SUMMER TIME AND THE DRAFTING'S EASY – PART THREE

SUMMER TIME AND THE DRAFTING'S EASY – PART THREE by Whispering Jack

Our draft expert Stevo has me convinced that the Demons will take a medium sized player in next week's AFL National Draft.

"That's where the best available talent lies in what's left of the draft pool after the new franchise gobbles up the best of the best.

"It's an even field among the medium sized players but don't let me give you the impression that they're all the same types. There are inside and outside midfielders, medium defenders and medium forwards and the beauty for a club like Melbourne is that there's an evenness among the bunch of players within the Demons' range so that the fact we're at pick 12 doesn't put us at that much of a disadvantage to say, Richmond's pick 6.

"I definitely subscribe to the view that the difference between the quality of say, pick 4 and pick 12 is not going to be all that great, if at all.

"There are four players within this mid range group of players who I think will be taken before Barry Prendergast gets his big chance to call out Melbourne's first selection in what, for him will be the rather unfamiliar position of pick 12. Although he had pick 11 last year, I say "unfamiliar" because this is his first selection while last year, he had already called out three names before he got to this juncture. Also, there was no first bite of the cherry then that removed the likes of Toy, Matera and company from the equation before things even got started.

"The four who will find themselves out of Melbourne's reach in my view are Shaun Atley, Andrew Gaff, Dyson Heppell and Jared Polec (I've already eliminated a few talls previously)."

Stevo says he hasn't deliberately resorted to the safety of alphabetical order. He really rates Atley highly and was a big fan long before this year's national championships in which, according to Stevo, Atley was the major contributor in Vic Country's triumph.

"He's 187cm tall, can play inside and out, has terrific endurance and is simply a no nonsense performer with lots of grunt.

"Gaff is a hard working accumulator of the football who kicks on both sides and like another draft hopeful in Dion Prestia, supports the Demons but won't be able to live the Jack Grimes dream of playing for the team of his boyhood dreams. In Gaff's case, he should be taken inside the top 10.

"Heppell played most of the year as a defender providing the Gippsland Power with run off half back and was Victoria's MVP in the championships and won the Morrish Medal in the TAC Cup Under 18's. When moved into the middle, he was instrumental in his team's upsurge in the TAC Cup finals and almost singlehandedly got them into the grand final with a 40 possession game in the Preliminary Final. That final series saw him rise in the ratings to a top six prospect.

"Polec is a class act who has played senior football in the SANFL since age 16 and had finals experience this year with Woodville-West Torrens. Beautifully balanced, a nice long kick on his left foot, he will be an excitement machine at AFL level - but alas, not with the Demons.

I sense that Stevo is homing in on the player or players who he believes will be selected by Melbourne at pick twelve. After all, he's eliminated almost a dozen players already.

He's narrowed it down to eight medium sized players and I would have liked to have provided the Inside Football pen pictures of all of Josh Caddy, Reece Conca, Kieran Harper, Ben Jacobs, Luke Parker, Jayden Pitt, Billie Smedts and Brodie Smith (alphabetical order intentional this time) but Caddy and Jacobs were ignored. In their cases, Stevo has provided his own in italics:-

JOSH CADDY – midfield, Northern Knights, Vic

Born:28/09/92 Ht: 186cm Wt: 81kg

A big strong midfielder who wins contested ball and averaged 24 Possessions in the 2010 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships. He's a strong mark and is dangerous going forward.

All Australian 2010.

REECE CONCA - forward/midfield, Perth,WA

Born: 12/8/92 Ht: 182cm Wt: 76kg

"Reece is a midfielder who played state 18s this year and was the vice captain of that side. Played 10 games of Colts footy and seven games of league footy. Playing midfield and half back and at Colts level he was the premier midfielder of the competition. He's a quick inside player with outstanding skills, exceptional speed and great ball handling skills. When he went up to league level he was able to perform like he had in the Colts and had a couple of best on ground efforts. There's a good chance he'll be top 10, I reckon." - Perth coach Damien McMahon

WA representative 2010.

KIERAN HARPER - forward/midfielder, Eastern Ranges. Vic

Born: 5/6/92 Ht: 187cm Wt: 80kg

"Kieran had an up and down year that started with getting appendicitis and plantar fasciitis and he had both of his hips done in the pre-season of last year. Probably didn't get into full training until a week before the season started but had a really good game for Vic Metro where he kicked four goals. Tested well at the camp, was an AIS graduate and he can play just about anywhere. Generally likes to play forward/midfield, he's very good above his head and he's got a lot going for him. I expect Kieran to be gone by about pick 17 or 18." - Eastern Ranges region manager Anthony Parkin

Vic Metro representative 2010.

BEN JACOBS- forward/midfield

9 January 1992, 186cm, 82kg, Sandringham Dragons/Brighton Grammar

A left footed half back who can go forward. He moves well, is versatile and known for his attack on the ball. He starred for Vic Metro in its Under 18 Championship victory over South Australia with 47 possessions coming off half back and averaged 29 possessions for the championships

All Australian 2010.

LUKE PARKER - midfield, Dandenong Stingrays, Vic

Born: 15/10/92 Ht: 182cm Wt: 83kg

"Luke is a really strong bodied, good endurance athlete who probably just tapered off a bit towards the end of the year but had a good . national carnival. An exciting player who can play midfield as well as a small forward, a terrific kick and decision maker. Really hard and tough. He was one player who was targeted by oppositions each week and he was manned up no matter what position he went to. But, to his credit, he handled that fantastically well." - Dandenong Stingrays coach Graeme Yeats

Vic Country representative 2010

JAYDEN PITT - forward/midfield, Geelong Falcons, Vic

Born: 7/10/92 Ht: 188cm Wt: 72kg

"Jayden Pitt was a bit of a revelation this year. He was really under developed last year and we only played him in one game but this year he developed into a really good player. Played across half back and on the wing, he made the state side and had a great carnival and was named All Australian. He's got a lot of development left in him, great skills on both sides of the body, great decision maker and look, I think he will be a pretty early draft pick. Just the modem sort of player with big upside." - Geelong Falcons region manager Michael Turner

2010 All Australian.

BILLIE SMEDTS - defender, Geelong Falcons, Vic

Born: 8/6/92 Ht: 188cm Wt: 78kg

"Billie will go pretty early I think - I reckon top 10. He was our best player last year in the finals despite the fact he hasn't accessed our program all the time because of school football commitments with Geelong Grammar. Had a few injuries this year which set him back with his state stuff, but he's a good player who can go forward and kick goals, play in the midfield and his best position might be back flank in the AFL Before he went to the draft camp 1 thought he would have been first round, but at the draft camp he was top 10 for the fitness testing protocols. He was No. I in mobility, top for speed, standing jump and speed repeac After those results I think someone will have to commit pretty early to get him." - Geelong Falcons region manager Michael Turner

Vic Country representative 2010.

BRODIE SMITH - defender, midfield, Woodville-West Torrens, SA

Born: 14/1/92 Ht: 189cm Wt: 80kg

"Brodie was solid all year and went away with the AIS squad at the start of the season and then played for SA in the state championships. We didn't get to see him a lot at the Eagles until after the national championships but he played a couple of games in the reserves and then got promoted to the seniors and stayed there. Had a really good finals series, including a great semi-final against Glenelg, playing mainly half back and in the back pocket on the smaller forwards in the league." - Eagles talent manager Shane Grimm

All Australian 2010.

I think I'm convinced by Stevo that it must be one of the above, but I ask the burning question anyway.

"Is there any tall key position player who might come under Melbourne's consideration at 12 assuming the club is inclined to go that way? Put more correctly, could any such player be considered to be best available at that stage?

Stevo thinks for a moment and says,

"Lucas Cook, Patrick McCarthy perhaps ... but the one I like from my list is Billie Smedts ... or maybe Smith ..."

Ignoring the comment about Smedts and Smith, I search for Cook's pen picture in Inside Football but it's not there ...

Next time, Stevo tells me why he can't enlighten us on who the remaining selections might be, although we can guess that it's just all too hard!

[TO BE CONTINUED]