Podcast Ep. 6.67: THE DRAFT: Vic Metro Pt. 2 - Monday 8pm

[Macca19]

Join myself and Portia for the final look into this years draft hopefuls on Monday at 8pm at https://www.spreaker.com/user/portfanradio. The players discussed will be:

Rhylee West
Curtis Taylor
Daly Andrews
Tom Mckenzie
Isaac Quaynor
Liam Stocker
Xavier O'Halloran
Jack Bytel
Buku Khamis
Riley Collier-Dawkins
Bailey Smith

Ask your questions here!

 

[Schulzenfest]

You've gone through all the kids, but are there any mature-age prospects who you think deserve a shot at AFL level?

 

[wilbur_15]

What're both of your dream drafts for Port (ie. assuming we get everyone at the back-end of your predicted draft ranges)?

 

[glitch01]

Obviously Buku Khamis is your made up name this week.
I see we look like keeping Hewett on the list again. Should we be letting him go and looking at another prospect?


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Sleezy]

Not sure you'll have time to do the work for this podcast Macca19 , but I'd be really interested to see each player on your rankings list given a rating out of 100:
100 = the best U18 prospect you've ever seen (Luko?)
0 = the worst U18 prospext you've ever seen (M Westhoff?)

It would be interesting to see the drop off between the fab 8, to the rest of the pack.

 

[Macca19]

Not sure you'll have time to do the work for this podcast Macca19 , but I'd be really interested to see each player on your rankings list given a rating out of 100:
100 = the best U18 prospect you've ever seen (Luko?)
0 = the worst U18 prospext you've ever seen (M Westhoff?)

It would be interesting to see the drop off between the fab 8, to the rest of the pack.

I'll see what I can do!

 

[Sleezy]

I'll see what I can do!

Who is the worst U18 prospect you have ever seen, and does Portia agree?

 

[Macca19]

Who is the worst U18 prospect you have ever seen, and does Portia agree?

Hard to answer that because they probably only play one or two TAC Cup games and never play again.

 

[Macca19]

RHYLEE WEST

180 / 80 / RF

Clubs: Calder / Vic Metro

Positions: Inside Mid, Small Forward

Stats:

Ryhlee had a strong year for Calder in the TAC Cup, averaging 19 disposals and a goal a game across 6 matches. He had a very good Championships, averaging 21 disposals and 5 clearances a game.

Gamestyle:

Rhylee is a small inside midfielder with clever inside skills, fantastic desire and clean skills. He is the son of former Western Bulldogs champion Scott West and there are plenty of similarities in their games.

Rhylee thrives on winning the contest. He is very much see ball-get ball, at times to a fault. He is strong over the ball and has a great ability to just get first hands on the ball, wrench it into his body and find a way to get rid of it. He has a wonderful Francou-esque shimmy which opens up space for him to use the ball efficiently. At times though he can put himself into poor situations by wresting for the ball which can lead to potential for free kicks against. He can suffer from dragging the ball in at times as well.

Skill wise he is clean with the ball. He has a great handball that packs some real punch and his kicking is reasonable as well. He can sometimes overcook the pass by foot, but at other times he does use his vision to advantage and can really open up the play with some clever passing.

He is a tenacious tackler, loves to play physical and knows how to shut down an opponent at stoppages. He can be versatile and can be a goalkicker up forward.

Draft Range: 15-30

Rhylee will end up at the Dogs, of that there is no doubt. A bid will likely come around the late first round through the second.

 

[Macca19]

CURTIS TAYLOR

186 / 74 / RF

Clubs: Calder / Vic Metro

Positions: Out/In Mid, Small Forward

Stats:

Curtis had a very good year for Calder, averaging 18 disposals, 3 clearances and over a goal a game. He was a little disappointing at the Champs, averaging just 10 disposals and kicking 6 goals.

Gamestyle:

Curtis is an enigmatic forward who can also run through the midfield. Capable of the brilliant but with some consistency struggles, Curtis is full of x-factor and impact with the ball.

In the forward line he can impact a game in minutes. He has good pace on the lead, has strong hands and a good leap. He can be devastating in front of goal, is an excellent set shot and is good once the ball hits the ground. His leading patterns are a highlight, he can push up the field, turn on a dime and run back hard, can work the angles well and is hard to spoil once he gets in front.

He can play through the midfield, is a decent stoppage mid, but is better outside the pack, where he can deliver inside 50.

A couple of areas of concern are his consistency. He can go missing in games and his disposal can be inconsistent as well. He can mis-kick the ball on a semi regular basis and is a part of his game he will need to work on. He needs to stay involved in games for longer. If he can, he will become an incredibly damaging player.


Draft Range: 20-35

Curtis has loads of natural talent but there are big question marks over work rate and consistency. Some clubs might look at him towards the end of the first round, but he is likely to drop into the 20’s.

 

[Macca19]

DALY ANDREWS

183 / 76 / RF

Clubs: Western / Vic Metro

Positions: Wing, Back Flank

Stats:

Daly was one of the surprise packets for the Western Jes this year. Virtually unknown prior to this season, he played 14 games and averaged 20 disposals and over 4 inside 50s a game for the Jets, earning himself selection for Vic Metro. He played just the one game at the Champs, picking up 19 disposals and 6 inside 50s.

Gamestyle:

Daly is a fast outside midfielder who thrives running along the wing and using his pace to advantage. He is a long kick of the ball, can play a number of different roles and has plenty of class.

Athletically is where he really shines. He has pace, genuine pace and matched with some impressive running capacity it makes him one of the better midfield athletes in this years draft. He loves to receive the ball across half back and run hard down the field. When you throw in that he can play on a wing, or as more of an outside stoppage player or across half back just as effectively then he is someone that can fit well into a team.

Skills can be a mixed bag. On his day he is a wonderful kick of the football and can be an 80m player. He has a long direct kick that can break through opposition setups and cause havoc for his team. But, he doesn’t always hit his targets. Especially with short kicks he can miss some kicks that he just should be nailing. But over distance, he knows how to find teammates on long searching leads.

There is still plenty of improvement in Daly. At the moment he is more athlete than footballer, he is very outside and may need to find some form of contested game to help him at AFL level. The raw tools are there though for him to step into an AFL club and have an impact.

Draft Range: 40-Late

Daly’s pace, endurance and ability to take the game on will interest many clubs. Fremantle, St Kilda and the Dogs will be keen on him.

 

[Macca19]

TOM MCKENZIE

183 / 71 / RF

Clubs: Northern / Vic Metro

Positions: Out/In Midfield, Back Flank


Stats:

Tom was a star for Northern, averaging 23 disposals, 4 tackles and 4 inside 50s a game. He was a consistent performer for Vic Metro, picking up 14 disposals and 3 rebound 50s a game in a more defensive role.

Gamestyle:

Tom is a pacey midfielder who can perform a role in the backline as well. He has elite pace off the mark, has good skills and can weave through traffic on the inside.

The first thing you notice about Tom is his speed. He is a smooth mover, almost glides across the turf, but doesn’t quite use it to his advantage as much as he could. When playing down back he can play either a role as the loose receiver who takes the ball and zooms off down field, but he can also play tight when need be. His closing speed when manned up on an opponent is exceptional and he is a good one on one defender.

As a midfielder he can find a lot of the ball. He looks better on the outside but he has some neat inside traits as well. He can find gaps through traffic which allows him more time to use the ball effectively. He has a nice right foot kick, doesn’t mind taking risks with his kicking and does hit targets more often than not.

He needs to improve his strength if he is to play midfield at AFL level. He needs to put on at least 7-8kg but he has the frame to cope with that without losing too much of his pace or agility. His endurance is a highlight and he is a hard runner. Another thing he needs to improve is his ability to hit the scoreboard. He is not a goal kicker. With the type of player he is, he should be hitting the scoreboard more often.

Draft Range: 30-50

Tom has some excellent athletic traits and the football side of things isn’t too bad either. Teams will start to look at him through the second round, but he may fit better through the 40s. Melbourne, Essendon and St Kilda look the best fit for him.

 

[Macca19]

LIAM STOCKER

183 / 83 / DS

Clubs: Sandringham

Positions: In/Out Midfield

Stats:

Liam missed out on state selection due to injury but was a superstar in the TAC Cup, winning the Morrish Medal after averaging 22 disposals and over 5 clearances, inside 50s and tackles a game.

Gamestyle:

Liam is an explosive inside midfielder who is a genuine game breaker. One of the most natural inside ball winners in this years draft, he wins clearances, has great skills and can kick goals.

Lets start with Liam the athlete. He is quick and can break away from a pack with power before delivering a skilful ball inside 50. He has good agility and has real strength. He is a good size already, has a ready made body and is hard to move off the ball.

Liam the footballer is a real hunter. He reads the tap of the ball well, wins the 50/50 ball if it hits the turf and stands up well in tackles. He is a beast on the inside. To go with this he can find plenty of the ball outside as well. His spread away when the ball is at half back could improve and he could run to create some more when without the ball.

Skill wise he is very good. He has a lovely right foot kick and knows how to perfectly weight a ball to a leading target. His skills on his opposite side are attractive enough and he is confident on his left foot. Defensively he is good, he positions himself well at stoppages and can lay a mean tackle.

Liam is the type that could slot into AFL football pretty early on in the piece. If he can improve his running he will play plenty of games in year 1 with the view of becoming a mainstay midfielder for a team in year 2 and beyond. He has the skill level, the desire, the physicality to become a very good quality AFL player in the future.

Draft Range: 20-40

Liam looks a natural AFL midfielder and teams will look to him from the second round. West Coast, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs and Brisbane will look at him.

 

[Macca19]

XAVIER O’HALLORAN

186 / 82 / RF

Clubs: Western / Vic Metro

Positions: Inside Midfield, Forward Flank

Stats:

Xavier had a very consistent year for Western, picking up 19 disposals, 6 inside 50s and 5.5 clearances a game to go with 9 goals in 13 games. He played more of a role across half forward for Vic Metro, averaging 13 disposals and 5 inside 50s a game.

Gamestyle:

Xavier is an inside midfielder with good size who can play as a marking forward as well. He is mobile, has great foot skills and is a natural born leader.

Xavier captained both the Western Jets and Vic Metro this year and did so with a lot of fanfare. His leadership skills have been promoted heavily through the underage system this year.

What Xavier does well on the field is just win the ball. He never takes a backward step, puts his head over the ball and does what he needs to do to win it. He is a good size, has strong core strength and is fearless. He doesn’t mind barrelling through a pack and throwing the ball on the boot to get it forward.

He is a good mark for his size which allows him to play as a lead up half forward, kind of in the Angus Monfries type mould. He has strong hands, good positioning and is an accurate kick for goal. His right foot is a highlight, but he is good on his left as well.

The question will be just how much development he has in him. Maybe he is a bit vanilla, but overall his draft stocks have increased as the year has gone on. With his professionalism and leadership skills, he will be a player that will get a chance at AFL level in his first year and will settle into a side long term.

Draft Range: 15-30

Xavier is one of the best leaders and inside midfielders in the draft. He will start to come under consideration from late in the first round and should be gone by the end of the second. Adelaide will look at him, as will Richmond, GWS and Melbourne.

 

[Macca19]

ISAAC QUAYNOR

179 / 82 / RF

Clubs: Oakleigh / Vic Metro / Collingwood NGA

Positions: Small Defender

Stats:

Isaac was a star for Oakleigh this year, averaging 16 disposals and 4 rebound 50s a game. He had a good Champs, averaging 17 disposals and 4 rebound 50s a game.

Gamestyle:

Isaac is a natural footballer who is the best small defender in this years draft pool. He has great athletic traits, has great strength for his size and can use the ball as well as anyone in this years draft.

Athletically he looks unassuming. He is a bit of a man-child, is well built already and shows that by being so strong one on one. He rarely loses a contest and has a real competitive streak in him. But he is so much more than just a man-child. He has great endurance, is relatively quick and has a monster leap. He can and does often play on opponents much taller than him and can get the job done consistently.

With the ball he is also impressive. He has a reliable right foot kick and shows good vision coming out of the defensive 50. He loves having the ball in his hands and thrives on that responsibility. His decision making is elite in this years draft pool.

How he transitions to AFL level will be interesting. Physically he is ready to go. How much more development does he have left in him and is his level now good enough to gain him a long term AFL career without that further development?

Draft Range: 15-30

Isaac will become a Collingwood player. A bid will come from late in the first round through the second round.

 

[Macca19]

JACK BYTEL

188 / 82 / RF

Clubs: Calder / Vic Metro

Positions: Inside Mid

Stats:

Jack had a stunning bottom age year in 2017, averaging just under 28 disposals and 7 clearances a game for Calder. He was unable to back that up this year, dropping to 22 disposals and 3 clearances a game. He played 3 matches at the Champs for 13 disposals and 5 tackles a match.

Gamestyle:

Jack is an inside midfielder with a booming foot. Strong as an Ox and capable of winning his own football, Jack has flown under the radar a bit in 2018.

His clearance work is excellent, knowing where to stand to win first possession and he is great at reading the ball off the hands. Once he gets his body behind the ball he is hard to move off the line and he thrives on winning the contest. His ability to distribute after winning the ball is first class. He is a great handballer, shows good vision and can cleanly get the ball to the outside.

His foot can be inconsistent. When in form he lets rip with these cutting missiles and can goal easily from outside 50. But, there is a consistency issue there. He can struggle under pressure to hit his targets. He is a large ball winner and can pick up high numbers of the ball. He can make stoppages his own.

Physically he is ready to go. He can run all day and whilst he lacks pace, he makes up for it by his ability to run. Whilst he will be able to hone down his body and maybe find a touch more pace in an AFL system, some clubs may query just how much development he has left in him. But, he will be ready to play from Round 1, Year 1 on an AFL list.

Draft Range: 30-50

Jack is the James Worpel of this draft. Highly rated in his bottom age year, struggled a little with injury in his top age year and maybe didn’t further his development. Inside beast with some questionable physical traits. But, what he does well, he does really well. You can’t teach an inside game like what Jack has. He is a natural. Sometimes that is all you need and all you want, is a natural footballer. He’ll come into talk from late second round and might still find his way through to the fourth round depending on just how concerned clubs might be with his future development. Richard at 37 will be interested, as will St Kilda with 36 and the Dogs at 45. Sydney with their picks around 40 will look at him and he may find his way to Geelong with pick 50.

 

[Macca19]

BUKU KHAMIS

189 / 81

Clubs: Western / Vic Metro / Western Bulldogs NGA

Positions: 3rd Tall Defender

Stats:

Buku had a great bottom age year for Western playing on a forward flank, averaging 11 disposals and kicking 13 goals in 16 games. He changed roles this year, moving down back and had a very impressive season, averaging 15 disposals and 3 rebound 50s a game. He played all 4 matches at the Champs, picking up 15 disposals and 3 rebound 50s a game.

Gamestyle:

Buku is an attacking 3rd tall defender with good defensive instincts and creativity. Whilst lacking in some height, he can still play on tall or small and has the athleticism to go with both.

The first thing you notice is just how dependable he is. He is good in one on one contests, he rarely loses a battle and he is so smart with the ball under pressure. He is very much like Tom Jonas in that he seems to know his limitations and tries to make decisions that will stay within those limitations.

His pace is a real highlight. He is real quick, has very good closing speed and in tandem with good reach it makes him a hard defender to mark against on the lead. He is a good reader of the play, can intercept mark well and keep the ball moving. There is a bit of x-factor about him, he is someone that can have a real imfluence on the result of the game as a defender.

It is doubtful that Buku could have a real influence in his first year. By year 3 he should be a regular contributor at AFL level.


Draft Range: 30-60

Buku is linked to the Dogs so he will likely end up there. A bid will likely come in the third round.

 

[Macca19]

RILEY COLLIER-DAWKINS

193 / 88 / RF

Clubs: Sandringham / Vic Metro

Positions: Inside Mid, 3rd Tall Forward

Stats:
Riley averaged 18 disposals and 3 clearances a game for Sandringham in the TAC Cup this year. He averaged 12 disposals and 3 tackles a game for Vic Metro.

Gamestyle:

Riley is a well built tall inside midfielder with exciting speed and mobility. He is the size of Carlton star Patrick Cripps but has the burst speed from a stoppage that makes you stand up and take notice.

The first thing you really notice about Riley is his strength. He is strong over the ball, hard to knock off his line and when he is moving he is hard to tackle, especially front on. He has impressive core strength alreaedy which sees him break tackles on a regular basis.

The next thing you notice is his speed. He is as quick as anyone in a game sense over the first 5-10m especially out of a stoppage. His top speed is impressive for a guy that’s 193cm and he gets to his top speed quickly.

His kicking is mixed. He is an accurate kick but tends to get underneath the ball too much too often. It should be fixable and as I said, his accuracy is usually fine. He is a neat kick for goal and does get in scoring range quite often. He can play as a marking forward when resting out of the middle and it may be there where he gets his first opportunities at AFL level.

Defensively he could improve. Whilst he is a decent tackler, he can get caught ball watching at times, so needs to be more aware of his surroundings. Despite a lot of impressive traits he still comes across as being quite raw. He moves a bit ungainly and he can go completely missing for large periods of time where he has little to no impact on games. But when it clicks, there is one seriously damaging player here.

His scope is quite wide. He is a serious boom or bust prospect. The raw tools are there that he could become one of, if not the best player out of this draft and I don’t think that would surprise a lot of people. But, there also comes the risk that he may have peaked, maybe he lacks the improvement that a lot of other players still have left in them.


Draft Range: 11-25

 

[Macca19]

BAILEY SMITH

185 / 82 / RF

Clubs: Sandringham / Vic Metro

Positions: In/Out Mid

Stats:

After a great bottom age year as a back flanker, Bailey moved to the midfield this year and shone, averaging 24 disposals and 5 clearances a game at the Champs to be namd Vic Metro’s MVP. He averaged 32 disposals and 11 clearances in 2 TAC Cup games.

Gamestyle:

Bailey is a tough and talented midfielder who shows a great balance between attacking and defensive instincts. He excels as a stoppage midfielder where he regularly wins first possession, can find space and deliver a disposal outside the pack. Bailey’s competitiveness is his greatest asset, always battling to win the ball, hates losing a contest. Whether it’s clever body work to win a contested ball, or laying a bone crunching tackle, it is that competitive instinct which contributes significantly to his output.

But, he is not just an in and under type. He is a hard runner, has great game pace and spreads incredibly well to receive in space. Bailey can also impact in front of goal, showing a decent set shot and an ability to mark inside 50. Whilst not a brilliant kick, he is skilful enough, can hit targets on the run and can goal from outside 50. His field kicking can lack some consistency however.

At 185cm and 82kg, Bailey is already a decent size for a midfielder. He already sticks his tackles, shows good strength at the contest and this will only improve in an AFL system as well. He has good pace from 0-10m and has decent top end pace as well. This in conjunction with his endurance makes him a player that has the ability to run hard all day. He has shown elite output at each level he has played.

Bailey has the talent to become a top 5 player at an AFL club within 3-5 seasons. His blend of inside grunt and outside instinct, good pace and endurance makes him a wonderful potential AFL midfielder. If he can sharpen up his field kicking he can become a damaging player. He could start on a forward flank or a wing in year 1 whilst adding more pure midfield minutes as the season progresses. He will become part of a first string AFL midfield group within 3 years.

Draft Range: 4-12

Bailey is elite and will go high up in the draft. St Kilda at 4 will be the first to consider him, Port at 5 and 10 will seriously look at him, as will Gold Coast at 6 and the Dogs at 7.

 

[Macca19]

Not sure you'll have time to do the work for this podcast Macca19 , but I'd be really interested to see each player on your rankings list given a rating out of 100:
100 = the best U18 prospect you've ever seen (Luko?)
0 = the worst U18 prospext you've ever seen (M Westhoff?)

It would be interesting to see the drop off between the fab 8, to the rest of the pack.

Heres my top 20:

Lukosius - 99
Walsh - 99
Rankine - 98
Blakey - 96
Smith - 95
M King - 95
Caldwell - 94
Hately - 94
Rozee - 93
Williams - 86
Butters - 86
Clark - 86
Kelly - 85
Hill - 85
B King - 83
Scott - 82
Thomas - 81
Stack - 80
Sturt - 80
Quaynor - 80

If I was to combine the last three years, since we've done the deep dive into the draft, heres my top 50:

Lukosius (2018) - 99
Walsh (2018) - 99
Rankine (2018) - 98
Blakey (2018) - 96
McLuggage (2016) - 95
Smith (2018) - 95
M King (2018) - 95
McGrath (2016) - 94
Rayner (2017) - 94
Caldwell (2018) - 94

Hately (2018) - 94
Ainsworth (2016) - 94
Rozee (2018) - 93
Davies-Uniacke (2017) - 91
Coffield (2017) - 91
Brodie (2016) - 91
Bowes (2016) - 91
Brayshaw (2017) - 91
Petrevski-Seton (2016) - 90
Dow (2017) - 90

Stephenson (2017) - 90
Higgins (2017) - 90
Scrimshaw (2016) - 87
Taranto (2016) - 87
Williams (2018) - 86
Clark (2017) - 86
Butters (2018) - 86
Clark (2018) - 86
Brander (2017) - 86
Naughton (2017) - 86

Atley (2016) - 85
English (2016) - 85
Kelly (2018) - 85
Hill (2018) - 85
Venables (2016) - 84
Cerra (2017) - 84
Marshall (2016) - 84
B King (2018) - 83
Rotham (2016) - 83
O'Brien (2017) - 83

Allen (2017) - 83
Hayes (2017) - 83
Perryman (2016) - 82
Scott (2018) - 82
Witherden (2016) - 82
Setterfield (2016) - 82
Powell-Pepper (2016) - 81
Thomas (2018) - 81
Garner (2017) - 80
Walker (2017) - 80

 

[Sleezy]

I

Heres my top 20:

Lukosius - 99
Walsh - 99
Rankine - 98
Blakey - 96
Smith - 95
M King - 95
Caldwell - 94
Hately - 94
Rozee - 93
Williams - 86
Butters - 86
Clark - 86
Kelly - 85
Hill - 85
B King - 83
Scott - 82
Thomas - 81
Stack - 80
Sturt - 80
Quaynor - 80

If I was to combine the last three years, since we've done the deep dive into the draft, heres my top 50:

Lukosius (2018) - 99
Walsh (2018) - 99
Rankine (2018) - 98
Blakey (2018) - 96
McLuggage (2016) - 95
Smith (2018) - 95
M King (2018) - 95
McGrath (2016) - 94
Rayner (2017) - 94
Caldwell (2018) - 94

Hately (2018) - 94
Ainsworth (2016) - 94
Rozee (2018) - 93
Davies-Uniacke (2017) - 91
Coffield (2017) - 91
Brodie (2016) - 91
Bowes (2016) - 91
Brayshaw (2017) - 91
Petrevski-Seton (2016) - 90
Dow (2017) - 90

Stephenson (2017) - 90
Higgins (2017) - 90
Scrimshaw (2016) - 87
Taranto (2016) - 87
Williams (2018) - 86
Clark (2017) - 86
Butters (2018) - 86
Clark (2018) - 86
Brander (2017) - 86
Naughton (2017) - 86

Atley (2016) - 85
English (2016) - 85
Kelly (2018) - 85
Hill (2018) - 85
Venables (2016) - 84
Cerra (2017) - 84
Marshall (2016) - 84
B King (2018) - 83
Rotham (2016) - 83
O'Brien (2017) - 83

Allen (2017) - 83
Hayes (2017) - 83
Perryman (2016) - 82
Scott (2018) - 82
Witherden (2016) - 82
Setterfield (2016) - 82
Powell-Pepper (2016) - 81
Thomas (2018) - 81
Garner (2017) - 80
Walker (2017) - 80

Interesting. So you think Hately shapes as a better prospect than Taranto did a couple of years ago?

 

[Macca19]

At the time yes. Im big on Hately, i think hes being underrated a bit

 

[Jonts]

What is the ranking consist of Macca19
or is it something just off the top of your head

 

[Macca19]

What is the ranking consist of Macca19
or is it something just off the top of your head

I woukd call it a peak potential rating that ive completely made up

 

[Macca19]

Theres only 2 juniors ive seen that i would rate as 100 and thats Pav and Cooney