AFL National Draft 2014 Pick 53

[Whispering_Jack 30,136]

There's a chance that we might use this pick to upgrade Nev Jetta and keep a pick up our sleeves for the PSD if there's an option available there.

However, if we decide to pick a player at this range this is what we might expect:-

Knightmare

51. Jordan Cunico (VIC Mid)

Height: 184cm, Weight: 72kg, DOB: 07/05/1996

Recruited from: Gippsland Power

Range: 20-rookie

Profile: Outside runner.

52. James Rose (SA Fwd/Def)

Height: 186cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 16/04/1996

Recruited from: Sturt

Range: 30-rookie

Profile: Medium forward.

53. Matt Goodyear (VIC Mid)

Height: 185cm, Weight: 77kg, DOB: 20/07/1996

Recruited from: Calder Cannons

Range: 30-rookie

Profile: Hard, explosive midfielder.

54. Brenton Payne (VIC KPF/Fwd)

Height: 193cm, Weight: 76kg, DOB: 09/03/1996

Recruited from: Western Jets

Range: 30-rookie

Profile: Tall forward.

55. - Daniel Nielson (VIC KPD)

Height: 193cm, Weight: 90kg, DOB: 09/05/1996

Recruited from: Eastern Ranges

Range: 30-rookie

Profile: Strong bodied stopper.

I know very little of Goodyear but by the size and description he looks a handy pick up at this range.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

Goodyears highlights

[Whispering_Jack 30,136]

Thanks for that jabberwocky. Goodyear looks the type of player you would never get tyred of watching.

[jezhug 54]

I'd love to see this pick used to pickup pint-sized Caleb Daniel if he is still there.

Caleb Daniel - 2014 AFL Draft Prospect Highlights (YouTube)

[Vipercrunch 2,827]

I hope someone picks up Caleb, more than happy for it to be us. He was a highlight in the one underage game I saw this year. Got the ball a awful lot and was very creative and hardly missed a target.

Would love to see what he can do in the AFL.

[Rocknroll 1,004]

Goodyear looks like he has a good set of wheels on him....

[pantaloons 2,019]

Thanks for that jabberwocky. Goodyear looks the type of player you would never get tyred of watching.

I'll take 5c royalties on the nickname Blimp.

[leucopogon 1,519]

I'd love to see this pick used to pickup pint-sized Caleb Daniel if he is still there.

Caleb Daniel - 2014 AFL Draft Prospect Highlights (YouTube)

hear, hear

[Whispering_Jack 30,136]

Matthew Goodyear Profile

[Whispering_Jack 30,136]

This is from Luke McAlister's Phantom Draft

Luke McAlister

51. Jack Lonie (VC, Exciting small forward)

174 cm, 67 kg, 13/8/96

Range: 25-rookie

Comparison: Hayden Ballantyne

Lonie is an electric small forward with pace, agility, skills and some real x-factor. He takes the game on and loves to break the lines with his ability to dodge and weave through traffic above average. Under pressure he’s capable of executing high degree of difficulty kicks with his vision and creativity a highlight. When forward he crumbs well and is a good shot on goal who regularly hits the scoreboard. Despite all that there’s just something about him that doesn’t sell me and I’m not that certain he’ll end up being a high level AFL player.

52. Aidan Anderson (WA, Exciting small forward)

182 cm, 83 kg, 10/8/96

Range: 25-60

Style: Eddie Betts

Comparison: Jamie Elliott

Finding a comparison for Anderson is a bit difficult as he’s really quite unique from the current batch of smalls we’ve got in the AFL. His biggest strength is his smarts – he knows exactly where to position himself, where to lead, where to run, when to kick – he just knows. He’s quick without being a speedster and he’s very agile with his evasive skills being excellent along with his ability to change direction. He’s capable of executing high degree of difficulty kicks but still isn’t an elite kick. Like Jamie Elliott he’s a far better contested mark than he should be at his height while he’s also very solid overhead. Below the knees he’s solid but does fumble occasionally and could work on that a little. He’s got good core strength and strength in general and is very difficult to tackle. He’s able to win his own ball in dangerous spots while also being an excellent kick be it on the run or from a set shot. He is the best small forward in the crop and I’ll happily bet that he’ll kick 150 AFL goals.

53. Lukas Webb (Vic Country, Balanced utility)

186 cm, 80 kg, 3/4/96

Range: Top 50

Comparison: Brodie Murdoch

Webb’s a good solid player. Perhaps he’s a little vanilla but he still projects as a role player in a team at the absolute worst. Had a really solid championships with one particular highlight game. He’s able to play in defence but his best football is played across half forward and through the middle. He’s got a nice left foot, he’s reasonable at the contest and hits the scoreboard when playing through the middle and attacks the ball really well. I’m not quite sure he’s got any elite qualities but he seems to be good in most elements and with what he’s shown in his good games there’s definitely something to work with.

54. Tom Wilkinson (Vic Metro – High endurance midfielder)

182 cm, 78 kg, 3/7/96

Range: 40-rookie

Style: Andrew Gaff

Tom Wilkinson has a lot of fans and it’s not hard to understand why. Quite possibly the highest level endurance athlete in the crop. He finds the ball on the outside and utilises his endurance to accumulate like crazy which has led to his statistical domination of the TAC cup. His finals performances were excellent and should solidify him as an AFL player next year. He also possesses a nice burst and strong hands overhead. Despite all his qualities there’s a reason he’s not higher on draft boards. He’s just a bit one dimensional with his kicking mediocre at best and his hurt factor at times low. He deserves to be a bit higher but it’s understandable why he’s likely a later selection.

55. Sean McLaren (Vic Metro – Lockdown KPD)

197 cm, 92 kg, 1/10/96

Range: 35-70

Comparison: Lachlan Keeffe

Sean McLaren is a raw key defender with some real upside. His athleticism is a real highlight along with his defensive discipline, with his ability to close check and shut down opposition forwards excellent. His acceleration and speed is good, as is his agility. At 197cm and with a good wingspan he doesn’t have much issue closing down leads. At ground level he’s surprisingly good. He lacks a real intercept game but there’s scope for it to develop. Offensively he has very little impact with his involvement in the offensive transition and movement minimal and his footskills shaky. Through the ruck he’s proven himself an effective tap with a handy leap however at 197 cm it would be an uphill journey to make it as a genuine ruck, with McLaren only presenting as a chop out option at best when he goes to the next level. Similar to Lachie Keeffe in many ways, he’s someone who looks very likely to make it and play 100 games as a key defender.

[Deecisive 1,709]

just shows there is a lot of potentially good players still in the 50's which adds significant value to the frost trade.

[MadAsHell 4,212]

Mature age pick up here for mine. Taylor Hunt, Mitch Robinson or James Polkinghorne could all fill a role.

[Whispering_Jack 30,136]

Paige Cardona's phantom draft mark 5 -

Paige Cardona

51. Jaden McGrath

Position: Midfielder/forward

Height: 179 cm, Weight: 73 kg, DOB: 15/06/1996

Club: Bendigo Pioneers

Projected draft range: 30-rookie

Plays like: Reece Conca

McGrath is one of a few players who has really been robbed of consistent football this year due to a range of unlucky injuries. The AFL-AIS academy graduate was one of the best players against Collingwoods VFL side, and thrived in an environment against bigger bodies. He collected 14 disposals, two marks, two clearances and one score assist, not looking out of place on the MCG. McGrath is a pacy midfielder who has elite endurance, covering plenty of territory with an engine that allows him to get to plenty of contests. Although he missed the championships due to patella tendinitis, McGrath is a bullocking, raging bull-type midfielder with a knack of kicking goals and setting them up. He is a star around the clearances and runs hard to kicks goals, while also possessing a neat skill set. McGrath has also shown a propensity to tackle strongly, and is a really creative type who remains composed and has demonstrated an ability to play both inside and outside. He loves to use his pace and run and carry, but the big tick comes in the way that he can play above his height.

52. James Rose

Position: Medium forward

Height: 186 cm, Weight: 78 kgs, DOB: 16/04/1996

Club: Sturt

Projected Draft Range: 40-rookie

Plays like: Tom Lynch

One of the most exciting development prospects in this years draft and a player who is grossly underrated, James Rose has an explosive natural leap and outstanding hands overhead. The medium forward cuts dangerous leads, beats his opponent with his smart leading patterns and isnt afraid to get in his opponents face. Despite his rangy frame, Rose is an aggressive and combative type who relishes the physical aspect of his position: more importantly, he is a difficult player to match up on, such is his agility and his versatility to play small or tall. Rose has a thumping kick and bagged 30 goals from nine games in 2013. This year saw him really improve his endurance capabilities, which has allowed for him to play a higher role, winning more of the ball.

53. Jason Castagna

Position: Defender/midfielder

Height: 182 cm, Weight: 86 kg, DOB: 12/06/1996

Club: Northern Knights

Projected Draft Range: 50-rookie

Plays like: Dylan Grimes

A speedy midfielder-cum-defender who rarely drops a mark, Jason Castagnas draft stocks continue to rise and could potentially go much higher than where I have initially placed him here. A switch to defence under David Flood at Vic Metro prove to be the tonic Castagna was after. Its a position which has allowed him to use his run and carry off half back, while also highlighting his ability to read the play, his terrific marking capabilities and his desire to continuously break lines. Castagna operates at an impressive 73 per cent disposal efficiency, accentuating how damaging he can be by hand or foot. He makes good decisions when in possession, and beats his man in one-on-one duels regularly given his strength and size.

54. Aidan Anderson

Position: Forward

Height: 182 cm, Weight: 83 kg, DOB: 10/08/1996

Club: Swan Districts

Projected draft range: 30-rookie

Plays like: Steven Motlop

A really unique prospect who offers a little bit from column A and a little bit of column B, sitting somewhere between a Jamie Elliott and a Steven Motlop type. He doesnt have the speed of Motlop, but has the x-factor of Elliott, possessing great elevation when throwing himself at the ball while also pouncing upon the ball super quick, rarely going to ground. He produced good numbers at the championships, showing off his elusive nature and a terrific sidestep and snap that proves deadly around goal. He can take a contested grab and is really powerful in the air: however, he could be better below his knees in terms of that one-hand pick-up polish, although that will come once hes in an AFL environment. During the champs he showed that he could shake off a tackle and move into dangerous positions to attract the ball. In particular, hes a really clean kick around goals, but just lacks the versatility at this stage to have him higher up the order.

55. Josh Glenn

Position: Midfielder

Height: 179 cm, Weight: 78 kg, DOB:

Club: Central Districts

Projected draft range: 25-60

Plays like: Matthew Suckling

Josh Glenn decided against nominating for the draft last year, citing the fact he simply was not ready, In 2014, Glenn is back bigger and better, garnering enough interest from AFL clubs to be invited to this years draft combine. The dedicated and hardworking small defender/midfielder is versatile enough to play a number of roles: however, he primarily excels across half back given both his defensive mindset and thumping kick. He plays quite a close checking role, but also loves to run and carry and kick long into attack. Glenn isnt a stranger to pushing forward himself and kicking a long goal on the run, and has also shown an ability to win the contested ball. However, he is best used on the outside of packs or rebounding from defence, given his neat skill set and tidy efficiency by foot. Hes very much in the mould of a Matthew Suckling, albeit shorter, and is blessed with toughness, composure and good decision making. He averaged 17 disposals from 21 games in 2013 and took out the SANFL Rising Star award, being named in the best on six occasions in 2014, averaging 22 disposals per game.

[Redleg 40,925]

Glad I am not a recruiter.

[tappysquads 618]

I'd love to see this pick used to pickup pint-sized Caleb Daniel if he is still there.

That is a very impressive clip. Super clean hands, very creative and run and carry was sensational. I would be stoked to pick up a kid like CD. What are the odds that he will be hanging around still by the time we get a chance to get him?

[rpfc 28,431]

If we pick up a DFA or have someone on the hook in the PSD - we may not use this pick.

[nutbean 8,838]

Glad I am not a recruiter.

You would be the only person on D/land who doesn't think that they are.

[Whispering_Jack 30,136]

If we pick up a DFA or have someone on the hook in the PSD - we may not use this pick.

I have a feeling that you might be right and the pick was taken in the Frost trade as insurance to allow us to make a decision to go either way over the coming weeks. There will need to be further delistings to accommodate such a pick.

[Undeeterred 3,124]

Gee, given that in 15 names thrown up in those phantom drafts, 13 of them were different, I think we are throwing darts blindly at a board at this point... Could be absolutely anyone.

[Redleg 40,925]

Gee, given that in 15 names thrown up in those phantom drafts, 13 of them were different, I think we are throwing darts blindly at a board at this point... Could be absolutely anyone.

Could even be a name not mentioned, or just Jetta upgraded.

[John Dee 445]

There's a chance that we might use this pick to upgrade Nev Jetta and keep a pick up our sleeves for the PSD if there's an option available there.

We will not use this pick on Jetta, unless this is our last pick. If we want picks in the PSD, we will have to pass on a live pick. Rookie upgrades are locked in to your last pick(s).

[pitmaster 3,552]

Goodyear looks like he has a good set of wheels on him....

But no left foot. Appears from those highlights to be entirely one sided.

[beelzebub 23,376]

Thanks for that jabberwocky. Goodyear looks the type of player you would never get tyred of watching.

Tread lightly Jack ...

[Romey 161]

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere but previous pick 53's include Lindsay Thomas, Adam Selwood, Daniel Jackson, Tom McDonald and Kyle Cheney. Some misses as well of course but historically not a throw away pick.

[monoccular 17,429]

Wonder if Goodyear is any good in the wet?