- Sep 19, 2018
- 401
- 1,162
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
I've been pretty slow out of the gates this year, still getting in lots of footy but slow to get all my notes together into something presentable.
I'll start by sharing some brief notes about some of the prospects that I like and hope to slowly build out my draft board from there. I'll keep it relatively brief, particularly for the well known prospects and try and share a bit more about the lesser known.
Jason Horne
For those who read some of my thoughts on Horne last year you'll know how much of a fan I am. I don't recall too many prospects as complete as him and whose games are suited so well to the modern-day AFL. He's a dual-position threat player who can have a significant impact on the game whether it be through the midfield or positioned deep in the forward line. It's the kind of call that can make you look real silly if things go wrong but I genuinely believe he's a Patrick Dangerfield level prospect. He's unquestionably the number 1 prospect for me and I personally don't think it's close.
Matthew Roberts
I saw a lot of Roberts as a bottom-ager and have caught him on a handful of occasions this year. As far as pure football talent goes, Roberts is pretty elite. He's a good ball winner both inside and outside, good ball-user by hand and foot and he can hit the scoreboard as a goal kicking mid. Despite this obvious talent, I have some pretty significant reservations about him from an athletic standpoint. Without seeing testing results, his agility appears to be sub-par and he lacks a level of explosiveness that I think could be exploited at AFL level. I have concerns that this will impact his ability to apply pressure in the forward half and be accountable at stoppage, particularly at centre bounce. Of course people can point to Scott Pendlebury who has overcome similar athletic limitations to be one of the greats but I'd say he's more the exception than the rule. At some point in the draft you just can't deny his talent but I'm not sure I could commit a top 10 pick to Roberts.
Lewis Rayson
I do tend to enjoy watching Rayson play footy. He appears to be quite laid back in his approach and then can be quite explosive when he has the footy. He has a great understanding of angles and running lanes which he uses to avoid opposition chasers, allowing him to quickly turn defence into attack. He continues to find the footy at SANFL U18 level but a greater proportion of this would be uncontested. He's very slightly built and this limits his roles at AFL level at this stage of his career. My view of the pathway for Rayson is a few years in the State League to allow his body to mature with an eye to being a more ready-made draft candidate as a 21-22 year old.
Blayne O'Loughlin
O'Loughlin has put up some pretty significant numbers in the SANFL U18's, although these are somewhat inflated given he takes most kick-outs for North Adelaide. He is a really good decision-maker and executes his kicks at a really high level in this role. He kicks a low, penetrating ball that is hard to intercept and rarely misses the target. Somewhat ironically, I think his pathway to the AFL is actually up the other end of the ground as a skillful small forward. O'Loughlin would need to improve his tackling, contested ball winning and pressure around the contest to succeed in this role but I think it's more likely to give him a chance to make it at the next level where I feel he will struggle to play on AFL level forwards. I'd say O'Loughlin would be an outside rookie chance at this point.
James Willis
Willis is one of my favourite South Australian prospects. He's a strong bodied, hard running midfielder that has the positional versatility to play wing, half forward and half back. He wins his fair share of contested footy but has shown he can also accumulate on the outside as well. He has a touch of forward craft too which has seen him hit the scoreboard on occasion. I think his competitiveness, physical/athletic ability and positional versatility should at least position him as a draft candidate. I hope he gets the opportunity to play at the U19 Champs as I'd love to see what he could do at that level.
Hugh Jackson
Another prospect out of North Adelaide. Jackson has also put up some pretty incredible numbers. He's another that wins his fair share of contested footy while also demonstrating the ability to win it on the outside. He's strong in the contest, hitting it hard and showing clean hands to extract the footy. He has a really good understanding of where the space is and often looks to lead his teammates into that space with his disposals by hand and foot. His kicking does need to improve if he is going to separate himself in this years draft crop. His kicking technique somewhat limits his consistency. He tends to whip the ball across his body which allows him to hit some really tough kicks and then get under the odd one and really miss-hit it. Tom Powell improved his kicking dramatically from the beginning of his draft year to the end and I do think Jackson can do the same, however poor technique could limit rapid improvement. He is primarily a midfielder at this stage but could also develop as a half back or highish half forward as he has looked promising on the lead in small periods inside 50. If his kicking can improve and he can start hitting the scoreboard then I think his draft stocks could follow a similar trajectory to Tom Powell last year.
Arlo Draper
Draper is certainly above the level at SANFL U18's and played a pretty solid game of SANFL reserves footy on the weekend as a pure mid. Physically he has all the tools and skills to have a career at AFL level, I just haven't seen him piece together consistent performances yet that would make me desperate to draft him. I feel he does everything well but clearly has growth in all areas which ultimately is pretty exciting if he can achieve that growth. I'd say he's a lock to be drafted but I don't think I'd have him inside my top 20 or so at this stage.
Cooper Beecken
Beecken burst onto the scene at the end of last year in the State Development Squad game where he was one of the best on ground playing in defence. Beecken has spent some time on the wing this year which I think has been really positive for his development. He's got really good speed and size for a winger, he's strong in the air and he's capable by hand and foot. At this stage I haven't really seen him demonstrate the offensive weapons you'd like to see from a winger but he's certainly an asset defensively with his ability to read the play and impact contests in the air. If he can add some attacking features to his play on the wing and improve his contested footy a bit more then I think he will certainly be in draft calculations.
Isaiah Dudley
I've been quite impressed with Dudley over the last few weeks and was excited to see him named in Central District's reserves side for this weekend. Dudley has AFL attributes as a classy small forward who is a strong tackler, capable of applying pressure inside F50. He's a threat at stoppage and does a really good job of finding the footy himself and getting involved in the chain of ball movement. Although he has shown some really positive signs through the midfield at U18 level, I think ultimately his role at AFL level is inside forward 50. I'm eager to see how he performs at SANFL reserves level and the U19 Champs where I'm confident he will feature for SA. I'd say he would be firmly on the Adelaide Crows draft board at this stage.
Cooper Murley
Murley is another that I saw a fair bit of last year in his bottom age year and I was super keen to see how he performed in the AFL Academy game against Geelong. Unfortunately injury prevented that from happening but he seems to be healthy now and was pretty solid on the weekend. Murley is explosive and has speed as he exits the stoppage. His speed does not prevent him from hitting kicks on the move as he is pretty classy by foot. I think his frame perhaps limits his scope as a midfielder at AFL level but I feel confident in projecting an Orazio Fantasia level career. His weapons and skill set in the right system should allow him to have an AFL career.
Jase Burgoyne
Burgoyne has looked comfortable at every level he's played at this year. He was consistently good last year in the U18's for Woodville West Torrens and has continued that form in the same competition this year, whilst also managing to squeeze in a number of SANFL League games for Port. He reminds me a touch of Luke Edwards last year who seemed relatively comfortable as he rose to each level in the SANFL, without having particularly dominant performances or demonstrating any obvious AFL attributes. Both were/are just really solid footballers with good skills and good game awareness. Burgoyne's frame is the biggest concern for me given he is so, so slight. I suspect he's a near lock to find his way onto Port's list, whether it be through the National or Rookie draft. He just desperately needs add size to his frame to be able to compete more in the contest. If he can achieve that physical development then I think he has a chance to play across half back at AFL level. Without it I think there is still a bright future as a really strong State League player.
I've still got some work to do on my notes for a few other SA prospects including Shaye Linke who I'm excited to see get his SANFL League debut this week. I'll share my notes from some of the interstate prospects over the next week or so as well. I've got a reasonable foundation but will hopefully be able to get in a little more footy to help build out my draft board.
I'll start by sharing some brief notes about some of the prospects that I like and hope to slowly build out my draft board from there. I'll keep it relatively brief, particularly for the well known prospects and try and share a bit more about the lesser known.
Jason Horne
For those who read some of my thoughts on Horne last year you'll know how much of a fan I am. I don't recall too many prospects as complete as him and whose games are suited so well to the modern-day AFL. He's a dual-position threat player who can have a significant impact on the game whether it be through the midfield or positioned deep in the forward line. It's the kind of call that can make you look real silly if things go wrong but I genuinely believe he's a Patrick Dangerfield level prospect. He's unquestionably the number 1 prospect for me and I personally don't think it's close.
Matthew Roberts
I saw a lot of Roberts as a bottom-ager and have caught him on a handful of occasions this year. As far as pure football talent goes, Roberts is pretty elite. He's a good ball winner both inside and outside, good ball-user by hand and foot and he can hit the scoreboard as a goal kicking mid. Despite this obvious talent, I have some pretty significant reservations about him from an athletic standpoint. Without seeing testing results, his agility appears to be sub-par and he lacks a level of explosiveness that I think could be exploited at AFL level. I have concerns that this will impact his ability to apply pressure in the forward half and be accountable at stoppage, particularly at centre bounce. Of course people can point to Scott Pendlebury who has overcome similar athletic limitations to be one of the greats but I'd say he's more the exception than the rule. At some point in the draft you just can't deny his talent but I'm not sure I could commit a top 10 pick to Roberts.
Lewis Rayson
I do tend to enjoy watching Rayson play footy. He appears to be quite laid back in his approach and then can be quite explosive when he has the footy. He has a great understanding of angles and running lanes which he uses to avoid opposition chasers, allowing him to quickly turn defence into attack. He continues to find the footy at SANFL U18 level but a greater proportion of this would be uncontested. He's very slightly built and this limits his roles at AFL level at this stage of his career. My view of the pathway for Rayson is a few years in the State League to allow his body to mature with an eye to being a more ready-made draft candidate as a 21-22 year old.
Blayne O'Loughlin
O'Loughlin has put up some pretty significant numbers in the SANFL U18's, although these are somewhat inflated given he takes most kick-outs for North Adelaide. He is a really good decision-maker and executes his kicks at a really high level in this role. He kicks a low, penetrating ball that is hard to intercept and rarely misses the target. Somewhat ironically, I think his pathway to the AFL is actually up the other end of the ground as a skillful small forward. O'Loughlin would need to improve his tackling, contested ball winning and pressure around the contest to succeed in this role but I think it's more likely to give him a chance to make it at the next level where I feel he will struggle to play on AFL level forwards. I'd say O'Loughlin would be an outside rookie chance at this point.
James Willis
Willis is one of my favourite South Australian prospects. He's a strong bodied, hard running midfielder that has the positional versatility to play wing, half forward and half back. He wins his fair share of contested footy but has shown he can also accumulate on the outside as well. He has a touch of forward craft too which has seen him hit the scoreboard on occasion. I think his competitiveness, physical/athletic ability and positional versatility should at least position him as a draft candidate. I hope he gets the opportunity to play at the U19 Champs as I'd love to see what he could do at that level.
Hugh Jackson
Another prospect out of North Adelaide. Jackson has also put up some pretty incredible numbers. He's another that wins his fair share of contested footy while also demonstrating the ability to win it on the outside. He's strong in the contest, hitting it hard and showing clean hands to extract the footy. He has a really good understanding of where the space is and often looks to lead his teammates into that space with his disposals by hand and foot. His kicking does need to improve if he is going to separate himself in this years draft crop. His kicking technique somewhat limits his consistency. He tends to whip the ball across his body which allows him to hit some really tough kicks and then get under the odd one and really miss-hit it. Tom Powell improved his kicking dramatically from the beginning of his draft year to the end and I do think Jackson can do the same, however poor technique could limit rapid improvement. He is primarily a midfielder at this stage but could also develop as a half back or highish half forward as he has looked promising on the lead in small periods inside 50. If his kicking can improve and he can start hitting the scoreboard then I think his draft stocks could follow a similar trajectory to Tom Powell last year.
Arlo Draper
Draper is certainly above the level at SANFL U18's and played a pretty solid game of SANFL reserves footy on the weekend as a pure mid. Physically he has all the tools and skills to have a career at AFL level, I just haven't seen him piece together consistent performances yet that would make me desperate to draft him. I feel he does everything well but clearly has growth in all areas which ultimately is pretty exciting if he can achieve that growth. I'd say he's a lock to be drafted but I don't think I'd have him inside my top 20 or so at this stage.
Cooper Beecken
Beecken burst onto the scene at the end of last year in the State Development Squad game where he was one of the best on ground playing in defence. Beecken has spent some time on the wing this year which I think has been really positive for his development. He's got really good speed and size for a winger, he's strong in the air and he's capable by hand and foot. At this stage I haven't really seen him demonstrate the offensive weapons you'd like to see from a winger but he's certainly an asset defensively with his ability to read the play and impact contests in the air. If he can add some attacking features to his play on the wing and improve his contested footy a bit more then I think he will certainly be in draft calculations.
Isaiah Dudley
I've been quite impressed with Dudley over the last few weeks and was excited to see him named in Central District's reserves side for this weekend. Dudley has AFL attributes as a classy small forward who is a strong tackler, capable of applying pressure inside F50. He's a threat at stoppage and does a really good job of finding the footy himself and getting involved in the chain of ball movement. Although he has shown some really positive signs through the midfield at U18 level, I think ultimately his role at AFL level is inside forward 50. I'm eager to see how he performs at SANFL reserves level and the U19 Champs where I'm confident he will feature for SA. I'd say he would be firmly on the Adelaide Crows draft board at this stage.
Cooper Murley
Murley is another that I saw a fair bit of last year in his bottom age year and I was super keen to see how he performed in the AFL Academy game against Geelong. Unfortunately injury prevented that from happening but he seems to be healthy now and was pretty solid on the weekend. Murley is explosive and has speed as he exits the stoppage. His speed does not prevent him from hitting kicks on the move as he is pretty classy by foot. I think his frame perhaps limits his scope as a midfielder at AFL level but I feel confident in projecting an Orazio Fantasia level career. His weapons and skill set in the right system should allow him to have an AFL career.
Jase Burgoyne
Burgoyne has looked comfortable at every level he's played at this year. He was consistently good last year in the U18's for Woodville West Torrens and has continued that form in the same competition this year, whilst also managing to squeeze in a number of SANFL League games for Port. He reminds me a touch of Luke Edwards last year who seemed relatively comfortable as he rose to each level in the SANFL, without having particularly dominant performances or demonstrating any obvious AFL attributes. Both were/are just really solid footballers with good skills and good game awareness. Burgoyne's frame is the biggest concern for me given he is so, so slight. I suspect he's a near lock to find his way onto Port's list, whether it be through the National or Rookie draft. He just desperately needs add size to his frame to be able to compete more in the contest. If he can achieve that physical development then I think he has a chance to play across half back at AFL level. Without it I think there is still a bright future as a really strong State League player.
I've still got some work to do on my notes for a few other SA prospects including Shaye Linke who I'm excited to see get his SANFL League debut this week. I'll share my notes from some of the interstate prospects over the next week or so as well. I've got a reasonable foundation but will hopefully be able to get in a little more footy to help build out my draft board.