will be retained for another season since he is so young and has shown he can compete at AFL level. Even if he only looks long term like a depth player. Hope I’m wrong though! To take that next step probably needs to work on his endurance and work rate, as well as this would also like to see him improve on his contested ball winning ability. Was drafted as a midfielder and I’d like to see him get a shot in there since I don’t really like what he has produced up forward or down back – due to lack of consistency.
33. Ben Sinclair: Speedy player with incredible hardness and desire to continually go hard at the man for the tackle. Really reminds me allot of Jaxson Barham. Still needs to physically develop more as well as improve the consistency of his kicking. Will have enjoyed his debut game and will want to keep building on his form for next season. Over the break just needs to add significant size and as well as this continue to work on the consistency of his kicking and also continue to build up his endurance.
34. Kirk Ugle: Tiny fella. Has loads of speed. Defensive pressure is very good and needs to keep building on this! Needs to impact the scoreboard more and add a few more strings to his bow. But has talent and a fair bit to work with. Less advanced than Blair was at this stage of his development. But better as a pure, natural forward. Could add more penetration to his set shot goal kicking, but with time that should develop. Also has midfield potential. A fair bit of talent to work with. Just needs to keep improving and adding more strings to his bow to give himself the greatest chance of making the grade. Over the break needs add significant muscle but also needs to work particularly hard on his strength through the legs so that he can add that extra kicking penetration. Would also like to see him continue to work on his tackling pressure and finishing skills around goal because if he makes the side, this is what he will make the side off.
35. Tom Young: Had a slow start to the season after taking out the VFL B+F last year, but has slowly started to look better as the season has gone. Shows nice dash from defence and isn’t afraid to take on opposition players, even seems to have some midfield potential. Is a big time ball winner. Has a nice work rate. Can accumulate big tackling numbers. Will be interesting to see what role he develops into. Allot of things need cleaning up if he wants to make the grade. Still seems to be learning the structures. Needs to develop much cleaner hands. Allot of work over the break needs to go into his kicking needs to be cleaned up as well as his decision making. Needs to develop serious core strength so that when he takes on players he can break the tackles more easily because he too often gets caught and goes to ground and can get pushed around a little. Think he can develop into a solid AFL level player if he continues to progress and continues to work hard on his weaknesses and learn the game, but still has a long way to go. Promising start to his career but not nearly there and if far from assured of a career at the next level.
36. Brent Macaffer: Had a slow start to the season with injury issues and really hasn’t picked up where he left off in 2010 unfortunately. Has been struggling with injury throughout the season and seems to have been struggling with the pace of the game. Needs to lay those hard tackles inside 50 as he was in 2010 while also being another marking presence up forward as we know he can be. Kicking goals is a bonus and in future seasons will want him to start to hit the scoreboard more consistently. Should with a full preseason get back to playing some of his better footy and hopefully he can get back to, if not improve on his 2010 form, because when he is playing his better footy he can be a very valuable player. Will want to have a solid preseason though. Really needs to get his conditioning back to his best. Work hard at his speed, agility and work rate. Needs to get back his tackling and marking ability. Then as a finishing touch would look for him to improve on his goal kicking. Would not trade firstly because he doesn’t have any value due to his season which suffered due to injury, but secondly because we don’t have another like for like replacement on our list, other than perhaps Daniel Farmer as a medium forward.
----- Development projects who still need time and aren’t ready to play senior footy.
37. Shae McNamara: Has had an up and down season with some spectacular highs, but just as many spectacular lows. Still learning the game and still makes lots of mistakes. But gee he can do some special things sometimes for someone his size! Has had some fantastic games in the ruck and now looks to have found a spot on the wing, which really suits him. Needs to play well and have an influence more consistently if he ever wants to make the grade. While older than Wood the thing working in McNamara’s favour is that unlike Wood he has make some serious progress and in his good games can seriously dominate. But at the age of 26 it is hard to keep a project player around for a 3rd season.
38. Thomas Gordon: Big key position player who should have gone in the main draft last year. Strong overhead and one on one. Has been really solid for a first year KPD and his kicking is a feature. Like him because he has that ability to play back or forward. Worth persisting with as a rookie even if as depth and well and truly deserves a second season for mine because he has looked solid. To improve needs to continue to work on his speed and agility so that he can keep all opponents. Will no doubt spend considerable time in the gym over the break to continue his physical development. Also would like to see Gordon work hard on his rebounding game from defence and develop his ability to mark in 1v1 situations and ability to read the ball off the opposition boot better than the forward so that he can take the intercepting mark.
39. Jonathan Ceglar: The bonus we got out of the Krakouer deal. Solid ruck prospect who has at times shown some good signs in the first half of the season but has since really dropped off. Can look dangerous up forward at times. Has a long way to go but I think he will put the work in. Needs time. With Witts likely in 2-3 years time to take over from Jolly when he retires Ceglar might be a good no.2 ruck option because he does have the ability to play forward and look dangerous at times which makes him a good candidate for the role. Interestingly since Witts has joined the VFL squad Ceglar seems to have made an extra special effort to play some better footy. But long term I do see Witts as the better player. Regardless Ceglar is worth persisting with but needs time. Needs to hit the gym hard and add as much size as he can. Liked some of his work up forward and working on his leading patterns and contested marking ability would be of great benefit.
40. Daniel Farmer: Had a very slow start to the season but has since that mid way point really started to show great progress. Needs to get stronger because he can get bumped off the ball too easily and needs to continue to work on winning his own ball. Work rate is getting better and is starting to play smarter, learning to run to the right places and look dangerous up forward at times. Think he can have a future, but needs time and needs to work hard to make it happen. Needs a big preseason because he is a long way back but if he applies himself there is absolutely no reason why he can’t make it. Worth persisting with and would give him a second season on the senior list. Big things are really working on that strength as well as ability to win the contested footy. Would also like to see Farmer add some more weapons to his game, so some extra kicking penetration, some more pace and improved marking and tackling ability will help.
41. Paul Cribbin: Has done allot better than expected! Not out of his depth at VFL level which is great to see for the young Irishman. When he has the ball in hand looks very good at times. Has nice pace. Still learning the game. Allot of improvement to come, still needs to get better defensively and would like for him to add tackling into his game which always seems to take the longest for the Irish to learn. Looks good on a back flank or on a wing. Worth giving him a second year. Improve his tackling, marking and add some more size and continue to work on his skill level and decision making and maybe he can take that next step.
42. Scott Reed: Being in his 3rd year on the rookie list a decision needs to be made as to whether he gets promoted or delisted. With our list situation it will be incredibly difficult to fit him onto our senior list. Can let himself down with his ball use sometimes and really needs to find a role. Needs to play more consistency from week to week and the development just hasn’t been there this year. Won’t be retained.
43. Declan Reilly: Has shown some promising signs in the few VFL games he has played. Developing key position forward still with a long way to go. Can take a good grab and his set shot goalkicking is quite good. Needs to put on allot of size, and needs to build up his endurance. Very much a project. Needs to continue to develop if he wants to be retained. Probably doesn’t have enough of a standout feature for my liking to develop into more than just a depth KPF which is my question with Reilly. Unlikely to be retained, we can possibly do better, but lack of KPF depth works in his favour. I’d like to see him persist with his footy because I think he could have a solid VFL career.
44. Jack Perham: The mature age forward had a really strong start to the season up forward but after the first 7/8 games he has completely dropped off form wise. Was drafted as a depth KPF to replace Jack Anthony, but to be honest don’t even view him enough to be insurance. In the later part of the season got shifted back and was ok, but hardly incredible and we have more than enough key defenders on our list. Should get delisted, just hasn’t impressed me for enough this year and doesn’t look like any threat to break into our side at any stage.
45. Trent Stubbs: Was a Hawthorn NSW/ACT scholarship boy who decided to enter the national draft. Fascinating prospect and good athlete. Has missed most of the season. In the limited games we have seen his performances haven’t been anything incredible which is to be expected given the time he has been out. Don’t think he should receive a 2nd season on the senior list. Maybe we rookie him but that’s up to the club if they think he is worth a full season.
---- Yet to play/ injured (ignore the numbering)
46. Nathan Brown: Injured. Would probably be best 22. Look forward to seeing him back next year and hopefully he can have a better injury run in future seasons! Just needs to get all his injuries right and needs to get back to tip top condition for next season. Absolute top priority. Needs to build up that strength in the knees so that knee injuries don’t continue because long term he is a critically important piece!
47. Brad Dick: Has performed below expectation this season. Seems to be suffering from the same thing Sean Rusling has (too much time out of the game with injury and not enough confidence in his body when playing). Really needed to get his speed back as well as his tackling, but after his knee reco I have serious doubts that Dicky will get back to his early career best at all now unfortunately. His tackling energy and heart is what made him stand out and made him such a dangerous player. If we were to retain him he would take a good 2 years to get back into AFL condition, so I would definitely delist him because at his age we are better off trying out a new talent through the draft. With a list as strong as we have, it makes it near impossible to keep Dicky which is a shame because he is a great kid. Wouldn’t rookie him either. Obviously a player who can do what he use to be able to do would be big for us, but just don’t think Dick is any chance of getting back to anything close to his best with all the knee and shoulder injuries he has had. Has zero confidence in his body and you could see it all year, not committing to tackles and not attacking games in the way he used to early in his playing career.
48. Tom Hunter: Retired.
2011 final best 22:
F: Andrew Krakouer Chris Dawes Steele Sidebottom
HF: Dayne Beams Travis Cloke Ben Johnson
CEN: Dale Thomas Scott Pendlebury Sharrod Wellingham
HB: Nick Maxwell Ben Reid Leon Davis
B: Heath Shaw Chris Tarrant Alan Toovey
FOLL: Darren Jolly Luke Ball Dane Swan
BENCH: Harry O’Brien Leigh Brown Alan Didak Jarryd Blair
EMG: Tyson Goldsack Alex Fasolo Cameron Wood
Projected list changes at end of 2011 season: (Huge list turnover last year. Will elect to go minimal list turnover this year you’d think. Particularly with a VERY strong draft to come in 2012)
Retire:
Leigh Brown (Has already announced retirement. Has been a handy role player in his couple of years with the club. Is going to give coaching a go and will join Neeld in Melbourne. Think he might prove to be a good choice by Neeld)
Delist:
Brad Dick (Sad that he has had such a bad run with injuries. Just can’t see him getting back to his best and will take too much time to get back up to pace. Not in our best interests to give him another season for mine, waste of list space)
Trent Stubbs (Last pick in last years draft. Has been out for most of the season and hardly played a VFL game. Up to the club whether they want to offer him a rookie position, but certainly shouldn’t be retained on the senior list)
Possible delist (really comes down to how many draft selections we want to use this year):
John McCarthy: Has had a solid and injury free season. Has been ripping it up at VFL level and at AFL level hasn’t looked out of place. The question is whether he will ever break into the best 22. For me the answer looks to be a clear no because currently there are much better talents in our side and better talents coming through (Fasolo, Bolton and Seedsman). So his position is at risk given his age and lack of best 22 potential. Could be a good trade option for other teams though because he is still without a doubt an AFL level talent.
Simon Buckley: Buckley is in the same boat as McCarthy. Has had a very good season and has exceeded the expectations of most. But the same question applies. Where does he fit in our best 22? I don’t believe he does. Ben Johnson won’t be around for many more years and he looks like a fairly natural replacement but I believe like with McCarthy there are better young talents in (Bolton, Young and Seedsman) who make him expendable and don’t really make him best 22 relevant – which at the age of 24 you really need to be. Given his good season could be a good trade option for other teams because his kicking is a big weapon and I suggest there would be more than a couple of best 22s he could fit into. Won’t ever have more value than he does from a Collingwood perspective so move him on now.
Rookie delist:
Tom Hunter (Retired)
Jack Perham (Was drafted to replace Jack Anthony as some immediate forward depth. Started the season on fire, but has really dropped off in a hurry and just no longer looks competitive. We can do better)
Scott Reed (3rd year, but just no spot for him in senior side. No obvious player who he could possibly replace in the near future. Looks like a depth player only which isn’t good enough for a senior upgrade)
Shae McNamara (2nd year, will be 26 at the end of the year. While he has been a neat experiment, it is very hard to retain him even with the strong progress he has made. Too inconsistent and too far back)
Possible delist:
Declan Reilly (Still very young, but in the Jack Carter boat of 2010. Improving but very long term project and doesn’t have enough standout talent to suggest that he will be best 22 at any stage)
Trade week possibilities:
With the retirement of Leigh Brown I’d be pushing hard to find an immediate replacement through trade week. Trent West is the optimal replacement and for mine because he is an upgrade who could also take over long term as the no.1 ruckman but can also play the no.2 role alongside Jolly which makes him an ideal fit. Otherwise I’d be looking at value and players who look like they could fit clearly into our best 22 – which will not be easy.
Trades I’d look at:
Marty Clarke (Via GWS): (It will come down to whether he wants to come back for starters, no guarantees. But if he does want to come back I’d be very keen to get him back on board. Kicking very good and weighs his kicks perfectly and endurance is elite. Physically stronger than when he left, but will take time to get his AFL touch back. I’m confident he will work and get back into the side, possibly as a forward flanker)
Luke Brown (Via GWS): (Really nice attacking half back who I’d really be keen to get in a Marty Clarke deal. GWS probably want to keep him because he is quality, but if we trade pick 25 to GWS I’d want Luke Brown in return)
Ben Brown (Via GWS): (Player I was keen on last year. Ruckman/key forward. Plays both well and probably like him most as a forward. Could play that no.2 ruck role. Really raw but the talent is there. Could be a long term no.2 ruck option)
Adam Kennedy (Via GWS): (Mid/back flanker. What stands out is his maturity and leadership skills. Real high character type. Good all rounder. Someone I know Buckley would like)
Ahmed Saad (Via GWS): (Probably the best crumbing forward running around the state leagues. Really lively type, gives good tackling energy and knows where the goals are. Could step into the senior side immediately to let allow a Sidebottom or Krakouer most midfield minutes)
Sam Dwyer (Via GWS): (Probably the best mid running around at VFL level. Is that class above. Immediate player and hard worker. Very agile and has nice pace and skill level very good. Delivery to forwards is great. Could also play some forward flank as well as midfield)
Tim Mohr (Via GWS): Probably the final of the players I’d look at via GWS if we look for a 2nd player in a trade for Clarke. Key position defenders and probably the better of those going around the state leagues. While we have enough developing KPDs he is good enough to come in now and not look out of place and with injury questions still on Nathan Brown maybe in 2-3 years time could prove to be a reasonable pickup)
Trent West (My no.1 trade target. Perfect replacement for Leigh Brown as our no.2 ruck. Has the versatility to play forward or back. Strong mark overhead. Big leap. Strong enough to play the no.1 ruck role now and is good enough to take over the no.1 role once Jolly retires. Think he will develop into a top 10 league ruckman and soon. Get him because he will be completely untouchable this time next year)
Danyle Pearce (Would give our midfield that next dimension with his line breaking ability. As an outside player would only benefit from playing in a better team and it is not unrealistic to think his production and influence will increase with it)
Majak Daw (Is my other possible Leigh Brown replacement. Super athletic tall. Can move into the ruck and compete well in there while also having the pace and ability to play other positions. I’m convinced he will make the grade at AFL level and the man is ready to play now. Get him now before value increases because this likely will be the only chance to get him if we want him!)
Sam Gilbert (Had a poor season, but is a proven player and we all know what he can produce. Might need a change of club and I think we would be that ideal club for him. Maxwell is starting to show his age and likely won’t be around for too many more years. Gilbert is as good of a like for like replacement down back you can get. Is another of those who can read the ball as well as anyone and just gets all those marks off opposition kicks. Valuable. Would be a clear top 15 player at the club for mine)
Josh Toy (Rumour is that he wants to return to Victoria and if true I’d recommend that Collingwood get in on the action. High level talent for Gold Coast who probably hasn’t benefited from playing a defensive role down back and because of it hasn’t played senior games regularly. Incredible attacking defender who is physically very strong and is amongst the best kicks you will ever see with either foot and his penetration is first rate. Would look at him if the right trade possibility came up. Defensively isn’t incredible and still has a long way to go but I think he could be a big time player for us if we could add him)
Players I would have on the trade table: (Outside of this wouldn’t be comfortable trading anyone else)
Simon Buckley: Has had a big year and shown big improvement. Has a big weapon of a kick on him but not sure where he fits in our future plans because he isn’t a best 22 player. Can see him being of AFL relevance for a number of other AFL clubs and I think a few might come knocking at our door.
John McCarthy: Has dominated at VFL level and then stepped in at AFL level and also looks quite good. Just outside of our best 22 and it is hard to see him getting in with the likes of Swan, Pendlebury, Thomas, Ball, Wellingham and the like all ahead of him. Could be a good value pickup for another club and would receive greater opportunities and regular games which would be fantastic to see because he can play.
Luke Rounds: Someone I’d consider putting on the market if it means getting a deal through. Unsure if he will make our best 22 over the next few years which is why I’d put him on the market. But had a great debut game shutting down Brent Harvey down back. The weapon Rounds possesses is his speed and when up and going can give serious dash from defence or through the midfield. Maybe another club see value in him. If not will be retained no problem.
Ben Sinclair: Another of those I’d be willing to move on if an opposition club if it means getting a deal through. Very Jaxson Barham-esque in that he is a super speedy tackling machine and like Barham probably isn’t necessarily the best ball user or decision maker. Under Buckley this will be something I’m sure he will put a heavy weighting on and long term not confident he will make it. This doesn’t necessarily mean he has looked out of place at AFL level but more so a case of like with Rounds we probably have some better young talent coming through on our list and it is hard to see him securing that permanent position in our best 22 at any stage.
1st round pick 2011: Been a long time since we have had the opportunity to use this selection now since we have been active in trade week but if it means getting an important trade through it is probably one of the more realistic assets we can trade. But certainly I’m fine with keeping it, there are more than just a couple of options I’m warming to who could be available when our 1st selection comes around so by no means does it need to be traded.
Brad Dick: Will be delisted if no club wants him. Maybe a club like West Coast throw a garbage pick at us (eg. 5th or 6th round pick they have no intention of using). Just up to opposition clubs to weight up whether they are willing to deal with his poor run with injuries and give him the time to recover and get back his confidence in his body which won’t be a quick process! Won’t be back to anything near his best before 2013 which is the risk involved in taking Dicky on.
Jarryd Blair: Many would consider this a questionable trade. Is our lucky charm and has been good since joining the club. Best 22 at this stage. But to be honest I don’t think he will be best 22 next year with Fasolo who should pass him by. Value is probably as high as it ever will be so I would be very open to trading if it means we can retain other key players – Toovey + Macaffer.
Tyson Goldsack: Might request a trade in which case perhaps we have move him on and probably for his career would recommend it to be perfectly honest because he will receive greater opportunity at other clubs. If he wants to stay I would have no objection to keeping him because he looks like a logical replacement for Maxwell in 2 or so years when he retires.
Have been rumoured. But would not trade:
Brent Macaffer: Now isn’t the most logical time to move Macaffer on since he has had a season ruined by injury. Like with Goldsack I have no problem with us keeping him because long term I do think he has chances to make it into our best side because he can play a unique role as a strong medium forward who also gives that strong tackling pressure in our forward half. It would take a very good deal to consider moving him, a pick less than 30 just wouldn’t be in our best interests. There has been talk West Coast are interested so something like Macaffer and Dick for pick 23 might be somewhere around the mark if he is to be traded. But if anything less than this don’t want to hear about it personally. Is a required player in my books and would trade S.Buckley/McCarthy and even Blair before I move Macaffer.
Alan Toovey: Toovey based on the quality of season he had is not worth trading. His type being a high level role player just isn’t something which is typically in demand and you are just never going to get the currency back for a player like this. Is absolutely a must retain. Only type of trade I would even consider entertaining is a trade for a ruckman of Trent West’s quality or better. Toovey could be replaced, Tarrant would be a likely option because he can play tall + small meaning N.Brown comes back into our best 22, but still you just don’t trade away required players. Toovey this year played to an All Australian standard by position and considering the way he has improved with every season it just isn’t in our best interests to move him on. Simple as that. Just needs to get that contract sorted out.
Trade week analysis:
Additions:
Marty Clarke: Really great to have Marty back. From all reports is in fantastic shape and has come back with maturity and an attitude and determination which suggests that he will attack this preseason hard. Endurance is still very good but has over his time in Ireland really stacked on some muscle to his unconventional stocky frame. Kicking was always a big strength of Marty’s and his ability to weight his kicks and put it to the perfect spot for targets up the ground is his big strength. Would like to see Marty used as an attacking wing or possibly as a high forward flank because his delivery to forwards is fantastic, and also seems to have the instincts of someone who wants to be more involved in general play more often and really attack the game more through offensive influence. Will want to work on his tackling ability which has gone to that next level since he was last at the club, could work on building that right foot and under Buckley you’d expect he’d want Marty to be able to win more of his own contested footy at his size and be better in those congested situations. I don’t think Marty will start off in our best 22, but what I do know is that he will work until he makes it back into our best side, will definitely be eying a spot for ANZAC Day as he loves the big stage. One other additional note about the Marty Clarke trade is that it really makes Simon Buckley a little unnecessary because he can play much the same positions and roles, but probably is that little bit better in most categories – is a better kick (slightly less penetration even though I think it would be closer than many think), Marty’s endurance is much better but most importantly Marty’s decision making ability is significantly better and doesn’t get pressured with the footy as Buckley can.
Jamie Elliott: Handy small forward to get in the Clarke deal. Gives us a crumbing forward who can give us big tackling pressure in the forward half. Is probably a depth quality forward, but is good enough to come into the side if required and allows us to delist Brad Dick. What would have caught Derek Hine’s eye would have been his game v Tasmania in the u18 champs this year where he individually dominated the game both through the midfield and up forward. In terms of this year’s draft would have been a late/rookie selection.
Peter Yagmoor: Talented wing/back flanker from Queensland. Has a high skill level and a nice left foot kick on him. Fair bit of talent to work with. Was drafted/traded into with the idea of being a long term Leon Davis/Ben Johnson replacement. Would have been a mid draft option otherwise.
Did we overpay? I do consider pick 25 for Clarke and Elliot to be overpaying. Marty at his age and considering he is by no means a lock in our best 22 would be worth no more than our 2nd round selection on his own. Then Elliot was really a needs based pick, and like last year with Ceglar taking this needs based player before the draft happens is handy, but again even with Elliot I do think we overpaid. This isn’t to say we necessarily lost this deal, for all we know pick 25 doesn’t play a game and Clarke/Elliot go on to have long careers with the Pies, but I ndo feel we payed above market value, even if it means we get our man back and add a handy player who fills a necessary need.
But in saying that we have overpaid, I’m not disappointed in the trade as others might be. Very happy to get Marty back and really excited to see what he can produce and Elliot isn’t really a bad selection either and is a reasonably good, ready to play 19 year old.
The price paid for Yagmoor was not bad. Had he not been zoned would on draft day gone somewhere around pick 50, so trading pick 47 for Yagmoor and pick 50 is quite a reasonable deal. Fills a need with Davis leaving and Johnson likely with only one more season left in him.
Projected best 22 2012 (End of season based on what we have now):
F: Andrew Krakouer Chris Dawes Alex Fasolo
HF: Luke Ball Travis Cloke Marty Clarke
CEN: Dale Thomas Scott Pendlebury Paul Seedsman
HB: Nick Maxwell Ben Reid Harry O’Brien
B: Heath Shaw Chris Tarrant Alan Toovey
FOLL: Darren Jolly Sharrod Wellingham Dane Swan
BENCH: Dayne Beams Steele Sidebottom Lachlan Keeffe Ben Johnson
EMG: Alan Didak Nathan Brown Cameron Wood
Draft plan:
Those we can add pre draft:
Those I would add pre draft to our senior list:
Jarrod Witts (NSW/ACT Scholarship. 209cm, 114kg ruckman! Showed allot since joining the Collingwood VFL side and showed that he can be a physical presence up forward. He blows up pretty easy in the ruck and can’t spend long periods in there at this stage because the match fitness isn’t there but he has shown more than just a couple of signs to suggest that he might have a future at AFL level with time. Has that big body and is starting to use it to advantage which is great to see! Should go senior list)
To add to rookie list:
Michael Harley (NSW/ACT Scholarship. Key position defender. 196cm. Athletic background and was high jumper. Like Witts has shown promise this season and also looks like great value! Stylistically he plays allot like Presti. Limited offensive game. Interesting KPD prospect and would likely have gone in the main draft otherwise, good get)
Caolan Mooney (Irish recruit. Haven’t seen the kid play but from the highlight clips I’ve seen he has incredible speed. Talk is he will start in a forward pocket, maybe this is the work on the defensive side of his game, which often takes a while for the Irish to develop. With his athleticism could be a really nice long term option on a wing)
Some who I’d recommend we look at with each selection:
Pick 50:
Waylen Manson would be my choice if for whatever reason he slides regardless of whoever else is available. Is the most talented player in this year’s draft and the sky is the limit for the guy. He could develop into a better player than Jonathan Patton if he applies himself to his footy. Is someone who could easily fit into a forwardline along with Dawes/Cloke or Witts and whoever else we have in our forwardline as he showed playing alongside Fevola. Just marks everything that comes in his general direction because he has the big leap, long arms and ability to take it at the highest point consistently, so as another marking target up front he would add allot, looking at all those marks Geelong took down back over our forwardline in the grand final, with Manson in our forwardline we would be taking allot more of those inside 50 marks and be allot more dangerous when we enter the forward 50 with those high entries.
We have the resources to help Manson make the transition to the big city and adjust to the culture change. Playing footy and producing will be the easy part. If drafted would recommend Andrew Krakouer work closely with him and do everything in his power to make Manson fit in. Would also recommend Nathan Buckley as coach to form a strong bond with him, because if he can feel like a part of the Collingwood family and if our players can show him that they have his back, I’m confident he can develop into an out and out super star of the competition. As well as this Manson is really the only key forward option with the potential to develop, because after all the best key forwards just about always come from the 1st round, so getting Manson at 50, whether he works out or not is a gift because you just don’t get that much talent that late in any draft anymore, very rare a player of this quality slips through. Has allot of holes in his game: defensive side of his game nonexistent at this stage, doesn’t handball, is a goal first mentality forward, but personally very happy with the fit.
If Manson is not available which I suspect best available is the best approach. Some others I’d look at if available include: Sebastian Ross, Shane Kersten, Josh Waldhuter, Murray Newman, Thomas Sheridan, Jimmy Webster, Sam Kerridge, Lee Spurr Sam Frost, Michael Bussey, Tom Downie, Jordan Lockyer, Jackson Paine, Jackson Merrett, Jack Newnes and Kyal Horsley.
Pick 65:
Daniel Currie (Now that he has been delisted by Sydney he is one I very much want. Is the best option out there as an immediate replacement for L.Brown in that no.2 ruck role. As a ruckman is an upgrade and is that little bit taller but Currie also adds a fair bit around the ground and can sneak forward and take a big grab which is why I see him as a really good fit into our side and a significantly better no.2 ruck option to Cameron Wood. Fits our age profiling perfectly, is young enough to develop with the list but is also pretty ready to play which makes him the ideal addition. Quality at 65 being a fairly shallow draft will be limited and considering we have already added Elliot and Yagmoor during trade week we don’t need more young kids. In Currie we add a similar potential premiership player who could like Leigh Brown a couple of years back similarly be a bargain)
Pick 67:
Jarrod Witts (Through NSW/ACT Scholarship promotion)
Rookie draft options:
Michael Hartley (Through NSW/ACT Scholarship promotion)
Caolan Mooney (Via Ireland)
*Daniel Farmer (To be rookied)
*Jye Bolton (Do I have to beg? Please re-rookie!)
Daniel Currie: (If available and if we don’t take in the national draft. Is a must take)
Ben Brown: Overlooked last year but doesn’t mean he isn’t worth a look this year now that he has recovered from his knee reco. Project tall KPF/ruckman. Might also be able to get via GWS.
Haiden Schlothe: Small forward of the Mark LeCras type. Really knows where the goals are and is dangerous whenever he has the ball in his hands. Also is a great tackler inside 50. Would take over Jamie Elliot and even with a few of those smaller forward options would still very much draft. Rate him inside my top 30 prospects on quality.
Beau Black: Was a NSW/ACT rookie aligned with Geelong. Geelong have decided not to take him as a rookie. Super high level athlete with an incredible leap and good speed + endurance. Have liked his play as a disciplined small shut down defender.
Mitch Brewer: Big ruckman who like Witts is from a rugby background. 204cm and 119kg. 19 year old. Showed big improvement up in QLD this year and that’s the thing you look for in these types of rookie ruckman. If we don’t take Currie in the national draft, Brewer would be the other player I’d really push hard for us to look at as a possibility. Long term as an option to play with Witts would be very imposing for any side to play against.
Matthew Jacquier: Talented medium forward with a really nice skill set. Skill level very high and finishes well around goal.
Aseri Raikiwasa: Athletic undersized key defender. High level athlete, well built already and was captain of the SA u18 side.
Brett Eddy: If we are looking at an immediate KPF, Eddy is the man. Was having a super first season at VFL level but then hurt his knee. Won’t be back immediately but this just works into our favour if we want to rookie him because it will mean clubs will be put off drafting him in the main draft.
Jimmi Savage: High upside talented KPF who is an unbelievable athlete. Went in the rookie draft to GWS last year but has since gone back to SA. If he can prove he wants another shot he is worth taking a chance on. Might be able to get via GWS.
Ben Gazzola: Probably my preferred choice as a mature age KPF option. 21 year old. Very much a rookie type pick and only played his first year of SANFL this year. But potential is there. Big leap. Big strong body. Strong mark. Endurance is there. Probably not too unlike a Dawes which structurally makes him a possible rookie fit.
Patrick Rose: Small forward who had a great year at VFL level. Is one of those smalls who can really play up forward as a bit of a marking presence. Is a great finisher whenever around goal whether it be from a set shot or in general play. Has great agility and can dance around players. Really like his game and think of the mature agers Rose would be one of the better fits. Could replace Macaffer in our forward set up.
Dean Galea: Most ready to go key position player if looking around the state leagues. Had a great season and during the finals was fantastic. The thing that goes against him is his height (188cm). But is similar to Jack Anthony in many respects in that he is a big, aggressive physical presence and is a very strong mark overhead always marking at its highest point – which he needs to at his height.
Sam Dwyer: Immediate player who has been ripping it up at VFL level all season. Midfielder who can also play forward. Skill level is very good and has nice pace. Could fit into our rotation and best 22. Might also be able to get via GWS if keen.
Mark Baguley: Hard working, high character defender from Frankston VFL. Has been noted by the media that we are looking at him as a potential option. Might also be able to get via GWS if keen.
