Jump to content

Aaron Francis

Mister Ed
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

 

Couldn't get around the pay wall, but he's obviously been through a bit the poor kid!

Very talented prospect. I suspect (and hope) that Gold Coast take him at Pick 3 in order to help Curnow fall to us at Pick 6.

  • Quote
    •  

    He seems an interesting character and an interesting, dynamic player.

    Combined with Howe's likely departure, If the article about Salem moving to the midfield has any real weight then adding Francis to the backline becomes more and more sensible.

    Would be a good match if he was still available at our first pick.

  • Quote

    Be a great coup if he slips through to pick 6 (& we haven't traded it)!

    Check out the two links below:

    http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/south-australias-aaron-francis-looms-as-smoky-to-be-taken-at-pick-no-1-at-the-national-draft/story-e6frf3e3-1227510627221

    http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-11/u18s-draft-bolter-dominating-at-both-ends

  • Quote

    Pass. I can see him sliding well down in the draft. After the hype of being a draft bolter, he was ordinary against Vic Metro. He's not a midfielder, and he's not a key position player. He's plays a role as a 3rd tall backman, and that's not a high priority for us.

  • Quote

    Pass. I can see him sliding well down in the draft. After the hype of being a draft bolter, he was ordinary against Vic Metro. He's not a midfielder, and he's not a key position player. He's plays a role as a 3rd tall backman, and that's not a high priority for us.

    Our current 3rd tall defender options are basically Lynden Dunn and Colin Garland.

    Neither are especially great and neither are especially young (28 and 27).

    We've got almost no coverage for them and the likely loss of Howe also opens up a tall defender/utility role that Francis would likely fill to a much better standard anyway.

    In a draft that I'm mostly not excited about, Francis seems one of the more interesting and suitable options.

  • Quote

    Pass. I can see him sliding well down in the draft. After the hype of being a draft bolter, he was ordinary against Vic Metro. He's not a midfielder, and he's not a key position player. He's plays a role as a 3rd tall backman, and that's not a high priority for us.

    I think he'll eventually make it as a forward. But if he can play midfield, then it adds another string to his bow. You say he is not a midfielder and not a key position player, a lot of people were saying the same thing about Bontempelli. Francis is more athletic than Bontempelli, and he is better overhead.

  • Quote
    •  

    Need him taken before our pick to give us the best chance of getting the one we need, Charlie Curnow

  • Quote

    I think he'll eventually make it as a forward. But if he can play midfield, then it adds another string to his bow. You say he is not a midfielder and not a key position player, a lot of people were saying the same thing about Bontempelli. Francis is more athletic than Bontempelli, and he is better overhead.

    Every highlight of Francis was of him taking a mark with no body pressure. I'll give him credit for his ability to read the ball, but he's not going to get that luxury in the AFL. If we're after a midfielder, I'm not interested in someone who doesn't play as a midfielder as a junior.

    As a junior, Bontempelli was far more of an athletic beast than Francis, and that has translated at AFL level. Francis may well become a good AFL player, but I think we should be going for a genuine mid.

  • Quote

    I believe Carlton wanted to let Kreuzer go if they got pick 2, to use on Francis.

  • Quote

    On the limited amount I have seen him reminds me of Michael Hurley.

    Bit of a hybrid of he and Brendan Goddard.

  • Quote

    Those suggesting that he is not a midfielder should have a look at the successful midfields at the moment. They all boast some large mids who didn't necessarily begin their careers in the middle. Francis appears to have great strength and power in the legs and hips and wins many one on ones with his balance and power. We are in real need of this. It's like the opposite of Watts, who has the skills with hands and feet but doesn't have the core strength to win those one on one duels. he has genuine footy smarts as well.

  • Quote

    The reality is we're not likely going to have the opportunity to take him over Curnow with pick 6, less so if we happen to trade that choice away.

    Of course, but hypothetically speaking if we had the choice I'd be picking Francis.

  • Quote
    • 2 weeks later...

    I'm betting that Francis slides past our pick 6.

    I don't like betting on sliders but I agree with stmj on Francis and obtaining pick 3 for someone like Curnow or Francis would be a good choice.

  • Quote

    I don't like betting on sliders but I agree with stmj on Francis and obtaining pick 3 for someone like Curnow or Francis would be a good choice.

    With picks 3 & 7, let's hope we draft both!

  • Quote

    If he can't play as a big mid fielder, then he's undersized. Get a pure mid or key position size forward.

  • Quote
    •  

    My only query is that we may be looking for someone taller ,to be a pure second forward and help out with the Ruck duties.

  • Quote

    According to the age today the chance of a first round pick exceeding the games played by chris yarran are 11per cent

    A general argument on the variable results of first round picks vs established players

    Looked at games played for first rounders since 1998 I think

  • Quote

    • Archived

    This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • NON-MFC: Round 15

      As the Demons head into their Bye Round, it's time to turn our attention to the other matches being played. Which teams are you tipping this week? And which results would be most favourable for the Demons if we can manage to turn our season around? Follow all the non-Melbourne games here and join the conversation as the ladder continues to take shape.

      • 276 replies
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Port Adelaide

      Of course, it’s not the backline, you might argue and you would probably be right. It’s the boot studder (do they still have them?), the midfield, the recruiting staff, the forward line, the kicking coach, the Board, the interchange bench, the supporters, the folk at Casey, the head coach and the club psychologist  It’s all of them and all of us for having expectations that were sufficiently high to have believed three weeks ago that a restoration of the Melbourne team to a position where we might still be in contention for a finals berth when the time for the midseason bye arrived. Now let’s look at what happened over the period of time since Melbourne overwhelmed the Sydney Swans at the MCG in late May when it kicked 8.2 to 5.3 in the final quarter (and that was after scoring 3.8 to two straight goals in the second term). 

      • 3 replies
      Demonland

    • CASEY: Essendon

      Casey’s unbeaten run was extended for at least another fortnight after the Demons overran a persistent Essendon line up by 29 points at ETU Stadium in Port Melbourne last night. After conceding the first goal of the evening, Casey went on a scoring spree from about ten minutes in, with five unanswered majors with its fleet of midsized runners headed by the much improved Paddy Cross who kicked two in quick succession and livewire Ricky Mentha who also kicked an early goal. Leading the charge was recruit of the year, Riley Bonner while Bailey Laurie continued his impressive vein of form. With Tom Campbell missing from the lineup, Will Verrall stepped up to the plate demonstrating his improvement under the veteran ruckman’s tutelage. The Demons were looking comfortable for much of the second quarter and held a 25-point lead until the Bombers struck back with two goals in the shadows of half time. On the other side of the main break their revival continued with first three goals of the half. Harry Sharp, who had been quiet scrambled in the Demons’ first score of the third term to bring the margin back to a single point at the 17 minute mark and the game became an arm-wrestle for the remainder of the quarter and into the final moments of the last.

      • 0 replies
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Gold Coast

      The Demons have the Bye next week but then are on the road once again when they come up against the Gold Coast Suns on the Gold Coast in what could be a last ditch effort to salvage their season. Who comes in and who comes out?

        • Haha
      • 120 replies
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: Port Adelaide

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 16th June @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect the Dees disappointing loss to the Power.
      Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.
      Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

        • Like
      • 33 replies
      Demonland

    • POSTGAME: Port Adelaide

      The Demons simply did not take their opportunities when they presented themselves and ultimately when down by 25 points effectively ending their finals chances. Goal kicking practice during the Bye?

        • Like
      • 252 replies
      Demonland
    View All