Rookie draft

[mojo31]

Have to be born in 1987 or before. Any player born in 1988 onwards cannot be rookied.

Grae Grant and Dzufer are 2 who are to young.

Here are a few possibilities I wrote up before the national draft


Todd Grima

FF

Top aged. 5/2/87 means he will be 19 before the start of the next AFL season.
193cms and 88kgs.

Is remembered by a few for kicking a bag in game 1 of the Championships. However some of his opponents belonged in the dwarf throwing contest.

He has nice pace off the mark for a forward and that was the first thing I noticed about him.
The other was for him to not extend his arms at the ball when on the lead. Makes the job of spoiling easier for the defender. He got away with it in Division 2 but wont get that luxury at AFL level. Okay to do that in the wet but not on the chest when the weather is dry.

Kicked 10 goals straight in 1 game against Northern Territory Pygmies and showed he is a very dependable and good kick.

Just hard to know how he will go against more quality. Did not do very much in Game 2 and 3. However he did have an ankle injury and that restricted him to playing full forward and perhaps not being as mobile as he normally is.

Looking at his darft camp results his pace was not quiate as good as I had hoped for and indicates he might have looked better than he really is with the lower quality opponents.
The agility test was better and it shows in his ability to recover after a marking contest once the ball hits the ground.

Endurance testing was also good and might indicate a possibility to play CHF and he does try and present well and work hard.

Just lacks that little bit of explosiveness on the lead and jumping at the ball which would make him dangerous. However he has enough athleticism and size to show he could become a good tall up forward if his hands improve and he stops dropping relatively easy marks.
Improving that is a very hard thing to do though.




Jace Bode

Midfielder

Hard to find player 30. Happy with the quality of player from 10 to around 25 but really struggling to find good prospects after that.

Made the All Australian team this year playing for South Australia. He is from the Sturt club and is physically ready to play and make senior debut at the end of the year.Is a good size for an AFL midfielder at 185cms and 86kgs.
May struggle to have the athleticism to do it though.

Is not a very flashy and creative type but has very good hands and does not seem to fumble under pressure. A workmen type who is never anything but pretty effective.
His pace which seemed to be a concern in games was reasonable at draft camp and might show a lack of willingness to run as much as he could.
Tends to stop when he gets the ball out in space and not really take anyone on. This usually means a lack of pace but I feel that it is more of how he plays and a bit of a lack of direction to do it and confidence.

So just needs to back himself more and take a bounce. His skills are okay and effective just like his overall game but could be improved. Dual sided. Reasonable inside player who could do more with his body size.

I realise in writing this that it makes it seem he has no quality but after watching him a few times I feel he has something but it is not so easy to quantify when writing him up.

Just a good overall game with just needing a big more confidence to try some new things. Football smart and feel he is a chance of becoming a decent player.

 

[mojo31]

Matt White

Small midfielder. 178cms and 74 kgs. Top aged and unlikely to grow more. Was not invited to draft camp and got a state screening instead. This indicates that he is not on a lot of clubs radars at the moment.
Tested at 2.93 for the 20m sprint and shows very good pace. He does use it in his games and take players on. The kicking is not as good as it should be for his size and hurts his ability to be a rover in the AFL. Has the endurance and the ability to win contested ball even with his small size. Will tackle and block and remember that about him. Then remember him butchering some of his kicks in the same game.

Has not had a full season in the TAC this year and been injured a number of times.

I would look very strongly at him for a rookie pick. Small but quick. Top aged and injury prone and not worth pick 36 in my opinion. His kicking which at his size should be better.




Lukas Markovic

Eastern Ranges captain who plays forward (and just about everywhere else) and capable of taking a strong marks and kicking goals.
Injured his ankle when going for a mark. Played in the ruck (first time I saw him) and also seen him play up forward and down back.
He is not listed at all on Footydraft which is a surprise. Would think he would be a candidate for pick 36 or a rookie listing at least.

I don’t see him as becoming a gun but a good role player who is versatile and should develop nicely.



Luke McEntee

Ruck

An athlete learning to play football. Tall ruck who is very quick for his 197cms.
From South Australia and had a decent carnival and would have him as the 2nd best performed ruckman there behind Ryder. Showed some ability to take a mark and could really develop there as a ruck who can drift down to take a strong mark and kick a goal.

Previously played basketball and only been playing football for a few years so would seem that he will improve a great deal with more experience. He lacks footy smarts and that would explain a lot of it. Nothing bad about his attitude to work though or put himself in but it is the positioning at times and his complete lack of the ability to read the game at others.
Then he will jump up and take a really nice mark or tap the ball down and rove it himself and make you stop and think that trying to pigeon hole him is not going to be easy.
Have him just inside my top 30 at this stage and think he has enough athletic ability and size to make it as a ruck in what is a weak draft for ruckman which puts him a little higher than normal.





Alan Toovey.

HBF

Plays full back but at 188cms he will not be able to do that at AFL level.

Tested very well at draft camp with a 2.94 20m sprint and good beep test.
Western Australian player who plays for Claremont and broke through for senior selection at the end of the year. Pretty light player but does not stop him attacking the contest and playing tight.
Lacks flair and skill with the ball. Dependable kick but nothing great. Will be a stopper type in the AFL (Kellaway style) who can play on the third tall and play tight and follow team instructions.

Anyone who saw the U18 Champs would have seen Beau Dowler carve him up and make him look slow and very ordinairy.

But he is a team player who when outmatched for size and strength competes very well and will not drop his head. Does all the defensive skills well but with clubs wanting the modern defender to be creative and show flair he just does not fit the profile.

Played senior football at the end of the year and is a good utilty type backman.

I feel he is another of those safe picks who could fill a role and do it competently at AFL level and is worth a pick just inside the top 30.

 

[mojo31]

There is a few there. Written before the national draft and available to rookie.

I realise we need midfielders on the rookie list but with pick 1 we need to take the best available, even if tall.


Here is what I wrote on Jake Edwards before the draft.

3rd Tall up forward or back

On the information I have it has Edwards as 192cms and not 191. Bottom aged and still likely to grow some more.
Is a bit of the the in betweens of a flanker/KPP size. Good athlete who moves well and presents hard for the ball when up forward and plays tight and man on man when saw him down back.
If he grows some more he has a real chance to make it as a tall forward. I don’t think so as a KPP but more as a floating type who needs a tall opponent to match him with his leap and strength over head. Think Brad Fisher.
But just like Brad Fisher he also is not a great kick and that hurts him from moving right up in the draft.

Would look at him for pick 36 but prefer a few others at the moment. Has the athletic ability to make it though. Like him as a forward but with his kicking he may have to play back which does not take advantage of his best attributes.


Edwards is very quick. Tested very well. Bottom aged and thereofee was not able to be rookied. 2.92 for the 20m means he has the pace of Swallow. The club had him a lot higher than 36.
Just kept on picking best available at every pick.

Anyone who watches the draft video on AFL.com will see that Wayne Hughes did not have to wait or consult for any of his picks and had no hesitation in calling out any of the names.

We got the players we wanted. Maybe we all dont agree with them on here but you cant ask for anything more than getting the players the club wanted.

 

[Silvagnis]

Mojo, what's your opinion on Matt Thomas and James Wall?

 

[mojo31]

Mojo, what's your opinion on Matt Thomas and James Wall?

The club has absolutely no interest in Matt Thomas at all.

There is no way we would even consider him in the rookie draft.

0.00% chance.






ps (he is training with us and I am a compulsive liar )

 

[mojo31]

Matt Thomas

Midfielder

Gets the ball enough in the TAC. Good clearance player with so so skills. Very hard player who is a bit of a leader.
Very good aerobic capacity to play onball or tag. Developed body.

Needs to hurt other teams more with his kicking.

Definite rookie prospect


plus

can play straight away and we need that with all our kids. Tough and hard. Good character. 185cms with a number of players under 180 at the club now it is also a plus.

negative

Kicking needs work. Is he to much like Jesse Smith and Bentick. Fit young hard bodied players who win the ball but dont have great pace or great kicks?

 

[Silvagnis]

The club has absolutely no interest in Matt Thomas at all.

There is no way we would even consider him in the rookie draft.

0.00% chance.






ps (he is training with us and I am a compulsive liar )

Probably more mis-information just like that which convinced macca69 that we were taking Dowler!

 

[Effes]

Mojo,

What are your thoughts on Heath Hocking (just for you Cypher )

 

[WTTF]

Probably more mis-information just like that which convinced macca69 that we were taking Dowler!

We might have taken Dowler if Kennedy wasn't available.

 

[mojo31]

Mojo,

What are your thoughts on Heath Hocking (just for you Cypher )

Hocking is a physically ready midfielder with a big body. Similar to Thomas.
Left footer who is not very flashy, creative or pacy.
Just another of those good hard tough inside midfielders who lacks the flair and pace and seem to be overlloked.

Jace Bode, Thomas and others all very similar.

We have Jesse Smith also on the rookie list and he is a bit of an adonis now for anyone who has seen him this year and finished top 10 in the time trial.
So we really need some hard running types with pace to complement our list.
But I dont want any chances taken with rookie pick 1. Just the best available player. Can mix it around for the 2nd pick if needed but cant afford to go for need with pick 1 it has to be the best long term prospect.

Take next years draft to fill out our list and even things up a llittle.
Sheldon also a strong chance of going father/som for us as well and he is likely to be a ball winner.

Hocking also just scrapes into the age cut off point by a few days and has a chance to physically develop even more and put on a cm or 2 and is till yet to turn 18.

I would rather Bode and Thomas at this stage as the inside midielder.

James Wall is also a project type who will need to camp out in the gym and be force fed if he is any chance of making it.
Nearly 2m of gangly kid who is pretty versatile but geez we have a lot of these types on our list now.

Prefer others.

 

[HBF]

Great info mojo. Agree with you 100%, we need to take the best talent in the rookie draft. Will be interesting to see who we select.

 

[Salaryman]

Mojo,

Not much seems to have been said about Rischbieth...he seems to be the forgotten man of the draft and now rookie draf talk. We ideally would love a pacy, dashing bloke that can find the footy, and by all accounts Rischbieth's draft camp results point towards him being quick with good aerobic capacity also.......

which begs the questions.....

is he too tall and not good enough at ground level to make it as a midfielder? (maybe even an Embley type midfielder)

What are his skills like? There must be some real deficiencies for all clubs to pass up somebody who was widely regarded as a top 30 pick....what are these deficiencies exactly? Is he merely an in-between height for AFL or is there something more??

HAve you seen him play? If so what are his main shortcomings?

Cheers

 

[Shakin77]

Get's lost in the midfield and is too short for KP.

 

[Salaryman]

Looks a little lost is what i might have expected, but surely that is something that can be improved on with good coaching and some experience playing midfield or on a wing (although i appreciate to some extent it is an innate and instinctive ability), what i was wondering is was there some glaringly obvious deficiency (e.g. Swallow's kicking and endurance) that has put clubs off drafting him? If he has such good pace and endurance is there any chance he could become a good tagger, something we could well do with?

 

[Silvagnis]

We might have taken Dowler if Kennedy wasn't available.

The other Bloke.

 

[Salaryman]

Seen anything of Gareth Bowes Mojo? Is he too simlar to the Blackwell, Smith, Bentick mould? Had a good season with the Calder Cannons as was in the Vic metro leadership group. Racked up 44 possesions against Oakleigh this year. Also has senior experience at Gisborne.

Perhaps not with the first rookie spot, but would he be worth looking at for the second?

 

[mojo31]

Mojo,

Not much seems to have been said about Rischbieth...he seems to be the forgotten man of the draft and now rookie draf talk. We ideally would love a pacy, dashing bloke that can find the footy, and by all accounts Rischbieth's draft camp results point towards him being quick with good aerobic capacity also.......

which begs the questions.....

is he too tall and not good enough at ground level to make it as a midfielder? (maybe even an Embley type midfielder)

What are his skills like? There must be some real deficiencies for all clubs to pass up somebody who was widely regarded as a top 30 pick....what are these deficiencies exactly? Is he merely an in-between height for AFL or is there something more??

HAve you seen him play? If so what are his main shortcomings?

Cheers

Tom Rischbieth


188cms of pure endurance athlete. Smashed the 3km record at the draft camp as well as the beep test.
However he is not quick over 20m. He also has shorts arms even for his height of 6 foot 2. So he has no chance of being a KPP player in the AFL.
So it has to be as a flanker/wing where he might find his niche. Perhaps as a tagger with his elite fitness.
Does take a good mark and apart from his running is the best part of his game. Also a good kick for goal when he has chances.
Much better in the air than on the ground where he appears a bit lost and his hands are nowhere near as clean and sure.
Does not get enough of the ball even with his fitness which would highlight an inability to run to the right places and find the ball. Not footy smart. Terrific work ethic and has leadership but is pure athlete and not footballer.

Top aged and turns 19 in March and unlikely to grow. A very courageous player who gives his all on the field and prepares himself well. Just a shame he does not have better hands in close to perhaps turn into a midfielder. Does not have the pace or smarts to play outside. His kicking for goal is fine but is not so good in field play.

To short for KPP. Not good enough in any 1 thing for mine to make it in the AFL.
A draft camp special. Buyer beware !!

 

[mojo31]

Jon Simpkin

A good midfielder who can play forward and snag a goal. Has good pace. Will get on the outside and is pretty elusive and will carry the ball.
Nice footwork and is hard to tackle. Average size at just over 180 and a reasonable developed body. Turned 18 last month and still pretty young.

Has a good mix of being able to play outside but also good in pack situations where he is quite clever. His kicking is not top shelf and can be best desribed as adequate. Also not a very good kick for goals and kicked a lot of points.

A good solid midfielder who has the ability to clear the ball from the stoppages and also good speed and footwork and tricks to get out on his own and find space.

A good option for Carlton to consider for a rookie.

 

[mojo31]

Seen anything of Gareth Bowes Mojo? Is he too simlar to the Blackwell, Smith, Bentick mould? Had a good season with the Calder Cannons as was in the Vic metro leadership group. Racked up 44 possesions against Oakleigh this year. Also has senior experience at Gisborne.

Perhaps not with the first rookie spot, but would he be worth looking at for the second?

Gareth Bowes

Similar to Jon Simpkin. A bit quicker and a tiny bit shorter than him. A bit older as well.
Well built body and ready to go in AFL.

Plays the game like Nathan Jones and around that size as well. Runs hard and picks up a lot of easy possessions from handball receives. Nothing wrong with that as it is all part of the game knowing when and where to run to receive. All part of being football smart.

Also very quick (unlike Jones who is slowish) and uses it to his advantage and carries the ball well. His skills at times are not very good. He can kick the ball a long way and when you see him pick the ball up in traffic and burst away and take a bounce and kick it well over 50m regularly you get the sense that he could be a good quality midfielder.
Then you see him make some horrible decisions and miss easy targets and its hard know what to make of it. Has all the tools to be a good player. Is a bit on the short side and is basically the finished article now with his body and there is not much physical improvement left in him to mold.

Would like for him to be a better decision maker and think his way through things a little bit better. Got the pace and kicking depth and is hard at it.

A definite rookie prospect for Carlton.

 

[Salaryman]

Mojo,

good work again....both Simpkin and Bowes sound like good options. Simpkin may have a slight edge in that despite his inaccuracy, he is still a proven goal kicking midfielder for the Geelong Falcons.

So maybe the question to ask is what do we need more.....an outside midfield/HFF who can kick goals, or a hard-running inside Nathan Jones type that could also potentially play down back and free up Carazzo to play more in the midfield ?

 

[Salaryman]

How did Simpkin perform at DC ?

 

[mojo31]

Mojo,

good work again....both Simpkin and Bowes sound like good options. Simpkin may have a slight edge in that despite his inaccuracy, he is still a proven goal kicking midfielder for the Geelong Falcons.

So maybe the question to ask is what do we need more.....an outside midfield/HFF who can kick goals, or a hard-running inside Nathan Jones type that could also potentially play down back and free up Carazzo to play more in the midfield ?

I think we need a speedy back pocket type who can play on the quicker forwards and give us some run. Maybe a 6 footer who can push into the midfield as they develop.

A good half back flanker who can play on talls and mediums. (Toovey type who will replace the slower Teague over time. I hate you Karl Norman )

An outside wing who has pace and skills (Matt White type)

An inside player who has enough pace and play a defensive tagging style of accountable game. Has to be able to kick or have the ability to develop those skills to a good standard. (Not a Glenn Bowyer type who did not have the pace or skills)

Those would be the 4 types of players we need.

We nearly had Laidlaw slip through and we rated him higher than other clubs.

Edwards might fill the third tall down back over time with his pace and height.
Russell might also if they dont think he will play wing.
I dont see anyone at our club at the moment who can play as a tagger and run with players. We need 1 of those.

 

[mojo31]

How did Simpkin perform at DC ?

Okay 3km and beep test.

Top 15% for agility and 20m.

 

[Pafloyul]

It will be little use hoping that the perfect player to fill a particular niche for us will be available to rookie, those types of players will come in next years draft. If there is a player with a big upside left who was unlucky to be drafted then we should take a risk. I think we should take players who could give us the biggest reward ahead of some pseudo-depth for the rookies - please!

 

[Salaryman]

I don't disagree palyfoul, rather if a couple of blokes shortlisted are considered roughly equal on talent then you would look to pick the guy to fill a perceived hole in the list.

For example, a Toovey would seem to fit the bill on both counts.