THE DRAFT TOP 50

[Demonland 66,977]

Demonlander Melon 22 has been studying the pool of draft prospects throughout 2006. He's been to the National Under 18 Championships, watched countless TAC Cup games and viewed games from interstate to bring you -

THE DRAFT TOP 50 by Melon 22

Firstly, I want to clarify that this is not a mock draft. I take no consideration for what club has which pick; the following is how I rank the players and is solely on my own opinion and not based on that I heard club A is interested in player B:-

1. Bryce GIBBS - SA/Glenelg Date of Birth 15/03/89 188cm 79kg

The hype is well deserved for Gibbs; he has outstanding skills and his football smarts for someone his age is quite unbelievable. Could just about play anywhere on the ground, has spent quite a bit of time on the half back line for both Glenelg and SA at the U/18 championships. The only doubt on Bryce is the fact he has been playing SANFL for 2 years and has less development left compared to other prospects his age, but he is already an outstanding player.

Bottom line: The most hyped draft prospect ever shouldn't disappoint.

2. Lachlan HANSEN - Vic C/Gippsland Power 17/08/88 195 92

Very mobile KPP with a big motor. Possesses tremendous speed and acceleration for someone of his size. Is a natural CHB who reads the play well and will zone off his direct opponent to be the third man up. Has immaculate timing on when to leave his opponents, when to punch or take a mark. He has a penetrating kick which is accurate as well as long. Decision making with the ball seems to be the area he needs to work on the most, tends to just blast away a bit too much.

Bottom line: Has all the tools to become a dominant AFL KPP.

3. Matthew LEUENBURGER - WA/East Perth 07/06/88 203 92

The Premier ruckman of this draft, probably the best U/18 ruckman for a few years. Shows great ruck technique for someone so young, very agile and has great burst of speed. Debuted in the WAFL a few weeks after the U/18 championships and dominated against much more experienced ruckman. He is not afraid to get stuck into the contests around the ground, but prefers to handball than to kick.

Bottom line: A very special ruck talent.

4. Mitchell THORP - TAS/Nth Bombers 25/12/88 195 85

A hard working CHF, who has the capacity to play in the midfield as a modern day ruck rover. Doesn't possess a lot of speed, but makes up for it as he seems to be willing run all day and run his opponents off their feet. Presents well at CHF and is a very good decision maker with the ball, has very good disposal.

Bottom line: CHF who mixes a great work rate with class and poise.

5. Joel SELWOOD - Vic C/Bendigo Pioneers 26/05/88 184 80

Inside midfielder who has fantastic vision and awareness in the packs. Has great balance and uses his strength well to distribute by hand from tight quarters. Lacks leg speed but more than makes up for it with footy smarts. He is an accurate kick without much penetration in his kicking. A natural leader, he captained the U/17 Australian touring side to Ireland.

Bottom line: Natural footballer with outstanding character.

6. Scott GUMBLETON - WA/Peel Thunder 03/08/88 197 92

Athletic CHB/CHF who possesses great marking ability and shows enormous courage in the marking contests. Doesn't have explosive pace off the mark, but does posses enough pace for someone his size to play KPP at AFL level and has very good endurance. It's his character and his work ethic that put him ahead of most.

Bottom line: A player who does most things very well, safe early pick.

7. James SELLAR - SA/Glenelg 24/3/89 195 92

Bottom aged KPP who had a disappointing U/18 championships when apparently suffering from a virus. Played ruck/KPP in the SANFL, but may struggle to play ruck in the AFL as he is undersized for a true ruckman. Has a very good kick and uses his leap too good effect to take contested marks. Has had very good season with Glenelg in the SANFL where he has kicked a few goals from CHF.

Bottom line: CHF/CHB possessing all the qualities to be a great AFL player.

8. Daniel CONNORS - Vic M/Bendigo Pioneers 22/09/88 184 74

Quick winger/HBF who loves to carry the ball and take on his opponents. Shows a real aggressive streak and doesn't mind putting his head over the ball. Has a spearing left foot which is usually very accurate but sometimes can slide off the boot. Has had temperate issue this year but his fire in the belly makes for an interesting type of player.

Bottom line: Unique blend of outside midfielder who loves the rough stuff.

9. Albert PROUD - QLD/Mt. Gravatt 06/09/88 179 80

Speedy midfielder who mixes great skill with a real aggression at the ball. He has a great left foot and has a good awareness in close quarters. Disappointing results at the draft camp might see him slide down the order but has done enough to be a high selection. He also has some temperament issues which might affect where he goes in the draft.

Bottom line: Great midfielder prospect who is comfortable in the packs as much as out.

10. Daniel O'KEEFE - Geelong Falcons 25/10/88 183 74

Fast and skillful midfielder who is capable of playing as rebounding defender. Really came on during the year and racked up the possessions playing off the half back line for the Falcons. Has a brilliant left foot which he is long and very accurate. Injured his knee in the TAC Cup finals series which didn't allow him to compete at draft camp.

Bottom line: Midfielder/defender with one of the best kicks in this year's draft.

11. Tom HISLOP - TAS/Burnie 07/06/88 185 85

Solid Inside midfielder who is more than capable of kicking goals as a key forward. Possesses tremendous strength but has a lot of guile and skill as well as a fantastic leap. Plays with an air of confidence where he tries to run over players instead of going around them.

Bottom line: Developed inside midfielder who is very aggressive at the ball.

12. Eric McKENZIE - WA/Claremont 28/07/88 195 91

Strong bodied FB/CHB who is able to shut down his direct opponent as well as helping the rest of the defense. His big kick usually finds its targets but he sometimes lacks a bit of composure with the ball. Not quick, but reads the play well enough to cover any shortfall in that area.

Bottom line: Good FB/CHB prospect.

13. Ben REID - Vic C/Murray Bushrangers 29/04/89 193 79

KPP who is fast and agile with a great long kick. Only makes the draft by a few days and has a lot of development left in him. He also grown a few cms during the year making him true KPP size. Can be erratic with decision making, but over time should improve in this area. Recorded a 2.93s 20 metre sprint time which is elite. Could be one of the value picks of this draft.

Bottom line: Bottom age KPP with a big upside to his game.

14. David ARMITAGE - QLD/Morningside 16/6/88 183 79

Inside midfielder who is as hard at the ball as they come. Had the best agility time at the draft had has decent pace and skills for an inside mid. Tends to bounce around the packs a bit which leaves him open to get injuries, this forced him to wear headgear in the U/18 carnival due to a head clash in a earlier lead up game.

Bottom line: Inside midfielder who loves the hard contest.

15. Kurt TIPPETT - QLD/Southport 08/05/87 200 98

A 19 year old convert from basketball who has only been playing football for a year or so. Has great mobility for someone his size and surprisingly has very good football instincts for a late convert to football. Has the ability to be a ruckman who moves into the forward line as he is a very good contested mark and set shot at goal.

Bottom line: Best Ruck/KPP combination player in the draft.

16. Brock O'BRIEN - WA/Peel 30/05/88 180 78

Quick small backman who loves to rebound from defense. His ability to shut down an opponent is questionable but is hard at the contest and gives great second efforts. Has a good kick and is at his most damaging streaming of a half back flank.

Bottom line: Modern day attacking backman who looks suited to slot into AFL.

17. Clayton COLLARD - WA/South Fremantle 4/12/88 179 80

Quick and skillful outside midfielder/HFF who likes to take players on with his electric speed. Has a sense for the sublime moments and has a very good leap which he uses to take spectacular marks. Has very good kick and generally makes very good decisions with the ball in hand. Not overly physical and is very much an outside player.

Bottom line: If teams are looking for pace and flair than Collard is hard to go past.

18. Bachar HOULI - Vic M/Western Jets 12/05/88 180 84

Small forward who has got a lot of media attention lately due to his religious beliefs. Has been starring in the TAC cup for three years as a full forward for Western, but has also moved into the midfield at times. He has a strong and accurate left foot, very good balance and some of the cleanest hands that go around. Produced very good beep test at draft camp which suggests he might be able to go into the midfield full time.

Bottom line: Clean user of the football that can play both as a midfielder and forward.

19. Chris SCHMIDT - SA/West Adelaide 20/3/89 186 77

Rangy midfielder with good athletic ability and a great mark. Was a shining light in a very disappointing U/18 championship for SA this year where he racked up plenty of possessions. Very composed with the ball and has shown a lot of footy smarts to mix with his good disposal.

Bottom line: Classy winger who knows how to find the ball.

20. Brent RENOUF - QLD/Southport 03/05/88 200 92

Agile ruckman that shows great ruck technique. Quick and very agile, adequate with his kicking and work rate is very good. Very competitive and tries to make body contact whenever he can. Played at CHB for Southport in the QAFL and showed enough to suggest that he could be used as a KPP at times.

Bottom line: Mobile ruckman that plays with a fire in the belly.

21. Jarryd ALLEN - Calder Cannons 14/01/88 192 85

Top age CHF with strong hands and is quick on the lead. Passed on in last years draft, has come on in leaps and bounds this year and was a major reason for Calder Cannons making the TAC Cup grand final. Has a booming and accurate kick which he sometimes doesn't make the most of, decision making is still something that needs to improve.

Bottom line: Strong KPP who can play at either end of the ground.

22. Leroy JETTA - WA/South Fremantle 06/07/88 176 73

A special talent, is super quick and has the best side step I have ever seen on a football field. Leroy has a sense of the magical and tries to do extraordinary things very often. He is very aggressive and is willing to crack into people despite his size, kicking is also very good but sometimes can be a little sloppy. Could also be touch much too handle for many clubs, he is not short of confidence in himself.

Bottom line: Livewire that many clubs might not take the risk of taking him outside WA.

23. Clint BENJAMIN - WA/Claremont 27/07/88 188 80

Athletic wingman that shows a lot of natural talent which he hasn’t matched with footy smarts as of yet. Sometimes struggles to impact games as he tends to hang around the packs instead of attacking the ball. Has all the tools to become a very good AFL player, but the AFL club that does take will have to be patient as he has a bit of development left.

Bottom line: Athlete who will take time to develop

24. Ricky PETTERD - QLD/Broadbeach 24/7/88 184 77

Good sized midfielder who show great balance and poise with the ball in hand. Capable of going back and doing defensive roles, very good in traffic and possesses a good leap.

Bottom line: Solid pick, a player who does a lot of things well without being extraordinary.

25. Andrejs EVERITT - VicM/Dandenong 13/03/89 193 76

Bottom age athletic KPP prospect with a lot of development left in him. Very good kick and reads the play very well when the ball is coming into defense. Is still very thin and will need to put on weight before stepping up to the AFL, likes to use his leap in the contest rather use his body to compensate for the lack of strength.

Bottom line: Athletic key defender who like to rebound out of defense

26. Nathan BROWN - Vic C/Nth Ballarat 17/12/88 193 88

Strong full back who produced some outstanding results at draft camp. Loves the physical nature of the game, very competitive and will always provide a contest. Disposal isn't great but is more than adequate for a full back, capable of playing forward as well as back but is more natural in the backline.

Bottom line: Quick fullback with a competitive streak.

27. Travis BOAK - Vic C /Geelong Falcons 01/08/88 182 75

Classy inside midfielder who was struck down by injuries during the year, has clean hands and is tidy disposer of the football. Has a body shape that will suit AFL, strong in the hip which gives him great balance. Showed great speed at the draft camp by producing a 20 metre sprint time of 2.96s.

Bottom line: Neat midfielder that shows speed and poise.

28. Jack RIEWOLDT - TAS/Clarence 31/10/88 193 84

Agile KPP with good awareness and good disposals. Plays a bit smaller than a true CHF, struggles against bigger bodied opponents. Tends to go missing in games quite a bit, needs to be a bit more imposing on the contests.

Bottom line: Smart and agile KPP that needs to work on consistency and one on one contests.

29. Joseph ANDERSON - NT/Darwin 24/12/88 188 81

Quick and hard working midfielder/HBF who has a long and accurate kick while show poise and footy smarts. Reads the play very well and tends gather a lot of possessions, sometimes maybe doesn't go in as hard as he should. He also has won a B&F at senior level at the NTFL. He is a good size for the modern day midfielder and has a strong hands and a good leap which make him dangerous overhead.

Bottom line: Athletic midfielder who is a strong mark and can play back.

30. Shane EDWARDS - SA/North Adelaide 25/10/88 180 69

Athletic FP/Midfielder who excelled at draft camp where he topped the vertical standing leap (69cm). Debuted in the SANFL this year where he made an instant impact and was very impressive in the SANFL finals. Has fantastic endurance (15.04 beep test) and is willing to work hard and attack the ball. Disposal isn't top notch, but has come on significantly in the second half of the year.

Bottom line: Exciting mix of athletic ability, class and elite endurance.

31. James FRAWLEY - Vic C/Nth Ballarat 20/09/88 193 80

Tall Defender who can also has the capacity to play on a wing. Has a good engine and reads the play very well. Is a solid kick for a backman, needs to work on his strength in the one on one contests to be able to play in the AFL as a key defender.

Bottom line: Developing key defender with good athletic ability.

32. Gavin URQUHART - QLD/Morningside 18/5/88 186 78

Hard nosed defender who shows good awareness and composure. Good disposal and likes to rebound off the half back line. Struggled a little bit with injuries this year which may have his seen draft stock drop.

Bottom line: Aggressive defender who likes to run and create.

33. Daniel HAYES - Vic M/Eastern Ranges 13/07/88 180 70

Forward pocket with great speed and agility. Lovely left foot that has great power and accuracy, can use his leap to take spectacular marks. Sometimes can lose his head a little bit and get distracted in games. Loves to chase and tackle and really thrives on the contested side of the game.

Bottom line: Forward pocket who loves to chase and tackle as much as kicking a goal.

34. Colin GARLAND - TAS/Nth Hobart 28/04/88 193 84

Another late convert to football, shows great athletic ability without much football nous. Isn't a strong contested mark and tends to hang around the packs instead of attacking the ball. Clubs might be attracted to the amount of development left in him.

Bottom line: Agile KPP with a lot of potential.

35. Nathan DJUKERRA - NT/Wanderers 19/09/99 174 75

Small midfielder with a solid build, who has fantastic pace and oozes class. Played for Scotch College this year and dominated the Allied Vs TAC game where he really enhanced his reputation. A feature of his game is balance and low centre of gravity which makes him very hard to tackle and pin down.

Bottom line: Has enough pace and skills to overcome size issues.

36. Jarryd MORTON - WA/Claremont 05/10/88 190 80

The brother of Mitch but is unable to go father and son and join Mitch at WCE due the AFL rules. An agile flanker who has classy disposal and is reasonable contested mark. Sometimes can go missing in games but has enough natural talent to get him drafted.

Bottom line: Awkward size means he is hard to pin down where he fits into an AFL system.

37. Tom COLLIER - TAS/Lauderdale 25/3/89 192 86

Undersized KPP who shows great attack on the ball and possesses some good straight line speed. Not a great kick but is adequate for a defender. Bottom aged so some physical development might be left to get him a bit taller to true KPP size.

Bottom line: Bottom age KPP who should be given time to develop

38. Tim HOULIHAN - Vic C/Nth Ballarat 10/02/89 189 74

Athlete who showed good promise in the second half of the year after a subdued performance at the U/18 championships. Has elite endurance, at draft camp finished in the top 2 in all the endurance tests. Outside midfielder with decent skills who likes to run into the spaces, needs to work on the strength side to the game as he is pushed off the ball too easily.

Bottom line: Developing outside midfielder with elite endurance.

39. Todd GOLDSTEIN - Vic M/Oakleigh Chargers 01/07/88 200 102

Solid agile ruckman who didn't make his debut in the TAC cup till late in the season. Was one of the main reasons why Oakleigh came out of nowhere to win the TAC Cup. Raw in the ruck position but is more than handy around the ground, has okay disposal for a ruck prospect.

Bottom line: Raw ruck prospect

40. Will SCHOFIELD - Vic C/Geelong 24/01/89 194 81

Athletic tall defender who has great endurance and is fairly quick for someone his size. Played on a wing at times for Geelong in the TAC Cup this year to show his versatility. Has decent disposal but is sometimes let down with decision making.

Bottom line: Athletic key defender who shows promise.

41. Peter FAULKS - Vic M/Calder Cannons 24/04/06 193 72

Pencil thin key defender who has shown good athletic ability. Had a very good U/18 championships where he looked comfortable at CHB. Reads the play well and likes to be third man up in the marking contests. Reasonable disposal is let down by poor decision making when coming out of defense with the ball.

Bottom line: Developing key back that needs to work on decision making.

42. Gary MOSS - WA/East Perth 05/07/88 178 68

Hard running small midfielder with great ball winning ability, reads the flow of the game very well. Shows grit and determination and a little bit of fire in the contests and has good footy smarts. His kicking is what lets him down though as he can sometimes be bit sloppy in his disposal and can turn the ball over. Made his debut in the WAFL during the year and stepped up very well and made big impacts in games.

Bottom line: Ball winning midfielder with questionable disposal.

43. Shaun HAMPSON - QLD/Mt. Gravatt 22/06/88 202 93

Beanpole ruckman who got limited game time in the U/18 carnival due to his QLD team mates in Tippett and Renouf. The most underdeveloped ruckman in terms of football smarts and skills of this year's draft, has enough natural athletic ability to get teams very interested.

Bottom line: Cliche developing Ruckman.

44. Nathan KRAKOUER - WA/Claremont 30/7/88 182 62

Pencil thin midfielder with blistering pace (2.83s for 20m) and above average skills. His size is an issue as he desperately needs to put on weight to play effectively at AFL level. Everything happens very quickly when he gets the ball and as a consequence he sometimes makes poor decisions.

Bottom line: Athlete that will take time to develop.

45. Rhyce PRISMALL - Vic M/Western 06/04/89 188 88

Bottom aged medium forward who is strong overhead and good below his knees. Creative forward who always seems to know where the goals are, very good on the lead. Useful in the midfield where he delivers the ball with accuracy.

Bottom line: Medium forward with good goal sense and marking ability.

46. James HAWKSLEY - WA/Peel 05/02/89 187 72

Flanker with decent pace, skills and has a good football brain. Has very good awareness and is a very good kick which he usually finds a target. No fuss style of player and sticks to his tasks well.

Bottom line: Modern day footballer who can play anywhere.

47. Leigh ADAMS - Vic M/Eastern 06/04/88 176 83

Inside midfielder that can also be used for defensive roles and can pinch hit up forward. Fantastic balance where he can kick off both feet with equal power, rarely misses a target and usually takes the right options. Doesn't have a good AFL body shape and questions over size, pace and endurance might see Leigh passed over in this year's draft, but he is very good all round footballer.

Bottom line: Pace the biggest drawback in neat midfielder.

48. Sam JACOBS - SA/Woodville West Torrens 10/4/88 199 101

Solid ruckman who stands out with his red hair. Convert from basketball, strong overhead and has questionable disposal. Stepped up to play SANFL footy this year.

Bottom line: Middle of the road ruck prospect.

49. Robert GRAY - Vic M/Oakleigh Chargers 30/3/88 180 79

Small forward who attacks the contest and is strong on the lead. His aggression at the ball, great hands and his speed off the mark is the highlights of his game. Very good set shot and was the key forward for most of the year at the TAC Cup champions Oakleigh.

Bottom Line: Aggressive small forward with good hands

50. Chris DAWES - Vic M/Sandringham 27/07/88 193 101

Solid CHF who suffered a season ending injury halfway through the year. Not very quick, but presents to the ball with aggression and has the strength to take contested marks. Questions over pace and agile are the main reasons Chris might miss out on draft day.

Bottom line: Decent CHF who always gives a contest.