Yet another Phantom Draft ~

RIDS 2015 Phantom Draft

This one has Melbourne taking Charlie Curnow with its first selection which becomes #4 after the Dees bid for Sydney academy player Callum Mills.

Melbourne Pick 4

Charlie Curnow

Contrary to popular belief, I think the Dees are after Curnow here. I personally think that he could be the best player in this draft. Time will tell but the Dees will be trying to bolster their attack in 2016. Curnow and Hogan with a side dish of the returning Petracca will do exactly that.

The Demons then take Murray Weideman's grandson :-

Melbourne Pick 10

Sam Weideman

Weideman is the most intriguing draftee this year for me. He could go anywhere in the top 10 selections. If he is available for the Dees second pick however, then that is where he will be selected. As I said earlier, Dees will be looking at setting their forward line up for the next decade. A trio of Hogan, Weideman and Curnow with a floating Petracca and Garlett looks bloody dangerous in 3 years time. Really like what the Dees are doing and think this could be their Roughy/Buddy draft.

I don't think so but what would I know?

Apparently, some sources are claiming that Curnow's the one for us.

Yet another Phantom Draft ~

RIDS 2015 Phantom Draft

This one has Melbourne taking Charlie Curnow with its first selection which becomes #4 after the Dees bid for Sydney academy player Callum Mills.

The Demons then take Murray Weideman's grandson :-

I don't think so but what would I know?

Apparently, some sources are claiming that Curnow's the one for us.

Lot of phantom drafts around WJ. It's a little hard to know if any know anything at all.

If we take Curnow at 3 as a KPF its unlikely we take Weideman at 7 unless he is standout best available and have a strong view that Curnow can play mid.

Do we really need that meany talls?

Turning to some interesting articles on prospects from the VFL, SANFL & WAFL

AFL National Draft 2015: 10 VFL players who could be picked up

AFL national draft 2015: Eight mature-age WAFL players who could be picked up

AFL national draft 2015: Seven mature-age SANFL players who could be picked up

If i recall, Nick Rippon was the bloke many on demonland wanted to recruit from St. Pats back in 2012. He won the VFL B&F this year and might be worthwhile having a look at.

I doubt we will take two talls. One will do. Saints ignored claims that Petracca could be a once in a generation player last year. So talls are preferred when available now. They are so darn hard to get and costly if you have to poach one.

If Curnow is that good he should be No 1.

Hawthorn's forward line up, pace of today's game and their number of tall forwards.

If do go for a "tall" then I would like him to be Kieren Collins. Impresses me almost as much as Weitering, is at the bottom end of his year agewise and yet looks like a mature footballer. Gary Buckenara rates him very highly.

Lot of phantom drafts around WJ. It's a little hard to know if any know anything at all.

Some experts and even posters here have notably stated a few options for picks 3 & 7. Depending upon what updated footage they see of prospects, their opinion may sway day-to-day, week-to-week. And depending what mail they read or hear. Understandably, it's fun for many in guessing who their club will pick up, mid or kpf, etc and what other clubs with early picks are likely to pick up and the process of elimination.

For some here, it would more than likely be the case that they've put on a dozen or so bets (each way) on ten horses in the Cup, and if one gets up they'll announce themselves the winner. And others will rightly or wrongly point out and serve it to them by highlighting their initial picks. Like sands through the hour glass ....

If do go for a "tall" then I would like him to be Kieren Collins. Impresses me almost as much as Weitering, is at the bottom end of his year agewise and yet looks like a mature footballer. Gary Buckenara rates him very highly.

Parish & Collins are my horses.....

I've invested enough to be expecting Parish to be called out at #3, but not enough for wailing and gnashing of teeth if that doesn't happen.

As has been observed numerous times before, it's different and strangely refreshing to be headed to the draft with two top ten picks, and not being overly attached to any draftees.

Edited November 6, 201510 yr by Dr. Mubutu

we need to collect as much top talent as possible before we depart the bottom 6 on our journey up the ladder. If we don't then we are destined for a mid table destination. Lets hope the picks are talent based and not needs based.

we need to collect as much top talent as possible before we depart the bottom 6 on our journey up the ladder. If we don't then we are destined for a mid table destination. Lets hope the picks are talent based and not needs based.

Acquire high end assets, have a stable of talent laden players; use this to mould a high performance team or at worst enough chips to trade with, and away you go!

Acquire high end assets, have a stable of talent laden players; use this to mould a high performance team or at worst enough chips to trade with, and away you go!

The Hawthorn blueprint. Hopefully we strike as much draft gold as they did 7-11 years ago.

i love the idea of the grandson of the pies 58 steal coming to the dees.

i really hope it's parish and weideman.

Inside Football's Brett Anderson has been a consistent proponent of Charlie Curnow as Melbourne's first pick and he has Kieren Collins down for the second at 10 after three academy players are taken under the bidding system. Here's the top 20 from this week's special draft edition of IF:-

1: Carlton, Jacob Weitering

2: Brisbane, Josh Schache

3: Sydney matches bid, Callum Mills*

4: Melbourne, Charlie Curnow

5: GWS Giants match bid, Jacob Hopper*

6: Essendon, Darcy Parish

7: Essendon, Sam Weideman

8: Gold Coast, Clayton Oliver

9: GWS Giants match bid, Matthew Kennedy*

10: Melbourne, Kieran Collins

11: Carlton, Harry McKay

12: Brisbane matches bid, Eric Hipwood*

13: Adelaide, Wayne Milera

14: Carlton, Aaron Francis

15: Richmond, Callum Ah Chee

16: Adelaide, Ben McKay

17: St Kilda, Rhys Mathieson

18: Hawthorn, Riley Bonner

19: Brisbane matches bid, Ben Keays*

20: Gold Coast, Ryan Clarke

* academy selections

Inside Football's Brett Anderson has been a consistent proponent of Charlie Curnow as Melbourne's first pick and he has Kieren Collins down for the second at 10 after three academy players are taken under the bidding system. Here's the top 20 from this week's special draft edition of IF:-

1: Carlton, Jacob Weitering

2: Brisbane, Josh Schache

3: Sydney matches bid, Callum Mills*

4: Melbourne, Charlie Curnow

5: GWS Giants match bid, Jacob Hopper*

6: Essendon, Darcy Parish

7: Essendon, Sam Weideman

8: Gold Coast, Clayton Oliver

9: GWS Giants match bid, Matthew Kennedy*

10: Melbourne, Kieran Collins

11: Carlton, Harry McKay

12: Brisbane matches bid, Eric Hipwood*

13: Adelaide, Wayne Milera

14: Carlton, Aaron Francis

15: Richmond, Callum Ah Chee

16: Adelaide, Ben McKay

17: St Kilda, Rhys Mathieson

18: Hawthorn, Riley Bonner

19: Brisbane matches bid, Ben Keays*

20: Gold Coast, Ryan Clarke

* academy selections

I don't know how much credibility Anderson has but I'd be a bit disappointed if we went with those selections.

I don't know how much credibility Anderson has but I'd be a bit disappointed if we went with those selections.

Me too personally DD. And on what I've seen of the two (as I say elsewhere that's a lot less than the recruiters) I struggle to work out why we would go to the cost of securing pick 3 to take Curnow over Parish.

In the same edition of Inside Football and in different articles, the Geelong Falcons' coach, Andy Althorpe and regional manager, Michael Turner are both quoted as describing Parish as their team's best player. In other words, they put him ahead of Curnow who was injured and missed the Australian championships this year. When he came back later in the season, I don't think he did anything special and he was unremarkable in the losing semi final I attended at Princes Park.

I can understand us making sacrifices to get pick 3 in order to select Parish but it's not cut and dried that Curnow would not have been available to us had we kept 6 and nor is it any certainty that he won't be there at 7 anyway.

If I'm wrong, it's because I haven't seen enough in Curnow that would place him ahead of a two time All Australian who also promises to bring to the table some of the things we're lacking in at the moment.

The club obviously knows who they want and why, while we have all sorts of people saying Parish is one of the top 3, we have heard that far too often about top 10 picks we have taken that have failed. While some will say we did not develop them I say that maybe part of the problem but picking the right players means they come in straight away and have an impact not sitting in the 2's learning what they should already know or trying to bulk up, run faster or improve eisewhere. We need players who can come in quickly and start having an impact.

Parish is a lot leaner than I think Roos and co want they may not want to take a chance, cause the step up to AFL will test him. If we have our eye on a specific player there is obviously a chance that others would have too, so getting the 3rd pick locks us to get him. Pick seven is a bit more open but I think most agree we need more tall forwards to help Hoges, if none measure up to the standard we want then we will probably go for another mid/half forward. All in all I am pretty damn happy with this years drafting and expect to be even happier when all said and done. Looking forward (as always at this time of year) to watching the dees next year.

Inside Football's Brett Anderson has been a consistent proponent of Charlie Curnow as Melbourne's first pick and he has Kieren Collins down for the second at 10 after three academy players are taken under the bidding system. Here's the top 20 from this week's special draft edition of IF:-

1: Carlton, Jacob Weitering

2: Brisbane, Josh Schache

3: Sydney matches bid, Callum Mills*

4: Melbourne, Charlie Curnow

5: GWS Giants match bid, Jacob Hopper*

6: Essendon, Darcy Parish

7: Essendon, Sam Weideman

8: Gold Coast, Clayton Oliver

9: GWS Giants match bid, Matthew Kennedy*

10: Melbourne, Kieran Collins

11: Carlton, Harry McKay

12: Brisbane matches bid, Eric Hipwood*

13: Adelaide, Wayne Milera

14: Carlton, Aaron Francis

15: Richmond, Callum Ah Chee

16: Adelaide, Ben McKay

17: St Kilda, Rhys Mathieson

18: Hawthorn, Riley Bonner

19: Brisbane matches bid, Ben Keays*

20: Gold Coast, Ryan Clarke

* academy selections

If we are going to overlook Parish at 3, I would think we would get Weideman ahead of Curnow.

Weideman is 198cm which will complement our forward line a lot more as a CHF/Ruck role which we need.

This guy's crazy!

I doubt we will take two talls. One will do. Saints ignored claims that Petracca could be a once in a generation player last year. So talls are preferred when available now. They are so darn hard to get and costly if you have to poach one.

Once in a Generation player?

If Petracca doesn't deliver then his going to end up in the whipping boy bin with Watts!

Had a listen to the Alex Neal-Bullen interview, having read the transcript earlier. This in itself is quite sad. And I've stated earlier, I rate him. You could make the case that we have previously recruited footballers who are also 'good citizens'. ANB, however, comes across as a young bloke who wants to be part of something special and will do whatever it takes to make it happen. Big difference. He's a part of what I see as a group of young players with a pack mentality (that's what will move the club forward imo) Notwithstanding the physical attributes, I'm hoping whoever we recruit has the same mentality and gets on board with the likes of Viney, Stretch, Hogan and Salem. Probably, that's why I'm wanting Parish. My gut feel is that he plays like he doesn't expect to lose.

Once in a Generation player?

If Petracca doesn't deliver then his going to end up in the whipping boy bin with Watts!

The only way Petracca will be a bust is through injury. I can only assume you've had no exposure to him at all to even suggest he could be a Watts or a whipping boy.

It was sugested to me this morning that the only reason we might not take Parish is that we know we'll be getting Prestia in 12 months time and want to make certain of Curnow.

It's all very exciting, but I just hope we don't fall into the trap of drafting for need. The pundits seem to be under the impression that we'll be going tall this year with at least one of our picks - the same chatter that was doing the rounds in 2010. That year we had our eyes fixed on Tom Lynch, who was taken one before our pick. When we lost him we moved to the next best available TALL, rather than next best available player... Lucas Cook.

We're all licking our lips at the prospect of either Weideman, Curnow or McKay (and now seemingly Collins), and I'm fine with that, as long as they are the best available PLAYERS available at those picks.

FWIW I don't believe that Curnow or Weideman will make it through to our pick at 7, however I haven't seen or heard anything that proves to me that either of them is a better footballer than Parish.