time for draft talk

[stinger]

doubt now that we will get anyone of them.....was touch and go three weeks ago....


"Basketballer' moves into top draft contention

Jake Niall | July 1, 2008

FROM early this season, it has been assumed that Melbourne would have the first pick in the national draft and that the Demons would use it to select the spectacular Fijian-born ruck prospect Nicholas Naitanui.

But as of July 1, both assumptions are being challenged. The Demons are no longer certainties to finish bottom, and even if they did, a Victorian forward with a basketball pedigree might supplant Naitanui as the first pick.

Jack Watts, a 194-centimetre key forward from Brighton Grammar who has been outstanding in the under-18 carnival, has moved up the charts to the extent that he has become a serious contender to be the first pick in the draft, especially if the Demons "win" the wooden spoon.

In recruiting circles, Naitanui and another West Australian, Daniel Rich, had been touted as the prospective top two in the draft before the emergence of Watts, who kicked four goals for the Victorian Metro team against Victorian Country and had a five-goal, 17-possession haul against South Australia last Sunday.

Ladder position could determine the order of the draft, given that West Coast and Fremantle — which, like Melbourne, have two wins each — are considered more likely to select the WA pair of Naitanui and Rich ahead of Watts. Rich, a talented midfielder, is playing senior football with Subiaco.

There is a further subplot involving Watts, who has given up an Australian Institute of Sport's basketball scholarship to pursue a football career; namely that Watts, a year 11 student, will remain in Victoria next year regardless of who drafts him. He is committed to finishing VCE at Brighton Grammar, and would stay in Melbourne in the event that the Eagles or Dockers selected him.

Watts has received far less publicity and hype than Naitanui, whose exotic heritage, striking appearance and freakish athleticism have created a misleading impression that he is the certain No. 1 pick.

Indeed, some recruiters point out that Naitanui, while a gifted athlete and excellent prospect with massive upside, is very much an unfinished work and does not win much of the ball for a player of his (draft) standing; he often struggles to reach double figures in possessions and averages and one mark a game, but his enormous leap serves him well in ruck contests for Swan Districts.

Another factor in the No. 1 pick equation might be whether the Demons can recruit Fremantle ruckman Robert Warnock via the pre-season draft, easing the pressure on the club to secure a ruckman.

Watts' main asset is his marking — particularly in a contest — but he also has super speed for a player of his height.

The Australian Institute of Sport basketball program timed him at 2.79 seconds for a 20-metre sprint, an exceptional time for a player of any size. In basketball, he played as a point guard and was regarded as the best prospect of his age in Victoria and possibly Australia.

In his four-goal game against Victorian Country, Watts' matchwinning final goal in the dying seconds of the match followed a contested mark against multiple opponents. He is said to kick well with both feet and possess good agility at ground level.

The No. 1 draft pick scenario could become clearer when Victorian Metro plays WA at Telstra Dome in the final game of the under-18 carnival, a match in which, barring mishap, Watts, Naitanui and Rich will all play."

[bobmurray]

It would be fair to say that Watts wont be available by the time we have our pick and i hope we don't waste it on a high leaping athlete who struggles to get possessions.......

We certainly need a KPP down back,a KPP up forward and some quality mids...I hope they are out there,somewhere........

[st_Trav_ofWA]

It would be fair to say that Watts wont be available by the time we have our pick and i hope we don't waste it on a high leaping athlete who struggles to get possessions.......

We certainly need a KPP down back,a KPP up forward and some quality mids...I hope they are out there,somewhere........

i agree we should be on the hunt for mids anf backmen this year
Natanui is a FREAK he might not get 30 possesions but when he does get them he hurts you with them hes a good tackler and a decent kick has courage by the bucketload and has taken some absoulte screamers in recent times would be a good pick up for who ever gets him but think west coast have got their eyes firmly focused on him

Rich is a ball magnet hes got a strong body and could play come round one he puts his head in there and isnt afraid of a bit of contact chases very well and has a nice kick , his down side is that when things are going well hes in everything but when the teams getting beaten he tends to go missing

in my opinion with WC Freo and Melb the picks will go

WC - Natanui even though Watts would be a good pick up for them considering thier non existant forward line they my be reluctant to take a Vic boy while quallity WA boys are still there regardless of pick 1, 2 or 3

Freo - would think they have a full cupboard of strong marking forwards and are desperate to add some depth to their midfield so they will pick Rich in hope the Rich Palmer combo will resemble the Cousins Judd combo. that said freo are also likely to trade pick the for Jason Laycock or some other Essendon Reject bacause they are freo

Melb - with Neitz gone a strong marking forward will be the ducks nuts for them so Watts would be the logical pick especially if the get Warnock from Freo like everyone seems to be hinting

[vacuous space]

Melbourne would be better off chasing Warnock than drafting Naitanui. He's got better size, he's still athletic and he can use the ball. He also won't take nearly as much time and effort to develop. If they can land Warnock, they can then use their pick on Watts or one of the midfielders.

IMO the best fit for Naitanui is either Richmond or Essendon. The WA teams should got for mids.

[Animal Enclosure]

Hopefully Michael Hurley will be available when we get our first pick. Key defender, very good skills, great competitor, 193-194 & barracks for the Saints.

Was AA U/18 as a 16 year old, doesn't get the same acclaim as some others but just rarely gets beaten in a one on one. A perfect replacement for Max or Goose.

[Raven]

that said freo are also likely to trade pick the for Jason Laycock or some other Essendon Reject bacause they are freo

[saints11]

It would be fair to say that Watts wont be available by the time we have our pick and i hope we don't waste it on a high leaping athlete who struggles to get possessions.......

We certainly need a KPP down back,a KPP up forward and some quality mids...I hope they are out there,somewhere........

i agree we should be on the hunt for mids anf backmen this year
Natanui is a FREAK he might not get 30 possesions but when he does get them he hurts you with them hes a good tackler and a decent kick has courage by the bucketload and has taken some absoulte screamers in recent times would be a good pick up for who ever gets him but think west coast have got their eyes firmly focused on him

Rich is a ball magnet hes got a strong body and could play come round one he puts his head in there and isnt afraid of a bit of contact chases very well and has a nice kick , his down side is that when things are going well hes in everything but when the teams getting beaten he tends to go missing

in my opinion with WC Freo and Melb the picks will go

WC - Natanui even though Watts would be a good pick up for them considering thier non existant forward line they my be reluctant to take a Vic boy while quallity WA boys are still there regardless of pick 1, 2 or 3

Freo - would think they have a full cupboard of strong marking forwards and are desperate to add some depth to their midfield so they will pick Rich in hope the Rich Palmer combo will resemble the Cousins Judd combo. that said freo are also likely to trade pick the for Jason Laycock or some other Essendon Reject bacause they are freo

Melb - with Neitz gone a strong marking forward will be the ducks nuts for them so Watts would be the logical pick especially if the get Warnock from Freo like everyone seems to be hinting

wouldn't mind rich

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Melbourne would be better off chasing Warnock than drafting Naitanui. He's got better size, he's still athletic and he can use the ball. He also won't take nearly as much time and effort to develop. If they can land Warnock, they can then use their pick on Watts or one of the midfielders.

IMO the best fit for Naitanui is either Richmond or Essendon. The WA teams should got for mids.

from my understanding is WC are planning on being active in the trade week to fill up theire midfield stocks
they still have Kerr Masten Ebert Priddis selwood and Mcnamara
but they need to replace the likes of Lynch and the other dead wood in their forward line

[rogerwa]

on 6pr last night saints were mentioned when discussing warnock

2nd rounder ?

[saintspremiers]

if rich is available we will take him.

[Animal Enclosure]

on 6pr last night saints were mentioned when discussing warnock

2nd rounder ?

He's a prototype ruckman for the 21st century. Will be an absolute gun. With Melb having an early pre season pick we would need to convince Warnock to come to St.K (he is originally from Sandringham) & then work out an appropriate deal with Freo. Maybe agree to take Heath Black back off them!

[bobmurray]

on 6pr last night saints were mentioned when discussing warnock

2nd rounder ?

He's a prototype ruckman for the 21st century. Will be an absolute gun. With Melb having an early pre season pick we would need to convince Warnock to come to St.K (he is originally from Sandringham) & then work out an appropriate deal with Freo. Maybe agree to take Heath Black back off them!

Offer them Charlie Gardiner for Warnock,it'll happen for sure

[vacuous space]

from my understanding is WC are planning on being active in the trade week to fill up theire midfield stocks
they still have Kerr Masten Ebert Priddis selwood and Mcnamara

They also have Cox, who's still got several years left in him and is probably better than anything Naitanui will ever amount to.
I just can't see WC or Freo going for an unconventional ruckman given what they've already got. I can't see WC going past Rich and given their success with Palmer, Freo might look at DeBoer as somebody who can come in and contribute straight away.

My guess is Naitanui, Rich, Watts, DeBoer and Hurley will all be gone before our first pick.

[Solar]

most of the talk lately centres around the fact that rich might have all the attributes to be a very good player but is lazy. Could go one of two ways, improve his fitness and workrate within an afl clubs system and become a star or become a beetham type.

personally I would like to see us just raid the draft, not trade for anything.

[mick13]

Looks like it'll be another decent draft, with all the names mentioned so far, hopefully we'll get someone decent at pick 17.

I reckon we should trade some decentish players for draft picks, cos I reckon we should take 5-6 players out of this draft. Chances are a few of them will become good.

[Lynch Beast]

Don't look at Natanui as a ruck - sure he is 198cm and will have a 110cm+ vertical leap and sub 2.9 20m time but look at him as one of the most athletic & exciting inside midfielders to ever come through the draft, him rucking is very little to do with what will get him drafted.

Him being the #1 clearance player in the u18's is what will get him drafted

Averages about 14 disposals, 20 hitouts and a goal per game at senior WAFL level - for a guy who gets the vast majority of those disposals inside the packs I wouldn't put ball winning as a query. Goodes won his first brownlow with about 18 disposals & a goal per game and being 5cm and much less athletic than Natanui. 18 years old and getting those numbers is a very very good sign, especially considering how you could teach him to get the ball off half back ect more often.

He is a freak, very natural and improves by the week

[Otiman]

Well, what do we need, or who could we use to free up players who are playing out of position?

Backs: We need a CHB, Goose can't be relied on making a full recovery, and Blake is servicable without being outstanding. A ready made FB to take over from Max (Silvagni or another young WAFL/SANFL defender). Gilbert is a possibility for both CHB and FB, but we shall see where his development takes him.

Mids: I think we're pretty well sorted here with depth. We are better off building our backs to allow Chips, BJ and Gram to run through the middle.

Forwards: Need some athletic half forwards with pace that can be a leading target and take a good overhead mark. In the mould of C. Gardiner, but actually good. Would like a FAST, leading full forward, too. To combine with the contested marking of Allen up forward.

[vacuous space]

Don't look at Natanui as a ruck - sure he is 198cm and will have a 110cm+ vertical leap and sub 2.9 20m time but look at him as one of the most athletic & exciting inside midfielders to ever come through the draft, him rucking is very little to do with what will get him drafted.

The question is, will he have a greater impact at the top level than other prospective draftees? I have my doubts. To me, Watts represents as close to a sure thing at key forward as you're going to get. I'm not sure whether Naitanui will be able to dominate the centre in the AFL the way he does against lesser competition. I have no doubt that he'll go top-5, but I'm not sold on him as a lock for #1 or even top-3.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

from my understanding is WC are planning on being active in the trade week to fill up theire midfield stocks
they still have Kerr Masten Ebert Priddis selwood and Mcnamara

They also have Cox, who's still got several years left in him and is probably better than anything Naitanui will ever amount to.
I just can't see WC or Freo going for an unconventional ruckman given what they've already got. I can't see WC going past Rich and given their success with Palmer, Freo might look at DeBoer as somebody who can come in and contribute straight away.

My guess is Naitanui, Rich, Watts, DeBoer and Hurley will all be gone before our first pick.

they would be looking at using Natanui not as a ruck but as a forward/mid

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Don't look at Natanui as a ruck - sure he is 198cm and will have a 110cm+ vertical leap and sub 2.9 20m time but look at him as one of the most athletic & exciting inside midfielders to ever come through the draft, him rucking is very little to do with what will get him drafted.

The question is, will he have a greater impact at the top level than other prospective draftees? I have my doubts. To me, Watts represents as close to a sure thing at key forward as you're going to get. I'm not sure whether Naitanui will be able to dominate the centre in the AFL the way he does against lesser competition. I have no doubt that he'll go top-5, but I'm not sold on him as a lock for #1 or even top-3.

watch him play an entire game watch him run opponents off their legs watch him win his own ball and watch him lay a tackle !!! you will be sold on him WC are keen on him so what ever pick they get they will try and use it to get him

[remboy]

I'm not too fussed about who we draft as long as we don't trade any of our picks for other clubs rejects. Let's use all of our picks on the best 18 year olds available (who will hopefully become 10 year players).
I'm not a big believer in rebuilding. I think if you're using your picks in the national each year you should have 3 or 4 new, young players coming through every year.

[ctqs]

I'm not a big believer in rebuilding. I think if you're using your picks in the national each year you should have 3 or 4 new, young players coming through every year.

Got it in one!

[borderbarry]

Yarran, apparently the best hff in the draft, may still be available at our pick, if not, a fast mid.

[The Oracale]

I'm going to do a Hutchy here and break some news:

Robert Warnock's management met with Richmond today at Cafe Greco's on Chapel st.


While I'm at it:

Michael Hurley will not slide past #5 (if he even gets that far!) - He is by far the best KPP in this draft pool - with the abillity to play FB/CHB/CHF/FF, is a mad Saints fan though as previously mentioned.

and finally ... St Kilda is very keen on both Jack Ziebell and Tom Swift.

[The Oracale]

Yarran, apparently the best hff in the draft, may still be available at our pick, if not, a fast mid.

Yarran is fantastic - very slippery when up forward, and can be used as a flashy midfielder. I've heard people compare him to Leroy Jetta which is utter rubbish - as Yarran is about 180cm and far more physical than Leroy…..won’t get pushed around in the big leagues. Also more capable on the lead and is just as good as a lead-up small forward as a roaming HF crumber-type. I dare say he’d also be more of a chance to spend time in the midfield.