Just thought I'd put the 'better' talent scout's phantom write ups on Atley all in one place. Here they are:
Knightmare:
#12 (Melbourne) – Shaun Atley (VIC)
Height: 189cm, Weight: 82kg, DOB: 13/09/1992
Recruited from: Murray Bushrangers
Player comparison: Luke Hodge/ Chris Judd
Style: 5-12
Why: Hard running midfielder who is agile and quick. Has a super first step, gets through traffic well and has super acceleration. Has exceptional awareness and very quick hands. Can play inside or outside, but I see him as more of an inside player with the skill set he has. Tackles hard and is good in traffic. Defensive side of his game very good. Can also play across half back. Has all the attributes to develop into a very good AFL footballer. Good value selection here for Essendon and a great fit. It wouldn’t surprise me if Essendon went with Caddy, but I think Atley is the better of the pair and has a little more upside.
Quigley:
(Pick 8 to Essendon)
Shaun Atley
DOB 13/9/92 Ht 189 Wt 81
Atley was a very popular choice around Champs time but has fallen in the eyes of many whilst others like Heppell finished the year very strongly. People are fickle and quickly dropped him when he missed a lot of the latter half of the year with a broken finger. Its often what have you done for me lately. When he was getting talked around the Champs I thought he was a little overrated as a potential 4 pick and I thought around the 7 or 8 was more his level and I have left him here despite his injury problems.
He has the potential to be an elite inside mid and you jump at the chance to take that sort of player in the lower part of the top 10. Atley doesn’t actually look like an inside player when you see him play as he is long and lean and you would think of he would be playing on a wing or flank. With that said he does have an excellent inside skill set. He reads the ball off hands well and has a nice burst of speed from a standing start which allows him to clear packs. He uses this a lot and generally is a player who plays with speed. Some guys time well but don’t play quick whereas Atley brings his speed onto the park with him and makes it a weapon. He models his game on Chris Judd and he has that kind of ball winning and style potential. Judd is also a tallish inside player but its Judd’s ability to hit the ball at pace and come out the other side of packs that has set him apart over the course of his career. For a tallish player with a still pretty slight build he has excellent core strength and he can hold his feet over the ball and break tackles very well. That will be harder to do at AFL level but Atley is also agile and elusive on his feet and he uses that to create lot of arm tackles that he can break much more easily. He has reasonably quick hands in close without being exceptional.
In the open he is a reasonable mark of the ball who judges it in flight pretty well and makes good ground. He does need to work on spreading to receive more from a contest and getting to good spots to receive on the outside. He is a well balanced kick with reasonable penetration. His kicking is often referred to in a negative light but I actually like his style especially when he has time. The problems when they arise are either from an excess of confidence in his own ability to thread a needle or from poor option taking. I probably haven’t seen enough of him to make a call either way but the former is much more preferable and would hold him in much higher stead with recruiters. He often seems to take dangerous options although usually his man is in a reasonable position and if it comes off his team would be in a good position. Teams would also like to see him as more of a goal scoring threat. He does not get into position to get shots on goal and when he does he is not a great finisher. Back to the positives, Atley would be one of the best tacklers in the draft this year. He has good technique and works hard to shut down his players. He averaged 6 tackles a game at the Champs.
Overall inside mids are often difficult to pick but Atley is a good chance to pay off for the team that takes him and he potentially could be elite with his athletic talents.
Snoop Dog:
Selection # 8 (ESSENDON)
Sean Atley – Murray Bushies / 187cm / 82kg
Profile : Very highly rated junior for some time now and will be in the top ten. Has super endurance and had a very good year at the Bushies. Hard running HBF type who often plays in the midfield rotation as well. Very clean hands and more than adept at winning his own footy and departing the contest at pace. Good by hand and foot but it is his penetrating kick which I think is his big standout feature. No knocks on this kid.....none at all!
Why Dons: They have been into him all year
Similar to: Heath Shaw / Damian Hardwick
Roughie: Dion Prestia
Draft Range: 5 - 12
Paul Daffy:
8. ESSENDON - Shaun Atley
Height: 189cm
Weight: 81kg
DOB: 13/09/92
Club: Murray Bushrangers (Vic)
Draft range: 7-9
The Bombers need fast, top-line midfielders and Atley fits the bill. He wins the ball inside and outside. His attitude is superb. You imagine he'll benefit from living near Windy Hill rather than driving five hours from his home in Corryong to fulfil representative duties in Melbourne, as he's done during his junior years.
Official Bigfooty Phantom Draft (Picked by Offsider)
Gold Coast
Pick 7: Shaun Atley
Gold Coast pick up a gun midfielder at Pick 7 who has no real weakness, he is very athletic, good pace and agility allows him to break free and he has very good endurance. He can play as an inside mid, or a HBF although I would like him to develop his outside game and really use that pace and line breaking ability to his advantage. I would also like to see him really destroy games consistently as he is capable of, although he did perform well at the Champs and was awarded with All Australian selection. Atley has good skills, despite what some people may say, he is dual sided and hits most targets and weights the ball nicely although sometimes he can try to do too much and miss targets, he has penetrating disposal and is quite damaging. He is good by hand and quite clever and effective, and he is also clean below the knees and can play as a first touch winner, and also break away from packs, ala Chris Judd. He has a very good defensive side to his game, and is strong and good in the air and can play as a HBF and lock opponents down. He needs to add some bulk, however with his athletic ability and his reasonable skills I can see him becoming a very good player and important part of the GC midfield rotations.
Foj1:
Pick 12 Melbourne Shaun Atley Vic Country
Melbourne will go with best player here and I think Atley is the best of what is left. Atley can play through the midfield and at half back and has real speed and has a penetrating kick. Atley moves like an AFL footballer and the challenge for the Demons will be where they develop him as a long term player. I suspect it may well be as an attacking half back who runs forward with dash. Melbourne are a team that could go for high risk high reward pick here and they may well consider a Mitchell or a Lycett here.
Knightmare:
#12 (Melbourne) – Shaun Atley (VIC)
Height: 189cm, Weight: 82kg, DOB: 13/09/1992
Recruited from: Murray Bushrangers
Player comparison: Luke Hodge/ Chris Judd
Style: 5-12
Why: Hard running midfielder who is agile and quick. Has a super first step, gets through traffic well and has super acceleration. Has exceptional awareness and very quick hands. Can play inside or outside, but I see him as more of an inside player with the skill set he has. Tackles hard and is good in traffic. Defensive side of his game very good. Can also play across half back. Has all the attributes to develop into a very good AFL footballer. Good value selection here for Essendon and a great fit. It wouldn’t surprise me if Essendon went with Caddy, but I think Atley is the better of the pair and has a little more upside.
Quigley:
(Pick 8 to Essendon)
Shaun Atley
DOB 13/9/92 Ht 189 Wt 81
Atley was a very popular choice around Champs time but has fallen in the eyes of many whilst others like Heppell finished the year very strongly. People are fickle and quickly dropped him when he missed a lot of the latter half of the year with a broken finger. Its often what have you done for me lately. When he was getting talked around the Champs I thought he was a little overrated as a potential 4 pick and I thought around the 7 or 8 was more his level and I have left him here despite his injury problems.
He has the potential to be an elite inside mid and you jump at the chance to take that sort of player in the lower part of the top 10. Atley doesn’t actually look like an inside player when you see him play as he is long and lean and you would think of he would be playing on a wing or flank. With that said he does have an excellent inside skill set. He reads the ball off hands well and has a nice burst of speed from a standing start which allows him to clear packs. He uses this a lot and generally is a player who plays with speed. Some guys time well but don’t play quick whereas Atley brings his speed onto the park with him and makes it a weapon. He models his game on Chris Judd and he has that kind of ball winning and style potential. Judd is also a tallish inside player but its Judd’s ability to hit the ball at pace and come out the other side of packs that has set him apart over the course of his career. For a tallish player with a still pretty slight build he has excellent core strength and he can hold his feet over the ball and break tackles very well. That will be harder to do at AFL level but Atley is also agile and elusive on his feet and he uses that to create lot of arm tackles that he can break much more easily. He has reasonably quick hands in close without being exceptional.
In the open he is a reasonable mark of the ball who judges it in flight pretty well and makes good ground. He does need to work on spreading to receive more from a contest and getting to good spots to receive on the outside. He is a well balanced kick with reasonable penetration. His kicking is often referred to in a negative light but I actually like his style especially when he has time. The problems when they arise are either from an excess of confidence in his own ability to thread a needle or from poor option taking. I probably haven’t seen enough of him to make a call either way but the former is much more preferable and would hold him in much higher stead with recruiters. He often seems to take dangerous options although usually his man is in a reasonable position and if it comes off his team would be in a good position. Teams would also like to see him as more of a goal scoring threat. He does not get into position to get shots on goal and when he does he is not a great finisher. Back to the positives, Atley would be one of the best tacklers in the draft this year. He has good technique and works hard to shut down his players. He averaged 6 tackles a game at the Champs.
Overall inside mids are often difficult to pick but Atley is a good chance to pay off for the team that takes him and he potentially could be elite with his athletic talents.
Snoop Dog:
Selection # 8 (ESSENDON)
Sean Atley – Murray Bushies / 187cm / 82kg
Profile : Very highly rated junior for some time now and will be in the top ten. Has super endurance and had a very good year at the Bushies. Hard running HBF type who often plays in the midfield rotation as well. Very clean hands and more than adept at winning his own footy and departing the contest at pace. Good by hand and foot but it is his penetrating kick which I think is his big standout feature. No knocks on this kid.....none at all!
Why Dons: They have been into him all year
Similar to: Heath Shaw / Damian Hardwick
Roughie: Dion Prestia
Draft Range: 5 - 12
Paul Daffy:
8. ESSENDON - Shaun Atley
Height: 189cm
Weight: 81kg
DOB: 13/09/92
Club: Murray Bushrangers (Vic)
Draft range: 7-9
The Bombers need fast, top-line midfielders and Atley fits the bill. He wins the ball inside and outside. His attitude is superb. You imagine he'll benefit from living near Windy Hill rather than driving five hours from his home in Corryong to fulfil representative duties in Melbourne, as he's done during his junior years.
Official Bigfooty Phantom Draft (Picked by Offsider)
Gold Coast
Pick 7: Shaun Atley
Gold Coast pick up a gun midfielder at Pick 7 who has no real weakness, he is very athletic, good pace and agility allows him to break free and he has very good endurance. He can play as an inside mid, or a HBF although I would like him to develop his outside game and really use that pace and line breaking ability to his advantage. I would also like to see him really destroy games consistently as he is capable of, although he did perform well at the Champs and was awarded with All Australian selection. Atley has good skills, despite what some people may say, he is dual sided and hits most targets and weights the ball nicely although sometimes he can try to do too much and miss targets, he has penetrating disposal and is quite damaging. He is good by hand and quite clever and effective, and he is also clean below the knees and can play as a first touch winner, and also break away from packs, ala Chris Judd. He has a very good defensive side to his game, and is strong and good in the air and can play as a HBF and lock opponents down. He needs to add some bulk, however with his athletic ability and his reasonable skills I can see him becoming a very good player and important part of the GC midfield rotations.
Foj1:
Pick 12 Melbourne Shaun Atley Vic Country
Melbourne will go with best player here and I think Atley is the best of what is left. Atley can play through the midfield and at half back and has real speed and has a penetrating kick. Atley moves like an AFL footballer and the challenge for the Demons will be where they develop him as a long term player. I suspect it may well be as an attacking half back who runs forward with dash. Melbourne are a team that could go for high risk high reward pick here and they may well consider a Mitchell or a Lycett here.
