Tommyneu Phantom Draft 2008 (Top 30 with explanations)

[sinepari]

I'be surprised to see a Melb club take the risk early.

 

[Quigley]

No to Sharples so early and Robinson wont be draft until late 2nd round. I would hate WC to pick them up.

Walters & Swift all the way.

I would be surprised if Robinson got out of the first round. He would be an ideal fit for some of the Melb based teams who are ready to compete for a title. He is a very good alround package who can come in and play right away. If I was a West Coast supporter and you picked him up in the second round I would be counting my money all the way to the bank.

Agree on Sharples. He is a great mover but he in with that plethora of players with poor disposal skills.

On Swift it interesting to hear that all 16 teams interviewed him at Camp. I am not sure the teams even have much of an idea of when he will go. Of the Vict based teams I could see maybe North, St Kilda and Geelong maybe taking him in the first round. With North it would depend on if there was a run on the favoured mids early. The Saints could use his speed and ball winning and might be willing to take the risk. Geelong have such a deep list that they could afford to take a risk on someone who could turn out to the best player from this draft. He very much fits the Geelong style of player - tall runner who can win his own ball.

 

[jackmac7]

Happy to get roughead, but swans will definitely go for yarren or trengove over mckernan.

I see a square off here between the saints and the swans for both Yarran and Trengroves services. Sydney took Vezpremi with last years first pick so I doubt they will take a similiar player like Yarran. Sydney need hieght this year KP/Ruck types and McKernan is the perfect player for Sydney because he covers both. Swans will look to bolster their spine, trust me. Hall, Micky O and Barry all in their twilight years. More so a forward Key type beacause Lewis -R-T and C Bolton are Solid Key Backs.

So forget Trengrove and Yarran......

Saints actually do need one of these 2 kids. Fast Midfeild/Medium Forward Flanker in Yarran and a CHB in Trengrove. Saints need speed and a key back with Goose McGuire at the crossroads and Max in his final years. Sam Gilbert is being moulded into a Max so CHB is a hole we need to fill. If both are in waiting I think Ross Lyon would take trengrove because he has stated previously this year how hard it is to find and replace Key backmen and he is a very defensive minded coach. We all know both kids carry some baggage as well otherwise they would be definate top 10's. On the flip side Yarran will add flare, goals, skill and will excite Saints supporters with that sublime sidestep. Eat your heart out Nicky Winmar........

One of them will slip to St Kildas hands for sure

I think the way this draft shapes all depends on Carlton and Essendon's picks #5 and #6. Essendon could easily take Hurley as a KB but could also take a midfeilder to help out what I believe is the worst midfeild in the AFL. Carlton could surprise taking Trengrove to add to their poor backline but also need a hit up target to help FEV (Lewy J). Lewy J, Hurley, Trengrove could go anywhere.

This draft looks really good for mine not to mention how important it is for clubs to get it right before Gold Coast and West Sydney raid the draft in coming years.

 

[sinepari]

Don't be surprised if Walters becomes a Swan at pick 12.

 

[jackmac7]

Is he a Key Forward?

They will take a Key Forward for sure. They were after Fev remember. Why on Earth would they take Yarran with Vezpremi already in development from last years draft when they need big forwards.

I have no idea who the Kangaroos will take.

The first four are set in stone

1. Watts -Dees
2. Natinui -Eagles
3. Rich -Freo
4. Vickery -Port

I'm not 100% Convinced Essendon will take Hurley.

Hartlett looks to be the real roughy amongst the top ten, could drop down to the crows at #10. No way Port would take the hometown boy ahead of Tyrone V when you look at port needing to bolster Ruck duo and Forward line.

I can't see Yarran going ahead of Steele and Lewy J either.

 

[sinepari]

No Walters is a small midfielder.

I'm just going on my knowledge that they love Walters.

 

[CrazyQ]

O'Keefe looks very good.

Does anyone reckon he plays abit like Smith? Jesse from the Roos?

I could be way off, just a youtube vid man myself.

 

[budge11]

if essendon take swift with pick 5 it could just be a wasted pick -.-

...? You take that risk with every single pick mate.

 

[McLean_4_Captain]

I'be surprised to see a Melb club take the risk early.

How do you figure a non-melbourne club is more likely to take a risk on Swift?

I wouldn't be surprised, especially if it's melbourne. After Watts we've got another 2 top 20 picks, i wouldn't be surprised to see one of those be a risky pick like Swift, a player with superstar potential but associated risk that see them overlooked before our pick.

Melbourne needs some stars and we can go safer at 19, i would not be shocked to see us take Swift.

 

[Cruiser23]

How do you figure a non-melbourne club is more likely to take a risk on Swift?

I wouldn't be surprised, especially if it's melbourne. After Watts we've got another 2 top 20 picks, i wouldn't be surprised to see one of those be a risky pick like Swift, a player with superstar potential but associated risk that see them overlooked before our pick.

Melbourne needs some stars and we can go safer at 19, i would not be shocked to see us take Swift.

Hard to argue with that.

I've got Swift going to the Cats right now but with no real confidence. Just really making an educated guess based on the notable past draft picks who went into the draft with question marks on their knees.

While he seems highly talented and had massive wraps on him at under 16 level is, the reality is he has hardly played in 2 years, has had a knee reco and PCL injury which is a type of hyper-extension of the knee.

Joel Selwood seemed to be rated a top 3 chance in 2005 but his injury, which i believe was not as severe, saw him drop to 7 after missing pretty much the whole of the 2006 TAC Cup season.

Beau Muston was another that, while not as highly rated as the other two, seemed to be inline for a top 10 pick. He did an ACL, which i believe was his second in his career at the end of the 05 season saw him slip to pick 22 to the Hawks in the 05 draft. Because the Hawks had no idea how Beau would pull up, i would think that that might have been a little more of a risk, especially considering in was his second knee reco.

From all this, somewhere between pick 7 and 22 for me.

 

[sinepari]

How do you figure a non-melbourne club is more likely to take a risk on Swift?

I wouldn't be surprised, especially if it's melbourne. After Watts we've got another 2 top 20 picks, i wouldn't be surprised to see one of those be a risky pick like Swift, a player with superstar potential but associated risk that see them overlooked before our pick.

Melbourne needs some stars and we can go safer at 19, i would not be shocked to see us take Swift.

I'm talking 1st round. There are just so many quality players this year and I made that assement on a needs basis, combined with the large number of qual players on offer.

 

[twinkles]

mckernan had a below par championship and floruish in teh tac dont noe if u seen many of his tac cup games this year dont think would be rated to high of of them

 

[Black Ball]

There is no way known that Fremantle would take Jetta if Swift is available and for that matter West Coast wont let him get too far down the order.

 

[McLean_4_Captain]

I'm talking 1st round. There are just so many quality players this year and I made that assement on a needs basis, combined with the large number of qual players on offer.

Fair enough, i'd think the same thing (too many other quality players to take the risk) of at least the clubs with top 10 picks.

 

[Tommyneu]

There is no way known that Fremantle would take Jetta if Swift is available and for that matter West Coast wont let him get too far down the order.

Shutup fool.

 

[Black Ball]

Shutup fool.

We'll see who the fool is at the end of the month.

In fact your selections for Freo and West Coast are not very well thought out neither are many of your others. You really should've put more thought into the exercise.

 

[RhEF JC]

We'll see who the fool is at the end of the month.

Unfortunately for you, you're the only one that time can show to be a fool. If Freo pick Jetta ahead of Swift, you're the fool. If they don't, the point still stands that "there is no way known" is a bit of an extreme thing to say for one of us mere BigFooty-ites.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Love it, Tommyneu - Even if some of my fellow Pies fans don't.

I, for one, am a big fan of O'Keefe at the pick, and think that he'll definitely be a Top 20 pick (as someone else said, I think Ash Smith will get up in that range too).

Shuey would be a top notch compliment in the 2nd round as well.

As for Dave The Man... Dave, you really need to stop holding on so tightly to the BigFooty group logic - You need to accept that these things are a lot more fluid than the "ranking" logic might suggest.

As didaka points out, people were pissed off about Rusling, Thomas, Pendlebury, Reid and Dawes, all at the points we drafted them, and it was only because they'd gotten the idea in their head that the top players were the ones that had been most consistently at the top of BigFooty mock drafts... And the people who made those mock drafts only got their opinions from other peoples' BigFooty mock drafts...

It's an endless and fruitless cycle to assume that the repetition of a name as a 1st/2nd/3rd round prospect somehow determines their quality.

 

[Snoop Dog]

Love it, Tommyneu - Even if some of my fellow Pies fans don't.

I, for one, am a big fan of O'Keefe at the pick, and think that he'll definitely be a Top 20 pick (as someone else said, I think Ash Smith will get up in that range too).

Shuey would be a top notch compliment in the 2nd round as well.

As for Dave The Man... Dave, you really need to stop holding on so tightly to the BigFooty group logic - You need to accept that these things are a lot more fluid than the "ranking" logic might suggest.

As didaka points out, people were pissed off about Rusling, Thomas, Pendlebury, Reid and Dawes, all at the points we drafted them, and it was only because they'd gotten the idea in their head that the top players were the ones that had been most consistently at the top of BigFooty mock drafts... And the people who made those mock drafts only got their opinions from other peoples' BigFooty mock drafts...

It's an endless and fruitless cycle to assume that the repetition of a name as a 1st/2nd/3rd round prospect somehow determines their quality.

Notwithstanding I agree with your comments around not worrying to much about player rankings its a massive generalisation to say those that post mock drafts just steal it and rehash from others. Suspect you know thats not true of all of them......fair bit of work goes into the better ones as per T's here.

I think people were surprised by Rusling and you cannot say at this stage they were out and out wrong......in the cold light of day he aint been a screaming success and nor has Reid (although v young and I am a fan).

Anyway one thing is for sure - trying to predict Hines is impossible.

 

[roodav]

would highly doubt we'd be looking to draft a Key forward with our second pick. We've even been thinking about turning robbie tarrant (our first pick last year) into a back because we've enough forwards. Hale has turned out pretty well and we've the BOG from the VFL final Josh Smith and we've just elevated Wundke to the senior list, plus the fact Hansen can swing forward and Hale isn't needed in the ruck with Hamish back and the Todd, yeah KPF is one thing we don't need thanks

 

[DaVe86]

fair effort for making a few different selections. Everyone's is starting to look very similar...

I personally wouldnt like to take O'Keefe with our first pick...but as you say he's a bolter. I reckon we'd be hoping to get him with pick 29, but most likely wont be available.

Reckon St.Kilda may go Trengrove if he's available. Maxy is ageing, Maguire is finished and Fisher aint the best one on one. That leaves them with nobody really. That said, i reckon Collingwood would be looking at him to sure up the defence.

As Snoop said, predicting Hine is a nightmare. Last year Snoop got the closest i've seen but got the picks in the wrong rounds.

In such a crucial draft, expect the unexpected with Hine, im sure he has a few tricks up his sleeve.

But if a player like Sidebottom or Zieball etc manages to fall to our pick, i hope we jump at the opportunity instead of picking up another flashy small.

 

[Larkins]

There is no way known that Fremantle would take Jetta if Swift is available and for that matter West Coast wont let him get too far down the order.

Swift is the really intersting player of this draft isn't he. I'd love to get him too with 21/24 just because i imagine him getting back to his 45 possession dominance, but in practice thats a bit unrealistic... he's grown heaps and 2 years is a long long time. There's a high risk of being a complet spud, but like I said, i hope we get him too.