Draft Watcher Knightmare's 2015 Draft Almanac

[redandblack]

Knightmare, Aaron Francis played his first League trial for West Adelaide last week. 8 marks and just looked a complete player. With his height and talent, you'd better open up a top ten spot for him and I don't say that lightly.

The other query about Will Snelling and Riley Bonner. Will's form in the successful Under 18's finals last year was outstanding. He's now played all the league trials with West in the middle and has been superb. The knock on him will be his lack of height, but he's a class act and possibly the hardest worker in the draft, with great endurance -a 16 Beep Test performer.

Riley Bonner has sublime skills, but probably needs time before he starts knocking on the door of senior selection. Wonderful, long left foot kick is a big asset.

Others at West to consider, in a bumper year, are Hugh Haysman and Jack Agostino.

But watch out for Francis - something to enjoy this year.

 

[kotor]

Great to have you back mate, love you work. A must read throughout the year.

As a pies man myself. How do you rate this draft? Top quality and also depth? Seems to mid heavy, as a lot of draft are at this stage.

Cheers mate.

 

[Knightmare]

Great to have you back mate, love you work. A must read throughout the year.

As a pies man myself. How do you rate this draft? Top quality and also depth? Seems to mid heavy, as a lot of draft are at this stage.

Cheers mate.

You've got yourself listed as a North Melbourne fan from what I can see. But I won't hold that against you.

You can never quite know exactly how strong the draft will be until you see them at AFL level. But one early comment regarding the strength of the draft is the top end is really even. I generally regard Mills, Keays and Dunkley as the best few. Then after that I could name another 10 who I regard fairly evenly and consider to be number one overall choices, which isn't so common at this time of year.

Regarding the talls specifically. Maybe Schache is the better of the talls and he could well be picked in the first few. But overall I'm not convinced I'd take any talls inside the top 10 today. But certainly a number of guys who late 1st and early 2nd round look like options and there are forwards and backs amongst that group so it's still going to be a year where there will be some good kpps.

The overall strength really the past number of years has overall felt like much of a muchness. Even those years with compromised drafts with the number of guys not eligible, even those years overall felt much the same as last year and this year. The differences primarily have been every year you get your slightly different dynamics and more of a certain type than other years. And if I had to state a type there might be more of this year, perhaps outside mids I can see some more options than usual. But all that can change over the course of a season.

 

[kotor]

You've got yourself listed as a North Melbourne fan from what I can see. But I won't hold that against you.

You can never quite know exactly how strong the draft will be until you see them at AFL level. But one early comment regarding the strength of the draft is the top end is really even. I generally regard Mills, Keays and Dunkley as the best few. Then after that I could name another 10 who I regard fairly evenly and consider to be number one overall choices, which isn't so common at this time of year.

Regarding the talls specifically. Maybe Schache is the better of the talls and he could well be picked in the first few. But overall I'm not convinced I'd take any talls inside the top 10 today. But certainly a number of guys who late 1st and early 2nd round look like options and there are forwards and backs amongst that group so it's still going to be a year where there will be some good kpps.

The overall strength really the past number of years has overall felt like much of a muchness. Even those years with compromised drafts with the number of guys not eligible, even those years overall felt much the same as last year and this year. The differences primarily have been every year you get your slightly different dynamics and more of a certain type than other years. And if I had to state a type there might be more of this year, perhaps outside mids I can see some more options than usual. But all that can change over the course of a season.

hahaha that has been quickly fixed. Thing we are in for a long year. Hope BenKen, Broomhead and co get a good run at this year.

Thank for your response. Look forward to following you on here again. what happened to the website??

 

[Knightmare]

hahaha that has been quickly fixed. Thing we are in for a long year. Hope BenKen, Broomhead and co get a good run at this year.

Thank for your response. Look forward to following you on here again. what happened to the website??

I don't know with certainty whether I'll get my website up and going this year or not. It won't be up and going or really worked on prior to June, so given that I don't feel it's fair on everyone to miss out on me doing my usual thing, so I decided knowing the website won't be going until the mid year point or later in the year to just post on bigfooty again as I have in the past until that time. But that's the rough status update at this stage - second half of this year if indeed it happens this year.

 

[george2]

Hey Knightmare I managed to get down to Perth vs South Freos colts game on the weekend and you tall forward for Perth Reid Polak caught my eye. He seemed to move pretty well and have a good set of hands. Have you heard of him or have any other info on him. I was there to watch one of my friends sons but this kid as I say just caught my eye.

Thanks

 

[Knightmare]

Hey Knightmare I managed to get down to Perth vs South Freos colts game on the weekend and you tall forward for Perth Reid Polak caught my eye. He seemed to move pretty well and have a good set of hands. Have you heard of him or have any other info on him. I was there to watch one of my friends sons but this kid as I say just caught my eye.

Thanks

Not a name I'm familiar with, but that's the case with the vast majority of guys going to be the case at this stage unless I've seen them last year or their Victorian's playing TAC Cup.

In looking him up on the WAFL site he is listed at 191cm, 84kg and has only played colts footy, so I won't have seen him play as I only get tapes of the WAFL games of the week and he hasn't played u18 champs/AIS AFL Academy.

As far as I can gather Polak must have played close to goal in round 1 given he had the 6 goalscoring attempts and last season likely further up the field given he didn't have the same scoreboard impact.

If he plays u18 champs, continues to improve his production and maybe plays some games at reserves or league level. I'll certainly be interested in what he has to offer.

 

[george2]

Not a name I'm familiar with, but that's the case with the vast majority of guys going to be the case at this stage unless I've seen them last year or their Victorian's playing TAC Cup.

In looking him up on the WAFL site he is listed at 191cm, 84kg and has only played colts footy, so I won't have seen him play as I only get tapes of the WAFL games of the week and he hasn't played u18 champs/AIS AFL Academy.

As far as I can gather Polak must have played close to goal in round 1 given he had the 6 goalscoring attempts and last season likely further up the field given he didn't have the same scoreboard impact.

If he plays u18 champs, continues to improve his production and maybe plays some games at reserves or league level. I'll certainly be interested in what he has to offer.

Great. Thanks for the reply

 

[grundog49]

Adelaide will take skinner. KPP who has a mature body and is adept back or forward. We will take him.

 

[Knightmare]

Adelaide will take skinner. KPP who has a mature body and is adept back or forward. We will take him.

Skinner for me feels between Adelaide's first and second round pick at this stage (though given the time of the season that's almost certainly going to change - positively or negatively for him).

If you ask me today which key defender I'd take (outside of Weitering who can go top few). I'd probably lean towards Kieran Collins over Skinner, just based on developmental potential. But that's something over the course of the year that will again we'll have more information on.

 

[grundog49]

Skinner for me feels between Adelaide's first and second round pick at this stage (though given the time of the season that's almost certainly going to change - positively or negatively for him).

If you ask me today which key defender I'd take (outside of Weitering who can go top few). I'd probably lean towards Kieran Collins over Skinner, just based on developmental potential. But that's something over the course of the year that will again we'll have more information on.

Collins is the better defender but i reckon Skinner would fill our needs for swingman.

One question, how did you get the info on some of these SA prospects like Nunn and Combe? I can find close to nothing on them and it would take me hours to sort through the stats for the Maccas cup.

 

[Knightmare]

Collins is the better defender but i reckon Skinner would fill our needs for swingman.

One question, how did you get the info on some of these SA prospects like Nunn and Combe? I can find close to nothing on them and it would take me hours to sort through the stats for the Maccas cup.

I've catalogued the stats of the better SA players from last year in all three grades into excel spreadsheets for starters. In saying that I also last season was 1-2 games of each and liked what I saw of both of them and took some notes on their games.

I'll look to get some profiles up and share some further info on Nunn and Combe.

But really liking the both of them.

Combe last year only played Maccas Cup but his contested ball winning ability and ability to win the clearances really stood out absolutely miles above the others he competed against. He has also shown that he can hit the scoreboard for a little better than a goal a game which also is a terrific sign. I'd like still to get a better feel for his footskills/pace/agility but he seemed certainly very much able to get from contest to contest. And his inside game is just completely dominant and more than should stand up at the next level.

Nunn played mostly reserves and the one league game. He really played well particularly at Reserves level and showed he can find the ball in bunches. Ball use is efficient and seemed reliable from what I've seen of him and seemed to cover the ground well. Like with Combe I haven't seen him at full pace to get a good feel for his pace. The primarily knock for me is lack of scoreboard impact at this stage but to his credit late season he started to hit the scoreboard. At this stage I'm liking his performance as one of SA's most advanced mids at this stage.

That's the basic overview of both anyway at this stage to get a feel for who they are. But as I said before, I'll look when I get the time to start getting some proper bios up for these players to give everyone a better feel for what these guys can/can't do and what to expect with each of them.

 

[Skippos]

I've catalogued the stats of the better SA players from last year in all three grades into excel spreadsheets for starters. In saying that I also last season was 1-2 games of each and liked what I saw of both of them and took some notes on their games.

I'll look to get some profiles up and share some further info on Nunn and Combe.

But really liking the both of them.

Combe last year only played Maccas Cup but his contested ball winning ability and ability to win the clearances really stood out absolutely miles above the others he competed against. He has also shown that he can hit the scoreboard for a little better than a goal a game which also is a terrific sign. I'd like still to get a better feel for his footskills/pace/agility but he seemed certainly very much able to get from contest to contest. And his inside game is just completely dominant and more than should stand up at the next level.

Nunn played mostly reserves and the one league game. He really played well particularly at Reserves level and showed he can find the ball in bunches. Ball use is efficient and seemed reliable from what I've seen of him and seemed to cover the ground well. Like with Combe I haven't seen him at full pace to get a good feel for his pace. The primarily knock for me is lack of scoreboard impact at this stage but to his credit late season he started to hit the scoreboard. At this stage I'm liking his performance as one of SA's most advanced mids at this stage.

That's the basic overview of both anyway at this stage to get a feel for who they are. But as I said before, I'll look when I get the time to start getting some proper bios up for these players to give everyone a better feel for what these guys can/can't do and what to expect with each of them.

Having seen both of these players numerous times I can back this up. Good inferences there, you've summed them up well. I do think you're overrating Combe relative to some of the other talents around, though. He's not *that* good. Not yet, at least!

 

[Knightmare]

Having seen both of these players numerous times I can back this up. Good inferences there, you've summed them up well. I do think you're overrating Combe relative to some of the other talents around, though. He's not *that* good. Not yet, at least!

I'd like to see what Combe can do up a grade be it reserves or league. But I like him and obviously a fair way more than most given Combe hasn't been spoken about as a first rounder yet. But then again small sample sizes and big games can do that and my ratings will probably settle down some over the year when I see them v the other states.

As a SA footy viewer. Do you have any insight about Combe and Nunn athletically and by foot - not in terms of testing (though testing numbers are always welcome and of interest) but rather how they look in game? Can they take on the game at all? Have much agility? Any notes on their footskills be it outstanding penetration/outstanding vision. Or any specifics that in these areas stood out?
With Combe I've mostly just seen him in and under and haven't specifically noticed him on the outside so I haven't seen him display the rest of his game beyond kicking a couple of goals up forward and seeming to finish well. And Nunn while I've seen more of an inside/outside balance he has in the games I've seen of him play really I'd describe as within himself and as a result I don't yet have a feel for athletically or by foot beyond just being generally efficient what he can do.

 

[Skippos]

I'd like to see what Combe can do up a grade be it reserves or league. But I like him and obviously a fair way more than most given Combe hasn't been spoken about as a first rounder yet. But then again small sample sizes and big games can do that and my ratings will probably settle down some over the year when I see them v the other states.

As a SA footy viewer. Do you have any insight about Combe and Nunn athletically and by foot - not in terms of testing (though testing numbers are always welcome and of interest) but rather how they look in game? Can they take on the game at all? Have much agility? Any notes on their footskills be it outstanding penetration/outstanding vision. Or any specifics that in these areas stood out?
With Combe I've mostly just seen him in and under and haven't specifically noticed him on the outside so I haven't seen him display the rest of his game beyond kicking a couple of goals up forward and seeming to finish well. And Nunn while I've seen more of an inside/outside balance he has in the games I've seen of him play really I'd describe as within himself and as a result I don't yet have a feel for athletically or by foot beyond just being generally efficient what he can do.

Yeah look from what I saw last year Nunn is just a natural footballer. Positions well, disposes well, runs to the right places, knows how to win the ball - has a natural feel of the game. Athletically not elite but with developing bodies that could change. Vision was a particular highlight relative to the standard of the games - it stood out. Decision making strong. Combe wins the ball inside heavily - positions well to win hard ball and extracts with efficiency; not only wins the hard ball but the decision after winning it is intelligent. Distribution solid. Very similar to his brother but perhaps a more defined outside game - a lot of improvement there though. I worry he may slide as there is a little bit of Bampton about him with that very defined inside game but not rounded outside game. I think he's better; but I've seen players like him get looked over - his brother an example. I have him #21 atm.

Maris Olekalns is where my hype is right now. Smart kid, does everything right, classy, poised - just a gun.

 

[Knightmare]

Yeah look from what I saw last year Nunn is just a natural footballer. Positions well, disposes well, runs to the right places, knows how to win the ball - has a natural feel of the game. Athletically not elite but with developing bodies that could change. Vision was a particular highlight relative to the standard of the games - it stood out. Decision making strong. Combe wins the ball inside heavily - positions well to win hard ball and extracts with efficiency; not only wins the hard ball but the decision after winning it is intelligent. Distribution solid. Very similar to his brother but perhaps a more defined outside game - a lot of improvement there though. I worry he may slide as there is a little bit of Bampton about him with that very defined inside game but not rounded outside game. I think he's better; but I've seen players like him get looked over - his brother an example. I have him #21 atm.

Maris Olekalns is where my hype is right now. Smart kid, does everything right, classy, poised - just a gun.

Thanks for the response.

On Olekalns, I've liked what I've seen of him last year also and you're right with your observations. I'll be interested to see what his measurements are like by u18 champs, but he can really do damage, forward or through the midfield. I was really encouraged last year particularly with his play at reserves level. Some guys have that performance dip as they move up a grade, but with Olekalns, he can still play well against better competition without much of a dip which I really like.

 

[Team DJ]

Last i heard Ben Beioley has quit Footy.


You need to give more respect to Will Snelling and Riley Bonner.
Snelling is as good if not better than Caleb Daniel was last year as an inside mid. He has a few cm's on him too.
And you wont find a better kick in the draft than Riley Bonner. Has a huge left boot and a handy right foot too. A classic 70m player.

The other is Jack Agostino, wont get beaten, poised, a high IQ player.

 

[redandblack]

Last i heard Ben Beioley has quit Footy.


You need to give more respect to Will Snelling and Riley Bonner.
Snelling is as good if not better than Caleb Daniel was last year as an inside mid. He has a few cm's on him too.
And you wont find a better kick in the draft than Riley Bonner. Has a huge left boot and a handy right foot too. A classic 70m player.

The other is Jack Agostino, wont get beaten, poised, a high IQ player.

Agree on all three. Snelling is already a fixture in West's senior team, playing starting on-ball. Bonner needs a bit more time, but has the goods, while Agostino is a class act with lovely skills. They're all playing tomorrow, Snelling & Agostino against Adelaide's SANFL team in a trial.

I'll report on how they went.

 

[borderbarry]

Knightmare, what would be the situation if a bottom club offerred their 2nd round pick for Dunkley, after Sydney had used their first two picks for Mills?

 

[Membling]

Knightmare, what would be the situation if a bottom club offerred their 2nd round pick for Dunkley, after Sydney had used their first two picks for Mills?

We would have to make up picks using later and next years picks.

 

[TheLastEmperor]

We would have to make up picks using later and next years picks.

Has the academy bidding system changed?


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[Membling]

Has the academy bidding system changed?


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I'm working on the proviso they will implement the point system this year

 

[TheLastEmperor]

I'm working on the proviso they will implement the point system this year

Yea cool I was unsure. Mills for pick 15-18 alone would be extraordinary.


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[Procrastinator35]

We would have to make up picks using later and next years picks.

Sumfin tells me you'll end up with both Mills & Dunkley without having to pay a premium....Picks 1 & 2 will likely suffice.... And I for one, don't have a problem with that!

Reckon they'll hold over on the change of system till 2016....Just an inkling!

 

[Membling]

Yea cool I was unsure. Mills for pick 15-18 alone would be extraordinary.


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Plus the rest of our picks.