SAINTS SET TO MISS ON NGA TALENT

[Faulky63]

ST KILDA is set to miss out on Next Generation Academy talent Cam Mackenzie as the midfielder shoots up draft boards.

Mackenzie has impressed at NAB League level this year for the Sandringham Dragons, averaging 22 disposals in the first month of the season. He was among his side's best players in round one against Oakleigh with 18 disposals and a goal, and also had 25 disposals against Tasmania in round four.

The tough and competitive 187cm ball-getter is a member of the Saints' Academy as his other was born in South Africa. But the Saints will only get priority access to Mackenzie if he slips outside the first 40 picks on draft night after the AFL revised its rules on NGA players this year.

Some clubs are viewing Mackenzie as a top-20 pick, meaning he would be available to all clubs with the Saints unable to match a bid until later on.

"Last year he had limited exposure but it showed him he was a step off it as a midfielder so he built his body up, he's clean, he's got strength and power and he's become an inside midfielder who can go forward and kick goals," said Dragons talent manager Mark Wheeler.

"He took it personal last year and did something about it. He's one who has really done the work."

Mackenzie trained with the Saints for a week alongside top-10 prospect Harry Sheezel earlier this year.

The Saints last year had a record four players drafted from their Next Generation Academy – Mitchito Owens, Marcus Windhager, Jack Peris and Josiah Kyle. Melbourne last year was unable to match an NGA bid for Mac Andrew when the rules disallowed clubs from matching inside the top-20 picks. Andrew went to Gold Coast with pick No.5 in the national draft.

[saintsRrising]

Yes we have unfortunately known this for a while now.

[CQ SAINT]

Well, if he is worth our first pick and still there when it pops up we can get him, might be time for a Windhager-type back injury.

[Impatient Sainter]

It looks like we are going to trade out of the 1st round this year, so Cam McKenzie would have been the perfect NGA selection. We got 4 x potential players via NGA last year so we have done ok, but its the unbalanced manner with how the AFL have introduced the new rules that irks me.

You can guarantee that if we had of been one of the Sydney or Brisbane clubs, last years application by the Saints to put Hugo Hall-Kahan on as an NGA would have been approved. It all the more reason to hate Sydney!!!

[Zed]

It looks like we are going to trade out of the 1st round this year, so Cam McKenzie would have been the perfect NGA selection.

What makes you say we are likely to trade out our first rounder ?

[saynta]

It looks like we are going to trade out of the 1st round this year, so Cam McKenzie would have been the perfect NGA selection.

What makes you say we are likely to trade out our first rounder ?

Pure speculation if you ask me.

[Impatient Sainter]

It looks like we are going to trade out of the 1st round this year, so Cam McKenzie would have been the perfect NGA selection.

What makes you say we are likely to trade out our first rounder ?

We are likely to finish in the top 6, hence our 1st round pick will be later. Then you look at our list balance, for depth we need another ready to go midfielder. Plus the media speculation, we have been linked to Taranto, Lobb now McGrath. Its joining the dots but I think it all leads to us planning to trade in a quality player this year?

[saynta]

I belief we already have a couple of"ready to go " midfielders.

Trading in "so -so" players as those mentioned is likely to see us lose a couple of potentially very good midfielders in Bytel and Connolly.

The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.

I believe we will keep our first round draft pick and use it to recruit a very good player,

[Devilhead]

Yes would prefer we nabbed a high rated UFA player and used our first rounder on a young draftee ..... building our youth stocks and continuing on our good work from last years draft

[D.B.Cooper]

Well, if he is worth our first pick and still there when it pops up we can get him, might be time for a Windhager-type back injury.

Good thinking 99.
Put him on ice, or say he's on ice to put other clubs off.

[ausfatcat]

mental health leave?

[bigred]

Another case of Windhagers back coming up.