DeeSpencer

Thankyou Bears for one of the great tank jobs of all time getting me the tip and getting the bears closer to a top 3 draft pick. Oh and yay another injury to our best remaining defensive player. At the same time, Matt Barkley NFL QB? Maybe? What a shame his receivers dropped all those passes including 2 in the end zone for the game winner.

VP nailed most of what I saw. I was impressed by Hannan and DJ's kicking technique when lining up for goal. Simple run ups, came in straight, nailed kicks easily with nice penetration. Vanders was leading out Viney on a few longer laps. T Mc, Pedda, Jetta, Lewis, JKH, King and Trenners were all part of the rehab group doing runs. Maynard was doing light jogs with the two draftees before heading off early For what it's worth Hannan had jumper 19 on and DJ had 37.

I think he had a shoulder reco over the break and so wouldn't have done any upper body weights. Through the legs and core he's fine. On the other hand DJ is an absolute baby. There's nothing off him besides from the biceps. Don't be fooled by the beach weights he's a young'en.

Looking only at stats: Doesn't take a heap of marks and very few contested marks. Doesn't kick goals, 1 for the entire year. So very much a follower type of ruckman who looks as though he can run like an extra midfielder. Which is probably where the game is going with the Dogs using Roughead and Boyd like extra followers. Does find a bit of the ball and has had some big hit out games. http://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=199622788&client=1-3020-111708-392810-14528790&ocompID=392810 Can't say he's any worse than most ruck prospects. But doesn't look like the answer to our forward/ruck problems.

Take the Riverina out of GWS academy zone. Give them their own TAC team - the Albury-Wagga drop bears. Any player who plays for a TAC, SANFL or WAFL side is removed from the GWS academy. To be eligible for the GWS academy you can only play local football, NEAFL and representative football for NSW teams. If you join a Victorian or South Australian junior development team then you should be treated like those players. At the moment it's double dipping and billing the AFL twice. Setterfield played for the Sandringham Dragons (+ Caulfield Grammar) this year. He's from Albury. Literally walking distance from Victoria! That's a long way from growing the game in non football areas of NSW. He got TAC coaching like every other kid from bayside Melbourne and also had his own set of coaches in the Giants academy. Cummings played for North Adelaide. Broken Hill is a traditional football area and feeds in to the South Australian system. With a little more money the SANFL clubs could streamline junior development for players in South Western NSW should they choose to head to Adelaide like many kids from that area do.

Joel Smith looks ready to play and Maynard has the tools to play, just a matter of seeing him at VFL level. So I'm fine with going in 1 short on the A list. But 1 short on the A list, 1 short on the B list and seemingly 1 short on the senior list with Lumumba likely gone seems a bit too much. 47 players for a team of 22 does seem a lot! But 44 out of 47 seems like a bit left on the table. I wonder how much we are putting in to buying players for Casey. If they aren't drafted I think the club will want to do what they can to get McInerny, Tim Smith, Keilty, Hutchins and probably a few others to stick around so that this years gains aren't wiped out. Might be able to buy 3 experienced VFL players for the price of 1 rookie these days.

JKH is a high half forward/wing player. Good runner, good reader of the play around the ground and a nice kick. Kennedy is a half forward/inside midfielder. His strengths are winning contested ball around the packs and a burst from stoppages. Neither of those guys have the pace, tackling or one on one ability to be consistent AFL small forwards in a designated role. They are handy because they can fill the spot whilst bringing some versatility but if we want a more traditional small forward to compete with Garlett then we needed to draft one.

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According to Taylor we will only take 2 selections which seems a bit disappointing given we've got room for 3 more, plus a cat B, plus replacing Lefumbles if he quit already. We obviously have faith in Joel Smith and Maynard as options if needed and don't want to dig too deep in to rookie picks. In a perfect world I'd take a ruckman, a tall defender/versatile tall and another outside runner.

Without derailing the thread too much Bugg, ANB, Melksham and with a good injury run JKH and McKenna are all very good endurance runners. JKH, McKenna and in some way Melksham are noted for their skills. Bugg, ANB and Ben Ken are all big ball winners. And whilst he has bad games on his day Ben Ken plays with speed, grunt and goal kicking. My point is I think they are on the list for a reason and they bring complimentary skills to round out the list. Melksham was the only one of those guys drafted/traded for a pick in the first 2 rounds anyway, so we weren't expecting stars from the others and I think if we chase stars with every pick in the draft you'll end up with an inconsistent list. Hannan has more X factor, but he needs to, he's a 22 year old with 18 VFL games to his name! And even if it was pick 46 he was our first pick in the draft so we'd be hoping for a top 30-35 player on our draft board.

Fitness would have to be the issue. He missed a lot of 2015 with a broken arm and so has only really done the 1 preseason at VFL level with the Dogs. They might have to treat him like an 18 year old recruit in terms of building his fitness.

Mitch Hannan (Footscray, 22, 189cm, 84kg): the left-footer gained plenty of attention with a spectacular grab against Collingwood in Round 18. But a Moorcroft-like mark earlier in the season was even better. The mid-sized forward was best-afield for St Bernard’s in the VAFA grand final in 2015 and took his place in the Dogs’ VFL premiership 12 months later. He’d set Footscray on the road to Etihad Stadium by booting three goals in the final quarter of the semi-final against Essendon. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/localfooty/best-vfl-players-in-line-to-be-drafted-to-the-afl/news-story/57290b5a4d1bff2f61ebab8a47c2e19c

Not suggesting it's enough to draft him but our defenders have been slow for over a decade (maybe 5!). The training benefit of getting some more speed and pressure is a pretty handy improvement alone, not to mention getting some proper pressure for spots in that forward pocket role. The other thing I like about him is I'd rather a small forward who needs his skills cleaned up a bit than a silky mover at under 18 level who isn't up to it with body contact and tackling. It's almost a defensive first position these days and it's a difficult role to kick more than a couple of goals in a final no matter how good you are. So I like that Johnstone is taller and harder at it than most small forwards.

They weren't that height but The Wiz and Robbo had me excited. As did a certain Jurrah fella. The game is getting taller so at his height Hannon is really a flanker more than a 3rd tall. There won't be any delusions that he can be a key forward like there were with Howe and Bate.

http://demonwiki.org/Russell+Robertson They created the rookie list so he delisted and then re-drafted in Feb for the new rookie list

I don't think he was ever that fast. He's an endurance athlete. Used to be right at the front of our time trials. I think high half forward/wing (on a slower opponent than say Stretch or Hunt on the other wing) and just running all day is the go. Works for his sister. Getting lean without overloading his foot will be the secret. Last year when he first started running Brendan McCartney said 'you'll get that arse off the ground'. I think the idea is to get fitness in to his legs and I think it's happening.

Might be a bit of Doggies recency bias involved but I think he can play. We needed more goal kickers on the list so suits a need. Think his forward pressure and speed should allow him to play multiple roles as well. Not unhappy.

I'm not expert but I think Trenners best chance is as a Steele Sidebottom type outside runner who just goes all day, endurance is in his family after all. He's got the strength and smarts to get out of trouble in close, if he can just run the wings with enough of a motor to get the ball in space that might be enough.

Jeff looked a little stronger to me this year than last. I hope he's back on the right track. We could draft his long term replacement shortly.

I don't really agree with this. He moves wonderfully. He handballs to space. But his kicking is all hip action and every second kick goes spraying passed the target. When he nails a kick it's a thing of beauty - hard, fast, straight, but it doesn't always go that way for him.

Most of it's been covered today and I just had a quick look. But the more I see of Mitch King the more I think he'll get there in a few years. Looks much stronger already and big across the shoulders. He tires after a bit but when they are doing kick to kick he starts off moving and kicking nicely for a tall man. He's got to be 202+ by now. Trenners doesn't have the definition of some other guys but he looks lighter in the glutes. I think he's literally working his butt off so there's hope there. A large rehab group today and a lot of players going in and out of drills. Frost and Hunt haven't fixed their kicking yet so it will be important to get them in space where their speed is still as impressive. Watts in team drills where he can duck out on a lead and then spin and kick is deadly. If the backline skills pick up and he can start finding space and being hit up he's got another level in him. Salem seems to have lightened off a little since the first week back, or maybe just got more of a tan, he looks very good. He took a set shot from the pocket that was as sure a kid as you'll ever see. Hoges nailed one from the right forward pocket which is the side he struggles with. Just has to back himself and his straight routine and he'll get more confidence on that side. If he stays fit all preseason and his tank is vastly improved I think Dom Tyson's going to rack up some 40 touch games. We know he gets the ball in tight but he just seems to bob up in creative areas on the outside as well.

I've never believed they can be that specific a year out, but there weren't talls in this years batch and there were quite a few other talls available last year which is why I came round to liking that move. I'm sure Taylor would've preferred to hold on to this years 2nd round pick given there's a strong bunch in the late 20's/early 30's. If one of those guys drops it might be the best of both worlds. Shame there's not live draft trading yet. We could offer our 2nd rounder next year for a pick in the low 30's if a kid had fallen that far and we wanted them.

According to this: http://www.topendsports.com/sport/afl/testing-draft-results-best.htm Only 10 guys have run sub 9:50 3km at the draft camps and that's when they are skinny 18 year olds often with 10+kg to put on to hit peak footballing condition. Our inside midfielders probably aren't top of the league but they can run. Jones - yes. Viney - just on willpower alone. Tyson - improving and yet to do back to back preseasons. Vince, Lewis - solid veterans. Brayshaw - seemed to run in low 10 minutes and improving big time this year. Petracca and Oliver are going to take some time, which is why we've got a guy like ANB I guess. Our backline has plenty of guys who can run - McDonald's, White, Wagner, Hunt. Salem improving. Probably the most important position in terms of 3km running is for the outside mids. Bugg won it. Looks like Stretch didn't compete after being in rehab, the 4kg of muscle might have temporarily slowed him down but he's a very good runner. Melksham is another who can play wing or half back and is solid. Harmes the same. Adding other players who can run the lines outside should be a priority for the draft.

Sadly I think I got this one right. Said there was something fishy going on with the media asking about H's return date during the trade period and then even more so on Monday when he didn't turn up. He doesn't seem at all interested in fighting for his spot and/or helping the next wave through at Casey. So it's time Mahoney straps on his big boy pants and sorts this mess out in a professional but powerful manner. I've got no doubt Goodwin and PJ will support him.

2 national draft picks, 3 rookie picks and McKenna counts like a draft pick really. That said he'd certainly be nervously awaiting his first pick of the night. Funny business recruiting. The better you do the worse the picks you get for the years after.