Players to watch heading towards draft

[Lach72]

http://www.afl.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=60277

Throughout the 2008 NAB AFL under 18 championships, afl.com.au will speak to a key recruiter/official about the players they thought shone on a particular day's play.

On Sunday, we spoke to AIS-AFL academy high performance coach Alan McConnell.

His comments came after the first day's play of division one, where Vic Metro sealed a three-point thriller over Vic Country, just moments before the final siren.

VICTORIA COUNTRY
Nick Suban - Suban's ball-winning ability and ground work was great.

Nic Heyne - Heyne created a number of opportunities to work his way into the game. He used the ball effectively and also created a number of scoring opportunities.

Tom Rockliff - He was a very good player, booting four goals.



VICTORIA METROPOLITAN
Jack Watts - He finished with 12 possessions and booted four goals, including the match-winner.

Shaun McKernan - His ruck-work was excellent. Vic Metro had the better of the stoppages because of McKernan's ruckwork.

Tyrone Vickery - Vic Metro's ruck dominance was due to McKernan and Vickery. Vickery also won his share of the ball as well as influencing the play with his ruckwork.

Tom Lynch - He was dominant early, but drifted out of the game. He presented up extremely well early in the game, when he was playing as a leading forward, coming up to half-forward.

Michael Hurley - Hurley was the best backman on the ground. He just doesn't get beaten in one-on-one contests. He hasn't had high possessions, but whenever he's been in a one-on-one contest, he never gets outmarked. He also doesn't give his opponent easy possessions, so I'd say he was the dominant defender.

Xavier Gotch - He picked up good numbers in terms of possessions - he got 21 disposals the most for his side.

David Zaharakis - Zaharakis also gained 19 possessions, behind only Gotch for Vic Metro.

 

[Lach72]

http://afl.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=60459

By Ben Broad
12:12 PM Thu 29 May, 2008

Shaun McKernan competes in the ruck during the TAC Cup Under-18 competition

Thu, May 29, 08
TALL, key-position type players and a return to the more “natural” footballer are the early long-range draft predictions from two of the country’s leading underage footy experts.

While AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan and AIS/AFL high performance coach Alan McConnell said more would be known at the completion of the 2008 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, both men have seen enough to form an opinion of the young crop coming through the ranks.

“We can see there’s a very, very impressive group of tall players,” Sheehan said.

“We could see that from second division, the qualifying division played there, and we saw that with the opening game between Vic Metro and Vic Country the other day.”

While one of the hottest draft prospects in years -- WA’s Nicholas Naitanui -- is certain to gain attention, Sheehan was quick to point out the depth in the group.

"It’s not just all about Naitanui, put it that way,” he said.

“There’s lots of other taller key-position ruckmen type-players that are attracting a fair bit of interest.”

Quality taller players are highly prized due to their relative rarity.

“They’re harder to come by, that’s the key to it,” Sheehan said.

“They’re from a reasonably limited pool … but it’s becoming a bigger pool. We seem to have a lot more bigger blokes appearing at our championships and trials.”

Last weekend a number of taller players impressed during Victoria Metropolitan’s thrilling win over Victoria Country.

Shaun McKernan, the younger brother of former North Melbourne and Carlton star Corey, was among those to impress for Vic Metro. Jack Watts also starred in the game, his fourth goal on the final siren securing a victory for Vic Metro.

Both players are involved with the AIS/AFL Academy, which is seen as developing the crème de la crème of Australia’s top footballing talent.

The Academy was responsible for 13 of the top 14 picks at last year’s NAB AFL Draft and currently comprises more than 20 per cent of AFL lists.

McConnell gave an interesting insight when assessing the talent he believes will be on offer later this year.

“I would have thought in general there’s a larger group of just genuine footballers,” McConnell said.

“There’s perhaps not as many elite athletes as there has been in recent years but lots of very good footballers, if that makes sense.

“They’re smarter players. Certainly, the group of Academy boys have had the capacity to embrace concepts perhaps more readily than the last couple of years, which suggests to me that they’re perhaps a more innate, natural football-orientated group.”

As for the players coming through this year, McConnell says the group he has dealt with – the Academy has an intake of just 30 each year – would offer AFL clubs plenty.

“There’s a mix … there’s a bit of everything to be honest,” he said.

“I think there’s something for everybody but I guess the question is always, ‘after pick 20 what else is left?’

“But I would have thought the top end of the draft should be laced with boys with good footy brains.”

 

[ImperialPurple]

I'm on the Steele Sidebottom bandwagon.

 

[Moo]

I'm on the Steele Sidebottom bandwagon.

With which pick IP?

I would think Steele would go inside the first 16 picks?

 

[Plugga]

1. BIG NAT
2. RICH
3. YARRAN

Any 1 of them should be our priority 1st & foremost, Hurly would be great as we need back up in defence with Grover 28/29, Hayden 28 & Thornton useless...but I think if we have the chance, the BIG 3 from WA should be a priority. I like Yarran - quick, good skills & knows where the goals are

 

[pinkus maximus]

1. BIG NAT
2. RICH
3. YARRAN

Any 1 of them should be our priority 1st & foremost, Hurly would be great as we need back up in defence with Grover 28/29, Hayden 28 & Thornton useless...but I think if we have the chance, the BIG 3 from WA should be a priority. I like Yarran - quick, good skills & knows where the goals are

agree. melbourne and essendon have picks 1 and 2 sewn up imo

yarran sounds exciting

 

[Moo]

agree. melbourne and essendon have picks 1 and 2 sewn up imo

yarran sounds exciting

Don't underestimate us!

 

[Moo]

Drafting by name only ...

My wishlist is

Steele Sidebottom - sounds strong and Sidebottom is a good WA sounding name (if we can overlook the fact he is from Victoria).

Dash Barolli ...no idea who he is but he sounds fast and his name rhymes with Rioli - really Smarty you don't even need to see him play....fast and Riollish I say yes.

Ranga Edirwickrama - The commentators will give you good press just because they like his name and want him playing ....Ranga takes a hanga etc

Zeke Gardam - He is a Tasmanian named Zeke ....I am sure in Feng Shui and numerology terms this is about as good as it gets. In fact I consulted one of the foremost Feng Shui experts recently about Zeke but unfortunately he didn't speak any English at all so it was kind of a pointless exercise.

Tom Allwright - Don't know much about him but apparently he is going all right - every match report I have read about him says so.

Ben Cunnington - Who cares if he can play or not - just imagine the funny arse jokes we can make when drunk pretending to stutter as we say his name.

 

[The Night Shift]

Drafting by name only ...

My wishlist is

Steele Sidebottom - sounds strong and Sidebottom is a good WA sounding name (if we can overlook the fact he is from Victoria).

Dash Barolli ...no idea who he is but he sounds fast and his name rhymes with Rioli - really Smarty you don't even need to see him play....fast and Riollish I say yes.

Ranga Edirwickrama - The commentators will give you good press just because they like his name and want him playing ....Ranga takes a hanga etc

Zeke Gardam - He is a Tasmanian named Zeke ....I am sure in Feng Shui and numerology terms this is about as good as it gets. In fact I consulted one of the foremost Feng Shui experts recently about Zeke but unfortunately he didn't speak any English at all so it was kind of a pointless exercise.

Tom Allwright - Don't know much about him but apparently he is going all right - every match report I have read about him says so.

Ben Cunnington - Who cares if he can play or not - just imagine the funny arse jokes we can make when drunk pretending to stutter as we say his name.

Tom Allwright
awwwwwwwwww-right

 

[ImperialPurple]

With which pick IP?

I would think Steele would go inside the first 16 picks?

Dunno - just reckon it's the awesomest name since... well since Clive Waterhouse.

Seriously, he does sound a good'un... maybe we can trade into another first rounder. Is he worth a Top 5 (which we will likely have)?


Oh and Ranga is already tied to Geelong through that scholarship scheme I believe. Stick him alongside Lingy and watch the confusion.

 

[Danlington]

i think that ranga guy is nsw scholarship with geelong...does that mean they get first dibs on him?

 

[SupersonicDocker]

agree. melbourne and essendon have picks 1 and 2 sewn up imo

yarran sounds exciting

If Yarran is still there when we have a pick he would be the smartest choice by far....

Quick, Smart, Nakc for goals... we need that. Especially with Farmers career coming to a halt

 

[chrisdjudd]

Should probably sought out your midfield before you go for a HF/FP

 

[Wizard]

Should probably sought out your midfield before you go for a HF/FP

I would have thought so, clearly Rich is our number 1 option if we can get him.

 

[Moo]

If players like Rich and Nat are gone, and for debate sake Hurley is gone - would we really take Yarran with our first pick and not say a genuine hard at it midfielder like a Hartlett (already played SANFL) or a Sidebottom. Unless we see Yarran as a midfield clearance option it may be a little premature to not be taking a prime mover.

Second round pick will also be very interesting ...I wonder if a Swift or perhaps a Walters may drop to us. It would be a mouth watering proposition if we did somehow manage to snag Rich and then a player of De Boer or Swifts quality too. We may be in luck as there may be a run on KPP/utility types in the mid to late first round (Carlton will certainly go big, Hurley will go and you would think the Dogs would look KPP early? Sydney may go for a ruck etc) - if we get a second pick in the high teens ...I'm optimisitc that a reasonable mid may well drop to us)

I could see a 2010 line up of Hase, Rich, Palmer, Crowley, De Boer, Ibbo and an ageing Carr & McManus (he he he). Hinks off a wing - Mayne feeding off Pav, Kepler and Tazzles (Kiwi is serving a weeks suspension) ...Drum and Lukey down back. Actually looking at that perhaps our first rounder should be Hurley!

I still think we are in a good position, a bit like last year with Palmer ....we were always going to end up with a Masten, Palmer, Ebert or Meyers.

Who knows this year we might be guaranteed a Nat, Rich or Hurley - anyone of these lads is an exciting prospect.

 

[Wizard]

Remembering at this rate we could have picks like this:
3, 19, 22.
(1st rounder, Priority, 2nd Rounder)
If we can get 3 picks within the top 20 or so i would be happy. We have the possibility of trading Warnock which probbaly gives us 4 picks with the top 25.

 

[Moo]

Remembering at this rate we could have picks like this:
3, 19, 22.
(1st rounder, Priority, 2nd Rounder)
If we can get 3 picks within the top 20 or so i would be happy. We have the possibility of trading Warnock which probbaly gives us 4 picks with the top 25.

Just screwing around here but if we did end up with picks 3, 19 , 22, 37 & 53 and it is a long shot as it includes a PP.

If we basically had confirmation that Rich and the Flying Fijian were going 1 & 2 ....would you consider trading picks with a team that say was desperate to get a Hurley from pick 7 and offered an upgrade in return for the swap of first rounders of basically their 2nd round pick for our 4th round.

So upgrade from 3, 19, 22, 37 & 53

to 7, 19, 22, 26 & 37

Menaing a swap of first round picks 3 for 7, pick 19 (priority), 22 (our 2nd round), 26 (their second round) & 37 (our third round).

Personally I probably wouldn't but this draft like last years excites me in that I see a large number of players who will go top 25 that are a real chance to develop.

 

[dominguez]

That looks like a downgrade to me Moo.

If we are going to trade a pick I'd like to see us give up our 2nd rounder (approx pick 22) along with Mundy or Warnock (assuming one of them wants to go home) to get another first round selection. Warnock + pick 22 for picks 10 and 44 looks reasonably fair.

We're a certainty to win 5+ games IMO so forget about priority picks.