Gator

Get Fritsched.

I reckon they want to play both.

Hardeman the closest. Icke no. Wight no. Hughes hell no.

I expect Lever to be the best recruit in my time following Melbourne. The difference he makes to our defensive structures is enormous. I'm of the view that teams don't win flags (there may be a rare exception) without at least one elite defender. We haven't had an elite defender at the club in my footy lifetime (circa 1970). The opportunity to secure a 22 year old soon to be elite defender (if not already) is profound. In part due to our present weaknesses in defence and in part because the opportunity itself is so rarely presented. How often does a talent of Lever's ilk (at 22) fall into club's laps ? Our list is the best I've seen at Melbourne. It's better balanced than any we've had previously. If it doesn't secure at least one flag in the next 5 years I'll be amazed and dismayed.

It's as much structural. They obviously want 2 talls and 4 small/mediums. And Hibberd plays pretty tall and intercept marks well also.

Fritsch has courage in the air.l

There's one massive difference between Fritsch and Watts. What is it ?

After over two years I thought it was time for an update. No. of deaths attributed to radiation from Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster ? Zero. This is good news, right ? Probably not for some.

He's building size nicely.

If highlight reels were worthless recruiters wouldn't pore over them for hours. And yes, they watch them countless times live, speak to coaches, family, conduct interviews, etc. Petty was drafted earlier than Oscar; Petty was named most valuable player for his state in the under 18 carnival; Petty was named in the under 18 AA team (Oscar didn't make it). I don't think it's a stretch to say that Petty has a higher ceiling than Oscar. I think Petty, Oscar and Lever will be able to team well together in 2-3 years.

There seems to be a common misconception that Oliver isn't overly quick. Oliver's pace for an inside bull is superb, we just don't see it enough. But if you watch him closely his burst speed is very good. For the record, Oliver tested 2.99 seconds for the 20 metre sprint prior to the draft. Anything sub 3 seconds is elite. If you read the bios for players in this year's draft such as Ed Richards, Charlie Ballard, Lochie O'Brien, Matthew Ling, Jaidyn Stephenson, you'll note that high up on their strengths is their speed. Only one broke 3 seconds (Stephenson 2.97). Thankfully, this misconception about Oliver's speed was dispelled in the media this year: 7/4/2017 Melbourne Demon Oliver leads army of stars Michael Gleeson He is like Cripps or Sydney's Josh Kennedy, a tall and strong midfielder who with longer arms have better reach to be able to get clear of a tackle and still get a handball out. The difference between Oliver and Cripps or Kennedy is that he is quick. I know, he doesn't look like he is, but he is. The assumption with an inside player is they are one-paced plodders often with good endurance, Oliver bucks that. He is quick and has decent foot skills. "He accelerates through the contest," Melbourne player/coach performance manager Brendan McCartney said. "He is electric. He just has great power.

He already has one. "Chugga". http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/5073408/rising-star-charlie-spargo-excited-ahead-of-afl-draft/

It's like you're trying to explain away voting for the Greens once. There's no excuse.

If you're good enough you're tall enough. If you're not ...

How anyone can be apathetic about what jumper and colours your team wears is beyond me. Players come and go, but the glue that knits generations of fans together is the jumper and colours. One can try and place themselves above such menial matters in an attempt to seem more enlightened, but you've just taken a position that is at odds with footy, reason, and passion. Naturally, fans put up with it, as there's little choice, but how anyone couldn't care or could even embrace a clash jumper beggars belief. I assume such supporters wouldn't give a yelp if the club decided to push for a permanent change to green and aqua. I find the position disingenuous.

Steven Smith was OK. But little more than that.

You know you've been pathetic for 50 years when key defenders of the calibre of Danny Hughes and Steven Smith are making teams. I'm not saying that's wrong by the way, just an indictment.

Good effort, although Grinter wouldn't make my second side let alone the first.

I don't care about his length of contract. He's on the list and will be given every opportunity. When I say boom, I mean A grade. If he makes A grade it will take 4 years at least. BUT that's not to say he won't become a regular in the 22 by season's end. Up to him. Do you normally make things more complicated than they need be ?

He just needs to show he's worthy of a spot on the list in 2018. He has time like all 20 year olds. If he booms it will be at the age of 25.

He's certainly a classy/smooth mover. He reminds a little of Josh Kelly and Stephen Hill in his lateral movement, albeit without the speed, although as mentioned in numerous bios, he's athletic. I have a feeling there'll be little middle ground on this one. Boom or bust.

I've found some more pre-draft info, including a summary from Quigley on BF, who;s one of the best in the business. Pick 12 (Adelaide) – Harley Balic Position: Midfielder/half-Back Size: 187cm/80kg Player Comparison: Scott Pendlebury In the Mix: Francis, H McKay Having lost Dangerfield in the trade period, Adelaide will be looking for a taller midfielder with a bit of class. Balic fits this criteria perfectly as a midfielder who can play forward or back. Balic excels in traffic thanks to his basketball and that, along with his height, has seen him compared to Pendlebury. When forward Balic leads to the right places and has a terrific overhead mark. The Crows will be hoping that Francis gets through to this pick, while Mathieson is another option. Quigley 13. Harley BalicHt – 187 Wt - 82Balic seems to be slipping down a few mocks in the media and I am not really sure why. If he goes where a few of those pundits have him going he could easily end up the steal of the draft. Up until this year Balic has been splitting time between basketball and AFL and as a result there are still some rough edges to be polished. I can see there being a fair bit of difference in the ratings for Balic between teams and it is not out of the question that a team could love him and take him much higher than most expect. He has a very high ceiling and if he developed to his best he could be an elite midfielder at the next level.Balic is at his best when he is the focus of a unit whether it is in the midfield, up forward or down back. When he is, he tends to rise to the occasion and good things happen around him. He is very good one on one and can impose himself on a game like few in this draft. He has improved quite a lot over the course of the year but there are still areas he needs to work on.One of the areas he has been working on, and one that still needs some work, is his kicking. There is quite a lot of difference between Balic’s best and worst and at the moment there is still a bit too much of the worst in his game. There is not a lot wrong with his kicking style and I expect that with some intense work he will flatten out the flight on his kicks and be more consistent about getting it where it needs to go. Up forward his set shot technique is entirely too variable. He needs to get a routine and stick to it and work on improving his balance in his approach a bit more. With all that said though there is quite a bit of class in what he does even by foot. He has brought a heads-up approach from basketball and he has excellent peripheral vision. He tends to play to the short options but he usually takes good ones and is very good delivering into the 50.Balic has played a lot more as an inside mid this year and he has shown pretty decent potential in that role. His kicking out of the clearances was a bit ordinary but by hand he is really good. His vision in the contest is excellent and is creative by hand getting it to good attacking options. As mentioned above he is very good one on one and he has good strength over the ball. He works through traffic well and is one of those guys who never looks rushed even when there are opponents all around him.Athletically Balic seems pretty good in everything but pace. He ran a 15.3 beep last year and he plays with excellent agility. He can also fly when he has to and tends to play tall. Speed wise he looks like he is cruising around at ¾ pace for most of the game. He is smooth around the park and, for those of you old enough to remember, moves a lot like Michael Long. He is quite solid but has a loose limbed, very agile style.Balic made a name for himself last year as a half forward and he is a very good mark. He can get up and he watches the ball into his hands very nicely. He also has very good body control in the air and he can keep the defender where he can’t get to the ball. He is not a good converter though and if he is going to play as a half forward at the start of his career he is going to need to improve his finishing.On the outside Balic looks calm and composed and can often create opportunities for his team. He has improved his spread this year a lot and upped his disposal count to 23 disposals a game in the TAC and went at 22 a game at the Champs. At times at the Champs he was in a mile of space with no-one in cooee indicating that he is working out how to use his running ability more effectively. Balic is a talent and I think could be an excellent player in a few years.

...

That's what eyes are for.

Some pre-draft reading for those who want to know more about Balic. You'll note that they all have him well below the pick 38 he went at due to concerns over his scaphoid injury. Snoop Dog Pick 13 Adelaide - Harley Balic (Sandringham Dragons / 186cm / 80kg) Lovely looking player who just glides around the park and looks pretty effortless. Basketball background and has that spacial awareness, time and poise kids from that background often have. Does all things pretty well but its his work rate that I like. Clean at the stoppages and very sure with his hands. Ball use is good and he is very good in the air. Has played HF and HB as well but I think he will start more as a HF type who when they body is right will push up. His ability to do special things is evident and he could be attacking near goal. Why: Be a nice addition to the Crows mids but you could realistically see so many kids in this spot. Burton could be but I think he will be there at the next. Bonner as well is a type they want but with Seedsman and Hampton they may be covered. Knightmare Pick 17. Harley Balic (VIC – MID/FWD) Height: 186cm, Weight: 80kg, DOB: 05/01/1997 Recruited from: Sandringham Dragons Reminds me of: Poor man’s Jackson Macrae Brief bio: Balic has some tricks and plays with that basketballer several other recent draftees have. Balic stands out most with his decision making ability and vision with ball in hand. He consistently chooses the right option and often finds some really damaging targets. In terms of execution while he has the vision and decision making ability by hand and foot it can be a mixed bag as sometimes he will hit his targets, and other times miss. Similarly finishing from set shots and field kicks at goal further improvement is required as he lacks consistency in front of goal. He is also more of a short-medium distance kicker as someone with only average penetration. A further strength of Balic’s is his strength of marking overhead with his leaping ability making him a threat in the air which gives him potential to play forward of centre. Athletically Balic is good overall. He is not a linebreaking threat but moves well, has strong endurance and excellent leaping ability. As a contested ball winner Balic at this stage is not a factor as someone who is a receiver at this point. Emma Quale Pick 22 (Sandringham Dragons. 187cm. 82kg) Smooth-moving midfielder who gets involved all over the ground. The rationale: The Roos have a strong crew of inside midfielders. Balic would provide a point of difference. He can move through all three parts of the ground and slides easily through traffic. Big Footy Phantom Draft Pick 8 Gold Coast At the moment Harley is a talented prospect who has a lot of upside. His performances have been good this year and he has really improved this year. You look at some of the good afl players and a lot of them have had draft years where they have really improved. I look at Harley and see a kid who has a ton of improvement left and has the potential to be a very good midfielder. His awareness is excellent, he has time with the ball, good vision and makes good decisions. He is an above average athlete yet not elite and he moves well. The upside is his disposal is improving and he is good above his head. He wins clearances yet not at a great level yet, he is not soft and is strong over the ball. He finds the ball well and his ball use improved. He is not an elite kick, they float a little and he is not proven as a mid so he is a risky pick. He does have the tools to be an A grade player. I was hoping Francis or Parish slid to this pick but alas it was not to be. Lemming Pick 8. Harley Balic - VM (186.0 cm, 80.0 kg - Midfielder) Reminds me a little of a younger Mundy. Looks like he is only going at half pace and you want him to look more active. He has grown on me as a player. (He may get adjusted down in my rankings at some point) Yabadoo Pick 18- st.kilda The saints are crying out for midfielders, and I can see Balic developing into a smooth moving classy midfielder. Will start his career as a high half forward and build up his tank. Strong overhead.