Next Generation Academy 2021

[ManDee 7,093]

13 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

Skinny ruckman don't go top 20 no matter how good he is we are safe me thinks.

Josh Fraser, pick 1 lucky to weigh 80kg carrying a bag of wet cement when drafted.

Edited June 7, 2021 by ManDee

[Whispering_Jack 28,091]

Back in March, NTFL club Nightcliff staged a thrilling comeback to beat St Mary’s by seven points after extra time to record its third consecutive premiership. Melbourne NGA Academy player player Andy Moniz-Wakefield (aged 17) who was a member of the team, is now representing Northern Territory in the team’s occasional games in the NAB Boys League. There’s some vision of him here during the summer season.

Hopefully, we’ll see the government restrictions on community footy lifted to enable the Dandenong Stingrays who have three of the club’s NGAs in their ranks (including Mac Andrew) to resume playing.

[rjay 24,045]

On 6/7/2021 at 1:06 AM, WERRIDEE said:

Skinny ruckman don't go top 20 no matter how good he is we are safe me thinks.

 

On 6/7/2021 at 2:06 PM, ManDee said:

Josh Fraser, pick 1 lucky to weigh 80kg carrying a bag of wet cement when drafted.

1999 is a fair way back there 'ManDee'...

It would be unlikely to happen now...the last ruckman to go top 20 in my recollection was Grundy (not a skinny kid) with pick 18 in 2012.

He was a standout junior yet slipped back the draft order and was a steal at that pick.

Fraser became the argument why you don't select a skinny ruckman with early picks.

[maximum bob 462]

Big Max was 18/19 yrs of age when he we got him at pick 34 in the 2009 draft. He was tall but skinny as all get-out.

We got lucky with someone who looked like a stick insect at the time.

The patience and nous of the MFC in nurturing his talent over the journey, despite major injuries, should be applauded.

But yes, clearly, at that time, not a top twenty pick.

Always a diamond in the rough however. (Credit John Prine).

 

[whatwhat say what 19,670]

22 minutes ago, rjay said:

 

1999 is a fair way back there 'ManDee'...

It would be unlikely to happen now...the last ruckman to go top 20 in my recollection was Grundy (not a skinny kid) with pick 18 in 2012.

He was a standout junior yet slipped back the draft order and was a steal at that pick.

Fraser became the argument why you don't select a skinny ruckman with early picks.

tim english was taken by the dogs with pick 19 in 2016

callum coleman-jones was taken by the tigers with pick 20 in 2018

we obviously picked luke jackson with pick 3 in 2019, and sam de koning was picked by the cats with pick 19 in the same year

just last year, nik cox (pick 8 last year for the peptides) has already had a couple of centre bounce attendances despite being as skinny as a rake, and i would imagine zach reid (pick 10, same mob) will inevitably be taught the craft of ruck work too, given that they're both 200cm tall

[dazzledavey36 49,321]

1 minute ago, maximum bob said:

Big Max was 18/19 yrs of age when he we got him at pick 34 in the 2009 draft. He was tall but skinny as all get-out.

We got lucky with someone who looked like a stick insect at the time.

The patience and nous of the MFC in nurturing his talent over the journey, despite major injuries, should be applauded.

But yes, clearly, at that time, not a top twenty pick.

Always a diamond in the rough however. (Credit John Prine).

 

Gawn slid down the pecking order due his knee reconstruction. 

He was considered a first round selection by other clubs including Melbourne who we were close to selecting at Pick 18.

[dazzledavey36 49,321]

42 minutes ago, rjay said:

 

1999 is a fair way back there 'ManDee'...

It would be unlikely to happen now...the last ruckman to go top 20 in my recollection was Grundy (not a skinny kid) with pick 18 in 2012.

He was a standout junior yet slipped back the draft order and was a steal at that pick.

Fraser became the argument why you don't select a skinny ruckman with early picks.

This whole notion that skinny ruckman don't go top 20 is just plain laughable and rubbish..

Good talented ruckman are like gold nuggets now, hence why the mid season draft was full of them. Clubs are always on the lookout for ruck depth as there are far more raw athletic ruck talent more then ever

North Melbourne selected Jacob Edwards in the mid season draft because the chatter around the league is that he would have gone inside the top 15 at the end of the year. He's 203cm and weighs only 83kg.

English, Jackson, Coleman-Jones were all inside top 20 pucks and all 3 were relatively skinny ruckman.

Speaking to our (Murray Bushrangers) regional manager about Mac and there is certainly clubs who will be seriously considering him in the inside first round selection due to his sheer raw talent. 

It's not about what can he produce now, but what he can do in 5-6 years time .

Edited June 12, 2021 by dazzledavey36

[rjay 24,045]

5 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

This whole notion that skinny ruckman don't go top 20 is just plain laughable and rubbish..

Good talented ruckman are like gold nuggets now, hence why the mid season draft was full of them. Clubs are always on the lookout for ruck depth as there are far more raw athletic ruck talent more then ever

North Melbourne selected Jacob Edwards in the mid season draft because the chatter around the league is that he would have gone inside the top 15 at the end of the year. He's 203cm and weighs only 83kg.

English, Jackson, Coleman-Jones were all inside top 20 pucks and all 3 were relatively skinny ruckman.

Speaking to our (Murray Bushrangers) regional manager about Mac and there is certainly clubs who will be seriously considering him in the inside first round selection due to his sheer raw talent. 

It's not about what can he produce now, but what he can do in 5-6 years time .

Maybe 'dazzle' but if you look at all clubs primary ruckman,  how many were taken top 20?

NikNat & Grundy are all I can think of...

Jackson was taken on his ability to play forward & there was even talk of him being a tall mid, as we know he's a great 2nd fiddle to Max. If he was a pure ruck I doubt he would have gone top 10, maybe just in top 20 probably not...Coleman-Jones is a forward & English just scraped in as a top 20 selection.

By the way, I'm not saying it's right or wrong to overlook a ruckman, you can call rubbish all you want but that's what is happening. They're just not being selected at the pointy end.

You can't (well you did) use the mid season draft to back your argument, this is where clubs will look to bolster ruck depth &/or in Norths case secure players for the future where they can afford to put some development time in.

As for Mac, I guess we wait & see. It would be great having another young developing ruck talent on the list....

[Sydney Pennski 270]

7 hours ago, rjay said:

Maybe 'dazzle' but if you look at all clubs primary ruckman,  how many were taken top 20?

NikNat & Grundy are all I can think of...

Jackson was taken on his ability to play forward & there was even talk of him being a tall mid, as we know he's a great 2nd fiddle to Max. If he was a pure ruck I doubt he would have gone top 10, maybe just in top 20 probably not...Coleman-Jones is a forward & English just scraped in as a top 20 selection.

By the way, I'm not saying it's right or wrong to overlook a ruckman, you can call rubbish all you want but that's what is happening. They're just not being selected at the pointy end.

You can't (well you did) use the mid season draft to back your argument, this is where clubs will look to bolster ruck depth &/or in Norths case secure players for the future where they can afford to put some development time in.

As for Mac, I guess we wait & see. It would be great having another young developing ruck talent on the list....

Using the mid season draft to advance or back your argument isn’t really helpful. What it means is that a number of clubs have used that draft to satisfy their needs for the type of player who usually takes years to develop because they are loathe to take such players with valuable early national draft picks. It’s only the outstanding young ruck talents who get selected in the first round of the national draft. It remains to be seen whether Mac Andrew falls into that category.

[dazzledavey36 49,321]

7 hours ago, rjay said:

Maybe 'dazzle' but if you look at all clubs primary ruckman,  how many were taken top 20?

NikNat & Grundy are all I can think of...

Jackson was taken on his ability to play forward & there was even talk of him being a tall mid, as we know he's a great 2nd fiddle to Max. If he was a pure ruck I doubt he would have gone top 10, maybe just in top 20 probably not...Coleman-Jones is a forward & English just scraped in as a top 20 selection.

By the way, I'm not saying it's right or wrong to overlook a ruckman, you can call rubbish all you want but that's what is happening. They're just not being selected at the pointy end.

You can't (well you did) use the mid season draft to back your argument, this is where clubs will look to bolster ruck depth &/or in Norths case secure players for the future where they can afford to put some development time in.

As for Mac, I guess we wait & see. It would be great having another young developing ruck talent on the list....

Hey mate that comment wasn't directed at you at all. So I apologise if you felt that was directed at you.

Sam De Koning was also another ruckman taken pick 19 in 2019 draft. Colemam Jones was playing predominantly as a ruckman for SA in the champs and also at SANFL junior level.

I am also not saying that clubs select ruck at the pointy end. But history has shown that clubs aren't afraid to use late first round picks on ruckman which is exactly where Mac is rated.

The reason why clubs wouldn't hesitate to go early on Mac is due to his raw talent who's got huge enormous upside especially with his Naitanui like leap. That is certainly the talk around the NAB league.

I hope seriously hope we get the opportunity to select Mac, but I've already accepted that clubs hold this kid in high regard inside the top 20.

Hope I'm wrong.

[rjay 24,045]

2 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Hey mate that comment wasn't directed at you at all. So I apologise if you felt that was directed at you.

 

All good 'dazzle'...

[Whispering_Jack 28,091]

6 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Hey mate that comment wasn't directed at you at all. So I apologise if you felt that was directed at you.

Sam De Koning was also another ruckman taken pick 19 in 2019 draft. Colemam Jones was playing predominantly as a ruckman for SA in the champs and also at SANFL junior level.

I am also not saying that clubs select ruck at the pointy end. But history has shown that clubs aren't afraid to use late first round picks on ruckman which is exactly where Mac is rated.

The reason why clubs wouldn't hesitate to go early on Mac is due to his raw talent who's got huge enormous upside especially with his Naitanui like leap. That is certainly the talk around the NAB league.

I hope seriously hope we get the opportunity to select Mac, but I've already accepted that clubs hold this kid in high regard inside the top 20.

Hope I'm wrong.

The whole debate is very much dependent upon how Mac Andrew performs for the rest of the year. He showed some very good form in the opening few rounds of the NAB Boys League which earned him a place in the NAB AFL Academy side that played Geelong VFL in late April.

Chris Doerre (“Knightmare”) of ESPN and Bigfooty has Andrew at #16 in his June Power rankings (down from #13 in May) and prefaces his review of the player in this way -

“Earning his way onto this draft board on the back of his final quarter performance for the AFL Academy against Geelong's VFL side, Melbourne Next-Generation Academy product Andrew is a light bodied, athletic ruckman with upside.”

Others have pointed out that the game was a debacle for the Academy team which suffered a 130-point thumping and that Andrews’ stats for the game were mediocre. If a few hit outs and a goal in the final quarter are enough to make the top 20 in a critical evaluation of the top draft prospects, then what does it tell us about the quality of the field? I remain a sceptic as to whether he’s top 20 material but I stand corrected.

Since the Academy game, the Stingrays played in once (vs Gold Coast Academy on 22 May) when Andrew scored a goal but wasn’t named in the best. The lockdown has put a pause on an already shortened season and many prospective candidates in the various junior football competitions can’t even get a look in as a result. 

I understand that when a full return is permitted by government*, at least one NAB Boys League game a week will be streamed to Herald Sun subscribers and the games themselves will most likely be open to the public so people will be able to make their assessments of Andrew and other draft prospects. Hopefully, the national championships will proceed later next month and he’ll also represent Vic Country. 

In the meantime, it’s all speculation.

[* when that’s announced Dazzle, feel welcome to start a Mac Andrew thread which we will carry through to the Draft in November].

[Whispering_Jack 28,091]

21 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Back in March, NTFL club Nightcliff staged a thrilling comeback to beat St Mary’s by seven points after extra time to record its third consecutive premiership. Melbourne NGA Academy player player Andy Moniz-Wakefield (aged 17) who was a member of the team, is now representing Northern Territory in the team’s occasional games in the NAB Boys League. There’s some vision of him here during the summer season.

Hopefully, we’ll see the government restrictions on community footy lifted to enable the Dandenong Stingrays who have three of the club’s NGAs in their ranks (including Mac Andrew) to resume playing.

Kicked one goal out of NT’s 3.8.26 in a 78 point caning at the hands of the GES Academy (15.14.104). 

[Nascent 7,451]

2 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Kicked one goal out of NT’s 3.8.26 in a 78 point caning at the hands of the GES Academy (15.14.104). 

Next years draft I presume? Will have to be taken at 40+ for us to have first dibs.

[Neitz the Great 525]

Could be a bit of 'draft play' as well with clubs potentially taking NGA players they rate a little bit higher to ensure they have the only access and don't have to 'bid' on them.

Wouldn't be surprised if a team had say picks 16  + 22 that they would take an NGA player at 16 just to make sure they nabbed them

[monoccular 16,394]

On 4/11/2021 at 7:38 AM, Mister Ed said:

Mac Andrew who was only 191cm two years ago but now 200cm. Lightly built.

I think we have to keep his name under our hats.

So should we name him Baldy, or Toupee?

[dazzledavey36 49,321]

Our other NGA prospect in Andy Moniz-Wakefield has been selected for the under 19s Allies squad. 

https://www.afl.com.au/news/632076

[whatwhat say what 19,670]

mac andrew out of cal twomey's underage team of the year; sounds like there's a couple of genuine key forwards in the west who are emerging as likely prospects

https://www.afl.com.au/news/632305/twomey-s-draft-team-of-the-year-wa-goalkickers-on-target-saint-s-brother-in

Mac Andrew, an unlucky omission given his form at the start of the season but who this week will return for his first NAB League game in a month after Victoria's latest COVID-19 outbreak.

good luck to him as his season resumes (but not too much luck as we clearly would like to claim him with a pick after 20)

[Axis of Bob 10,374]

I cannot overstate how much I want us to select Lukas Cooke as a developing key forward.

Sometimes I just want to watch the world burn.

[Left Foot Snap 2,030]

2 hours ago, Axis of Bob said:

I cannot overstate how much I want us to select Lukas Cooke as a developing key forward.

Sometimes I just want to watch the world burn.

That is cruel and triggering Bob!!

[BAMF 3,809]

On 6/13/2021 at 2:25 PM, Whispering_Jack said:

The whole debate is very much dependent upon how Mac Andrew performs for the rest of the year. He showed some very good form in the opening few rounds of the NAB Boys League which earned him a place in the NAB AFL Academy side that played Geelong VFL in late April.

Since its the bye round I thought some might want to watch the game in question that seems to have elevated Mac into the first round.

Mac rucks in the last quarter (starts at 1:52:00) and features heavily due to the number of goals Geelong kick resulting in centre bounces. 

He is up against Darcy Fort who is 27 years old, 204cm and 99kg.

[Whispering_Jack 28,091]

On 6/19/2021 at 8:22 AM, BAMF said:

Since its the bye round I thought some might want to watch the game in question that seems to have elevated Mac into the first round.

Mac rucks in the last quarter (starts at 1:52:00) and features heavily due to the number of goals Geelong kick resulting in centre bounces. 

He is up against Darcy Fort who is 27 years old, 204cm and 99kg.

Watched with interest over the weekend and his promise was evident in the final quarter, albeit a bit overhyped by the commentators. Not much to write home about in the first three quarters in a team that was completely overwhelmed.

The previous two Academy teams won their matches against VFL teams - in 2018 (v North Melbourne) and in 2019 (v Casey Demons). This possibly suggests that Covid19 has had an effect on the preparation of the elite level draftees.

 

[Chelly 749]

Mac Andrew must have been injured early in the Stingrays’ game at the weekend. Stats were 0 disposals, 2 tackles and 2 hit outs. 

[Dee-licious 1,867]

13 hours ago, Chelly said:

Mac Andrew must have been injured early in the Stingrays’ game at the weekend. Stats were 0 disposals, 2 tackles and 2 hit outs. 

Within the first couple of minutes. 

[Colm 1,486]

I’m a bit confused. Don’t the new draft rules still mean we would have access to Mac Andrew just means we won’t get the discount that we would have got had he been in last years draft? I prob wrong but I thought that’s how it worked