Dee-licious

As a positive, there were a lot of injuries in that squad, so hopefully there are a lot of guys who are going to take those top 20 spots. He is also a project, so they tend to fall. And bar Jackson and Naitanui, ruckman really arent taken high. It is feeling touch and go now and there is a lot of season left.

Knightmatre’s review of Mac in the game Mac Andrew won fans with his final quarter performance for the AFL Academy. With his getting pummelled, Andrews not only continued competing, but dominated once inserted into the ruck during the final quarter. His leap, ruck craft and soft hands stood out and screamed long-term AFL ruckman, and he routinely outleapt his Geelong rivals and tapped the ball down to the advantage of his midfielders. His touch below his knees and tackling suggested further promise. A Melbourne Next-Generation Academy prospect, Andrew at 200cm, 77kg will require time developing. As he develops physically, because of his mobility, skills, clean hands below his knees, and reading of the ball in flight and contested marking, he has the scope to develop as a key forward or key defender before transitioning into a ruckman. The developing tall managed nine disposals, three marks (one contested), two clearances and five hitouts. If Andrew continues developing and attracts a bid inside the top-20 in this year's draft, Melbourne may be the first victim of the new Next-Generation Academy rules which state that those bid on inside the top-20 cannot have their bid matched.

Farmer kicked 3 in the Colts last weekend with 16 touches.... DeClase 25 and 18 and a goal. Raak seems to be an overager? And yes Freeman is the other really interesting one. Clearly talented enough, it was always about his body. I wonder if someone takes the punt and see if he can still make it?

Very interesting. Spargs had to be loving life. It kind of reminds you how very few games we’ve won in the past decade. Even Trac and Brayshaw aren’t on positive terms.

He had a really good game which is when the articles were written and then has been good but not setting the world on fire. Interesting to see what happens with the championships, because he'd be a few down the line for the ruck spot for Vic Metro, but those in front of him are 19 and should be taken mid year.

Yes we have traded our first round pick, but Taj Woewodin (mid) is averaging 20 disposals captaining East Fremantle and featuring in the best. Not first round material by all reports, but sounds like a good chance to be drafted. Mac Andrew (forward / ruck) is going alright for Dandenong Stingrays and is still out of top 20 conversations. If he gets bid on out of the top 20, he is ours. And then we have (worst case) pick 11/12 in the mid-season draft if there are any 19 year olds running around that we like to look of. I'm not too worried about not having a first rounder (as long as we make finals...) this year due to a legit NGA, father-son and mid-season draft pick.

North Melbourne have a review up on their website. Nothing about our players though.

From facebook (his name is Trevor): After getting out ti about a 28 point lead, NM came back and Casey in front by 11 at 3/4 time. 9.8.62 to 8.3.51. No Petty after half time. Melks, Daw and Rosman amongst the goal kickers that qtr. Hibbert solid in defence. Melksham continued to get plenty if the ball as well as Vanders. Pretty slippery so lots of skill errors. Final score 12.9.81 to 11.7.73. Goals to Rosman , Daw and Bedford that qtr. I think Risman kicked 3 fir the game and impressed

It smells to me like we aren’t happy with our wing options. That Baker and Harmes didn’t do what we needed and Rodman isn’t there yet. See how this bloke goes, no harm no foul.

Positives are far and few between, but they are good ones. Bowey has maybe had 15 already? And only one (around his body) has been ineffective. Laurie also very composed. They are both really good footballers. They know where to go and they hit targets. Rosman is not quite there yet. His skills and what he does it good but the natural footy sense isnt there yet. Petty is outstanding in the backline - only him and Bowey back there doing anything. lots of intercepts. Farmer would look better in a good team, he's going ok. Bedford doing Bedford things - a lot of chasing. Bradke going ok. Browne is cited, but not doing a lot? Neitchke was very good before going off in the second quarter.

Nothing at all. Even the full draftee list on the Herald Sun doesn't have heights.

I am a big fan of Spargo, but the side step and the agility that Laurie has is better than Spargo's. Which is fine, Spargo has a lot of other talents as well. In terms of heigh - 179 and 175cm. If we compare that to Richmond: 179: Rioli, Stack 178: Lambert, Short 177: Arts 175: Bolton, Prestia 173: Baker I was shocked to begin with, but the more I've watched, read, and thought about it, I think the boys will be ok. We do have the tall boys to help them out. I do share your excitement for Rosman though - what an interesting prospect.

Very true. Played HB and wing in his underage year and was setting himself for more midfield time in 2020. Laurie was forward and wing but setting himself to go into the middle in 2020 with no Rowell and Anderson for Oakleigh. So it’s really hard to know how good they are in a range of positions for us. But there is a half back, wing, and forward position there if they want it.

A nice read: https://afl.draftcentral.com.au/2020/05/27/marquee-matchups-joshua-clarke-vs-bailey-laurie/ Other thing that I keep reading about Laurie is that he set himself to play finals in a really hard team to crack last year (Oakleigh with Rowell and Anderson) and got there and had an impact. Ended up as one of the best on ground in the grand final and it was his best game all year. Clearly an upward trajectory and works hard.

This is really worth a read: https://afl.draftcentral.com.au/2020/06/02/marquee-matchups-jake-bowey-vs-errol-gulden/ The more I am reading about Jake, the more I am realising, sheesh I know why he went round 1. NAB league in 2019, he was one of the reasons the Dragons made it so deep into the comp. Named in the best across the Dragons' year, including in the finals. Named in the best in the Futures game as well in 2019. And the thing I keep reading is that he is a winger, not a forward. Maybe Taylor does know a thing or two.

Maybe he will get an invitation to train (as he seems to already have one) and he can try and make the list as we can add 2 players to it now at any time as we have the spots open. I think that a few clubs will have 3-4 guys training at the start of the season to see if they can make the list. Not a bad way to do it if you have a group of guys that are speculative. Or maybe he is going to uni in Melbourne next year and looking to play for Casey.

Cal really needs to get closer to the Melbourne team as he always seems to be guessing what we are doing, and he gets much better mail from other clubs :p All seriousness, picking the draft looks like a dart board right now. I've read up all the bios, there are plenty of players that suit our mix at the picks we have and any combination will be great and a good addition to the team. I know that we are keen to trade out our second rounder, but I'd love to see us take the 3 best kids we can and see what happens.

As he is a father son my understanding is that he can only be a rookie listed if no one places a bid. Looking like rookie at best at this point. which is not bad - see what he can do in the system.

Where we stand: 35 players on the senior list (max 38) 3 on the Rookie A list (maximum 6) 1 on the Rookie B list (max 2) We can have up to 44 players, we have 39, so 5 spots open - 3 senior list (3 draft picks?), and then 2 rookies. But we can just take one player in the draft and then we have hit our minimum number. The minimum list size for each club will be 37, which can be made up by as little as 36 senior listed players and one rookie. To reach 44, clubs can carry 36-38 senior listed players, four-to-six Category A rookies and two Category B rookies.

Thing I'm learning from the NBA draft - no one knows who is taking who and top 5 picks are ending up at 12, guys outside the top 20 in some boards inside the top 10. And the NBA has way more vision and way more scrutiny then we do. Good luck anyone doing a phantom this year...

We have pick 50 and 89 as well. This year you can as many picks as you want into the draft and only use one of them if wanted (NGA stuff) all because of list sizes, weird year, etc. So you'll see some teams take 7 picks into the draft but only use 3. It is an interactive set up so there is no way that I'll be able to post them all. If there are a couple that you want though I can post them up.

Herald Sun have a nice little piece on the top 60 draftees. AFL are only expecting around 50 picks to be taken this year (as per AFL website) https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-draft-2020-dossier-interactive-profiles-stats-and-draft-range-on-all-the-top-prospects-from-around-the-country/news-story/b6eff3e0139aed53c9867837030577cb What I noticed looking at these, then with Twoomey, Knightmare, AFL Draft Central is a lot of discrepancy between picks 8-25. The more and more I read, the more and more I agree with Mahnoey's decision to have 3 picks in the top 28 and see what shakes out. As we are only taking 3 picks to the draft (AFL website), I can see a case for using 19, 28 + 50 (equal to pick 5/6) to move up, but I don't know who takes it. Collingwood have 14 and 16 and I dont think that Reef will be taken before then, and they'd be happy to sacrifice points on their pick next year. Maybe just maybe they'd be keep to swap out 16 on the night if they are confident Rich and Melb wont bid on Reef and then they get the extra points they need. But it is a long shot. Essendon have Brand who is mid-20s pick and they dont have the points for him, but I cannot see them parting with pick 8 for 19, 28 + 50 though. Which gets me to why I dont think it matters. Tall wingers / half back flankers / guys who can deliver a ball, come on down - Perkins, Henry, McCrae, Cook, O'Driscoll, Poulter, Carroll, you could even throw Chapman in there as well (all picks 10-30). Laurie is a small forward with an elite kick, Winder and Ford could be drafted into our forward line (25+). It just feels like this is one of those drafts that people will look back at and ask how recruiters got it so wrong. So lets back Taylor and see how it all shakes out in a few years.

I personally love Eddie Ford’s highlights. Tackles like a beast and jumps a mile high. I know he isn’t going to be taken early - but I’d love to see him make it.

I think it was Mahoney which said that due to the lack of exposure of players this year, players that we rate at 7 might still be there at 18, 19 because what we saw at age 16 can be very different than others. Cal Twoomey joked he isn’t going to do a phantom because he has no idea who will pick who and who are the top performers. great point about Oliver and Bont on trade radio. If they were in this year, they wouldn’t have been first rounders because they used their final year to press their claims as top picks. my guess is that Taylor believes that he has a couple of guys that he thinks will be there around 20 and two top 20 picks is nothing to scoff at. 2021 draft is being talked up as deep because they are expecting a heap of players not to be picked up, come back as 19 year olds and show they are Afl standard. I’d be keeping that mid season draft pick ready to go as that will be ‘good’ next year. at the end of the day, who knows. There are going to be players that no one thought of in the top 20 this year and those who we though would be drafted won’t be. I’d be waiting till round 1 to see how it all shakes out. It’s not going to be an easy year to draft.

Just checked the NGA / Father sons. There probably arent that many in the top 20 that will be NGA father sons - maybe 5? So there arent a lot of people that we can trade with to get up the order. It is really only Dogs, unless someone wants to move back. Mahoney said that there is likely to be people that different clubs rate because of the weird year that end up dropping a little lower - so plenty of options for us on the board.