Weaver's phantom draft 2006

[Weaver]

Thought I'd do down to 68 although it is unlikely those late picks will be used.

2003 effort
2004 effort
2005 effort

List from July this year

 

[macca69]

been looking forward to this

 

[Weaver]

1. Bryce Gibbs (Carlton). This is an era of dominant midfielders and Gibbs is by far the brightest midfield prospect available. Genuinely football smart and takes up intelligent, dangerous positions, accumulates high kick numbers, uses the ball superbly and creates and kicks goals. Not a speedster and probably not a hard-ball player; very much in the Ben Cousins or Nick Stevens playmaker mould. Will play next year and will be a preseason favourite for the Rising Star. At 187cm he is very much the modern midfielder who could develop into a Lenny Hayes type centre square presence.

2. Lachlan Hansen (Essendon). The Bombers have the tough task of choosing between an elite ruckman (Leuenberger), a superb CHF (Gumbleton) or the best CHB prospect we’ve seen in a few years. Hansen is the lowest risk and most ready to play quickly. Struggled at CHF and his best junior football has been rucking – which he won’t do in the AFL. With their lack of key defensive options and an ageing Fletcher, they could play safe. Gumbleton has more raw talent and Leuenberger is the other contender. Hansen is a good reader of the play and has genuine football nous.

3. Scott Gumbleton (Kangaroos). With Hale, McIntosh and Moran the Roos are unlikely to take Leuenberger. Aside from that they pretty much need everything. Gumbleton is the kind you can build a forward line around. Tall, athletic, covers a lot of ground, has a good leap. Will muscle out into a very solid player in time. Shapes as a genuine CHF in the Nick Reiwoldt mould. Isn’t shy of the contest as a couple of the recent early-round bigmen have been.

4. Albert Proud (Brisbane). Brisbane love ruckmen but will have an eye on the QLD trio Tippett, Renouf and Hampson with later picks. They have declared midfield as a priority, which leaves them to choose between Selwood, Proud and Connors. Proud is the best QLD midfielder since Akermanis and Voss. Wins more hardball than Selwood and O’Keefe. Is tough as teak and quicker than Selwood. If one of the top-3 surprises, Hansen could see the Lions replace Leppitsch and Michael.

5. Matthew Leuenberger (Port Adelaide). Port pair Lade and Brogan are both 28+. By the time Leuenberger is 22 he will be ready to replace them as a genuine number 1 ruckmen in a team in which the ruckman plays an important role. He is tall, quick and agile with good skills and the ability to dominate games. His ruckwork is well developed for his age – he generally palms to advantage. Can be a bit hesitant to always throw himself at his opponent. Probably second only to Gibbs in terms on long-term potential – but ruckmen are always a gamble and long-term investment. Is the most likely candidate to be a spanner in the works and could go as high as 1.

6. Joel Selwood (Hawthorn). Selwood is a high-possession running player similar to Shane Crawford. He doesn’t have pure leg speed and his kicking can be hit and miss. He gets teams going forward and can be sharp in tight spaces. Very good a metre or two off the pack. A genuine playmaker and a good choice to put in the centre between wingmen Ellis and Muston. A year-long knee injury may see his value drop, but not too far. Has good leadership qualities.

7. Daniel Connors (Geelong). Connors has the appeal of being able to play both inside and outside. In close he has quick reflexes, vision and awareness to thread handballs through gaps only he sees. Outside he can tuck the pill under his arm, carry and kick with penetration and accuracy. Also has a handy high-mark in his locker. Not completely dissimilar to Heath Black and should be a solid third / fourth best midfielder in the AFL for 150 games. Ordering the midfielders is always tough but Connors should be one of the first to go.

8. Mitch Thorp (Collingwood). An intriguing prospect. His best football has been as a ruck-rover, more than a CHF. He could well get caught between the two roles. Best asset is his eagerness to play on after marking – wheeling around like Scott Lucas. Has a play-on style and the running ability of a midfielder. Pies might be gun-shy on Tassie tall forwards after a couple of hiccups. Need a tall forward prospect with Tarrant leaving and Rocca ageing.

9. Daniel O’Keefe (St Kilda). The Saints midfield has class but lacks depth. O’Keefe is the prototypical modern half-back flanker. Covers a large amount of turf, gets large numbers of touches and loses his man effortlessly. He is also a good kick and has a surprising leap. A 40-plus goalkicker from the wing and lead the TAC in uncontested marks by a big margin reflecting his running gamestyle. Finished the season strongly but a knee injury restricted him at the camp.

10. Shane Edwards (Collingwood). Very much an outside winger with electric pace and long-kicking. Loves open-spaces and showed some toughness in the SANFL that belied his light frame. Can be wasteful when he runs too far and doesn’t steady before kicking. Has good form in senior company, finishing the season very strongly and moving up the draft board. Has no left foot which could be a problem.

11. Eric McKenzie (Western Bulldogs). Dogs ran out of big blokes at stages this year and need to plan for Chris Grant not occupying CHB. McKenzie is a traditional tall defender, tall and strong and will be able to play on gorilla forwards. Has deceptively good pace for a bigger player that should allow him to drop into FB as well as playing further from goal. Reasonable kicking skills which is important at the kennel.

12. James Sellar (Melbourne). Will be excused his poor championship and remain regarded as one of the better key forward options. Might be one that could struggle to adapt to the AFL. At 195cm he probably can’t ruck and he lacks the pace for the backline. Up forward he shapes as an old-fashioned lead-up, pack-marking CHF. Superb leadership, good skills. Probably in the Nick Holland, David Schwarz style. A strong young midfield group should see the Dees draft tall.

13. Travis Boak (Richmond). If there is an early run on big blokes Richmond might be in a position to pick the eyes out of the runners. Boak is a classy outside guy who knows where the goals are, has some toe and loves to carry the footy. Is genuinely classy and has match-changing ability. Expect Richmond to go for a pacy midfielder, tough to know which – perhaps Edwards or Houlihan over Boak. Boak has the edge in class and has been on the radar since under-16 days.

14. Tim Houlihan (Adelaide). A stand-out at under-16 level who improved rapidly over the course of the season to be amongst North Ballarat’s best by the time of the finals campaign. At the start of the season a pencil thin winger nervous of traffic, by the close of the season doing superb defensive jobs across half-back. Quick, elite stamina, good skills and runs with the ball. Loves to weave his way down field with baulks. Very much the modern winger. Crows love the taller, running utility types and have based their gameplan around runners.

15. Clinton Benjamin (Sydney). The Swans have hybrid winger/KP players at both ends (O’Keefe, Kenneally, Bolton, O’Loughlin). Benjamin fits that mould. He is super quick, tall, well skilled, and extremely versatile. They don’t need someone to play straight away but he will provide depth in a couple of spots. Has electric pace and is extremely versatile. Needs to learn to kick on his left.

16. Tom Hislop (West Coast). The Eagles tend to take an inside midfielder early every draft Kerr (18), Judd (3), Waters (11), Hurn (13). Hislop would continue that trend and reinforce their midfield dominance. Amitage might be the other option if he slipped. Hislop is a genuine centresquare specialist who thrives in traffic and will be a clearance specialist. No super quick but agile enough to be tough to tackle in tight spaces.

17. Clayton Collard (Carlton). Collard is better but less credentialed than the higher-profile Jetta. Has a hint of Gary Ablett jnr about him. Collard might develop into a midfielder in time and alongside Betts gives the Blues some flair and genuine game-breaking pace and talent across half-forward.

18. David Armitage (Essendon). Pretty well developed player who might not have as much upside as some. Solid, inside type who loves the packs. Hislop would be the other option if he were available. Armitage tested well in camp and his stocks are rising, won the Rising Star award in the QAFL. Bombers centre-square needs surgery and Armitage would replace Jason Johnson in time.

19. Nathan Brown (Carlton) – A solid bodied man-marker, Brown has size and bulk but is deceptively quick. Obvious comparisons to Rutten. Enough speed off the mark to play at fullback as well. Thrives on the physical contest and seems to lift a level after he has been thumped a few times. Brown would free Thornton from FB allow O’hAilpin and Bower to run. Pagan would be keen on the second coming of Mick Martyn.

20. Chris Schmidt (Essendon) - Quite quick with passable skills off the half-back flank. Was second only to Gibbs at the Championship in a poor SA side. Has the right combination of size, speed and skills to be a valuable utility at AFL level. Needs to learn to keep his kicks down and get penetration on them – he kicks too many floaters. Also prone to fumbling which will hurt his chances in the centre square. Courageous in the spoil.

21. Mark Austin (Kangaroos) – Prospective CHB who has impressed at under-16 level, tested well in camp, and is showing impressive development for a bottom age player. Will be amongst the first key position players taken. If the Roos take the CHF Gumbleton early they will be in a good position to lock up the two key position spots. If they take CHB Hansen they may have to reach for Tippett as a FF option.

22. Leroy Jetta (Brisbane). If Tippett, Hampson and Renouf are off the board they may get nervous and go tall. If not Jetta might be the one. Jetta is not as quick as advertised, nor as skilled by foot, nor is he consistent or comfortable winning his own footy. Much better kicking long than when he attempts to pass short. Too much talent to ignore but there are better midfielders ahead of him.

23. Ricky Pettard (Port Adelaide) –Port tends to prefer more size in its midfielders but quality 185cm midfielders may not be available at this selection – they’d be hoping for Hislop, Armitage or Schmidt to fall. Pettard was named Queensland’s best at the Championships, is 184cm and has pace and skill. Still quite light and can be nervous in traffic. Like a lot of the better midfielders thrives in the backline when given time and space to set-up play.

24. Brock O’Brien (Hawthorn). O’Brien is out of fashion. He is probably a Hardwick or Kingsley type solid, tough back-pocket or tagger. Plays a little taller than advertised, uses the ball well. Tough to pick when a player like him will be taken. Really depends on which clubs (if any) are shopping for a specialist back-pocket. The Hawks love his type and might be his new home. WA directed all their defensive rebounding through O’Brien which reflects his matiruity and kicking skills.

 

[Weaver]

25. Rhyce Prismall (Geelong) – Outside forward flanker who made the Metro squad as a bottom ager and shows class and skill. Needs to bulk up and become more physical and win more of his own footy. But at 18 months younger than many of the other draft candidates that is not such a surprise. His brother is already down at the Cattery so expect Geelong to have a close eye on him.

26. James Hawksley (Richmond) – Hawksley is at the moment a lightly-built back-pocket but will develop into a utility winger/defender. The Richmond game plan will be based on rebound from defence and they need defenders like Craig Bolton and Tadgh Kennelly who
can play tall but run and kick.

27. Andrejs Everitt (St Kilda) – Spider’s younger brother is a CHB with a good leap and a good judge of a spoil. Still lightly framed and kicking needs work, but is a dogged defender who would be capable of holding down key defensive spots in a few years. At the moment he prefers to concede front position and go for the spoil, will have to learn to be more aggressive and play in front. Saints need to find more options to support Maguire and Fisher.

28. Kurt Tippett (Collingwood). Tippet is a ruckman / forward. In modern AFL he will probably spend more time in the ruck which might suit the Pies who need a ruck prospect. Tippett has a good leap to go with his height, is physical, can take a contested mark and is handy in the goalsquare. A good option to replace Rocca in time as the tall ruck / forward. Already 19 and bulked up he could play quickly.

29. Todd Goldstein (West Coast) - Elite junior basketballer who crossed to footballer quite late but showed good form in Oakleigh’s premiership side. Genuine 200cm+ guys who can jump and have good skills are valuable. Unlike many other basketball converts he actually has some footy smarts and can take a mark. He needs to hit the gym and lacks acceleration over 20m. The Eagles can afford to be patient. Saints might pinch him at 27 to address their ruck desert.

30. Tom Collier (Melbourne). Extremely athletic tall who can play forward but will probably find his home in defence. Still young and prone to making errors across the backline, particularly attempting kicks which just aren’t on. Demons don’t need him straight away, but have a good record of developing tall defenders.

31. Jackson Sheringham (Fremantle) – Quick wingman or rover who is not shy of carrying the ball and taking people on. Overlooked last year despite showing some good signs. Fremantle need pace and guys who can carry the ball. Sheringham is similar to Schammer and could combine well with him as a roving combination. Freo, more than most clubs, is willing to take on the under-180cm rovers which might help Sheringham.

32. Jarryd Allan (Adelaide) – Impressed late in season 2005 as a rake-thin backman. Started there this season and was in good form. Swung forward late in the season and showed himself to be the best FF in the TAC Cup. Played some important minutes in the ruck and at CHB for Metro. Might not be quite quick or athletic enough to make the jump to AFL as a forward but could be a solid project as a key defender. Adelaide won’t want a gorilla type with Meesan and Maric already on their books.

33. Jack Reiwoldt (Hawthorn) - A slow centreman in a KP player’s body. Takes very short steps when he runs which can give the impression of running on the spot. Gets his marks from superior reading of the play and anticipation. Lack of athleticism should seem him be the dropper in this draft. Doesn’t get gaps on defenders which means he takes too many contested marks, relies on losing opponents in traffic and getting the ball at ground level. Hawks have never been too fussed about athleticism and won’t be shy about calling his name.

34. Shaun Hampson (Brisbane) – Lions will probably want a ruckman and will be keen on the local trio. Hampson is the least publicised but is a good mark, has reasonable skills and is a passable athlete. Deceptively quick for a guy his size but might lose that as he adds the necessary bulk. Reasonable hands at ground level.

35. Ben Reid (Carlton) – Long-term projects as a key forward but at the moment is more likely to be seen on the wing of flanks. Extremely light and tends to show a very much an outside brand of forward play. Not completely dissimilar to Jarrad Waite and will probably remain a player who relies more on skills than pack crashing. Probably 20kg off a playing weight but will be one of the youngest taken.

36. Jarryd Morton (Essendon) – Outside HFF who has been used at CHF and CHB. Will be a 3rd forward or winger in time and has earned comparisons to Andrew Embley who plays a similar style and was similarly raw. Most clubs are prepared to gamble on those athletic types which bring some versatility to the table.

37. Nathan Krakouer (Kangaroos) – Small lightly-framed speedster who is a cousin to the famous family. Tends to play as a small forward or as a winger who stays away from traffic. Impressive draft camp results might catch the eye of clubs looking for a guy with pure speed who can kick goals. Those impressive sprint times from camp might suffer when if he adds the extra 15kg in bulk he will need for AFL duty.

38. Nathan Djerrkurra (Brisbane) – NT player who has been playing his school footy in Melbourne. Deceptively quick although he doesn’t always play with the intensity to highlight the pace. Tested well at camp and can be expected to have more development in him than most having played predominately in school. Has a bit of bulk about him which might have allowed him to bully the Div 2 championships a little where there were a lot of jockeys opposed to him.

39. James Turner (Port Adelaide) – Struggled to look like a genuine key forward but showed good reading of the play and used space inside the forward 50 well to be the best of the SA forwards in the Championships. Likely to be a Steve Johnson style medium forward. Is elusive and classy.

40. Josh Kennedy (Hawthorn) – Built like a tank and plays in straight lines. Will play fairly early in his development. May find elbowing aside Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis tough but will be a similar clearance machine to that pair. Some question over whether he is a man against boys and probably lacks the pace to play outside.

41. Tom Hawkins (Geelong) – Second coming of David Neitz right down to the mannerisms and playing style. Is a big genuine power forward with fantastic hands and the ability to take contested pack marks when out-numbered. Showed some good glimpes in the ruck and at 197cm could make a mobile ruckman. Has the footy smarts to go with his muscle, knows when and where to lead and demands the football.

42. Caleb Mourish (Essendon). Everyone’s favourite smokey. Allegedly a tall ruck-rover with exceptional ability. Allegedly on the Essendon radar. Who knows whether he will be taken at all, let alone when. Pick 42 seems good territory for a gamble, any later and they might be gazumped. By all accounts returned extremely dire results at the state screening so don’t be surprised if he is a non-factor on draft day.

43. Shaun Grigg (West Coast) – Superb all-round footballer without any real stand-out qualities. Very much the guy who would get 7 out of 10 in every area without getting a 10 in any. OK pace, skills, marking, goalkicking etc. Played back last year and was a fringe candidate. Rotated between centre and deep forward this year and impressed. That versatility will help him – but he’ll need to become excellent at something to stick in the AFL.

44. Ben Ross (Collingwood). Ross has speed and some flair. Very much an old-style winger / HFF who likes to get amongst the goals. Will start his AFL career as a small-forward. Tackles well which is important in the modern FP. Maybe lacks a little size, can get tagged out of games and needs to work on his defensive side. The Pie midfield is getting quicker and Ross would suit that perfectly.

45. Jarrod Harbrow (Bulldogs) – Unobtrusive midfielder with the knack of finding the perfect pass despite being under pressure. Standing would have dropped after a poor Championship and having his form tail away over the season. Lacks genuine speed and is very much a guy who relies on his vision and kicking skills to get full value from 15 touches a game. Likes a goal. Creative, low-possession player.

 

[Weaver]

46. Gavin Urquhart (Melbourne) – All-Australian 2 years running. Mostly a small half-back although can take a stint in the middle. Is a long kick and has bounced around Queensland a bit so might still have quite a bit more development in him. Has struggled with OP for much of the year.

47. Gary Moss (Essendon) – Elite rover who has quick movement towards the ball from the ruckman’s hands. Good in tight and good vision for the handball and superb decision making. Was captain of WA and shows leadership qualities. Lacks size and pace and it is rare to see vanilla rovers prized come draft day but Moss may be the exception because of those footy smarts.

48. Simon Hogan (Adelaide) – The star of the draft camp registering a series of eye-catching test results - quite possibly enough to vault him ahead of the pack of rovers into the draft proper. Is extremely light and was in truth a fringe midfielder in a very deep Geelong rotation. Spent most of his time floating around the wings and flanks. The Crows are the club of the sports scientists and will have circled his name after camp and could feel they can find a way to use him.

49. Colin Garland (West Coast) – A CHF or CHB who can take a contested mark, but is also a very good kick and plays on when he takes possession. Athletic enough to have a chance in AFL company. Impressed at CHF in the Allies game in one of his better performances of the season demonstrating good marking and mobility.

50. Brent Renouf (Sydney) – Ruckman with the size and athleticism to attract some serious consideration, but poor skills that will scare plenty away. A return to days of ruckmen who handball off every possession to a midfielder to avoid having to kick. Poor kicking in a ruckman can probably be more easily excused than most other spots and Renouf may still be in the mix. Swans might be happy enough to have a ruckman who competes and leaves the skill stuff to their running players.

51. Sam Sheldon (Carlton) – Son of Kenny and eligible under father-son rule but probably not quite worth sacrificing the pick. Is a clever outside wingman. Predominately played school football and missed the tail end of the TAC season with injury – which means he has not had too much exposure. Good athlete with reasonable skills.

52. Leigh Adams (Fremantle) – Tank like rover with deceptive pace. A bit of a concern that he might struggle to keep a playing weight. Good skills, gathers the ball at will and has leadership skills. Also a capable goalkicker when given the chance up forward. Showed a bit last year holding the Eastern defence together as a high-possession back pocket. Eastern were half as good when he wasn’t in the line-up which is a complement to him.

53. Todd Pfeiffer (Kangaroos) – Was rated highly coming into the season but had a poor year and was anonymous at the Championships. May have fallen completely out of calculations but his running and kicking ability should save him. Also managed to force his way into the SANFL seniors and show a little bit of promise. Crows might take him at 48, very much their type of running player.

54. Carl Peterson (Brisbane) – A 19 year old from country WA who was a late arrival in Perth, being invited down as part of the Clontarf Academy program. Missed most of last season with injury and OP but made an impressive 5-goal WAFL debut towards the end of the season. Despite being a year older than most and not coming through the Championship program he is unlikely to be missed. Did enough to win Claremont’s best first year player award. Could well be one who rises up the draft order and spoils many phantom drafts.

55. Lindsay Thomas (Port Adelaide) – Won last year’s SANFL under-17 medal, played well in the championships and showed clean hands in tough conditions and a surprising leap for a shorter rover type. The success of Pearce might prompt Port to be risk a pick on the similar Thomas.

56. Jarryn Geary (Hawthorn) – Classy and tricky half-forward who was surprisingly overlooked for the Country side despite good trial-game showings. After missing Country, went into the midfield and found some white-hot form with a string of best on grounds. Has a knack of swooping on centre clearances and running through the square for goals. OK pace and skills. Tricky around goals.

57. Jason Davenport (Geelong) – Won the equivalent of the Rising Star award in the VFL. A tallish, super-speedy wingman or half-back. Carries the ball, kicks long. Needs to bulk up, improve his stamina and polish the kicking. That said for a late starter in the game he has come on rapidly. Loves a goal off the wing. Perhaps a rookie listing. Cats should take him after his solid VFL form.

58. Will Schofield (Richmond) – Lightly built key defender who showed an ability to step out onto the wing and use his pace and running ability to good effect. Would bulk up and become an AFL fullback. Good leap and has great spoiling technique. More school footy than TAC Cup has kept his profile low, but is perhaps the best pure-spoiler in the draft.

59. Gavin Grose (Bulldogs) – Huge thumping left-foot kick, plays fullback and is a solid performer although by no means a star. Good height, needs some bulk and experience at a higher level. Prepared to run with the footy which the AFL clubs like.

60. Rhys Magin (Richmond) – Young wingman. Very good pace and running ability. Extremely light and would need a lot of patience. Richmond has had a lot of success with the very similar Andrew Raines and might be willing to repeat the exercise if they elect to use this pick.

61. Bachar Houli (St Kilda) – Solidly built midfielder who has great hands and is good in traffic. Has had a never-ending series of injuries that must be a huge concern. Also very solidly built from a young age which helped him thrive against more lightly built opponents. Huge kick for a guy his size. Can be a bit lazy defensively and tends to let his man see plenty of the footy, some pretty ordinary players have beaten him one on one.

62. James Frawley (Melbourne) – Arguably the best pure defender in the draft. Plays tight, is summoned to quieten the oppositions’ best player in each match. Athletic enough to play wings and flanks as well as the 3rd tall defender role. Has the ability to play short on guys like Collard. Very similar to James Clement and would play the same roles. Unfortunately kicking is deplorable which will hurt his chances.

63. Nathan Batsanis (Collingwood) – Fought off stiff competition to claim a spot in the Metro midfield and finished his season superbly to be arguably the best performed centre-square player in Victoria by September. Always fierce competition for rovers’ jobs but Batsansis may have edged ahead of the pack. Perhaps lacks that one stand-out quality to help him get picked, a solid allrounder.

64. Mitchell Brown (Adelaide) – Twin brother of Nathan. Nathan found a niche at fullback after being an adequate FF. While Nathan was thriving Mitchell played ruck and CHF and showed a love for the argy-bargey and packs, earning comparisons to Cam Mooney as a mobile small ruckman. Not overly athletic by modern standards. Could well become a good fullback if given a trial (if Nathan can do it Mitchell probably can as well). Tough as nails – played some of his best football with concussion.

65. Kyle Reimers (West Coast) – Tested well for agility and had some reasonable Championship performances. At 183cm he is AFL height and has versatility in his corner having played all over the ground. All-Australian at under-16 and a member of the Academy which will certainly bring him under consideration.

66. Aaron Edwards (Bulldogs) – Injuries, ill-discipline and a WAFL career at CHB all conspired against Edwards while at the Eagles. In his first VFL season he was a 100-goal fill forward. At only 184cm he is not tall enough to be a traditional FF and probably can’t play elsewhere. Very similar to Medhurst. With the Dogs tooling up for finals football he is ready to go and could release Brad Johnson from permanent full forward duties without the Dogs having to change their gameplan.

67. Tom Sheldon (Carlton) – Nephew of Ken. True winger who struggled for consistency and will need to get fitter to play out full games. Good skills and was amongst the best handful in the Allies game on his wing. With the Blues axing Sporn, Longmuir and co they could be looking to bring in a new batch of receivers. The Sheldon cousins would be a good choice on merit with the added bonus of being popular in the stands.

68. Sam Jacobs (Essendon) – A 200cm ruckman who has supporters in SA but looked a true dinosaur at Championships time. Ruckmen take more development and Jacobs is tall enough to tempt some clubs to work with him. Already 100kg plus is a bit of a concern, generally you’d prefer a teenager to have to put on weight as opposed to sharpen up the puppy fat.

69. Coalan Buckley (Kangaroos) – Winger with a bit of toe, although a bit selfish and a poor kicking action. Gets the ball and can snag a goal. Probably not tidy enough by foot to attract too many fans come draft day.

70. Mitchell Farmer (Brisbane) – The quiet achiever at Calder. The Cannon mosquito fleet will probably be overlooked and their receivers are a bit ho-hum. Farmer is the one who has the running ability, good skills and discipline to do jobs. His versatility, athleticism and skill could see him be a late round bargain, or at the very least a clever rookie list selection.

71. Tas Clingan (Kangaroos) - Only really showed his talent in the finals campaign, which probably translates to rookie consideration at best. Thrived on the HBF where he could run at the contests, fly for spoils, swoop on crumbs and run and bounce. Turns defence into attack with good pace and long kicking.

72. Chris Smith (Hawthorn) – First caught the eye as an effective small FF with a prodigious leap and a knack for the spectacular mark. By season’s end realised that he had to make an impact as a midfielder to get drafted and played some solid running footballer, particularly in the Allies match. He might have done enough to get picked up as a midfielder with some tricks. Very sticky hands when he goes for a speccy.

73. Simon Plummer (Geelong) – Mobile key defender. Solid enough skills that he can be used in the switch of play and trusted as a kick-in target. Prepared to run the footy and kick long. Reasonable man-on-man.

74. David MacKay (Richmond) – Lightly framed and although quick on the running track tends to steady himself and play a lower tempo style. Needs more intensity. Exceptional vision and good kicking skills makes him dangerous even with low possession totals. Will be in the mix for teams looking to develop a highly skilled winger.

75. Daniel Currie (St Kilda) – Lyon got his 200cm ruckman for the present in Gardiner but will probably want one for the future too. Currie has the height and has reasonable skills for a big man. Probably lacks mobility but might be a late round gamble because he is too young to rookie.

76. Ryan Anderson (Collingwood) – One of the best pure rovers running around. Good leader, top pace, kicking could improve but genuinely influences games. A good finals campaign might bump him into draft consideration. If not will be one of the rookies most likely to force his way onto a senior list. Northern without their skipper was just ordinary, Anderson made them a real threat.

77. Dane Avery (Bulldogs) – Elegant backman who always looks poised and casual. Lacks genuine leg speed (in particular acceleration off the mark) and toughness but is a superb kick. Had some midfield stints later in the season. He would thrive in modern football as loose defender or as the go-to guy bringing the ball out of defence like Pat Bowden or Ryan Houlihan.

78. Ben Fagan (Melbourne) – Played as an over-age player in the Tassie Mariners side in the TAC Cup invitation games. Played in the centre and thrived as a tall midfielder who roamed around and used his class to great effect. At senior company has been pigeon-holed as a KP player but that isn’t his go. Needs to develop the stamina to play midfield. Not dissimilar to a Paul Wheatley type. A very stylish player.

79. Jamie McNamara (Fremantle) – Talented back-pocket who showed poise in the Championships. Captained the East Freo colts side. Would be a tagger in the AFL. OK size at 183cm.

80. Alex Hutchins (Adelaide) – Centreman who is a member of the AFL/AIS academy but missed the Championships after not being able to put an early season injury behind him. Reasonable skills but a question mark on his pace and running ability. Perhaps lacks the stand out qualities to lift him above the crowd.

81. Joseph Anderson (West Coast) – Mostly played half-back for NT and was the best performed player for the season. Was tough, kept playing hard when the team struggled, and showed a good leap and no fear flying at the contests. Tested well for pace although didn’t always look quick on the field. A couple of summers building his stamina might fix that.

82. Tom Anderson (Sydney) – Had an impressive championships in the BP and as a bottom ager has time to develop into a rover. Showed good pace and skill, and composure under pressure. Swans love the rovers.

 

[Bentleigh]

13. Travis Boak (Richmond). If there is an early run on big blokes Richmond might be in a position to pick the eyes out of the runners. Boak is a classy outside guy who knows where the goals are, has some toe and loves to carry the footy. Is genuinely classy and has match-changing ability. Expect Richmond to go for a pacy midfielder, tough to know which – perhaps Edwards or Houlihan over Boak. Boak has the edge in class and has been on the radar since under-16 days

26. James Hawksley (Richmond) – Hawksley is at the moment a lightly-built back-pocket but will develop into a utility winger/defender. The Richmond game plan will be based on rebound from defence and they need defenders like Craig Bolton and Tadgh Kennelly who
can play tall but run and kick

Lets hope your wrong my boy.

 

[Deledio2Conca]

No offence but I'd be extremely disappointed if Richmond got those players. Much rather Armitage and Riewoldt to Boak and Hawksely....................

 

[DynamoUltra]

Would be stoked with Riewoldt at 33.

 

[Deledio2Conca]

Methinks this draft may need some tinkering before Nov.25

 

[Weaver]

Probably far too many rovers. I expect the success of the Swans and the changes to the way the game is being played might bring some extra little guys into the league - but I have 18 guys at 180cm or less and that is more likely to be 10. Competition is fierce for the rovers this year.

I have 29 guys 190cm or over (a couple are more midfield than KP) which is probably where the game is headed. Seems a strong group this year.

That 181-189 cm group of midfielders where the clubs are most keen on recruiting looks a little light. 27 guys in that group but few with legitimate top-30 claims. Probably need fewer rovers and big blokes and more of this midsize crowd.

I expect a record year for QLD and a strong showing by WA and Tassie. SA will have a poor year and Victoria is probably destined for its worst year ever.

 

[FIGJAM]

Nice work as usual Weaver.

Your Armitage description if a tad confusing.

 

[The_Bulldogs_Bite]

Different from what we've seen.

Seems more of a "risk take" approach you have went for, rather then a "safe bet".

Nevertheless; we'll see what happens come November 25.

 

[lion_gooner]

wow your certainly pretty game picking 82 players lol

cant see brisbane going for proud when selwood is still there

and i noticed last season you where on the lucy pick 9 bandwagon lol

your picks for brisbane look pretty good

but it would be a waste to get hampson with 34 when he is a ruckman they have more than enough of them

 

[DBAH0]

That's certainly a very interesting list and a lot different from the other's that have been on here.

As a Geelong supporter, I would be dissapointed not taking Thorp at #7 if he was available. Getting 2 top KPP's out of this draft in Hawkins and Thorp would set our spine up for the next decade, and then we could get the running midfielder we need at #25.

Also I see Alwyn Davey didn't make your list there Weaver. Any thoughts on why that was the case?

 

[Weaver]

Your Armitage description if a tad confusing.

Thx. Fixed it up a bit, was moving him around a little. Hard to tell where Hislop and Armitage will go. They aren't as good as Lewis (8) or Hurn (13) or maybe even Swallow. Just depends on which clubs need an inside guy and when they are willing to spend a pick. It is a player type that seems very out of fashion.

 

[The_Bulldogs_Bite]

Sellar won't drop to 12.

If he somehow slipped to Pick 11, I'd take him before McKenzie.

I don't think Riewoldt & Houli will slip that far.

Doubt The Dogs will go for a few of the Players you've got us down for, after reading your descriptions.

 

[Weaver]

Also I see Alwyn Davey didn't make your list there Weaver. Any thoughts on why that was the case?

He's 22, just a rover, and has been around for quite a while. Done a preseason at Melbourne for example. It would be very rare to see a mature-age state league player in the top-50. I rate Matthew Stokes higher and he was pick 61 last year in a weaker draft.

Furthermore I already think there are too many rovers in the list as it is. I don't think clubs should really be using high picks on permanent forward pockets. Can easily pick them up in the rookie draft, which is where I think Davey would be.

 

[Weaver]

Lets hope your wrong my boy.

Based on your extensive knowledge of the two players in question?

 

[macca69]

4. Albert Proud (Brisbane). Brisbane love ruckmen but will have an eye on the QLD trio Tippett, Renouf and Hampson with later picks. They have declared midfield as a priority, which leaves them to choose between Selwood, Proud and Connors. Proud is the best QLD midfielder since Akermanis and Voss. Wins more hardball than Selwood and O’Keefe. Is tough as teak and quicker than Selwood. If one of the top-3 surprises, Hansen could see the Lions replace Leppitsch and Michael.

Can't see Proud going at 4. Has had a shocking run with injuries and tested poorly at DC. Thorp, Selwood, Leuenberger and Jetta will be looked at before Proud IMO.

12. James Sellar (Melbourne). Will be excused his poor championship and remain regarded as one of the better key forward options. Might be one that could struggle to adapt to the AFL. At 195cm he probably can’t ruck and he lacks the pace for the backline. Up forward he shapes as an old-fashioned lead-up, pack-marking CHF. Superb leadership, good skills. Probably in the Nick Holland, David Schwarz style. A strong young midfield group should see the Dees draft tall.

Lacks Pace??? He'd be one of, if not the quickest KPP drafted in the last few years. Before his illness he ran a 2.9sec 20m or something like that. Will go top 6, could go as high as 3, very minute chance of lasting this long and I for one can't see it.

14. Tim Houlihan (Adelaide). A stand-out at under-16 level who improved rapidly over the course of the season to be amongst North Ballarat’s best by the time of the finals campaign. At the start of the season a pencil thin winger nervous of traffic, by the close of the season doing superb defensive jobs across half-back. Quick, elite stamina, good skills and runs with the ball. Loves to weave his way down field with baulks. Very much the modern winger. Crows love the taller, running utility types and have based their gameplan around runners.

Craig has said he will target KPP, and will go tall with their first pick IMO, especially given there is a fair chance Houlihan will be available at their next pick.

15. Clinton Benjamin (Sydney). The Swans have hybrid winger/KP players at both ends (O’Keefe, Kenneally, Bolton, O’Loughlin). Benjamin fits that mould. He is super quick, tall, well skilled, and extremely versatile. They don’t need someone to play straight away but he will provide depth in a couple of spots. Has electric pace and is extremely versatile. Needs to learn to kick on his left.

Another team who will go KPP early IMO. More likely a forward.

22. Leroy Jetta (Brisbane). If Tippett, Hampson and Renouf are off the board they may get nervous and go tall. If not Jetta might be the one. Jetta is not as quick as advertised, nor as skilled by foot, nor is he consistent or comfortable winning his own footy. Much better kicking long than when he attempts to pass short. Too much talent to ignore but there are better midfielders ahead of him.

Simply too good to slip this far, can't see the Eagles ignoring him if he's available.

Great effort mate, always enjoy reading your phantom drafts

 

[burner1]

Firstly, overall great effort, great to see some new opinions on players.

One thing to note though I think your assumptions on the hawks are slightly off - since pelchin has been in charge (last draft) there appears big shift towards a premium on pace, decion making and skills. 'Our type' as you say has changed.
Cant see us going for inside mids or a non-athletic back pocket with our first two picks, especially when we pick up kennedy f/s.

 

[Axcellence]

Weaver

Your work on the draft oozes quality. I think you are 110% right on saying that smaller players would drop.

But I agree with The_Bulldog_bite, you've taken a real high element of risk with your selections & their order.

 

[Jeremias]

Weaver, great effort, but I have a few criticisms regarding Carlton's picks.

WE NEED A RUCKMAN, and we will definitely take one, whether that be at 19, 35, 51, or 67. Currie at 67 would be nice, but I think we will take one of Tippett or Renouf at 19.

Regarding the Sheldon's, I wouldn't go both of them, as there are better options. I haven't seen Tom play, but rest assured we will not pick him, or Sam, purely because of the name. I highly doubt we will take either of them.

Collard would be nice, but I don't see him slipping that far. If Brock O'Brien is available by our pick, I think we will take him, possibly even at 17. Definitely at 19.

Nathan Brown at 19 I like, but I think we will take a ruckman there instead.

Reid at 35 is a puzzling selection. He is a forward, and we do not need forwards. We will not take Reid.

But otherwise, good effort, well done.

 

[PHANTOMS_20]

12. James Sellar (Melbourne). Will be excused his poor championship and remain regarded as one of the better key forward options. Might be one that could struggle to adapt to the AFL. At 195cm he probably can’t ruck and he lacks the pace for the backline. Up forward he shapes as an old-fashioned lead-up, pack-marking CHF. Superb leadership, good skills. Probably in the Nick Holland, David Schwarz style. A strong young midfield group should see the Dees draft tall


There is no way in hell sellar is going to go that late. Too slow to play in defencen- a 2.94 sprint time may disagree with you.

I was abit dissapointed with this thread i thought it was going to be better. i know it only ure oppinion but the draft wil go nothing like that.

 

[Nightwolf]

I take it you dont rate Reiwoldt all that much Weaver? If we snared him at 33, ill be doing cartwheels..

 

[jules101]

I doubt essendon will use pick 68. If we did, it would not be for a ruckman..