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For the first time since 2004, where I predicted Melbourne taking Matthew Bate and Jordan Russell, I've decided to post a return of the Goodoil Phantom Draft. Here is the first round, with the rest to follow next week. It includes bids and trades to add a bit of silliness to it. 1. Adelaide Crows - Riley Thilthope - 18, 201cm 102kg - West Adelaide The Crows are in an interesting spot. Thilthorpe, the local product, makes a lot of sense, but taking him at one doesn't necessarily juice the most value from the pick. Trading down is a possibility but if they do that they will want to position themselves to get extra draft material and still get Thilthorpe, which would probably require another trade back up with a third party and it could start getting messy. Trading one pick back with North, who could then facilitate another trade for themselves is a possibility, but in the end just straight up taking Thilthorpe, who is a promising South Australian ruck/forward ends up the pragmatic thing to do. He has Matthew Kreuzer-like ruck potential but also good forward craft in a strong athletic frame that could cause AFL defenders problems for a long time. Number one draft picks get financial perks and it would be a strange decision if the Crows bid on Ugle-Hagan and denied their own player those benefits just to hinder the Western Bulldogs by 300 draft pick points. NGA Academy Bid - North Melbourne bids for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan - matched by the Western Bulldogs. 2. Western Bulldogs - Jamarra Ugle-Hagan - 18, 196cm 85kg - Oakleigh Chargers The Kangaroos bid on the best talent in the draft and the Dogs have no choice but to use the flawed points system that benefits them greatly to take Ugle-Hagan, a highly skilled and mobile key forward from the Warrnambool area. He will likely slot straight in as the third tall forward for the Dogs and wouldn't shock if he is in the 25-40 goal range in his first year at Whitten Oval - a very exciting player! Trade - The Kangaroos trade Pick 3 and their future second round pick to Gold Coast for their first and second round picks in this 2020 draft and their 2021 first rounder. 3. Gold Coast - Logan McDonald - 18, 196cm 85kg - Perth North hold highly valuable draft stock here but I think they trade out of it with a host of teams willing to pay a premium for access to McDonald. Here the Roos drop effectively three spots to get Gold Coast's first rounder, they also get the Suns' redundant second rounder this year and a very nice looking 2021 pick swap (based on current ladder positioning). The Suns with all the AFL help they've been given are happy to sacrifice draft capital at a loss to get blue chip talent onto their list and McDonald fits that line of thinking His performances at WAFL senior level have been ground-breaking and he meshes prototypical key forward physical attributes with genuine footballing ability, along the lines of Tom Boyd, who had one of the strangest AFL careers ever, but was talented enough to be paid $1 million per year at a point and went close to winning a Norm Smith Medal. A McDonald-Ben King combination is a salivating prospect for Suns fans, if any exist. 4. Sydney Swans - Denver Grainger-Barrass - 18, 195cm 78kg - Swan Districts It wouldn't shock me if the Swans are in the Logan McDonald trade up sweepstakes, but Grainger-Barrass is a nice mix of need and best available and would be a good pick for the Swans if they stay pat at this draft spot. A rangy centre half back with strong intercept skills, he should slot straight in to Sydney's back 6 and be a long-term fixture there, projecting to be one of league's best defenders in time. NGA Academy Bid - Hawthorn bids for Braeden Campbell - matched by Sydney Swans 5. Sydney Swans - Braeden Campbell - 18, 180cm 73kg - Pennant Hills Hawthorn annoys the Swans and forces Sydney to take him at pick 5. It's a no-brainer for the Swans. They get a two-sided midfielder/half-forward that will step straight into their best 22 and were it not for Matthew Rowell being eligible, likely be a debut year Rising Star contender. 6. Hawthorn - Archie Perkins - 18, 186cm 77kg - Sandringham Dragons Will Phillips and Elijah Hollands are still on the board, but the jungle drums beat loudly that Perkins is Hawthorn's man. From a needs basis, Perkins makes more sense than Phillips and the similar Hollands has an ACL tear in his medical history, so those factors may be in Hawthorn's reckoning, but Perkins brings X-factor, pace and run to a team in desperate need of some reinvigoration. It would be an interesting pick and if it unfolds this way, comparisoning between Perkins and Hollands will be a thing the Hawks have to deal with. All in all, though, you can see why Hawthorn would go in this direction. Trade - The Kangaroos trade the current pick and Pick 30, along with 2021 third and fourth rounders to Collingwood for original picks 14 and 16 and their 2021 first rounder. 7. Collingwood - Elijah Hollands - 18, 190cm 84kg - Murray Bushrangers Collingwood's unusual offseason gets stranger as it executes a trade to get it one of the consensus top five players in the draft, the highly skilled Hollands. They give up their two late first rounders which are vulnerable to Reef McInnes bids and their redundant future first which they want to discard before a bid comes for 2021 father-son prospect Nick Daicos. In addition, they get points in both years to service bids with. North sacrifice access again to a top talent but they still have a very strong 2020 draft hand and now have three first rounders to play with in 2021. The Pies hope Hollands' flair and skill will help Pies fans forget the losses of Jaidyn Stephenson and Adam Treloar. He is a very talented player, especially around goals, but the ACL history is worrisome, especially considering what the Pies are giving up to get him. 8. Essendon - Will Phillips - 18, 181cm 79kg - Oakleigh Chargers The Bombers mop up the slider from the accessible consensus top 5 in Will Phillips, the hard running inside midfielder from the Oakleigh Chargers. It's a great result/pick for the Bombers, he helps in the area they are weakest and he has leadership intangibles that will be of benefit - a likely round one contributor for the Dons as a two-way,, inside-out midfielder. 9. Essendon - Nik Cox - 18, 199cm 82kg - Northern Knights At 9, Essendon goes with a less steady pick and takes the incredibly athletic 199cm Cox from the Northern Knights. It's hard to project what position Cox is best suited to play but as a mound of clay, he is an exciting project for new coach Ben Rutten to work with. The Bombers would have loved to be able to get hold of McDonald via but their picks were in a trade no man's land sufficient to entice Adelaide or North. In time they hope Cox can have an impact up forward with his endurance and unusual elasticity for someone of his size. Trade - Essendon trades the current pick to GWS for what were originally GWS's picks 15 and 20. 10. GWS - Zach Reid - 18, 202cm 82kg - Gippsland Power Essendon trades its third first rounder to get a couple more players in the door slightly down the order. GWS jumps up to get a future cornerstone defender in Reid, who has nice kicking skills to match his wiry 200cm frame. He will take time to fill out but with Phil Davis now at age 30 and with Sam Taylor struggling to get on the park in recent times, it seems sensible to invest in the position group. With GWS strong draft hand in terms of volume of picks, they can afford to take what might be a bit of a risky trade jump on a player whose physical one-on-one strength development will be a pivotal factor going forward. NGA Academy Bid - Port Adelaide matches Adelaides bid for Lachlan Jones 11. Port Adelaide - Lachlan Jones - 18, 184cm 87kg - Woodville/West Torrens No surprise that Port matches the bid that comes for Jones from its cross-town rival, a well-rounded half back who could play straight away for the Power and a steal for what they will give up for him under the broken points system. 11. Adelaide - Tom Powell - 18, 180cm 70kg - Sturt The Crows go down the local path again and select the son of Matthew Powell, the nuggety midfielder/half back who played 16 games for Adelaide in the 90s. His son is a different type of player, a smallish accumulating midfielder with neat skills who has dominated the SANFL junior scene in the last 12 months. He may take some time but once he fills out, which he should given his dad's muscular physique, Powell should be a nice cog in the Crows midfield going forward. Adelaide will be hoping he can have a Caleb Serong-like impact in time. 12. GWS - Heath Chapman - 18, 193cm 81kg - West Perth The Giants again go to the defensive well and select West Australian Chapman. Though they play in the same third of the ground, Chapman brings a different role to the table than does the earlier-picked Reid. He is a mobile intercept marking type who likes to take the game on, carry the football and deliver by foot. Some would think it's excessive for the Giants to in effect use three first rounders on defence but down the line a defence of Reid, Chapman, Taylor and Nick Haynes could not only be impassable but also outstanding on the intercept and in delivery. 13. North Melbourne - Finlay Macrae - 18, 186cm 72kg - Oakleigh Chargers The Kangaroos finally make a pick after executing a few trades that will no doubt get tongues wagging on draft night. They take Macrae the smaller younger brother of the Bulldogs midfield star. Similar in a lot of ways to his brother, this looks a nice pick for the Roos as they start to replenish their list with the surfeit of picks at their disposal over the next two years. Fin Macrae could be one to really blossom and play at a level above his draft status, as even though his brother was a high draft pick, he was an enormous improver once he entered the AFL system. 14. Fremantle - Oliver Henry - 18, 187cm 77kg - Geelong Falcons The way Freo's list is set up, I think this has to be the pick as the Dockers have a dearth of forward 50 marking options. Henry is a mobile third type of forward who should be a nice fit alongside Matt Taberner and Rory Lobb. I think ideally the Dockers would like to go with the local midfield product Jack Carroll at this point but the marriage of need and best available makes the Henry pick a sound one all the same. 15. GWS - Sam Berry - 18, 181cm 81kg - Gippsland Power After hopefully shoring up their defense for the next decade with their first two selections, the Giants go to work on their midfield and take the tough tackling, inside operative Sam Berry. With Callan Ward nearing the end and his likely successor Jye Caldwell now gone, he will help bring a hard edge to the Giants' core that has probably been lacking in recent times and in effect takes Caldwell's spot on the list as his direct replacement. NGA Academy Bid - North Melbourne bid for Reef McInnes which is matched by Collingwood. 16. Collingwood - Reef McInnes - 17, 193cm 86kg - Oakleigh Chargers North cheekily use Collingwood's original pick and bid for McInnes. Collingwood match and get an intriguing midfield prospect with excellent size, speed and versatility potential. With Hollands and McInnes the Pies have done well to replace some of the spark lost during its controversial trade week. Trade - North trade the current pick for Geelong's 2021 first rounder and the second rounder they have that is tied to Essendon. 17. Geelong - Tanner Bruhn - 18, 182cm 75kg - Geelong Falcons After bringing Collingwood to account, North then add an unholy fourth 2021 first rounder and a valuable second rounder to its books and executes a trade with the Cats. Geelong get a local product they rate a lot higher than this spot in the draft and the Kangaroos are playing the long game under new coach David Noble. Bruhn has been on the nose in recent times, maybe clubs think he is more of an outside player than is desirable, maybe it's because he is so underexposed, I'm not sure. All the same, with this ball skills and poise, he seems a nice pick here for the trade backwards then forwards Cats. 18. Essendon - Nathan O'Driscoll - 18, 187cm 76kg - Perth Here the Dons go with the West Australian midfielder and in adding him and Phillips they've added a physical edge to their midfield. O'Driscoll is a big-bodied mid or half-back who is a fierce tackler and a decent left footer. When you think about how interested Essendon was in trying to get Josh Dunkley, O'Driscoll is the kind of player that can shore up the kind of weaknesses that the Dons were looking to solidify with that failed trade attempt. 19. North Melbourne - Brayden Cook - 18, 188cm 74kg - South Adelaide The Kangaroos, with all eyes on them and a probable draft documentary deal brewing, elect to make their second selection of the draft and not add to their 2021 pick haul by adding South Adelaide talent Brayden Cook. Cook has torn the SANFL under 18s apart this year and with his dash, high marking and goalkicking acumen, will be an exciting addition for the Roos. With Tarryn Thomas, Jye Simpkin, Luke Davies-Uniacke and now Macrae and Cook, things probably aren't as bad for North as they appear, especially with what they can now do in the 2021 offseason. 20. Richmond - Bailey Laurie - 18, 180cm 75kg - Oakleigh Chargers Having lost Jack Higgins, the Tigers find what could be a direct replacement in Bailey Laurie, the diminutive midfielder/forward with game-breaking ability and punishing footskills. He might find access to the best 22 difficult early on, but long-term he seems the perfect type of player for the Tigers's forward half systems, with midfield versatility down the line an added bonus. 21. Melbourne - Jack Carroll - 17, 188cm 79kg - East Fremantle The Demons add the talented West Australian midfielder from the same WAFL club as Trent Rivers and Luke Jackson. A left-footer who can cover the ground quickly and with plenty of upside, the Dees will be pleased to add some running power to its midfield on the outside, whilst he further develops his promising inside game. NGA Academy Bid - Melbourne bid for Blake Coleman which is matched by Brisbane. 22. Brisbane Lions - Blake Coleman - 18, 181cm 78kg - Morningside Brisbane hold on to the exciting and quick half-forward Coleman, the brother of Kaidean Coleman, who gives them another speedy operator inside 50 to combine with Charlie Cameron. Melbourne would have loved to add him to Kysaiah Pickett as a crumbing forward combination. 23. Melbourne - Jake Bowey - 18, 175cm 66kg - Sandringham Dragons With their second first rounder the Dees take the small but very evasive and neat kicking small Jake Bowey. The son of ex-St Kilda rover Brett Bowey, Bowey will bring an element of dash to Melbourne and with his kicking efficiency maybe add that dimenson that will help balance Simon Goodwin's ball-winning brigade, whilst also helping the Demons' inconsistent small forward play if deployed in attack. Trade - Essendon trades the current pick to Hawthorn for Hawthorn's second rounder and 2021 third rounder 24. Hawthorn - Max Heath - 18, 204cm 88kg- Sandringham Dragons The Hawks trade up a few spots to avoid coughing up a pick unnecessarily to a Connor Downie bid and take a swing for the fences with Heath, a developing ruckman who could be their long-term solution to the ruck position. A giant man with a physical approach, Heath is very much a raw ball of clay but in time could be worth the investment. With Downie to come, the Hawks take the view that this in effect a free hit and take a risk that could pay off in spades. 25. St Kilda - Cameron Fleeton - 18, 192cm 81kg - Geelong Falcons With their first pick, the Saints add developing Geelong Falcon key defender Cam Fleeton. A more long-range project type player, Fleeton can take a mark and has shutdown defender potential as well. Raw in some areas, the Saints hope he develop into a quality key back and will give him time, something they can afford to do as they've once again bolstered their list with proven commodities, Brad Crouch and Jack Higgins.

Just a quick note of thanks to those who have put together phantom drafts, Goodoil and Gawndog. There is often not much discussion following these but that in just an indication that not many have knowledge of the draft and can't really comment. Hence this thankyou, you are giving us an insight we value. The player descriptions are fantastic because come draft night we will have an instant reference to the type of player we get and what we can look forward to. I'm sure I speak for many when I say we are very appreciative.

Dr D. Settle down. It’s a supporters thread. Neither would @gawndogor @goodoil . Has Herald Sun journalist sat through the recruiter meetings or psych tests. Really. No poster here is. I based my opinion on watching 2019 under 18s games. Bendigo pioneers. From what saw, I’d take Jack Ginnivan who showed a lot more class and footy IQ in the 3 games I saw. It’s an opinion. FFS. Shutdown all opinion based on your view. Shutdown all views on our games given we don’t sit in match committee or watch 100 hours of tapes a week. We have our opinion. I think recruiters may go for more SA, WA, QLD kids this year based on what they have seen. Unfortunately many Vic metro and country kids may not be given the best possible chance and many are likely to slip through to the rookie draft spots. That’s an opinion.

Here's my updated phantom draft from last week, with round 3 as well now. I've still got us taking the same players, as well as Winder in the 3rd round. I'll have a short writeup of our picks below phantom draft. I'll be making more updates to it as it gets closer to the draft. ROUND ONE 1. Adelaide – Logan MacDonald (WA) – key forward 2. Western Bulldogs (NGA) – Jamarra Ugle-Hagain (VIC) – key forward 3. North Melbourne – Elijah Hollands (VIC) – balanced midfielder/general forward 4. Sydney – Denver Grainger-Barrass (WA) – key defender 5. Hawthorn – Riley Thilthorpe (SA) – key forward/ruck 6. Gold coast – Will Phillips (VIC) – inside midfielder 7. Essendon – Tanner Bruhn (VIC) – inside midfielder 8. Sydney (NGA) – Braeden Campbell (NSW) – balanced midfielder/small forward 9. Essendon – Archie Perkins (VIC) – balanced midfielder/general forward 10. Essendon – Zac Reid (VIC) – key defender 11. Port Adelaide (NGA) – Lachie Jones (SA) – general defender 12. Adelaide – Heath Chapman (WA) – general defender 13. GWS – Nik Cox (VIC) – key defender/utility 14. North Melbourne – Oliver Henry (VIC) – medium utility 15. Fremantle – Finlay Macrae (VIC) – balanced midfielder 16. GWS – Nathan O’Driscoll (WA) – balanced midfielder/general defender 17. Collingwood – Brayden Cook (SA) – outside midfielder/general forward 18. Collingwood (NGA) – Reef McInnes (VIC) – inside midfielder/general forward 19. GWS – Caleb Poulter (SA) – balanced midfielder/general forward 20. Richmond – Tom Powell (SA) – inside midfielder 21. Melbourne – Jack Carroll (WA) – balanced midfielder/general defender 22. Brisbane (NGA) – Blake Coleman (QL) – small forward 23. Sydney (NGA) – Errol Gulden (NSW) – small forward/balanced midfielder 24. Melbourne – Bailey Laurie (VIC) – small forward/balanced midfielder 25. Hawthorn (NGA) – Connor Downie (VIC) – outside midfielder/general defender 26. GWS – Jake Bowey (VIC) – small forward/outside midfielder 27. St Kilda – Zane Trew (WA) – inside midfielder ROUND TWO 28. Adelaide – Zavier Maher (VIC) – inside midfielder 29. Adelaide – Zac Dumensy (SA) – outside midfielder/general defender 30. Gold coast – PASS 31. Fremantle (NGA) – Brandon Walker (WA) – general defender 32. Melbourne – Kaine Baldwin (SA) – key forward 33. GWS – Eddie Ford (VIC) – general forward/inside midfielder 34. North Melbourne – Sam Berry (VIC) – inside midfielder 35. Fremantle (NGA) – Joel Western (WA) – small forward 36. Essendon (NGA) – Cody Brand (VIC) – key defender 37. Richmond – Jackson Callow (TAS) – key forward 38. Gold coast – PASS 39. Carlton – Corey Durdin (SA) – small forward 40. North Melbourne – Jack Ginnivan (VIC) – small forward 41. Adelaide (NGA) – Tariek Newchurch (SA) – small forward ROUND THREE 42. Hawthorn – Max Heath (VIC) - ruck 43. Hawthorn – Luke Edwards (SA) – general defender/balanced midfielder 44. Carlton – Henry Walsh (VIC) - ruck 45. Hawthorn – Connor Stone (VIC) – general forward 46. Richmond (F/S) – Maurice Rioli Jnr (NT) – small forward 47. Melbourne – Isiah Winder (WA) – small forward/utility 48. Geelong – Shannon Neale (WA) - ruck 49. GWS - PASS 50. Brisbane – Liam Kolar (VIC) – key forward/wing 51. Western Bulldogs – Charlie Lazarro (VIC) – small forward/inside midfielder 52. Port Adelaide – Chris Walker (WA) – medium forward Pick 21 - Jack Carroll Carroll is a classy 187cm inside/outside midfielder or half back who has been likened to Hugh McCluggage in the way he plays. It's probably 50/50 whether he gets to our first pick but I'm fairly confident the guys in the picks above suit their teams needs. Nevertheless Carroll would be an incredible get at our first pick who has pace (3.018 20m sprint), has good agility (8.67 seconds agility test), can jump (88cm vertical leap), and possess' a lethal left foot kick. He also is a very courageous player who isn't afraid to use his good overhead marking to go back with the flight of the ball, or crash open a pack despite his light frame of 76kg. He also doesn't turn 18 until December so there is plenty of room for development. Next year he'd be a fair chance to slot in on a half back flank in round 1 next to his ex East Fremantle teammate Rivers (also played footy with Jacko too), which his footy smarts, ball use, and physical tools should allow him to play early on. Pick 24 - Bailey Laurie I have us looking for a small forward with our second bid where we'd bid on Coleman from Brisbane and Gulden from Sydney but eventually ending up with 179cm high half forward Bailey Laurie who has been likened to Toby Greene or Zak Butters in the way he plays. He isn't overly explosive for a small forward but Laurie carves up the opposition with ball use, agility, smarts, and decision making. Laurie has the stamina (6:24 2km time trial) to work high up the ground where he always makes the best decision going inside 50, whether that's hitting up a lead or going for goal himself. Laurie has a tendency of knowing where the ball is going to drop in marking contests, and is a keen tackler when the ball is on the ground where he uses his work rate to harass defenders. Laurie likely would've spent a lot of time in the midfield this year which he is prolific by hand and foot and has great smarts around stoppages. There is a very high chance that Laurie will be available at one of our first 2 picks, and potentially at our second round pick. Will be another challenger for a round 1 spot where he will be competing with Spargo for that second small forward spot. Pick 32 - Kaine Baldwin This may be a little higher than some people expect but I think it's highly unlikely Baldwin be available at our next pick. On talent Baldwin is top 10 in this year draft which 2 years ago he was said to be the best key forward in this draft, however since he has done 2 ACL's on the same knee so there is obvious concerns about how his body will hold up. As a player Baldwin is a 193cm CHF who plays like Jesse Hogan (prime Hogan), but I liken him to Mitch Georgiadies who was in a similar situation to him at last years draft. Baldwin's best asset is his contested marking where he is very crafty 1v1 and can take towering packs marks. He also has an enormous engine which he uses at CHF to work really high up the ground where he gets involved in a lot of link up play and is a great kick going inside 50. He's very clean at ground level and was very quick off the mark pre-injury. Baldwin will likely go somewhere in the second round due to their being not much depth for key position players in this draft. He is the definition of a high risk/high reward player who will be given time to get his body right and develop which he can then look to break into the team when guys like Ben Brown, Tom MacDonald, and Max Gawn (Jackson moving into the ruck) get older. Pick 47 - Isiah Winder I have us biding on Rioli Jnr but then taking the 180cm Isiah Winder who plays like Sydney Stack. Winder who is touted to go in the third round could be one of the biggest steals of the draft which he has senior experience for Peel Thunder and boasts an enormous amount of X-Factor. Winder finished top 5 in every single test at the WA Combine (92cm vertical jump, 2.873 seconds 20m sprint, 8.18 seconds agility test) and is one of the best kicks in this years draft which he accurately weights his passes to his targets whether that is a spear or a chip pass. Winder can also play all around the ground either as a small/medium forward or defender, or in the midfield as well. Winder has all the talent of a first rounder but is projected to go later due to his lack of defensive work/appearing to become disinterested when the ball isn't near him at times. Winder would be a big round 1 bolter next year which I think he would be best suited to step in as a small/medium defender where he'd provide excellent ball use and speed off half back. Overall With our 4 picks we've added 3 small/medium runners with good pace and excellent ball use which is something we desperately need, as well as a long term key forward. All three of Carroll, Laurie, and Winder would be ready to play round 1 and could have an immediate impact. Funnily enough all three of those players can play as inside midfielders, saying that though if they were to play as an inside midfielder long term they would add something very different to what we currently have in our mix. Saying that Baldwin could well be the best player of the lot, and ultimately be a top 5 player from this draft if he can get back to his best form from his 2 ACL's surgeries

Relocated to Hobart area almost 3 years ago. Great city to live and work in. Real good work/life balance. Has heaps going for it in terms of restaurants, cafes and culture. Only gets 50mm more rain per year than Melbourne. Zero traffic compared to Melbourne. A case could be made that if a young 18 wanted to sow some wild oats he would have more option in the big city, but don’t clubs try to discourage that anyways. Loved living in Melbourne and I’m not saying anything bad about it,and there clearly must be reasons the AFL has not put a team in Tasmania yet. I just don’t see that quality of life here and ability to retain players is one of them.

Grow the game... grow the game... grow the game... [censored] growing the game. How about giving it back to the people that love it before they get bored and wander off, rather than spend millions on teams that bore us real footy fans and bore those that are meant to join in?

Nah a flag is a flag. I left one club where I played in a flag, to another where I won back to back. All three are as good as each other

Perhaps Tasmania should have 2 head(quarters)

As for coming out of retirement Frawley might have got the tap on the shoulder at Hawthorn (they do that at the Hawks) So the Saints offer him a 1 year deal when he is still fighting fit ... what's the big deal? You're a long time retired

Also why not read direct quotes: "The best way to look at it is we’re bringing our First Round pick forward a year, as we did last year when we were able to secure Kozzy Pickett. "We believe that there is more of a variety of player in this year's draft (compared to next year) which suit the type of players we need on our list. "We think there is an opportunity this year, with the lack of footy that has been played by the Victorians, that clubs lists could potentially be more different than usual. “There’s definitely the potential that players we rate very highly in this draft could still be available with our three picks.”

I'm not sure that's a correct assumption. I see it more as being that the club saw 2021 picks as being overvalued by the market, and 2020 picks as being undervalued by the market. As a result we have sold our expensive 2021 pick for some bargain 2020 picks. I think it's a value trade, most of all.

Thanks to both Gawndog98 and Goodoil for your bravery in committing to a phantom draft. I like Goodoil’s lateral thinking on the potential pick trades. The one for Collingwood is particularly interesting - I think the way the Reef McInnes pick plays out is going to be an interesting aspect of the draft. The Pies need a lifter and getting Elijah Hollands along with McInnes could be an important boost to their stocks and morale at the moment. I have a bit of a tradition of my own at this time in the lead up to the draft where I pick a player of interest* and I’m going for Jake Bowey at pick 18 or 19. In some respects, I’m going against my grain because I think we have enough undersize players at the club already (nothing against Kozzy or Charlie but I have a view that there’s a limit to the number of smalls you can have on a list and I think we’re about there). I usually try to get to a few NAB Cup games and like to make it for the finals. I have an association with the Sandy Dragons going back to the start of the competition and saw one or two of their games from last year. I’ve also seen plenty of vision of Bowey as an underager and I think he would be one of the draft’s bargains if we can secure him at 18/19. Despite his 175cm stature, he ticks all of the boxes you need for a small forward. Persistent attack on the footy, excellent disposal and consistency. He could just about be right to go from the start and can see him hitting Ben Brown on the chest. With Kozzy and Bowey at the big forward’s feet, the pressure on opposition defenders is going to be enormous. I think the comparison with Shai Bolton is not out of order and Bowey might also find himself playing in the midfield. * the first time I tried this exercise at draft time, I picked out Nathan Jones and a year later I went for Chip Frawley but I haven’t picked a Demon since.

AFL Draft Central’s 2020 AFL Draft Preview: Melbourne Demons. An interesting look at the forthcoming draft from Melbourne’s perspective. I think many of us have reached conclusions as to the road our recruiters take. As spirit of Norm says, “time will tell”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWOdmcD8K-U The above is the link to the game that put Mitchell on the map. He kicks the first goal and then has an excellent third quarter from the 1hr51min mark. It’s been a golden age for draft enthusiasts over the last 18months with the NAB League App and youtube channel having most matches available for review.

Pretty tough ask as we are still two weeks out from the draft and given the year we've had. We're likely to hear a lot more whispers in the days leading up to the draft. I'm no draft expert and haven't watched any of these kids play live so I'll put that caveat out there but I'll put my two-cents in from what I've read and gleaned from various phantom drafts and so called experts. Club rankings are likely to vary widely more so this year due to the lack of exposure so it wouldn't surprise me to see someone ranked in the top 15 slide out to our picks or have a name or two that most aren't familiar with pop up in the first and second round. Kids Unavailable to us ranked in the first or second round Jamarra Ugle-Hagen - Western Bulldogs NGA - tipped to go between 1-3 Braeden Campbell - Sydney Academy - tipped to go between 5 - 10 Lachie Jones - Port Adelaide NGA - tipped to go between 8 - 15 Reef McInnes - Collingwood NGA - tipped late 1st to early 2nd round, Cal Twomey has suggested he is being considered to be "bid on" by Essendon at one of their picks Conner Downie - Hawthorn NGA - tipped to go 2nd round Errol Gulden - Sydney NGA - tipped to go 2nd round I expect all clubs to match bids for these players. There was some suggestion that swans could pass on Guldon depending on where a bid lay but with a change in the draft rules and Sydney now stockpiling late picks I expect they will pick him up. Gold Coast pre-listed players ranked in the first and second round Alex Davies Joel Jeffrey The players that I expect to be gone before our picks. Logan McDonald Riley Thilthorpe Elijah Hollands Denver Grainger-Barrass Will Phillips Archie Perkins Heath Chapman Nik Cox Finlay Macrae Zach Reid Tanner Bruhn Oliver Henry The next group that could be in the mix for our selections Tom Powell Brayden Cook Nathan O'Driscoll Jack Carroll Zane Trew Zavier Maher Bailey Laurie Caleb Poulter Zac Dumesney Conor Stone Sam Berry Eddie Ford Corey Durdin Jake Bowey Matt Allison* Kaine Baldwin* *I could see us taking a tall and have included the next best ranked talls I could see. Sorry, its probably not exactly what you were after but it's the best I can do at this point. Perhaps someone with good mail might be able to give more insight into our possible draft selections @Yokozuna

He's an absolute certainty to get drafted. He is what clubs are looking for, guys that break the game open, with natural speed and athleticism. There have been comps on him to Zac Williams and those kind of comparisons can be nauseating because the comparisons are matching extremely raw players with the finished product, but with Mitchell's straight line speed you can see why clubs might see him being dangerous off half-back.

Also sounds like we’ve got an eye on moving pick 50 to move up the order.

There’ll always be someone you miss out on. Georgiades was in contention for our 3rd pick (well, not really but we hoped so). We managed to nab Rivers who we obviously rated and knew he had more scope to improve, having missed preseason with glandular.

I saw vision of SA under 16s games in 2018 and he was very very good. A club will definitely take the punt on him.

I like Baldwin as the third selection because I'm generally in favour of taking the risks to get talent that wouldn't normally be available. We're also in a position where we have a couple of 28 year-old tall forwards (Brown and McDonald) as well as existing younger prospects that means our tall forward group might be a bit stacked for a couple of years, but after that we will see the group evolve significantly. Right now, a new young key tall would struggle to crack our 22, but in a couple of years we will need to renew that part of our list a bit. It makes list management sense to have a potentially really good tall developing cautiously (on comparatively low money, too, which is also important with the cap shenanigans going on everywhere) ready to step up when the opportunities will naturally emerge. On the other hand, if he doesn't work out, we will have had a couple of years to find that out before within our own system, and can draft accordingly in future.

I think that’s an understatement QD ?

Yes I agree and that alone makes fir some Confidence building news. The two single points D/L have made about Tommy and Jacko over this season are to me : 1. Tommy is on the scrap ( s "crap") heap and should be consigned to the Twos and won't play a senior game, nor should he be considered!!! Some IMO quite disgraceful posts about him which ignore Toms battle with something I don't feel we know much about and even Burgo or Tommy have responsibility for. Ie who if anyone approved his sudden gain of weight and if so why wasn't it rectified like it is being done now or is it His foot or toe injury related Starting back to early 2018 when he missed the first few games and returned vs Bombers at Marvel Stadium. 2. Jacko is a work in progress. Please dont overload His work and he will be a good player "in a few years"!!! Now there are much better judges Than me on D/L and within the Club but please don't tell me that Jacko is like Weid !!! What he does on the footy field comes naturally and fortunately From his extraordinary competitive nature as highlighted by his follow ups from the ruck which make him an extra mid ( think he is both inside and outside) as he just sees ball and gets ball then looks to dispose or peel off a generally good quality handball to our benefit. No one will teach him that and I well bet that 75/80% of his game is based on that and he will continue to marvel us just the same way as Nic Nat has the WC fans. What he needs will be ruck training and practice and high marking similarly. These skills will continually improve each year BUT Jacko will be one of our top ten players already from this year on. IF both players contribute Tom getting back 2018 form no matter where he will play and Jackos natural development Continues we will be a 3/4 goal better side automatically. I can not therefore understand the doomsayers saying we will struggle ( serious multiple injuries not withstanding) When BBB and his effect on the forward line Frittas development and accuracy plus Kossie and Rivs development and we hope a much better game plan with dome input fir our mids from Ooze to ensure they play as a team not individuals all mistakenly chasing kicks and Some the plaudits. Yhe major areas are Forward and On ball and if we get those right then it is a no brainer the improvement in 2021 will be walked and not just talked.

Who cares about growing the game? The people of Tasmania deserve to have a team to support and watch every week like we do.

I usually stick my calendar over my desk at work, and just as usually forget to turn the month after about March.

Finances aren't the only thing causing the AFL to drag their feet. Tassie doesn't give them anything the don't already get. It doesn't grow the game. You could argue GC and GWS don't either, but they are at least in non-AFL states, so there is that argument. People in Tassie will support a team, regardless of whether it's in Tassie or not.

The most enjoyable part of Tasmania having their own stand alone side would be seeing how Jeff Kennett tries to plug the $4 million annual shortfall in his own club's finances whilst simultaneously trying to fund their $130 million elite training facility in Dingley.

Of course, if you're living in Ohio, you're in the land that has alternative facts.

If there is no agreement and the financial details have not been lodged by the due date then the trade is null and void. Treloar stays at Coll and WB keep their picks and both clubs are heavily fined by the AFL. Easy.

amateur hour. Presuming Treloar is now signed up with the Dogs with a contract stating his salary from the Dogs and nothing else, then the problem is entirely C'woods in the absence of other evidence. Treloar then sues C'wood for the balance of his entire contract and a wise judge rules in his favour but adds " I see you have been also paid by the Dogs and there must have been some agreement about the transfer, so I'll just deduct the sum the Dogs are paying from what C'wood owes Treloar".?

It’s worth bearing in mind, that although picks will be pushed back in the draft sequence by NGA selections, later picks will come in as the later draft picks are eaten up. e.g. While the dogs will select JUH early, it will eat up their pick 26, brining our picks 28 & 50 forward. It will also likely eat up their 33, 41 & 42. 50 will come in more as Port’s 35 & 47 are eaten up for Lachie Jones. Sydney’s 34, 37, 43 & 48 should all evaporate. Freo’s 32 will disappear. GC getting ridiculous concessions stings. Having said that, we also have to factor the picks clubs receive back as “change” from the points used to match bids, so 50 will likely push back out a bit, but 28 might be in a bit of a sweet spot. This is something I tried to unsuccessfully articulate last year, but it’s a bit easier now with real world examples; in essence, trading into later picks in this draft may not be such a bad thing. The COVID implications make it even better if you back your talent ID dept to have done the work earlier & better than the opposition.

no chance. omac will not play afl again.

A week ago we acquired one of the premier key forwards of the last 5 years in exchange for Brayden Preuss. Now people are upset that during the offseason break Max Gawn is mentioning that we hope to be better next year when doing a radio spot, because he didn't do anything. Effectively offseason media is a Rorschach test for supporters. We just have a lot of supporters who think every ink blot is a mushroom cloud. What should he have said? Please provide an example that would be satisfactory, from your point of view.

I’m trusting JM and JT. I’ve called out Jack Carroll as a quality youngster that fits our team perfectly with his skills, reasonable pace, footy IQ and ability to win the footy. Saw him in the Futures u17s game on the G last year. Reminded me of a young Simon Black. Connection to MFC as he played for East Freo Colts last year with Riv and LJ. I think he was shot up the draft boards as he has been able to play WA Colts footy this year. We might have our radar fixed on him but he’s probably now ranked even higher than our picks. But you never know. So fingers crossed.

Yes agree however he should stick to the bike ride interview leave the footy out of it . Bad timing'.

Thanks for coming to our great club and putting on the jumper KK You were a gifted player and we never got to see much of you with us and that is my sadness. Good luck with your next venture and hope that good things come your way. Your health is more important in the long run and l believe you have made the right decision . In my eyes l consider you a Melbourne person.

Hilarious. Player managers will be looking on with interest. Good luck pies signing any FA's over the next few years.

What a club??

What a joke Both clubs should be sanctioned by the AFL for failing to properly document the deal. Player contracts aren't rocket science.

Correct. Pick #50 is now 'live'. @spirit of norm smithAs KK's retirement is before final list lodgement, he will come off our lists altogether. Similar to Stevens at Geelong. On KK, the club gave him a second chance and every chance to continue his career. A shame it worked out as it did but he has made a good decision. Good Luck to him for the next stage of his life. EDit: kolodjashnij-retires-from-football He seems to be doing well: Pleasingly, Kolodjashnij has overcome his concussion issues and is in a good space. He is now running his own business with his brother Jake, focussing on natural insect repellent. “I am back in a pretty good place now – I am exercising and feeling good physically and mentally,” Kolodjashnij said.

Very sad to see someone cut down at such a young age. Hope he can recover and improve his quality of life.

Definitely unfortunate for the kid but hopefully no long-term issues.

Going by the article on the Dees website, it sounds as though he is over most of the issues and is in a really good head space. So I'm glad he has made the decision to retire. There is no need to get over these symptoms and then go back out there and potentially make it worse than before. All the best in your future endeavours, KK.

Some people simply cannot let the bloke leave the Club gracefully, because he didn't bucket the Club in his interview. However some simply have to have a cheap shot at the bloke as he leaves the building. So what,if he has limited ability. He was draft pick 51 so knew he had to work his bum off to at least play a few games. Credit to his attitude and efforts !!!!!!

I might have no idea, but you have far less idea about the English language. How else are we meant to interpret: " Oscar simply shouldn't have been playing AFL football on many many occasions during his career and that is absolutely indisputable given the fact that he didn't find a suitor over the trade period and has now been delisted at under 25 years of age. Think about that for a minute. It's near unprecedented." I am still struggling to see what is unprecedented. Player is given games and kept on the list because we think he might come good. Does not come become the player we thought he could be. Delisted before 25. If you think that's "unprecedented" I'd like to know what you have done to be able to block large periods between 2007 and now out.

Frosty, for starters ... he may have hit the mark earlier - several years ago - probably would have achieved far more as he had talents and was our excitement machine - getting better by the game. Frosty was an ideal subject to develop - but alas, Goodwin decided that it was not to be so he underwent his own remediation and intensity for the ball.

Irrespective of the reasons, I will always feel sorry for players that are sacked by the club. It’s a tough business and decisions have to be made in the best interests of the club, but it’s hard for the individual player. To be told publicly that you are not good enough is hurtful. Do clubs offer termination type counselling for sacked players? I’m talking about players that are not picked up by another club but are left out in limbo land?

I wonder if covid and its affect on salary caps is an issue too, preventing the contract from being restructured? For example: maybe if they offload him Collingwood is prepared to pay more next year, but not in year 5, but Treloar may not want to "front end" his contract to 2021 in case we dont have crowds and salaries are halved again. Think of it like the Jack Martin effect.

Much prefer that meltdown in black and white

Treloar would be nice...! But too expensive and 28. We can spend money elsewhere and be smart about it...! I would like to see us put the time into Harmes to get back to his best! Because his best is very good. He can play a lockdown role on opposing teams best mid and win his own ball... And can push forward and kick a goal or two! We shouldn’t underestimate the list we already have! The cattle is there... it’s whether the coach can get his sh#t together!

Good!! Next??