Leopold Bloom

Mac Andrews’ Dandenong Stingrays lost by 27 points on Saturday but Mac was named in his team’s best players. He had 16 hit outs, 8 kicks, 9 handballs and 4 marks with zero tackles. That gave him 67 dream team points. Official details:- Dandenong Stingrays Goal Kickers: J. Culley 2, M. Bergman 2, B. Taylor 2, L. Robinson, B. Milford, W. Bravo Best Players: W. Bravo, T. Campbell-Farrell, M. Bergman, M. Andrew, F. Jakstas, B. Taylor Eastern Ranges Goal Kickers: T. Charlton 3, J. Arundell 3, S. Ali 2, K. Windsor 2, J. Soligo, M. Hall, N. Watson Best Players: C. Preston, J. Weatherill, T. Leiu, M. Hall, J. Soligo, J. Clarke

Holmes was taken with pick 20 and Geelong did acquire a draft pick to get him but last year’s draft proved nothing given there were no games at all during the season as a benchmark. Clubs had no choice but to sift through whatever footage they had from the past. What WJ is saying is that the jury’s out and time will tell as to whether clubs want to take the punt on him.

Thanks. I stand corrected. This is definitely one of the things that the NGA is for and why the clubs should be rewarded if they have had a role in the player’s development. I came across this unusual quote about ruck draft prospects for 2021 from Knightmare on bigfooty - “For ruck options there are none better than Toby Conway, he probably goes second or third round. Mac Andrew (Melbourne NGA) is the other good ruck prospect, though he could be bid on first round and I can't imagine would drop into the mid draft range (in which case he'd have his bid matched presumably). Outside of those two, there aren't any other rucks I'd be endorsing for picking in the national draft, with perhaps a Liam Podhajski more-so appropriate for selection as a rookie if you miss on a Conway.” Anyone else think there’s something unusual about his comments?

It’s Maibor Chol actually and they have similar South Sudanese backgrounds. There’s five years difference in age and development, same height and Chol weighs 23kg more. Andrew has a bit more bounce and agility in him going from the vision I’ve seen of him but yes, he might become the same type of player that Chol is in 5 year’s time.

The forecast is for rain at the G. We’re good at that.

Could be why Weid was added as emergency?

They’re two completely different players. Conway is a pure ruckman in the mould of Sean Darcy of the Dockers. Not yet as solid but his 90kg is a good start. Andrew is like a very much undeveloped Naitanui and a more mobile type who could play key position at either end but is a fair way off.

Clearly much better than Grundy at the same age.

Agree. It’s damn hard to play well if you’re in a team that’s getting flogged and down on confidence.

I haven’t been following Hawthorn very closely of late but I’m interested in some of their selections this week. That Newcombe kid was great on his debut last month when they sliced up the Swans and Tim O’Brien was good a couple of weeks ago when he put in his claim for the Mark of the Year award against the GWS Giants. Both omitted for this week. Tanking or setting themselves up to take a big scalp against us next week?

In other years Brayshaw and Viney would have stood out fr more than this. If they can lift to be regulars in the best as they were in the past, we can look forward to the finals with a bit more confidence.

There are 17 other clubs in the competition. I'm betting that at least one will take the punt.

https://www.safc.com.au/eamon-wilkinson-player-profile.html

Time for the Collingwood board to confirm Buckley’s contract extension to the end of 2023.

My concern really is that because of the disruption to football over the past year and a half, there aren’t the obvious “Marlion Picketts” around. Is our reduced recruiting staff up to the task of finding some diamonds in the rough.

The Herald Sun has published its NAB LEAGUE WEEK SUPER RANKINGS for the first two weeks of competition- Ranking, Player, Club, Position, 2021 Games, 2021 Ave. KFC SuperCoach Points 1. Nick Daicos (Oakleigh Chargers), MID/FWD, 1 game, 177 points 2. Joel Fitzgerald (Northern Knights), MID, 1 game, 172 points 3. Ned Long (Northern Knights), KEY FWD, 1 game, 168 points 4. Corey Preston (Eastern Ranges), FWD, 1 game, 156 points 5. Ben Hobbs (Greater Western Victoria Rebels), MID, 1 game, 151 points 6. Tyler Sonsie (Eastern Ranges), MID/FWD, 1 game, 150 points 7. Sam Conforti (Bendigo Pioneers), MID, 1 game, 146 points 8. Noah Gribble (Geelong Falcons), MID/DEF, 1 game, 142 points 9. Mac Andrew (Dandenong Stingrays), RUCK, 1 game, 140 points 10. Cody Raak (Western Jets), KEY DEF, 2 games, 137 points

Saints touted as a top four prospect but were lucky to beat the Giants and were dreadful yesterday. This is what their fans were really thinking ~

6. Clayton Oliver 5. Christian Salem 4. Max Gawn 3. Christian Petracca 2. Steven May 1. Kysiah Pickett

Anyone how they got AVB across the border?

Name is Weideman and the Pies first pick is a Round 2 selection. I’d rather that Sam has a great season in 2021 now that he’s second dibs behind Ben Brown in our key forward stakes, that he learns from Brown’s presence and they play in a successful side.

Loved this but do you realize that if you open up and read/watch every link (and I’m not complaining BTW) then it would take you more than twice as long as it took to watch the draft telecast?

After the draft Fox Footy covered ten draft prospects who were snubbed and deserved rookie lifelines. These are the ones who missed out. KAINE BALDWIN Clubs: Glenelg/South Australia Position: Key Forward Size: 193cm/90kg Bio: Baldwin has had a tough run with injuries and could end up as a bargain for a club outside of the first round. His talent was clear at the Under 16 championships for South Australia, but has hardly been seen since. He tore his ACL at the start of 2019, before partially tearing the same ligament during a trial game at the beginning of this season. His contested marking and strength are the key traits that make him standout, with the forward able to have an impact on a game and push further up the ground. He recently tested at the SA combine and is ready to hit an AFL pre-season hard. JACKSON CALLOW Clubs: North Launceston/Tasmania/Allies Position: Key Forward Size: 194cm/100kg Bio: Just as the career of one Tasmanian appears to be coming to an end, another door opens. If the Tigers want a key forward this late in the draft, Callow might be the most obvious name. The strong bodied tall clunked plenty of contested marks each game and is a strong kick for goal. While he has some work to do athletically, there’s plenty to like about his game. OLIVER DAVIS Clubs: Tasmania/Allies Position: Midfielder Size: 182cm/75kg Bio: Davis is a strong inside midfielder who starred in the TSL, where he was named the Rising Star of the competition. He averaged a touch under 20 disposals for the season, as well as a whopping 7.1 tackles. His clean hands at the stoppages are a real noticeable trait where he works hard to win the clearances. He had a consistent season and deserves to be recognised by AFL clubs. Zac DUMESNY Clubs: South Adelaide/South Australia Position: Utility Size: 187cm/80kg Bio: Dumesny is one of the better kicks out of South Australia and showed his class against bigger bodies in the SANFL this year. He has done most of his work across half back, but can move up the ground if needed. He showed his ball winning ability later in the year for the Panthers, collecting over 30 touches against North Adelaide. He reads the play well and looms as an ideal prospect for a number of clubs. Max HEATH Clubs: Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro Position: Ruck Size: 203cm/94kg The Victorian looms as one of the better ruck prospects despite being one of the little known prospects ahead of the draft. Heath had some eye-catching moments over the pre-season, with 2020 set to be a big year for the tall. But unfortunately clubs weren’t able to see as much as they had hoped of the competitive beast. He is willing to tackle hard to win the ball back and is able to be a marking target close to goal. His endurance is a work in progress but he is the perfect player who can develop in an elite program. LIAM KOLAR Clubs: Northern Knights/Vic Metro Position: Utility Size: 195cm/81kg Bio: Clubs certainly have plenty of interest in the 18-year-old who has turned all of his attention from soccer to AFL. The ceiling for Kolar is high and he could well end up as a top-30 selection come draft night. He has tested strongly in the endurance and speed categories in recent seasons, showing he can play as a key tall at either end or even end up on a wing. He averaged 5.5 marks in the NAB League last season. ZAVIER MAHER Clubs: Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country Position: Midfielder Size: 184cm/83kg Bio: The inside midfielder has plenty of interest from clubs outside the top 20 and has a really solid case. His speed and acceleration helps him burst from stoppages, while a long kick helps him get it inside 50 on regular occasions. A large chunk of his touches in 2019 were in contested situations, with the midfielder one of a number of Victorians unable to get runs on the board this year due to COVID. HENRY WALSH Clubs: Geelong Falcons/Vic Country Position: Ruck Size: 203cm/87kg Bio: Walsh is one of the best ruck prospects in the country and could find a home late in the draft. He is the brother of Carlton’s No.1 draft pick Sam, with the tall having completely different traits to the midfielder. He is a good player at ground level and wins a number of clearances with his follow-up work. He was expected to have a huge role at state and NAB League level, but hasn’t been able to show how much he has developed in 12 months. These 10 draft prospects were snubbed. Now they deserve rookie lifelines.

From an article “HAUL OR NOTHING” by Sam Landsberger on the Herald Sun subscribers site (can’t find a link):- MELBOURNE 21 JAKE BOWEY 180cm, 78kg, Mid, Sandringham 22 BAILEY LAURIE 180cm, 75kg, Fwd/Mid, Oakleigh Chargers 34 FRASER ROSMAN 193cm, 86kg, Fwd/Mid, Sandringham Dragons The recruiter: Full-forward Ben Brown comes in and Melbourne uses its first two picks on two speedy great kicks of the ball in Jack Bowey and Bailey Laurie. They’ll help with the forward connection that has long troubled the Demons, and help Ben be more successful in that lineup . Particularly Bowey, as he can carry the ball, cut angles and hit targets at speed. Their third pick, Fraser Rosman, was speculative. He has endurance and size but is very raw.

A look ahead: The 21 top prospects for 2021 AFL Draft Central nominates the top 21 draft prospects for 2021 including its top contender: Jason Horne (South Adelaide/South Australia) 21/06/2003 | 182cm/75kg Inside Midfielder/Forward The remaining top 20 contenders (alphabetical order) Braden Andrews (Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro) 21/02/2003 | 189cm/83kg Midfielder/Utility Samuel Banks (Clarence/Tasmania) 2/04/2003 | 186cm/72kg Midfielder/Half-Back Rhett Bazzo (Swan Districts/Western Australia) 17/10/2003 | 194cm/74kg Tall Defender Cooper Beecken (Glenelg/South Australia) 24/02/2003 | 188cm/72kg Defender Lachlan Brooks (Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro) 1/02/2003 | 179cm/75kg Inside Midfielder Campbell Chesser (Sandringham Dragons/Vic Country) 27/04/2003 | 185cm/79kg Half-Back/Wing Nick Daicos (Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro) 01/03/2003 | 183cm/72kg Balanced Midfielder Arlo Draper (South Adelaide/South Australia) 30/01/2003 | 185cm/71kg Midfielder/Forward Joshua Fahey (Gold Coast Academy/NSW/ACT) 11/11/2003 | 186cm/76kg Half-Back/Outside Midfielder Ben Hobbs (GWV Rebels/Vic Country) 15/09/2003 | 182cm/76kg Inside Midfielder Matthew Johnson (Subiaco/Western Australia) 16/03/2003 | 192cm/80kg Inside Midfielder Alex Lukic (Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro) 7/01/2003 | 195cm/86kg Key Forward Charlie Molan (GWV Rebels/Vic Country) 23/01/2003 | 186cm/78kg Midfielder/Utility Cooper Murley (Norwood/South Australia) 20/06/2003 | 177cm/66kg Small Midfielder/Forward Joshua Rachele (Murray Bushranger/Vic Country) 11/04/2003 | 179cm/77kg Small Midfielder/Forward Lewis Rayson (Glenelg/South Australia) 14/01/2003 | 181cm/64kg Half-Back Matthew Roberts (South Adelaide/South Australia) 31/07/2003 | 183cm/76kg Midfielder/Forward Josh Sinn (Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro) 28/01/03 | 186cm/72kg Half-Back/Midfielder Tyler Sonsie (Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro) 27/01/2003 | 181cm/74kg Midfielder/Forward Jacob Van Rooyen (Claremont/Western Australia) 16/04/2003 | 194cm/88kg Key Forward Some others included in the mix are a couple of South Australian father-son prospects with famous names (Wanganeen and Burgoyne) and a cousin of were others to show Kysaiah Pickett who has links to a club in Adelaide. It comes as no surprise that he’s described as “small”.

Family dog sounds happiest.