- Banned
- #151
LAST CHANCE SALOON
TOM ROCKLIFF (18, 184cm, 83kg, Murray Bushrangers)
Rockliff is a mid-sized forward with an uncanny knack for winning the ball in awkward positions and kicking goals. He plays a little like Adelaide's Jason Porplyzia, is good overhead and is the definition of a "natural footballer". The knocks on him would be his pace and ability to play in the midfield, not just get stuck playing forward. He's also come back from a really bad ankle break two years ago, and still lacks a tiny bit of lateral movement in it.
MATT DEBOER (18, 187cm, 83kg, Claremont)
DeBoer was unlucky to miss out given he could have nominated in 2007 (and would seemingly have been picked). He's a ball-winning midfielder with a 2.92-second 20-metre sprint and a knack for clearing the ball and taking it inside 50. His foot skills probably didn't improve as much this year as the clubs would have liked, which is why he was overlooked. He is a chance to end up at Melbourne through the pre-season draft.
KADE KLEMKE (18, 180cm, 77kg, Murray Bushrangers)
Klemke has been training at Richmond and must be in its pre-season draft thinking: he is simply a solid, hard-working midfield type, who perhaps missed out because he doesn't have the athletic "up-side" of some of the latter draftees.
MICHAEL GUGLIOTTA (18, 195cm, 83kg, NT Thunder/Nightcliff)
Gugliotta is ideal rookie-list fodder: he doesn't have huge speed but he is tall, athletic, able to play at both ends and quite nimble. He's courageous, without being a player who overtly hurls himself around.
CASEY SIBOSADO (18, 192cm, 85kg, NT Thunder)
On any given day Sibosado could do anything … or nothing. His best is brilliant, he'll take lots of marks and on natural talent he should have been drafted, but clubs would be worried that he's too lazy at times. He's shown some commitment this year — from remote WA, he boarded at Melbourne Grammar, played for the Northern Territory Thunder and also played some games at Oakleigh.
LUKE STANTON (18, 192cm, 84kg, Northern Knights)
Stanton is another athlete — a tall midfielder who can run. The question mark is his kicking, and he's still developing his game sense. He is a cousin of St Kilda player Nick Dal Santo.
STEVEN GAERTNER (18, 199cm, 87kg, Dandenong Stingrays)
Gaertner also belongs in the "athlete" basket. His size and speed (0.99 seconds over five metres, and 2.87 over 20 metres) are a tantalising enough combination for someone to take a chance on him as a rookie. He can play forward, back or in the ruck, but his kicking needs improvement and he can find himself caught in some awkward spots.
RILEY MILNE (18, 193cm, 72kg, Murray Bushrangers)
Milne will appeal to someone — he's been training since the draft at Hawthorn — as a tall, reasonably unobtrusive, rebounding key back with decent speed (three seconds flat over 20 metres) should he put some size on.
BRYCE CARROLL (18, 185cm, 73kg, Western Jets)
Carroll is another solid prospect, who is not an out-and-out eye-catcher, but has a good jump on him and great speed (2.94 seconds over 20 metres). He spoke to several clubs pre-draft and should get a chance.
CLANCEE PEARCE (18, 182cm, 90kg, Swan Districts)
Pearce is a rebounding back, whose creativity can get him into occasional trouble. He's a good long kick, reads the play pretty well and was really unlucky not to be drafted. He's already quite solid and, like Rockliff and a few others, was perhaps overlooked late in the draft for players thought to have more athletic potential.
JAMIE SHEAHAN (18, 178cm, 71kg, Assumption College/
Murray Bushrangers)
Sheahan is a nimble midfielder, who can kick goals and has reasonable speed. His height probably counted against him — only five players under 180 centimetres were picked up in the national draft — but he has some talent and should be picked.
TOM ALLWRIGHT (18, 188cm, 86kg, Tassie Mariners)
Allwright is a midfielder whose pace might have been queried in the national draft, but he's a strong-bodied midfielder with sure hands and a determined attitude, all of which should ensure he gets an opportunity
TOM ROCKLIFF (18, 184cm, 83kg, Murray Bushrangers)
Rockliff is a mid-sized forward with an uncanny knack for winning the ball in awkward positions and kicking goals. He plays a little like Adelaide's Jason Porplyzia, is good overhead and is the definition of a "natural footballer". The knocks on him would be his pace and ability to play in the midfield, not just get stuck playing forward. He's also come back from a really bad ankle break two years ago, and still lacks a tiny bit of lateral movement in it.
MATT DEBOER (18, 187cm, 83kg, Claremont)
DeBoer was unlucky to miss out given he could have nominated in 2007 (and would seemingly have been picked). He's a ball-winning midfielder with a 2.92-second 20-metre sprint and a knack for clearing the ball and taking it inside 50. His foot skills probably didn't improve as much this year as the clubs would have liked, which is why he was overlooked. He is a chance to end up at Melbourne through the pre-season draft.
KADE KLEMKE (18, 180cm, 77kg, Murray Bushrangers)
Klemke has been training at Richmond and must be in its pre-season draft thinking: he is simply a solid, hard-working midfield type, who perhaps missed out because he doesn't have the athletic "up-side" of some of the latter draftees.
MICHAEL GUGLIOTTA (18, 195cm, 83kg, NT Thunder/Nightcliff)
Gugliotta is ideal rookie-list fodder: he doesn't have huge speed but he is tall, athletic, able to play at both ends and quite nimble. He's courageous, without being a player who overtly hurls himself around.
CASEY SIBOSADO (18, 192cm, 85kg, NT Thunder)
On any given day Sibosado could do anything … or nothing. His best is brilliant, he'll take lots of marks and on natural talent he should have been drafted, but clubs would be worried that he's too lazy at times. He's shown some commitment this year — from remote WA, he boarded at Melbourne Grammar, played for the Northern Territory Thunder and also played some games at Oakleigh.
LUKE STANTON (18, 192cm, 84kg, Northern Knights)
Stanton is another athlete — a tall midfielder who can run. The question mark is his kicking, and he's still developing his game sense. He is a cousin of St Kilda player Nick Dal Santo.
STEVEN GAERTNER (18, 199cm, 87kg, Dandenong Stingrays)
Gaertner also belongs in the "athlete" basket. His size and speed (0.99 seconds over five metres, and 2.87 over 20 metres) are a tantalising enough combination for someone to take a chance on him as a rookie. He can play forward, back or in the ruck, but his kicking needs improvement and he can find himself caught in some awkward spots.
RILEY MILNE (18, 193cm, 72kg, Murray Bushrangers)
Milne will appeal to someone — he's been training since the draft at Hawthorn — as a tall, reasonably unobtrusive, rebounding key back with decent speed (three seconds flat over 20 metres) should he put some size on.
BRYCE CARROLL (18, 185cm, 73kg, Western Jets)
Carroll is another solid prospect, who is not an out-and-out eye-catcher, but has a good jump on him and great speed (2.94 seconds over 20 metres). He spoke to several clubs pre-draft and should get a chance.
CLANCEE PEARCE (18, 182cm, 90kg, Swan Districts)
Pearce is a rebounding back, whose creativity can get him into occasional trouble. He's a good long kick, reads the play pretty well and was really unlucky not to be drafted. He's already quite solid and, like Rockliff and a few others, was perhaps overlooked late in the draft for players thought to have more athletic potential.
JAMIE SHEAHAN (18, 178cm, 71kg, Assumption College/
Murray Bushrangers)
Sheahan is a nimble midfielder, who can kick goals and has reasonable speed. His height probably counted against him — only five players under 180 centimetres were picked up in the national draft — but he has some talent and should be picked.
TOM ALLWRIGHT (18, 188cm, 86kg, Tassie Mariners)
Allwright is a midfielder whose pace might have been queried in the national draft, but he's a strong-bodied midfielder with sure hands and a determined attitude, all of which should ensure he gets an opportunity
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