sylvinator

ok, now we have our new draftees, we have filled a few of our gaps in our team and we have more of an idea how our team will look in 2-3 years time. i think its worth taking a look at our 2010 team, as we will only be a force pushing for a premiership in 2-3 years. Bartram, Frawley, Garland Pettard, Rivers, Bell Sylvia, Mclean, Morton Green, Bate, Dunn Davey, Newton, Maric Meesan, Grimes, Jones Int: Moloney, P.Johnson, Buckley, Cheney. others who could be around but don't know if theyll develop into good afl players- C.Johnson, Bode, Miller, Weetra, McNamara our veterans at this time which i haven't included bc i'm not sure if they'll be around in 2-3 years- Robbo, Bruce, Carrol, Wheatley

is there a t.v. show wrap up of the draft at all today?!?!?!?! if so, when and what channel

B. Matthew Whelan - Nathan Carroll - James Frawley HB. Daniel Bell - Jared Rivers - Ricky Petterd C. Sylvia - Nathan Jones - Cameron Bruce HF. Brad Green - Michael Newton - Matthew Bate F. Aaron Davey - David Neitz - Russell Robertson R. Jeff White - Brock McLean - James McDonald Inter. Clint Bartram, Adem Yze, John Meeson, Brad Miller, Brent Moloney, Lynden Dunn, Paul Wheatley Emergency- Simon Buckley, Chris Johnson, Paul Johnson depth- Ben Holland, Warnock, Jamar developing- Cale Morton, Jack Grimes, Addam Maric, Tom McNamara, Kyle Cheney, Colin Garland, Weetra That's our entire list- We've really strengthened our midfield this draft with Grimes and Morton. Kyle Cheney could be a running half back flanker. Maric will fill our need for a small forward, giving davey help and releasing davey to the wing. i expect the big improvers in 2008 to be Colin Sylvia moving permanently into the midfield, Colin Garland to be a dozen games as a 3rd tall backman and Matthew Bate to continue his development as a star hard working, goal kicking CHF.

Could Pfiefer be picked up in the psd? i think he will...probably be richmond. with Maric picked up, i dont see the need for Sampi...

still... with Rivers, Frawley and Garland we have 3 young quality key defenders coming through... Newton and Bate (perhaps Dunn but more likely tall midfielder) are young key forwards coming through. This draft we really stocked up on our running players...perhaps next year we'll focus on talls... but at the end of the day, we went best available and thats what i'm happy with. the only player that we couldv perhaps picked up was Rance at 14, but i'm more than happy with Grimes at 14. we can still pick up tall athletic KPP in the rookie draft...Kangars, Gourdis and Geartner are 3 that come to mind that i would look at. we could still pick up an 18 yr old in the PSD

MELBOURNE – KYLE CHENEY North Ballarat Rebels, VIC, Medium defender, August 25 1989, 184.6cm, 86.2kg Cheney looms as a fascinating player in this draft. There has been some speculation he could be taken as early as No.33 by Port Adelaide and he has also been linked with West Coast, but the Eagles are out of the meeting by pick No.22. Melbourne looms as Cheney's most likely destination with one of its later choices. It may opt to select him at No.53, but otherwise it should be able to claim him here. Cheney is rated by some recruiters as one of the top prospects to have come through the state-based screenings this year. Bio: Skilful medium defender who had an injury-interrupted start to the 2007 season before finishing off the year in great fashion.

i'm very happy with all those picks. every one of the guyz we selected were predicted to be selected higher, so we should be stoked. Rance was available at 14 and ended up at 18, so we didn't pick him...but i think we wouldv been silly not to pick up Grimes having slipped to 14. Grimes is a safe bet to become a quality afl player. Great work ethic, great at the 1%ers and elite endurance! best of all, great leader and demons supporter. we have really got some quality in the midfield now. we still need to add to our key position stocks tho... in the rookie draft i think we should definitely look at Gourdis, Geartner or Kangers...these players are most athletes than footballers at this stage, but with development could become great KPP

62 – KANGAROOS – TOM McNAMARA South Adelaide, SA, Tall defender, April 29 1990, 190.1cm, 84kg The Roos will be eager to snap up a tall defender with one of their picks in the draft, although it will be interesting to see if they opt for a younger prospect or more experienced type. The Kangas have been linked with both – the younger McNamara and also Coburg defender Jarrod Silvester. Both loom as potential picks late for the Roos. Another ruckman is not out of the question either and if Dean Putt was available, he could come into their calculations. Harry Croft is another possible key tall option. Bio: Good reader of the play who marks well in contested situations. Has good vision and makes sound decisions. SA U18 representative this year and an AIS/AFL Academy graduate. ------- this guy looks to become a key defender, but is only tall enough to be a running, athletic 3rd tall... i'll trust CAC on this coz i know nothing about him. one thing that surprised me a little from this draft was that we picked up midfielders (Morton,Grimes), HBF (cheney) and Maric (FP) and McNamara (atheletic 3rd tall type). i thought we would surely go for atleast one player of true Key position size around 194cm+

20 – WEST COAST – ADDAM MARIC Calder Cannons, VIC, Small forward, April 18 1990, 177.9cm, 76.8kg It is understood West Coast is extremely keen to secure Maric with its third selection. Melbourne (potentially at No.14, but more likely No.21) is another club closely monitoring his whereabouts, with Port Adelaide (No.16), Geelong (No.17), Richmond (No.18) and Essendon (No.23) also in the mix. Viewed as a No.10-25 selection, several recruiters believe Maric is by far the best kick in the draft – a massive attribute. Tony Notte (if available), Robbie Tarrant and Mitchell Farmer are others linked at No.20. Bio: An exciting small forward who is extremely smart around goal. At the 2007 NAB AFL U18 Championships, Maric's ability around goals and to win contested ball in the midfield earned him All-Australian honours. Kicked four goals against Vic Country on the final day of the 2007 NAB AFL U18 Championships. From Greenvale FC. --------- this guy is an absolute ripper.... he was rated as a definite top 20 and we should be very happy he slipped to 21. once again, not only is he the best available at 21, luckily enough, he fills a specific need perfectly. with Robertson aging, and Davey often playing a lone hand in the forward pocket, Maric will be a great addition! he is certain to be a favourite of supporters for years to come

12 – HAWTHORN – JACK GRIMES Northern Knights, VIC, Medium defender/midfielder, May 11 1989, 186.3cm, 81.6kg All clubs with selections from No.7-14 will seriously consider Grimes, but like Alex Rance he is one of the most difficult to place. If he slides through to Hawthorn – and this could genuinely happen – he will be snapped up at No.12. Although Hawthorn is super keen on Cyril Rioli and Tom Collier, it is understood Grimes would be selected ahead of them. If Sydney opts for Grimes and Rance is available, expect the key defender to land here. Lachlan Henderson, if available, and Scott Selwood are also in the mix here. Bio: A medium defender/midfielder who is an exceptional reader of the game and a very good decision maker. Captain of the Northern Knights TAC Cup team, Grimes averaged more than 28 possessions per match. Possesses excellent endurance and has recorded a beep test of 15.10 with the AIS-AFL Academy. Named as an All-Australian at the 2007 NAB AFL U18 Championships. From Hurstbridge FC. ---------------- for those idiots who are sceptical about this pick, recruiters would consider Grimes to have been a slider to still be available at 14. we are setting up a monster midfield for years to come... Mclean, Sylvia, Jones, Bartram, Moloney and Dunn set up an exciting set of young midfielders...now we add 2 midfielders of absolute quality!!! Grimes has the best endurance of any player in the draft. He is known for being the best leader in the draft. He is known for having one of the best work ethics of any player drafted. And has good skills, and is simply a really good player. Plus he's a demon supporter

4 – MELBOURNE – CALE MORTON Claremont, WA, Tall midfielder/forward, January 18 1990, 191.5cm, 78.7kg Melbourne won't believe its luck that a player some recruiting managers regard as the best in the draft will slip through to No.4. But that's the way the cards are falling, with Richmond certain to take Trent Cotchin and West Coast likely to pounce on Chris Masten ahead of Morton. Under this scenario, Melbourne will gladly snap up Morton, the youngest brother of Mitch (Richmond) and Jarryd (Hawthorn). The only other player who is a chance for Melbourne at No.4 is East Fremantle's Rhys Palmer. Bio: A genuine utility, capable of playing onball, off a flank or as a key position forward. Noted for his ability to read the play and strong work rate. He was exceptional for Western Australia during the 2007 NAB AFL U18 Championships, averaging 25 possessions and nine marks per game, earning All-Australian honours and the Larke Medal. Recorded a 15.1 beep test result at the 2007 NAB AFL Draft Camp. From Hale FC. --------------- We may well have picked the best player from this draft, but what's best about this selection is that he fits our current needs PERFECTLY... Mclean and Jones (and Moloney when fit) as tough inside midfielders, Grimes, McDonald and Bartram as running midfielders both inside and outside and now we can add a classy tall elite runner with sublime skills to replace the loss of Johnstone.

i'd be really happy if at pick 4, 14 and 21 we manage a mix or Morton, Rioli, Dangerfield, Maric, Selwood or Veszpremi... however realistically we are 100% going to take 1 or maybe 2 KPP with these picks, probably using pick 14 of a KPP. Rance, Henderson or McEvoy would be my obvious 3 favourites. However if they are gone by our pick i'd be happy with Grant, Collier, Pears or Gourdis. btw, we should consider it a stroke of massive luck if we are able to nab Morton. Firstly, he has the best skill set of any player in this draft. He could well be the best player the comes from this draft. But importantly, he is EXACTLY the type of player we need. Having lost Johnstone this trade period, we could not have hoped for a better young replacement. He is the prefect comliment for Mclean, Jones, Sylvia and Bartram- all of whom are tough, nuggety players who aren't the best finishers but work their guts out all day. Morton's athletic attributes are undeniable. 192cm and runs beep test of mid 15 and is fast. i'll be happy to get him.

If people want to read the full thing just check it out here - MATT BURGAN'S PHANTOM DRAFT 1 – CARLTON – MATTHEW KREUZER 2 – RICHMOND – TRENT COTCHIN 3 – WEST COAST – CHRIS MASTEN 4 – MELBOURNE – CALE MORTON Claremont, WA, Tall midfielder/forward, January 18 1990, 191.5cm, 78.7kg Melbourne won't believe its luck that a player some recruiting managers regard as the best in the draft will slip through to No.4. But that's the way the cards are falling, with Richmond certain to take Trent Cotchin and West Coast likely to pounce on Chris Masten ahead of Morton. Under this scenario, Melbourne will gladly snap up Morton, the youngest brother of Mitch (Richmond) and Jarryd (Hawthorn). The only other player who is a chance for Melbourne at No.4 is East Fremantle's Rhys Palmer. Bio: A genuine utility, capable of playing onball, off a flank or as a key position forward. Noted for his ability to read the play and strong work rate. He was exceptional for Western Australia during the 2007 NAB AFL U18 Championships, averaging 25 possessions and nine marks per game, earning All-Australian honours and the Larke Medal. Recorded a 15.1 beep test result at the 2007 NAB AFL Draft Camp. From Hale FC. 5 – WESTERN BULLDOGS – JARRAD GRANT 6 – ESSENDON – RHYS PALMER 7 – FREMANTLE – DAVID MYERS 8 – BRISBANE LIONS – LACHLAN HENDERSON 9 – ST KILDA – BEN McEVOY 10 – ADELAIDE – BRAD EBERT 11 – SYDNEY – ALEX RANCE 12 – HAWTHORN – JACK GRIMES 13 – WEST COAST – SCOTT SELWOOD 14 – MELBOURNE – PATRICK DANGERFIELD Geelong Falcons, VIC, Medium midfielder, April 5 1990, 186.9cm, 82.8kg Melbourne will be closely monitoring the whereabouts of Jack Grimes, Lachlan Henderson and Ben McEvoy, although the trio looks set to be claimed before No.14. It will seriously consider Patrick Veszpremi here, but with Dangerfield now likely to be overlooked by Adelaide at No.10, expect Melbourne to pounce. Tony Notte may also be strongly considered, as he is unlikely to last until Melbourne's next pick at No.21. Dangerfield has come right into the top bracket and will not get past Geelong (No.17). Bio: A dashing medium midfielder or defender who shows distinct ability to win the contested ball. He is a graduate of the AIS-AFL Academy. Ranked in the top three for both the 30m repeat sprints (23.96sec) and the vertical leap (73cm) at the 2007 NAB AFL Draft Camp and was also a top 10 ranked performer in the 20m sprint (2.92sec). From Anglesea FC. 15 – KANGAROOS – CYRIL RIOLI 16 – PORT ADELAIDE – PATRICK VESZPREMI 17 – GEELONG – TONY NOTTE 18 – RICHMOND – TOM COLLIER 19 – WESTERN BULLDOGS – CALLAN WARD 20 – WEST COAST – ADDAM MARIC 21 – MELBOURNE – HARRY TAYLOR East Fremantle, WA, Tall forward/defender, June 12 1986, 193cm, 90.8kg Widely regarded as the best player from this year's state screenings, Taylor has met with at least nine AFL clubs and is strongly being pursued by several – including Melbourne at No.21. Expect the club to select him here, as Essendon (No.23), Fremantle (No.24) and Sydney (No.26) are also very keen. Collingwood has also shown interest, but it's highly unlikely Taylor will last until its first pick at No.31. If available, Tony Notte, Patrick Veszpremi, Callan Ward and Addam Maric are others Melbourne will consider here. Bio: Versatile player who has appeared in a variety of positions at senior level with East Fremantle in the WAFL competition. High-possession winner who has a great work ethic. Excellent speed (2.91sec for 20m) and endurance (14.2 Beep Test). 22 – WEST COAST – DAWSON SIMPSON 23 – ESSENDON – TAYTE PEARS 24 – FREMANTLE – STEVEN BROWNE 25 – BRISBANE LIONS – BRENDAN WHITECROSS 26 – SYDNEY – ANDY OTTEN 27 – ADELAIDE – LEVI GREENWOOD 28 – PORT ADELAIDE – MARLON MOTLOP 29 – HAWTHORN – DAN McKENNA 30 – ADELAIDE – MITCHELL FARMER ... 53 – MELBOURNE – JAMES POLKINGHORNE Calder Cannons, VIC, Medium midfielder, January 21 1989, 182.7cm, 81kg Having had three selections at No.4, No.14 and No.21, Melbourne will be eagerly waiting to see who falls through to its next pick at No.52. One player who could be a realistic chance of slipping through is Polkinghorne, who is in the club's batch of players for this selection. Hawthorn will consider the nephew of former Hawk David Polkinghorne if it opts not to select Stuart Dew. The Brisbane Lions and West Coast (although unlikely at No.20 or No.22), are the other clubs linked with Polkinghorne. Bio: High possession winner who excels at the stoppages. Athletic player who represented Vic Metro at NAB AFL U18 Championships and has debuted with Coburg in the VFL. Runner-up in the Calder Cannons Best and Fairest award for 2007. ... 66 – MELBOURNE – KYLE CHENEY North Ballarat Rebels, VIC, Medium defender, August 25 1989, 184.6cm, 86.2kg Cheney looms as a fascinating player in this draft. There has been some speculation he could be taken as early as No.33 by Port Adelaide and he has also been linked with West Coast, but the Eagles are out of the meeting by pick No.22. Melbourne looms as Cheney's most likely destination with one of its later choices. It may opt to select him at No.53, but otherwise it should be able to claim him here. Cheney is rated by some recruiters as one of the top prospects to have come through the state-based screenings this year. Bio: Skilful medium defender who had an injury-interrupted start to the 2007 season before finishing off the year in great fashion. ... 73 – MELBOURNE – ASHLEY SAMPI West Coast, WA, Small forward, January 21 1984, 178cm, 87kg It is understood Melbourne may make a decision on what it does with this pick on the day, with everything depending on how the cards fall earlier. There is some chance it might pass on this selection and hold it over for the December pre-season draft. However, Sampi is already training with the club and is right in the mix for the red and blue. Melbourne may also consider Clayton Hinkley, if available, Austin Wonaeamirri, Charlie McAdam, Stefan Martin, James Mulligan and Joshua Smith with one of its later picks. Bio: Exciting crumbing forward Sampi missed the entire 2007 season due to personal reasons. He played 78 matches and kicked 97 goals for West Coast from 2002-06. He was a NAB AFL Rising Star nominee in 2001. Would people be happy if our draft ended up with Morton, Dangerfield and Harry Taylor? I would be extremely happy with Morton and Dangerfield at 4 and 14. i duno bout this Taylor guy, but if Tayte Pears is still available at 21, surely we'd snap him up. I'm surprised David Gourdis is so low, I thought he'd be a certainty for us at 21 if he slipped, but maybe he's not as highly rated in the recruiting fraternity. I was a little surprised he didn't have Patrick McGinnity drafted at all. There's always a few surprised on draft day with a couple of players picked up much earlier than expected...i hope one of Tony Notte or Tom Collier slip to 21. also would be stoked to get Maric or Veszpremi at 14 or 21.

it depends. if we pick up a dud at pick 4, and kruiser turns into a champion, then obviously prefer carlton's position. But, if we get Morton, then we could definitly be the winners. Morton could realistically have gone pick 1 this year, and could end up the best player in the draft in 2 years time. So if our pick 4 turns out to be as good as pick1, then having pick 4 and 14 as well obviuosly makes us better off.

well done melon. Cale Morton will be an absolute ripper at pick 4. i think he could deservedly go pick 1 this year, and at pick 4 could turn out to be the best pick in the best. at pick 14, i'm very confident we'll pick up a ripper KPP. One of Henderson, Mcevoy, Myers, Rance, Gourdis, Grant or Pears are certain to be still available at pick14, so we should be adding a quality young tall to add to Rivers, Frawley, Bate, Newton and Garland. At pick 21 there should be plenty of quality still available. If we're going for a raw, athletic freak who could turn out to be a gun KPP, then Gaertner or Kangers could be the go. Rioli (unlikly to be stil around), or Maric would perfectly fit our need for a small forward. Another midfielder like Selwood, Ward, Greenwood or Vespremi would also be great to add to our midfield brigade or Mclean, Sylvia, Jones, Moloney, Bartram and Dunn Or maybe a ruckman like Bellchambers could be our pick. either way, on saturday we're sure to add 3 quality youngsters

If a club is in desperate need of a specific type of player, and then delists that exact type of player from their list, then there is a strong chance that they are no good. Port Adelaide are crying out for key forwards to replace tredrea and help Ebert, so considering Willits got delisted, thats not a good sign for him. Similar arguments could be made for Ryan Ferguson and Guy Richards. If they get delisted from teams that desperately need key backs and ruckman respectively, then they are clearly not worth picking up. anyways, we can be 100% sure that Dean Bailey knows all about this kid, so if we dont take him there must be a reason- and if we do take him, there must be a reason for that too.

we can be pretty certain that 1 or 2 from that list will be picked up by us at pick 14 or 21. i'm hoping for Jarrod Grant at pick 14, the reviews i'v read on his are outstanding. Tony Notte could be a goer at pick 21 also, if we decide for a key backman at 14

If Cotchin is available at 3 then WCE will pick him up, no doubt. More likely for us (and better for us imo), would be in Cotchin goes pick 2. WCE will almost certainly go for Masten over Morton because firstly, they need inside midfielders to replace Judd and Cousins and also because Mitch just left the Eagles after being asked to be traded and having lots of problems with the club.

it seems we will 100% pick up a KPP with pick 14... The best ones availabel in order of preference- (though maybe CAC rates them differently, and he would know much more than me). 1) Henderson (CHF) 2) Mcevoy (KPP/Ruck)- he'd be ideale because could become an Otten-esk ruckman, killing our key forward problems and ruck problems with one stone 3) Rance (FB) 4) Gourdis (CHF) 5) Jarrod Grant (key forward) 6) Tayte Pears (key back) 7) Tom Collier (CHB) atleast 3 of these 7 will be available, so we have a very strong chance of getting a quality key position player to add to our stocks. at pick 21, best available. i'm hoping for Grimes, Selwood or Veszpreme, but if CAC decides to go for another KPP, then a guy like Scott Simpson or Geartner could be good additions

we are taking a midfielder with pick 4, Cotchin and Kruiser are almost certain to be in the top3 picks... therefore the best midfielders available are Masten (WA), Palmer (WA), Morton (WA), Myers (WA)...even Rance is from WA... also with picks 14, players like Gourdis and Steven Browne are also from WA i believe... so unfortunately that information doesn't offer many clues apart from that with so many highly rated WA kidz, and with 3 top picks, we are likely to pick up a perth kid.

True, Frawley may have been a surprise to completely ignorant supporters who have nothing to do with recruiting and do not watch under18 football... however it was widely known within the recruiting fraternity that Frawley would be picked up from pick 10-17 last year. Matt Burgen had him at pick 16 in his phantom draft, and it was widely known that WestCoast rated him extremely highly (likened to WestCoast captain and double AA fullback Darren Glass). He was never going to slip further than pick 17. so considering this information, i don't see how people can see this as a 'tactical' selection, or that he was drafted well above what he was rated. no 18 year old key backman has ever come into the afl and dominated in his first season, so i dont see why people should expect that Frawley would have. He played some solid games in the seniors and showed signs that in 2-3 years he will become a quality afl player. He has great pace, good closing speed, a strong mark, good height and a reliabel (though ungainly style) kick. Most of all he has shown that he is willing to take the game on, and provide run and carry out of the back 50. When he bulks up, and gets better awareness of the speed of afl footy, he will be great. this is Burgen's analysis of Frawley only 12 months ago: 16 - WEST COAST - JAMES FRAWLEY North Ballarat Rebels, 20 September 1988, 192.7cm, 81.3kg Another interesting selection looms at No.16 with West Coast linked to several names including Frawley, the nephew of St Kilda great and former Richmond coach Danny. The Eagles are understood to have likened Frawley to 2006 All-Australian full-back Darren Glass, hence their interest in the talented key defender. Frawley has climbed up the order in recent weeks, with Melbourne, Richmond, Collingwood and Geelong all eager for his services. West Coast must take him now otherwise he is likely to be gone at No.29 - its second selection. The Eagles will also be weighing up weather to take one of three local lads from Claremont - Jarryd Morton, Krakouer and Eric McKenzie. Those three players will also be seriously considered at No.16.Highlights/achievements: Quick and athletic with good defensive skills and provides run from defence. Victoria Country U18 representative this year. A sub 3sec 20m sprint test (2.98sec) was a highlight of performance at the NAB AFL Draft Camp. From East Ballarat F.C. ---people shouldn't think that we 'overpayed' for a player, simply because people on bigfooty didn't have him in the first 20 of their phantom drafts

number 1 is definitely Kruiser. is Richmond go Morton pick 2, WestCoast will 100% go for Cotchin at 3 because he's the next best available, no matter whether he's victorian or not. so, wat i am hoping for, is Richmond go for Cotchin pick 2, which is very likely. it is highly unlikely that WestCoast would then pick up Morton for 2 reasons. Firstly, they have had huge problems with the Morton family, and only this season was forced to trade Mitch because of these problems. Secondly, having just lost Judd and Cousins, WestCoast would probably like to replace them with an inside midfielder who can win his own ball- ala Masten. This would leave Morton to slip through to pick 4, which would be bloody awesome. imo he's the best midfielder available in the draft. True, he's an outside, classy type player, however we need one of these to replace Johnstone, and to compliment our hardnuts in Mclean, Sylvia, Jones and Moloney. Morton is exactly what we're looking for. otherwize, we can definitely be happy with Masten or Palmer, but i'd definitely prefer Morton.

some of the players delisted this year couldv easily had 1-2 years left if we were pushing for the flag next year. ward, N.Brown, bizzel and godfrey were all in our best 22 by years end...clearly moving these players when they are still able to contribute to our starting senior side means we are not looking for premiership success in the next 1-2 seasons.

if Bailey has an eye on us really being a force and pushing for top 4 only in 2-3 years time, then there is no reason to pick up Welsh. the only reason we would pick him up is if we think we're a chance in the next 2 years. the trading of johnstone, and the delisting of 7 players around 30 suggests that we are not serious contenders next season

embly is contracted to the eagles next year. he cannot quit the eagles and join carlton unless WCE release him from his contract, which they will NOT do. this is a non-issue, because it cannot happen realistically. firstly bc its impossible to quit when ur contracted if ur club will not release you, besides which richmond arent that stupid and will just wait till all players nominate for the PSD, and will take the best available.