spirit of norm smith

Sheezel is definitely the classiest player in the draft pool. He’s creativity and skill make him effective in the midfield and in the forward50. He’ll probably to the Bombers at pick 4.

Yes I agree that he needs a big summer ahead. He tends to fumble under pressure and needs to just concentrate on the right decisions. He’s young and got the tools - strength, pace, agression etc to be very handy - mainly as a rotating half forward/midfielder. I’d definitely get him into the goalkicking groove over the summer. He has plenty of opportunities and needs to hit the scoreboard. At least 20+ goals next year at Approx 1 goal a game is the minimum expectation.

That’s a good sign. We need to keep the Riv. He’s only 20-21 and with 3 solid years behind him. Good pace. Good tackling. Good spoils. Good aggression. Like his long kicking. He gets into trouble when he tries to do too much or go for fancy short passes. He’s very good when he sticks to his regular game plan.

Agreed. GC have Ben King so unlikely to use their pick on Jefferson who’s the same prototype. I can see a draft walkthrough that has Jefferson fall to our MFC13 pick given others in the market appeal perhaps ahead of him.

@MadAsHell That’s an outstanding effort and well identified picks. Hollands would be an outstanding pickup. Hope he or Phillipou are there to chose from. I like the bids - which seem in the right spots. I do think that Dees might bid on Alwyn Davey jnr. I think JT might look for a tall-small combo in his model. If we get Hollands or Hotton as running Mids at 13, then look for perhaps Harry Lemmey as a tall ruck/forward at 37. If we get either Phillipou, Gruzewski, Jefferson or Keeler as tall key forwards at 13, then yes look at Jaxon Binns, Billy Dowling, Harvey Gallagher or Toby McMullin.

Will Ashcroft says “Hi”

can’t we keep him undercover !!!

A solid first year from AMW. Certainly showed an ability to compete and tackling is a strong point. When used forward, he was able to score goals or assist set up scoring opportunities. I agree that he could develop as a small defender in the style of Matty Whelan. Tough, hard,honest and skilled.

A “no” from me. He showed great talent in under 18s with the only knock being “intensity” and defensive side of his game. Poulter is a youngster that looked like he used his natural talents in under age footy to excel and his left foot delivery and range is excellent, but I’m not sure the limitations in his game can meet the demands in AFL. He is still young and will probably go back home and get rookied by Power or Crows or into the SANFL in ‘23.

I’d be definitely happy with MFC picking Phillipou. He would have time to develop and a forward line featuring him and JVR and Kozzzy and Fritta would be very dangerous indeed.

@Demonland thanks. Yes I read off the same data. He kicked 31.10 in his 12 games for Footscray VFL. He still looks like a forward option and hopefully can reignite his career at the Dees.

Agree. It’s clearly a joke. Surely.

I think Phillipou goes at the Hawks pick but if not, it’s unlikely he’d get past the Bulldogs at 12. Yet I think Phillipou really suits our line up and would get good opportunity in the forward50 at the Dees. If either Phillipou or Hollands are available, wow that would be a huge bonus.

I really think he’s worthy of a chance elsewhere. Probably the Lions or Suns should definitely have a think given he’s a Queenslander. His pace and strength and run through the mid/wing is what is needed by clubs. He played good footy late in 2020. Unfortunately he was behind Langdon and Brayshaw and Jordon over the past 2 years. Now with Hunter coming in, Oskar is squeezed out. He was a key part of the AFL squad in 21 and the Casey VFL Premiership this year. Good luck Oskar. Sauce, you are a quality bloke.

Schache is a low cost casino move. We gave up nothing really (future 4th rd) to bring him into the red and the blue. His potential and talent is obvious. It’s getting his heart and his head into the right place. We saw glimpses of him in games v Dees and he can be a real asset as a 2nd key forward or even as a defender. I think his natural game is forward of the Centre and his kicking for goal is generally excellent. He kicked 45 goals in the VFL last year. Whilst he could be the “new Weid/Mitch Brown replacement at Casey”, he could prove to be a very smart acquisition and be part of our success in ‘23. Fingers crossed that Goodie and co can turn him into the player that it was thought he could be.

I am a huge fan of Oliver Hollands. He is a running machine, with the footy IQ and skills to become a very good midfielder. Very impressive in the carnival across as a running midfielder. I think was equal BOG in the under 18s Vic metro v Vic Country game. His win in the combined 2km time trial proved his elite running. Together with Phillipou, Hollands is top 10 material and could be snapped up by JT if he was available.

Son of Ian McMullin - former Pies player

Phillipou would be an amazing pick. He’s got the combination of a midfielder with an agile athletic taller forward type. His marking and ground cover is A grade. Package that with the left foot style and he’d be a great addition. The knockers might say he’s from Adelaide and there’s to go home factor, but it wouldn’t think that would deter JT from picking him if available.

Interesting that pick 37 might drift in and out as the Lions will have to give up points/picks to get Ashcroft and Fletcher. Hopefully Ashcroft gets a bid at 1 or 2 and hopefully Fletcher gets a bid placed on him in the later first round picks. If we look at Midfield runners, here’s 4?excellent youngsters: Jaxon Binns Dandenong Stingrays (outside mid/ elite runner) lasts to pick 37, he’d be the steal of the draft imv. Fantastic year including in national championships. He links and runs and connects with the footy. Harvey Gallagher - captain Bendigo Pioneers - another elite runner. Half back/outside mid . Skills and running power to add more outside run to the midfield Billy Dowling - North Adelaide - impressed in SA V VIC country game. Used the footy with smart iq. Can play wing and also drift forward to score goals. Running power is elite. Toby McMullin - Sandringham Dragons - in the shadow of the elite youngsters, but he’s another young running mid who makes smart decisions and gets to the right places. Melbourne Grammar boy so he’s got some former alumni at the Dees. His 2.88s 20m sprint at combine shows he’s got pace to go with his skills and goalkicking. Would be an excellent pickup. If we look at taller options Harry Lemmey West Adelaide SA - 198cms - excellent skills and good goalkicker. Like namesake Harry Petty, can play key forward or key defender. Tom Macullum - Clarence TAS -193cms - whilst players from Tassie haven’t been too popular on draft night, this kid showed plenty in the Allies game v SA that I saw. Looks like a good contested mark and judgement, but also capable of pace and run. Might just lack a few centimetres for key position.

I like it. Pick 37 looking like a good pedigree.

Thanks DD36. Hollands would be an excellent pick and suit our future midfield needs.

Ditto. Good hands and a good kick. Gruzewski has the foundation of a very good forward. His contested marking is a real asset.

I agree it all moves around. All you can do is have it based on “the day” you go through the process. Will be interested in your thoughts on Harvey Gallagher from the Bendigo pioneers. If we go tall for our pick 13, we might look at a quicker running midfielder type. He was very impressive in the Vic country final game v Vic metro. Standout runner from half back. Whilst he’s an overage player, he had the pace and skills demanded highly in todays game. He went to the state combine and was a top performer across agility and 2km time trial. He’s not an Ashcroft or Hollands, but a very handy late draft pick imv.

Yes would love to convert our current 2x 1st round 2023 picks into a top 5 pick next year. Gotta hope Freo’s bubble bursts next year. Operation Zane Duursma sounds like a plan. Operation Ashton Moir also on the radar. Operation Harley Reid would need a huge war chest imv.

As it stands, my current run sheet looks like 1. Ashcroft BRIS F/s 2.Cadman GWS 3.Tsatas NM 4.Wardlaw NM 5.Sheezel EssFC 6.Humphrey Suns 7.Phillipou Hawks 8.Clark cats 9.Ginbey WC 10.Mackenzie stk 11.Hollands Carl 12.HewittWB 13.Busslinger WC With Ashcroft as a father son pick , our pick “13” becomes 14. - I was really hoping for some trade moves from Freo (as part of their LJ offer) to get a top 5-6 pick (ideally from the Hawks) to get Sheezel or Humphrey but unfortunately not to be. JT might have to weave some magic to utilise 13 and a future 2023 pick. - If I was in the seat and it hadn’t been done, Dees should at “14” look to put in a bid on Jaspa Fletcher (Lions father son). It’d cost Lions and squeeze their picks in the 30s out even more or remove them. (Worst case, Lions refuse … which is very very unlikely … we get a gun running skilled midfielder) - JT might look to address the key forward need (Tmcd & BBB likely have one-two year left) and Schache who is a casino spin. We need a partner for JVR. Likely either Matt Jefferson or Max Gruzewski. Jefferson is like a Max King type. Gruzewski reminds me of a taller forward version of Col Sylvia (maybe it’s the kicking style). I’d take the punt on Gruzewski if I had the choice. He just looks AFL capable in the way he is able to take contested marks and his kicking looks smoothe. Showed his values in helping Lewis Hayes finish the time trial. Harry Lemmey is perhaps the other big youngster that I was impressed with at the championships for SA. He might slide to 37 but I doubt it given clubs desire to tall ruck/forward options. - I am a huge fan of Oliver Hollands. He is a running machine, with the footy IQ and skills to become a very good midfielder. Very impressive in the carnival and I think was equal BOG in the under 18s Vic metro v Vic Country game. His win in the 2km time trial proved his elite running. I can live in hope that he’d fall to MFC but I have the Blues picking him ahead of us. - Jaxon Binns is another that I see real AFL quality in. Local boy with the Stingrays, he reminds me of Rory Sloane in his under 18s year. He just runs and gets the link play across half back to wing to half forward. Skills are good. Played some excellent footy in the championships and very impressed with his game v Vic metro. His 2km time trial at the combine showed his elite running ability , and he tested elite for agility. Others have him in the 30s-40s but I’d happily pick him as a bolter at 14. - Wildcards: Brayden George and Sam Gilbey. Both were injured and unavailable for majority of 2022. George had a great start to 2022 as a goalkicking half forward before injury. Gilbey has been forgotten but showed enough in 2021 with his skills and ball winning, before his illness and injuries in 2022. Ed Allan is another back from injury. Tested well at the combine. Anyone who wins the 20metre sprint has to be considered strongly . Back from injury, had a great finish in the WAFL colts for Claremont.