In light of No.1 draft pick Bryce Gibbs winning this weeks rising star nomination, i thought it might be an interesting topic of discussion, that after 10 rounds and what you have seen of both players, if it was draft time now, who would you take?

Stats

MT K H D Avg M Avg HO Avg T Avg FF FA G Avg B

Ricky Petterd 5 52 38 90 18 39 7.8 0 0 9 1.8 1 6 3 0.6 2

MT K H D Avg M Avg HO Avg T Avg FF FA G Avg B

Bryce Gibbs 10 76 58 134 13.4 42 4.2 1 0.1 25 2.5 2 4 1 0.1 1

I probably haven't seen enough of Gibbs play yet, and i think he is year younger, but i would take Pettard. He has shown amazing composure and skill for a first year player, and probaly most importantly courage. Backing into the hole in front of B.Hall in his first game will always live in my memory, and even last week i saw him throw himself into the pack after the ball in a way that would put some of our senior players to shame.

Is there another first year player you have seen that you would take first pick. Selwood maybe?

I don't think much would have necessarily changed at this stage of the year. Still too early to tell, especially when you consider quite a few of the top 10 are yet to play.

I think Gibbs will be a better player than Petterd, but i think if the draft was held again now, Petterd would go a lot earlier than he did. Great work CAC

Petterd is a diamond in the rough, brilliant work CAC i know you're reading this! :D

I really like this kid ( Pettard) has a very good head for thinking on those shoulders, puts some others to shame really.

This guy will really open games up in the future. Gibbs has had the head start, but Ricky wil eclipse him soon.

Yes agree...a very good pickup there CAC

I think Gibbs will be a better player than Petterd

One thing about Petterd, like Gibbs, is his footy pedigree. They both have it.

Will Gibbs be a better player? Dunno. Petterd has been great and like Gibbs will physically mature over time. Gibbs has been well prepared to setp straight into AFL, having played with men in the pretty good standard of SANFL footy. What amazes me about Petterd is he has only had QAFL time and is not only showing he can handle the big time, but is playing pretty good footy as well. I like the boy.

on stats peterd has performed better than gibbs has but has played only half the games.

if i am correct we were looking closely at petterd for our early draft pick but then frawly was still available so we jumped at him. then we were surprised when petterd was still around. if i have got that wrong please correct me.

i have been very impressed with petterd so far and he has got a lot of touches and shown good courage however i dont think his possessions have been really influential. although i dont expect them to be. he gets the ball and uses it well i cant ask for more at this stage can i?

something along those lines.

We were after a backman with our first pick. But Petterd was a real goer as well for our first rounder. the weagles fancied Frawley, which is the reason why we took him with our first pick, because he might not have been available with our 2nd pick. But CAC was definately stoked to see Petterd was still available with our 2nd rounder.

i get the feeling too that if frawley had of gone before us we would have taken petterd with our first round pick. which means we rated him highly...

Round Pick Player Club From Club too...

1 12 James Frawley North Ballarat Rebels Melbourne Demons

1 13 Jack Riewoldt Tassie Mariners Richmond Tigers

1 14 James Sellar Glenelg Football Club Adelaide Crows

1 15 Daniel O'Keefe Geelong Falcons Sydney Swans

1 16 Mitchell Brown North Ballarat Rebels West Coast Eagles

Pr 17 Shaun Hampson Mount Gravatt Football Club Carlton Blues

Pr 18 Leroy Jetta South Fremantle Football Club Essendon Bombers

2 19 Shaun Grigg North Ballarat Rebels Carlton Blues

2 20 Tom Hislop Tassie Mariners Essendon Bombers

2 21 Gavin Urquhart Morningside Football Club Kangaroos

2 22 Albert Proud Mount Gravatt Football Club Brisbane Lions

2 23 Paul Stewart Woodville-West Torrens Port Adelaide Power

2 24 Brent Renouf Southport Sharks Hawthorn Hawks

2 25 Nathan Djerrkura Wanderers Football Club Geelong Cats

2 26 Shane Edwards North Adelaide Football Club Richmond Tigers

2 27 Brad Howard Redlands Football Club St Kilda Saints

2 28 Chris Dawes Sandringham Dragons Collingwood Magpies

2 29 Eric MacKenzie Claremont Football Club West Coast Eagles

2 30 Ricky Petterd Broadbeach Football Club Melbourne Demons

there are a lot of players picked in between there by most of the clubs...its sutrprising that no one else rated him high enough to pick him there, i wonder if we would of taken any of those other players before petterd if they had been available as well?

Gibbs has been well prepared to setp straight into AFL, having played with men in the pretty good standard of SANFL footy. What amazes me about Petterd is he has only had QAFL time and is not only showing he can handle the big time, but is playing pretty good footy as well. I like the boy.

Very interesting background AS.

What Petterd shows, despite QFL experienece, c.f. Gibbs' at SANFL. is the thing we all complain sometimes lacks in others.

He has great anticipation and ball awareness, and consequently has time to make a good decision, generally, for his age.

Not in Rivers league yet, but Iv'e seen him do some pretty serious spoiling when out of position, floating across a pack.

One to watch and enjoy.

Petterd will be a fine player, but let's not get too excited, Gibbs is a level above him.

Petterd will be the steal of the draft

CAC is a genius, he does it every time

petterd, bartram, rivers, DAVEY! All absolute steals

We would be stuffed without CAC, who in my opinion is the most important man at the club

petterd, bartram, rivers, DAVEY! All absolute steals

... Cameron Bruce ...??? I think he qualifies for that list.

As for Petterd, this kid is gonna be really good, his adaptability to me seems very good, and he has slotted into AFL no problems at all, despite a slim build.

Midfield 6 of Petterd, Brock, Col, Bartram, Bate and Jones in 4 years is something that excites me greatly. Now if we can just get a big bugger to get the ball down to them, and a big bugger for them to kick it to we'd be fine.

Petterd will be the steal of the draft

CAC is a genius, he does it every time

petterd, bartram, rivers, DAVEY! All absolute steals

We would be stuffed without CAC, who in my opinion is the most important man at the club

The steal of the draft is Tom Hawkins. Third round pick for him...... I know father-son; but that kid is probably going to win Geelong a premiership.

Petterd will be the steal of the draft

CAC is a genius, he does it every time

petterd, bartram, rivers, DAVEY! All absolute steals

We would be stuffed without CAC, who in my opinion is the most important man at the club

What about Bohdan?

A number of pundits had Petterd going late first round so he slipped thru and we were lucky. IMO to early to compare him and Gibbs.

I wonder whether his fearlessness is just youthfull exuberance or whether it is actually the way he plays. His hard at the ball attitude is team lifting.

I know its only a small thing, but if we are going to keep talking about the kid can we spell his name right please.

In light of No.1 draft pick Bryce Gibbs winning this weeks rising star nomination, i thought it might be an interesting topic of discussion, that after 10 rounds and what you have seen of both players, if it was draft time now, who would you take?

Stats

MT K H D Avg M Avg HO Avg T Avg FF FA G Avg B

Ricky Petterd 5 52 38 90 18 39 7.8 0 0 9 1.8 1 6 3 0.6 2

MT K H D Avg M Avg HO Avg T Avg FF FA G Avg B

Bryce Gibbs 10 76 58 134 13.4 42 4.2 1 0.1 25 2.5 2 4 1 0.1 1

I probably haven't seen enough of Gibbs play yet, and i think he is year younger, but i would take Pettard. He has shown amazing composure and skill for a first year player, and probaly most importantly courage. Backing into the hole in front of B.Hall in his first game will always live in my memory, and even last week i saw him throw himself into the pack after the ball in a way that would put some of our senior players to shame.

Is there another first year player you have seen that you would take first pick. Selwood maybe?

Another ridiculous biased melbourne view.

Gibbs by far still.

Pettard is a good player and has come along more than expected and is a diamon in the rough as said but Gibbs is and will be a better player. More composure, oozes class, looks to have more time. Just a natural footballer. I think it will take for this time next year for us to see Gibbs really getting going.

Also, it wouldnt be too hard to stand out for melbourne so far this year in what could easily be the worst defence in the league.

Another ridiculous biased melbourne view.

Also, it wouldnt be too hard to stand out for melbourne so far this year in what could easily be the worst defence in the league.

Fair enough but it aint all biased. He's stood out for all the right reasons. Had we recruited him the year before last he probably would still have got a game but had to wait a bit longer .He's doing things that simply aren't a fluke. He's got talent and will only get better. Flip side is, it aint hard for Gibbs to look hot either.

Gibbs is a dud and will go down as the worst number 1 pick ever

he has shown nothing

Gibbs is a dud and will go down as the worst number 1 pick ever

he has shown nothing

You just keep getting dumber and dumber with your comments, deadset. The kid is barely 18 FCS...

I know we were all over Nathan Djerrkura and would of taken him second round if he was available. I'd say we were in fron at this point.

Another ridiculous biased melbourne view.

Gibbs by far still.

When you support a team it's difficult to be unbiased.

But being a number one pick can also taint the view of players. Is Travis the best pick of 1997? Is Headland the best pick of 1998? Is Hodge the best pick of 2001? Goodes was taken 43 in 1997, Embley 57 in 1998 and Mitchell 36 in 2001.

Early picks are generally better but there are always late picks that surprise. I don't really know what more Ricky has to do for you St. Jon. Show me another 1st year player who averages 18 possessions a game in his first 5 games. And don't tell me that they are simple outside receives or little run round behind gimmes. And he certain hasn't been playing in a team that is flying. And two of his five games have been against Grand Finalists from last year. Not easy competition.

Very simply Ricky has done more in his games than Gibbs has in his. I don't know where they will end up when history is written but what is clear is we have an absolute winner on our hands for someone that slipped to 30.

What I want to know is, why hasn't Jonesy been nominated yet?

We know he is still eligible, and he's had some really standout games this year. If a nomination doesn't come soon, I won't be happy!

Anyone have Ricky's odds of winning the whole thing?

As for Gibbs, he is as arrogant as they come and has his head so far up his proverbial, he'd give Nathan Buckley a run for his money. Will certainly be a player though.

gibbs will become an average player. no doubt.

Gibbs is far from a dud, don't get sucked into someone's fantasies.