Opinion Melbourne Board 2012 Mock Draft

[Jordie_tackles]

Pick 34 - DrMubutu

 

[Tulip]

So, who's picking up Dom first?

 

[DrMubutu]

Not I, HFF.

Pick 34 - St Kilda - Sam Colquhoun

Back flanker with excellent disposal; a much-required player in modern AFL.

With the Saint's first-choice player for this position deserting to Essendon, now would be the perfect time to groom a replacement.
Has played in the SANFL, showing some defensive promise, and is an excellent intercept mark. Will work well with the first round pick (that they may still get for Goddard leaving), Jaksch.

 

[PitchBlease]

ThePuppetMaster Norf up

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

NORF! Pick 35: Nathan Hrovat

Nath is a full-time midfielder at junior level, but due to his height there must be some doubts about that translating into the AFL arena.

That said he's arguably the best performed player at junior level in the draft - definitely top 5.

He runs hard, wins contested ball, uses the ball brilliantly, can finish well around goals and tackles well - he really doesn't have a glaring weakness when you look past his height.

North know that small players can carve out great AFL careers (Brent Harvey at 171-2 cm's) and I think that if you get Nathan into that environment with a player like Harvey to mentor him on what it takes then he'll become a really good player.

He's been compared to a Jarryd Blair, who should end up an excellent player, but I feel Nath has a few more strings to his bow when it comes to his disposal.

Has really solid leadership credentials as well.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Come on guys tag the next

pick 36 - Geelong - Aenimence

 

[Marlowe]

Pick #36: Geelong - Paul Marschall (SA – Def)
Height: 189cm, Weight: 90kg, DOB:
Recruited from: Central Districts

Profile: Ready to go defender who stands out with his ball use by both hand and foot. Excellent decision maker and rarely misses a target
by foot out of the back half and is developing into a real weapon. Strong overhead mark. Tackling game also above average in the back
half.

Sounds like someone Geelong could use and sounds ready to go.

 

[Tulip]

Eth

 

[Eth]

Pick 37: Fremantle - Dean Towers

Write-up to come.

CowboyFromHell

 

[CowboyFromHell]

Pick #37 - West Coast

Jason Pongracic (VIC – Mid/Fwd)
Height: 182cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 21/04/1994
Recruited from: Dandenong Stingrays
Style: Brad Sewell
Player comparison:
Range: 15-40
Profile: Strong body and big bodied inside ball winner who has missed some time this year with injury. Real in and under type who attacks the footy and more often than not comes out with it. Displays great hardness at the footy and just really attacks it. Seems to really enjoying playing for the contested ball. Very good by both hand and foot. Pongracic is a really early bloomer and has been good for a number of years. The question with Pongracic is because he is bigger than everyone else does he do it because of size or because he is just better than everyone else? The other query is on pace and he is not one of the quickest midfielders going around. In any case he will be one of the more immediate talents who should be able to step up to AFL level more quickly than the next midfielder. Pongracic has also shown since coming back from injury this year the ability to play up forward and have an impact.

Extra strong bodied midfielder to do the in and under stuff to complement some of their outside runners and to off set the loss of Swift and Stevens.

Demon 16, you're up buddy!

 

[Eth]

Was tossing up between Pongracic and Towers, couldn't split 'em. Good pick, slid a bit...

 

[CowboyFromHell]

Was tossing up between Pongracic and Towers, couldn't split 'em. Good pick, slid a bit...

Same here, would have been happy with either of them. Have seen Eagle fans saying they wouldn't mind another strong body in the midfield and he would suit them pretty well.... I think...

 

[Eth]

Same here, would have been happy with either of them. Have seen Eagle fans saying they wouldn't mind another strong body in the midfield and he would suit them pretty well.... I think...

Neither of Priddis or Kerr are exactly young. It's a good choice.

You'll find that the main knock's probably his pace, but you'd say the same on Priddis/Kennedy/Sewell/Mitchell etc.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Neither of Priddis or Kerr are exactly young. It's a good choice.

You'll find that the main knock's probably his pace, but you'd say the same on Priddis/Kennedy/Sewell/Mitchell etc.

It's strange that recruiters often look for reasons NOT to draft a player with a mid range pick and not reasons to draft them - and vice versa when they're looking at the top picks, seem to get carried away with what they do well!

 

[Demon 16]

#38 Collingwood - Tim Sumner (SA – Mid/Fwd)
Height: 187cm, Weight: 83g, DOB: 09/10/1994
Recruited from: Woodville West Torrents
Style:
Player comparison:
Range: 20-rookie
Profile: Sumner is one of the quickest players in the draft and at his height is one of the more interesting prospects. Sumner is not a noted ball winner and doesn’t get a lot of it but when he does he can with his pace do some big damage, generally using it well but ball use can lack consistency at times. Strong overhead. Very dangerous around goal and good finisher around goal. With his pace could go from ok tackler to excellent tackler with more work.

SuburbanMe

 

[Andy_Mac]

Excellent pick, B'n'R. Was desperately hoping he'd last until 34.

Agreed. I was going to take him at GC pick, but pulled out at the last second. I really hope Melbournenlook at this guy at P20.

 

[SuburbanMe]

Adelaide pick Michael Close with Pick 40.

From: North Ballarat Rebels (VIC)
Age: 18
Height: 195 cm
Weight: 82 kg

Mobile and strong marking tall forward who missed three games in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships due to injury. Has elite endurance for his size (15 plus beep test) and excellent disposals by foot. He also has the ability to play as a backup ruckman.

 

[deeman87]

Jordie_tackles

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Hawthorn pick 41

Happy to get a nice player at this pick, another midfielder as i simply think he is the next best available in the draft currently, was thinking long and hard about Dean Towers but being one of the later picks in this draft i missed out on the preferred option again, although Rory is a great acquisitions imo, he is later than i imagined which is nice thought he could go anywhere after the mid 20's so for him to be hear at 41 was nice, now the pickings get harder imo

Rory Atkins (183cm midfielder - Calder) – TFLUA –Tiger write up


I'm a huge Atkins fan, I think he's my favourite kid in the draft. As such I probably have him a little bit higher than others on here, but that's the beauty of an exercise such as this. Atkins is quick without being blinding, got very neat disposal without being elite, but finds a hell of a lot of it and does hurt the opposition when he gets it. He's one of those 65 metre players I love, he runs it 15-20 and kicks it 45-50. Didn't have a dominant champs which will probably drop him down a bit, but has been rampant for the Cannons, and constantly racks up 25-30 touches for them. Atkins is really good at finding space, and also at getting his team mates involved in the game, he links up very effectively when he's on the spread, and he doesn't need much room to get loose. He's a natural at finding room, so looks faster than he is. Can go inside and get the hard ball, and can then really hurt you on the outside, and these are the kind of midfielders I love. I know that a few others have Atkins as an inside midfielder at AFL level, but I think that he's best suited as an outside runner on a wing, who can play both ways and win his own ball when required. I certainly think he's got the hurt factor to go higher than most think, and I'd have absolutely no hesitations taking him here.

edit - PitchBlease is next

 

[SuburbanMe]

ahh sorry I didn't tag Jordie -

 

[PitchBlease]

Pick 42 - Sydney

Clay Cameron - can I take him despite him being a 'possible QLD zone' selection?
Nice KPP to develop into a key defensive role in the future. Good aerially and solid shutdown work.
(I'm assuming Sydney get Tippet)

Dory_77 GWS for the start of the 3rd

 

[Dory_77]

GWS Pick #43:
Jacob Ballard; 186cm; 82kgs; Defender/midfielder
Hard-bodied midfielder/defender with very strong endurance and work rate. Can win the hard ball and is good in and around contests. Uses the ball cleanly too and can run off the half-back line or through the middle. Would be ready to play round 1 next year and should provide some extra grunt for the GWS midfield to complement some of their classier players.

Andy_Mac

 

[Andy_Mac]

GC Pick #44 Sam Lowrie;

Big strong inside mid who hails from WA. GC need to add inside muscle and I think that Lowrie can do that. Good endurance, and can also play a little on the outside. Very happy to get him in the third round.

 

[deeman87]

Blackas87

 

[Andy_Mac]

Blackas87

Thanks mate. I have no idea on how to tag...