Keep a close on this name. We have showed real interest on the 186cm half forward from Subiaco who's kicked 60 goals for the year including a big bag of 6 on grand final day the other week.

The oldest player invited to next month's state Combine at 23, Sokol shapes as one of the prime prospects from a fertile but heavily harvested WAFL breeding ground.

The 186cm half-forward claimed the Bernie Naylor Medal as the state league's leading goalkicker in 2019 and finished the year with 60 majors.  

Classy forward's timely reminder for recruiters in WAFL GF thrashing

 

Ben Sokol (Subiaco) – 23-year-old, 186cm, 85kgs – 16disp, 8.6mks, 3.2 tcks, 12 goals, 10 behinds

Perhaps unlucky not to get selected in last year’s National Draft, Sokol has begun the season as he finished 2018.

A star in last year’s grand final (19 disposals, 12 marks, 5.3), Sokol is a genuinely strong medium-sized forward and his ability to hit the scoreboard can provide an immediate injection to any attack at senior level. Sokol’s endurance is a key reason for his dominant numbers at WAFL. One of the fittest players in the competition, Sokol is a genuine siren-to-siren player and can get himself into strong positions when the going gets tough due to his work rate.

Two teams that immediately spring to mind that could use Sokol’s skillset are Sydney and Melbourne who, despite seemingly having a handful of mid-sized forwards, could use a hard-working, fit goalkicker with excellent hands inside forward 50.

The WAFL stars deserving of a mid-season opportunity

58 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Keep a close on this name. We have showed real interest on the 186cm half forward from Subiaco who's kicked 60 goals for the year including a big bag of 6 on grand final day the other week.

Real interest at what pick?

2 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Keep a close on this name. We have showed real interest on the 186cm half forward from Subiaco who's kicked 60 goals for the year including a big bag of 6 on grand final day the other week.

About bloody time. A Western Australian. Maybe our WA scout has been working...

Liked Sokol in his draft year and good to see he's performing for Subi. Had a few years playing alongside Pickett and Smith at South Freo, so not a bad place to be looking for talent that has fallen outside the usual pathway. Wrote this about him in a draft blog piece I wrote at the time (had him ranked at 45 that year). I thought if he developed well enough, he might've been capable of doing some Dane Swan type things in midfield.

Ben Sokol – Tempted to have him higher. Big bodied medium forward who is very strong over head, uses the ball well and tackles strongly. His decision making is sound and I believe he has the capacity to play in the midfield in the future.

On 9/29/2019 at 2:29 PM, ChaserJ said:

Liked Sokol in his draft year and good to see he's performing for Subi. Had a few years playing alongside Pickett and Smith at South Freo, so not a bad place to be looking for talent that has fallen outside the usual pathway. Wrote this about him in a draft blog piece I wrote at the time (had him ranked at 45 that year). I thought if he developed well enough, he might've been capable of doing some Dane Swan type things in midfield.

Ben Sokol – Tempted to have him higher. Big bodied medium forward who is very strong over head, uses the ball well and tackles strongly. His decision making is sound and I believe he has the capacity to play in the midfield in the future.

South Freo used him off HBF and never got the best out of him, the move to Subiaco exposed him to the professionalism of Jarrod Schofield and become a mid/forward and a more permanent forward. Sokol is a Fritsch type player, with good skills 

Just now, Pennant St Dee said:

South Freo used him off HBF and never got the best out of him, the move to Subiaco exposed him to the professionalism of Jarrod Schofield and become a mid/forward and a more permanent forward. Sokol is a Fritsch type player, with good skills 

Seem like a fee clubs are sitting up and taking notice now PSD.. hoping the Dees can snag him.

1 minute ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Seem like a fee clubs are sitting up and taking notice now PSD.. hoping the Dees can snag him.

North and Hawks apparently have spoken with him

He comes well credentialed.

But I struggle to get excited about drafting another mid-sized reserves player, albeit a good one.

 

The interesting thing is that having been overlooked in a previous AFL draft he can go to the club of his choice as a Rookie in the new preseason draft, effectively as a 'free agent'.  But he might chance his hand first in the main draft and secure a better contract.

 

Edit:  After @DeeSpencer post below I've found there are various AFL drafts/selection methods to recruit players.

We recruited Jay Lockhart under 'pre-season supplemental selection period' (SSP); Carlton got Gibbons and Richmond got Stack the same way.  None were previously on an AFL list.  No draft pick was used.

So, I'm assuming that the same rules would apply to Sokol.  Could be wrong.

Edited September 29, 20195 yr by Lucifer's Hero

19 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Keep a close on this name. We have showed real interest on the 186cm half forward from Subiaco who's kicked 60 goals for the year including a big bag of 6 on grand final day the other week.

Onto it Dazz and yes agree!!??

33 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

He comes well credentialed.

But I struggle to get excited about drafting another mid-sized reserves player, albeit a good one.

The interesting thing is that being overlooked in a previous AFL he can go to the club of his choice as a Rookie in the new preseason draft.  But he might chance his hand first in the real draft and secure a better contract.

Has something changed between last year and this year? 

Last year it was only players who were formerly on AFL lists who could sign via that method. Everyone else had to go through the drafts first no matter how many times they've been overlooked in drafts.

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

Has something changed between last year and this year? 

Last year it was only players who were formerly on AFL lists who could sign via that method. Everyone else had to go through the drafts first no matter how many times they've been overlooked in drafts.

Rules have changed.  There is now a 'pre-season supplemental selection period' (SSP) after the rookie draft.

I've gone back and edited my previous post. 

The SSP is how we recruitedJay Lockhart, Carlton got Gibbons and Richmond got Stack.  None were previously on an AFL list.  The SSP runs from December to March. 

Edited September 29, 20195 yr by Lucifer's Hero

3 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Rules have changed.  There is now a 'pre-season supplemental selection period' (SSP) after the rookie draft.

I've gone back and edited my previous post. 

The SSP is how we recruitedJay Lockhart, Carlton got Gibbons and Richmond got Stack.  None were previously on an AFL list.  The SSP runs from December to March. 

Former AFL players like Corey Wagner were able to opt out of the draft ahead of time and sign as pre-season supplemental players. 

Guys like Lockhart and Stack had to be entered in to the the 2018 drafts and not be selected before they became eligible. 

Will be interesting to see what happens with mature age recruits. The chatter before the mid season draft was that the state leagues had been pretty heavily raided the last few years and that there wasn't much talent left. That said, Pickett's success in the grand final will probably see every team scrambling to make absolutely sure of it. I can't see a 60+ goal forward lasting until after the drafts if he's got anything like AFL level athleticism.

7 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Former AFL players like Corey Wagner were able to opt out of the draft ahead of time and sign as pre-season supplemental players. 

Guys like Lockhart and Stack had to be entered in to the the 2018 drafts and not be selected before they became eligible. 

Will be interesting to see what happens with mature age recruits. The chatter before the mid season draft was that the state leagues had been pretty heavily raided the last few years and that there wasn't much talent left. That said, Pickett's success in the grand final will probably see every team scrambling to make absolutely sure of it. I can't see a 60+ goal forward lasting until after the drafts if he's got anything like AFL level athleticism.

Got it!  To be eligible for the SSP a player needs to have been overlooked in the most recent AFL drafts.

That subtlety had escaped me.

On 9/28/2019 at 11:24 PM, Lord Nev said:

Ben Sokol (Subiaco) – 23-year-old, 186cm, 85kgs – 16disp, 8.6mks, 3.2 tcks, 12 goals, 10 behinds
..........

...

Great stats Nev, averages 8.6 mks, 3.2 tcks  and 12 goals 10 behinds per game! Hard to imagine kicking 12 goals 10 behinds from 16 disposals though. 

HIghlights from Sokol's draft year. Had Charlie Cameron keeping him company in the forward line and Paddy Cripps pops up in there somewhere as well: https://www.afl.com.au/video/2013-07-17/draft-prospect-ben-sokol

The last thing we need is another small / medium forward. Get rid of Spargo, Bedford, Chandler, Neal-Bullen, Lockhart, C.Wagner, Dunkley, Hannan and co, and I might be interested.

41 minutes ago, poita said:

The last thing we need is another small / medium forward. Get rid of Spargo, Bedford, Chandler, Neal-Bullen, Lockhart, C.Wagner, Dunkley, Hannan and co, and I might be interested.

Dunkley's brother took a few years to settle in and he is now a ball magnet. Give Kyle some time and a couple of pre seasons and we might have a handy player.

On 10/1/2019 at 1:05 PM, poita said:

The last thing we need is another small / medium forward. Get rid of Spargo, Bedford, Chandler, Neal-Bullen, Lockhart, C.Wagner, Dunkley, Hannan and co, and I might be interested.

Lockhart is going to have a good couple of years. 

Any developments on Mr. Sokol?

 

 

Seems to be out of contention now that we don’t have any picks in the range where he’s likely to be selected.

12 minutes ago, SidVicious said:

Seems to be out of contention now that we don’t have any picks in the range where he’s likely to be selected.

We can still trade picks right up until and including during the draft.

Mid-season draft possibility if he's not taken before then, i suppose?

Can we delist a rookie or something to pick him up? He’s better than 5-6 on our list already IMO.

17 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

Can we delist a rookie or something to pick him up? He’s better than 5-6 on our list already IMO.

Doubt it.  It would also be an act of bastardry