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Phantom Draft RF 2025 Draft Rankings

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My updated final rankings for this year. Little bit to play out with the state combines to come but I highly doubt that will impact my rankings significantly.

Biggest changes:
  • Dovaston and Robey pushing into the top 10
  • X.Taylor pushing up into the top 12 off the back off a top tier finals series
  • Louis Emmett improves his ranking off the back of a good showing at the combine
  • Blake Threadgold, Latrelle Pickett and Rory Wright come into the top 40
  • Josh Lindsay falls outside the top 15 due to his lack of inside game/physicality
  • Few more players added to the potential draftee list
October Rankings.png
 
My updated final rankings for this year. Little bit to play out with the state combines to come but I highly doubt that will impact my rankings significantly.

Biggest changes:
  • Dovaston and Robey pushing into the top 10
  • X.Taylor pushing up into the top 12 off the back off a top tier finals series
  • Louis Emmett improves his ranking off the back of a good showing at the combine
  • Blake Threadgold, Latrelle Pickett and Rory Wright come into the top 40
  • Josh Lindsay falls outside the top 15 due to his lack of inside game/physicality
  • Few more players added to the potential draftee list
View attachment 2449859
Great effort rf-08, who do you think will be our number one target in the national draft and is he in the fist round or second round? I'm waiting for our last delisting's and believe that we've already identified someone in the draft and as I've said on a few occasions I think two or thee picks will be pretty close to the number but still pretty early at the moment.

Listening to Brady he was interesting to the point of saying, "we'll have a look but the price of moving up might be to high and the picks that we currently have are in a good spot, but again we'll asses the situation and see what happens". That says to me they like someone in the middle of the first round or pretty close to there, waiting to see who offers what, the price it will cost and what to use in future picks? Either way we may have a sneaky chance to guess our first player chosen and if we don't trade into the first round, our player may well be in that bracket of players you've listed at pick 22 and onwards. :)
 
Great effort rf-08, who do you think will be our number one target in the national draft and is he in the fist round or second round? I'm waiting for our last delisting's and believe that we've already identified someone in the draft and as I've said on a few occasions I think two or thee picks will be pretty close to the number but still pretty early at the moment.

Listening to Brady he was interesting to the point of saying, "we'll have a look but the price of moving up might be to high and the picks that we currently have are in a good spot, but again we'll asses the situation and see what happens". That says to me they like someone in the middle of the first round or pretty close to there, waiting to see who offers what, the price it will cost and what to use in future picks? Either way we may have a sneaky chance to guess our first player chosen and if we don't trade into the first round, our player may well be in that bracket of players you've listed at pick 22 and onwards. :)

Thanks mate always appreciate the feedback.

I'd say if North's picks stay as is then Harley Barker would be ideal. I rate him higher than our current picks but Twomey has him around that 28-30 mark.

Another physical and flexible tall like Emmett or a bigger midfielder Onley would also be high on my priority list if we retain our picks.
 
My updated final rankings for this year. Little bit to play out with the state combines to come but I highly doubt that will impact my rankings significantly.

Biggest changes:
  • Dovaston and Robey pushing into the top 10
  • X.Taylor pushing up into the top 12 off the back off a top tier finals series
  • Louis Emmett improves his ranking off the back of a good showing at the combine
  • Blake Threadgold, Latrelle Pickett and Rory Wright come into the top 40
  • Josh Lindsay falls outside the top 15 due to his lack of inside game/physicality
  • Few more players added to the potential draftee list
View attachment 2449859
Interested to see Thredgold, Taylor, and Patterson relatively low compared to consensus atm, especially post-combine. Just unaffected by late season form for the first 2? Or you seeing something no one else is?

No concerns either of Greeves at the next level? Am very worried about his defensive application hurting his chances of going high. Bit of a cream on top vibe right now for mine
 

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Interested to see Thredgold, Taylor, and Patterson relatively low compared to consensus atm, especially post-combine. Just unaffected by late season form for the first 2? Or you seeing something no one else is?

No concerns either of Greeves at the next level? Am very worried about his defensive application hurting his chances of going high. Bit of a cream on top vibe right now for mine

Really like Threadgold, especially with his recent athletic testing and his form in the SANFL grand final. Just have a few question marks how he'll adjust to bigger bodies in the AFL, will he be big enough? While he is a fantastic lockdown player, then types tend to drift come draft night, because clubs value intercepting and offence.

O.Taylor is a fantastic athlete but I don't think he is a particularly good one on one defender, I also think he rushes his disposal a lot, particularly by hand. Think he'll take some time to adjust to the speed and physicality at higher levels. Really love his run and carry game though. Very eye catching.

With Patterson there is something that I just can't quite put my finger on. He can be very clean, but can also be fumbly. Can show elite vision, but then can also show no game awareness. Can hit ridiculous low % kicks, but then torch the footy equally as much.
 
Thanks mate always appreciate the feedback.

I'd say if North's picks stay as is then Harley Barker would be ideal. I rate him higher than our current picks but Twomey has him around that 28-30 mark.

Another physical and flexible tall like Emmett or a bigger midfielder Onley would also be high on my priority list if we retain our picks.
Hey r_f08, I'm pretty much with you on that scenario, because I rate Harley one of the best kids in this draft and for Cal to have him that low is unbelievable, no doubt the ACL has some clubs ruling a line through him which is silly cause his upside is very, very high. I think it was Emmet's time in the 2km that was impressive but while he's got potential he is very raw but recruiters are not getting them for now but what they could be in the future.

Riley would be also good to get but I think Luke Urquhart either next year or 2027 when he fills out is going to be that strong bodied mid that we need but I can see the attraction of taller mids if they are the right ones. You know r_f08 this trade period and then the draft is going to be quite fascinating in more ways than one.
 
No concerns either of Greeves at the next level? Am very worried about his defensive application hurting his chances of going high. Bit of a cream on top vibe right now for mine
Im very concerned with Greeves at AFL level. To put it bluntly he is an awful runner, okay with his 5-10 bursts from stoppage due to being so strong but his ability to get around the ground and push from contest to contest will be a serious problem. It’s not a fitness thing, he just can’t run.
 
My updated final rankings for this year. Little bit to play out with the state combines to come but I highly doubt that will impact my rankings significantly.

Biggest changes:
  • Dovaston and Robey pushing into the top 10
  • X.Taylor pushing up into the top 12 off the back off a top tier finals series
  • Louis Emmett improves his ranking off the back of a good showing at the combine
  • Blake Threadgold, Latrelle Pickett and Rory Wright come into the top 40
  • Josh Lindsay falls outside the top 15 due to his lack of inside game/physicality
  • Few more players added to the potential draftee list
View attachment 2449859
Pretty good list with a comprehensive look at it - great work, plenty of time gone into it. I still find it a challenging call to pick guys who do well at the combine but haven't done well either during the season and/or at National Champs (excluding the odd potential project player). Surely it's a combination of both - if you can't average 20 at CTL playing other than a key position, in open footy you're going to struggle at AFL level despite your agility or vertical leap in a gym.
 
Im very concerned with Greeves at AFL level. To put it bluntly he is an awful runner, okay with his 5-10 bursts from stoppage due to being so strong but his ability to get around the ground and push from contest to contest will be a serious problem. It’s not a fitness thing, he just can’t run.

The game is moving away a little bit from those pure stoppage players, but if you are truly elite at it you can create a niche for yourself. Much like the Cripps/Green/Olivers of the world. One of the worst runners I’ve seen at AFL level was Ben Cunnington, yet he still carved out a pretty solid career.

I think Greeves can definitely do the same thing. While I don’t think he’ll be an elite runner, I think he has a fair scope for improvement there in an elite environment. He also has enough other tools at his disposal to help him along the way. Things like his fantastic vision, excellent hands, booming kick, elite marking and genuine footy IQ.

Not sure if the testing backs it up or not but I’d argue that Greeves has a quicker turn of pace than Josh Smillie and probably equal running capacity at the same age.
 
Great effort rf-08, who do you think will be our number one target in the national draft and is he in the fist round or second round? I'm waiting for our last delisting's and believe that we've already identified someone in the draft and as I've said on a few occasions I think two or thee picks will be pretty close to the number but still pretty early at the moment.

Listening to Brady he was interesting to the point of saying, "we'll have a look but the price of moving up might be to high and the picks that we currently have are in a good spot, but again we'll asses the situation and see what happens". That says to me they like someone in the middle of the first round or pretty close to there, waiting to see who offers what, the price it will cost and what to use in future picks? Either way we may have a sneaky chance to guess our first player chosen and if we don't trade into the first round, our player may well be in that bracket of players you've listed at pick 22 and onwards. :)
My guess is there’s going to be a minimum of 29 picks in the first round.

Gold Coast’s pick 15, which likely pushes out
 
My guess is there’s going to be a minimum of 29 picks in the first round.

Gold Coast’s pick 15, which likely pushes out
3 boys at the top, Dean. Who else do you seeing pushing it out another 7 picks??? Addinsall definitely a first round talent. King. 5 more?
 

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Im very concerned with Greeves at AFL level. To put it bluntly he is an awful runner, okay with his 5-10 bursts from stoppage due to being so strong but his ability to get around the ground and push from contest to contest will be a serious problem. It’s not a fitness thing, he just can’t run.

There is a reason he and some others chose not to partake in the combine....even when he is sprinting he looks like he is going at half pace. He will get picked up and he may play a few games but I dont believe clubs should use early pick on him.
 
There is a reason he and some others chose not to partake in the combine....even when he is sprinting he looks like he is going at half pace. He will get picked up and he may play a few games but I dont believe clubs should use early pick on him.

He tested in the pre-season. So clubs would be well aware of his athletic profile.
 

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Hey all.

How does the talent look this year at picks 7 and 8, which I suppose will end up 10/11 after bids?

Heard it's a poor draft. Where would the players available at picks 10/11 this year rank in last year's crop?

Dees fan trying to assess whether I should be excited about picks 7 and 8 for Trac.

Cheers
 
Hey all.

How does the talent look this year at picks 7 and 8, which I suppose will end up 10/11 after bids?

Heard it's a poor draft. Where would the players available at picks 10/11 this year rank in last year's crop?

Dees fan trying to assess whether I should be excited about picks 7 and 8 for Trac.

Cheers

I don't think picks 7 and 8 will be that far away from Xavier Lindsay in last year's draft, to use a player you likely know well. Lindsay was an elite, well rounded prospect. I wouldn't have someone like Sam Cumming that far away from Lindsay, especially when you consider Cumming has a bit more inside to his game and like Lindsay could feasibly play a few positions straight up in the AFL. A guy like Cumming would also fill a need for the Demons with the losses of Trac and Clarry/ageing Viney, and would compliment Harvey Langford well.

Cumming is an excellent prospect, does a lot of things very well. Projected to go around where the Demons pick.

This draft has few truly elite guys, but it isn't as if there aren't AFL players in it, and potentially champion ones at that.
 
Happy to give my justification for why I have them ranked where they are ranked! That's why I post, so that people can discuss.

Like with most talls, you are drafting them on upside potential rather than their output as a junior. As a ruck, you are going to hard pressed to find a more agile and higher end athlete than Duff-Tytler. He needs to work on his contested marking, but you'd think that would come as he adds size and strength. His balance, ground level ability and his athleticism has his ceiling as a someone like Luke Jackson. From memory, Jackson really only showed glimpses of his potential at under 18's level.

Ludowyke showed plenty as an underage prospect and was shaping up as a potential top 5 pick prior to this year. I think his fall down to around that 30 mark is reflective of the fact that he hasn't had the greatest of years. This draft isn't particularly strong for tall forwards, if it were, then you'd imagine he'd fall even further. Teams are still going to be happy to pay up for his potential, especially because he has natural forward smarts.

X Taylor is a modern day prototype intercept defender, you could make an argument that he is the best mark in this draft class. He is a solid athlete, has composure, natural defensive smarts and competitiveness. He has continued to improve as the year has gone on, and with hardly any genuine intercepting half backs in this draft pool I'm tipping clubs will pay a premier for his talent.

I wouldn't say small forwards are basic role players, they are a high priority to any list manager, as they are high impact. Defensive pressure and ground level play is a key metric for every club, that's why clubs are more than willing to give up top 15 picks for damaging small forwards. Kako (pick 13), Berry (pick 15), Watson (pick 5), Gothard (pick 12), and Rachele (pick 6) are recent examples of small forwards going early in drafts. Dovaston is the best performed small forward in the draft pool and has rarely played a bad game all year at any level. He has dynamic movement, elite ground level game, natural forward craft and elite agility, not to mention that fact that he kicks goals regularly. Personally, I'd have Dovaston ahead of Kako, Berry and Gothard at the same age.

Holmes' output this year has been pretty disappointing, I was hoping he'd have more of an impact. Originally I had him pushing the top 20 but he has fallen down 15 or so spots. You could easily have him outside the top 40, but with his athleticism he is really suited to the modern game so it wouldn't surprise me if a club pulls the trigger earlier.
You were proven pretty correct on most of this.

I only just found this thread. I like it, i especially like how you havent just followed the media trend.

good job.
 

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