Whispering_Jack

Demonlander Melon 22 has once again studying the pool of draft prospects throughout 2007. He's been to some of the National Under 18 Championships, watched countless TAC Cup games and viewed games from interstate to bring you - THE DRAFT TOP 22 by Melon 22 Firstly, I want to clarify that this is not a phantom or mock draft and I take no consideration for what club has which pick. Rather, it is my attempt to rank the players of this year. And it's virtually all based on what I've seen and not hearsay. For that reason, because I was unable to watch any Tasmanian or Northern Territory games this year due to poor timing and work, I have left out their players but, based on second hand reports which may or may not be reliable, I’ve named a few of the more prominent prospects at equal 22. I am after all – Melon 22! 1. Matthew KREUZER - Northern Knights 13/5/89 199.5cm 94kg - Ruck The much hyped Kreuzer is the clear best tall prospect in the 2007 draft. While his tap work and general ruck technique are good, it is work around the ground that puts him into top pick category. His second efforts and ability to recover from the contest are fantastic, you often see him roving his own ruck work or being the first to the ball in the stoppages when the ball hits the ground. His speed and endurance means that he will be able to become a genuine running midfielder after the stoppages clear. To complete the overall package Kreuzer is also more than capable KPP at both ends of the ground and will be a handful when he rests in the forward line. Even though he will be more than capable as a KPP, an AFL team would get the best out of him in the midfield where his endurance and skills will expose a lot of his opponents. Even though I think Cotchin is the most talented player in this year’s draft, it’s hard to go past Kreuzer for the top spot. Ruckmen are the hardest players to for recruiters to judge so when an almost sure thing for a future #1 ruckman such as Kreuzer comes along you have to snap him up. 2. Trent COTCHIN - Northern Knights 7/4/90 185.1cm 79.5kg - Mid/HFF Even though Cotchin had a subdued U/18 Carnival, his TAC Cup form was sensational and pushed his claims as one of the top prospects of this draft. His ability to hit targets over 50m with either foot is sensational and he probably has the best disposal of anyone in the draft. He has very clean hands below his knees and above his head and is more than capable of taking a contested mark. Cotchin’s most exciting attribute is his burst of speed and his nifty footwork where he is able to dance around his opponents and make them look like they are standing still, Cotchin is a player who is easy to get excited about and he won’t last long come draft day. The major knock on his game is that he isn’t able to break a hard tag, he was exposed against WA where McGinnity ended up with more disposals than him and he was largely disappointing. Cotchin is the player I am most excited about playing in the AFL, he has the most talent and class of anyone in this year’s draft. I enjoy watching him at the footy and the dream I had of him playing for the Red & Blue has probably been dashed courtesy of a certain club who managed to lose gallantly their last 11 games. I have him at 2 and I don’t think he will last past 3 at most. 3. Chris MASTEN - East Fremantle 2/5/89 179.6cm 77.3kg - Mid A high profile ultra consistent midfielder who has been outstanding at every level he has played in his career. While some people have been critical of his kicking, it's not as bad as some report. He is not a long kick but he is more than capable of spearing passes accurately to his team mates. He has the speed, agility and endurance to be a very good AFL player and his ability to read the play enables him to always rack up the possessions. But I think his best attribute is his clean hands, in the packs he rarely fumbles and his distribution by hand in traffic is first class. While Masten perhaps doesn't have the upside of some other players in the draft, the club that drafts him will know they will be getting a solid contributor to their midfield right away. The safest pick of this year's draft, some players taken after may end up better than Masten. But if you don't want to waste an early pick that it's hard to go past his consistency and class. 4. Cale MORTON – Claremont 18/1/90 191.5cm 78.7kg - Utility An absolutely brilliant u18 Carnival pushed Morton’s claims for top selection at this year's draft, his form was more subdued for his Colts side but a very Impressive Draft Camp has shored up of his draft stock. To describe Cale as an outside receiver just doesn't do him justice, he is unique in the fact that he could play in just about any position effectively at AFL level. His kicking off his right foot is sublime, any player that can hit a target over 50m with such is ease special, he is a good mark on the lead and has some very clean hands below his knees and his endurance was among the very best at Draft Camp. His game style is well suited to the high running of modern day footy and he will inject an immediate dose of class and run of whichever team he joins. 5. Jarrad GRANT - Dandenong Stingrays 6/7/89 192.4cm 76.7kg - HFF/FF An explosive forward who has spent most of the year playing school footy, but when he did play some TAC Cup games he was a real force for Dandenong in the forward line kicking 27 goals from 8 matches. He recorded a 2.89s 20m time which is extremely fast and has the kind of explosive pace off the mark that is highly desirable at AFL level for KPPs. He has clean hands overhead and has the leap to play taller than he actually is, he has played forward the whole year but with his athletic ability he should have the capability to play at both ends of the park in the future. Grant has the speed, size and football skills which could make him possibly the best player in this draft. The upside of Grant could be huge for the club that takes the risk, but there is a risk. He is nowhere near the finished product yet. 6. Brad EBERT - Port Adelaide 2/4/90 188.2cm 85.4kg – Mid/FP Solid midfielder, who already as a 17 year old has good body shape and size for AFL football. Has stepped up to senior SANFL side for Port Adelaide and averaged around 20 possessions in 7 games; it shows that he is ready to make the step up to the next Level. Natural footballer would be best to describe Ebert, good mark, kick and athleticism without being the outstanding at a certain area. Has very clean hands below his knees and overhead and is more than a handful when he plays as a small forward. His leadership attributes were self evident at the u18 champs where he was being heavily tagged and yet still managed to get clearances and have an impact on the game in a demolition job by WA on a very lacklustre SA side. While not as spectacular as some other players, Ebert has quality to become a really good AFL player who could contribute straight away as a 17 year old. 7. Alex RANCE Swan Districts 9/10/89 192.3cm 87.6kg - FB All Australian Key defender in the all conquering WA side, not only beat his direct opponents at the champs but managed to provide a lot of drive out of defence. His disposal, while not pretty at times is more than adequate for a full back and he is quite capable of spearing the odd pass or two down his team mates throat. Because of his attacking nature, he always seems to be in a hurry to get things moving and can be prone to the odd turn over. What I like about Rance the most on my limited viewing is the fact that he has great intensity and hunger at the contest, he seems to just get a fist or do enough to make sure he has an impact on the contest which is important attribute for a full back. Quality Key defenders are hard to come by for AFL clubs and Rance is the best natural key defender in the draft. 8. Lachlan HENDERSON - Geelong Falcons 14/12/89 195.5cm 91.5kg - FF/CHF Was a candidate for the top draft pick at the start of a year, but a leg injury in the first weeks of the season put him out for most of the year and he could only manage 5 TAC Cup games on top of his school football for the year. His speed and agility is good for someone of his size and he uses his speed to present well on the lead. He is a good mark and he knows how to use his body in the contested situations, he is also a decent kick but you wouldn’t be expecting him to make the distance from outside 50. The overall package is okay without Henderson, but I just don’t think there is that special something about him. He gives the impression that he lacks a bit of intensity at times on the field as well. He is a very difficult player to judge for me because he missed most of the champs and he played school footy over the last 2 years. Probably the most difficult player to predict where he will go on draft day, but someone who moves as well as he does and can take a contested mark shouldn’t last too long. 9. David MYERS – Perth 30/06/89 190.7cm 86.2kg - HBF Classy half back who possesses an exquisite left foot which he uses to great effect coming off half back. Myers is completely one sided and will rarely attempt a right foot kick and will always try and get back on his left. More of a creative defender than a lock down defender, he was at his most impressive at the Champs when he was streaming off half back and delivering onto his forwards chests. He does have the attributes to play in the midfield and forward, but I feel that you would make the most of his decision making and skills coming off the half back line. A quality player whose skills and leadership skills should see him go early on draft day. 10. Ben MCEVOY - Murray Bushrangers 11/7/89 200.2cm 94.6kg - Ruck/KPP It will be one of intriguing stories of this year's draft where McEvoy will be drafted. As a KPP he lacks the speed and acceleration of a top KPP prospect and he didn't get the chance to show much of his ruck skills and endurance as he played most of the year forward for both Murray and Vic Country. Very strong overhead but being about at least 5cm taller than most of your opponents it is expected that McEvoy was dominant mark at u18 level, good kick for someone of his size and has fairly good decision making with the ball in hand. McEvoy will probably better off being drafted as a ruck first, a KPP second. As a ruckman his weaknesses are somewhat covered up and his fantastic endurance can be maximized by playing in the middle. I had him ranked higher earlier in the year, but after watching him a bit more it was harder see what his position at AFL level was going to be. As a ruckman I just couldn't have him any higher than this. 11. Rhys PALMER - East Fremantle 13/2/89 181.4cm 79.8kg - Mid His sensational U18 Carnival put his name in the spotlight and made the recruiters take notice, his form for East Fremantle in the WAFL since the carnival has cemented his spot as one of the best midfielders in the Draft. A real gut runner whose running ability enables him to get to as many contests as possible, which enables him to rack up the possessions. Plays with a real enthusiastic spirit and while he lacks a bit in his disposal he certainly has a knack for kicking goals, after his U18 Champs goal kicking exploits he managed to snare 5 in a Senior WAFL game for East Fremantle. His disposal is a bit of a concern; his kick lacks the accuracy and penetration of a top midfield prospect. A lot of buzz surrounded Palmer after the Championships, and deservedly so, It was an outstanding three games. But for an outside midfielder he needs to have better disposal for me to have him higher. 12. David GOURDIS - Subiaco 14/3/89 192.4cm 88.9kg - KPP The star of draft camp, easily finishing at the top of the important 20m sprint time with a super quick 2.83s and finishing top of the Vertical jump test at 81cm. These results may have pushed Gourdis from a late first/ second round pick to a top 10 prospect. Played forward for WA during the u18 champs and was all right without being a stand out for them. He doesn’t have the presence on the field yet of a classic CHF, he seems to lack a little footy nous and is still learning the game. His kicking action is unusual but is somehow affective with enough power and accuracy for a KPP at this stage of his career. Will take some time to develop but with his speed and size I could see him going higher in the draft, I am just a little concerned that he is not quite the full KPP package and he plays more like a flanker at the moment. 13. Jack GRIMES - Northern Knights 11/5/89 186.3cm 81.6kg - Mid An inside midfielder who captained Vic Metro this year, was also one of the better performers against WA in the game that cost Metro the title. His kicking can be somewhat erratic but good enough for his position and while not overly athletic Grimes has the pace, endurance and agility to get by in the midfield for an AFL team. For his height he probably isn't as strong overhead as he should be, but as an inside midfielder he isn't exposed too often on this. But the reason that someone of Grimes' ability is considered a top 10 by some people is his determination, work ethic, courage and leadership skills that are among the best of this draft. What I like a about him most is the fact that he runs up and down centre of the ground where he is always available for a chop out for his defenders when he pushes back or up the other end of the ground where he pushes forward and becomes a real goal kicker from midfield. The kind of player that coaches love, hard working and determined, this as well as his ball winning ability may be enough to get him drafted in the first round but could slip further down the draft. 14. Tatye PEARS - East Perth 24/3/90 190.1cm 91.8kg – HBF Another of the dominant WA side that should go early in this draft, Pears has great composure in defence and is showed he was quick as well by running a 2.92s 20m time at draft camp. Played as Key Position player in U18 level but is a little too small to play on the bigger KPP’s of the AFL. Decent overhead and kick is fairly good. Solid and neat defender who should a touch of class and speed to any defence. 15. Tony NOTTE - Swan Districts 15/4/90 194.5cm 71.5kg – FF/CHF Skinny, and the second coming of Westhoff is first thing think of when you see Notte, but it often prudent not to judge a book by its cover and Notte is a quality prospect. He has fantastic hands and he knows how to position his body in the marking contest to make him quite a handful for defenders. He is still growing and will need time to get bigger, but he will never be a huge KPP and maybe one of these guys that never puts on much weight. Notte possesses plenty of footy smarts to compensate for the lack of weight and while his kicking wasn’t best at the championships he is more than adequate to a key forward prospect. Definitely a long term prospect, but he has all the trademarks of a quality KPP, a club will just have to have a lot of patience with him. 16. Scott SELWOOD - Bendigo Pioneers 27/3/90 185.1cm 80.3kg - Mid The Selwood name will now join the Danihers in the football history pages with the Scott set to join his three brothers and land himself onto an AFL list. His physique is more like the twins than Joel, and he is probably the best athlete out of all them. Has very good speed and impressed at draft camp by recording a top 10 results in the agility test and the shuttle run. Has very clean hands and his kicking is reasonable accurate but he lacks penetration and is definitely not his best attribute. Even though Scott finds plenty of his own ball he will probably go down the path of his older brothers in Troy & Adam in playing a tagger/half back at AFL level to start with at AFL level, but he probably has more scope for improvement than the twins. Not just living off the Selwood name, Scott’s impressive development with his football winning ability this year should see him get drafted fairly early. 17. Patrick DANGERFIELD - Geelong Falcons 5/4/90 186.9cm 82.8kg - HBF Bottom aged defender who impressed more as the season went on and had his best games of the year in the 2 TAC Cup Finals matches for Geelong, and with a very good draft camp he has pushed his draft stock even higher. He has shown a great ability to run and carry™, he uses his pace to set up attacks from defence fairly well and will back himself in to get past players. He has a good kick, but it is not as accurate as he needs it to thrive at AFL level. His decision making also needs to be improved but he is still young and learning the game and there is scope for improvement. Will take some patience from a club as he is not quite the finished product yet, he needs to spend some more time polishing off his skills but there is enough there to like to draft him early. 18. Chris KANGARS - Geelong Falcons 1/8/89 193.1cm 84.9kg - FB Developing full back who improved his draft stocks with his impressive Draft Camp where he topped the repeat sprints and impressed in both the endurance tests. An athlete before a footballer at the moment, the fact that he has had more handballs than kicks in the TAC cup this year is testament that he is not quite comfortable with his footy skills yet. He lacks footy smarts and this is exposed when he plays as a key defender when he fails to anticipate when and where the ball is coming in and his opponent manages to get the step on him. This can be improved, but it will take some time to get Kangars up to scratch in smarts and skill to play AFL level. He has what AFL clubs love, speed and size, these two attributes will see him go up the draft order. 19. Sam REID - Zilmere 7/11/89 187.6cm 79.1kg - Wing Quick and energetic midfielder who uses his very quick feet to navigate through traffic at pace, a player who always seems to be playing at a high tempo. He is not afraid to go and get his own ball in the packs and is fairly tough for a skinny winger. While he can be a very good kick, sometimes I feel Reid is just too much in a hurry to get rid of ball and his kicks can sometimes be hurried and miss their targets when under pressure. I like his energy and he should add some pace to which ever club that picks him up, but his disposal and lack of form during the champs might see slip down the order. 20. Callan WARD - Western Jets 10/4/90 183cm 71kg - BP/HBF/MID One of more interesting prospects of the draft has shown great improvement over the year and did enough to get him into the Vic metro side. Has very clean hands below his knees and is more than adequate above his head, he has above average disposal where he rarely misses a target. Not the most agile player and seems to lack a bit of speed, but I defiantly see him in a Tagger/Half back role in the AFL at the start of his career and depending on his improvement he might end up a quality midfielder. He has come a long way this year, but I still see this as a bit of a risky pick because you would be banking on Ward to continue his dramatic improvement to make it at AFL. 21. Addam MARIC - Calder Canons 18/4/90 177.9cm 76.8kg - FP A bottom aged small forward who possesses a great kick and a real knack for scoring goals. He kicked 5 goals from full forward as a 16 year old in a losing 2006 TAC Cup grand final side for the Calder Cannons. He does have a habit of doing something magical but he will have to change his game if he wants to succeed at AFL level, he relies too much on his strength in the marking contest and will have to learn to be an opportunist rather than a marking target. One of the most naturally talented players of this year's draft, his ability for something special and his elite kick should see him be one of the first forward pockets taken this year. 22. Tom BELLCHAMBERS and Tom COLLIER from Tasmania and Cyril RIOLI and Marlon MOTLOP, have all been mentioned in despatches as players with a chance to go early so I’ll sneak them into this position although I did not see them play this year.

Demonlander Melon 22 has once again studying the pool of draft prospects throughout 2007. He's been to some of the National Under 18 Championships, watched countless TAC Cup games and viewed games from interstate to bring you - THE DRAFT TOP 22 by Melon 22 Firstly, I want to clarify that this is not a phantom or mock draft and I take no consideration for what club has which pick. Rather, it is my attempt to rank the players of this year. And it's virtually all based on what I've seen and not hearsay. For that reason, because I was unable to watch any Tasmanian or Northern Territory games this year due to poor timing and work, I have left out their players but, based on second hand reports which may or may not be reliable, I’ve named a few of the more prominent prospects at equal 22. I am after all – Melon 22! 1. Matthew KREUZER - Northern Knights 13/5/89 199.5cm 94kg - Ruck The much hyped Kreuzer is the clear best tall prospect in the 2007 draft. While his tap work and general ruck technique are good, it is work around the ground that puts him into top pick category. His second efforts and ability to recover from the contest are fantastic, you often see him roving his own ruck work or being the first to the ball in the stoppages when the ball hits the ground. His speed and endurance means that he will be able to become a genuine running midfielder after the stoppages clear. To complete the overall package Kreuzer is also more than capable KPP at both ends of the ground and will be a handful when he rests in the forward line. Even though he will be more than capable as a KPP, an AFL team would get the best out of him in the midfield where his endurance and skills will expose a lot of his opponents. Even though I think Cotchin is the most talented player in this year’s draft, it’s hard to go past Kreuzer for the top spot. Ruckmen are the hardest players to for recruiters to judge so when an almost sure thing for a future #1 ruckman such as Kreuzer comes along you have to snap him up. 2. Trent COTCHIN - Northern Knights 7/4/90 185.1cm 79.5kg - Mid/HFF Even though Cotchin had a subdued U/18 Carnival, his TAC Cup form was sensational and pushed his claims as one of the top prospects of this draft. His ability to hit targets over 50m with either foot is sensational and he probably has the best disposal of anyone in the draft. He has very clean hands below his knees and above his head and is more than capable of taking a contested mark. Cotchin’s most exciting attribute is his burst of speed and his nifty footwork where he is able to dance around his opponents and make them look like they are standing still, Cotchin is a player who is easy to get excited about and he won’t last long come draft day. The major knock on his game is that he isn’t able to break a hard tag, he was exposed against WA where McGinnity ended up with more disposals than him and he was largely disappointing. Cotchin is the player I am most excited about playing in the AFL, he has the most talent and class of anyone in this year’s draft. I enjoy watching him at the footy and the dream I had of him playing for the Red & Blue has probably been dashed courtesy of a certain club who managed to lose gallantly their last 11 games. I have him at 2 and I don’t think he will last past 3 at most. 3. Chris MASTEN - East Fremantle 2/5/89 179.6cm 77.3kg - Mid A high profile ultra consistent midfielder who has been outstanding at every level he has played in his career. While some people have been critical of his kicking, it's not as bad as some report. He is not a long kick but he is more than capable of spearing passes accurately to his team mates. He has the speed, agility and endurance to be a very good AFL player and his ability to read the play enables him to always rack up the possessions. But I think his best attribute is his clean hands, in the packs he rarely fumbles and his distribution by hand in traffic is first class. While Masten perhaps doesn't have the upside of some other players in the draft, the club that drafts him will know they will be getting a solid contributor to their midfield right away. The safest pick of this year's draft, some players taken after may end up better than Masten. But if you don't want to waste an early pick that it's hard to go past his consistency and class. 4. Cale MORTON – Claremont 18/1/90 191.5cm 78.7kg - Utility An absolutely brilliant u18 Carnival pushed Morton’s claims for top selection at this year's draft, his form was more subdued for his Colts side but a very Impressive Draft Camp has shored up of his draft stock. To describe Cale as an outside receiver just doesn't do him justice, he is unique in the fact that he could play in just about any position effectively at AFL level. His kicking off his right foot is sublime, any player that can hit a target over 50m with such is ease special, he is a good mark on the lead and has some very clean hands below his knees and his endurance was among the very best at Draft Camp. His game style is well suited to the high running of modern day footy and he will inject an immediate dose of class and run of whichever team he joins. 5. Jarrad GRANT - Dandenong Stingrays 6/7/89 192.4cm 76.7kg - HFF/FF An explosive forward who has spent most of the year playing school footy, but when he did play some TAC Cup games he was a real force for Dandenong in the forward line kicking 27 goals from 8 matches. He recorded a 2.89s 20m time which is extremely fast and has the kind of explosive pace off the mark that is highly desirable at AFL level for KPPs. He has clean hands overhead and has the leap to play taller than he actually is, he has played forward the whole year but with his athletic ability he should have the capability to play at both ends of the park in the future. Grant has the speed, size and football skills which could make him possibly the best player in this draft. The upside of Grant could be huge for the club that takes the risk, but there is a risk. He is nowhere near the finished product yet. 6. Brad EBERT - Port Adelaide 2/4/90 188.2cm 85.4kg – Mid/FP Solid midfielder, who already as a 17 year old has good body shape and size for AFL football. Has stepped up to senior SANFL side for Port Adelaide and averaged around 20 possessions in 7 games; it shows that he is ready to make the step up to the next Level. Natural footballer would be best to describe Ebert, good mark, kick and athleticism without being the outstanding at a certain area. Has very clean hands below his knees and overhead and is more than a handful when he plays as a small forward. His leadership attributes were self evident at the u18 champs where he was being heavily tagged and yet still managed to get clearances and have an impact on the game in a demolition job by WA on a very lacklustre SA side. While not as spectacular as some other players, Ebert has quality to become a really good AFL player who could contribute straight away as a 17 year old. 7. Alex RANCE Swan Districts 9/10/89 192.3cm 87.6kg - FB All Australian Key defender in the all conquering WA side, not only beat his direct opponents at the champs but managed to provide a lot of drive out of defence. His disposal, while not pretty at times is more than adequate for a full back and he is quite capable of spearing the odd pass or two down his team mates throat. Because of his attacking nature, he always seems to be in a hurry to get things moving and can be prone to the odd turn over. What I like about Rance the most on my limited viewing is the fact that he has great intensity and hunger at the contest, he seems to just get a fist or do enough to make sure he has an impact on the contest which is important attribute for a full back. Quality Key defenders are hard to come by for AFL clubs and Rance is the best natural key defender in the draft. 8. Lachlan HENDERSON - Geelong Falcons 14/12/89 195.5cm 91.5kg - FF/CHF Was a candidate for the top draft pick at the start of a year, but a leg injury in the first weeks of the season put him out for most of the year and he could only manage 5 TAC Cup games on top of his school football for the year. His speed and agility is good for someone of his size and he uses his speed to present well on the lead. He is a good mark and he knows how to use his body in the contested situations, he is also a decent kick but you wouldn’t be expecting him to make the distance from outside 50. The overall package is okay without Henderson, but I just don’t think there is that special something about him. He gives the impression that he lacks a bit of intensity at times on the field as well. He is a very difficult player to judge for me because he missed most of the champs and he played school footy over the last 2 years. Probably the most difficult player to predict where he will go on draft day, but someone who moves as well as he does and can take a contested mark shouldn’t last too long. 9. David MYERS – Perth 30/06/89 190.7cm 86.2kg - HBF Classy half back who possesses an exquisite left foot which he uses to great effect coming off half back. Myers is completely one sided and will rarely attempt a right foot kick and will always try and get back on his left. More of a creative defender than a lock down defender, he was at his most impressive at the Champs when he was streaming off half back and delivering onto his forwards chests. He does have the attributes to play in the midfield and forward, but I feel that you would make the most of his decision making and skills coming off the half back line. A quality player whose skills and leadership skills should see him go early on draft day. 10. Ben MCEVOY - Murray Bushrangers 11/7/89 200.2cm 94.6kg - Ruck/KPP It will be one of intriguing stories of this year's draft where McEvoy will be drafted. As a KPP he lacks the speed and acceleration of a top KPP prospect and he didn't get the chance to show much of his ruck skills and endurance as he played most of the year forward for both Murray and Vic Country. Very strong overhead but being about at least 5cm taller than most of your opponents it is expected that McEvoy was dominant mark at u18 level, good kick for someone of his size and has fairly good decision making with the ball in hand. McEvoy will probably better off being drafted as a ruck first, a KPP second. As a ruckman his weaknesses are somewhat covered up and his fantastic endurance can be maximized by playing in the middle. I had him ranked higher earlier in the year, but after watching him a bit more it was harder see what his position at AFL level was going to be. As a ruckman I just couldn't have him any higher than this. 11. Rhys PALMER - East Fremantle 13/2/89 181.4cm 79.8kg - Mid His sensational U18 Carnival put his name in the spotlight and made the recruiters take notice, his form for East Fremantle in the WAFL since the carnival has cemented his spot as one of the best midfielders in the Draft. A real gut runner whose running ability enables him to get to as many contests as possible, which enables him to rack up the possessions. Plays with a real enthusiastic spirit and while he lacks a bit in his disposal he certainly has a knack for kicking goals, after his U18 Champs goal kicking exploits he managed to snare 5 in a Senior WAFL game for East Fremantle. His disposal is a bit of a concern; his kick lacks the accuracy and penetration of a top midfield prospect. A lot of buzz surrounded Palmer after the Championships, and deservedly so, It was an outstanding three games. But for an outside midfielder he needs to have better disposal for me to have him higher. 12. David GOURDIS - Subiaco 14/3/89 192.4cm 88.9kg - KPP The star of draft camp, easily finishing at the top of the important 20m sprint time with a super quick 2.83s and finishing top of the Vertical jump test at 81cm. These results may have pushed Gourdis from a late first/ second round pick to a top 10 prospect. Played forward for WA during the u18 champs and was all right without being a stand out for them. He doesn’t have the presence on the field yet of a classic CHF, he seems to lack a little footy nous and is still learning the game. His kicking action is unusual but is somehow affective with enough power and accuracy for a KPP at this stage of his career. Will take some time to develop but with his speed and size I could see him going higher in the draft, I am just a little concerned that he is not quite the full KPP package and he plays more like a flanker at the moment. 13. Jack GRIMES - Northern Knights 11/5/89 186.3cm 81.6kg - Mid An inside midfielder who captained Vic Metro this year, was also one of the better performers against WA in the game that cost Metro the title. His kicking can be somewhat erratic but good enough for his position and while not overly athletic Grimes has the pace, endurance and agility to get by in the midfield for an AFL team. For his height he probably isn't as strong overhead as he should be, but as an inside midfielder he isn't exposed too often on this. But the reason that someone of Grimes' ability is considered a top 10 by some people is his determination, work ethic, courage and leadership skills that are among the best of this draft. What I like a about him most is the fact that he runs up and down centre of the ground where he is always available for a chop out for his defenders when he pushes back or up the other end of the ground where he pushes forward and becomes a real goal kicker from midfield. The kind of player that coaches love, hard working and determined, this as well as his ball winning ability may be enough to get him drafted in the first round but could slip further down the draft. 14. Tatye PEARS - East Perth 24/3/90 190.1cm 91.8kg – HBF Another of the dominant WA side that should go early in this draft, Pears has great composure in defence and is showed he was quick as well by running a 2.92s 20m time at draft camp. Played as Key Position player in U18 level but is a little too small to play on the bigger KPP’s of the AFL. Decent overhead and kick is fairly good. Solid and neat defender who should a touch of class and speed to any defence. 15. Tony NOTTE - Swan Districts 15/4/90 194.5cm 71.5kg – FF/CHF Skinny, and the second coming of Westhoff is first thing think of when you see Notte, but it often prudent not to judge a book by its cover and Notte is a quality prospect. He has fantastic hands and he knows how to position his body in the marking contest to make him quite a handful for defenders. He is still growing and will need time to get bigger, but he will never be a huge KPP and maybe one of these guys that never puts on much weight. Notte possesses plenty of footy smarts to compensate for the lack of weight and while his kicking wasn’t best at the championships he is more than adequate to a key forward prospect. Definitely a long term prospect, but he has all the trademarks of a quality KPP, a club will just have to have a lot of patience with him. 16. Scott SELWOOD - Bendigo Pioneers 27/3/90 185.1cm 80.3kg - Mid The Selwood name will now join the Danihers in the football history pages with the Scott set to join his three brothers and land himself onto an AFL list. His physique is more like the twins than Joel, and he is probably the best athlete out of all them. Has very good speed and impressed at draft camp by recording a top 10 results in the agility test and the shuttle run. Has very clean hands and his kicking is reasonable accurate but he lacks penetration and is definitely not his best attribute. Even though Scott finds plenty of his own ball he will probably go down the path of his older brothers in Troy & Adam in playing a tagger/half back at AFL level to start with at AFL level, but he probably has more scope for improvement than the twins. Not just living off the Selwood name, Scott’s impressive development with his football winning ability this year should see him get drafted fairly early. 17. Patrick DANGERFIELD - Geelong Falcons 5/4/90 186.9cm 82.8kg - HBF Bottom aged defender who impressed more as the season went on and had his best games of the year in the 2 TAC Cup Finals matches for Geelong, and with a very good draft camp he has pushed his draft stock even higher. He has shown a great ability to run and carry™, he uses his pace to set up attacks from defence fairly well and will back himself in to get past players. He has a good kick, but it is not as accurate as he needs it to thrive at AFL level. His decision making also needs to be improved but he is still young and learning the game and there is scope for improvement. Will take some patience from a club as he is not quite the finished product yet, he needs to spend some more time polishing off his skills but there is enough there to like to draft him early. 18. Chris KANGARS - Geelong Falcons 1/8/89 193.1cm 84.9kg - FB Developing full back who improved his draft stocks with his impressive Draft Camp where he topped the repeat sprints and impressed in both the endurance tests. An athlete before a footballer at the moment, the fact that he has had more handballs than kicks in the TAC cup this year is testament that he is not quite comfortable with his footy skills yet. He lacks footy smarts and this is exposed when he plays as a key defender when he fails to anticipate when and where the ball is coming in and his opponent manages to get the step on him. This can be improved, but it will take some time to get Kangars up to scratch in smarts and skill to play AFL level. He has what AFL clubs love, speed and size, these two attributes will see him go up the draft order. 19. Sam REID - Zilmere 7/11/89 187.6cm 79.1kg - Wing Quick and energetic midfielder who uses his very quick feet to navigate through traffic at pace, a player who always seems to be playing at a high tempo. He is not afraid to go and get his own ball in the packs and is fairly tough for a skinny winger. While he can be a very good kick, sometimes I feel Reid is just too much in a hurry to get rid of ball and his kicks can sometimes be hurried and miss their targets when under pressure. I like his energy and he should add some pace to which ever club that picks him up, but his disposal and lack of form during the champs might see slip down the order. 20. Callan WARD - Western Jets 10/4/90 183cm 71kg - BP/HBF/MID One of more interesting prospects of the draft has shown great improvement over the year and did enough to get him into the Vic metro side. Has very clean hands below his knees and is more than adequate above his head, he has above average disposal where he rarely misses a target. Not the most agile player and seems to lack a bit of speed, but I defiantly see him in a Tagger/Half back role in the AFL at the start of his career and depending on his improvement he might end up a quality midfielder. He has come a long way this year, but I still see this as a bit of a risky pick because you would be banking on Ward to continue his dramatic improvement to make it at AFL. 21. Addam MARIC - Calder Canons 18/4/90 177.9cm 76.8kg - FP A bottom aged small forward who possesses a great kick and a real knack for scoring goals. He kicked 5 goals from full forward as a 16 year old in a losing 2006 TAC Cup grand final side for the Calder Cannons. He does have a habit of doing something magical but he will have to change his game if he wants to succeed at AFL level, he relies too much on his strength in the marking contest and will have to learn to be an opportunist rather than a marking target. One of the most naturally talented players of this year's draft, his ability for something special and his elite kick should see him be one of the first forward pockets taken this year. 22. Tom BELLCHAMBERS and Tom COLLIER from Tasmania and Cyril RIOLI and Marlon MOTLOP, have all been mentioned in despatches as players with a chance to go early so I’ll sneak them into this position although I did not see them play this year.

Fair enough. I've changed my opinion about who we should draft 6 times since then.

Are you the same Yze Magic who picked Cotchin to go to Richmond in this Phantom Draft?

You really can't have it both ways OX. In the first instance you argue that because your team's interstate record in the past 2 years has been better than it's overall record the low numbers of interstate games in its programme disadvantages you. Now you come up with the above argument. So perhaps the interstate teams are going to provide tougher opposition in 2008 than the weakened and injury ravaged Adelaide and Brisbane teams you played in Rounds 6 and 9. Of course you play loose with your statistics as well. It is only 5 out of 8 home and away games and 2007 is the first and only time in many years that you've won a plurality of games interstate. If you are going to rely on statistics then get them right and apply them correctly. To use a sample of one season is a misapplication of statistical data and that's what makes your argument about as real as most of your supporters' teeth! The issue is about the fairness of the programme. Whether or not the clubs ask for it is irrelevant. My point is that given the AFL maintains its all about equalising the teams with a draft and a salary cap then it should come up with a fixture that gives the competition integrity. It doesn't because it's all about $ and it herefore deliberately favours the stronger clubs (and that applies to the requests they make in respect of the programme as well). In the end you find clubs like the Kangaroos, who developed the concept of Friday night footy in the first place missing out and eventually they can't even stand up on their own two feet. If you think your programme for 2008 isn't soft then why don't you write to Eddie asking him to organise a direct swap with our fixture and wait for the laughter?

Don't worry about the old PPM's, just ask Redleg if he still has any of those old bootleg CD's he bought in Hong Kong. Like the "authentic" best of Sting where the singer does "Message in a Botwl" off key and with a distinct Chinese accent. I'm not even going to try a guess just in case I "win" the prize.

Arrogant and stupid. The last time I looked OX, your club had only won one premiership since 1958 so there's no need for the arrogance. The AFL organises the handouts and it also manufactures its own programme, not Eddie (well not officially anyway) which means we aren't getting any "assistance" at all from Collingwood. If you bothered to read the first post you'd also be aware that Melbourne isn't "racking up" losses as you allege either. Indeed, I think my figures are about right. Collingwood are claiming a profit in the millions, Melbourne about 100k so why does your team get almost as much monetary assistance from the AFL? At least you make sense when you suggest that you could stop giving Collingwood blockbuster games and they would still lead the league in attendances. So let's stop giving them blockbuster games. The easier draw is by no means "perceived". I've looked at your programme for next year and I'd gladly swap it with ours any day of the week, particularly from the point of view of its "easiness" but also in light of its capacity to draw sponsors an additional crowds. If you get the crowds anyway, you don't need the blockbuster games and the Friday night matches. But it's the programme that gives Collingwood such a charitable run. You could have kept Guy Richards as your first ruckman and had his grandmother roving to him and you probably would be a certainty to make the finals next year with what you've been given. You mention interstate matches and I'll get to them in a moment but you forget other aspects of the programme. When was the last time you had to play Geelong at Skilled Stadium? You never play them there these days. In 2007, your only game v Geelong was an away game at the MCG! Given where you finished this year, you would expect to be playing at least one of last year's grand finalists twice. But no, you don't – you play Geelong and Port Adelaide once. How's that for easy? You say "in the last 2 seasons we've won 7/9 interstate games" which is incorrect. This is your team's record in the last two years - 2006: the first six games were all played in Melbourne, and then you had these away games - Round 7 - lost to WCE by 14 points Round 12 - defeated Sydney by13 points Round 18 - lost Adelaide by 4 points Round 20 - defeated PA by 2 points 2007: Round 2 - lost WCE by12 points Round 6 - defeated Adelaide by 24 points Round 9 - defeated Brisbane by 33 points Round 12 - defeated Sydney by 19 points Then you had nine games in Melbourne (eight in a row at the MCG) before your home final against Sydney and your ninth interstate game in 2 years in the semi final against WCE where you scraped home in extra time against a team that was decimated by injury and whose coach suffered brain fade and took off the wrong player at the wrong time. Guy Richards' grandmother would have starred in that game. So contrary to what you say, your record interstate in home and away matches in the last 2 years is actually 5/8 but you seem to be blessed even on that score because 5/8 of those games interstate games have been the closer ones – i.e. that involve only the one hour flights to either Sydney or Adelaide. There's one 2 hour flight and, in the space of two seasons, only one five hour flight a year to Perth. This minimises the "week after factor" that afflicts many clubs the week after the flights across and back over the Nullarbor. And of course, you get the easy end of things in that regard again in 2008. You know, I think you might be right. Looking at Collingwood's programme it's probably more of a 12 point free ride your club's getting from the programme. And if you're wondering why I call it a programme and not a fixture or a draw, it's because such things assume an element of fairness or at least randomness that would give the competition an element of integrity. There is no integrity in the AFL programme and at least Fonzie admits that – Collingwood's on a very good wicket not only for on field reasons but it gets an additional advantage of $2m a year in its assistance from the AFL on top of that easy programme.

Now the second part of Stevo's series on Melbourne's draft picks in the upcoming AFL National Draft - THE YEAR OF DRAFTING DANGEROUSLY – PART TWO by Stevo There's a name in the draft lists that fits the topic of my presentation on the national draft just nicely. The name is "Dangerfield" and it's a reference to Patrick Dangerfield, a brilliant 188cm midfielder who played nine games with the Geelong Falcons in 2007. He wants to be drafted to an AFL club, but says he won't play a game next year. Dangerfield has stipulated on his draft nomination that he wants to finish his VCE before taking on an AFL career. He is a super athlete and would have been a good chance to finish top 20 but some clubs might consider it a risk to use a high draft pick for a player who won't be on the track until 2009. We have seen other leading draft picks in the past who have sat out their first years after the draft with mixed success, Luke Ball and Xavier Ellis among them but while the player in question here is a quality young footballer and I don't question his motives, I have ruled him out of contention for Melbourne's second pick. Not that the Demons would want to pass on a player of his undoubted ability but there are plenty of others who are keen and eager to play and who should be available at number 14. Selection Fourteen At this stage I would expect my nominated candidates for pick four to be long gone and I would be hoping that another WA All Australian in David Myers, a brilliant running defender, would be still around. However, I suspect that's wishful thinking and the same goes for Brad Ebert, Scott Selwood and probably Tom Collier and Jarrad Grant who should all have been taken by then. This will still leave a tantalising mix of players available including a few with the X factor and definitely something there for a club that wants to take risks and perhaps even recruit a little dangerously. David Gourdis 24.03.89 192 cm 89 kg (Subiaco WA) – an athletic key forward who blitzed them at the draft camp. He's a strong mark and shapes up as the prototype modern day athletic tall forward although he needs to work a bit on his kicking. Jack Grimes 11.05.89 187 76 (Northern Knights Vic Metro) – a true all rounder who can play anywhere with telling effect. Grimes has good size, great endurance, knows his way around the goals and has leadership quality. Patrick McGinnity 18.02.89 183 80 (Claremont WA) – a real hard nut inside midfielder who won All Australian honours at the national carnival and impressed when he worked over Vic Metro superstar Trent Cotchin. Tayte Pears 24.03.90 192 90 (East Perth WA) – a very quick defender who played centre half back in the national championships. Pears is strong in the air, can close down opposition forwards and also cause damage with his run out of defence. Cyril Rioli 14.07.89 178 74 (Northern Territory Thunder) - take someone with the Rioli and Long bloodlines and you have a player with super skills and the ability to do the impossible. He has great speed and ball handling ability and was a sensation around goal kicking 7 in one game in the national carnival. There is a question mark over his endurance but he should adapt well to Victoria as he has done his schooling here for a number of years. Patrick Vezpremi 01.07.89 181 83 (Northern Knights Vic Metro) – a 2006 All Australian when he was bottom aged but missed this year's championships with injury. Has a strong body, is classy, a great kick and a real talent. Kicked eight goals against the Gippsland Power in half a game during the finals. Callan Ward 10.04.90 185 73 (Western Jets Vic Metro) – a bottom age emerging midfielder with classic disposal and a hard at it attitude. He has plenty of up side. The verdict? This time last year I had Vezpremi as a shoe in for a top five selection in this year's draft. If around at number 14, he wouldn't necessarily be a steal but definitely a value selection. If he's gone at this stage, then I might be tempted to go in a different direction altogether and opt for Gourdis. Selection Twenty-one The popular view is that by the time you get to this stage of a draft, the talent starts to get a bit thinner on the ground but we are still dealing with the best two dozen youngsters in the country. Apart from anyone already mentioned above who might not have been selected by now, I think pick 21 will come from this disparate group which includes some real X factor candidates:- Steven Browne 01.02.89.181 74 (West Perth WA) – a strong solid defender who made the transition to senior football in the WAFL during the season. Will possibly graduate to play midfield in the future. Steven Gaertner 02.01.90 196 83 (Dandenong Stingrays Vic Metro) – a tall athlete who has pace and can take a mark. He’s the sort of player who might adapt to play in a number of positions and, as a bottom age player, has time to develop. Levi Greenwood 19.02.89 181 91 (Pot Adelaide SA) - a tough little nut who has been likened to Geelong's Paul Chapman. He has played senior football in the SANFL and is highly regarded in some circles. Addam Maric 19.04.90 179 80 (Calder Cannons Vic Metro) – a forward pocket specialist who is renowned for his accuracy in front of goal. Maric is a real impact player at under 18 level and is the epitome of the X factor player - a bit of a freak who has Daicos-like tricks in his bag. Tony Notte (15.04.90) 194 70 (Swan Districts WA) – a key forward who looks lean and hungry. He has an ultra light frame but can take a mark and has lots of skill. It might however, be a long weight before he puts on some … weight. Scott Simpson 19.10.89 194 91 (Dandenong Stingrays Vic Metro) - comes with gigantic wraps from his Under 18 coach and former Demon Graeme Yeats who calls him a "superstar". He has height, athleticism and determination - attributes that would please any club recruiting officer. Robert Tarrant 25.04.89 196.90 (Bendigo Pioneers Vic Country) – a strong key forward who was overlooked last year but worked hard over the current season and produced some outstanding draft camp results. There is a possibility is that a young ruckman of the calibre of Tom Bellchambers, Andrew Renton or Dawson Simpson might be looked at but I have my doubts on that score. As history has shown, some of these tall young ruck types are dangerous early selections. The Magpies found that out when they selected Guy Richards half a lifetime ago and waited until a month ago for their patience to run out. The verdict? In the club's entire history, it has never had a Simpson playing in its senior team so it's about time. The one I have in mind is not Homer, he doesn't come from Springfield and he doesn't work in a nuclear power plant. He doesn't even have the initials "O.J" and his would not be a dangerous selection if still available at 21. It's not big 207cm tall Dawson Simpson but tall enough at 194 cm to be a key position prospect and just the right size to fill a need at Melbourne – Scott Simpson. The rest? I'm not game to have a crack. It's too dangerous!

Now the second part of Stevo's series on Melbourne's draft picks in the upcoming AFL National Draft - THE YEAR OF DRAFTING DANGEROUSLY – PART TWO by Stevo There's a name in the draft lists that fits the topic of my presentation on the national draft just nicely. The name is "Dangerfield" and it's a reference to Patrick Dangerfield, a brilliant 188cm midfielder who played nine games with the Geelong Falcons in 2007. He wants to be drafted to an AFL club, but says he won't play a game next year. Dangerfield has stipulated on his draft nomination that he wants to finish his VCE before taking on an AFL career. He is a super athlete and would have been a good chance to finish top 20 but some clubs might consider it a risk to use a high draft pick for a player who won't be on the track until 2009. We have seen other leading draft picks in the past who have sat out their first years after the draft with mixed success, Luke Ball and Xavier Ellis among them but while the player in question here is a quality young footballer and I don't question his motives, I have ruled him out of contention for Melbourne's second pick. Not that the Demons would want to pass on a player of his undoubted ability but there are plenty of others who are keen and eager to play and who should be available at number 14. Selection Fourteen At this stage I would expect my nominated candidates for pick four to be long gone and I would be hoping that another WA All Australian in David Myers, a brilliant running defender, would be still around. However, I suspect that's wishful thinking and the same goes for Brad Ebert, Scott Selwood and probably Tom Collier and Jarrad Grant who should all have been taken by then. This will still leave a tantalising mix of players available including a few with the X factor and definitely something there for a club that wants to take risks and perhaps even recruit a little dangerously. David Gourdis 24.03.89 192 cm 89 kg (Subiaco WA) – an athletic key forward who blitzed them at the draft camp. He's a strong mark and shapes up as the prototype modern day athletic tall forward although he needs to work a bit on his kicking. Jack Grimes 11.05.89 187 76 (Northern Knights Vic Metro) – a true all rounder who can play anywhere with telling effect. Grimes has good size, great endurance, knows his way around the goals and has leadership quality. Patrick McGinnity 18.02.89 183 80 (Claremont WA) – a real hard nut inside midfielder who won All Australian honours at the national carnival and impressed when he worked over Vic Metro superstar Trent Cotchin. Tayte Pears 24.03.90 192 90 (East Perth WA) – a very quick defender who played centre half back in the national championships. Pears is strong in the air, can close down opposition forwards and also cause damage with his run out of defence. Cyril Rioli 14.07.89 178 74 (Northern Territory Thunder) - take someone with the Rioli and Long bloodlines and you have a player with super skills and the ability to do the impossible. He has great speed and ball handling ability and was a sensation around goal kicking 7 in one game in the national carnival. There is a question mark over his endurance but he should adapt well to Victoria as he has done his schooling here for a number of years. Patrick Vezpremi 01.07.89 181 83 (Northern Knights Vic Metro) – a 2006 All Australian when he was bottom aged but missed this year's championships with injury. Has a strong body, is classy, a great kick and a real talent. Kicked eight goals against the Gippsland Power in half a game during the finals. Callan Ward 10.04.90 185 73 (Western Jets Vic Metro) – a bottom age emerging midfielder with classic disposal and a hard at it attitude. He has plenty of up side. The verdict? This time last year I had Vezpremi as a shoe in for a top five selection in this year's draft. If around at number 14, he wouldn't necessarily be a steal but definitely a value selection. If he's gone at this stage, then I might be tempted to go in a different direction altogether and opt for Gourdis. Selection Twenty-one The popular view is that by the time you get to this stage of a draft, the talent starts to get a bit thinner on the ground but we are still dealing with the best two dozen youngsters in the country. Apart from anyone already mentioned above who might not have been selected by now, I think pick 21 will come from this disparate group which includes some real X factor candidates:- Steven Browne 01.02.89.181 74 (West Perth WA) – a strong solid defender who made the transition to senior football in the WAFL during the season. Will possibly graduate to play midfield in the future. Steven Gaertner 02.01.90 196 83 (Dandenong Stingrays Vic Metro) – a tall athlete who has pace and can take a mark. He’s the sort of player who might adapt to play in a number of positions and, as a bottom age player, has time to develop. Levi Greenwood 19.02.89 181 91 (Pot Adelaide SA) - a tough little nut who has been likened to Geelong's Paul Chapman. He has played senior football in the SANFL and is highly regarded in some circles. Addam Maric 19.04.90 179 80 (Calder Cannons Vic Metro) – a forward pocket specialist who is renowned for his accuracy in front of goal. Maric is a real impact player at under 18 level and is the epitome of the X factor player - a bit of a freak who has Daicos-like tricks in his bag. Tony Notte (15.04.90) 194 70 (Swan Districts WA) – a key forward who looks lean and hungry. He has an ultra light frame but can take a mark and has lots of skill. It might however, be a long weight before he puts on some … weight. Scott Simpson 19.10.89 194 91 (Dandenong Stingrays Vic Metro) - comes with gigantic wraps from his Under 18 coach and former Demon Graeme Yeats who calls him a "superstar". He has height, athleticism and determination - attributes that would please any club recruiting officer. Robert Tarrant 25.04.89 196.90 (Bendigo Pioneers Vic Country) – a strong key forward who was overlooked last year but worked hard over the current season and produced some outstanding draft camp results. There is a possibility is that a young ruckman of the calibre of Tom Bellchambers, Andrew Renton or Dawson Simpson might be looked at but I have my doubts on that score. As history has shown, some of these tall young ruck types are dangerous early selections. The Magpies found that out when they selected Guy Richards half a lifetime ago and waited until a month ago for their patience to run out. The verdict? In the club's entire history, it has never had a Simpson playing in its senior team so it's about time. The one I have in mind is not Homer, he doesn't come from Springfield and he doesn't work in a nuclear power plant. He doesn't even have the initials "O.J" and his would not be a dangerous selection if still available at 21. It's not big 207cm tall Dawson Simpson but tall enough at 194 cm to be a key position prospect and just the right size to fill a need at Melbourne – Scott Simpson. The rest? I'm not game to have a crack. It's too dangerous!

Based on these figures Collingwood gets the most "special assistance" from the AFL. The Pies are getting marginally less than us yet annually, they receive the best fixture of any Victorian club by a country mile, travel less interstate, have more MCG games (this year they had 8 in a row), plenty of Friday night games and special fixtures and they get an easier draw (estimated somewhere as a bonus 8 premiership points). This "special assistance" would probably be worth at least a couple of million every year if you could put a figure on it!

Should be up tonight or tomorrow. It's interesting!

Nor is Tim Lane worried about upsetting the Pratt camp even though he supports the Blues - RULES DIFFER FOR PRATT. He puts a very powerful case.

Demonland presents the views of "Stevo" who knows the ins and outs of the Under 18 TAC Cup scene from an insider's point of view. He was there at all of the National Under 18 championship games played in Melbourne this winter. These are his views on the melbournefc's 2007 draft prospects as told to Whispering Jack... THE YEAR OF DRAFTING DANGEROUSLY – PART ONE by Stevo The nature of the AFL draft has changed significantly since its early days. The art of talent identification has become more sophisticated and the public interest has grown particularly with the development of information technology. In the month before the draft you will read any number of expert opinions and phantom drafts in the newspapers and on the internet, some of which are educated, intelligent and informed and others by people who are clueless. I write this knowing that in presenting my views on the 2007 NAB AFL Draft I might also attract the "clueless" label but, having been involved at the grass roots level, I can at least say that I've seen most (but not all) of the draft prospects with my own eyes. I want to look at the draft a little differently to the others. I am more focussed on viewing it from a Melbourne supporter's viewpoint. The Demons have just gone through a difficult year in which they fell unexpectedly from top four prospect to a disappointing 14th. They have overhauled their coaching regime and the new coach Dean Bailey has indicated that the team will be regenerated through its 23 and under age group and that drafting young talent is a priority. The club is not likely to take any major risks with its recruiting. Melbourne has six "live" selections in the November 24 Draft – picks 4, 14, 21, 52, 64 and 70 but should pass on the last selection to leave room for a pick in the December Pre Season Draft (number 3). As far as 52 and 64 are concerned, it's difficult to even hazard a guess as to who they might be given that at this level you are deep in the realm of speculation where anything can happen. For that reason, I will mainly concentrate on the first three selections and look at the players the Demons might take at numbers 4, 14 and 21. Firstly, some observations about this draft. I think it may well end up being remembered for the same reasons as this year's NAB AFL Under-18 Championships in June/July - by the dominance of Western Australia over the other states. The Sandgropers opened with an impressive 47-point win over Vic Metro at Subiaco Oval, followed that up by defeating Vic Country by 43 points and then demolished South Australia at Casey Fields, Cranbourne by 77 points to comprehensively take out the championship. Eight of their kids made All Australian although two are not eligible for the draft because of their age. That's what I call "dominance"! In a year when the "go home" factor has been so famously highlighted by Chris Judd’s shock decision to return home from Perth, the large number of talented and exciting players from WA leads me to look at this as the "Year of Drafting Dangerously". The WA clubs would be weighing up whether or not to take fancied players from the other states ahead of their own home grown talent while the Victorians and others would be wondering about the intentions of some of those kids they might have to lure away from Perth. The fact that two of the top three most highly regarded draftees come from Victoria might sound a contradiction but it makes the whole scenario all the more interesting. The other aspect that that can turn an AFL draft into a dangerous pastime for recruiters is the fact that there are some impressive tall options around the place but these players are often difficult to gauge when they play at junior level. When they step up to playing with men they can be hit or very much miss. The advantages of getting a "hit" can be enormous but you can also end up with egg on your face if the player turns out to be a dud at AFL level. That said, it's interesting to note the commonly held view is that the top pick in this draft will be 199cm tall ruckman/forward Matthew Kreuzer (Northern Knights Vic Metro) who is virtually a given at first pick for Carlton. I'm not even convinced he's the best player in this draft pool, but time will tell on that score. Big men take their time and it would be a mistake for the Blues to think he is going to be an immediate senior selection at AFL level but he's the outstanding tall man on TAC Cup form and they won't pass on him. Cale Morton (Claremont WA) and Trent Cotchin (Northern Knights Vic Metro) are favoured to fill the rest of the top three picks before Melbourne gets its turn at selection four. Their selections are virtually set in stone although not necessarily in that order. Since there still remains some debate about the selections, I will include them as possibles in the unlikely event of one of them falling to pick four. One interesting quirk of the draft order is that the West Coast Eagles precede every one of Melbourne's early draft picks. With so much focus on acquiring top midfield talent early in the draft and with the Eagles' stocks in this area suddenly depleted by the loss of Judd and Ben Cousins, they could well frustrate the Demons' intentions by getting in first on players who the Dees might also have in their sights. That however, is the way of the draft. Selection Four There are a few contenders for this selection. Apart from Morton and Cotchin, they are West Australian midfielders Chris Masten and Rhys Palmer (who I put marginally ahead of SA’s Brad Ebert), key position players Lachlan Henderson and Alex Rance and ruckman Ben McEvoy. Trent Cotchin 07.04.89 184 cm 81 kg (Northern Knights Vic Metro) – a class act but up till now has not done enough when he's been on the really big stage. His ball handling, disposal and decision-making are all excellent and he is reasonably quick but I regard him more of a forward flanker at this stage. He was heavily tagged in the Under 18 championships and was beaten hands down in the WA game by Patrick McGinnity who made All Australian. The mail from out west however, is that the Eagles will take him if the Tigers don’t select him with their second choice. Lachlan Henderson 14.12.89 196 90 (Geelong Falcons Vic Country) – this kid may well be a risk worth taking but it would certainly be a dangerous risk with a pick as high as number 4. He can play key forward or key back and is very mobile for his height of 196 cm. He has a great pair of hands, is a very good kick and what more can you say but for the fact that he spent most of 2007 on the injury list with a broken leg. Ben McEvoy 11.07.89 199 90 (Murray Bushrangers Vic Country) – can play ruck and key forward where he was used in the TAC Cup grand final without showing out. Given that Melbourne traded a draft selection to get John Meesen from the Crows I think it highly unlikely that it would use this or any of its early picks for another ruckman although, if he were still available at 14, he might come under consideration. Chris Masten 02.05.89 179 78 (East Fremantle WA) – the best player available. A classic midfielder who is highly motivated, reasonably quick and has great endurance. He played senior football with WAFL club East Fremantle for most of the year and managed to hold his own although he is reportedly struggling currently with a mild case of osteitis pubis. The Eagles would be tossing up whether or not to take him ahead of Cotchin and the decision will be an agonising one. I believe they are leaning towards taking the Victorian. Cale Morton 18.01.90 192 75 (Claremont WA) – a true utility who can play anywhere and is full of skill and class. In time, he would make an excellent replacement at Melbourne for Travis Johnstone but I suspect that the Demons are out of the equation and he will join his brother Mitch and be taken at 2 by Richmond. Rhys Palmer 13.02.89 181 76 (East Fremantle WA) – the Demons will be pondering on whether to take Masten or Palmer when it comes to making their decision. Season 2007 was a red bullet year for this genuine midfield gun and he emphatically overtook many of his peers. His National Under 18 Championship form was outstanding as was his game at senior level in the WAFL where he already has a five-goal haul to his name. Masten is the hard at it midfielder while Palmer is the brilliant finisher who will make his mark at AFL level immediately. Which would you choose? Alex Rance 19.10.89 194 87 (Swan Districts WA) – a skilful tall defender with the right pedigree for AFL football (his father captained the Eagles in their early days) and was impressive in his only senior WAFL game. Said to be the best big key defender in the draft by a country mile and the Demons do need big key defenders. A dasher who the judges say is a ready-made AFL player. The verdict? Melbourne coach Dean Bailey has gone on record as saying that the drafts will be the catalyst for a swift Demon turnaround. Three selections in the first 21 picks will give the team scope and flexibility to develop greater depth and balance to his list of players. The club will kick the day off with a real beauty in Masten who will get the nod just ahead of Palmer. For the record, I had Masten well ahead of Morton, Cotchin and Palmer before the National Under 18 Championships and I have not veered from this view although Palmer's improvement was a real surprise to me. On that basis, I think there should be no danger at all with this selection apart from the "go home" factor. The Demons will have to deal with that one by making the youngster feel at home in his new environment. Here’s a film clip from Fox News of the young man himself – CHRIS MASTEN In Part Two, Stevo looks at Picks 14 and 21 and has a bit of a go at the rest of our selections.

Demonland presents the views of "Stevo" who knows the ins and outs of the Under 18 TAC Cup scene from an insider's point of view. He was there at all of the National Under 18 championship games played in Melbourne this winter. These are his views on the melbournefc's 2007 draft prospects as told to Whispering Jack... THE YEAR OF DRAFTING DANGEROUSLY – PART ONE by Stevo The nature of the AFL draft has changed significantly since its early days. The art of talent identification has become more sophisticated and the public interest has grown particularly with the development of information technology. In the month before the draft you will read any number of expert opinions and phantom drafts in the newspapers and on the internet, some of which are educated, intelligent and informed and others by people who are clueless. I write this knowing that in presenting my views on the 2007 NAB AFL Draft I might also attract the "clueless" label but, having been involved at the grass roots level, I can at least say that I've seen most (but not all) of the draft prospects with my own eyes. I want to look at the draft a little differently to the others. I am more focussed on viewing it from a Melbourne supporter's viewpoint. The Demons have just gone through a difficult year in which they fell unexpectedly from top four prospect to a disappointing 14th. They have overhauled their coaching regime and the new coach Dean Bailey has indicated that the team will be regenerated through its 23 and under age group and that drafting young talent is a priority. The club is not likely to take any major risks with its recruiting. Melbourne has six "live" selections in the November 24 Draft – picks 4, 14, 21, 52, 64 and 70 but should pass on the last selection to leave room for a pick in the December Pre Season Draft (number 3). As far as 52 and 64 are concerned, it's difficult to even hazard a guess as to who they might be given that at this level you are deep in the realm of speculation where anything can happen. For that reason, I will mainly concentrate on the first three selections and look at the players the Demons might take at numbers 4, 14 and 21. Firstly, some observations about this draft. I think it may well end up being remembered for the same reasons as this year's NAB AFL Under-18 Championships in June/July - by the dominance of Western Australia over the other states. The Sandgropers opened with an impressive 47-point win over Vic Metro at Subiaco Oval, followed that up by defeating Vic Country by 43 points and then demolished South Australia at Casey Fields, Cranbourne by 77 points to comprehensively take out the championship. Eight of their kids made All Australian although two are not eligible for the draft because of their age. That's what I call "dominance"! In a year when the "go home" factor has been so famously highlighted by Chris Judd’s shock decision to return home from Perth, the large number of talented and exciting players from WA leads me to look at this as the "Year of Drafting Dangerously". The WA clubs would be weighing up whether or not to take fancied players from the other states ahead of their own home grown talent while the Victorians and others would be wondering about the intentions of some of those kids they might have to lure away from Perth. The fact that two of the top three most highly regarded draftees come from Victoria might sound a contradiction but it makes the whole scenario all the more interesting. The other aspect that that can turn an AFL draft into a dangerous pastime for recruiters is the fact that there are some impressive tall options around the place but these players are often difficult to gauge when they play at junior level. When they step up to playing with men they can be hit or very much miss. The advantages of getting a "hit" can be enormous but you can also end up with egg on your face if the player turns out to be a dud at AFL level. That said, it's interesting to note the commonly held view is that the top pick in this draft will be 199cm tall ruckman/forward Matthew Kreuzer (Northern Knights Vic Metro) who is virtually a given at first pick for Carlton. I'm not even convinced he's the best player in this draft pool, but time will tell on that score. Big men take their time and it would be a mistake for the Blues to think he is going to be an immediate senior selection at AFL level but he's the outstanding tall man on TAC Cup form and they won't pass on him. Cale Morton (Claremont WA) and Trent Cotchin (Northern Knights Vic Metro) are favoured to fill the rest of the top three picks before Melbourne gets its turn at selection four. Their selections are virtually set in stone although not necessarily in that order. Since there still remains some debate about the selections, I will include them as possibles in the unlikely event of one of them falling to pick four. One interesting quirk of the draft order is that the West Coast Eagles precede every one of Melbourne's early draft picks. With so much focus on acquiring top midfield talent early in the draft and with the Eagles' stocks in this area suddenly depleted by the loss of Judd and Ben Cousins, they could well frustrate the Demons' intentions by getting in first on players who the Dees might also have in their sights. That however, is the way of the draft. Selection Four There are a few contenders for this selection. Apart from Morton and Cotchin, they are West Australian midfielders Chris Masten and Rhys Palmer (who I put marginally ahead of SA’s Brad Ebert), key position players Lachlan Henderson and Alex Rance and ruckman Ben McEvoy. Trent Cotchin 07.04.89 184 cm 81 kg (Northern Knights Vic Metro) – a class act but up till now has not done enough when he's been on the really big stage. His ball handling, disposal and decision-making are all excellent and he is reasonably quick but I regard him more of a forward flanker at this stage. He was heavily tagged in the Under 18 championships and was beaten hands down in the WA game by Patrick McGinnity who made All Australian. The mail from out west however, is that the Eagles will take him if the Tigers don’t select him with their second choice. Lachlan Henderson 14.12.89 196 90 (Geelong Falcons Vic Country) – this kid may well be a risk worth taking but it would certainly be a dangerous risk with a pick as high as number 4. He can play key forward or key back and is very mobile for his height of 196 cm. He has a great pair of hands, is a very good kick and what more can you say but for the fact that he spent most of 2007 on the injury list with a broken leg. Ben McEvoy 11.07.89 199 90 (Murray Bushrangers Vic Country) – can play ruck and key forward where he was used in the TAC Cup grand final without showing out. Given that Melbourne traded a draft selection to get John Meesen from the Crows I think it highly unlikely that it would use this or any of its early picks for another ruckman although, if he were still available at 14, he might come under consideration. Chris Masten 02.05.89 179 78 (East Fremantle WA) – the best player available. A classic midfielder who is highly motivated, reasonably quick and has great endurance. He played senior football with WAFL club East Fremantle for most of the year and managed to hold his own although he is reportedly struggling currently with a mild case of osteitis pubis. The Eagles would be tossing up whether or not to take him ahead of Cotchin and the decision will be an agonising one. I believe they are leaning towards taking the Victorian. Cale Morton 18.01.90 192 75 (Claremont WA) – a true utility who can play anywhere and is full of skill and class. In time, he would make an excellent replacement at Melbourne for Travis Johnstone but I suspect that the Demons are out of the equation and he will join his brother Mitch and be taken at 2 by Richmond. Rhys Palmer 13.02.89 181 76 (East Fremantle WA) – the Demons will be pondering on whether to take Masten or Palmer when it comes to making their decision. Season 2007 was a red bullet year for this genuine midfield gun and he emphatically overtook many of his peers. His National Under 18 Championship form was outstanding as was his game at senior level in the WAFL where he already has a five-goal haul to his name. Masten is the hard at it midfielder while Palmer is the brilliant finisher who will make his mark at AFL level immediately. Which would you choose? Alex Rance 19.10.89 194 87 (Swan Districts WA) – a skilful tall defender with the right pedigree for AFL football (his father captained the Eagles in their early days) and was impressive in his only senior WAFL game. Said to be the best big key defender in the draft by a country mile and the Demons do need big key defenders. A dasher who the judges say is a ready-made AFL player. The verdict? Melbourne coach Dean Bailey has gone on record as saying that the drafts will be the catalyst for a swift Demon turnaround. Three selections in the first 21 picks will give the team scope and flexibility to develop greater depth and balance to his list of players. The club will kick the day off with a real beauty in Masten who will get the nod just ahead of Palmer. For the record, I had Masten well ahead of Morton, Cotchin and Palmer before the National Under 18 Championships and I have not veered from this view although Palmer's improvement was a real surprise to me. On that basis, I think there should be no danger at all with this selection apart from the "go home" factor. The Demons will have to deal with that one by making the youngster feel at home in his new environment. Here’s a film clip from Fox News of the young man himself – CHRIS MASTEN In Part Two, Stevo looks at Picks 14 and 21 and has a bit of a go at the rest of our selections.

If putting success ahead of integrity is the AFL's stock in trade then what can one say about this ploy? BLUES PLAN TO SIDESTEP GAMING REGULATIONS TO KEEP PRATT AT HELM It seems to me that everything I hear about about Caaarton lately is about neatly sidestepping rules and regulations whether it be priority pick rules, the salary cap, signing up Irish kids at 16 and the good old fashioned gaming regulations but just as they got whacked over the head with their salary cap breaches, their day of reckoning will come. Meanwhile, if a 30 or so year old dumb brat can be brought before the AFL for bringing the game into disrepute because he's sick and on drugs (and I make no excuses for him at all) then surely tanking games to gain priority picks means bringing the game into disrepute big time? Oh yes of course, Mr. Fonzarelli says no club ever tanks a game for that purpose.

Pardon my cynicism but I knew there had to be a reason why the Eagles haven't delisted Cousins just yet. The only way the AFL could charge Cousins and belatedly make an example out of him was if he remained an AFL listed player.

I was at the same school as the Kangaroos major shareholder Peter de Rauch. His father was the PE teacher and he was as tough and as hard a bastard as they come. We were subjected to such torture in our first PE class that every muscle in my body aches even today when I merely think about it. If the son is as tough as his old man I reckon he will make a good fist of staring down the AFL powerbrokers but I reckon he might be fighting a losing battle.

One should not draw too many unnecessary conclusions from that. Firstly, he would have to satisy the coach (and probably himself) that he has the necessary desire and hunger to revive his career and secondly, he would have to be picked by us in the PSD (assuming he doesn't nominate himself in the national draft). We have third choice so there are two other clubs ahead of us in the order of selection.

I have to agree. The coach deserved the sack. He shouldn't have allowed the trainers to run and carry the drinks out to the players.

Dear Diablo and Coxy, That was great work but as your coaches Redleg and I would prefer to see you on the other side of the fence training your butts off in anticipation of our campaign to win back the Big Carl trophy? Cheers, WJ

I've heard Andrew Demetrious speak at a football breakfast. He's more interested in the commercial aspects of the fixture than in fairness. Full stop. As long as that mentality rules the competition, we have to get used to it and prepare our club to play according to those rules.

Heaven help us if they take away draft picks for that sort of activity - there'll be no draft at all soon.

In that case if you can talk Don Argus and his board into wearing the red and blue, you might witness a premiership flags in the near future.

The problem with your analysis is that football is no longer a game or a sport - it's a business and in business, he who has the most money wins.

I never worry about the fixture. If we're a top four side we'll beat enough teams to be a contender. As far as I'm concerned the fixture is favourable enough for us to make it if we're good enough so let's not waste our time, effort and energy on issues beyond our control.