NATIONAL DRAFT PICKS 3 & 7

[What 18,810]

Surely we won't pass in a tough inside midfielder whose built like a bull, is named Ollie and from Echuca again.

Maybe not

All I know is there isnt a particular player I am in love with inside the top 10. I have full faith in Jason Taylor and his crew to nail both picks and thats all that matters.

[mjcl9 10]

Why else trade up to pick 3 if not to get Parish?

Whether we traded up or kept our original picks we probably would have a 50/50 chance that one of Curnow or Weideman would get past Essendon, but there's zero chance of Parish getting through.

[olisik 4,060]

And pick 7 to get ahead of Carlton to draft Oliver

[dazzledavey36 49,576]

And pick 7 to get ahead of Carlton to draft Oliver

Your going to be seriously disappointed when Oliver isn't selected at pick 7.

[olisik 4,060]

Your going to be seriously disappointed when Oliver isn't selected at pick 7.

Will be Toumpas debacle all over again.

[dazzledavey36 49,576]

Will be Toumpas debacle all over again.

Well thats a bit of a stretch though.. if we pick a player at pick 7 and he turns out to be a star and Oliver just a good honest footballer?

The reason why we wont pick Oliver is the the exact comment i made about Mathieson. We have a plethora of inside mids already in Vince Jones Tyson Viney Vandenberg Brayshaw Salem ANB. Plus waiting in the wings is Petracca and Trengove also.

With Parish probably a monty for pick 3 its a no brainer because he will add the outside class that we desperately lack. And with Toumpas being a fail this leaves us with Billy Stretch Matt Jones Salem Vince and thats about who i can think off. Parish will compliment those inside on ballers. Also take into consideration that the possible chance of getting Dion Prestia next year who is another powerful inside midfielder.

With pick 7 i think we will go tall with Weideman Curnow or possibly even Collins. Then again we might go for the class of Darcy Tucker who is a half back wingman type similar to Salem.

[KingDingAling 3,656]

Will be Toumpas debacle all over again.

Nah, that would take a bit. I didn't have Toumpas in my top 20 that year, I can't see us stuffing up this pick, at least not to that extent.

[Whispering_Jack 28,096]

Refreshing having someone agree with me. Do you think Oliver could get a look in at 7 too?

I agree with Parish/Mathieson double however would also be happy with Oliver. Don't understand the hype around Curnow.

Consistency is the key.

Oliver was really impressive in the last half of the season so he will definitely be looked at closely but if consistency is really the key, can you go past a dual AA midfielder who is a real midfield extractor?

[Mad_Melbourne 872]

Nah, that would take a bit. I didn't have Toumpas in my top 20 that year, I can't see us stuffing up this pick, at least not to that extent.

regardless of your top 20 and how you made the right call on Toumpas, he was definitely considered a top 10 prospect at the very worst, and was not a surprise pick up. Jordie Gysberts on the other hand was one from left field, "a clearance machine" with the new age prototype for height, just had the inability to try in the gym and on the track.

i am just hoping we call Parish with the first pick and then take the next available, hopefully Curnow as i dont think much of the other one

[Axis of Bob 10,432]

Just watching the Country v Metro match, the thing to note with Parish, his 'point of difference' or whatever you want to call it, is that he makes good decisions incredibly quickly and he just doesn't fumble.

One of the reasons why Toumpas struggled is that he struggled to find space with the extra pace of AFL and got stuck with the footy. Parish, on the other hand, is just so quick with his decisions that he gets the ball and finds a great option before anyone has time to tackle him. It's an underrated skill, but is very important at AFL level, especially when he can also be very creative at that speed.

A bit like a rich man's AN-B.

[Ted Lasso 17,200]

Just watching the Country v Metro match, the thing to note with Parish, his 'point of difference' or whatever you want to call it, is that he makes good decisions incredibly quickly and he just doesn't fumble.

One of the reasons why Toumpas struggled is that he struggled to find space with the extra pace of AFL and got stuck with the footy. Parish, on the other hand, is just so quick with his decisions that he gets the ball and finds a great option before anyone has time to tackle him. It's an underrated skill, but is very important at AFL level, especially when he can also be very creative at that speed.

A bit like a rich man's AN-B.

Jesse Hogan is going to love him delivering the ball inside 50...

[KingDingAling 3,656]

regardless of your top 20 and how you made the right call on Toumpas, he was definitely considered a top 10 prospect at the very worst, and was not a surprise pick up. Jordie Gysberts on the other hand was one from left field, "a clearance machine" with the new age prototype for height, just had the inability to try in the gym and on the track.

i am just hoping we call Parish with the first pick and then take the next available, hopefully Curnow as i dont think much of the other one

The other one?

[Mad_Melbourne 872]

The other one?

Sam Wiedeman, I think he is a bit like Tom Boyd, who I also think has too little athleticism to develop into anything more than a solid bit part player. Also like the fact curnow runs a 14 beep. Especially with the fact they are cutting rotations.

[Bang Bang Bang 5,574]

Nah, that would take a bit. I didn't have Toumpas in my top 20 that year, I can't see us stuffing up this pick, at least not to that extent.

I'd like to see proof of that. Most media types and the pseudo experts on the internet had him as the consensus #2 pick for most of the year.

[P-man 13,285]

Just watching the Country v Metro match, the thing to note with Parish, his 'point of difference' or whatever you want to call it, is that he makes good decisions incredibly quickly and he just doesn't fumble.

One of the reasons why Toumpas struggled is that he struggled to find space with the extra pace of AFL and got stuck with the footy. Parish, on the other hand, is just so quick with his decisions that he gets the ball and finds a great option before anyone has time to tackle him. It's an underrated skill, but is very important at AFL level, especially when he can also be very creative at that speed.

A bit like a rich man's AN-B.

Selling him well. I think it might have been Healy who said the first thing to look at in a junior player to determine whether they will make it or not is how often they fumble the ball.

Look at Brayshaw as a prime example. Hardly ever fumbles.

[olisik 4,060]

I think Gc will take Mathieson. They down traded their pick like we did with Salem as they know their man will be available at 6. This would also mean that they may have even indicated to us who they plan on taking.

Gc could do with some inside mids and he fits the bill for them.

He will be there at 6, but not at 10. (And 3 is to high to take him anyway)

[deelusions from afar 1,620]

Multiple draft threads but thought this fits best here.

Obviously hard to pick how a player will develop when they're 17-18. It's interesting hearing that people think the likes of Curnow or Francis could develop into a tall midfielder (a la Fyfe). Thought it might be interesting to compare what people were saying about Fyfe around this time of his draft year. For those of you that remember, it was a bit of a surprise Freo taking him as early as 20 - some suggesting young ruck / forward prospects Gawn and Fitzpatrick were on their radar and of course we'd just got Tapscott at 18!

From Quigley on Big Footy - http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/2009-big-footy-official-phantom-draft-the-real-deal-selections-only-thread.649044/page-2

Nat Fyfe (Claremont, WA)
Height: 187.4cm, Weight: 75.1kg, DOB: 18/09/91

This guy is one of Irel’s favourites and as he is usually pretty close to the money in regards to the WA boys I have taken a good close look at him and think as usual he might be onto a winner. Taylor has been the one who has been exciting a lot of people whose teams are picking around here but the one I think they should be looking to as the medium forward with X factor is Fyfe. He has variously been compared to Steve Johnson and Brett Burton and there are definite similarities there to both. Fyfe will play as forward in the AFL either in a pocket or more likely as a half forward. For his size he is probably the best mark available in this draft. He has a very nice leap and when he gets his hands on the ball it usually sticks. Like Johnson he does not have top shelf speed (he tested pretty ordinary in this respect at Camp) but has very good endurance for a half forward and will often try and run his opposition player into the ground working up onto the wings. He also reads the game exceptionally well and despite lacking a little pace he gets to the right spots at the right times and a step ahead of his opposition. He can do some very clever things when he gets the ball and whilst they often come off there are times when he is left looking a bit silly. Still at this stage I would not be trying to stifle his creativity and would be encouraging him to practice these things. If you want amazing you have to practice it and this kid, like Taylor, can do things around goal that set them apart from anyone else in this draft. He has a great awareness of where the goals are and unlike Taylor he is actually a good shot for goal. Whilst Taylor will frustrate supporters with his inconsistency in front of goals and missing the easy ones Fyfe should just keep converting. He is not an elite kick around the ground but he consistently hits his targets. Fyfe is a one touch player when the ball hits the deck and he has good hands to set up others when he has to. At Camp he had a bit of a mixed bag and the biggest surprise for me was how poorly he tested for agility. On the park he looks pretty agile but he didn’t test that way for some reason. He improved a great deal this year and his potential to continue to improve is there for all to see. At present I think the biggest issue for him is to find ways to get more of the ball. He is a low possession winner at present and whilst he still has an influence on the game his endurance should allow him to get more of it than he currently does. He did some very nice things at the Champs for WA and in the WAFL colts he had some very big games including one where he picked up 8 goals from 16 marks.

From AFL draft info - http://afldraftinfo.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/nat-fyfe-claremontwa-draft-profile.html

Nat Fyfe (Claremont/WA) - Draft Profile

Height: 187cm

Weight: 75kg (very low skinfolds)

Preferred foot: Right

Position: FP/HFF

Potential: 6.5-8/10

Strengths

> Very smooth natural forward player with very good-uncanny goal sense and play reading ability - can play in a pocket as a 3rd tall marking target or in a ball winning, roaming high HFF roaming role - has some flair/X-factor about him, can get ball to boot quickly and capable of slotting them from most angles inside 50m and also capable of bringing teammates into the game

> Good leap - at a couple of cm reach advantage for his height

> Strong OH mark for his size

> Neat field kick over short-medium range

> Good recovery from marking contests – follows up quickly at ground level

> Very good running capacity (didn’t show at U18 championships level due to the roles he was given)

Weaknesses

> Slim build and lacks body on body strength/balance in 1-1 duels – there may be some concerns about his ability to bulk up

Other

> Hands seem somewhat inconsistent at ground level - at times prone to fumbling some he should take with relative ease

> Only OK pace and evasiveness at best – he plays quicker than he is due to his sharp football brain – pace should improve somewhat with added strength

> He can play as a 3^rd tall forward deep very effectively and has played very effectively in a roaming high half forward role at colts, but not enough strength/power for midfield and probably not enough pace/penetration in his game for wing or HBF role

> For such a slightly built player he isn't afraid of putting his head over the football

> Capable of providing reasonable defensive pressure, but needs to do so more consistently

> Good championships primarily as a FP/3rd tall after not being selected for the first game - 9 goals from 4 games - excellent post championships form at WAFL colts including finals series and deserved (but didn't get) BOG in the colts GF IMO - WAFL colts TOTY FP

Overall

Fyfe is a very clever 3^rd tall forward prospect who has had a very good year and shown rapid improvement throughout. He could potentially be the icing on the cake for an already well structured forward line. He’s worth a mid 2^nd round to mid 3^rd round pick IMO

It's funny reading some of his weaknesses back then knowing what he's become eg tendency to fumble, concern about ability to bulk up, does not win many possessions etc and his potential was rated as "6-8.5 out of 10" (love to see the player with potential of 9.5!)

[RalphiusMaximus 5,994]

Multiple draft threads but thought this fits best here.

Obviously hard to pick how a player will develop when they're 17-18. It's interesting hearing that people think the likes of Curnow or Francis could develop into a tall midfielder (a la Fyfe). Thought it might be interesting to compare what people were saying about Fyfe around this time of his draft year. For those of you that remember, it was a bit of a surprise Freo taking him as early as 20 - some suggesting young ruck / forward prospects Gawn and Fitzpatrick were on their radar and of course we'd just got Tapscott at 18!

From Quigley on Big Footy - http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/2009-big-footy-official-phantom-draft-the-real-deal-selections-only-thread.649044/page-2

From AFL draft info - http://afldraftinfo.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/nat-fyfe-claremontwa-draft-profile.html

It's funny reading some of his weaknesses back then knowing what he's become eg tendency to fumble, concern about ability to bulk up, does not win many possessions etc and his potential was rated as "6-8.5 out of 10" (love to see the player with potential of 9.5!)

Freo's recruiters had him in their top 5. They had to argue with the coach and admin to take him when they did.

[KingDingAling 3,656]

I'd like to see proof of that. Most media types and the pseudo experts on the internet had him as the consensus #2 pick for most of the year.

Yeah I think I was just exaggerating, I would've had Toumpas top 5 at times that year. Wines was a standout, the rest was a bit of a raffle.

[Fitz Fitzpatrick 886]

Whitfield was the standout. Wines was NOT a standout. He was considered blue collar , skill wise, with the main concern that his large frame had enabled him to excel against smaller kids and that advantage would disappear at AFL level.

I would hate this forum to be charged with writing Australian history. The rewriting of player facts on here is extrordinary

[KingDingAling 3,656]

Whitfield was the standout. Wines was NOT a standout. He was considered blue collar , skill wise, with the main concern that his large frame had enabled him to excel against smaller kids and that advantage would disappear at AFL level.

I would hate this forum to be charged with writing Australian history. The rewriting of player facts on here is extrordinary

IMO Wines was a standout, in yours Whitfield was. No big deal. I wrote my opinion at the time, I am not re-writing history, just rehashing my views.

[Demon Disciple 11,149]

IMO Wines was a standout, in yours Whitfield was. No big deal. I wrote my opinion at the time, I am not re-writing history, just rehashing my views.

You must have written such opinions under a different name, given that your current account has been active since December 2013. Toumpas was drafted in November 2012 (13 months before you signed up in your current form).

[KingDingAling 3,656]

You must have written such opinions under a different name, given that your current account has been active since December 2013. Toumpas was drafted in November 2012 (13 months before you signed up in your current form).

Same name, different account, the old KingDingAling copped a ban at some point.

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

Selling him well. I think it might have been Healy who said the first thing to look at in a junior player to determine whether they will make it or not is how often they fumble the ball.

Look at Brayshaw as a prime example. Hardly ever fumbles.

I've heard Roos state many times that:

- he loves players with clean hands; and

- he hates players who fumble whom he calls 'coach killers' as they become turnover machines.

[Whispering_Jack 28,096]

Just watching the Country v Metro match, the thing to note with Parish, his 'point of difference' or whatever you want to call it, is that he makes good decisions incredibly quickly and he just doesn't fumble.

One of the reasons why Toumpas struggled is that he struggled to find space with the extra pace of AFL and got stuck with the footy. Parish, on the other hand, is just so quick with his decisions that he gets the ball and finds a great option before anyone has time to tackle him. It's an underrated skill, but is very important at AFL level, especially when he can also be very creative at that speed.

A bit like a rich man's AN-B.

That's a fair summation of the "point of difference" between Parish as a junior and the player Toumpas turned out to be at Melbourne but what concerns me is that if we draft Parish, will we be able to successfully ensure his transition from a "jet" at junior level to an elite player in the AFL?

There are no guarantees but the set up at the club under Paul Roos and the system of development with both coaching and fitness gives me some comfort.

Kevin "Shifter" Sheahan said about Parish that he's the "jet" of this year's draft pool and that in most years there are only one or two such players.

My concern is that in the past we have drafted "jets" but routinely failed the transition process. You can put all of Johnstone, Sylvia, Watts, Scully and Toumpas in that category - for one reason or another be it their temperament, ego, injuries and our own lack of ability, personnel or facilities and the club environment, we never got the best out of them.

Since the arrival of Roos and subsequently McCartney, we appear to be on the path to getting it right which means that whoever we take, the mistakes of the past are less likely to be repeated. Players like Hogan, Salem and Brayshaw are already the beneficiaries, hopefully Petracca, Stretch, Parish and a few others will be added to that list in the very near future.