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G'day and welcome to my first effort at a phantom draft.
This is a progressive phantom draft. I'll try to update the draft daily with at least 1 profile/pick a day. I will try to give good reasoning and put in another possible player in contention for each profile. I may also change things around once the ladder changes, all depends if I get time.
Round 1
Pick 1: GWS - Tom Boyd
199cm, 103kg (Eastern Rangers, VIC)
Position: Key forward
Plays like: Drew Petrie
Draft Range: 1 - 3
Boyd is an imposing figure, he's already built like a brick... you know what. Not only is he big and strong, but he takes the ball at the highest point, he's a very strong contested mark and he protects the drop zone well meaning he's incredibly hard to defend against. The fact that he's dominated against all forms of opposition (not only at the TAC and the champs) just proves that. He's kicked many bags of goals. What's his goal kicking like? His set shot kicking is very good also. He's deliberate in his approach and he's a very good kick. Mobility wise Boyd moves well for a big guy. If you're looking for a comparison on how he moves, he perhaps has the same mobility as a Petrie, maybe a bit quicker on the lead. He also has good endurance and it shows in his work ethic which is at a high level. He chases, he tackles and tries to do the team thing which is good to see. I like that he has a bit of versatility in his game also. He can play at FF or at CHF to a high level. He can also pinch hit in the ruck for 5 minutes or so. Overall I don't see any weaknesses in Boyd's game. If he does have one, it's not obvious and only minor. Is he a once in a generation forward as some are saying? It remains to be seen. I personally rate Hogan a little bit higher (but not by heaps).
Why? The best player in the draft. GWS have quite a few tall forwards, but they don't grow on trees and they are worth a bit in terms of trade value if they need to trade one. Boyd has a small advantage over the other GWS forwards in that he can be that 2nd ruckman as well, so GWS may feel he's required.
Smokie - Matthew Scharenberg - GWS need to add a few taller midfielders to their midfield, whether they think he's one of them I'm not sure. If they really wanted Scharenberg, I'd be looking to to take a risk by trading down pick 3 with St kilda though.
Pick 2 - Melbourne - James Aish
183cm, 73kg (Norwood, SA)
Position: Midfielder
Plays like: Bryce Gibbs
Draft Range: 1 - 3
This guy has been playing and dominating in the SANFL since he was 16. Pretty remarkable really. Quickly you will find this guy a joy to watch, he just has so much class. His game sense is very good, he just reads the play better than most. Probably what I like about him most is his composure and decision making under pressure. He almost always seems to pick the right option and execute very well even when he's being paid very close attention to. Aish had quieter champs then everyone would have expected (under limited preparation), but still whenever he had it he would do something with it even while being tagged in most games. Speaking of tags, his inside game is decent but he will have to improve on it especially if he wants to deal with the tag better and be a top player of the competition. Plus I would like to see him do a few more of the 1 percentage sort of stuff as well, like tackles and what not. But I wouldn't say any of that is a major cause for concern. Athletically Aish has a nice bit of pace especially over his first few steps and he has very good agility. Endurance seems pretty decent also. Overall Aish is a potential gun midfielder of the competition. He kicks goals, he hits targets with precision, he's just all class and I think he's the best midfielder in the draft.
Why? Melbourne have the worst midfield in the comp, so this comes as no surprise. I know some supporters think he's a bit too much like Toumpas, but I like him a fair bit better then Toumpas. Plus I had a bit of question mark over Toumpas' inside game, not so with Aish. Think he will work in well with Viney.
Smokie - Josh Kelly - Apparently they had a bit of interest in him last year in the mini draft. Think he's a level below Aish personally and not sure he's a terrific fit for them.
Pick 3 - St Kilda - Josh Kelly
182cm, 73kg (Sandringham Dragons, VIC)
Position: Midfielder
Plays like: Andrew Gaff
Draft Range: 2 - 5
After the disappointment of going close to getting mini draft last year, Kelly has performed really well so far this year. He has had a very consistent championships and you can see some definite improvement on some of his weaknesses. The thing I probably notice about him most is that once you get the ball into his hands, good things happen. He's a smart player, reads the game very well, has very good composure under pressure and is a very good kick. His run and carry is also very good. Just probably would've liked to see him take his man on a bit more and use his speed was the only issue here. He's a real accumulator. His combination of speed and endurance means he's a tough player to match up on. The beauty of Kelly is that he runs hard both ways as well, I was very impressed with his tackling especially against WA. The main issue with Kelly is that he generally stays outside of the packs a lot to get the easy ball. I was much more impressed that he went in a bit more for the hard ball at this year's champs though. I would like to see him go in a bit more still, but I think this is the part of his game that has certainly improved to satisfactory levels. While I think Kelly is a level below the top 3, he's still a very good player and worthy of a top 5 pick IMO.
Why? Looking at the St Kilda list, they really need some top class midfield quality with a few midfield veterans nearing the end of retirement. Kelly could have a fully developed body by the time Dal Santo or Montagna retire which will work in perfectly.
Smokie - Ben Lennon - I rate Lennon higher then Kelly, but feel the Saints need a genuine midfielder and it's not clear cut as to whether Lennon can be. Same with Scharenberg.
Pick 4 - Western Bulldogs - Ben Lennon
188cm, 79kg (Northern Knights, VIC)
Position: Half forward/Utility
Plays like: Robert Murphy/Brendan Goddard
Range: 3 – 10
I was probably a little disappointed with Lennon’s champ’s series. Even though he was good (and deserved his AA honour) I wanted to see a little bit more from him. Over the past couple months I’ve really seen it in the TAC cup whilst copping some attention and he’s been doing it right across the park. His versatility has been real impressive and most importantly he’s been playing well through the midfield in a receiver type role. His kicking is so damaging, he has that ability to pierce through zones or go over them. He’s very much an elite kick and his decision making is also good. He’s very clean and competitive at ground level and very good in the air. He’s an elite overhead mark and has shown some impressive courage in going back with the flight of the ball. As a forward he can play that high half forward role like a Robert Murphy and then use his damaging foot skills to send the ball inside 50. He makes multiple leads and has an understanding on where to go. He’s a good kick at goal at both a short and long range. In defence he can really play that Shannon Hurn role well and he’s also good one on one making him hard to beat. He’s also got some leadership capabilities. Athletically he should test well. He has good speed and a decent level of agility. Endurance wise could be better, but I think it’s really on the improve as shown by his TAC cup form and work rate.
Why? The dogs need players with good foot skills, Lennon is one of the best kicks in the draft. I personally think he will be able to develop into a midfielder in time, but even if he doesn't the dogs could use a Shannon Hurn type across half back or a Bob Murphy across half forward.
Smokie: Lewis Taylor - I really rate him but the dogs have a number of smalls already. Scharenberg was the toughest to pass here as I rate them on a similar level.
Pick 5 - Gold Coast - Matthew Scharenberg
190cm, 89kg (Glenelg, SA)
Position: Half back/Utility
Play like: Corey Enright
Draft Range: 1 - 5
Really interesting player. Scharenberg was voted the 2nd best player of the championships playing CHB. That's really great for him, but probably the most disappointing thing about the championships was that we didn't see him play through the midfield because he could've quite possibly went No 1 if he played well there. But that's enough of that he was still very good and had a very consistent carnival. Across half back he reads it incredibly well. He's very good in the air and displays strong hands. He has good hands at ground level also and just has excellent ground level skills in general. When in possession he's very composed even when in heavy traffic, great awareness, vision and his decision making is very much elite IMO. Kicking wise I'd say he's pretty good, but I wouldn't have him in the elite bracket. He knows when to defend, when to attack and he's very good at both. Once SA won the ball back he's off and he's hard to catch. His run and spread is very good and likes to take the game on. Scharneberg also appears to be a decent athlete. He has a nice bit of speed, agility is great and endurance appears to be quite solid. As a forward he's also had some decent success. He leads hard, has strong hands and is a good shot on goal. Overall even if Scharenberg can't move into the midfield, I'm confident at worst he can still be 3rd tall/back flanker playmaker at the very worst.
Why? The coach has already said he's after a half back. If he doesn't get a mature aged one then Scharenberg would be just brilliant for them.
Smokie: Jack Billings - I originally had him here but with Scharenberg slipping you just couldn't look past him.
Pick 6 - West Coast - Lewis Taylor
174cm, 73kg (Geelong, VIC)
Position: Small Midfielder
Plays like: Brent Harvey
Range: 4 - 10
Taylor may be short, but he's one of the best prospects in this year's draft IMO. He can play both inside and outside of the contest. Inside of the contest his clearance work is very good. He has the ability to firstly get the ball, then use his acceleration/agility to break out of the congestion and use the footy with precision. It's also not uncommon to see him at the bottom of the pack, burrowing in to win the footy for his team. His attack on the ball is first rate. He attacks the contest at speed and with such ferocity. Outside of the contest he can be very damaging also. His foot skills are very good off both sides of his body. He also has the speed and a very good side step. Up forward he's quite dangerous around the goals. He gets to the drop of the ball well and can kick some beauties from nowhere. Defensively he's also very good. He chases, tackles hard, shephards, blocks and does all the team things. The other thing is he just has leadership written all over him. You can see him really talking, trying to lift his team and get them into game. One thing he's prone to doing a bit because he plays at such a fast pace, is he can sell team mates into trouble a bit when he should probably be trying to think things through a bit more. This can be fixed in time however. In summing up, basically Taylor is a competitive beast with plenty of X-factor. Generally I'm not a supporter of taking players below 180cm in the top 10, but with Taylor I have to make the exception. He's a jet.
Why? I know you don't like this West Coast supporters, but I really like a mid here with X factor. In a few years teams won't know who to tag, Gaff or Taylor. Plus I just rate Taylor higher.
Smokie: Marcus Bontempelli - I know I said I would pick him here before, but having watched his last two games in the TAC finals I have to question whether he can step up in the big games. I also considered Dom Sheed here and Matt Crouch. Just rate Taylor higher.
Pick 7 - Brisbane Lions - Matthew Crouch
181cm, 77kg (North Ballarat, VIC)
Position: Midfielder
Plays like: Joel Selwood
Range: 5 – 15
Brother of Brad who was mini draft selection a couple years ago. Matt is a tough, inside ball winning midfielder and is one of if not the best stoppage player in the draft. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see the best of Matt in this year’s champs due to a hand injury but he was still good. This guy just gets a truck load of ball, evidenced by his TAC stats (the lowest amount of ball he had was 32 possessions). He just knows how to find it due to his high footy IQ and his ability to get the hard ball. His stoppage work is great. He reads the ball well off the ruckman’s hands and is very quick to dispose of the ball. He has very good, quick hands and fantastic vision and awareness. His foot skills are good and he makes really smart decisions. He rarely fumbles at ground level and he’s above average overhead. Defensively he’s also very good, he runs both ways and tackles exceptionally well. He’s also been able to find a big amount of uncontested ball which goes to show he knows when to get the hard ball and when to spread. Also as evidenced by what he’s done at this year’s and last year’s champs he just has a knack of kicking goals from stoppages. Athletically Crouch will test in the slow bracket. He got a 3.14 over 20m which is not great, but not a big deal for a player of his type. He should test quite well the endurance part. I see him playing a lot of games next season.
Why? I think Brisbane need some more inside power with Black nearing retirement and Crouch is the best player available IMO.
Smokie: Cameron McCarthy - Brisbane really require tall forwards. But it would be a pretty big risk to nab McCarthy here given he's so raw. I strongly considered Jack Billings here.
Pick 8 - North Melbourne - Luke McDonald
187cm, 77kg (Oakleigh Chargers, VIC)
Position: Midfield/half back
Plays like: Trent McKenzie
Range: F/S - 1st round pick
Father Son Selection for North Melbourne. Luke has had a bit of an interesting year. He had a stellar start to the year in the VFL and has a good end of season there as well. His carnival in the middle of the year was well below expectations given his talent but had some noticeable injury issues in this period. On to his attributes. Luke has a number of things that really standout. First one is his kicking. He's one of the best kicks in the draft regularly hitting targets from up 50-60m away with great penetration. He also has the decision making skills, regularly lowering the eyes, not just booting the ball as far as he can. He also has genuine line breaking speed, runs the ball 20m and kicks it 60m. He's also very good defensively, good tackler and is good one on one. He shut out some very good players last year, off the top of my head Whitfield and Mayes to name a few. Athletically he's very good as well. He's very quick, agile and has good endurance. But he's a footballer first and foremost and a real leader. I think the roo's have a real bargain here. He's a rare player in this year's draft that can play both inside and outside the contest to a very high level. I don't think he has any real obvious weaknesses either. He was clearly hampered by injury at the champs, it clearly affected him athletically . I'd be taking him at pick 3 if the draft was today.
Why? This is the kind of player they need and there's a rich heritage. It's a no brainer. My favourite for the NAB rising star
Smokie: Jack Billings - If somehow McDonald doesn't get picked up.
Pick 9 - GWS - Jack Billings
183cm, 78kg (Oakleigh Chargers, VIC)
Position: Medium Forward
Plays like: Brad Johnson/Nick Dal Santo
Range: 3 - 10
Billings is a tough one to judge because I'm not sure whether he will be able to move into the midfield in time. He's a very good half forward however. He could play a similar role to that of Daniel Giansiracusa. In terms of class he would have to be one of the classiest players in the draft. He's a beautiful kick of the ball and shows very good composure. He has a very good ability to find space with his impeccable smarts and good work ethic. When given space and time he's especially super deadly with ball in hand. He sets up play which will often lead to a score, he has fantastic vision. Knows where the goals are and is a good shot on goal. He has super hands. He's clean at ground level and is very strong overhead making him hard to beat 1 on 1. In the midfield, Jack can play inside or outside. At the moment, he doesn't appear to have the endurance and he doesn't seem as damaging through the midfield as does across half forward. Athletically Jack is decent. I wouldn't call him quick, but he's not slow either and has nice agility to go along with a good leap. His endurance as mentioned is really something that needs to be improved if he's going to be a midfielder. His defensive game also needs to be improved, at the moment it's quite poor. Kind of gone of Jack a bit as when he's not given much space he can really struggle and he won't be able to find as much space.
Why? This is the kind of player they need and there's a rich heritage. It's a no brainer. My favourite for the NAB rising star
Smokie: Jack Billings - If somehow McDonald doesn't get picked up.
Pick 10 - Collingwood - Kade Kolodjashnij
188cm, 77kg (Launceston, TAS)
Position: Half back/midfielder
Plays like: Grant Birchall
Range: 5 – 15
Kade has had an excellent season, starring for Tassie in the U18’s. He won AA honours, the MVP award and was Tasmania’s captain where they were Div 2 champions. He just has the ability to find the ball and rack up possessions for his team. He just reads the play so well especially off half back where he has the ability and confidence to leave his man to take the intercept mark or a spoil. What also impressed me was his aggression at the ball and overall competiveness. He doesn’t win a lot of his own ball, but his aggression towards the ball tells me it can be developed so he can spend more time in the midfield. He also has very big capacity to run and create. He can be a real quarterback for his side. His ball use is very good. He more often than not makes the right decision and really has the vision and executes the pass well. He has a nice bit of pace, but I’m not sure he can break the lines with it. He has a very nice leap and is a very good overhead mark. Endurance wise it’s good and he has a high work rate. Defensively is really where he needs improvement. He’s not a great tackler and one on one he can struggle.
Why? For a start there's rumours Harry O and/or Shaw might not be their next year. Even if it's not true Kade could be used off a wing or get someone else to push up the ground. He would give them a number of options.
Smokie: Jonathan Marsh - He would give Collingwood's forward line something totally different and I don't think it's out of the question that they will pick him. Strongly considered Salem here as well and was close to picking him.
Pick 11 - Richmond - Christian Salem
183cm, 82kg (Sandringham Dragons, VIC)
Position: Midfielder/half forward
Plays like: Paul Chapman
Range: 5 – 15
Salem had a bit of an up and down champs where he was used in a number of roles. He was moved around a fair bit to half forward, wing, midfielder, as a tagger and off half back. I like him most at half forward and through the midfield where he's at his most damaging. As a midfielder Salem can play both inside and outside roles really well. Inside the contest he's hard, tough and attacks the ball at speed. He's very big on the team stuff as well. He chases, he tackles, he blocks, he really has a great defensive game. He just has that real physical side to his game which really inspires team mates around him. But outside of the contest is probably where he's most damaging. He has very good agility and a nice short burst of speed to get through packs and he generally delivers the ball with precision. He is a very good kick off both sides of the body and makes very smart decisions with the ball in hand. This makes him very damaging going inside 50 coupled with his ability to finish well on goal. He's also pretty decent overhead. Overall if he can get a bit more consistency in his game then he could be one of the best players in the draft.
Why? He's the best player available on my list and he just seems like a type Richmond would go for. Very physical, great kick and can play a number of roles.
Smokie: Cameron McCarthy - Depends if they aren't content with what they have. From on outsiders point of you I like Vickery and McBean. Elton and Griffiths I don't like so maybe there's more room for another tall anyway. Considered Marsh and Freeman here as well.
Pick 12 - Carlton - Cameron McCarthy
195cm, 89kg (South Fremantle, WA)
Position: Key Forward
Plays like: Liam Jones/Justin Westhoff
Range: 10 – 18
McCarthy came out of nowhere this year and had a blinder of a championships before unfortunately breaking his leg. Barely anyone had even heard of him, his rise has been dramatic to say the least. McCarthy is a big contested marking forward. He reminds me a little bit of Liam Jones, in that he will fly for any mark and there's a good chance it will somehow stick . He also has great power off the mark and a nice leap to go with his game. But what sets him apart is just his ability to read the flight of the ball and be able to take the ball at the highest point. He's also very good at ground level and has the ability to turn around and snap a goal. The other thing is his kicking technique. It's a bit unusual but it was surprisingly successful over the champs. He was able to win the for WA with a set shot after the siren so it's quite reliable even under pressure. McCarthy is still very raw. He needs work on his leading and understanding of the game and he will take a few years till he's ready. But it's well worth waiting for given his upside.
Why? While Carlton would probably love a gun tall forward now they will have to wait a while for McCarthy. I don't think it's as big a need as what people are making it out to be but it's still a need and McCarthy would add to Carlton's tall stocks.
Smokie: Nathan Freeman - Interested to hear Carlton people's thoughts on this as I had Freeman here for a while and I think he's a nice Judd kind of replacement.
Pick 13 - Port Adelaide - Nathan Freeman
181cm, 85kg (Sandringham Dragons, VIC)
Position: Midfield/forward
Plays like: Jack Steven/Patrick Dangerfield
Range: 11 – 20
The first thing you’ll notice about Freeman is just his ability to burst out of the pack and breakaway from the stoppages. He just has that raw pace and in general plays at a fast pace. He’s not shy in using the “don’t argue” to get through packs, he just loves to take the game on and break through packs. He has a fair bit of arrogance about him. He also has a very good sidestep making him even harder to contain around the packs. Around the stoppages he’s very clean and reads the ball well off the taps. He wins his fair share of clearances and he’s a strong tackler. He’s a very good kick without being elite. He’s a very good up forward. He has good hands overhead and really knows where the goals are. For his talent Freeman hasn’t had the best year and his position is based largely on potential IMO. Something he really needs a lot of work on is his awareness of what’s going on around him. Often he will just put the head down and bust through the pack or just boot the ball as far as he can rather than giving the ball off to a team mate in a better position. He needs to slow down a bit and get a bit more composure about him. He’s sometimes too intense.
Why? Port have already built a good midfield through smart drafting. Freeman would add a different dimension to the midfield altogether and would be a smart choice.
Smokie: Marcus Bontempelli - Would add something a bit more unique to the Port side. Also considered Gardiner here.
Pick 14 - Sydney - Darcy Gardiner
192cm, 84kg (Geelong Falcons, VIC)
Position: Key Defender
Plays like: Ted Richards/Dale Morris
Range: 7 – 17
Gardiner might not look like much but some of the results will tell you otherwise. Jesse Hogan was on fire in last year's champs, it seemed like no one good stop. Well Gardiner did, Hogan barely got a kick after that. A couple of times I've seen Tom Boyd mention, "it's hard to get a kick on him". This just goes to show the general competitiveness and that he can match it with the very best. He's a very close checking defender that will barely give you barely an inch. Very good one on one and is a very good spoiler of the ball. He also has a good bit of speed and a decent level of endurance. Offensively he never tries to much and is generally very reliable with the ball in hand. He can also push forward, take a strong mark and is a decent shot on goal. Something he needs to work on a bit is his ground level work. It's not poor but it can be an issue especially when he's on those smaller players which he can play on. But he's certainly the most natural and the best key defender of the draft.
Why? Quite simply a great replacement for Ted Richards.
Smokie: Marcus Bontempelli - Something Sydney don't have a lot of is tall midfielders especially with the near retirement of Goodes. Strongly considered Hartung here as well.
Pick 15 -Geelong - Dom Sheed
183cm, 83kg (Subiaco, WA)
Position: Midfield
Plays like: Simon Black
Range: 11 - 20
Dom is one that has divided a fair bit of opinion and I can sort of see why. He has a lot of good attributes, but not a lot that really stands out. Looking at his standout attributes, he has three for mine. 1. His stoppage work. His ability to read the ball off the ruckman's hands leads to a high number of clearances and he can be quite dominant in this area. 2. Clean hands. He has very clean hands at ground level and he rarely fumbles. 3. Work rate/Endurance. His work ethic is just exceptional, he must have a big tank. As for his other attributes, his tackling/defensive work, run & spread, use of the ball, composure, decision making, vision and marking I would put all in the good to very good category but not in the elite. His leadership is something that missed which is also very good, captained WA and led them to a very good victory against VC. Why won't he go top 5? Well I think there's two very good reasons for that. You see some of the great inside players like Pendlebury, Mitchell, Black etc they have great vision and are able to put a team mate in space or be able to create space for themselves. I haven't seen this from Sheed, at least not on a consistent basis. The other thing is he lacks a burst of pace and pace in general. If he had one of these attributes he would be a top line prospect. Overall, he's a very good and safe prospect. Perhaps he's lacking in a bit of star quality, but he could still be a very good footballer for an AFL side.
Why? Geelong could use some more Grunt in the side, they haven't been as good in the contested ball as other years. While I don't think Sheed will ever be a star, he can be an important cog like a Joel Corey or a Cameron Ling.
Smokie: Blake Acres - I wouldn't be surprised at all if they took him here. Blake is one of the most talented player's in the draft and Stephen Wells has no trouble backing himself in.
This is a progressive phantom draft. I'll try to update the draft daily with at least 1 profile/pick a day. I will try to give good reasoning and put in another possible player in contention for each profile. I may also change things around once the ladder changes, all depends if I get time.
Round 1
Pick 1: GWS - Tom Boyd
199cm, 103kg (Eastern Rangers, VIC)
Position: Key forward
Plays like: Drew Petrie
Draft Range: 1 - 3
Boyd is an imposing figure, he's already built like a brick... you know what. Not only is he big and strong, but he takes the ball at the highest point, he's a very strong contested mark and he protects the drop zone well meaning he's incredibly hard to defend against. The fact that he's dominated against all forms of opposition (not only at the TAC and the champs) just proves that. He's kicked many bags of goals. What's his goal kicking like? His set shot kicking is very good also. He's deliberate in his approach and he's a very good kick. Mobility wise Boyd moves well for a big guy. If you're looking for a comparison on how he moves, he perhaps has the same mobility as a Petrie, maybe a bit quicker on the lead. He also has good endurance and it shows in his work ethic which is at a high level. He chases, he tackles and tries to do the team thing which is good to see. I like that he has a bit of versatility in his game also. He can play at FF or at CHF to a high level. He can also pinch hit in the ruck for 5 minutes or so. Overall I don't see any weaknesses in Boyd's game. If he does have one, it's not obvious and only minor. Is he a once in a generation forward as some are saying? It remains to be seen. I personally rate Hogan a little bit higher (but not by heaps).
Why? The best player in the draft. GWS have quite a few tall forwards, but they don't grow on trees and they are worth a bit in terms of trade value if they need to trade one. Boyd has a small advantage over the other GWS forwards in that he can be that 2nd ruckman as well, so GWS may feel he's required.
Smokie - Matthew Scharenberg - GWS need to add a few taller midfielders to their midfield, whether they think he's one of them I'm not sure. If they really wanted Scharenberg, I'd be looking to to take a risk by trading down pick 3 with St kilda though.
Pick 2 - Melbourne - James Aish
183cm, 73kg (Norwood, SA)
Position: Midfielder
Plays like: Bryce Gibbs
Draft Range: 1 - 3
This guy has been playing and dominating in the SANFL since he was 16. Pretty remarkable really. Quickly you will find this guy a joy to watch, he just has so much class. His game sense is very good, he just reads the play better than most. Probably what I like about him most is his composure and decision making under pressure. He almost always seems to pick the right option and execute very well even when he's being paid very close attention to. Aish had quieter champs then everyone would have expected (under limited preparation), but still whenever he had it he would do something with it even while being tagged in most games. Speaking of tags, his inside game is decent but he will have to improve on it especially if he wants to deal with the tag better and be a top player of the competition. Plus I would like to see him do a few more of the 1 percentage sort of stuff as well, like tackles and what not. But I wouldn't say any of that is a major cause for concern. Athletically Aish has a nice bit of pace especially over his first few steps and he has very good agility. Endurance seems pretty decent also. Overall Aish is a potential gun midfielder of the competition. He kicks goals, he hits targets with precision, he's just all class and I think he's the best midfielder in the draft.
Why? Melbourne have the worst midfield in the comp, so this comes as no surprise. I know some supporters think he's a bit too much like Toumpas, but I like him a fair bit better then Toumpas. Plus I had a bit of question mark over Toumpas' inside game, not so with Aish. Think he will work in well with Viney.
Smokie - Josh Kelly - Apparently they had a bit of interest in him last year in the mini draft. Think he's a level below Aish personally and not sure he's a terrific fit for them.
Pick 3 - St Kilda - Josh Kelly
182cm, 73kg (Sandringham Dragons, VIC)
Position: Midfielder
Plays like: Andrew Gaff
Draft Range: 2 - 5
After the disappointment of going close to getting mini draft last year, Kelly has performed really well so far this year. He has had a very consistent championships and you can see some definite improvement on some of his weaknesses. The thing I probably notice about him most is that once you get the ball into his hands, good things happen. He's a smart player, reads the game very well, has very good composure under pressure and is a very good kick. His run and carry is also very good. Just probably would've liked to see him take his man on a bit more and use his speed was the only issue here. He's a real accumulator. His combination of speed and endurance means he's a tough player to match up on. The beauty of Kelly is that he runs hard both ways as well, I was very impressed with his tackling especially against WA. The main issue with Kelly is that he generally stays outside of the packs a lot to get the easy ball. I was much more impressed that he went in a bit more for the hard ball at this year's champs though. I would like to see him go in a bit more still, but I think this is the part of his game that has certainly improved to satisfactory levels. While I think Kelly is a level below the top 3, he's still a very good player and worthy of a top 5 pick IMO.
Why? Looking at the St Kilda list, they really need some top class midfield quality with a few midfield veterans nearing the end of retirement. Kelly could have a fully developed body by the time Dal Santo or Montagna retire which will work in perfectly.
Smokie - Ben Lennon - I rate Lennon higher then Kelly, but feel the Saints need a genuine midfielder and it's not clear cut as to whether Lennon can be. Same with Scharenberg.
Pick 4 - Western Bulldogs - Ben Lennon
188cm, 79kg (Northern Knights, VIC)
Position: Half forward/Utility
Plays like: Robert Murphy/Brendan Goddard
Range: 3 – 10
I was probably a little disappointed with Lennon’s champ’s series. Even though he was good (and deserved his AA honour) I wanted to see a little bit more from him. Over the past couple months I’ve really seen it in the TAC cup whilst copping some attention and he’s been doing it right across the park. His versatility has been real impressive and most importantly he’s been playing well through the midfield in a receiver type role. His kicking is so damaging, he has that ability to pierce through zones or go over them. He’s very much an elite kick and his decision making is also good. He’s very clean and competitive at ground level and very good in the air. He’s an elite overhead mark and has shown some impressive courage in going back with the flight of the ball. As a forward he can play that high half forward role like a Robert Murphy and then use his damaging foot skills to send the ball inside 50. He makes multiple leads and has an understanding on where to go. He’s a good kick at goal at both a short and long range. In defence he can really play that Shannon Hurn role well and he’s also good one on one making him hard to beat. He’s also got some leadership capabilities. Athletically he should test well. He has good speed and a decent level of agility. Endurance wise could be better, but I think it’s really on the improve as shown by his TAC cup form and work rate.
Why? The dogs need players with good foot skills, Lennon is one of the best kicks in the draft. I personally think he will be able to develop into a midfielder in time, but even if he doesn't the dogs could use a Shannon Hurn type across half back or a Bob Murphy across half forward.
Smokie: Lewis Taylor - I really rate him but the dogs have a number of smalls already. Scharenberg was the toughest to pass here as I rate them on a similar level.
Pick 5 - Gold Coast - Matthew Scharenberg
190cm, 89kg (Glenelg, SA)
Position: Half back/Utility
Play like: Corey Enright
Draft Range: 1 - 5
Really interesting player. Scharenberg was voted the 2nd best player of the championships playing CHB. That's really great for him, but probably the most disappointing thing about the championships was that we didn't see him play through the midfield because he could've quite possibly went No 1 if he played well there. But that's enough of that he was still very good and had a very consistent carnival. Across half back he reads it incredibly well. He's very good in the air and displays strong hands. He has good hands at ground level also and just has excellent ground level skills in general. When in possession he's very composed even when in heavy traffic, great awareness, vision and his decision making is very much elite IMO. Kicking wise I'd say he's pretty good, but I wouldn't have him in the elite bracket. He knows when to defend, when to attack and he's very good at both. Once SA won the ball back he's off and he's hard to catch. His run and spread is very good and likes to take the game on. Scharneberg also appears to be a decent athlete. He has a nice bit of speed, agility is great and endurance appears to be quite solid. As a forward he's also had some decent success. He leads hard, has strong hands and is a good shot on goal. Overall even if Scharenberg can't move into the midfield, I'm confident at worst he can still be 3rd tall/back flanker playmaker at the very worst.
Why? The coach has already said he's after a half back. If he doesn't get a mature aged one then Scharenberg would be just brilliant for them.
Smokie: Jack Billings - I originally had him here but with Scharenberg slipping you just couldn't look past him.
Pick 6 - West Coast - Lewis Taylor
174cm, 73kg (Geelong, VIC)
Position: Small Midfielder
Plays like: Brent Harvey
Range: 4 - 10
Taylor may be short, but he's one of the best prospects in this year's draft IMO. He can play both inside and outside of the contest. Inside of the contest his clearance work is very good. He has the ability to firstly get the ball, then use his acceleration/agility to break out of the congestion and use the footy with precision. It's also not uncommon to see him at the bottom of the pack, burrowing in to win the footy for his team. His attack on the ball is first rate. He attacks the contest at speed and with such ferocity. Outside of the contest he can be very damaging also. His foot skills are very good off both sides of his body. He also has the speed and a very good side step. Up forward he's quite dangerous around the goals. He gets to the drop of the ball well and can kick some beauties from nowhere. Defensively he's also very good. He chases, tackles hard, shephards, blocks and does all the team things. The other thing is he just has leadership written all over him. You can see him really talking, trying to lift his team and get them into game. One thing he's prone to doing a bit because he plays at such a fast pace, is he can sell team mates into trouble a bit when he should probably be trying to think things through a bit more. This can be fixed in time however. In summing up, basically Taylor is a competitive beast with plenty of X-factor. Generally I'm not a supporter of taking players below 180cm in the top 10, but with Taylor I have to make the exception. He's a jet.
Why? I know you don't like this West Coast supporters, but I really like a mid here with X factor. In a few years teams won't know who to tag, Gaff or Taylor. Plus I just rate Taylor higher.
Smokie: Marcus Bontempelli - I know I said I would pick him here before, but having watched his last two games in the TAC finals I have to question whether he can step up in the big games. I also considered Dom Sheed here and Matt Crouch. Just rate Taylor higher.
Pick 7 - Brisbane Lions - Matthew Crouch
181cm, 77kg (North Ballarat, VIC)
Position: Midfielder
Plays like: Joel Selwood
Range: 5 – 15
Brother of Brad who was mini draft selection a couple years ago. Matt is a tough, inside ball winning midfielder and is one of if not the best stoppage player in the draft. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see the best of Matt in this year’s champs due to a hand injury but he was still good. This guy just gets a truck load of ball, evidenced by his TAC stats (the lowest amount of ball he had was 32 possessions). He just knows how to find it due to his high footy IQ and his ability to get the hard ball. His stoppage work is great. He reads the ball well off the ruckman’s hands and is very quick to dispose of the ball. He has very good, quick hands and fantastic vision and awareness. His foot skills are good and he makes really smart decisions. He rarely fumbles at ground level and he’s above average overhead. Defensively he’s also very good, he runs both ways and tackles exceptionally well. He’s also been able to find a big amount of uncontested ball which goes to show he knows when to get the hard ball and when to spread. Also as evidenced by what he’s done at this year’s and last year’s champs he just has a knack of kicking goals from stoppages. Athletically Crouch will test in the slow bracket. He got a 3.14 over 20m which is not great, but not a big deal for a player of his type. He should test quite well the endurance part. I see him playing a lot of games next season.
Why? I think Brisbane need some more inside power with Black nearing retirement and Crouch is the best player available IMO.
Smokie: Cameron McCarthy - Brisbane really require tall forwards. But it would be a pretty big risk to nab McCarthy here given he's so raw. I strongly considered Jack Billings here.
Pick 8 - North Melbourne - Luke McDonald
187cm, 77kg (Oakleigh Chargers, VIC)
Position: Midfield/half back
Plays like: Trent McKenzie
Range: F/S - 1st round pick
Father Son Selection for North Melbourne. Luke has had a bit of an interesting year. He had a stellar start to the year in the VFL and has a good end of season there as well. His carnival in the middle of the year was well below expectations given his talent but had some noticeable injury issues in this period. On to his attributes. Luke has a number of things that really standout. First one is his kicking. He's one of the best kicks in the draft regularly hitting targets from up 50-60m away with great penetration. He also has the decision making skills, regularly lowering the eyes, not just booting the ball as far as he can. He also has genuine line breaking speed, runs the ball 20m and kicks it 60m. He's also very good defensively, good tackler and is good one on one. He shut out some very good players last year, off the top of my head Whitfield and Mayes to name a few. Athletically he's very good as well. He's very quick, agile and has good endurance. But he's a footballer first and foremost and a real leader. I think the roo's have a real bargain here. He's a rare player in this year's draft that can play both inside and outside the contest to a very high level. I don't think he has any real obvious weaknesses either. He was clearly hampered by injury at the champs, it clearly affected him athletically . I'd be taking him at pick 3 if the draft was today.
Why? This is the kind of player they need and there's a rich heritage. It's a no brainer. My favourite for the NAB rising star
Smokie: Jack Billings - If somehow McDonald doesn't get picked up.
Pick 9 - GWS - Jack Billings
183cm, 78kg (Oakleigh Chargers, VIC)
Position: Medium Forward
Plays like: Brad Johnson/Nick Dal Santo
Range: 3 - 10
Billings is a tough one to judge because I'm not sure whether he will be able to move into the midfield in time. He's a very good half forward however. He could play a similar role to that of Daniel Giansiracusa. In terms of class he would have to be one of the classiest players in the draft. He's a beautiful kick of the ball and shows very good composure. He has a very good ability to find space with his impeccable smarts and good work ethic. When given space and time he's especially super deadly with ball in hand. He sets up play which will often lead to a score, he has fantastic vision. Knows where the goals are and is a good shot on goal. He has super hands. He's clean at ground level and is very strong overhead making him hard to beat 1 on 1. In the midfield, Jack can play inside or outside. At the moment, he doesn't appear to have the endurance and he doesn't seem as damaging through the midfield as does across half forward. Athletically Jack is decent. I wouldn't call him quick, but he's not slow either and has nice agility to go along with a good leap. His endurance as mentioned is really something that needs to be improved if he's going to be a midfielder. His defensive game also needs to be improved, at the moment it's quite poor. Kind of gone of Jack a bit as when he's not given much space he can really struggle and he won't be able to find as much space.
Why? This is the kind of player they need and there's a rich heritage. It's a no brainer. My favourite for the NAB rising star
Smokie: Jack Billings - If somehow McDonald doesn't get picked up.
Pick 10 - Collingwood - Kade Kolodjashnij
188cm, 77kg (Launceston, TAS)
Position: Half back/midfielder
Plays like: Grant Birchall
Range: 5 – 15
Kade has had an excellent season, starring for Tassie in the U18’s. He won AA honours, the MVP award and was Tasmania’s captain where they were Div 2 champions. He just has the ability to find the ball and rack up possessions for his team. He just reads the play so well especially off half back where he has the ability and confidence to leave his man to take the intercept mark or a spoil. What also impressed me was his aggression at the ball and overall competiveness. He doesn’t win a lot of his own ball, but his aggression towards the ball tells me it can be developed so he can spend more time in the midfield. He also has very big capacity to run and create. He can be a real quarterback for his side. His ball use is very good. He more often than not makes the right decision and really has the vision and executes the pass well. He has a nice bit of pace, but I’m not sure he can break the lines with it. He has a very nice leap and is a very good overhead mark. Endurance wise it’s good and he has a high work rate. Defensively is really where he needs improvement. He’s not a great tackler and one on one he can struggle.
Why? For a start there's rumours Harry O and/or Shaw might not be their next year. Even if it's not true Kade could be used off a wing or get someone else to push up the ground. He would give them a number of options.
Smokie: Jonathan Marsh - He would give Collingwood's forward line something totally different and I don't think it's out of the question that they will pick him. Strongly considered Salem here as well and was close to picking him.
Pick 11 - Richmond - Christian Salem
183cm, 82kg (Sandringham Dragons, VIC)
Position: Midfielder/half forward
Plays like: Paul Chapman
Range: 5 – 15
Salem had a bit of an up and down champs where he was used in a number of roles. He was moved around a fair bit to half forward, wing, midfielder, as a tagger and off half back. I like him most at half forward and through the midfield where he's at his most damaging. As a midfielder Salem can play both inside and outside roles really well. Inside the contest he's hard, tough and attacks the ball at speed. He's very big on the team stuff as well. He chases, he tackles, he blocks, he really has a great defensive game. He just has that real physical side to his game which really inspires team mates around him. But outside of the contest is probably where he's most damaging. He has very good agility and a nice short burst of speed to get through packs and he generally delivers the ball with precision. He is a very good kick off both sides of the body and makes very smart decisions with the ball in hand. This makes him very damaging going inside 50 coupled with his ability to finish well on goal. He's also pretty decent overhead. Overall if he can get a bit more consistency in his game then he could be one of the best players in the draft.
Why? He's the best player available on my list and he just seems like a type Richmond would go for. Very physical, great kick and can play a number of roles.
Smokie: Cameron McCarthy - Depends if they aren't content with what they have. From on outsiders point of you I like Vickery and McBean. Elton and Griffiths I don't like so maybe there's more room for another tall anyway. Considered Marsh and Freeman here as well.
Pick 12 - Carlton - Cameron McCarthy
195cm, 89kg (South Fremantle, WA)
Position: Key Forward
Plays like: Liam Jones/Justin Westhoff
Range: 10 – 18
McCarthy came out of nowhere this year and had a blinder of a championships before unfortunately breaking his leg. Barely anyone had even heard of him, his rise has been dramatic to say the least. McCarthy is a big contested marking forward. He reminds me a little bit of Liam Jones, in that he will fly for any mark and there's a good chance it will somehow stick . He also has great power off the mark and a nice leap to go with his game. But what sets him apart is just his ability to read the flight of the ball and be able to take the ball at the highest point. He's also very good at ground level and has the ability to turn around and snap a goal. The other thing is his kicking technique. It's a bit unusual but it was surprisingly successful over the champs. He was able to win the for WA with a set shot after the siren so it's quite reliable even under pressure. McCarthy is still very raw. He needs work on his leading and understanding of the game and he will take a few years till he's ready. But it's well worth waiting for given his upside.
Why? While Carlton would probably love a gun tall forward now they will have to wait a while for McCarthy. I don't think it's as big a need as what people are making it out to be but it's still a need and McCarthy would add to Carlton's tall stocks.
Smokie: Nathan Freeman - Interested to hear Carlton people's thoughts on this as I had Freeman here for a while and I think he's a nice Judd kind of replacement.
Pick 13 - Port Adelaide - Nathan Freeman
181cm, 85kg (Sandringham Dragons, VIC)
Position: Midfield/forward
Plays like: Jack Steven/Patrick Dangerfield
Range: 11 – 20
The first thing you’ll notice about Freeman is just his ability to burst out of the pack and breakaway from the stoppages. He just has that raw pace and in general plays at a fast pace. He’s not shy in using the “don’t argue” to get through packs, he just loves to take the game on and break through packs. He has a fair bit of arrogance about him. He also has a very good sidestep making him even harder to contain around the packs. Around the stoppages he’s very clean and reads the ball well off the taps. He wins his fair share of clearances and he’s a strong tackler. He’s a very good kick without being elite. He’s a very good up forward. He has good hands overhead and really knows where the goals are. For his talent Freeman hasn’t had the best year and his position is based largely on potential IMO. Something he really needs a lot of work on is his awareness of what’s going on around him. Often he will just put the head down and bust through the pack or just boot the ball as far as he can rather than giving the ball off to a team mate in a better position. He needs to slow down a bit and get a bit more composure about him. He’s sometimes too intense.
Why? Port have already built a good midfield through smart drafting. Freeman would add a different dimension to the midfield altogether and would be a smart choice.
Smokie: Marcus Bontempelli - Would add something a bit more unique to the Port side. Also considered Gardiner here.
Pick 14 - Sydney - Darcy Gardiner
192cm, 84kg (Geelong Falcons, VIC)
Position: Key Defender
Plays like: Ted Richards/Dale Morris
Range: 7 – 17
Gardiner might not look like much but some of the results will tell you otherwise. Jesse Hogan was on fire in last year's champs, it seemed like no one good stop. Well Gardiner did, Hogan barely got a kick after that. A couple of times I've seen Tom Boyd mention, "it's hard to get a kick on him". This just goes to show the general competitiveness and that he can match it with the very best. He's a very close checking defender that will barely give you barely an inch. Very good one on one and is a very good spoiler of the ball. He also has a good bit of speed and a decent level of endurance. Offensively he never tries to much and is generally very reliable with the ball in hand. He can also push forward, take a strong mark and is a decent shot on goal. Something he needs to work on a bit is his ground level work. It's not poor but it can be an issue especially when he's on those smaller players which he can play on. But he's certainly the most natural and the best key defender of the draft.
Why? Quite simply a great replacement for Ted Richards.
Smokie: Marcus Bontempelli - Something Sydney don't have a lot of is tall midfielders especially with the near retirement of Goodes. Strongly considered Hartung here as well.
Pick 15 -Geelong - Dom Sheed
183cm, 83kg (Subiaco, WA)
Position: Midfield
Plays like: Simon Black
Range: 11 - 20
Dom is one that has divided a fair bit of opinion and I can sort of see why. He has a lot of good attributes, but not a lot that really stands out. Looking at his standout attributes, he has three for mine. 1. His stoppage work. His ability to read the ball off the ruckman's hands leads to a high number of clearances and he can be quite dominant in this area. 2. Clean hands. He has very clean hands at ground level and he rarely fumbles. 3. Work rate/Endurance. His work ethic is just exceptional, he must have a big tank. As for his other attributes, his tackling/defensive work, run & spread, use of the ball, composure, decision making, vision and marking I would put all in the good to very good category but not in the elite. His leadership is something that missed which is also very good, captained WA and led them to a very good victory against VC. Why won't he go top 5? Well I think there's two very good reasons for that. You see some of the great inside players like Pendlebury, Mitchell, Black etc they have great vision and are able to put a team mate in space or be able to create space for themselves. I haven't seen this from Sheed, at least not on a consistent basis. The other thing is he lacks a burst of pace and pace in general. If he had one of these attributes he would be a top line prospect. Overall, he's a very good and safe prospect. Perhaps he's lacking in a bit of star quality, but he could still be a very good footballer for an AFL side.
Why? Geelong could use some more Grunt in the side, they haven't been as good in the contested ball as other years. While I don't think Sheed will ever be a star, he can be an important cog like a Joel Corey or a Cameron Ling.
Smokie: Blake Acres - I wouldn't be surprised at all if they took him here. Blake is one of the most talented player's in the draft and Stephen Wells has no trouble backing himself in.
. IMO you've got the top 5 players spot on it just depends on who goes where.
