Aaron Francis

[jackaub 1,402]

Curnow at 3 and Francis at 7 Its possible?

[M C 221]

Curnow at 3 and Francis at 7 Its possible?

No chance

[btdemon 475]

I know its a highlights package but have a look at this kid. Huge legs and hips, good hands, good pace great kick and appears to be a natural attacking footballer. Strong over the ball and hard to bring down. Does that ring a bell? Whether he ends up a forward or defender, who can tell, but he seems to have an attacking instinct. I love the look of him.

Each of the picks we are looking at has a flaw. Parish is smallish and his kicking doesn't look brilliant, but he is touted as a good user. Curnow is an unknown quantity. Weideman looks good but may be a bit one dimensional (there don't seem to be any highlights package to view). Matheison's kicking is really sus. He is a definite goer but lacks polish and I think we have enough of that type.

I will be rapt if we pick up Francis but I also acknowledge that he is not the tall forward foil for Hogan or a genuine mid (I could be wrong). Whether he is exactly the player we need at the moment, I don't know but I just think he looks like a super footballer and it is hard to go past that.

[Alcho Dee 269]

Apparently he is an Essendon supporter and they want him, but they are hoping we don't take him with our pick 3. I hope we don't take him, would much prefer Curnow or Parish at pick 3.

[leucopogon 1,468]

Someone better post a decent parish highlights video soon or this forum will spend the next month in purgatory. Everything I've seen of Parish is bog ordinary and he looks like an undergrown weed. These Francis highlights are epic in comparison. The kid Milera looks pretty exciting to my eye. Great pace super slick hands in traffic and decent evasive skills. Looks like the second coming of Stephen Hill.

[Neitz the Great 525]

Great video on afl.com of Aaron

Sounds like a really mature bloke

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-10-25/draft-trumps-aaron-francis

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,157]

Someone better post a decent parish highlights video soon or this forum will spend the next month in purgatory. Everything I've seen of Parish is bog ordinary and he looks like an undergrown weed. These Francis highlights are epic in comparison. The kid Milera looks pretty exciting to my eye. Great pace super slick hands in traffic and decent evasive skills. Looks like the second coming of Stephen Hill.

The AFL stagger the release of these updates, building towards the Draft.

A decent highlights package for Brayshaw didn't appear until the week of the draft last year. All the ones that were released before then were pretty ordinary looking.

[rpfc 27,482]

Great video on afl.com of Aaron

Sounds like a really mature bloke

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-10-25/draft-trumps-aaron-francis

Yes, he does, but he thinks his best spot is third tall in the backline - reaching for the stars their Aaron...

He has the size to be a damaging mid, but does he have the brains?

You can't just 'plug and play' like we didn't do with Daniel Bell.

[ILLDieADemon 804]

I think defenders are a lot easier to manufacture then Forwards.

We need to draft a quality CHF not a defender who can play forward, our whole back line is full of those type of players.

Not to say this guy can't play or won't be a good edition to out team, I just hope we pick a Key CHF to develop with Hogen.

[DeeSpencer 23,156]

Yes, he does, but he thinks his best spot is third tall in the backline - reaching for the stars their Aaron...

He has the size to be a damaging mid, but does he have the brains?

You can't just 'plug and play' like we didn't do with Daniel Bell.

He mentions his versatility and compares himself to Hodge. But there's nothing wrong with being realistic about where you'll start your career and what your skill set is.

He looks like a 3rd tall intercept defender to me. And his midfield potential is certainly up for debate but that's what development is for. But no matter what pick he is taken at if he has career like Josh Gibson as an intercept defender capable of playing on a man one week and rebounding with 25 touches and plenty of intercept marks then he'll be a great pick up.

No one is ever plug and play but I'd imagine if he had a good run with injury that Francis would be good for at least 10 games at half back next year.

[Spin-it-to-Goodwin-it 579]

Someone better post a decent parish highlights video soon or this forum will spend the next month in purgatory. Everything I've seen of Parish is bog ordinary and he looks like an undergrown weed. These Francis highlights are epic in comparison. The kid Milera looks pretty exciting to my eye. Great pace super slick hands in traffic and decent evasive skills. Looks like the second coming of Stephen Hill.

I'd post a video of Parish but I'm too scared that Carlton or Brisbane might see it and change their minds. He is super impressive and his stature in no way represents how much of a competitor he is. Super skilled, great awareness and just wills himself upon the contest relentlessly.

He's got the heart of a lion and the mane to match - Only downside is I hear female lions prefer darker manes.

[monoccular 16,094]

191cm, 90kgm.

Where would he fit?

Mid? Not a KPP defender or forward.

Looks on his highlight clip to be a footballer who knows the game and can and will compete.

[sydneydee 647]

I'd post a video of Parish but I'm too scared that Carlton or Brisbane might see it and change their minds. He is super impressive and his stature in no way represents how much of a competitor he is. Super skilled, great awareness and just wills himself upon the contest relentlessly.

He's got the heart of a lion and the mane to match - Only downside is I hear female lions prefer darker manes.

I'm not sold on him yet so would love to see some footage to get me excited about a small mid.

[Vanilla Gorilla 204]

This kid looks like he has the potential to be David Mundy 2.0.

Parish at 3, Francis at 7 would be dandy.

[mo64 5,209]

This kid looks like he has the potential to be David Mundy 2.0.

Parish at 3, Francis at 7 would be dandy.

I thought the same thing. Maybe a cross between Mundy and Rory Sloane. His kicking looks a bit average, and that was the knock on Sloane.

[H_T 2,941]

This kid looks like he has the potential to be David Mundy 2.0.

Parish at 3, Francis at 7 would be dandy.

Looks ok at TAC level, good mark on him. His build is interesting, looks to have a solid frame. I don't see much of Mundy in him tbh. Mundy can run all day through the middle, not sure this bloke can, but who knows. Looks more comfortable in contests up forward or down back. Doesn't look too polished on his left from limited footage.

[dazzledavey36 48,817]

Looks ok at TAC level, good mark on him. His build is interesting, looks to have a solid frame. I don't see much of Mundy in him tbh. Mundy can run all day through the middle, not sure this bloke can, but who knows. Looks more comfortable in contests up forward or down back. Doesn't look too polished on his left from limited footage.

Tac cup level? You talking about Francis or Clayton Oliver?

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

I don't wish to compare him to a player like Fyfe but for those questioning his height and therefore his position, I'd like to point out that Fyfe in his draft year was predominately a forward and was a similar height.

The difference with Francis is that he has played midfield through the champs.

He also looks to be a really natural footballer. Similarly is an aerial specialist to Fyfe and is really competitive and is a great contested player.

I want us to take him at 4 as I think he's such a point of difference and looks like such a well rounded player.

[mauriesy 6,807]

Jack Darling is 191/87. He goes all right as a forward. Better than Lucas Cook anyway.

[mo64 5,209]

I don't wish to compare him to a player like Fyfe but for those questioning his height and therefore his position, I'd like to point out that Fyfe in his draft year was predominately a forward and was a similar height.

The difference with Francis is that he has played midfield through the champs.

He also looks to be a really natural footballer. Similarly is an aerial specialist to Fyfe and is really competitive and is a great contested player.

I want us to take him at 4 as I think he's such a point of difference and looks like such a well rounded player.

That's a significant difference. The fact that he sees himself as a 3rd tall backman is a red flag if we're after a midfielder. He's a Brendan Goddard type, and Goddard has never really settled into a position.

[Bay Riffin 1,419]

Looks ok at TAC level, good mark on him. His build is interesting, looks to have a solid frame. I don't see much of Mundy in him tbh. Mundy can run all day through the middle, not sure this bloke can, but who knows. Looks more comfortable in contests up forward or down back. Doesn't look too polished on his left from limited footage.

his highlights package looks very similari to Nath Fyfe at the same age. i.e taking high marks, some contests. gut feel is he looks like a competitor.

[mo64 5,209]

Looks ok at TAC level, good mark on him. His build is interesting, looks to have a solid frame. I don't see much of Mundy in him tbh. Mundy can run all day through the middle, not sure this bloke can, but who knows. Looks more comfortable in contests up forward or down back. Doesn't look too polished on his left from limited footage.

Talking about Parish, not Francis.

[Members' Wing 1,106]

Talking about Parish, not Francis.

The description of the player he gave couldn't possibly have been about Parish

[H_T 2,941]

Tac cup level? You talking about Francis or Clayton Oliver?

For Sth Aust/West Adelaide sorry, Francis I'm talking about.

Would be very happy with a return of Parish & Francis for picks 3 and 7.

Talking about Parish, not Francis.

Ok.

One thing that strikes me as having viewed AFL .com and his interview, is the way he presents ~ character. This kid will work hard and leave no stone unturned in getting the best out of himself. He seems the determined kind, honest, grounded and if we drafted him, he would be the type that would stay too IMO.

[Frank Grimes 121]

One thing that strikes me as having viewed AFL .com and his interview, is the way he presents ~ character. This kid will work hard and leave no stone unturned in getting the best out of himself. He seems the determined kind, honest, grounded and if we drafted him, he would be the type that would stay too IMO.

He certainly fits our philosophy of creating a team of highly competitive players. If it wasn't for all the rumors surrounding us and Parish, I would very much believe that we would be taking Francis based on our passed drafting and recruitment. Especially when you combine this with Roos love of big-bodied mids, which I think Francis could easily turn into.