Poll - Who do you want at pick 7 & 8? Pick 2 players.

[vacuous space]

Boner is our top pick from the poll?....seriously?

Guys who sprint well at draft camp are usually popular with supporters - and not just ours. Bonar's also a really tall mid and people are very fond of their ~190cm mids right now. He also has no carnival stats, so people can let their imaginations run wild. He's the 'remember what happened with Joel Selwood' of this draft.

Contrast Bonar's popularity with Coffield's popularity. Coffield ran a similar track time, is also a ~190cm mid, hasn't had two operations on his knee and had a really good season including AA at the champs. If I'm not mistaken, the only players with double digits in both i50s and r50s at the champs were Coffield and Jarrod Brander. Coffield basically did all the things that you'd have wanted Bonar to do if he hadn't been injured. Bonar really shouldn't be more popular than Coffield, but he is. Maybe people think Coffield will be gone, which he could well be. I'd be happy to add either, both or neither. I'd definitely take Coffield before Bonar.

[Myron Gaines]

Boner is our top pick from the poll?....seriously?

Guys who sprint well at draft camp are usually popular with supporters - and not just ours. Bonar's also a really tall mid and people are very fond of their ~190cm mids right now. He also has no carnival stats, so people can let their imaginations run wild. He's the 'remember what happened with Joel Selwood' of this draft.

Contrast Bonar's popularity with Coffield's popularity. Coffield ran a similar track time, is also a ~190cm mid, hasn't had two operations on his knee and had a really good season including AA at the champs. If I'm not mistaken, the only players with double digits in both i50s and r50s at the champs were Coffield and Jarrod Brander. Coffield basically did all the things that you'd have wanted Bonar to do if he hadn't been injured. Bonar really shouldn't be more popular than Coffield, but he is. Maybe people think Coffield will be gone, which he could well be. I'd be happy to add either, both or neither. I'd definitely take Coffield before Bonar.

The difference between Bonar & Coffield is the former is a balanced midfielder capable of winning his own footy & finding it in space & also has a very good marking game that suits when he pushes forward. The latter is a natural running defender that finds a lot of footy but hasn’t really shown a strong midfield game or the capacity to win his own footy.

Both Bonar & Coffield serve their purpose & id be happy with both of them. If I had to choose one I’d choose the natural midfielder that has similar attributes to a young Nat Fyfe & imo is a very good chance of being the best player in this draft pool.

In regards to Bonar’s knee injuries, the first was due to a player falling over his leg, it wasn’t a mechanical issue, it was a freak accident. The second surgery was simply to correct the first surgery & done by Julian Feller’s the best knee surgeon in the land. Since then, Bonar hasn’t missed a beat & showed in the combine that he hasn’t lost his speed, power & agility, testing elite in the standing vertical, sprints & agility tests.

Since coming back from his surgery, Bonar has been eased back into things by playing mainly forward averaging about 15 touches a game at 50% contested & a goal a game. His production has steadily increased with his conditioning improving & the u18 all stars game showed he can easily slot into a midfield role once he’s built up his endurance, which is his only real weakness right now - which is understandable considering his lay off.

I don’t believe it will be a matter of skipping Bonar at the draft, it’ll be more to do with another club taking him with an earlier selection if we miss out of him.

It’s worth noting that coaches at Haileybury consider Bonar the best talent at their school which includes Luke Davies-Uniacke.

For those that haven’t seen any highlights, watch this & you’ll see the Nat Fyfe comparisons - an absolute bull at the stoppages, tackle with intent & a marking threat all over the park.

http://bpmultihlsvod5257.ngcdn.telstra. ... s_720p.mp4

[SMS]

Watched u/18 all star game

Bonar and Stephenson. Lets just do that. Xfactor size speed goalkicking mids.
Bonar looked fine to me. If hes knee is ok which why not? Then he is number 2 of this draft. To get him at 7 would be great

[the dome]

"capacity to win his own footy" - Bonar
Sounding like the type of MID St.Kilda needs.
Just before I had to check on where exactly Lenny Hayes was drafted in 1998. The great man was snaffled up by St.Kilda @ pick # 11
I'm getting increasingly hopeful that either one of our 2 picks (7 & 8) has the potential to land us a player not too dissimilar to the skill & heart that Lenny Hayes brought to our beloved Saints.
I cannot exactly compare the qualities of Coffield vs Bonar but demonstrating an established ability to "win his own footy" reminded me of how influential Lenny Hayes was @ the Saints.
Good luck Saints

[Proph3t of egan]

I put cerra and Bradshaw in the poll, because in an ideal world, they could end up still available at our picks.

However, more realistically, what I would like to see is a combination of either brayshaw/clark and bonar/stephenson/fogarty. That way we have one depended and skillful mid, as well as a capable forward mid that has x factor and a massive upside

[DJ Higgins]

I may be on my own here but I hope we don't get Stephenson. From what I have seen and read he's kicking around the ground is bad. Spraying the ball a lot and not hitting targets. He is great in other areas for sure but I think there are better out there. Bonar sounds like a great inside midfielder but that is not what we need. We have enough of those already. Brayshaw looks like a great get as does Coffield and Higgins but a lot of our selections will depend on what happens before out picks. Fun to speculate

[Con Gorozidis]

Surely Stephenson can fix up his kicking in the AFl system?
Or not? I know I know. Nate Wright comes to mind...

[Drake Huggins]

Stephenson can't kick. Brayshaw and Higgins are the best kicks in the draft. Even better than LUD and Coffied, Rayner etc. go for the good kicks. Eschew those who can't.

[SaintPav]

I went for Cerra and Higgins.

Brayshaw was a close third.

I like the look of Higgins.

[fugazi]

Fast, good kick, can tackle, good tank....which 2 players best fit the bill?
Brayshaw #7, Higgins#8...safest bets

Stephenson / Bonar ...most upside potentially

Coffield/ O Brien.. ...best kicks, and if we were really backing our development might be the best options.

[Con Gorozidis]

I definitely don't want Higgins.
Hunter Clark and Coffield for me.

[magnifisaint]

I definitely don't want Higgins.
Hunter Clark and Coffield for me.

If he's anything like his brother Shaun then why not.

[vacuous space]

If I had to choose one I’d choose the natural midfielder that has similar attributes to a young Nat Fyfe & imo is a very good chance of being the best player in this draft pool.

Maybe Fyfe at about 20 or so. Fyfe was a really lanky teen and didn't really look that amazing at the carnival. If you'd said afterwards that he'd be an elite onballer you'd have got some funny looks from people. I remember some WA people pumping up his tyres pre-draft, so maybe he looked better in the WAFL - I just don't know. If you'd asked me on draft night 09 what I thought the best case for Fyfe was, I'd have said a lesser Stevie J.

Bonar could wind up the best player from this draft. There's a lot to like about him. Drafting him requires a leap of faith that others don't though. I don't think you can confidently project him as a midfielder, let alone an elite one. Even if you say that he only spent so much time up forward for the Stingrays because he was coming back from injury, there's a lot tougher competition for onball spots at the top level. That said, even if you told me he wouldn't be an onballer at the top level, I'd still be okay with taking him. I think the more likely scenario is that he winds up a really balanced forward who can contribute in the air and on the ground and in the pressure game. I'm okay with that. And, heck, if he wants to go be Nat Fyfe, I'm okay with that. Particularly if he's wearing the RW&B.

[SMS]

The fact is whoever we pick we just wont know if its correct for many years

Fwiw i hear strongly that we will take MURPHY and CONSTABLE
They are the two we want and believe they are top 5 unlike most other clubs
You heard it here first MURPHY AND CONSTABLE.
At first i was WTF!?!? Went and watched their videos and well who knows ... they are elite kicks which we wanted. Who am i to sayits wrong. We are getting 2 good kids either way. They dont miss targets which is nice

[Con Gorozidis]

The fact is whoever we pick we just wont know if its correct for many years

Fwiw i hear strongly that we will take MURPHY and CONSTABLE
They are the two we want and believe they are top 5 unlike most other clubs
You heard it here first MURPHY AND CONSTABLE.
At first i was WTF!?!? Went and watched their videos and well who knows ... they are elite kicks which we wanted. Who am i to sayits wrong. We are getting 2 good kids either way. They dont miss targets which is nice

I will have a meltdown beyond meltdowns if that happens.

[SMS]

The fact is whoever we pick we just wont know if its correct for many years

Fwiw i hear strongly that we will take MURPHY and CONSTABLE
They are the two we want and believe they are top 5 unlike most other clubs
You heard it here first MURPHY AND CONSTABLE.
At first i was WTF!?!? Went and watched their videos and well who knows ... they are elite kicks which we wanted. Who am i to sayits wrong. We are getting 2 good kids either way. They dont miss targets which is nice

I will have a meltdown beyond meltdowns if that happens.

LOL i thought that at first but they just did phantom draft radio and had Murphy at 6 for collingwood. Hes an elite cricket player as to why hes a little late to proceedings but a gun and highlights he doesnt drop a mark or miss a target looks good.
And constable had been top 10 in everyones rankings being likened to cripps from cartoons n big beast beautiful skills just a little slow.

[SMS]

I will only melt if we pick noughton. Ill be happy with any other combination.

[Con Gorozidis]

[Con Gorozidis]

[fugazi]

The fact is whoever we pick we just wont know if its correct for many years

Fwiw i hear strongly that we will take MURPHY and CONSTABLE
They are the two we want and believe they are top 5 unlike most other clubs
You heard it here first MURPHY AND CONSTABLE.
At first i was WTF!?!? Went and watched their videos and well who knows ... they are elite kicks which we wanted. Who am i to sayits wrong. We are getting 2 good kids either way. They dont miss targets which is nice

I will have a meltdown beyond meltdowns if that happens.

LOL i thought that at first but they just did phantom draft radio and had Murphy at 6 for collingwood. Hes an elite cricket player as to why hes a little late to proceedings but a gun and highlights he doesnt drop a mark or miss a target looks good.
And constable had been top 10 in everyones rankings being likened to cripps from cartoons n big beast beautiful skills just a little slow.

Neither of these 2 has the outside speed we are looking for.
I'm hoping that what you hear is largely subterfuge.

[magnifisaint]

What I want to know is how the f*** does anyone on here know how good these guys are and how good they might be without having an intimate knowledge of TAC football. Forget about what you read or what highlights you've seen. Without actually knowing how can you critize the club if they take player X instead of Y. Are you saying you know more than the recruiting staff because if you do then the club needs you.

[SMS]

Petrucello, Liam Ryan, ZBailey, Parish

Theres many speedy options for 34.
Mu guess for draft is

7. Constable
8. Murphy
34. L.Ryan / Petrucello / Z Bailey
45. Parish

[SMS]

If we get Constable Murphy and then Carlton and Whoever get stephenson/Bonar or oher speed then they wont get petrucello or zbailey so then they fall to us at 34.

Theres all sort of strateys ay play.
We may think the med utility/inside mid at 34 are shite but speed in pero/bailey/ryan is good so play ot differently

The more i watch constable murph they are elite - not as flashy as stepho/bonar but solid very solid

[parkeysainter]

What I want to know is how the f*** does anyone on here know how good these guys are and how good they might be without having an intimate knowledge of TAC football. Forget about what you read or what highlights you've seen. Without actually knowing how can you critize the club if they take player X instead of Y. Are you saying you know more than the recruiting staff because if you do then the club needs you.

Yep. Very true.

How dare you question some Saintsational.net posters that have watched a 10 minute youtube clip of a draft pick compared to Trout and Co who actually do the recruiting gig for a living and know every fine detail about every draft pick.

[spiral3]

Picked Hunter and Brayshaw.
Brayshaw seems like a solid mid option and Clark looks have have nice footskills, moves well and a good competitive streak
Cerra sounds like a player but a few injury issues and seems unlikely to slip to us.
Bonar & Stephenson seem higher risk
Coffield I like the sound of if he can become a midfielder.
Higgins sounds great but prefer players with a bit more size
Naughton looks a lot like Lever in his highlights. If we go KP, he looks like a pretty handy modern backman. WA boy, go home factor?


Knightmare on Bigfooty/ESPN is always worth a read at this time of year

Player Profiles & links
https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/ ... c.1161261/

Rnds 1-2 Phantom Draft
http://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/2 ... two-rounds

List needs - potential draftees
http://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/2 ... club-draft


Excerpt from Almanac thread - realistic view of the top 10

"Dunny82 said: ↑

KM, if you had to pick a couple of names from your top 10 or 20 who would you guess has the potential to disappoint and turn out to be an ordinary pick?"

Knightmare
The only players I look at as certainties are Rayner, LDU, Cerra, Dow and Higgins. After that, anyone else could be a flop.

Typically the lower % selections are those who have low numbers as juniors and are low contested possession types. These days clubs are smart enough to know to take guys who can win the contested ball, so as to minimise early draft mistakes. Coffield, O'Brien, Ling, Richards, Ballard, Murphy and Naish are a few I had in my October phantom draft who are question marks as low volume contested ball winners, though Coffield and O'Brien are two who on occasion have won enough. Jarrod Brander and Sam Hayes as talls who have not improved as much as expected this year also concern me, with rate of improvement a key indicator in the development of KPPs and ruckmen. Noah Balta while I like his upside, is no certainty having not been given the opportunity to find a clear best position.

There will be misses certainly inside the top 20, and probably a couple inside the top 10 also, in all likelihood."