Enjoy ... Can I please first openly state that these are NOT my write ups ..
if you have any questions regarding players, I'm happy to answer them, but don't message me abuse because of what's been written about Player X.
Jack Watts – 194cm, 85kg – Sandringham Dragons/Brighton Grammar
Tall mobile forward who is a very strong mark who leads to the right spots and has a good understanding of how a forward line should work. Very good skills and has a great ability to get through traffic for a big bloke. His evasiveness in close defies his size at times and is capable of side stepping midfielders. Lovely long right foot kick and is generally a good set shot for goal. His pace is good. Reads the game very well and was good when used in the midfield in one game I saw him play for Sandy. He managed to quarter back the game in periods and used the ball well on a wet day. The only real down side I have is he did not look all that effective in the very few quarters of games he was used in defence.
Prediction – top 3
Daniel Rich – 183cm, 83kg – Subiaco
Classy midfielder who has very good pace and good skill on both sides of the body. He struggled a bit during the champs with tags but he still managed to work his way into the games at various stages. His positioning and agility in and around stoppages is outstanding. Has the ability to lose his man in traffic which did not always pay off with possessions but will serve him well at AFL level. He is good overhead, has very good vision and is a quick thinker. Also a very reliable long range goal kicker. Kicks the ball 50 meters with ease. As far as down sides go the tags got to him a bit during this years champs so he will have to work a bit harder in that area. Another minor criticism I have from one of the champ games is he could have worked a bit harder as a small forward but overall he is a great midfielder.
Prediction – top 3
Nick Naitanui – 197cm, 95kg-Swan Districts.
Pace, big leap and athletic. Not a great kick and if he is running flat out he actually has to slow down a lot before he kicks the ball. His leap is a big advantage in the ruck and his palm work is pretty good. When he has the ball in his hand and is running forward he is very creative with his handball but the biggest concern I have is he is not a natural at reading the game. He gets caught out of position a lot and it reflects on the low amount of possession around the ground that he often has. Does not have a handle on running to the dangerous areas of the ground. I think he would actually make a sensational Rugby League or Union player because his peripheral vision with the ball in his hands is very good and he can hit team mates in space by hand very well when he is on the run. Personally I would not pick him if I had a top ten pick. In saying that he will get picked up in the top 10 because his athletic ability has to be seen to be believed.
Prediction – top 10
Michael Hurley – 192cm, 92kg – Northern Knights.
Has been the best defender in the last two Champ series. He has a smart footy brain and reads the play very well and will often direct his team mates on the where to be or where to run. In defence his communication skills are good and he will push forward to get involved in the play. Have seen him call a player back onto his man so he can get forward onto a different opponent and try and make things happen.
He is a lovely long right foot kick who can kick it 50 meters with ease and his left side is just as good. I have seen him easily kick the ball 50 meters on both sides of the body on a wet day.
His defensive skills are excellent and he has dominated any one on one duels.
The one question mark on him is his pace. He is not a lumberer but he does not have great speed off the mark and overall his pace is not great. He has made up for it at under 18 level with his great anticipation and reading of the play, the question is can he do that at AFL level.
Another string he does have to his bow is the fact that he has played a lot of TAC Cup footy at CHF. He has kicked bags of 6 a couple of times and has also kicked 2 or 3 goals from CHF in numerous games.
Prediction – top 6
Hamish Hartlett – 182cm, 74kg – West Adelaide
Highly skilled midfielder with very good pace. Has good hands in close and is a one touch player who rarely fumbles. Reads the clearances very well and has good skills on both sides of the body. His positioning and work at the centre bounce is excellent and he sets up play well. Will push forward and kick goals and can kick the ball 50 meters. He has a good side step and is evasive in close situations. He was tagged most of the way through the Champs and although in some games his numbers where not high he still made a pretty good contribution although he could have done a bit more work in and around the packs to loose his tag. One down side to his game is the fact that despite being highly skilled he can still produce a few lazy kicks at various stages which is more of a concentration thing than anything else.
Has played senior footy in the SANFL.
Prediction - top 6.
Jack Ziebell – 188cm, 84kg – Murray Bushrangers.
Strong midfielder /half back / half forward. Good size and excellent skills on both sides of the body. Reads the play very well and is good at finding his own ball. Clearance work is pretty good although at times he does just charge forward hoping that his side’s ruckman wins the tap and he can burst away with the ball. It looks good when it comes off but when the ball goes the other way he can get caught out big time. He is a very strong mark and regularly takes one grab contested marks. Kicking for goal is good and he can kick long distances.
The only real question mark I have on him is his pace. He has a reasonable burst of speed when it is needed but in general he is not overly quick. He is not a player that will break the lines with his pace.
Prediction - top 10.
Tyrone Vickery – 200cm, 86kg – Sandringham Dragons/Hailebury College
This bloke is the pick of the ruckmen for mine. Good leap and excellent tap work. Managed to win a good number of ruck contests against Natinui when they came up against each other during the last Champ game. If it is not working for him in the ruck he does change the angles well and is prepared to come in from a different direction.
He has good skills and is mobile with reasonably good pace. Takes a good contested mark and kicks goals when he is playing forward. He has good hands at ground level and gets around the ground well. Played very well in the wet in a TAC Cup game against Roughead late in the season.
May not be rated as a top ten pick by some but he is by me because as a ruckman I don’t see a lot of negatives.
Prediction – pick 5 to 15
Mitch Robinson – 188cm, 77kg – Lauderdale – Tasmania.
Tall skinny winger/midfielder who had a great Champ series. Found a heap of the ball both in close and as the link player. Reads the clearances well and has good pace. Good skills and good hands in close. Can take a nice mark and works hard all day. Not afraid to put his body on the line. Nice long right foot kick. Right side is ok to get him out of trouble but not great.
One downside to his game is his kicking under real pressure can be a little suspect.
Has played V.F.L footy.
Prediction - pick 8 to 25.
Nick Suban – 179cm, 82kg – North Ballarat.
Strong bodied small defender / midfielder who has had two pretty good carnivals now. Has been used mainly on the half back line but can go into the middle and win the ball if needed. Did a great job as a small defender on Yarran in Country’s win against WA. He is a smart player who has good skills on both sides of the body. His defensive side is good and he reads the play well .Can kick the ball a long way.
The TAC Cup games he has played in the midfield have generally been very good and he has read and directed the play well.
The question marks he has on him are his lack of genuine pace and the fact that he kicks to contests at times during games. Natural player who displays good on field leadership. May be a bit of a slider in the draft because of the fact he plays a lot of footy at half back and is not overly quick.
Prediction – pick 10 to 25.
Steele Sidebottom – 182cm, 79kg – Murray Bushrangers
Natural smooth moving midfielder with excellent skills on both sides of the body. Very smart player who reads the play well and has a good understanding of the clearances. Runs to the right spots and provides good options. Uses the ball well by hand and by foot. The only real downside he has is he is only steady in the pace department. Has enough speed to get himself out of tight situations but is not going to burst out of a pack or through the middle of the ground. Has been used in a variety of roles including half back, half forward and midfield.
Prediction – 6 to 20.
Chris Yarran – 180cm, 84kg – Swan Districts.
Solid half forward / midfielder. Had a steady carnival without really reaching any great heights. Very nice mover who has great skills on both sides of the body. Even on a quiet day he manages to chip in with a couple of goals or a few goal assists. Takes a good contested mark and has great hands at ground level. Has huge potential if his endurance allows him to move into the midfield at a later stage. Can make the difficult things look very easy on his best day.
His down side currently is the lack of motor to play long periods in the middle and finding a consistent level throughout the whole game.
Prediction – pick 10 to 20.
Sam Blease – 183cm, 72kg – Eastern Rangers.
Bottom aged winger / midfielder. Not much of him but he has excellent pace and great skills. Beautiful long right foot kick. Kicks well on his left but it does not have the same penetration as his right side. Has good hands at ground level and a great side step in traffic. Despite his size he does put his body on the line and tackles well. Plays a mainly outside role but is able to move into the middle and find the ball at clearances. His work rate is very good. His closing speed is very good and he catches a lot of players by surprise.
One downside to his game is the fact that he can have quiet periods during a game. Needs to find more consistent involvement during games. He also has a bit to work on with some of his defensive aspects. When he plays on a good opponent he can lose touch and get burnt going back the other way.
I think it will surprise a few people how early this kid goes in the draft.
Prediction – pick 5 to 25.
Steve Hill – 182cm, 72kg – West Perth.
Mainly a winger who can play a midfielder role. Very good pace. Reads the play well and gets involved off the wing to create options for those in close clearing the ball. Kicks both feet and his skills are pretty good. Has a lovely long left foot kick. Has an exceptional motor and reports say he ran about 15km in the game against SA. Although he did most of his best work in an outside role he is more than able of wining his own ball and is pretty good around the stoppages. Played on Hartlett in the game against SA and did the run with role very well winning a fair bit of the ball himself. Played well in all the Champ games. His work rate up and down the ground is excellent.
Will have to put on a bit of muscle before he will be a permanent fixture at AFL level which will be his down side. Will possibly be someone who will need a couple of season to build up his body.
Prediction – pick 5 to 25.
Jaime Sheahan – 178cm, 73kg – Murray Bushrangers.
There is not much of him but he simply knows how to play. He goes in hard all day and is a very clever player. Plays both inside and outside and really knows how to find the ball at the stoppages. Had five clearances in the last quarter against SA and was one player who gave Country some real drive and put some respect back into the game. Kicks the ball on both sides and works well as a small forward. His crumbing work around the forward line is excellent. His down side can be his kicking. He is not a really long kick and he can grub or bounce the ball to team mates under pressure but he is a reasonably reliable kick. Kicks goals from set shots out to about 45 metres with good accuracy. His good pace and clearance work may well see him move up the draft ladder a bit.
The downsides will be his shortish kicking and his light frame.
Prediction – pick 15 to 40.
Matt Deboer – 187cm, 85kg – Claremont.
Solidly built midfielder who has had two pretty good champ series. Finds a lot of the ball and is good with his clearance work and positioning. Kicks mainly on the right side and his pace is reasonably good. Is good in traffic and his work rate is good. Needs to sharpen up on his kicking as he can miss targets by foot. Good player who knows where to run and how to find the pill.
If he can improve his kicking and his decision making (as far as where he kicks the ball) he could be close to a star midfielder.
Prediction – pick 10 to 40.
Tom Swift – 190cm, 84kg – Claremont.
One of the big question marks of this draft. Was sensational in the 2006 under 16 Champs for WA where he lead division one for just about every midfield stat. He missed pretty much all of last year after doing a knee in April and has had limited games since then. Personally I have not seen him play but if you can lead the division in handballs, marks, short kicks, contested possessions, uncontested possessions, handball receives and clearances then you must be doing something right. Guess it will all depend on how he gets through the end of this year and how he goes at draft camp.
Prediction - ?? pick 5 to 30.
Jackson Trengove – 196cm, 77kg – Calder Cannons.
Another with an injury question mark after suffering a hamstring tendon injury earlier this year. Before going down with the injury he was in very good form. A tall defender with good pace who also had stints in the ruck in the TAC Cup. Had a great year last season and was one of the standouts. Good skills. Good pace. Great work rate and ability to read the game which is a big plus for a tall. Without the injury he would certainly be talked about as a genuine top 10 prospect or even higher. His injury may hinder his draft camp performance so the test results may not revile the full picture. He is good enough that you would certainly look at taking a risk with him.
Prediction – pick 10 to 30.
Shaun McKernan – 196cm, 95kg – Calder Cannons.
Big lump of a kid who has played ruck and forward. Is probably short of genuine ruck size but he does possess a reasonable leap and gives a contest every time. His tap work is good when he gets first hands on the ball. He gets around the ground well but his pace is certainly not what you would call quick. His skills are good and he can push forward and take a good mark and kick goals.
His down side will be the fact that he is not going to be tall enough to make it as a number one ruckman in the AFL. This will mean he has to take on a KP role which he is pretty good at but he does not have that quick burst of speed to get him clear. He will have to rely on a bit of nous and his size.
Prediction – pick 10 to 25.
Nick Heyne – 187cm, 79kg – Gippsland Power.
Lovely moving left footer who has done really well this season. Has absolutely dominated some TAC Cup games and had a reasonably good Champ series. Kicks mainly on the left side but can kick on the right pretty well. Is a dangerous forward who can kick goals from all angles and is a very good mark. Reads the clearances well in the middle and can find the ball. Pace is pretty good. Does have a few games where you wonder if he is on the ground at certain stages but then he will have a great quarter out of nowhere. If he can find more consistency in his performance over the whole game he will be a very damaging player.
Prediction – pick 10 to 30.
Matthew Broadbent – 189cm, 81kg – Woodville-West Torrens.
Has played mainly half back or run with roles but he looks like a kid who can play a natural midfield role as well. He has pretty good pace and has good hands in close. Uses the ball well by foot as well. Runs hard all day and when he plays at half back he is prepared to run and make an option or run and carry the ball. Gave SA good drive in most games. Despite his defensive roles he managed to find a bit of the as well.
Prediction – pick 12 to 40.
Lewis Johnston – 192cm, 87kg – North Adelaide.
Bottom aged tall forward who starred in a couple of games for SA. Playing CHF or FF he took numerous contested marks in a few of the games and kicked for goal well. Kicks mainly left foot but does have a right side. His pace is ok and he works well on his leads and does lead to the right spots on the ground, works the angles well on his leads and is not just a straight up leading player.
Needs to work on stopping his opponent running off up the ground and getting involved and he also gave away some silly free kicks at times during the champ series.
Prediction – pick 8 to 30.
Jordan Roughead – 199cm, 87kg – North Ballarat.
Ruckman who possess a pretty good leap and good ruck skills. Gives a contest all day and is good around the ground. He is a solid mark and has nice right foot kicking skills. Is pretty mobile and gets to where he needs to be. Likes to push back into defence and fill the space. His pace is nothing to write home about but he can match it with most ruckmen. Have seen a couple of TAC Cup games where he has dropped a few marks that he should have taken.
Prediction – pick 12 to 40.
Michael Walters – 177cm, 75kg – Swan Districts.
Small forward or midfielder with great pace and good skills. Plays a bit outside. Very good ground level pick up and very creative with his hands. Kicks mainly left side and uses the ball well. He leads well as a forward and his crumbing work is good. His forward pressure was also very good during the champs.
Prediction – pick 10 to 30.
Rhys O’Keefe – 187cm, 80kg – North Adelaide.
Running half back / midfielder who won a lot of the ball over the champs for SA. Has good pace and excellent skills. Kicks both sides and is a lovely long kick of the ball. Work rate and run from half back was excellent and he showed good touch when he was played in the middle. Smart around the stoppages.
Prediction – pick 10 to 30.
Clancee Pearce – 183cm, 85kg – Swan Districts.
Solid running half back who simply demands the ball. Goes in hard to find it and sets up a lot of play through the corridor. Reasonably good pace and good kicking skills on the right side. Work rate is very good and is good at ground level. Good in traffic. Defensive side of his game is pretty good.
Prediction – pick 12 to 30.
Jay Shannon – 180cm, 82kg – Port Magpies.
Midfielder/forward with good pace and skills. Did well in the clearances and looks a natural midfielder. Reads the play well and gets in to find the ball. Work rate was very good. Uses the ball well. Gave SA plenty of drive every time he was in the middle. Gets under peoples guard a bit because he does not do a lot excitingly well but what he does do is pretty good. Not your star midfielder but a very good workhorse with good skills.
Prediction – Third round onwards.
David Zaharakis – 180cm, 73kg – Northern Knights.
Speedy midfielder/winger who was overlooked in last years draft which was a surprise to a number of people. He has kicked on a bit this year and captained Vic Metro to victory in this years champs. Has a very good long right foot kick but also tends to be very one sided which can catch him out under pressure. He has games where his decision making can let him down a touch as well. He reads the game pretty well and is reasonably good at stoppages. Can take contested marks and his work rate is good. His TAC Cup form this year has been very good and has included games where he has kicked multiple goals. Has stepped up in the leadership side of things this year.
Should go somewhere in the second or third rounds.
Ryan Schoenmakers – 189cm, 85kg – Norwood.
Left foot CHF who had a good Champ series. Not overly tall for a CHF but moves well on the lead and takes a good mark. His pace is pretty good and he leads to the right areas on the ground. Skills are good and his goal kicking was pretty reliable.
I would be surprised if he does not get taken in the second or third rounds.
Mitch Banner – 178cm, 77kg – Western Jets.
Midfield ball magnet who gets in and under and finds the ball as well as providing a running option. Does a lot of good work at the stoppages and simply runs all day. Can kick a fair way on the right side but he can kick some ordinary balls and his decision making can be great one minute and rather poor the next. He is pretty good by hand and his marking skills are pretty good. Has racked up some big numbers in his TAC Cup career including eight 30 plus possession games over the last couple of seasons. Can kick multiple goals when he goes forward. If his decision making and kicking skills where a bit sharper he would be a lock for the first round.
With the amount of ball he does find I don’t think you will see his name on the board when the fourth round starts.
Neville Jetta – 178cm, 75kg – Swan Districts.
Small forward with great pace who can push up and find a bit of the ball through the middle of the ground. Mainly a right footer but does have a left side. His front and centre work is very good and he reads the play well. He missed a few easy goals in the game against Tassie at Casey but his kicking skills are generally good. His work rate is pretty good.
Could sneak up into the first round but I think he will end up going second or third round.
Aaron Cornelius – 192cm, 84kg – Glenorchy/Tasmania
The go to man in the Tassie forward line. Played a mixture of CHF and FF and was Tasmania’s best forward. Is not overly quick but is a good contested mark and works to the right areas on the ground. He is a pretty long right foot kick and his kicking skills are pretty good. His set shots from a distance where a bit patchy at times during the champs. Does a lot of things right. The only real concern I have is at his pace if he is not taking marks and dominating in the air he could turn into an also ran at AFL level.
Another who could sneak up into the first round but will surely be picked up somewhere in the second round or third round.
Jordan Lisle – 196cm, 87kg – Oakleigh Chargers/Carey Grammar
Tall KP player who gets used at both ends of the ground. Good strong mark who has good foot skills and kicks the ball a long way. Has reasonably good pace and is a good defender. Has a bit of a question mark on his agility. His goal kicking is pretty reliable. To me he looks to have the makings of a good defender.
If his draft camp goes ok he will get taken second or third round.
Ben Speight – 177cm, 71kg – Norwood.
Not a name that has been mentioned a lot but is one player who I was impressed with in both the games I saw him play. Small midfielder/forward who has good skills on both sides of the body most of the time (he did kick a couple of ordinary balls in the game against NSW). Reads the play well and is good in close with his hands. Terrific work rate and ran hard all day to make an option or to receive. Played a little bit of time at half back and gave good run out of defence.
May not be taken in the second round but I feel he is a really good third or fourth round prospect.
AFL Draft 2008 - Profiles.
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The Oracale
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AFL Draft 2008 - Profiles.
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The Oracale
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Chris Hall – 179cm, 65kg – Woodville / West Torrens.
Small forward/midfielder who is very light. Very good pace and skills and is excellent at ground level. Runs hard through the middle and has good hands and is very creative with his disposal. Right foot kicking is good. Marking skills looked ok. Was dangerous in and around the forward line. Roving skills in the forward line where good.
Classy little player who should get picked up second to fourth round.
Zachary Clarke – 203cm, 84kg – Oakleigh Chargers
Vic Metro’s fourth string ruckman who has had a reasonable year for the Chargers so far. Has split his time with some ruck duties as well as playing at FF. He does not win as many taps as he should for a player of his height but he has done pretty well in the games I have seen him play. His has good skills by foot and by hand and is pretty mobile with good pace for a tall. Has shown he can take a good contested mark but it is also one area of his game that could improve a bit more. He gets to the rights spots but has spilled a couple grabs that he should have taken at various times during games. His goal kicking is pretty good and he has been in Oakleigh’s better players on a number of occasions this year. Not a player I expect to go second or third round but certainly a player worth looking at when the fourth round comes along. Could possibly sneak into the third round but I suspect he will be picked fourth round or later if he goes.
Luke Stanton – 191cm, 83kg – Northern Knights.
Tall athletic winger/midfielder who has steadily improved over the last 12 months. Has the ability to kick both sides of the body but he often misfires and does not hit targets. He runs to position well and his pace is pretty good. Knows where to be to receive the ball. Generally looks better playing an outside role but he can win contested footy and has reasonable footy smarts at stoppages. Has also been used at half back with good results. Has played CHB against sides that use mobile players at CHF. Generally very creative by hand.
Would be very surprised if he did not go somewhere between late second round to mid fourth round.
Rory Sloane – 182cm, 76kg – Eastern Rangers.
Small defender/midfielder with good defensive skills and pretty good pace. Played mainly half back or BP during the champs and did a pretty good job handling the opposition small forwards. In the TAC Cup he has mainly played midfield and is a good in and under player who can get in and find the ball. He is pretty creative by hand. The main thing that lets him down is his disposal by foot. He can be very hit and miss on a bad day. There is not much of him but he will give you 100% all the time.
He has form over two seasons in the TAC Cup so I think clubs would be looking at him later in the draft.
Tom Allwright – 185cm, 83kg – North Hobart/Tasmania.
Midfielder/defender from Tasmania with reasonably good pace. Good reader of the play and is very composed under pressure. Nice right foot kick and a good mark. Good hands in close and his overall vision of play is very good. Gave good run out of defence while playing there.
I think this kid would prove to be a good late round pick up.
Paul Cahill – 192cm, 80kg – Sturt.
Tall forward with good pace and a strong mark. Work rate and leading during the champs was excellent. Seemed to have a good handle on where to lead and how to work in with the other tall forwards. He is very athletic and mobile. He is not the best kick going around but he did manage to kick goals in all the games.
Can’t see a mobile tall like this bloke going much further back than fourth round.
Alex Stopp – 189cm, 86kg – Norwood.
Another player who is probably outside the view of most people but did have a very good champ series. He is a tallish midfield/half back with good pace and nice skills on the right side. Played a lot at half back and was very impressive in his ability to run and be the link man coming out of defence and through the middle of the ground. Solid bodied kid with good pace and good vision.
Someone clubs should have a look at in the third or fourth round.
Tom Rockliff – 183cm, 83kg – Murray Bushrangers.
Small forward who was very good in last years TAC Cup final series but was over looked in last years draft. Has been a consistent player at Tac Cup level kicking bags of 6 plus goals on numerous occasions. The question mark he has on him is his athleticism and his pace. He is not overly quick and does not posses a big leap or a tight turning circle.
He has had some time in the midfield but he is a work in progress there and his results have been steady without showing anything to get over excited about. Towards the end of the year his results in the middle have been better.
As a forward he is very dangerous. He takes a strong mark and his crumbing work is excellent. He had a reasonable champ series and he kept his work rate up throughout. Even when things where not going his away in the goal department he was finding a bit of the ball and getting some score assists on the board.
What happens at draft camp will determine whether Tom gets drafted. If the results are good then expect someone to have a good look at him. If the results are poor then clubs will more than likely pass again.
Bart McCulloch – 198cm, 83kg – South Launceston.
Ruckman from Tasmania who had a pretty good champ series. He has a bit to work on in his tap work but he sticks with the job and wears opponents down. He has good pace for a tall and can find the ball around the ground. His kicking could use some more consistency but overall his skills are pretty good. Can take a good mark and does not mind going for a run with the ball. Athletically he is very good. Being 198cm he was a bit undersized for the ruck but clubs will see potential for him to play in other areas.
Possible selection some time after the third round.
Xavier Gotch – 175cm, 71kg – Oakleigh Chargers/De La Selle
Like his old man there is not much of him but he knows how to find the ball. Works the clearances well and has good vision and hands in close. His skills are pretty good but he can be prone to wasting the ball at times. I have seen some games where I think he could work a bit harder but generally he is pretty good. His pace is good and he can kick goals when he goes forward.
Possible third round or later.
Tom Lynch – 191cm, 84kg – Sandringham Dragons / Haileybury College.
Good KP prospect who can play both ends of the ground. Takes a strong mark and has good pace for a big man. Knows where to lead to as a forward and his work rate is very good. His skills are pretty good and his defensive game is also pretty good. His goal kicking is ok and he sets up goals from CHF on a regular basis. Generally finds a lot of the ball which can be credited to work rate efforts. He had a knee reco last year so his efforts to get himself up and running for this years champs have been outstanding. If he did not miss so much time last year and early this year with injury he may well have been talked up as a genuine top 15 pick. Will give you 100% all day.
I can not see him being passed over. Should go second or third round.
Michael Mather – 176cm, 70kg – Perth / Trinity College.
Played a few roles during the champs and generally did well. Found a bit of the ball on the wing during parts of one game but was generally used as a small defender. His run from defence was good and his pace is pretty good. Kicks mainly right side and his skills are ok although he can make some decision errors. For a defender he works hard to find the ball and offer support.
The down side is he is very small and would certainly be a player who would not see much action early on in his career. Despite his size he attacks the contest very hard.
You would be looking fourth round and later with him.
Joel Fiegert – 179cm, 79kg – Perth.
Busy running half back type with good pace and pretty good skills. Defensive aspects of his game where ok but it was his ability to provide an attacking option from half back that caught my eye. His use of the ball was pretty good and his work rate was also good.
Possible fourth round or later.
Daniel Murray – 200cm, 96kg – East Perth.
WA’s second ruckman who is a very big lump of a kid. From the limited games I have seen him play he looked ok in the ruck as far as Tap work goes but he was quiet around the ground and his kicking was ordinary. His pace is nothing to get too excited about.
Could find a place late in the draft or the rookie draft.
Tom Salter – 184cm, 77kg – North Launceston
Midfielder from Tasmania who had an up and down champ series. His pace is only average but he does find a lot of the footy and he can run all day. He tackles his heart out and has a great work ethic but his kicking is a real problem. In the game against WA his disposal was reasonably good but in general his kicking during the champs was on the poor side.
Very late in the draft or maybe rookie draft is my prediction if he gets picked up.
Alex Wilson – 178cm, 70kg – Sturt.
Bottom age small midfielder with pretty good skills on both sides. Smart player who reads the game well and can find a bit of the ball. Pace is reasonably good. Is rather small so he would be a longer term proposition.
Maybe a later pick in the draft.
Jordan Jones – 190cm, 90kg - Geelong Falcons.
Has played mainly as a CHF or CHB at under 18 level. His rebound and run from defence is pretty good and his skills are pretty good although he can have some days where he does miss targets and kicks poorly. Overall his defensive skills have been ok but he has had games in defence where he has struggled to contain the better forwards and has had to be moved into attack. His goal kicking has been ok but he has never had any games where he has kicked big bags of goals.
Fourth round or later.
Steve Gaertner – 198cm, 88kg -Dandenong Stingrays
His lack of consistency, average foot skills and a slight lack of footy nous cost him at last years draft but it has been good to see that Steve has gone away and worked on a few areas that have seen his game improve a lot. He has spent more time at half back this year and he does look comfortable in that position. He likes to rebound and carry the ball through the middle and his game sense has really improved a lot this year.
His problem area is still his kicking. Although he is not a really bad kick he can be prone to just throwing the ball onto the boot and trying to unload which leads to mixed results. His defensive efforts at half back have been very good. For a big bloke his pace is pretty good and he can take a strong contested mark.
He is a player I think clubs should look seriously at somewhere in round four or five.
Taylor Hunt -183cm, 79kg –Sandringham Dragons.
Another utility small who can play back ,forward or on the ball. Has above average pace and reasonable skills. Has had a few games where his kicking was very ordinary in the TAC Cup but he generally gets the job done. Was used as a small defender for Metro during the champs and his run from behind was really good. Has kicked goals this year when playing forward in the TAC Cup. His work in the midfield at the same level has been pretty handy and he is creative by hand.
Could be an option later in the draft or as a rookie.
Matt Kilpin -186cm, 84kg Oakleigh Chargers / Old Trinity.
Mid sized utility that did well during the Champs as a defender. Has only average pace but is prepared to rebound from defence and work hard. Puts in all day and does all the one percenters to help out his team mates. His kicking is ok but not outstanding. His roles in the TAC Cup have varied having played games at half back, in the midfield and resting forward. He has racked up some good numbers in some games and can kick a goal when he is played forward.
Late in the draft or rookie draft.
James Strauss – 185cm, 81kg –Oakleigh Chargers / Scotch College.
Used mainly as a small defender for Metro during the champs and he did well finding a bit of the ball and running the lines from half back. He is a pretty reliable right foot kick and generally uses the ball well although like a lot of others he can have patchy periods by foot. At TAC Cup level he has been used at half back a lot with game time on the wing or in the middle as well. His pace is reasonably good and his best games have featured him moving the footy through the middle of the ground and spotting up targets inside 50. His tackling is good. The defensive aspects of his game are good and in most games he gets involved and finds records reasonable numbers.
Not a super star but a good third, fourth or fifth round prospect.
Kade Klemke – 180cm, 78kg –NSW/ACT Rams /Murray Bushrangers.
Tough hard at it half back who had a good champ series for NSW. Goes in hard, tackles hard and looks like he enjoys the physical aspects of the game. Is not overly quick but does have a little dash which along with his strength helps him break away from the opposition. His work rate and tackling is very good and he finds a lot of the ball simply because he is prepared to work hard and keep going all day. He is pretty reliable by hand and chooses good options with his hand ball. He seems to read the play very well.
If he has one problem it is the fact that because he is not overly quick he can get caught having to dispose of the footy quickly. This leads to him having a few kicks that he simply has to bang onto the boot and hope for the best.
If he is not taken at some stage later in the ND I will be surprised.
Mitch Clisby – 180cm, 70kg –NSW/ACT Rams / Nth Adelaide.
Busy little midfielder who played mainly as a winger for NSW. Finds a lot of the ball and tries really hard. Has a good work rate and is prepared to work back into defence as well as push forward. His pace is pretty good and he gets through traffic well.
What does let him down is his kicking which can be ordinary and contain a number of miss hits during a game.
Can’t see him making the main draft but could be an outside chance for the rookie draft.
Jarred Reddan – 202cm, 88kg –Woodville /West Torrens
Ruckman from SA who has pretty good ruck skills and reads the play pretty well. Has good pace for a ruckman and does some good work around the ground. His skills are pretty good and his second efforts in the ruck contests are also good.
Looks to be a nice ruck prospect for clubs looking to grab a ruckman in the third or fourth round.
Luke Shuey – 185cm, 81kg – Oakleigh Chargers/Marcellin College.
Midfielder/small forward with pretty good pace and ok skills. Did not really dominate during the champs but did his bit when it was his turn to play in the middle. Seems to be pretty good around the stoppages and a pretty good reader of the game. Gets good numbers most weeks in the TAC Cup when school footy commitments have allowed him to play.
I would think he will end up in the mix somewhere mix third round and onwards.
Matthew Sharpe – 178cm, 75kg –Port Adelaide Magpies.
Have not seen a lot of him but I did notice him doing some nice things in the last champ game against NSW. His clearance work was good and his pace was pretty good as well. Took a few good marks and used the ball ok.
Possible later on in the draft or rookie pick.
Damian Hynes -191cm, 86kg –Central Districts.
Tall forward who showed a bit against NSW. Took a few good marks and showed his ability to read the play with a very good crumbing goal. His pace and skill seemed pretty good in that game and he lead to good spots on the ground.
Have not seen a lot of him but he looked like a good prospect for later in the draft.
Rhys Stanley -199cm, 84kg – West Adelaide.
Ruckman from South Australia. Has a good leap in the ruck and his tap work was ok without being outstanding. Pace looks ok. Did find do a lot around the ground in the couple of games I saw him play.
Have not seen a lot of him so it is hard for me to rate where he will go. Back end of the ND or rookie draft possibly.
Scott Blessing -184cm, 80kg –West Adelaide.
Played mainly defence in the champ games I saw him play. His run from half back was good. Pace and skills where good. Read the play well and knew where to go to get involved. Kicked mainly on the right side in the few games I saw him in.
Like a lot of the small defenders/midfielders he will be in the mix somewhere late in the draft or the rookie draft if he gets picked.
Riley Milne – 192cm, 78kg – Murray Bushrangers.
Tall defender who was reasonable for Country during the champ series. His defensive skills are pretty good and he reads the ball coming into the opposition forward line well.
Has reasonable pace for a tall. Skills are pretty good and he works hard to provide some rebound when he can. Has had some TAC games where he has had very good numbers playing at CHB. Takes a lot of marks most weeks and plays in front a lot.
I think he is a good project defender for later in the draft.
Ryan McKenzie -175cm, 73kg –North Ballarat.
Lively small forward/rover who loves a goal. His crumbing skills around the forward line are very good. His pace is nothing to write home about. He does not let his size stop him from getting in and under the packs and is prepared to do the team things. Will block and shepherd . For a little bloke he is good overhead . His skills are pretty good but he is not an elite kick of the ball. Will kick both sides of the body.
His lack of size and the fact he is not super quick certainly play against him but he is a smart footballer who should be looked at late in the draft.
Sam Hughes -177cm, 66kg –Geelong Falcons.
Small lightly framed forward/rover. Have good pace and pretty good skills. Kicks mainly right side in the games I have seen him play. Reads the play well around the forward line and his front and centre work is good. Prepared to do the one percenters and get involved to help his team mates. His TAC Cup numbers have been pretty consistent over the last two seasons.
May get passed over because of his size. Maybe rookie draft.
Will Martiniello -175cm, 75kg –Murray Bushrangers.
Had a couple of run with roles during the champs and did them pretty well while still finding a bit of the ball himself. He is not overly quick but reads the play well enough to find the ball and his tackling is very strong. His kicking can be a bit dodgy but he can kick goals when he plays forward.
Because he is not overly outstanding in any one area he will probably miss out. Maybe a rookie draft selection.
Tom Simpkin – 190cm, 81kg –Geelong Falcons.
Mobile defender with good defensive skills. He is prepared to back himself and run from half back and his skills are pretty good. Kicks mainly right foot and he is a good long kick on that side. His pace is reasonably good.
He is what clubs like in today’s game as far as running half backs go but half backs don’t generally go all that high in the draft. Good chance later in the draft.
Will Young -192cm, 83kg –North Ballarat.
Forward who is good overhead and has reasonably good pace. Skills by hand are pretty good but his kicking can be a concern at times. Has a lot of ineffective kicks. Has had a reasonably consistent year in the TAC Cup playing mainly half forward. Was ok in defence for Country when used there for some quarters during the champ series.
Another project tall for late in the draft or the rookie draft.
Jaryd Blair -172cm, 73kg –Gippsland Power
Another small rover who did ok for Country during the champs. Has pretty good pace and vision. Reads the stoppages ok and has a nice side step. He has been pretty consistent at kicking goals when resting forward in the TAC Cup. His skills seem to vary from game to game. Has had games where he has not missed a target all day but has also produced a few shockers where he has failed by foot and hand. His work rate is generally good and his tackle count is usually pretty high. Likes the tough in and under stuff.
Like a lot of players question marks on his size and skills could count against him.
Andrew Hooper – 172cm, 78kg –North Ballarat.
Solid sized bottom age kid who attacks the game like a bull at a gate. Has been used forward and back with some time in the midfield as well. His pace is not overly good but this does not stop him from finding the ball a lot. Runs hard all day and he is a pretty handy small forward when given the chance to play there. His biggest downfall is his kicking. He can make some ordinary mistakes by foot.
Clubs will like his work rate but his lack of genuine pace and kicking skills could see him overlooked.
Andrew Browne – 202cm, 106kg –Murray Bushrangers.
Huge Mountain of a kid whose ruck skills are ok but he does not posses a huge leap in the ruck. Relies on his size in the ruck contests. Around the ground he does show a little nous to get to the areas he needs to be in which helps him a lot as he is not overly quick. He can take a good mark but he does have a habit of dropping a few marks per game that he should really take. His kicking is nothing to write home about either.
He has improved his numbers around the ground this year and has also provided a good target when resting forward allowing him to get amongst the goals a bit more this year.
Although his pace and kicking are the question marks I think someone will see him as a project player for late in the draft.
Brodie A’Vard – 197cm, 90kg – NSW/ACT Rams / Murray Bushrangers.
Tall KP prospect who spent time at both ends of the ground for NSW during the champs. Does not win a huge amount of the ball. Defence was reasonable during the champs. Has played mainly as a forward /ruckman for the Bushies. Skills are reasonable although his kicking has been suspect in some games.
Not someone I think will go in the ND but he could be a project type for the rookie draft.
Andrew Renton – 202cm, 98cm –Eastern Rangers.
Ruckman who is in his third season of TAC Cup footy as an overage player for Rangers. Injured his knee last year and missed the end of the season and did not get picked up in the draft. Wins a lot of taps but he does not really posses a leap in the ruck. He is steady around the ground but it always looks like he is going half pace. His skills are ok for a ruckman. He can get forward and kick goals although it has not been on a consistent basis.
He will probably be passed over again but if someone can find some angry pills and get him to fire up a bit they may get a good ruckman out of him.
Matt Thomson – 175kcm, 65kg – Queensland / Redlands.
Small rover who found a heap of the ball for Queensland during their champ and TAC Cup games. Pretty good user of the ball on both sides of the body. His clearance work is very good and his handball in close is very good. Gets in and under but is a smart player and he runs to areas where he can receive the ball as well. His pace is only average. For a kid his size he tackles really well. Will do the one percenters. He leads his side on the field.
The fact that he is rather small and not super quick counts against him being drafted but he is a natural player who someone should take a chance with late in the draft.
Dayne Beams – 184cm, 81kg – Queensland / Southport.
Midfielder with reasonably good skills on both sides of the body. Runs pretty hard and his work rate is pretty good. In saying this he could work a bit smarter by pushing to space a bit more at various times. Can kick the ball a long way but does kick to contests a bit. Is also a reasonably good mark. Pace is pretty good but he is not exceptionally quick. Clearance work is pretty good.
Definitely worth a look at, fourth round or later.
Sam McGarry -186cm, 77kg – Sandringham Dragons.
Consistent TAC Cup performer who generally finds a lot of the ball. Plays mainly on the ball or as a small forward. Has pretty good pace and his clearance work is ok. Skills by foot are ok and his handball is very good. Can get in and get the hard ball but has looked better in the receiving role. Does manage to kick a goal most weeks when he is playing forward.
Because he has a bit more height than some of the other mids going around he is probably a better chance late in the draft than most.
Taylor Duryea – 179cm, 80kg – NSW/ACT Rams/Murray Bushrangers.
Bottom aged midfielder with a pretty solid body. Has pretty good pace and can be used in a few different roles from defence to forward and on ball. Skills are pretty good and his run out of the back half is good.
Another who will be looked at late in the draft.
Charlie Sharples – 180cm, 74kg – Darwin.
Really nice mover with pretty good pace. Can find plenty of the ball and is very good around the half forward/ offensive side of the square. He works hard and is prepared to have a go. His downfall is his kicking which can be very ordinary.
Is probably only on the fringe of being picked up mainly because of his poor kicking.
Patrick Heenan -168cm, 63kg – Palmerston.
Not much of him but he is quick. Loves to run with the ball and is very elusive. Given his size as you would expect he plays an outside role but he is very effective running the ball out of the back half. His skills are good on both sides and he can kick the ball a long way. Very smart player. Has been playing school footy in Melbourne.
Unlike a lot of other very small blokes Patrick has speed and skill which will see him looked at more favourably. Should go somewhere later in the draft.
Justin Myers – 179cm, 83kg – Redlands.
Hard at it half back /midfielder. Has reasonable skills and reads the play well. Has a good defensive game and can find the ball off half back. Pace is reasonable but not overly quick. Loves to hit the contest hard and tackles well.
Possible late pick or rookie draft chance.
Steven Kennedy – 180cm, 71kg – Western Jets.
Probably not in line to be drafted but has had a reasonable couple of seasons for the Jets. Plays an outside on ball role and gets plenty of HB receives. His use of the ball by foot can be a bit ordinary but his handball is good. Reads the play well and has reasonable pace.
If his numbers where consistently higher then he may be looked at. Outside rookie chance.
Patrick Hayes – 190cm, 80kg – Calder Cannons.
Running half back with good defensive skills and reasonably good pace. He is unusual in the fact that he is an over age kid in his first full year at TAC Cup level. Loves to run from half back and he reads the ball coming into defence well, allowing him to get to a lot of contests. Is good around the defensive stoppages. Has a bit of a question mark on his kicking.
He is a bit of a chance for later in the draft or a rookie spot
Michael Barnes -179cm, 76kg –Eastern Rangers.
Bottom age midfielder who has been a little disappointing to me this year. I saw him put in a couple of really good games last year as a sixteen year old but he has failed to consistently capture his best form this year. On his day he reads the play well and is good in and around the stoppages. His skill level is ok but his kicking seems to vary from week to week. He has had some games where he has simply not kicked all that well at all. His pace is ok but he is not a jet.
Someone may take a punt on him late but chances are he will be left until next year.
Leigh Kitchen – 180cm, 73kg – Eastern Rangers.
Has bounced back pretty well after missing all of last season. Good midfielder or small forward who reads the hit outs well and has good crumbing skills up forward. His work rate is very good and he tackles well. Finds a heap of the ball and he handballs a lot but it is generally creative. The down side is his kicking. He is not a great user of the ball by foot.
Possible rookie chance.
Campbell Heath – 187cm, 75kg – Gippsland Power.
Tallish bottom age kid who has good pace. Has had some good games playing either wing or half back this year. He is a pretty good over head mark and his skills are pretty good although he could use a bit more work on his kicking.
An outside chance who may be left until next year.
Matt Suckling – 183cm, 84kg – Sandringham Dragons.
He has had a pretty good year this year for Sandy as an overage player. Has come back well after missing a lot of footy last year and has been consistently in Sandringham’s best players. Strong bodied midfielder with reasonable pace. Reads the game well and his skills are generally pretty good. Generally finds a lot of the ball and uses it pretty well.
I think there would be worse selections than this bloke for a rookie spot.
Sam Wright – 188cm, 76kg – Murray Bushrangers.
Half back, half forward or midfielder with ok pace. Has good defensive skills and loves to run from half back when used in that role. Has had some games where he has been used as a key forward and has responded well by kicking 4 or 5 goals. Takes lots of marks. His kicking has been average as a whole but he has had games where he has hardly missed a target. Versatile player who seems best suited to half forward or half back.
Good chance somewhere after the fourth round.
Jake Walsh -196cm, 96kg –Northern Knights.
Bottom aged tall who has played at both ends of the ground and in the ruck this year. Has struggled a bit to put together consistent footy this year but has shown some good glimpses of form so far. On his best days he has taken some very good contested marks and kicked a few goals. His pace is ok for a big bloke.
At seventeen years old I think he will be very attractive as a project tall. Should go fourth round or so.
Jack Western – 189cm, 81kg – Gippsland Power.
Yet another bottom aged kid who has kept improving all year. Has played mainly as a half forward but has had some stints in defence. He is pretty mobile and plays the mobile half forward role well. His pace is ok but nothing exceptional. Likes to kick a goal and uses the ball well. Is just a little short to play true KP which will leave him a bit in between as far as roles go at AFL level. Possible chance late in the draft.
Matthew Clarke – 172cm, 78kg – Dandenong Stingrays.
Solid midfielder with pretty good skills and an ability to find the footy. Is a pretty strong over head mark. His pace is only average and his skills are pretty good although his kicking can be a bit scrappy under pressure.
Lack of real pace hurts but he moves well. Outside rookie chance.
Levi Casboult -196cm, 95kg –Dandenong Stingrays.
Ruckman who is not overly tall but uses his leap well and wins a lot of hit outs. Gets around the ground ok but never gets really big numbers. Pace is ok and skills are pretty good for a tall. Can take a good contested mark.
Probably going to be too short to be drafted as a ruckman.
Riley Heddles – 176cm, 75kg –Dandenong Stingrays.
Clever midfielder who is a bit on the small side. Pace is pretty good and he has pretty good skills and can kick on both sides of the body. Runs hard and gives his all. He is a good tackler and will get in and get the hard ball.
Bottom age kid who is an outside chance this year.
Ricky Ferraro – 170cm, 74kg – Dandenong Stingrays.
Small midfielder who has been a very consistent TAC Cup performer. Pace is reasonably good and his skills are ok without being outstanding. Reads play well and is solid over the ball. Has a bit of a stocky build so I am not sure how much bigger he will get.
May get a look in at rookie level but so many similar players have not been selected in the past.
Aaron Purves – 187cm, 82kg – Dandenong Stingrays.
Young Aaron is a little bit of an enigma. Lovely moving forward who is a strong mark and has pretty good pace. When you see him playing he just looks classy but he does not always turn it on for you to see. At his best he can break games apart very quickly but he has struggled to put that sort of form together consistently over all games or even all quarters of games. His skill level is good although he can have goal kicking problems.
I don’t think he will be passed over. Third round or later.
Zach Sengstock -191cm, 85kg – Sandringham Dragons.
Has come on really well after a bit of a late start to his TAC Cup career. Over age kid who has played mainly as a defender with a few stints as a forward. He has a good defensive presence and reads the ball coming in very well. Has pretty good pace and is prepared to back himself and run of his man to make the play. Skills are pretty good and he is a reliable kick. Finds a lot of the ball for a KP defender.
Good prospect for third round or later.
Matt Cunningham – 188cm, 78kg –Eastern Rangers.
Hard running defender who is playing his third year of TAC Cup footy. Has a fantastic work rate and is prepared to run off his man to get involved. His defensive side is very good and he does the disciplined things all the time. Has reasonable pace. In the past his kicking had been a real problem for him but this year he has improved a lot in that area.
Good kid to look at for a rookie spot.
Liam Shiels – 183cm, 78kg – Eastern Rangers.
Midfielder who has pretty good pace and is good at getting in and finding the ball. He is a very strong tackler and he does kick goals when he is resting in the forward line. Has a good work rate and reads the play well. Like a few others his down side can be his kicking. He can spray the ball around a bit or kick to contests on his bad days.
Has been a consistent performer for Rangers all year.
Being bottom age he will look attractive late second round and onwards.
Andrew Hunter – 192cm, 83kg –Dandenong Stingrays.
KP player who has played mainly CHF or HFF this year. He has a pretty good leap and can take a nice contested mark. Has not really recorded any big days out as far as numbers go and has had only the one game where he has bagged five goals.
He has been used in defence at various stages and he reads the ball coming in pretty well and uses his leap to effect a spoil well. His pace is reasonably good. His kicking can be a bit indifferent.
Bit of a project type for the late rounds or rookie draft.
Bryce Carroll – 184cm, 72kg –Western Jets.
Used mainly as a small forward with a few stints in defence Bryce has had a solid year for the Jets. His work rate is very good and he has played at half forward he has been prepared to work up the wing and even to half back to provide a target or help out.
He has good pace and his use by hand is very good. His kicking is not always fantastic and he has had games where he has missed gettable goals and targets by foot. Has kicked multiple goals in 9 games this year.
Certainly one to look at later in the draft.
Taylor Gilchrist – 189cm, 70kg – Sandringham Dragons / Caulfield Grammar.
Used mainly as a forward early in the year but has seen some action in defence in recent weeks. Tallish, skinny kid who has been played mainly on the flanks or in a pocket. His pace is pretty good and his running from half back has been a feature of his defensive play when used there. He reads the play pretty well and he gets to a lot of contests to help out. His kicking is generally good and is handball is very effective.
Pretty handy utility player. Not sure where to put him in the draft, maybe mid third round or later.
Tom Hill – 198cm, 79kg –Northern Knights.
Bottom age tall who is still a bit on the skinny side. Had good under 16 form and has had a steady season this year without being outstanding. Has played mainly forward and ruck this year. His ruck skills are ok but I see him as more of a KP player at either end of the ground than a ruckman. His pace is ok for a tall. His is a solid mark and reads the game well. His down side is his kicking which is not great. Doesn’t mind making for few tackles.
Bottom age tall and a good mark is an attractive combination. Third round or after.
Michael Still – 192cm, 81kg – Northern Knights.
Another bottom age tall from Northern who has had a steady year. Unfortunately for this profile the games I have seen him in he has been rather unimpressive. I think I have managed to catch his three worst games and a couple of others where he has just been ok. Has played mainly as a FF but has been used at CHB a few times. Can take a good grab. His kicking can be a bit all over the place. Hard for me to line up as I have not seen the games where he kicked 4 or 5 goals.
Looking through his stats for the year the kid obviously has talent and being bottom age I suspect he would be picked up.
Dan Hannebery -182cm, 75kg –Oakleigh Chargers / Xavier College.
Yet another 17 year old. Has played a variety of roles from midfield to small defender. Reads the game very well and has a knack of finding space and finding the ball. Pace is reasonable. Clearance work is pretty good. Skill wise he can be a bit up and down. His tackling is pretty good.
Will be some sort of chace to be drafted.
Sam O’Sullivan – 186kg, 80kg –Sandringham Dragons /Xavier College.
Have only seen him play a couple of times but he was impressive. Finds lots of the ball and his clearance work is very good. Has good hands at ground level and uses the ball by hand very well. Like a few others his kicking is a bit of a down side. He can miss a few targets.
Worth looking at later on.
Ben Moloney- 181cm, 80kg – Geelong Falcons.
Not even sure if this kid will even get looked at but I have thrown him in based on one game I saw him play early this year. Has hardly played at all this season and is bottom age so he will probably be passed over. What I liked about him was he was good on both sides of the body, calm under pressure and read the game well. His down side would be his average pace.
Not sure if he will even be considered but I liked him.
Dylan Joyce – 174cm, 70kg –Calder Cannons.
Small rover who has been very consistent over his TAC Cup career. Finds a lot of the ball and reads the play pretty well. He is not a long kick of the ball but his skills are generally good. Has had days where his kicking has been off the mark but in general he uses the ball well. Has good pace but is not super quick. One thing I have noticed about him is he can have a touch of the fumbles at ground level in some games.
With his size I am not sure if he does enough super well in a few areas to be drafted.
John Nicolopoulos – 180cm, 78kg –Oakleigh Chargers.
I have only seen this bloke play twice and in one of those games he hardly touched the ball. Have thrown him in because someone asked me about him and he is an interesting prospect. Saw him play a reasonable game late last year but his kicking was a bit off and he kicked 1.3. Has played mainly as a small forward or winger but has missed a lot of footy. He started the first three games in good form this year and I was looking forward to seeing him play but he got injured before I got the chance.
Not sure where he fits into the draft picture but a small forward who has kicked 5 or more goals 4 times in 10 games may attract interest.
Justin Van Unen – 186cm, 83kg – Oakleigh Chargers.
I saw this kid has made the state screening list. He has not played much footy this year and I have not seen any of it. I did see a few of his games last year and he was a good forward/ midfielder who used the ball pretty well. Had some solid numbers mid way through last year and his tackling was very good in the games where his confidence was up. He does have a bit of a problem with his goal kicking and has had the yips in a few games.
Having not seen him this year it is hard to line up his draft prospects.
Brad Mangan – 185cm, 83kg –Murray Bushrangers.
Used predominately as a forward . His work rate is good and he keeps moving and presenting around half forward. Has reasonable pace and knows where to lead and when not to be in the way. Takes a good contested mark and his skills are pretty good. Can find a bit of the ball and kick goals.
Bottom aged kid who has kept improving all year.
Caleb Tiller – 187cm, 77kg – Murray Bushrangers.
Tallish skinny half forward/half back/winger. Has ok pace and knows where to run to receive the footy. Takes a few marks in space but will also get in and find his own ball if he has to. Kicking has a bit to improve on. He can miss targets or kick to contests. Has had a few good games where he has kicked multiple goals. His defence has been pretty good when used on the half back line and he likes to run.
Bottom aged player who has had a good season. Chance later on in the draft.
Small forward/midfielder who is very light. Very good pace and skills and is excellent at ground level. Runs hard through the middle and has good hands and is very creative with his disposal. Right foot kicking is good. Marking skills looked ok. Was dangerous in and around the forward line. Roving skills in the forward line where good.
Classy little player who should get picked up second to fourth round.
Zachary Clarke – 203cm, 84kg – Oakleigh Chargers
Vic Metro’s fourth string ruckman who has had a reasonable year for the Chargers so far. Has split his time with some ruck duties as well as playing at FF. He does not win as many taps as he should for a player of his height but he has done pretty well in the games I have seen him play. His has good skills by foot and by hand and is pretty mobile with good pace for a tall. Has shown he can take a good contested mark but it is also one area of his game that could improve a bit more. He gets to the rights spots but has spilled a couple grabs that he should have taken at various times during games. His goal kicking is pretty good and he has been in Oakleigh’s better players on a number of occasions this year. Not a player I expect to go second or third round but certainly a player worth looking at when the fourth round comes along. Could possibly sneak into the third round but I suspect he will be picked fourth round or later if he goes.
Luke Stanton – 191cm, 83kg – Northern Knights.
Tall athletic winger/midfielder who has steadily improved over the last 12 months. Has the ability to kick both sides of the body but he often misfires and does not hit targets. He runs to position well and his pace is pretty good. Knows where to be to receive the ball. Generally looks better playing an outside role but he can win contested footy and has reasonable footy smarts at stoppages. Has also been used at half back with good results. Has played CHB against sides that use mobile players at CHF. Generally very creative by hand.
Would be very surprised if he did not go somewhere between late second round to mid fourth round.
Rory Sloane – 182cm, 76kg – Eastern Rangers.
Small defender/midfielder with good defensive skills and pretty good pace. Played mainly half back or BP during the champs and did a pretty good job handling the opposition small forwards. In the TAC Cup he has mainly played midfield and is a good in and under player who can get in and find the ball. He is pretty creative by hand. The main thing that lets him down is his disposal by foot. He can be very hit and miss on a bad day. There is not much of him but he will give you 100% all the time.
He has form over two seasons in the TAC Cup so I think clubs would be looking at him later in the draft.
Tom Allwright – 185cm, 83kg – North Hobart/Tasmania.
Midfielder/defender from Tasmania with reasonably good pace. Good reader of the play and is very composed under pressure. Nice right foot kick and a good mark. Good hands in close and his overall vision of play is very good. Gave good run out of defence while playing there.
I think this kid would prove to be a good late round pick up.
Paul Cahill – 192cm, 80kg – Sturt.
Tall forward with good pace and a strong mark. Work rate and leading during the champs was excellent. Seemed to have a good handle on where to lead and how to work in with the other tall forwards. He is very athletic and mobile. He is not the best kick going around but he did manage to kick goals in all the games.
Can’t see a mobile tall like this bloke going much further back than fourth round.
Alex Stopp – 189cm, 86kg – Norwood.
Another player who is probably outside the view of most people but did have a very good champ series. He is a tallish midfield/half back with good pace and nice skills on the right side. Played a lot at half back and was very impressive in his ability to run and be the link man coming out of defence and through the middle of the ground. Solid bodied kid with good pace and good vision.
Someone clubs should have a look at in the third or fourth round.
Tom Rockliff – 183cm, 83kg – Murray Bushrangers.
Small forward who was very good in last years TAC Cup final series but was over looked in last years draft. Has been a consistent player at Tac Cup level kicking bags of 6 plus goals on numerous occasions. The question mark he has on him is his athleticism and his pace. He is not overly quick and does not posses a big leap or a tight turning circle.
He has had some time in the midfield but he is a work in progress there and his results have been steady without showing anything to get over excited about. Towards the end of the year his results in the middle have been better.
As a forward he is very dangerous. He takes a strong mark and his crumbing work is excellent. He had a reasonable champ series and he kept his work rate up throughout. Even when things where not going his away in the goal department he was finding a bit of the ball and getting some score assists on the board.
What happens at draft camp will determine whether Tom gets drafted. If the results are good then expect someone to have a good look at him. If the results are poor then clubs will more than likely pass again.
Bart McCulloch – 198cm, 83kg – South Launceston.
Ruckman from Tasmania who had a pretty good champ series. He has a bit to work on in his tap work but he sticks with the job and wears opponents down. He has good pace for a tall and can find the ball around the ground. His kicking could use some more consistency but overall his skills are pretty good. Can take a good mark and does not mind going for a run with the ball. Athletically he is very good. Being 198cm he was a bit undersized for the ruck but clubs will see potential for him to play in other areas.
Possible selection some time after the third round.
Xavier Gotch – 175cm, 71kg – Oakleigh Chargers/De La Selle
Like his old man there is not much of him but he knows how to find the ball. Works the clearances well and has good vision and hands in close. His skills are pretty good but he can be prone to wasting the ball at times. I have seen some games where I think he could work a bit harder but generally he is pretty good. His pace is good and he can kick goals when he goes forward.
Possible third round or later.
Tom Lynch – 191cm, 84kg – Sandringham Dragons / Haileybury College.
Good KP prospect who can play both ends of the ground. Takes a strong mark and has good pace for a big man. Knows where to lead to as a forward and his work rate is very good. His skills are pretty good and his defensive game is also pretty good. His goal kicking is ok and he sets up goals from CHF on a regular basis. Generally finds a lot of the ball which can be credited to work rate efforts. He had a knee reco last year so his efforts to get himself up and running for this years champs have been outstanding. If he did not miss so much time last year and early this year with injury he may well have been talked up as a genuine top 15 pick. Will give you 100% all day.
I can not see him being passed over. Should go second or third round.
Michael Mather – 176cm, 70kg – Perth / Trinity College.
Played a few roles during the champs and generally did well. Found a bit of the ball on the wing during parts of one game but was generally used as a small defender. His run from defence was good and his pace is pretty good. Kicks mainly right side and his skills are ok although he can make some decision errors. For a defender he works hard to find the ball and offer support.
The down side is he is very small and would certainly be a player who would not see much action early on in his career. Despite his size he attacks the contest very hard.
You would be looking fourth round and later with him.
Joel Fiegert – 179cm, 79kg – Perth.
Busy running half back type with good pace and pretty good skills. Defensive aspects of his game where ok but it was his ability to provide an attacking option from half back that caught my eye. His use of the ball was pretty good and his work rate was also good.
Possible fourth round or later.
Daniel Murray – 200cm, 96kg – East Perth.
WA’s second ruckman who is a very big lump of a kid. From the limited games I have seen him play he looked ok in the ruck as far as Tap work goes but he was quiet around the ground and his kicking was ordinary. His pace is nothing to get too excited about.
Could find a place late in the draft or the rookie draft.
Tom Salter – 184cm, 77kg – North Launceston
Midfielder from Tasmania who had an up and down champ series. His pace is only average but he does find a lot of the footy and he can run all day. He tackles his heart out and has a great work ethic but his kicking is a real problem. In the game against WA his disposal was reasonably good but in general his kicking during the champs was on the poor side.
Very late in the draft or maybe rookie draft is my prediction if he gets picked up.
Alex Wilson – 178cm, 70kg – Sturt.
Bottom age small midfielder with pretty good skills on both sides. Smart player who reads the game well and can find a bit of the ball. Pace is reasonably good. Is rather small so he would be a longer term proposition.
Maybe a later pick in the draft.
Jordan Jones – 190cm, 90kg - Geelong Falcons.
Has played mainly as a CHF or CHB at under 18 level. His rebound and run from defence is pretty good and his skills are pretty good although he can have some days where he does miss targets and kicks poorly. Overall his defensive skills have been ok but he has had games in defence where he has struggled to contain the better forwards and has had to be moved into attack. His goal kicking has been ok but he has never had any games where he has kicked big bags of goals.
Fourth round or later.
Steve Gaertner – 198cm, 88kg -Dandenong Stingrays
His lack of consistency, average foot skills and a slight lack of footy nous cost him at last years draft but it has been good to see that Steve has gone away and worked on a few areas that have seen his game improve a lot. He has spent more time at half back this year and he does look comfortable in that position. He likes to rebound and carry the ball through the middle and his game sense has really improved a lot this year.
His problem area is still his kicking. Although he is not a really bad kick he can be prone to just throwing the ball onto the boot and trying to unload which leads to mixed results. His defensive efforts at half back have been very good. For a big bloke his pace is pretty good and he can take a strong contested mark.
He is a player I think clubs should look seriously at somewhere in round four or five.
Taylor Hunt -183cm, 79kg –Sandringham Dragons.
Another utility small who can play back ,forward or on the ball. Has above average pace and reasonable skills. Has had a few games where his kicking was very ordinary in the TAC Cup but he generally gets the job done. Was used as a small defender for Metro during the champs and his run from behind was really good. Has kicked goals this year when playing forward in the TAC Cup. His work in the midfield at the same level has been pretty handy and he is creative by hand.
Could be an option later in the draft or as a rookie.
Matt Kilpin -186cm, 84kg Oakleigh Chargers / Old Trinity.
Mid sized utility that did well during the Champs as a defender. Has only average pace but is prepared to rebound from defence and work hard. Puts in all day and does all the one percenters to help out his team mates. His kicking is ok but not outstanding. His roles in the TAC Cup have varied having played games at half back, in the midfield and resting forward. He has racked up some good numbers in some games and can kick a goal when he is played forward.
Late in the draft or rookie draft.
James Strauss – 185cm, 81kg –Oakleigh Chargers / Scotch College.
Used mainly as a small defender for Metro during the champs and he did well finding a bit of the ball and running the lines from half back. He is a pretty reliable right foot kick and generally uses the ball well although like a lot of others he can have patchy periods by foot. At TAC Cup level he has been used at half back a lot with game time on the wing or in the middle as well. His pace is reasonably good and his best games have featured him moving the footy through the middle of the ground and spotting up targets inside 50. His tackling is good. The defensive aspects of his game are good and in most games he gets involved and finds records reasonable numbers.
Not a super star but a good third, fourth or fifth round prospect.
Kade Klemke – 180cm, 78kg –NSW/ACT Rams /Murray Bushrangers.
Tough hard at it half back who had a good champ series for NSW. Goes in hard, tackles hard and looks like he enjoys the physical aspects of the game. Is not overly quick but does have a little dash which along with his strength helps him break away from the opposition. His work rate and tackling is very good and he finds a lot of the ball simply because he is prepared to work hard and keep going all day. He is pretty reliable by hand and chooses good options with his hand ball. He seems to read the play very well.
If he has one problem it is the fact that because he is not overly quick he can get caught having to dispose of the footy quickly. This leads to him having a few kicks that he simply has to bang onto the boot and hope for the best.
If he is not taken at some stage later in the ND I will be surprised.
Mitch Clisby – 180cm, 70kg –NSW/ACT Rams / Nth Adelaide.
Busy little midfielder who played mainly as a winger for NSW. Finds a lot of the ball and tries really hard. Has a good work rate and is prepared to work back into defence as well as push forward. His pace is pretty good and he gets through traffic well.
What does let him down is his kicking which can be ordinary and contain a number of miss hits during a game.
Can’t see him making the main draft but could be an outside chance for the rookie draft.
Jarred Reddan – 202cm, 88kg –Woodville /West Torrens
Ruckman from SA who has pretty good ruck skills and reads the play pretty well. Has good pace for a ruckman and does some good work around the ground. His skills are pretty good and his second efforts in the ruck contests are also good.
Looks to be a nice ruck prospect for clubs looking to grab a ruckman in the third or fourth round.
Luke Shuey – 185cm, 81kg – Oakleigh Chargers/Marcellin College.
Midfielder/small forward with pretty good pace and ok skills. Did not really dominate during the champs but did his bit when it was his turn to play in the middle. Seems to be pretty good around the stoppages and a pretty good reader of the game. Gets good numbers most weeks in the TAC Cup when school footy commitments have allowed him to play.
I would think he will end up in the mix somewhere mix third round and onwards.
Matthew Sharpe – 178cm, 75kg –Port Adelaide Magpies.
Have not seen a lot of him but I did notice him doing some nice things in the last champ game against NSW. His clearance work was good and his pace was pretty good as well. Took a few good marks and used the ball ok.
Possible later on in the draft or rookie pick.
Damian Hynes -191cm, 86kg –Central Districts.
Tall forward who showed a bit against NSW. Took a few good marks and showed his ability to read the play with a very good crumbing goal. His pace and skill seemed pretty good in that game and he lead to good spots on the ground.
Have not seen a lot of him but he looked like a good prospect for later in the draft.
Rhys Stanley -199cm, 84kg – West Adelaide.
Ruckman from South Australia. Has a good leap in the ruck and his tap work was ok without being outstanding. Pace looks ok. Did find do a lot around the ground in the couple of games I saw him play.
Have not seen a lot of him so it is hard for me to rate where he will go. Back end of the ND or rookie draft possibly.
Scott Blessing -184cm, 80kg –West Adelaide.
Played mainly defence in the champ games I saw him play. His run from half back was good. Pace and skills where good. Read the play well and knew where to go to get involved. Kicked mainly on the right side in the few games I saw him in.
Like a lot of the small defenders/midfielders he will be in the mix somewhere late in the draft or the rookie draft if he gets picked.
Riley Milne – 192cm, 78kg – Murray Bushrangers.
Tall defender who was reasonable for Country during the champ series. His defensive skills are pretty good and he reads the ball coming into the opposition forward line well.
Has reasonable pace for a tall. Skills are pretty good and he works hard to provide some rebound when he can. Has had some TAC games where he has had very good numbers playing at CHB. Takes a lot of marks most weeks and plays in front a lot.
I think he is a good project defender for later in the draft.
Ryan McKenzie -175cm, 73kg –North Ballarat.
Lively small forward/rover who loves a goal. His crumbing skills around the forward line are very good. His pace is nothing to write home about. He does not let his size stop him from getting in and under the packs and is prepared to do the team things. Will block and shepherd . For a little bloke he is good overhead . His skills are pretty good but he is not an elite kick of the ball. Will kick both sides of the body.
His lack of size and the fact he is not super quick certainly play against him but he is a smart footballer who should be looked at late in the draft.
Sam Hughes -177cm, 66kg –Geelong Falcons.
Small lightly framed forward/rover. Have good pace and pretty good skills. Kicks mainly right side in the games I have seen him play. Reads the play well around the forward line and his front and centre work is good. Prepared to do the one percenters and get involved to help his team mates. His TAC Cup numbers have been pretty consistent over the last two seasons.
May get passed over because of his size. Maybe rookie draft.
Will Martiniello -175cm, 75kg –Murray Bushrangers.
Had a couple of run with roles during the champs and did them pretty well while still finding a bit of the ball himself. He is not overly quick but reads the play well enough to find the ball and his tackling is very strong. His kicking can be a bit dodgy but he can kick goals when he plays forward.
Because he is not overly outstanding in any one area he will probably miss out. Maybe a rookie draft selection.
Tom Simpkin – 190cm, 81kg –Geelong Falcons.
Mobile defender with good defensive skills. He is prepared to back himself and run from half back and his skills are pretty good. Kicks mainly right foot and he is a good long kick on that side. His pace is reasonably good.
He is what clubs like in today’s game as far as running half backs go but half backs don’t generally go all that high in the draft. Good chance later in the draft.
Will Young -192cm, 83kg –North Ballarat.
Forward who is good overhead and has reasonably good pace. Skills by hand are pretty good but his kicking can be a concern at times. Has a lot of ineffective kicks. Has had a reasonably consistent year in the TAC Cup playing mainly half forward. Was ok in defence for Country when used there for some quarters during the champ series.
Another project tall for late in the draft or the rookie draft.
Jaryd Blair -172cm, 73kg –Gippsland Power
Another small rover who did ok for Country during the champs. Has pretty good pace and vision. Reads the stoppages ok and has a nice side step. He has been pretty consistent at kicking goals when resting forward in the TAC Cup. His skills seem to vary from game to game. Has had games where he has not missed a target all day but has also produced a few shockers where he has failed by foot and hand. His work rate is generally good and his tackle count is usually pretty high. Likes the tough in and under stuff.
Like a lot of players question marks on his size and skills could count against him.
Andrew Hooper – 172cm, 78kg –North Ballarat.
Solid sized bottom age kid who attacks the game like a bull at a gate. Has been used forward and back with some time in the midfield as well. His pace is not overly good but this does not stop him from finding the ball a lot. Runs hard all day and he is a pretty handy small forward when given the chance to play there. His biggest downfall is his kicking. He can make some ordinary mistakes by foot.
Clubs will like his work rate but his lack of genuine pace and kicking skills could see him overlooked.
Andrew Browne – 202cm, 106kg –Murray Bushrangers.
Huge Mountain of a kid whose ruck skills are ok but he does not posses a huge leap in the ruck. Relies on his size in the ruck contests. Around the ground he does show a little nous to get to the areas he needs to be in which helps him a lot as he is not overly quick. He can take a good mark but he does have a habit of dropping a few marks per game that he should really take. His kicking is nothing to write home about either.
He has improved his numbers around the ground this year and has also provided a good target when resting forward allowing him to get amongst the goals a bit more this year.
Although his pace and kicking are the question marks I think someone will see him as a project player for late in the draft.
Brodie A’Vard – 197cm, 90kg – NSW/ACT Rams / Murray Bushrangers.
Tall KP prospect who spent time at both ends of the ground for NSW during the champs. Does not win a huge amount of the ball. Defence was reasonable during the champs. Has played mainly as a forward /ruckman for the Bushies. Skills are reasonable although his kicking has been suspect in some games.
Not someone I think will go in the ND but he could be a project type for the rookie draft.
Andrew Renton – 202cm, 98cm –Eastern Rangers.
Ruckman who is in his third season of TAC Cup footy as an overage player for Rangers. Injured his knee last year and missed the end of the season and did not get picked up in the draft. Wins a lot of taps but he does not really posses a leap in the ruck. He is steady around the ground but it always looks like he is going half pace. His skills are ok for a ruckman. He can get forward and kick goals although it has not been on a consistent basis.
He will probably be passed over again but if someone can find some angry pills and get him to fire up a bit they may get a good ruckman out of him.
Matt Thomson – 175kcm, 65kg – Queensland / Redlands.
Small rover who found a heap of the ball for Queensland during their champ and TAC Cup games. Pretty good user of the ball on both sides of the body. His clearance work is very good and his handball in close is very good. Gets in and under but is a smart player and he runs to areas where he can receive the ball as well. His pace is only average. For a kid his size he tackles really well. Will do the one percenters. He leads his side on the field.
The fact that he is rather small and not super quick counts against him being drafted but he is a natural player who someone should take a chance with late in the draft.
Dayne Beams – 184cm, 81kg – Queensland / Southport.
Midfielder with reasonably good skills on both sides of the body. Runs pretty hard and his work rate is pretty good. In saying this he could work a bit smarter by pushing to space a bit more at various times. Can kick the ball a long way but does kick to contests a bit. Is also a reasonably good mark. Pace is pretty good but he is not exceptionally quick. Clearance work is pretty good.
Definitely worth a look at, fourth round or later.
Sam McGarry -186cm, 77kg – Sandringham Dragons.
Consistent TAC Cup performer who generally finds a lot of the ball. Plays mainly on the ball or as a small forward. Has pretty good pace and his clearance work is ok. Skills by foot are ok and his handball is very good. Can get in and get the hard ball but has looked better in the receiving role. Does manage to kick a goal most weeks when he is playing forward.
Because he has a bit more height than some of the other mids going around he is probably a better chance late in the draft than most.
Taylor Duryea – 179cm, 80kg – NSW/ACT Rams/Murray Bushrangers.
Bottom aged midfielder with a pretty solid body. Has pretty good pace and can be used in a few different roles from defence to forward and on ball. Skills are pretty good and his run out of the back half is good.
Another who will be looked at late in the draft.
Charlie Sharples – 180cm, 74kg – Darwin.
Really nice mover with pretty good pace. Can find plenty of the ball and is very good around the half forward/ offensive side of the square. He works hard and is prepared to have a go. His downfall is his kicking which can be very ordinary.
Is probably only on the fringe of being picked up mainly because of his poor kicking.
Patrick Heenan -168cm, 63kg – Palmerston.
Not much of him but he is quick. Loves to run with the ball and is very elusive. Given his size as you would expect he plays an outside role but he is very effective running the ball out of the back half. His skills are good on both sides and he can kick the ball a long way. Very smart player. Has been playing school footy in Melbourne.
Unlike a lot of other very small blokes Patrick has speed and skill which will see him looked at more favourably. Should go somewhere later in the draft.
Justin Myers – 179cm, 83kg – Redlands.
Hard at it half back /midfielder. Has reasonable skills and reads the play well. Has a good defensive game and can find the ball off half back. Pace is reasonable but not overly quick. Loves to hit the contest hard and tackles well.
Possible late pick or rookie draft chance.
Steven Kennedy – 180cm, 71kg – Western Jets.
Probably not in line to be drafted but has had a reasonable couple of seasons for the Jets. Plays an outside on ball role and gets plenty of HB receives. His use of the ball by foot can be a bit ordinary but his handball is good. Reads the play well and has reasonable pace.
If his numbers where consistently higher then he may be looked at. Outside rookie chance.
Patrick Hayes – 190cm, 80kg – Calder Cannons.
Running half back with good defensive skills and reasonably good pace. He is unusual in the fact that he is an over age kid in his first full year at TAC Cup level. Loves to run from half back and he reads the ball coming into defence well, allowing him to get to a lot of contests. Is good around the defensive stoppages. Has a bit of a question mark on his kicking.
He is a bit of a chance for later in the draft or a rookie spot
Michael Barnes -179cm, 76kg –Eastern Rangers.
Bottom age midfielder who has been a little disappointing to me this year. I saw him put in a couple of really good games last year as a sixteen year old but he has failed to consistently capture his best form this year. On his day he reads the play well and is good in and around the stoppages. His skill level is ok but his kicking seems to vary from week to week. He has had some games where he has simply not kicked all that well at all. His pace is ok but he is not a jet.
Someone may take a punt on him late but chances are he will be left until next year.
Leigh Kitchen – 180cm, 73kg – Eastern Rangers.
Has bounced back pretty well after missing all of last season. Good midfielder or small forward who reads the hit outs well and has good crumbing skills up forward. His work rate is very good and he tackles well. Finds a heap of the ball and he handballs a lot but it is generally creative. The down side is his kicking. He is not a great user of the ball by foot.
Possible rookie chance.
Campbell Heath – 187cm, 75kg – Gippsland Power.
Tallish bottom age kid who has good pace. Has had some good games playing either wing or half back this year. He is a pretty good over head mark and his skills are pretty good although he could use a bit more work on his kicking.
An outside chance who may be left until next year.
Matt Suckling – 183cm, 84kg – Sandringham Dragons.
He has had a pretty good year this year for Sandy as an overage player. Has come back well after missing a lot of footy last year and has been consistently in Sandringham’s best players. Strong bodied midfielder with reasonable pace. Reads the game well and his skills are generally pretty good. Generally finds a lot of the ball and uses it pretty well.
I think there would be worse selections than this bloke for a rookie spot.
Sam Wright – 188cm, 76kg – Murray Bushrangers.
Half back, half forward or midfielder with ok pace. Has good defensive skills and loves to run from half back when used in that role. Has had some games where he has been used as a key forward and has responded well by kicking 4 or 5 goals. Takes lots of marks. His kicking has been average as a whole but he has had games where he has hardly missed a target. Versatile player who seems best suited to half forward or half back.
Good chance somewhere after the fourth round.
Jake Walsh -196cm, 96kg –Northern Knights.
Bottom aged tall who has played at both ends of the ground and in the ruck this year. Has struggled a bit to put together consistent footy this year but has shown some good glimpses of form so far. On his best days he has taken some very good contested marks and kicked a few goals. His pace is ok for a big bloke.
At seventeen years old I think he will be very attractive as a project tall. Should go fourth round or so.
Jack Western – 189cm, 81kg – Gippsland Power.
Yet another bottom aged kid who has kept improving all year. Has played mainly as a half forward but has had some stints in defence. He is pretty mobile and plays the mobile half forward role well. His pace is ok but nothing exceptional. Likes to kick a goal and uses the ball well. Is just a little short to play true KP which will leave him a bit in between as far as roles go at AFL level. Possible chance late in the draft.
Matthew Clarke – 172cm, 78kg – Dandenong Stingrays.
Solid midfielder with pretty good skills and an ability to find the footy. Is a pretty strong over head mark. His pace is only average and his skills are pretty good although his kicking can be a bit scrappy under pressure.
Lack of real pace hurts but he moves well. Outside rookie chance.
Levi Casboult -196cm, 95kg –Dandenong Stingrays.
Ruckman who is not overly tall but uses his leap well and wins a lot of hit outs. Gets around the ground ok but never gets really big numbers. Pace is ok and skills are pretty good for a tall. Can take a good contested mark.
Probably going to be too short to be drafted as a ruckman.
Riley Heddles – 176cm, 75kg –Dandenong Stingrays.
Clever midfielder who is a bit on the small side. Pace is pretty good and he has pretty good skills and can kick on both sides of the body. Runs hard and gives his all. He is a good tackler and will get in and get the hard ball.
Bottom age kid who is an outside chance this year.
Ricky Ferraro – 170cm, 74kg – Dandenong Stingrays.
Small midfielder who has been a very consistent TAC Cup performer. Pace is reasonably good and his skills are ok without being outstanding. Reads play well and is solid over the ball. Has a bit of a stocky build so I am not sure how much bigger he will get.
May get a look in at rookie level but so many similar players have not been selected in the past.
Aaron Purves – 187cm, 82kg – Dandenong Stingrays.
Young Aaron is a little bit of an enigma. Lovely moving forward who is a strong mark and has pretty good pace. When you see him playing he just looks classy but he does not always turn it on for you to see. At his best he can break games apart very quickly but he has struggled to put that sort of form together consistently over all games or even all quarters of games. His skill level is good although he can have goal kicking problems.
I don’t think he will be passed over. Third round or later.
Zach Sengstock -191cm, 85kg – Sandringham Dragons.
Has come on really well after a bit of a late start to his TAC Cup career. Over age kid who has played mainly as a defender with a few stints as a forward. He has a good defensive presence and reads the ball coming in very well. Has pretty good pace and is prepared to back himself and run of his man to make the play. Skills are pretty good and he is a reliable kick. Finds a lot of the ball for a KP defender.
Good prospect for third round or later.
Matt Cunningham – 188cm, 78kg –Eastern Rangers.
Hard running defender who is playing his third year of TAC Cup footy. Has a fantastic work rate and is prepared to run off his man to get involved. His defensive side is very good and he does the disciplined things all the time. Has reasonable pace. In the past his kicking had been a real problem for him but this year he has improved a lot in that area.
Good kid to look at for a rookie spot.
Liam Shiels – 183cm, 78kg – Eastern Rangers.
Midfielder who has pretty good pace and is good at getting in and finding the ball. He is a very strong tackler and he does kick goals when he is resting in the forward line. Has a good work rate and reads the play well. Like a few others his down side can be his kicking. He can spray the ball around a bit or kick to contests on his bad days.
Has been a consistent performer for Rangers all year.
Being bottom age he will look attractive late second round and onwards.
Andrew Hunter – 192cm, 83kg –Dandenong Stingrays.
KP player who has played mainly CHF or HFF this year. He has a pretty good leap and can take a nice contested mark. Has not really recorded any big days out as far as numbers go and has had only the one game where he has bagged five goals.
He has been used in defence at various stages and he reads the ball coming in pretty well and uses his leap to effect a spoil well. His pace is reasonably good. His kicking can be a bit indifferent.
Bit of a project type for the late rounds or rookie draft.
Bryce Carroll – 184cm, 72kg –Western Jets.
Used mainly as a small forward with a few stints in defence Bryce has had a solid year for the Jets. His work rate is very good and he has played at half forward he has been prepared to work up the wing and even to half back to provide a target or help out.
He has good pace and his use by hand is very good. His kicking is not always fantastic and he has had games where he has missed gettable goals and targets by foot. Has kicked multiple goals in 9 games this year.
Certainly one to look at later in the draft.
Taylor Gilchrist – 189cm, 70kg – Sandringham Dragons / Caulfield Grammar.
Used mainly as a forward early in the year but has seen some action in defence in recent weeks. Tallish, skinny kid who has been played mainly on the flanks or in a pocket. His pace is pretty good and his running from half back has been a feature of his defensive play when used there. He reads the play pretty well and he gets to a lot of contests to help out. His kicking is generally good and is handball is very effective.
Pretty handy utility player. Not sure where to put him in the draft, maybe mid third round or later.
Tom Hill – 198cm, 79kg –Northern Knights.
Bottom age tall who is still a bit on the skinny side. Had good under 16 form and has had a steady season this year without being outstanding. Has played mainly forward and ruck this year. His ruck skills are ok but I see him as more of a KP player at either end of the ground than a ruckman. His pace is ok for a tall. His is a solid mark and reads the game well. His down side is his kicking which is not great. Doesn’t mind making for few tackles.
Bottom age tall and a good mark is an attractive combination. Third round or after.
Michael Still – 192cm, 81kg – Northern Knights.
Another bottom age tall from Northern who has had a steady year. Unfortunately for this profile the games I have seen him in he has been rather unimpressive. I think I have managed to catch his three worst games and a couple of others where he has just been ok. Has played mainly as a FF but has been used at CHB a few times. Can take a good grab. His kicking can be a bit all over the place. Hard for me to line up as I have not seen the games where he kicked 4 or 5 goals.
Looking through his stats for the year the kid obviously has talent and being bottom age I suspect he would be picked up.
Dan Hannebery -182cm, 75kg –Oakleigh Chargers / Xavier College.
Yet another 17 year old. Has played a variety of roles from midfield to small defender. Reads the game very well and has a knack of finding space and finding the ball. Pace is reasonable. Clearance work is pretty good. Skill wise he can be a bit up and down. His tackling is pretty good.
Will be some sort of chace to be drafted.
Sam O’Sullivan – 186kg, 80kg –Sandringham Dragons /Xavier College.
Have only seen him play a couple of times but he was impressive. Finds lots of the ball and his clearance work is very good. Has good hands at ground level and uses the ball by hand very well. Like a few others his kicking is a bit of a down side. He can miss a few targets.
Worth looking at later on.
Ben Moloney- 181cm, 80kg – Geelong Falcons.
Not even sure if this kid will even get looked at but I have thrown him in based on one game I saw him play early this year. Has hardly played at all this season and is bottom age so he will probably be passed over. What I liked about him was he was good on both sides of the body, calm under pressure and read the game well. His down side would be his average pace.
Not sure if he will even be considered but I liked him.
Dylan Joyce – 174cm, 70kg –Calder Cannons.
Small rover who has been very consistent over his TAC Cup career. Finds a lot of the ball and reads the play pretty well. He is not a long kick of the ball but his skills are generally good. Has had days where his kicking has been off the mark but in general he uses the ball well. Has good pace but is not super quick. One thing I have noticed about him is he can have a touch of the fumbles at ground level in some games.
With his size I am not sure if he does enough super well in a few areas to be drafted.
John Nicolopoulos – 180cm, 78kg –Oakleigh Chargers.
I have only seen this bloke play twice and in one of those games he hardly touched the ball. Have thrown him in because someone asked me about him and he is an interesting prospect. Saw him play a reasonable game late last year but his kicking was a bit off and he kicked 1.3. Has played mainly as a small forward or winger but has missed a lot of footy. He started the first three games in good form this year and I was looking forward to seeing him play but he got injured before I got the chance.
Not sure where he fits into the draft picture but a small forward who has kicked 5 or more goals 4 times in 10 games may attract interest.
Justin Van Unen – 186cm, 83kg – Oakleigh Chargers.
I saw this kid has made the state screening list. He has not played much footy this year and I have not seen any of it. I did see a few of his games last year and he was a good forward/ midfielder who used the ball pretty well. Had some solid numbers mid way through last year and his tackling was very good in the games where his confidence was up. He does have a bit of a problem with his goal kicking and has had the yips in a few games.
Having not seen him this year it is hard to line up his draft prospects.
Brad Mangan – 185cm, 83kg –Murray Bushrangers.
Used predominately as a forward . His work rate is good and he keeps moving and presenting around half forward. Has reasonable pace and knows where to lead and when not to be in the way. Takes a good contested mark and his skills are pretty good. Can find a bit of the ball and kick goals.
Bottom aged kid who has kept improving all year.
Caleb Tiller – 187cm, 77kg – Murray Bushrangers.
Tallish skinny half forward/half back/winger. Has ok pace and knows where to run to receive the footy. Takes a few marks in space but will also get in and find his own ball if he has to. Kicking has a bit to improve on. He can miss targets or kick to contests. Has had a few good games where he has kicked multiple goals. His defence has been pretty good when used on the half back line and he likes to run.
Bottom aged player who has had a good season. Chance later on in the draft.
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Con Gorozidis
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st_Trav_ofWA
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wow thats a prety good effort there seems to be a few kids who would address our needs nicely i hear westcoast have gone a bit shy on Rich so he could drift out as 4th or 5th pick (apparnetly hes has a case of the lazys when it comes to training ) if the ladder ends up the way it is now i would predict the top four to look a bit like this
1 Melb - Jack Watts - most logical choice Dees need a big forward Watts is the best of the bunch as a forward
2 WC - Nick Naitanui - its either him or Rich but rich has been described as a lazy trainer something Worsfold doesnt like Naitanui has also been spotted as a presonal guest at many westcoast events even being invited in the change roomes befor a game at subi
3 Port - Hamish Hartlett - honestly have no idea on this one Port always go againts the flow with their draft picks i picked Hartlett because hes SA and he fits what Port need
4 Freo - Daniel Rich - Freo will look to form a super midfeild combo with Rich and Palmer most of freo players are lazy trainers so Rich would fit in perfectly
1 Melb - Jack Watts - most logical choice Dees need a big forward Watts is the best of the bunch as a forward
2 WC - Nick Naitanui - its either him or Rich but rich has been described as a lazy trainer something Worsfold doesnt like Naitanui has also been spotted as a presonal guest at many westcoast events even being invited in the change roomes befor a game at subi
3 Port - Hamish Hartlett - honestly have no idea on this one Port always go againts the flow with their draft picks i picked Hartlett because hes SA and he fits what Port need
4 Freo - Daniel Rich - Freo will look to form a super midfeild combo with Rich and Palmer most of freo players are lazy trainers so Rich would fit in perfectly
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perfectionist
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The Oracale
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If he's not picked up by Port - He'll end up at either Essendon or Carlton.perfectionist wrote:Michael Hurley - "kicks 50 metres either side with ease". No doubt he'll be gone before we get a pick, either that or everyone else will ignore him and Geelong will pick him up with pick No 16.
Lock that in Eddie.
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st_Trav_ofWA
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port never go for the obvious pick i reckon your right though essendon or carton will pick him upThe Oracale wrote:If he's not picked up by Port - He'll end up at either Essendon or Carlton.perfectionist wrote:Michael Hurley - "kicks 50 metres either side with ease". No doubt he'll be gone before we get a pick, either that or everyone else will ignore him and Geelong will pick him up with pick No 16.
Lock that in Eddie.
"The team that wins in the most positions and makes the least amount of mistakes, usually wins the game." -- Allan Jeans
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st_Trav_ofWA
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funny to look back at this i remember around this time we were all frothing at the mouth that we should be looking at Albert Proud and Nathan Dujkura (sp?) funny how neither of them have set the world on fire yet
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BAM! (shhhh)
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Steele Sidebottom. If the kid were a horse, my partner would be putting money on him. That's a very cool name.
You can never have too many players whose names make them sound like action hero's.
Plus the scouting report above says he's good. But mainly for the name.
You can never have too many players whose names make them sound like action hero's.
Plus the scouting report above says he's good. But mainly for the name.
"Everything comes to he who hustles while he waits"
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The Oracale
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Albert Proud was a strange case - ate whatever he wanted, drank whatever he wanted, also an absolute headcase to boot.st_Trav_ofWA wrote:funny to look back at this i remember around this time we were all frothing at the mouth that we should be looking at Albert Proud and Nathan Dujkura (sp?) funny how neither of them have set the world on fire yet
He grew up in Sunshine, Victoria - and hung with the wrong crowd, his parents eventually had enough of him and sent him up to QLD to live with his sister and her boyfriend ... upon getting into a fistfight with the boyfrom ... he then left and lived with one of his QLD teammates.
Ask any recruiter and they'd tell you the amount of times they'd call his club (mt. gravatt in the QAFL) and theyd be given the old "yeah yeah, Alberts playing on Saturday" .. and upon ariving ... Albert would be standing next to you during the game eating a hot dog saying "ohh ive got a sore leg" lol
Great talent though - despite all his hard work in the Championships of 05, 06 .. he's namely remember for that beautifull right hook he threw at the jaw of (now Hawthorn player) Mitch Thorp, during the half time scuffle.
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Con Gorozidis
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Classic. his name makes him sound like some posh English aristocrat. clearly hes not. Seems he cant hold his spot in Brisbane at this stage although he is only 19.The Oracale wrote:Albert Proud was a strange case - ate whatever he wanted, drank whatever he wanted, also an absolute headcase to boot.st_Trav_ofWA wrote:funny to look back at this i remember around this time we were all frothing at the mouth that we should be looking at Albert Proud and Nathan Dujkura (sp?) funny how neither of them have set the world on fire yet
He grew up in Sunshine, Victoria - and hung with the wrong crowd, his parents eventually had enough of him and sent him up to QLD to live with his sister and her boyfriend ... upon getting into a fistfight with the boyfrom ... he then left and lived with one of his QLD teammates.
Ask any recruiter and they'd tell you the amount of times they'd call his club (mt. gravatt in the QAFL) and theyd be given the old "yeah yeah, Alberts playing on Saturday" .. and upon ariving ... Albert would be standing next to you during the game eating a hot dog saying "ohh ive got a sore leg" lol
Great talent though - despite all his hard work in the Championships of 05, 06 .. he's namely remember for that beautifull right hook he threw at the jaw of (now Hawthorn player) Mitch Thorp, during the half time scuffle.
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Con Gorozidis
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vacuous space
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He's terrible. He's got no skills and a bad attitude to boot. You couldn't find a more outside player. The skills of McGough crossed with the all around work ethic of Aaron Fiora. Opposition recruiters clearly shouldn't bother with him. Move on. Nothing to see here. We'll grudgingly accept him here at St Kilda just to see if we can't make something out of him. We're a pretty charitable lot that way.BAM! (shhhh) wrote:Steele Sidebottom.
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Con Gorozidis
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wow. did he shag your sister or something?vacuous space wrote:He's terrible. He's got no skills and a bad attitude to boot. You couldn't find a more outside player. The skills of McGough crossed with the all around work ethic of Aaron Fiora. Opposition recruiters clearly shouldn't bother with him. Move on. Nothing to see here. We'll grudgingly accept him here at St Kilda just to see if we can't make something out of him. We're a pretty charitable lot that way.BAM! (shhhh) wrote:Steele Sidebottom.
good name though.
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Con Gorozidis
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well we got 1 but we are about to lose 3.5 ruckmen in the next year or two (MG, Rix, King, Blake) and LVR is borderline. Remember we also lost Brooks and Kosi will never be tall enough to be a ruckman.plugger66 wrote:Didnt we just get a ruckman. Would have thought that position was pretty low on agenda.Con Gorozidis wrote:be nice if we could get 2 picks under 20 and get a mid and a ruckman.
does not seem possible though.
So id definitely like another one for the next 5 years. Mcevoy as the sole ruckman on this list is not enough.
Should still be a high priority IMO.
Last edited by Con Gorozidis on Fri 22 Aug 2008 6:20pm, edited 2 times in total.
I think we need another one.Con Gorozidis wrote:well we got 1 but we are about to lose 3.5 ruckmen in the next year or two (MG, Rix, King, Blake) . So id like another one.plugger66 wrote:Didnt we just get a ruckman. Would have thought that position was pretty low on agenda.Con Gorozidis wrote:be nice if we could get 2 picks under 20 and get a mid and a ruckman.
does not seem possible though.
IMO one of King or Gardiner will retire, Rix will get delisted and the jury is still out on van Rheenen so another young up and coming Ruckman along with McEvoy couldn't hurt.
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borderbarry
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st_Trav_ofWA
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the ruck cupboard is full we need a key backman dearly and an pacy midfeilder .... a med forward wouldnt hurt either
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borderbarry
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Con Gorozidis
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full of what? like a pantry full of food past used by date. needs emptying. realistically we only have 1 medium term ruck prospect - Mcevoy. The rest are either too old or too sh*t. in 2 years the rucking cupboard will be only mcevoy.st_Trav_ofWA wrote:the ruck cupboard is full we need a key backman dearly and an pacy midfeilder .... a med forward wouldnt hurt either
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Grant's son ... highly doubtful ... has ability but bit undersized and probably not in the same class as many others ... but the name may mean he gets a look in.SENsaintsational wrote:Very interesting details on the potential draftees.
What chance is Tyson Thomas from Sandringham Dragons, out of interest, to get drafted or rookied?
Any?