CHANGES 2007: TRADING AND DRAFTING - PART ONE

[Demonland 72,155]

CHANGES 2007: TRADING AND DRAFTING - PART ONE by The Oracle

When the final siren sounds on grand final day, many footy supporters turn their attention in other directions and their thoughts return only fleetingly over the summer before the hurly burly starts again around the month of March.

For others though, the post finals period is full of interest and anticipation – it's the time when changes start happening to their club's playing lists and for those whose teams missed out on the glory of the season past, it's a time to reflect on what's needed to bring their lists up to scratch and how to go about achieving an improved playing list.

The starting point is always your existing group and in the case of the Melbourne Football Club, we've already witnessed some changes. Here's the list that represented the Demons in 2007 (with 40 of the 44 taking their places on the AFL stage if you count rookie Daniel Hughes' Nab Cup appearance): -

MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - PLAYING LIST SEASON 2007:

SENIOR LIST:

Clint Bartram, Matthew Bate, Daniel Bell, Clint Bizzell, Nathan Brown, Cameron Bruce, Simon Buckley, Nathan Carroll, Aaron Davey, Lynden Dunn, Ryan Ferguson, James Frawley, Colin Garland, Simon Godfrey, Brad Green, Ben Holland, Mark Jamar, Chris Johnson, Paul Johnson, Travis Johnstone, Nathan Jones, James McDonald, Brock McLean, Brad Miller, Brent Moloney, Heath Neville, Michael Newton, Ricky Petterd, Byron Pickett, Jared Rivers, Russell Robertson, Colin Sylvia, Daniel Ward, Matthew Warnock, Isaac Weetra, Paul Wheatley, Matthew Whelan, Jeff White.

VETERAN LIST:

David Neitz, Adem Yze.

ROOKIE LIST:

Jace Bode*, Daniel Hayes, Daniel Hughes, Shane Neaves.

* uplifted rookie

The retirements of Bizzell, Brown and Pickett and the delisting of Godfrey, Neville, Ward and rookies Hayes and Neaves have already reduced the list to 36 and more changes are on the way under the AFL Draft process that started earlier this week with the NAB AFL Draft Camp which concluded yesterday. The process continues next week with the exchange period and culminates with two drafts over the coming months. The first of these sees the National Draft take place on Saturday 24 November followed by the Pre Season and Rookie Drafts on 11 December by which dates the lists will have been done and dusted in readiness for the 2008 season.

THE DRAFT PROCESS

The full list of key dates that form the 2007 NAB AFL Draft Process are: -

Tuesday 2 October to Friday 5 October - NAB AFL Draft Camp

Saturday 6 October Victorian State Screening Session

Monday 8 October to Friday 12 October 2.00 pm Exchange Period

Saturday 13 October South Australian State Screening Session

Sunday 14 October Western Australian State Screening Session

Wednesday 31 October 2.00 pm List Lodgement One, including rookie promotions, retained second year rookies and father / son selections

Wednesday 14 November 2.00 pm Draft Nominations Close

Friday 16 November 2.00 pm List Lodgement Two

Wednesday 21 November 2.00 pm Delisted Player Nominations Close

Saturday 24 November 10.00 am NAB AFL Draft Selection Meeting

Tuesday 27 November 27 2.00 pm Uncontracted Listed Player Nominations Close

Friday 30 November 2.00 pm List Lodgement Three and TPP Estimates

Friday 7 December 7 2.00 pm Delisted Player Nominations Close

Tuesday 11 December 10.00 am NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft Selection Meeting

Tuesday 11 December 10.15 am Nomination of Brisbane Lions and Sydney eligible rookie list players

Tuesday 11 December 10.30am NAB AFL Rookie Draft Selection Meeting

NAB AFL DRAFT CAMP

The cream of the nation's young footballers was on show at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. Seventy-two youngsters were measured up and assessed by the AFL club recruiting people and they went through a series of tests and interviews. Club recruiting officers will review all aspects of the player’s make up including his history, academic record and personal aspirations. The players who impress during the Camp will often be prominent when the first names are called out at the AFL National Draft on 24 November. Provision has also been made to test more than a hundred others at half-day screening camps held in the capital cities.

The following players attended the 2007 NAB AFL Draft Camp -

Victoria (42):

Ashley Arrowsmith, Darcy Daniher, Mitchell Farmer, Jeremy Laidler, Adam Maric, James Polkinghorne (Calder Cannons), Scott Selwood, Robbie Tarrant (Bendigo Pioneers), Steven Gaertner, Jarrod Grant, John McCarthy, Scott Simpson (Dandenong Stingrays), Michael Dell'Aquila, Matthew Lobbe (Eastern Rangers), Ed Curnow, Patrick Dangerfield, Lachie Henderson, Chris Kangars, Guy O’Keefe (Geelong Falcons), Brent Connelly, Jackson Hall, Haelan Kay, Dan McKenna (Gippsland Power), Ashley Hockey, Ben McEvoy, Ryan Normington, Dawson Simpson (Murray Bushrangers), Matt Austin, Clayton Hinkley (North Ballarat Rebels), Trent Cotchin, Jack Grimes, Matthew Kreuzer, Brett Meredith, Patrick Veszpremi, David Zaharakis Northern Knights), Harry Croft, Lachie Hill, Andrew Ottens, Hugh Sandilands (Oakleigh Chargers), Myke Cook (Sandringham Dragons), Will Sullivan, Callan Ward (Western Jets).

Western Australia (17)

Matthew DeBoer, Patrick McGinnity, Cale Morton, Simon Starling (Claremont), Chris Masten, Rhys Palmer (East Fremantle), Tayte Pears, Luke Sampey (East Perth), Cruize Garlett, Chris Mayne, David Myers (Perth), David Gourdis, Jarrhan Jacky (Subiaco), Peter Bonney, Tony Notte, Alex Rance (Swan Districts), Steven Browne (West Perth).

Queensland (7)

Joel Smouha (Mt. Gravatt), James Mulligan (Southport), John Williams (University of Qld), Joey Daye, David Hill, Sam Reid, Brendan Whitecross (Zillmere).

South Australia (5)

Brad Ebert, Levi Greenwood (Port Adelaide), Tom McNamara, Nick Murphy (South Adelaide), Jared Petrenko (WWT Eagles).

Tasmania (4)

Jay Bowden, Aaron Joseph (Glenorchy), Tom Collier (Lauderdale), Tom Bellchambers (Northern Bombers).

Northern Territory (2)

Cyril Rioli (St. Marys), Marlon Motlop (Wanderers).

New South Wales (1)

Tony Armstrong (Calder Cannons)

The results of the draft camp tests are filtering through and these are posted here. You can be sure however, that the cream will rise to the top with this sort of testing - Kreuzer still the one by a mile

"It took just three days at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra this week for Matthew Kreuzer to reinforce what every AFL club recruiter already knew - he is the best young talent in Australia."

EXCHANGE PERIOD

The fun and games really start next week with the exchange period. Judging on the last few seasons there might not be too many shock waves although much will depend on what happens with the Chris Judd situation which, like most other things to do with the trades, is still up in the air.

Coming: The Trading Chronicles

[lucifer 119]

Am I the only one who loves trade week? It feels like for one week of the year, there seems to be a little hope for the Melbourne Football Club. If only, one year, Melbourne were to pull off the trade that got the footy world talking. BRING ON trade week, and let's hope the Dees play hard ball!

[Diablo 1]

Am I the only one who loves trade week? It feels like for one week of the year, there seems to be a little hope for the Melbourne Football Club. If only, one year, Melbourne were to pull off the trade that got the footy world talking. BRING ON trade week, and let's hope the Dees play hard ball!

I don't mean to be overly-negative, but the only element of hope we might have drawn from trade week fell out of a top-story window when that Juda$ chose Carltank. As it is, I'd still be happy with the week if we can get another top 15 pick. Pretty much nobody over the age of 25 should be off-limits when it comes to securing one, either.

[Yencks 8]

I don't mean to be overly-negative, but the only element of hope we might have drawn from trade week fell out of a top-story window when that Juda$ chose Carltank. As it is, I'd still be happy with the week if we can get another top 15 pick. Pretty much nobody over the age of 25 should be off-limits when it comes to securing one, either.

agreed...but apparatly where getting pick 11 from sydney and then losing it to fremantle, according to the other post..

[Lord Travis 10,728]

I HATE trade week, and this silly period leading up to it. I cant stand weeks or speculation with nothing to actually talk about. That's why I avoid the forums this time of year.

My opinion is that like always, we wont feature heavily in trade week. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because Judd aside, the talent you get through trade is usually traded for a reason, damaged goods.

I'd trade for another top 10 pick. I'd love to draft Rance, the prototype modern fullback. The guys big, and has a great kick and rebounds well. Think of him as Matty Scartlett. Saints will take him at pick 9 guaranteed if he's around, so we need to get a pick before then, preferably pick 5 from the Doggies or 7 from Freo. That way we can draft say Palmer or Ebert with pick 4 (assuming Kreuzer Cotchin and Morton are pick 1-3), then land Rance aswell. Inject a talented midfielder into our already good young onball brigade, and add a full back we've ben waiting for to the defence.

Then we'll have the following as a defence for the next 10 years basically.

Frawley Rance Batram

Petterd Rivers Bell

Not to mention the rotating onball unit of Mclean, Jones, Moloney, Sylvia, Bate, Dunn, pick #4 etc

COuld be very exciting. Will probably cost us TJ and picks to get there though.

[Diablo 1]

Haha which one of the mods edited my spelling? I like it better this way, however.

[Diablo 1]

I HATE trade week, and this silly period leading up to it. I cant stand weeks or speculation with nothing to actually talk about. That's why I avoid the forums this time of year.

My opinion is that like always, we wont feature heavily in trade week. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because Judd aside, the talent you get through trade is usually traded for a reason, damaged goods.

I'd trade for another top 10 pick. I'd love to draft Rance, the prototype modern fullback. The guys big, and has a great kick and rebounds well. Think of him as Matty Scartlett. Saints will take him at pick 9 guaranteed if he's around, so we need to get a pick before then, preferably pick 5 from the Doggies or 7 from Freo. That way we can draft say Palmer or Ebert with pick 4 (assuming Kreuzer Cotchin and Morton are pick 1-3), then land Rance aswell. Inject a talented midfielder into our already good young onball brigade, and add a full back we've ben waiting for to the defence.

Then we'll have the following as a defence for the next 10 years basically.

Frawley Rance Batram

Petterd Rivers Bell

Not to mention the rotating onball unit of Mclean, Jones, Moloney, Sylvia, Bate, Dunn, pick #4 etc

COuld be very exciting. Will probably cost us TJ and picks to get there though.

I'd also love to get Rance, but I would like a pacey midfielder first up (Palmer - wins his own footy, unlike Morton). I think our best chance to get another first round pick would be from St Kilda or Hawthorn. Both have players at or approaching the the 'premiership-tilt zone', so might take some of our older cattle (Bruce, TJ) to enhance their prospects.

[Red and Blue Flame 186]

we must take palmer at pick 4. full stop. if he's around

[Diablo 1]

we must take palmer at pick 4. full stop. if he's around

You'd take him over Cotchin? I agree, assuming Cotchin's gone, there should be no question that we should get Palmer, but if Cotchin is still there?

[Red and Blue Flame 186]

Yeah its tough..but i'd still take palmer....just what we need. He's just superb at running, and running, and running..he will run other teams into the ground. beautiful kick on the run (i.e streaming down the guts of the g and pumping it long long and long )

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Am I the only one who loves trade week? It feels like for one week of the year, there seems to be a little hope for the Melbourne Football Club. If only, one year, Melbourne were to pull off the trade that got the footy world talking. BRING ON trade week, and let's hope the Dees play hard ball!

Dont hold your breath on the most overrated five days in the footy calendar. You should get out more.

[Hulett Packard III 166]

Dont hold your breath on the most overrated five days in the footy calendar. You should get out more.

There's an interesting article in today's Age by Emma Quayle that discusses the relationship between trade week and the draft process and overs some of the most promising kids in the draft -

Trade winds to affect draft

She finishes with her top picks -

1. Matthew Kreuzer Northern Knights, 18, 199 centimetres, 94 kilograms

2. Trent Cotchin Northern Knights/PEGS, 17, 184cm, 81kg

3. Cale Morton Claremont, 17, 192cm, 79kg

4. Lachie Henderson Geelong Falcons, 17, 196cm, 90kg

5. Jarrad Grant Dandenong Stingrays, 18, 191cm, 77kg

6. Ben McEvoy Murray Bushrangers, 18, 200cm, 90kg

7. Chris Masten East Fremantle, 18, 179cm, 78kg

8. Rhys Palmer East Fremantle, 18, 180cm, 76kg

9. David Myers Perth, 18, 190cm, 85kg

10. Brad Ebert Port Adelaide Magpies, 17, 187cm, 86kg

11. Cyril Rioli St Mary's, Darwin/ Scotch College, 18, 178cm, 74kg

[leucopogon 1,519]

Cheers to Fergberger for posting this, thought I'd put it here for reference

Here is a list of next years crop draftees.

Who do you like?

Matt Kreuzer-199cm, 91kg-Northern Knights. (ruck) The most talked about player in the draft and for pretty good reason. His tap work is good but he holds his own more than dominates. It is around the ground where his class shows. He simply moves around like another midfielder. Has clean hands and good skills and can tackle. Has great running ability and gets to contests all around the ground. To put it plainly guys his size who can play like midfielders are too good to pass up.

Top 5 pick.

Alex Rance-194cm, 87kg-Swan Districts. ( CHB/FB). The star defender of the National champs. His run out of defence was great. His defensive work was excellent. Has good pace and skills for a big bloke. He worked in well with Browne and Meyers to give WA the killer dash from defence. His handballing was creative and he hits targets by foot. He is simply a defender that every club will rate.

Top 15 pick.

Ben McEvoy-199cm, 90kg-Murray Bushrangers. (Ruck, fwd) He has been on the radar for a while and has had good form this year. He was one of Country’s best performers during the champs playing in the ruck and up forward. He looks to have good endurance and moves around the ground well but he is not blessed with a lot of pace. His ruckwork is pretty good and he can read the play. His kicking skills are very good and he can take a good contested mark. He is the type of ruckman that can ruck for a good portion of the match. Where he goes in the draft will be interesting.

Pick 10 to 30

Tom Collier – 192cm, 86kg-Lauderdale TAS. ( RR/CHB). I have Tom in my midfield review as well but he has to be in the backs too given he has played a lot at CHB. Not sure if he will have the height to be an outright KP player but he certainly can play the running half back role and his defensive skills are good. Uses the footy well. Reads the game well. There is no doubt clubs will like his ability to play back or in the middle.

Top 25 pick.

Tate Pears-192cm, 90kg-East Perth-(CHB/HBF). Played at CHB for WA in the champs and played well. Like Collier is probably a bit short of the prototype CHB but he simply gets the job done. Plays tight but knows when to run off. Like his team mates he gave WA great run from defence. He has shown he can spoil well and has played forward at times with East Perth colts and kicked a goal.

Pick 15 to 40.

Thomas Bellchambers-199cm, 91kg-Northern Bombers. (Ruck). Tasmania’s number one ruckman who’s tap work during the champs was very good. Gets in good positions to hit the ball to his team mates but he can be prone to hitting to nothing spots at times. He has a bit or work to do as far as his around the ground stuff goes. He can take a nice mark and kicks the footy ok for a big bloke. I think someone will take a punt on him simply because of his tap skills.

Pick 20 to 50.

Lachie Henderson-196cm, 90kg-Geelong Falcons.(Fwd). Hard to line up this year because he has been injured and missed a lot of the season. Played some good footy last year and he was good around the ground and a good mark. Played pretty well in last years TAC Cup finals which pretty much has to be the guide as he has only played two games this year for the Falcons and I have only seen one of them. He has played in the ruck a bit so far but I don’t think he has the height or leap to be an AFL ruckman. His kicking is good for a big bloke. I am not really sure where he will go in the draft.

Pick 15 to 40

Darcy Daniher – 192cm, 80kg-Calder Cannons. (CHB) Darcy has been played forward and back, sometimes in the same game, all year in the TAC Cup. When he has played forward he has shown he can kick goals. Can take a good grab and he is a free flowing runner who moves around the ground well. During the Champs he played mainly in defence and although he was not a stand out he did play pretty well. His kicking is pretty strong and he hits targets pretty well. Has had a lot of games where he has had 15 to 20 disposals which isn’t bad for a big bloke. Hasn’t really been outstanding too often but has played solid footy all the way through.

Pick 20 to 50.

Steve Gaertner-196cm, 83kg-Dandenong Stingrays. (Fwd). Interesting player this bloke. In the games I have seen him play he has certainly looked very athletic with good pace for a big man and pretty good skills. The problem with him when I have been watching is he often looks like he is going to take a game apart only to fade out of the game. Looks like he is on fire but it only last 10 minutes or so. When he is on song he can take a strong grab.

Pick 20 to 50.

Scott Simpson-194cm, 91kg-Dandenong Stingrays. (Fwd). Good contested marking forward who is a reasonable goal kicker. He has played a bit in the ruck as well but I am not sure he will be big enough to ruck at AFL level. Like Gaertner he looks like he is about to tear a game apart at times but it never really seems to happen. The way he moves around and plays I think he has a huge upside if he can find some consistency.

Pick 20 to 40.

Andrew Renton-202cm, 94kg-Eastern Rangers. (Ruck). Good size ruckman who has done well for Rangers this year. His tap work is good but he could learn to better direct some of his hit outs. He also has to learn that he must jump at all the ruck contests as he sometimes tries to rely on just his height. When he actually does jump at a contest he looks very good. He is a good mark and his kicking is reliable but he needs to do more around the ground and he wanders from contest to contest a lot of the time rather than getting involved. Can take a grab and kick a goal when he is up forward. Someone will take a punt on him and hope they can get his work rate up to match his raw talent.

Pick 25 to 60.

James Mulligan-201cm, 96kg-Southport. (Ruck). I have only seen him play three games and he hasn’t really done a lot but in small patch’s he has shown some raw talent. He is mobile. He can kick the footy a mile and can take a mark. Doesn’t do nearly enough around the ground or in the ruck for that matter. Like Renton I think someone will take a chance with him simply because of the raw product.

Pick 40 plus.

Dave Gourdis-193cm, 88kg-Subiaco. (CHF) Impressed for WA at CHF during the champs. Good sized kid who was very mobile and a good shot at gaol. Kicking skills are pretty good and he was prepared to work hard to present as a target. Seemed to read the play very well and knew where to lead so he could get himself in the game.

Pick 10 to 40.

Dan McKenna-194cm, 82kg-Gippsland Power. (FWD / BCK). Has had a bit of an up and down year playing in a strong side. Has been used at CHF and CHB during the year. Had some good early form as a key forward but it has dropped of a little as the season has gone on. Had a reasonable time at the Champs without being a star. Has shown some sort of ability to read the play as a back man and he can spoil well if needed. Is pretty lightly built at the moment.

Pick 25 to 60.

Luke Sampey-191cm, 91kg-East Perth. (FWD). Not overly tall for KP but did well playing FF for WA during the champs. Leads up well and can take a decent mark. Goal kicking is a bit 50/50.

Pick 40 plus.

Will Sullivan – 202cm, 95kg-Western Jets. (Ruck). Tall ruckman who’s form is a little up and down. His skills are pretty good for a big man but he should be doing more around the ground than what he does. Had a quiet time at the champs for Vic metro. His tap work is good when he plays well but for a bloke his size he doesn’t always use his bulk. Has had some games with 25 plus hit outs.

Pick 40 plus.

Matt Lobbe-197cm, 80kg-Eastern Rangers. (FWD). Has played part time in the ruck but has spent most of his time playing CHF. Has good hands and is a good kick but needs to impose himself on contests more often. Looks like at times he is stuck playing under 16 mindset where he can just have the footy kicked in his direction so he can take a grab. Gets around the ground ok for a tall bloke.

Pick 40 plus.

Trent Zomer-194cm, 94kg-Eastern Rangers. (Fwd) Spends a bit of time rucking but will never be an AFL ruckman. It has been up forward he has sown his best form in recent times. Very good sized body. Leads up well and has strong hands. He is a good shot at goal.

Pick 50 plus.

Jayden Donaldson -188cm, 85kg-Bendigo Pioneers. Is a bit on the short side for a KP defender but is pretty good in the one on one duels. Finds enough of the footy for a defender and his kicking is ok. Has kicked goals when played forward including one bag of 6.

Pick 50 plus.

Shaun Dixon-186cm, 85kg-Eastern Rangers. A bit of a left field selection that will not be rated by most. Has been playing FB for Rangers and has been excellent against the big blokes or the smalls. He has an uncanny knack of being able to spoil all sizes of opponents without giving away free kicks. He has an awkward kicking style but does hit targets. Plays a lot taller than he is.

Pick 50 plus.

Travis Dulic-192cm, 90kg-Calder Cannons. Big solid kid he is a bit of an old style FB. Defence is very good. He pace is ok and he has a decent long kick. He can be a bit hit and miss as far as hitting targets go.

Pick 40 plus.

Robert Tarrant -196cm, 92kg-Bendigo Pioneers. I have to put Tarrant on this list as i'm pretty sure someone will take him. Can’t give him much of a rating because I have only seen him play once this year (against Rangers). He was reasonably good in this game and took some good grabs but his kicking wasn’t great. Every other time I have seen Bendigo play he has been injured.

Pick 20 to 60.

Jake Spiteri-193cm, 87kg-Northern Knights. Solid kid who has played Ruck, CHF and CHB for the Knights this year. He goes ok in the ruck but is not really a genuine ruckman. Leads up well and is reasonably mobile at CHF. Doesn’t win huge amounts of the footy but has had a few strong games. Pace is reasonable for a big guy. His defensive skills are ok. Kicking is ok on the right. Can take a strong Mark.

Pick 40 plus.

Tim Bongetti-191cm, 89kg-Northern Knights. Good strong bodied forward who can take a good grab. His left foot goal kicking is good but he can struggle to kick it 50 meters in games I have seen him play. His leading is good and seems to know where to lead. Pace is a bit of a question mark as he isn’t quick and lumbers a bit. Has kicked a few bags of goals during the year.

Pick 40 plus.

Matthew Quinton – 192cm, 89kg- Northern Knights. Defender who is a reasonably good right foot kick. Doesn’t win a huge amount of the footy but is good on his day. Defensive skills are good. Has played mainly fullback. Seems to read the play pretty well and on his better days he will back himself to run out of defence.

Toby Thoolan-195cm, 92kg-Bendigo Pioneers. Tallish bottom age kid who has played mainly Ruck and FP this year. Has a pretty good leap in the ruck and can win taps. He is pretty mobile and his pace is ok for a tall. His kicking is pretty good and he can kick it a long way. When he has been resting up forward he has managed a goal or two in most games but I think he could possibly work on presenting at the contest more as he doesn’t take a lot of contested marks.

Pick 40 plus.

John Shaw-197cm, 90kg-Sandringham Dragons. Overage ruckman who has played well for Sandy this year. Wins plenty of taps but doesn’t get much of the footy around the ground. Can take a good contested mark. His kicking is nothing to write home about but not terrible. Hasn’t much pace.

Pick 50 plus.

Luke Casey-Leigh-195cm, 84kg-Sandringham Dragons. Tall defender whose defensive skills are ok. Not great body on body. Kicking is average and needs to improve his awareness when he has the footy in his hands.

Pick 50 plus.

Harry Croft-192cm, 82kg-Oakleigh Chargers. Has missed a bit of footy this year so I haven’t seen a lot of him. Has played in defence and as a forward. Has also had a run in the middle. His marking is good and skills look ok. Has good hands in close.

Pick 30 plus.

Andrew Hogan – 198cm, 81kg-Oakleigh Chargers. Has been ok in a few games for the Chargers this year. Tall skinny kid who gets around the ground ok. Ruck work is reasonable. Right foot kicking is good and he can take a mark.

Pick 40 plus.

Glenn Chivers-189cm, 85kg-Oakliegh Chargers. Have only seen him play a couple of times but his defensive skills are ok. Pace is reasonable. His kicking is a bit scruffy. Is now taller than the 189cm that he is listed at. Hasn’t played a lot of TAC Cup footy. Can tackle.

Pick 45 plus.

Chris Kangars-193cm, 84kg-Geelong Falcons. Another who I have only seen a few times. Tallish and a bit on the skinny side but moves ok. Defensive skills are ok. Can find the footy. His kicking is ok. In the games where he has found more of the footy he handballs off to the running players more than kicking it. Can take a contested mark.

Pick 40 plus.

Dawson Simpson-205cm, 97 kg-Murray Bushrangers. Very tall ruckman who wins a lot of the tap work. I haven’t seen a lot of him play and when I have, I have thought he needs to do more around the ground. Doesn’t really win a lot of the footy. Someone will have a look at simply because of his height.

Pick 40 plus.

Chris Masten – 180cm, 78kg – East Fremantle. A genuine in and under rover who can run all day and is very good at getting his team mates into the game. His skills are very good and creative on both sides of his body and knows how to block for his mates in the middle. He isn’t a jet as far as pace goes but his vision and composure make up for that. Finds plenty of the footy and is very good at the stoppages and clearances. He has had a pretty consistent year playing mainly in the seniors for East Fremantle in the WAFL. Had an excellent under 18 championship series where he was captain of WA and really delivered on field with his work rate and one precenters. Played really consistent footy over four quarters in all three champ matches. Work rate is very good. Doesn’t mind going forward and kicking a goal.

Top 15 pick.

Rhys Palmer – 180cm, 76kg – East Fremantle. Exploded onto the scene with a sensational National Champs where he dominated in the middle and kicked goals. Good skills on both sides of his body and has plenty of run and flair.

Before the champs he was good for East Freo without being a stand out but he has kicked on since his efforts at the Nationals with more 20 plus possession games. Very hard at the footy and looks like he enjoys going in hard. He is very good at the clearances and has a booming left foot kick. Kept working hard and finding the footy despite efforts to tag him. Very good work rate.

Top 15 pick.

Trent Cotchin – 184cm, 77kg – Northern Knights. Classy skilful player who was all the talk before the Nationals but failed to deliver his best for Vic Metro. He was tagged pretty heavily during the champs and didn’t have the answers to beat it. In the TAC Cup he has been a standout. Great skills, excellent reader of the play. He is a one touch player who finds targets. In the champ trail match’s he dominated to the extent that he was taken off the ground after a quarter and a half so that they could get a look at other players.

Top 15 pick.

Cale Morton – 192cm , 75kg – Claremont . Tallish wingman/halfback with superb skills and a lovely long kick of the footy . Is very much an outside player who tends to be the playmaker or handball receiver but he doesn’t miss too many targets. He links in well in this role and can kick a goal from outside 50. Needs to build up a bit body wise. Has good endurance and his pace is ok. He knows how to find space and is a one touch player. If he isn’t receiving a handball he is running to space and getting a mark. Great talent.

Top 15 pick

Scott Sellwood – 184cm 81kg – Bendigo Pioneers. Gets a lot of publicity simply because of his brothers but as far as footy goes he is his own man. He isn’t as classy as Joel but he does have great skills. Isn’t overly fast and tends to crash through the smaller guys rather than beat them with skill. Has played a bit of junior footy at half back with no one on him so he finds the ball a bit but often I think he could be working harder during games. Needs to run and carry it more often. He is a good size kid who does seem to enjoy playing an inside pack crashing role.

Top 20 pick.

Cyril Rioli – 178cm, 74kg – St Marys NT. Despite playing most of the nationals as a small forward due to him recovering from injury he is a genuine midfielder. Has good pace and a nice left foot kick but is good on both sides of his body. His tackling is also very good.

Gets his team mates involved and was the leading goal assist player at the Champs. Showed he was very dangerous up forward with 7 goals in the last champ game against QLD. Has been playing school footy in Melbourne so he will know what to expect when he moves south.

Top 20 pick

Brad Ebert – 187cm, 86kg- Port Adelaide SANFL. Captain of SA and a bottom age player but he has already played senior SANFL footy for Port. Is a very good sized kid who was tagged well during the Champs but still did well. He is an excellent inside or outside player with good skills and pace and is a good contested mark of the footy. Extremely courageous in his attack on the ball and lead the SA side well.

Top 20 pick.

David Myers – 190cm, 85kg-Perth. Played in defence during the national champs but I’m sure people will see him as a future midfielder. He was very highly rated before the carnival and did his reputation no harm at all getting plenty of the footy as a running back man. Looks like a natural runner who has good skills. Was a standout in the 2006 International Rules series against Ireland. He has the size and body that clubs love in running wingers.

Pick 10 to 30.

Tom Collier – 192cm, 86kg – Lauderdale Tas. Has played a lot of footy at CHB but he showed during the Nationals that he was just as good as a ruck rover. He was overlooked as a bottom age player last year but has come on in leaps and bounds this year. Has VFL experience with the Devils. He isn’t quick but he has good skills and uses the ball well. Likes to run with the footy and is also good at finding the footy in a pack. Was easily Tasmania’s best midfielder in their last champ game. Given his ability to play back or in the middle he will be well sort after.

Top 25 pick.

Stephan Browne – 181cm, 74kg – West Perth. Played as a small defender during the national champs but he is another that will be looked at as a future midfielder. Plays tight and hard and did well to blanket out his opponents. Has good pace and is an accurate kick. Has had very good form in the WAFL in recent weeks.

Pick 10 to 30.

Pat Vezpremi – 181cm, 83kg-Northern Knights – Strong solid straight ahead midfielder who backs up his hard at it style with a bit of flair. He isn’t subtle in any way. He just gets in and gets the footy and runs through people. Not overly quick and not silky smooth in the skills department as some of the highly touted midfielders.

Just goes hard all day long.

Pick 20 to 40.

Paddy McGinnity – 182cm, 75kg-Claremont- One of the lesser knowns of the all star WA midfield but deserves a mention in his own right. Took Cotchin out of the game in their game against Vic Metro while still winning his own footy. Can run with opponents all day and has good speed. Skills are good and he can win the footy at clearances. His tagging was very disciplined.

Pick 10 to 30.

Jack Grimes-187cm,76kg,Northern Knights- Is not quick and his skills are not outstanding but he is hard at it and reads the play very well. He is always in the game trying to block or shepherd or tackle and shows some leadership skills in the way he gets around to pump up his team mates. He doesn’t let up and gives what looks like his best all day long. He is pretty clean with his ball handling and doesn’t fumble . Has played at half back / half forward and in the middle.

Pick 20 to 50.

Addam Maric-179cm, 80kg-Calder Cannons. Was Vic Metros shinning light up forward looking the most dangerous option most of the time? Very accurate kick for goal. And his kicking skills are excellent. He has played midfield but I haven’t seen a lot of him in the middle so it is hard to tell if he has what it takes to play full time there. He is certainly a very good small forward. Hard to judge where he will go in the draft.

Pick 20 to 60

Jackson Hall -187cm,76kg-Gippsland Power/Traralgon. Tall quick winger who runs hard. His kicking isn’t always good as far as decision making goes but has been consistently good in the TAC Cup. One of Vic Country’s better players in the Champs. Will be seen as a player with a big upside as he has an A grade running game.

Pick 20 to 50

Sam Reid – 185cm, 75kg-Zillmere QLD. He was Queensland’s Mr Fix it during the carnival as it seemed a lot of the time Reid had to find the footy and then be on hand to receive it. He has alright pace but isn’t a jet. Knows how to find the footy but at times he seemed to get lost as he had to carry the load for the rest of the midfield. Skills are reasonable. Wont go early but he would be a solid late pick.

Pick 20 to 60

Levi Greenwood- 181cm, 91kg-Port Magpies SA. Big solid kid who was pretty consistent for SA. Goes hard at the ball. Hasn’t really got the class of the better rated midfielders. Skills are good rather than great. It was a bit hard to line him up given SA didn’t perform all that well in its two Victorian games. Was in there best in all three champ games. He has played senior footy for Port in the SANFL.

Pick 25 to 60.

Patrick Dangerfield-188cm, 80kg-Geelong Falcons. Was played mainly as a tagger during the Champs and has played a bit of back pocket at times for Geelong. His is good by foot and has a good build for a midfielder. Plays tough and doesn’t mind getting a hard ball. Pace is pretty good.

Pick 25 to 60.

Ashley Arrowsmith – 188cm 82kg-Calder Cannons. Tall running wingman that has had a good year in the TAC Cup but was burnt at the stake during the champs. He was exposed for pace by the rampaging WA midfield. He is a very outside player who likes to find space and link in. His kicking is reliable rather than great. On his TAC form someone will pick him up.

Pick 25 to 60.

Aaron Joseph – 178cm, 75kg-Glenorchy Tas. Tasmania’s best midfielder who performed well at the Champs. He is good at the clearances and has good hands. Gets the ball inside 50 from the middle fairly often. Works really hard all day. Isn’t quick but he can hit targets.

Pick 25 to 60

Andy Otten-192cm, 86kg-Oakleigh Chargers. Having a very good year in the TAC Cup where he has been used forward or back or on the wing. He is a real athlete with good skills. Has been averaging 27 possession a game for Oakleigh.

Pick 25 to 60.

Tom Frawley-186cm, 76kg-StMarys NT. Originally from North Ballarat Frawley is a pretty tall skinny winger. Has good run and pace is reasonable. He seemed to be a bit hit and miss with his kicking skills during the champs having one excellent day and one so so day in the two games I saw him play. Is very much an outside player who didn’t win much contested footy.

Pick 30 to 60.

Ryan Normington – 186cm,76kg-Murray Bushrangers. Didn’t have a great run at the Champs for Vic Country but the whole side didn’t go well either. His TAC Cup form has been pretty good. Plays in the middle and has good skills and works well as the link man. Not really a contested ball winner from what I have seen. Decision making is good.

Pick 30 to 60.

Ashley Hockey – 181cm, 78kg-Murray Bushrangers. Had a reasonable champs for Vic Country. Is one of those players who you would describe as doing everything ok but not a stand out in any one area. Has good foot skills and hits targets when he is in space.

Pick 30 to 60.

Jay Bowden-184cm, 74kg-Glenorchy TAS. Had to play a lot as a forward during the champs and is a strong mark and can kick goals. He was pretty good in the limited time he spent on the wing and in the middle. Skills are good. Pace is reasonable. Seems to make good decisions with the ball in his hands.

Pick 30 to 60

Daniel Noy-188cm, 78kg-Eastern Rangers. He was flying early in the year before he got injured before the Nationals. Tallish running winger who can play inside and win the footy but is best suited to playing an outside role. Has good skills and a nice long kick. Pace is reasonably good and can take a nice mark.

Pick 30 to 60.

Brad Jones-181cm, 76kg-Eastern Rangers. Didn’t do a lot during the champs but has had sparkling form for Rangers during the year. He is a running machine who gets in and under and brings team mates into the game. Sometimes his kicking is a bit hit and miss usually when he tries to exceed his limitations. Good leader who can tackle and run forward and kick goals. Wins plenty of the footy.

Pick 40 plus

Trevor Oliver-181cm, 88kg-Waratah NT. Is actually an overage kid allowed to play for NT during the champs. Got plenty of the footy in the games I saw and had good skills. Looked able to move quickly when needed and was elusive in close.

Pick 50 plus

Luke Potts-177cm, 68kg-Dandenong Stingrays. Luke had a good time at the champs particularly as a small forward. There isn’t much off him but he can find the footy. In the few Dandenong games I have seen him play he tends to play behind the ball a lot gathering possessions and feeding it out well. His pace is ok but not super quick. Can play as a small forward and crumbs well. Wet weather skills where good during the champs.

Pick 40 plus

Kris Nye-174cm, 73kg- Eastern Rangers. Kris just missed selection for Vic Metro but has had outstanding form in the TAC Cup. He is out for the season now with a broken leg. Before his injury he was close to being the heart or the Rangers side. Hard running in and under rover who you can throw in the middle and he will get you back in the game. His pace is only average but is one of those players who knows how to get in space or move through traffic. His skills are ok but not silky smooth. It doesn’t stop him from hitting targets though. Good hands in close. The fact that he has been disappointing as a small forward probably cost him a spot for Vic Metro with the nod going to Potts.

Pick 50 plus.

Mitchell Farmer-179cm, 76kg-Calder Cannons. Played as a small defender a lot early during the year and was hard to rate as a midfielder but has ventured into the midfield a lot more in the latter half of the season. Rebounds well from defence and has good kicking skills. Seems to have a decent motor as he doesn’t stop running from defence.He has good enough pace. Hard to know where he may go due to back pockets not being overly popular in the draft but his late midfield form could see him move up some spots.

Pick 20 to 50.

Dane Zorko-176cm, 69kg-Broadbeach QLD. Not much of him but he goes pretty hard. Skills are pretty good and was probably Queensland’s second best midfielder.

Pick 50 plus.

Matthew Davis-187cm, 74kg-Mt Gravatt QLD. Tallish winger that has good pace and skills. In the two games I saw him play he used the footy well and got a reasonable amount of it.

Pick 50 plus.

James Polkinghorne-181cm, 82kg-Calder Cannons. Solid kid who didn’t really shine for Vic Metro. He tackles hard and can win the footy in close. Pace is average but he gets the job done in the TAC Cup. Uses the ball well and seems to give 100% all the time.

Pick 40 plus.

Rory Sloane-180cm, 75kg-Eastern Rangers. Has had good form for Rangers all year but has really stepped it up since Kris Nye got injured. Similar player to Jones. Pacey little running machine who has good kicking skills. Finds plenty of the footy and is good at the clearances.

Pick 50 plus.

Myke Cook-182cm, 76kg-Sandringham Dragons. Speedy midfielder who finds the footy well. Has a pretty long kick for a small bloke. Gets the ball in traffic and knows how to use his pace to avoid trouble. Leads up well and can kick a goal when playing half forward.

Pick 40 plus.

Brad Gilder-183cm, 84kg-Sandringham Dragons. Strong bodied midfielder who has pretty good foot skills. He is not really quick but he gets involved a lot and finds the footy well. Has good hands and composure.

Pick 30 plus.

Hugh Sandilands-191cm, 82kg-Oakleigh Chargers. Tallish midfielder who plays a bit outside. Can find the footy well. Skills are ok but he doesn’t always use them well. Can have games where he just throws the footy onto the boot. Pace is reasonable but not quick.

Pick 30 plus.

David Zaharakis-180cm, 70kg-Northern Knights. Bottom age kid who has played well on the wing this year. Has pace and a good right foot kick. Plays a bit outside but can find the footy in traffic. Has a very punchy kicking action that sees him kick the footy a fair way.

Pick 20 to 60.

[mauriesy 7,287]

Dave Gourdis, 193cm, 88kg, Subiaco (CHF) Impressed for WA at CHF during the champs. Good sized kid who was very mobile and a good shot at gaol.

Should fit in well with West Coast then.