A DIFFERENT DRAFT

[Demonland 72,464]

A DIFFERENT DRAFT by Whispering Jack

It's amazing what the passing of twelve months can do. 

This time last year (and also the year before) Melbourne fans were probably more interested in what was happening at suburban parks where junior football was being played than they were with the events at the MCG. The prize of the first pick of the best young talent in the land was an alluring one and the fact that last year, the second best young player might also be included in the draft package made it all the better. The end result (decided months later after the trade period) of four picks in the first eighteen was the icing on the cake. However, this year we're all travelling to the beat of a different draft.

The fact that the Demons are gradually moving away from the bottom of the ladder (partially a result of the infusion of recently drafted youth) has much to do with the difference in attitude to this year's festival of young talent but the main factor has been the impending introduction of the Gold Coast Suns to the 2011 AFL roster.

The AFL wants its new franchise teams to have the best possible chance of achieving early success in the competition so the concessions available to the Suns and to Greater Western Sydney next year have been far reaching.

The Gold Coast already fields a team in the VFL comprised of young local talent, a handful of players picked in last year's rookie draft led by Daniel Harris, zone selections like Liam Jurrah's NT cousin Liam Patrick, a clutch full of 17 year old talent (all now 18) picked up by way of special nominations and some odds and sods from here and there in the form of ex-Cat Nathan Ablett and rugby's Karmichael Hunt. They already have one AFL premiership player more that Melbourne in young Nathan and are hoping to collect more of them in his brother Gary Junior and possibly Hawk Campbell Brown through the rule which gives the Gold Coast the right to take one uncontracted player from each of the sixteen existing clubs. They say they plan to pick up eight players this way and it will cost them nothing because the AFL is picking up the tab and doling out compensation by way of future draft picks to the affected clubs.

The Coasters got a big push when they were allowed to preselect twelve 17 year olds (turning 18 by 30 April this year) after last year's drafts. This gave them first choice over a swag of talent including the likes of then

bottom age stars Joshua Toy and Brandon Matera whose removal from the draft pool has weakened the list of players to be drafted in the forthcoming drafts. Some of these youngsters are already getting VFL games to accelerate their development programme. One of the nominated 12, Demon Premier cricketer Alex Keath has opted out after deciding on a different career path in the world of cricket.

Then come the draft concessions that give the Gold Coast the first three picks and more in the November draft. Not surprisingly, the draft meeting will be held this year at the Gold Coast Convention Centre at Broadbeach and one can only ask the other clubs whether it's all worth their while turning up (it is - see Part II coming soon)!

Well, here is the order of selection for the first round of which Gold Coast Suns gets nine picks:-

1 - Gold Coast Suns,  #2 - Gold Coast Suns, #3 - Gold Coast Suns, #4 - 16th, #5 - Gold Coast Suns, #6 - 15th, #7 - Gold Coast Suns, #8 - 14th, #9 - Gold Coast Suns, #10 - 13th, #11 - Gold Coast Suns, #12 - 12th, #13 - Gold Coast Suns,  #14 - 11th, #15 - Gold Coast Suns, #16 - 10th, #17 - 9th, #18 - 8th, #19 - 7th, #20 - 6th, #21 - 5th, #22 - 4th, #23 - 3rd, #24 - 2nd, #25 - 1st.

After that comes the priority pick (if the Eagles decide to tank fail to add to their current four wins) and then Gold Coast Suns get the first pick of each succeeding round.

The AFL concessions to Gold Coast franchise reached an inane point last year when they were permitted to nominate their first selection for the 2011 draft before the 2010 draft took place. Melbourne already had picks 1 and 2 locked away for the latter after trade week in October but the Demons were not allowed to announce their picks prior to draft day.

Go figure?

The Gold Coast Suns selected 2009 Larke Medallist David Swallow (brother of North's Andrew) who has been learning the ropes in its VFL team. They have also announced that this year's winner of the same award for the best player of the Under 18 Championships, Harley Bennell (cousin of Melbourne's Jamie), will be one of their first three chosen players. If SA's Sam Day chooses footy ahead of basketball, then he's the likely third man.

So there we are. It's a different draft and it leaves me wondering how Footscray, Hawthorn and North Melbourne got by 85 years ago when they entered the competition. Oh, that's right, North fans had to wait half a century before they saw the skipper of their club lift up a premiership cup.

KEY DRAFT DATES

Friday October 1, 2pm - Father/Son nominations lodged with the AFL.

Monday October 4, 10am - Father/Son bidding meeting (Gold Coast Suns not entitled to participate).

Monday October 4 - Monday October 11 - AFL exchange period (In addition to normally permitted exchanges, Gold Coast Suns may exchange players nominated as 17-year-olds in 2009 who have not accepted a contract offer, players nominated as rookies in 2009 who have not accepted a contract offer, the right to list a player who has previously nominated for the Draft under rule 35.5 and the right to list a priority zone selection from Queensland or the Northern Territory under rule 35.6).

Thursday October 7, 2pm - Gold Coast FC may include on its primary list up to one listed player from each club (or more than one if the other club agrees) provided the player is uncontracted for the 2011 season.

Friday October 29, 2pm - List lodgement one. Rookie promotion to primary list, retained second year and third year rookies, scholarship player transfer to primary list or rookie list; international scholarship player transfer to primary list or rookie list. Gold Coast players contracted under rule 35.2 (local talent) may be included on the club primary list or rookie list with their consent, Gold Coast FC contracted nominated 17 year-olds included on the primary list, Gold Coast FC nominated 17 year-olds who have not accepted a contract may be included on the primary list, Gold Coast FC 2009 rookies who accept a contract offer may be included on the primary list or rookie list.

Friday November 5, 2pm - Out of contract listed primary list players draft nomination deadline.

Friday November 5, 2pm - Draft nomination deadline for new or expired (after three years) nominations.

Friday November 5, 2pm - Nomination of use of compensatory selection by clubs that lose an uncontracted player to Gold Coast FC.

Wednesday November 10, 2pm - List lodgement two.

Friday November 12, 2pm - Delisted primary list draft nomination deadline.

Friday November 12, 2pm - Non-retained rookie draft nomination deadline.

Friday November 12 - Priority zone selections, Queensland and NT.

Thursday November 18 - NAB AFL Draft selection meeting, Gold Coast Convention Centre.

Tuesday November 23, 2pm - Out of contract primary list draft nomination deadline.

Tuesday November 23, 2pm -International player inclusion on rookie list deadline.

Tuesday November 23, 2pm - Players not registered for three years inclusion on rookie list deadline.

Tuesday November 23, 2pm - NSW scholarship player and international scholarship player inclusion on rookie list deadline.

Wednesday November 24, 2pm - List lodgement three and TPP estimates.

Tuesday November 30, 2pm - Delisted primary list draft nomination deadline.

Tuesday November 30 - Previously listed players or draft nominated players deadline. Gold Coast FC may nominate up to 10 players whose nomination is current for the 2010 draft but who have not previously been on a club list or a primary list.

Tuesday November 30, 2pm - GWS zone access. Team GWS to nominate up to 16 draft-eligible players from NSW/ACT outside the current NSW scholarship region.

Tuesday December 7, 10am - NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft meeting (Microsoft Live meeting).

Tuesday December 7, 10.10am - Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast FC and Sydney Swans pre-selected rookie nominations.

Tuesday December 7, 10.15am - NAB AFL Rookie Draft meeting (Microsoft Live meeting). Team GWS have selections 1-8 and Gold Coast FC has selection nine and the first selection in each subsequent round.

Friday December 10, 2pm - Team GWS to nominate up to 12 17-year-olds born between January 1 and April 30, 1993

[Deeman 1,497]

It's incredible that this year when there's so very little advantage to be gained from finishing last with four wins or less that there's absolutely no mention in the football media of the T word!

[1858 285]

Should this thread be stickied/pinned perhaps? There's a fair bit of info here that posters will no doubt ask about later down the track and we will have draft threads anyway so this could be the main thread?

[Whispering_Jack 30,261]

Should this thread be stickied/pinned perhaps? There's a fair bit of info here that posters will no doubt ask about later down the track and we will have draft threads anyway so this could be the main thread?

We will be reintroducing our trades and drafts board when our season ends and I'm sure that it will become one of the sticky's when that happens.

The second part of Different Draft should appear at that time.

Cheers.

[Demonland 72,464]

A DIFFERENT DRAFT - SELECTION 12, MELBOURNE by Whispering Jack

So, now it's official. The Demons' first draft selection in the 2010 AFL National Draft will be pick number 12 (subject to any changes that might occur during the exchange period in early October).

Obviously, the number 12 is nowhere near as exciting as the first and second selections of last year and the first one the year before but Melbourne fans should be satisfied that the lower draft pick means their club has been released from the stigma that a bottom four finish usually brings.

The team is on the up and up and now needs to content itself with the uncertainty of recruiting through a draft system that has its own special credo of you can't always get what you want or need. Especially not when the available pool of players has already been pillaged to an extent by the new kid on the block who holds most of the aces anyway.

This brings me to the question of what does Melbourne want or need to lift itself up from the position it currently occupies in the group of teams outside the top eight and into finals calculations in the years to come?

One popular view (and one that I also hold) is that after stocking up on midfield talent in recent years, the Demons could do with a strong, high marking, pack bursting forward and a creative running small/medium defender.

My belief in the need for a key forward is based on my view of the areas that were problematic for the club in 2010 and upon the fact that a player of this type would help complement exciting players like Jack Watts and Liam Jurrah as they continue through their development phases.

But it's more than that. I think most fans are fascinated with goal kicking forwards because of the excitement they bring to the game.

Unfortunately, Melbourne has hardly produced any star players in this category over the years although paradoxically, the greatest goal kicking effort in AFL/VFL history has been the 18 goal bag of Fred Fanning in the final round of the 1947 season.

Leaving aside the most recent newcomer clubs, Melbourne is the only traditional club that hasn't produced a century goal kicker (Fanning's 97 in '47 being the best from a Demon).

The club has produced only one Coleman Medallist since the inception of that award - David Neitz with 75 in 2002. Neita was one of our greats as a forward but a large chunk of his career was also spent as a centre half back. The same could be said of another great Demon key forward of the recent past in Garry Lyon who once kicked 10 goals in a semi final against Footscray but he also played many fine games in defence.

Then there was the man who could have been the greatest forward of them all - David Schwarz. The Ox went through three knee constructions and still managed a fantastic career mainly as a centre half forward but how good would his record have been but for those wonky knees? (As an aside, I don't think we've done enough around here to plug his book so here's a shameless promotion of 'All Bets Are Off' available at all good book stores.).

Now, if you cast your minds back to the West Coast Eagles game in Round 8 that was the point in time when I really became a supporter of the "go get a key forward" push. That was the game when Melbourne struggled to take a mark inside the fifty metre arc. From memory, the game total was five (including one from an Eagle's miskick across goal). Of course, the pressure on the Demons coming out of defence was also a factor in this sad statistical disaster that occurred in a game against the ultimate wooden spooner on our own home turf.

On the other hand, there have been many games when the Dees' forward structure has worked well without the need for a single focal point up forward and the premiership favourites have a game plan based on an even spread of goal kickers.

Then you have the example of Adelaide's full court press applied this weekend against St. Kilda. Admittedly, the Saints might well have put the cue in the rack given they were on the eve of the finals but Neil Craig's pressure tactics were good enough to quell an attack that included Riewoldt and Koschitzke so are we overplaying the role of the modern day key forward?

That's just one of the questions that might be asked and answered through the different trade and draft period of 2010. However, I suspect that a tall forward will be one of the main items on club recruiting guru Barry Prendergast's shopping list as we enter the exchange period in October and again a month or so later when he considers what to do with selection number 12.

I can't let the opportunity pass without a couple of my own little tips (although I warn that I've seen precious little of this year's underage competitions). The first is from Tom Scully territory - Stingrays earn coach's praise. The second is a young bloke who was recently named All Australian Under 18 centre half forward and hails from the Ballarat area - Lucas Cook.

Could one of these lads become our next David Schwarz?

[Grandson of a gun 276]

Gotta get the best available big man with the first pick. Be it Lynch or someone else. It is the most glaring hole we need to fill and also an area on our list where we lack overall depth.

Then with our second pick we take the best available high skilled player with a view to being able to run through the backline and hit targets like Davey does.

That's my two cents anyway.

[DeeSpencer 25,767]

I'd be happy with any of a key forward, ruck, key defender, skillful running midfielder/defender. If we go for a solid body/slow midfielder or a small/medium forward with limited midfield ability they better be damn good!

Obviously bolstering the key forwards and rucks is a straight forward idea. We play most weeks with Green FF and a spud as a back up ruck.

Down back though the Frawley, Rivers, Garland triple is nice, but one injury and I really think Warnock is a depth player, 2 injuries and Tom McNamara is undersized and has a clouded future.

More speed and skill either on a wing or half back would be very nice!

[sylvinator 96]

I'd personally keep going the 'best available' philosophy with the standard disclaimer that if there were 2 equally talented players, but one was either a tall defender or a medium forward, then i'd take the other guy. My thinking being that these are the only positions which i think are 'set' atm.

There are still plenty of positions on our field which need bolstering, none more important than our midfield, which continues to be beaten almost every week.

I think that we would be adding significantly to our list if we picked up any of either a tall forward, gun midfielder, half back flanker, ruckman or gun Cyril-esk small forward.

We are not at the point yet where we are topping up. We're still at the point where we just need as many talented guys on the list as possible.

[e25 5]

Best available. Every time.

If we talk about needs, I think we could clearly do with another tall KPF.

Also, a version of Bartram who could kick and make good decisions with the footy would be a godsend.

If you look at the draft (full of highly rated KPFs) and you look at the teams drafting before us, it bodes well for us to fill at least one of those needs.

- Gold Coast can only take so many tall forwards. They'll need to top up on mids more than anything.

- Essendon need mids and have too many KPPs.

- WC are doing ok for talls and need a small forward and mids who can hit targets.

- Lions need players everywhere, but have Mitch Clarke, Leuenberger, Cornelius and may not choose a KPF. (I think they will).

- Richmond have Post, Riewoldt, Astbury & Griffiths. I think their most pressing need is building their defense.

This should hopefully mean there are still a selection of quality KPFs on the board worthy of pick 12.

If we go the BP route, I think Jacobs or Atley could fill that hole.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Trade Morton or Bate or both for pick 4/Gaff?

[e25 5]

Trade Morton or Bate or both for pick 4/Gaff?

does this thread need to instantly become so bleedingly stupid and unrealistic?

I guess it is that time of year...

[MadAsHell 4,212]

IMO we need another KP forward, a small running defender in the Matthew Whelan model and 1 more line breaking midfielder, ala Jason Winderlich type player.

[Allus Monk 568]

Best available. Every time.

...

- Richmond have Post, Riewoldt, Astbury & Griffiths. I think their most pressing need is building their defense.

Plus they'll have Brad Miller

[H_T 3,049]

Thought I would post this in the thread that is pinned: -

AFL DRAFT COMBINE NEWS ARCHIVE

[Triple Jack 13]

I am of the Best Available player model, BUT, i believe it is a combination of the best skilled, but also the one who would make the biggest influence (best available for us). With the number 12 pick in the draft we need to look at who is the best but also whether they fit into our team, this means looking at comparitive players on our list, but also most importantly their attitude. Scully was not no.1 just because of skill, as we all know he lacks in certain areas, but on his amazing attitude and commitment.

[Grandson of a gun 276]

does this thread need to instantly become so bleedingly stupid and unrealistic?

I guess it is that time of year...

Unfortunately E, this time of year always brings out of the woodwork those posters who think we can trade average players for guns or top draft picks and that another club would actually entertain that idea.

I am not surprised any more. Just don't give it any credence.

[e25 5]

Best available is subjective, as is the meaning of the term "best available" itself.

[Al`s DEMONS 0]

IMO we need another KP forward, a small running defender in the Matthew Whelan model and 1 more line breaking midfielder, ala Jason Winderlich type player.

to me the term running defender means play maker. something wheels was not. clint b is the new back pocket . back six for mine would be

bartram frawley garland

grimes rivers davey .

kpf is all well and good but will he be where watts was two years ago? forward six

dunn watts pettard

aussie green lj.

that is a really good mix. go the kpf, green is holding the fort till you are ready to go.

[flamindees 16]

With Melbourne more than likely to use only three picks in the upcomingng draft, i'd like to see them use a mix of Good, slightly above average yet surplus players, a youngster who's had a couple of years on the list but for whatever reasons, is unable to even a get a regular game, let alone own a spot in the seniors and early to mid-round draft picks to win earlier draft picks.

Warnock is still a very good player but has slid down the pecking order this year- he could easliy slot straight in as Gold Coast's fullback

Matthew Bate has also slid down the pecking order and with the return of Petterd and the emergance of Tapscott, will slide even further- he would also make Gold Coast best 22, if not starting 18.

And Adam Maric looks further away than ever from being a regular in Melbourne's seniors, maybe a achange of scenery and a fresh start at a new club is what he needs to improve and possibly live up to his potential as a #21 draft pick- he could still be an attractive option to a club building there list from scratch.

A possible trade scenario that i'd like to see is;

Gold Coast get Bate,Maric,Warnock,plus our second and third round picks- they'll still be picking players after pick fifty, so having extra picks below that point should be an attractive option to them.

In exchange, Melbourne gets picks 13 and 27.

On face value, it may appear that we are getting stiffed on a deal like this, but reality is you gotta give something good to get something good and I think at the very least we will break even, if not outright win on this deal

Picks 12, 13 and 27 should all be very good picks and the kind of players I'd like to get are;

12- KPF the physical Johnathon Brown Kind

13 KPD another Chip and

27 A small, highly skilled and mean defender

[e25 5]

BEST AVAILABLE

[H_T 3,049]

Here is some info from Paul Daffy: -

What your club wants - afl.com.au

[Daytona Demon 0]

'Best available player' is generally the way to go when it comes to 1st round drafting strategy. What i've noticed in looking at the current draft is the sheer 'variety' of players at the top end of the talent pool.

If you take Swallow, Bennell and Day out of the equation (as these are widely tipped to be GC's 1st 3 selections), the next 10-12 players I personally rate seem to provide a plethora of options for clubs with picks in that range,

You've got a couple of very promising inside mids in Atley & Brodie Smith who are both tall, quick, very adept at winning the contested football/clearances, good users by hand and foot, and smart players who pretty much fit the prototype of what clubs seem to be after in inside mids.

There's a couple of super athletic, versatile, and tall outside mids in Jayden Pitt and Jared Polec who are both lethal users of the ball by foot.

Andrew Gaff is a terrific allround prospect as a mid. He's neither outside or inside, he's not overly quick either. He's got a huge workrate and uses the ball extremely well. Has been compared to Luke Power by his coach.

Billie Smedts and Dyson Heppell are a couple of medium/tall defenders with very good athletic attributes, good contested marking, good defensive skills and great footskills/decision making skills. These are the type of versatile players you want operating out of your defense supporting the KPD's and providing drive from defence. Smedts is also a weapon up forward...

Kieran Harper is a high half-forward/midfielder who is tall, quick, great footskills, very good at winning the ball below at ground level as well as at contested marking, and as anyone who's watched the youtube vid. - a very good finisher. He's been a bit inconsistent, but he's got obvious talent and he's an AIS boy too..

Daniel Gorringe is an elite ruck prospect who has fantastic mobility for someone 198cms.

Pat McCarthy looks an ideal KD prospect at 195cms. He's very quick, a great reader of the play, gets the defensive jobs done, but also uses his pace, footskills and decision making to provide a link between defence and midfield in the attacking phase.

Tom Lynch looks a quality KPF prospect. 196cms, mobile, a good contested mark, great work rate, and a goal kicker..

So, i'd say there's about 8 different types of player in the next best 10-12 players. It would be a real headache i'd imagine for recruiters when it comes to ranking them, as there is so much variation in the players makeups.

I reckon we could do with a big, physical KPF to compliment our forwardline, but i think Tom Lynch is the only player of this type who might be available to us at pick 12 who is worth selecting with that pick. If he's 'that' good, GC will take him before we have a chance. We might be able to grab a KPF with our 2nd or 3rd pick instead...

I still think the most pressing need is to improve our delivery out of defence. I think Smedts or Heppell would provide this at 12, without sacrificing the kind of defensive abilities you'd expect of a quality backman...

Ultimately, its probably going to come down to what the GC do...I assume they're going to want to build up their KP stocks (aside from ruck), so we may see a player slide to us we weren't expecting.

At any rate, I think we're going to get a great talent at pick 12. I don't know about the depth of this draft, but I reckon the overall quality of the 1st round players in this draft is of a higher standard than last years..

Edited September 4, 2010 by Daytona Demon

[pringle 42]

Is there a minimum number of draft picks that a club needs to utilize at the ND?

[ox_5 163]

Is there a minimum number of draft picks that a club needs to utilize at the ND?

I believe its 3? Correct me if Im wrong anybody.

[H_T 3,049]

BEST AVAILABLE

Pre-requisite for finding flag core -esque players.