The 2014 AFL National Draft

[Machsy 2,856]

So if you have me on ignore, how did you respond to my post brains?

Clearly not au fait with how the ignore function works.

I'll let you figure it out for yourself.

[InVINCEable 358]

Clearly not au fait with how the ignore function works.

I'll let you figure it out for yourself.

Stop speaking French.

[Return to Glory 7,727]

Clearly not au fait with how the ignore function works.

I'll let you figure it out for yourself.

You'd do that for me Machsy? Just when I don't think you could be any more giving you find a little more. Tell me about your footy contacts down Geelong again. Edited June 14, 2014 by Return to Glory

[Dwight Schrute 16,751]

There's a reason I have you on ignore.

Silly me for thinking you might have made a meaningful contribution for once.

you know, none of your posts on this page have had anything to do with the draft this year.

but you have a dig at someone for not " making a meaningful contribution"

also 95% of your posts in any other thread are having a dig at someone and most of the time it's just their opinion being different to yours.

#hypocrite

[Return to Glory 7,727]

I still think we are in need of a star mid and I would be headed in that direction.

[Earl Hood 5,789]

I still think we are in need of a star mid and I would be headed in that direction.

I will take three or four star mids if we could do it. And let's face it we should have with our draft picks between 2007 and now. But anyway let's move on.

[Pennant St Dee 11,257]

Headed to WA vs Vic Country today and saw a poor WA performance overall for the second time this season, they lack depth in their squad and with the new home and away format they just struggle with the rotation of players. Still some good performances by a few of them who put their hands up in a losing side.

I was without a programme for the 1st quarter but managed to grab one to identify the players who caught my eye from Vic Country running hard of the rebound and picking up plenty of ball through the middle. I already knew who Lonie was but was also really impressed by number 3 & 4 who were Cunico & Parish, these boys are good players who have good cruise speed hitting the ball at pace and running hard before feeding off to a hard lead with quality disposal. Parish and another mid Dixon were on top early at the clearances and around the ground and had good battles with Hardisty & Blakely of WA but it was Cunico on the outside who gave Vic Counrty the advantage.

Up forward the dreadlocked Tom Lamb looks every bit a player, he knows where to lead to, always provides a contest and was good with pressure at ground level. The most impressive player was Lonie, who I thought was very much a Ballantyne player early in the first quarter but come late in the first quarter and through the second quarter he had runs through the middle and whilst he is small he has nice pace, uses the ball well and has a nice but of agro about him. For WA Jared Hardisty continued to find the footy and he is a kid who rides tackles before feeding off by hand and makes good decisions, he loves a contest but I am worried about his pace and size at the next level, not sure whether I see a rookie prospect who will just end up being a good 150/200 game WAFL player. Connor Blakely mark that name down was the best player in the WA side and was the best clearance player on the ground but WA lacked run and spread and once they turned the ball over Vic Country rebounded with great ball movement mainly through Cunico, Maishman, Lukas Webb, Parish and Lonie.

A lot of WA attacks were cut off by Hugh Goddard floating across half back after leaving his man, not sure what to make of Goddard, he reads the play very well and you can see he sometimes get caught out when something goes against the norm and he has anticipated where the ball is going but can get caught several yards off his man. He runs laconically and seemed to lack urgency when attacking the ball, but there are plenty of tools to work with, good size, good user of the footy but fitness is going to have to be worked on.

As I said above Lamb looks a footballer, likes to contest leads well and to the right area and is a good mover, looking at his frame I was wondering if getting good size may be an issue but the coaching staff showed another dimension in the second half when he was moved through the middle. This was an eye catcher, he is the prototype big size mid and is a smooth mover, a lot of David Mundy in what I saw in the second half, which IMO will push him right up the list. Gach Nyuon Vic Country's ruckman was good, a nice size with a great leap and plenty of athleticism and whilst not a star has some decent tools and if Majak Daw was drafted this kid has the DNA and already showed enough understanding of the game to be rookied.

WA'S defence was under an awful lot of pressure for most of the day but really liked Dylan Winton at full back, positions himself well and uses his body well against opponents and reads the play well. He is a young Darren Glass in the making although I think his disposal whilst not great is better than Glass's was at that age and early in his career. Greg Clark who I have seen come through the ranks at Subiaco is still a year away from being drafted but was also good down back in a losing side and also went to the wing in the second half and is a smooth mover who will push high up next year

Billy Evans (VC) was impressive in the second half and has a nice bit of zip and hardness rotating through the middle and half forward flank and as happens every week at the footy Howe took an absolute screamer in the 4th quarter. Dan Howe this time instead of Jeremy. I have seen Vic Country and Vic Metro and think Country have the greater spread of even talent across the ground, they are a well balanced side with some nice speed and line breakers.

On Todays game

Vic Country

Tom Lamb - First rounder can play as a forward but the ability to run through the middle is a big feather in his cap and Meth Coast could do worse than look at him as it's a big dearth they have

Jack Lonie - small but very very hungry, full of life and enthusiastic and is a cross between Haiden Ballantyne & Boomer Harvey worth a pick in the draft but his size will worry recruiters

Jordan Cunico - nice use of the ball busy through the middle runs hard to present and get to space or to receive after giving off the footy has the smarts, average mid size but will get taken because he accumulated today and controlled the midfield from the outside

Joe Maishman - didn't get as much of the ball on the outside as Cunico but he used it well by hand or by foot when he got it

Hugh Goddard - will go high because he reads the play well, uses the ball well and is a good size, I didn't see him attack any contests with urgency or hit them really hard, played a lot like a laconic Jack Watts without the pace but has greater natural size

Darcy Parish - this kid is fantastic inside and was hard at the ball during stoppages and through general play, picked his moments before feeding the ball out to his outsiders, good decision maker and on what I saw today he would be a monty to go in the first two rounds this year but I think he is to young so I will keep an eye on his for 2015

WA

Conor Blakely - great clean & quick with his hands and decision making around the stoppages and general play, this kid worked really hard today in a side that was up against it and for me that shows great character which is always something recruiters look for. Was up against it with Parish and Dixon but looks like a warrior will go in the top 30 to 40 plenty of upside

Jared Hardisty - have not seen him play a bad game for WA or for Claremont Colts, loves a contest stands strong in the contest and really good with his hands. Physically I worry if he has peaked in his height and his speed is an issue, runs all day because he is a warrior but you'll never die wondering with him

Dylan Winton - plenty of sides looking for defenders so a monty to get drafted just a matter of where, a medium tall at this stage but has great positioning sense and uses his body well. Reads the play and anticipates quickly to get to the right area. Size may prevent him going first round but will be a good pick up

Cameo's

Jarrod Pickett showed glimpses as he always does kicked a lovely goal and was giving a couple of runs through the middle and he looks impressive breaking form a clearance but again I really worry about what he does when he doesn't have it

Francis Watson - came in and out of the game a couple of times and what he did was nice and clean but very much outside, beautiful user of the ball and just your typical indigenous player who does little but then excites the crowd with something making you say WTF!

Bailey Matera - if I am not mistaken this is Peter's son but plays more like Phil, came in and out of the game and took a really nice mark but nothing to suggest he will be anything exceptional

[ChaserJ 3,964]

Great write up PSD, thanks for the report.

[Whispering_Jack 27,968]

Our first TAC Cup Future Stars Rolling Draft for the year and they have a bit of a surprise player at the top:-

1. GWS Giants Christian Petracca (Med Fwd) Ranges

2. St. Kilda Patrick McCartin (Tall Fwd) Falcons

3. Brisbane Peter Wright (Tall Fwd) Cannons

4. Melbourne Angus Brayshaw (Midfielder) Dragons

5. Bulldogs Sam Durdin (Tall Fwd) West Adel

6. Richmond Jarrod Pickett (Mid/Sml Fwd) Sth Freo

7. Carlton Tom Lamb (Tall Fwd) Stingrays

8. West Coast Clem Smith (Sml Def)

9. Adelaide Lachlan Weller (Sml Mid) Broadbeach

10. Gold Coast Caleb Marchbank (Tall Def) B'rangers

Draft order based on positions at start of Round 13

#TACFSrollingdraft

[Whispering_Jack 27,968]

Articles on the weekend's games:-

Plenty of the Wright stuff in Vic Metro win

South Australia 1.2 4.8 5.10 10.12 (72)

Vic Metro 3.4 7.4 10.6 13.8 (86)

GOALS

South Australia: Hone 3, Hamilton, Neal-Bullen, Press, Read, Spurling, Tahana, Wigg

Vic Metro: Langdon 4, Payne 3, Wright 3, Brayshaw, Langford, Miller

BEST

South Australia: Wigg, Neal-Bullen, Hone, Johansen, Stretch, Gregson

Vic Metro: Wright, Petracca, Brayshaw, De Goey, Langdon, Viojo, Vickers-Willis, Ellis

Quick, smart, skilled: Lonie stars for Vic Country

Western Australia 0.1 2.2 2.4 5.5 (35)

Vic Country 4.6 7.7 11.8 14.13 (97)

GOALS

Western Australia: Stewart, Pickett, Watson, Bevan, Nelson.

Vic Country: Lonie 4, Butler 3, Webb 2, Wilson 2, Parish, Nyuon, Marchbank

BEST

Western Australia: Blakely, Hardisty, Winton, Watson, Dent, Smith

Vic Country: Lonie, Dixon, Parish, Tucker, White, Nelson, Cunico

[whatwhat say what 18,918]

Is the future stars show available to watch online?

[ChaserJ 3,964]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNSowAl0yXY

[spirit of norm smith 12,903]

Petracca is a gun. Would be happy to see him in red and blue.

Next choice is Brayshaw. Tough ball magnet.

[Whispering_Jack 27,968]

Another early Phantom Draft and some interesting observations on this year's main prospects - Paige Cardona's Phantom Draft.

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

Petracca sounds good.

Capricornian. Like me

92 kg. like me

Nick named Quadzilla almost like me "Thunder thighs"

Big difference he is 15cm taller and can obviously play football.

[Machsy 2,856]

Age might be another point of difference...

Honestly though, like last year, I think it's another draft that goes about 10 deep and you'd be pretty happy whoever you end up with.

I heard someone (can't remember who, maybe Callum Twomey, Mick Ablett or Terry Wallace) being asked how guys like McCartin or Wright compare to Joe Daniher, and they said in spite of all the hype, they aren't as good.

I think I'd agree and wouldn't be against a trade of the pick, as long as we get back into the top 20ish somewhere.

[DistrACTION Jackson 6,418]

I liked the write up about Petracca where it mentioned he worked hard to lose 6 kg or something so he could run through the midfield. Always good to look at players who have to work hard at the junior levels as they often have what it takes.

I really hope we end up with this guy just seems like he will be such a powerful mid, but wouldn't mind Brayshaw either

[Jonesy!!! 27]

With what Roos said today re: acquiring 2-3 classy midfielders.

I can't really see us holding onto our first pick. Looks like it's going to be in the 4-8 range, and it'll be gone before we know it.

I think roos doesn't need another young 18yr old midfielder. We have the makings of a young mid brigade, and he will move heaven and earth to bring in a class 20-25yr old mid. He likes big bodied mids, that can run all day, hence why toumpas is learning his craft at casey, we don't need another 18 yr old doing laps at casey.

[Demon Disciple 10,934]

Ok, so Roos has come out wanting some more classy midfielders.

Looking at this upcoming draft, the 2 mids making the biggest noise would be Brayshaw from the hype and Petracca on his hot form. Classy isn't the first thought that comes to mind with these 2. Grunt and Power respectively.

So it seems like yet again, we will try and bring in an up and coming mid with our first rounder as the bait. It worked the first time, let's load up again!

[dee-luded 2,958]

With what Roos said today re: acquiring 2-3 classy midfielders.

I can't really see us holding onto our first pick. Looks like it's going to be in the 4-8 range, and it'll be gone before we know it.

I think roos doesn't need another young 18yr old midfielder. We have the makings of a young mid brigade, and he will move heaven and earth to bring in a class 20-25yr old mid. He likes big bodied mids, that can run all day, hence why toumpas is learning his craft at casey, we don't need another 18 yr old doing laps at casey.

we need both.

if we end up with P-4 & 5,,,, or P-5 & 6, via compensation, then we trade, & visit the draft as well, just as we did last year. We get both a semi mature mid from trade, plus a pick... we also use our first pick in the draft on a young talent.

.. 'the incoming traded pick' from the trade deal, we can on-trade, or use in the draft.

[Bay Riffin 1,413]

Ok, so Roos has come out wanting some more classy midfielders.

Looking at this upcoming draft, the 2 mids making the biggest noise would be Brayshaw from the hype and Petracca on his hot form. Classy isn't the first thought that comes to mind with these 2. Grunt and Power respectively.

So it seems like yet again, we will try and bring in an up and coming mid with our first rounder as the bait. It worked the first time, let's load up again!

Not quite sure it will work again. I think they looked at the high picks last year and saw some light bodied midfielders, exactly the type we picked in the past and failed.

If they can see a Judd or ablett who is 18 then why not take him.

Also it's a year later and guys like toumpas will be in year 3 like Tyson with Salem Kennedy year 2 etc so they've spent some time in the nursery as roos puts it.

The Tyson trades also may not be there this time. They are pretty rare.

[rolly 149]

Anyone got more info on Jackson Nelson?

I like the sound of Pickett's pace but a proper Birchall/Hanley HBF would be nice.

[Whispering_Jack 27,968]

Following on from Tom Langdon's stellar introduction to the AFL -

TAC Cup's19-year-old rule blossoming in 2014

[Machsy 2,856]

It is a great rule for those late developers.

[whatwhat say what 18,918]

didn't emma quayle rate cameron conlon as one of the brightest talents of last year's crop?

could be one to keep an eye on for the back half of this year's tac cup.