BigFooty Official 2015 Big Footy Phantom Draft (Trial Run)

[Zach Package]

In retrospect Allen may have been a tad high, but my rationale (apart from the fact that I really like him and think he fits really well) was that I thought the the tall depth would fall away pretty quickly but the small depth runs a bit deeper, although some of us are split on it's quality. Funny thing was that it ended up the complete opposite, the 5 I was eyeing for my round 3 selection (all small) went before I could pick and I ended up picking a tall anyway.

All in all I like my haul, Keays will likely start as a forward flanker with a bit of sub potential but I think will develop into a really good inside player to take the Hawks forward along with Shiels, Allen comes with a caveat in that he's not tall enough to chop out in the ruck but probably suits more of a complimentary role, Nyuon could be anything and the Hawks can afford patience, Capiron has senior experience and a skill we all know the hawks really value and Olekalns is very crafty and would get to learn from the very best.

FWIW the player I would have selected if my last pick hadn't been selected for me would have been Bruno Laguda.

 

[Skippos]

In retrospect Allen may have been a tad high, but my rationale (apart from the fact that I really like him and think he fits really well) was that I thought the the tall depth would fall away pretty quickly but the small depth runs a bit deeper, although some of us are split on it's quality. Funny thing was that it ended up the complete opposite, the 5 I was eyeing for my round 3 selection (all small) went before I could pick and I ended up picking a tall anyway.

All in all I like my haul, Keays will likely start as a forward flanker with a bit of sub potential but I think will develop into a really good inside player to take the Hawks forward along with Shiels, Allen comes with a caveat in that he's not tall enough to chop out in the ruck but probably suits more of a complimentary role, Nyuon could be anything and the Hawks can afford patience, Capiron has senior experience and a skill we all know the hawks really value and Olekalns is very crafty and would get to learn from the very best.

FWIW the player I would have selected if my last pick hadn't been selected for me would have been Bruno Laguda.

My issue with Keays being considered an inside player is that he's just not very strong. It's not exposed as much against younger bodies that he's clearly inexperienced against but in the academy games - especially the werribee one it was clear that he didn't have the physicality of the other midfielders in the side and didn't hold up against the bigger bodies. Parish was surprisingly excellent that day in close but Keays was constantly knocked off the ball and battered around, lacking strength over the ball and at times squibbing out of contests.

I just look at that and go he's not an inside midfielder. Lacked any real physicality, just won his own ball when he could outrun/pace his opponent in a less congested situation if i recall correctly. The more I see of him the more I think he's probably more of an outside midfielder/half forward at the next level. And if so, he's neither quick nor lethal by footy; what's his elite trick?

 

[Zach Package]

My issue with Keays being considered an inside player is that he's just not very strong. It's not exposed as much against younger bodies that he's clearly inexperienced against but in the academy games - especially the werribee one it was clear that he didn't have the physicality of the other midfielders in the side and didn't hold up against the bigger bodies. Parish was surprisingly excellent that day in close but Keays was constantly knocked off the ball and battered around, lacking strength over the ball and at times squibbing out of contests.

I just look at that and go he's not an inside midfielder. Lacked any real physicality, just won his own ball when he could outrun/pace his opponent in a less congested situation if i recall correctly. The more I see of him the more I think he's probably more of an outside midfielder/half forward at the next level. And if so, he's neither quick nor lethal by footy; what's his elite trick?

I think I mentioned a lot of this when I picked him, I think he's just well rounded and balanced, even if in Fifa parlance it ends up being a well balanced 80 odd in each skill as opposed to a 90 in each skill.

I used Beams as a comparison, but it'd definitely be an earlier career Beams, I definitely agree that I can't see him being a big, monster clearance midfielder, more a step through traffic type.

 

[Snoop Dog]

I think I mentioned a lot of this when I picked him, I think he's just well rounded and balanced, even if in Fifa parlance it ends up being a well balanced 80 odd in each skill as opposed to a 90 in each skill.

I used Beams as a comparison, but it'd definitely be an earlier career Beams, I definitely agree that I can't see him being a big, monster clearance midfielder, more a step through traffic type.

I dont think he will be a big monster inside but he will win it and be ok in that area. In some ways I see him a bit more like Steele Sidebottom. Good at winning it but really his effectiveness one of the stoppage and using it to advantage is his weapon. He could play that role in AFL environment pretty quickly I would have thought.

 

[bearslover1996]

My issue with Keays being considered an inside player is that he's just not very strong. It's not exposed as much against younger bodies that he's clearly inexperienced against but in the academy games - especially the werribee one it was clear that he didn't have the physicality of the other midfielders in the side and didn't hold up against the bigger bodies. Parish was surprisingly excellent that day in close but Keays was constantly knocked off the ball and battered around, lacking strength over the ball and at times squibbing out of contests.

I just look at that and go he's not an inside midfielder. Lacked any real physicality, just won his own ball when he could outrun/pace his opponent in a less congested situation if i recall correctly. The more I see of him the more I think he's probably more of an outside midfielder/half forward at the next level. And if so, he's neither quick nor lethal by footy; what's his elite trick?

Played more as a winger in those games from memory. Has been playing inside in the NEAFL recently and has been more than capable, especially against the Suns when he was bog (didn't see this game) but against Swans and Aspley he didn't look that out of place on the inside.

 

[Yoda_]

How did always go in those AIS - AFL Academy games against VFL sides earlier in the year?

That may be the best Indication of his ability on the inside

 

[Skippos]

How did always go in those AIS - AFL Academy games against VFL sides earlier in the year?

That may be the best Indication of his ability on the inside

Always?

If you autocorrected from Keays, I mentioned it in the above post. He was very weak.

 

[Yoda_]

Always?

If you autocorrected from Keays, I mentioned it in the above post. He was very weak.

Sorry about that, thought you were referring to NEAFL form?

My apologies bud.

Had a newbie moment and looked at just the above post

 

[God Save Max King]

Truth be told my preparation for this draft, even when considering it was a trial, was poor. Looking back over the list I made a couple of obvious errors in overlooking players (Dunkley, Olekalns are two examples). Overall, I think Freo have a fantastic haul from this draft, well done Chris.

Pick 6: Jacob Hopper
This guy is the perfect modern midfielder. As I've said in the past, I rate him #2 in the draft crop, he's a beast. His inside work and ability to get clearance from stoppages is the standout feature of his game, but like the top midfielders his game nous is insane. He knows how, when, where to attack the contest, he knows where the ruckman will tap and when, he knows how to shake lose the opposition in tight spaces and he knows how to dispose of the football. I've seen him totally dominate games from the engine room. To go with all this he's very, very clean by foot and moves surprisingly well for a big, inside midfielder. His ability to kick goals just seals it for me as the perfect midfield product.

Pick 24: Ben Crocker
In hindsight I would've taken Dunkley. Just a bad decision to overlook him, but I rate Crocker as a solid player at the next level. He has solid athletic traits and offers versatility, which is important in the game today. It might just be the jersey number but I see a bit of Jordy De Goey about him (and I sure did rate Jordy!), but to a lower level.

Pick 42: Nash Holmes
Best available selection. I have a few concerns about Nash, but at Pick 42, in a thin draft, why not? A strong inside ball winner with fair outside ability, I had few problems taking him at this selection. At his height, he'll find it a bit harder to win as much inside ball in the pros.

Pick 60: Matthew Flynn
My second GWS Academy player selected in the draft, I really liked Flynn as BA and as a needs based selection. Strong, mobile, takes marks, kicks goals, he's a great prospect to play a 2nd ruck role in the AFL. He's impressed at NEAFL, TAC and U18 Champs levels (of what I've seen of him), it's his ability to move around the ground which has me really impressed.

Pick 78: David Mennen
Chances are the Saints won't go nearly this far into the draft with just U18s (or U19s), so this was just a player taken to fill the pick. That's not to say he doesn't have some good qualities, he does (I think he has an extra bit of composure about him, for example), but I'd like to see him play a bit more.

 

[BlackGun1]

Always?

If you autocorrected from Keays, I mentioned it in the above post. He was very weak.

He was still in the top 2-3 in disposals from memory. How did he manage to accumulate at that level? YOu mentioned that at state level it was quite easy and thats fair enough but with lack of pace/inside ability how did he still manage to get disposals against those blokes?

 

[BlackGun1]

And by that level I mean AIS.

 

[Chris25]

Quick little summary for Fremantle. Overall, I was pretty happy. Bit of a high risk, high reward draft for me what with the amount of injured players I chose. But I think I got some good value. In terms of needs, I filled a few but as I said I probably would have gone with a key defender at some point had it been the real thing - Dylan Atkins probably being my choice, followed by Jesse Glass-McCasker. I also liked Josh Minogue as a third tall forward. They were my top 3 remaining.

18. Sam Weideman

No brainer here really. Best tall on the board, and a genuine key forward you can build around. It really is a shame he missed through injury, the competition between him and Schache would have been good to watch. Intelligent and athletic, he's a fine prospect and would do well under someone like Pavlich.

36. Brandon White

I was hoping for Sam Skinner to be available here, so White wasn't the first option. I'm sure I could have had him later, but I thought I'd go early because this is where I see him going later in the year. He's a disciplined and versatile defender. With the drop off from Mzungu and Duffield this year, White would be a handy addition to the back half.

54. Aidyn Johnson

Think this was my best value selection, I'll be interested to see where he goes in the real thing. A lot will depend on how he returns in the back half of the year. Because fully fit, he's a top 25 pick for mine. He's fast and natural around goals, two nice traits for a midfielder. A few clubs are circling Hayden Crozier, Johnson would be a good replacement or backup if he's not traded.

72. Liam Jeffs

Getting a bit more speculative, but on a real talent. Another who was hurt a lot by injury, he could have really impressed in a weak Metro side. Shares a lot of traits with some of the other tall midfielders who have come through the draft recently. If he's given a few years to work on his build, he could be a really good midfielder/forward. And who better to learn from than Fyfe?

90. Jock Cornell

As I said when I picked him, this was a best available pick rather than needs. Given this would be a rookie pick come November, I'd be more inclined to go with someone like Dylan Atkins especially as Fremantle have some similar players. But I rate Cornell in the top 50, and didn't want him to miss out. He does a lot of things well and can play anywhere on the ground.

 

[Skippos]

He was still in the top 2-3 in disposals from memory. How did he manage to accumulate at that level? YOu mentioned that at state level it was quite easy and thats fair enough but with lack of pace/inside ability how did he still manage to get disposals against those blokes?

Because Keays doesn't defend like most other kids in the academy (in short, he floats around kick chasing instead of being accountable around the ground) he was regularly in a 'first receive' position in miles of space outside the contest to receive a cheap one. The occasions where he won inside ball he struggled to transition that win into an effective disposal like he did in the champs last year and this year as a result of the extra physical pressure.

 

[foj1]

I like Laguda too his kicking as a small defender will be the question.

In retrospect Allen may have been a tad high, but my rationale (apart from the fact that I really like him and think he fits really well) was that I thought the the tall depth would fall away pretty quickly but the small depth runs a bit deeper, although some of us are split on it's quality. Funny thing was that it ended up the complete opposite, the 5 I was eyeing for my round 3 selection (all small) went before I could pick and I ended up picking a tall anyway.

All in all I like my haul, Keays will likely start as a forward flanker with a bit of sub potential but I think will develop into a really good inside player to take the Hawks forward along with Shiels, Allen comes with a caveat in that he's not tall enough to chop out in the ruck but probably suits more of a complimentary role, Nyuon could be anything and the Hawks can afford patience, Capiron has senior experience and a skill we all know the hawks really value and Olekalns is very crafty and would get to learn from the very best.

FWIW the player I would have selected if my last pick hadn't been selected for me would have been Bruno Laguda.

 

[beowulf]

I do wonder what the North supporters out there think of my selections. I certainly went small.
To summarize briefly:

8. North Melbourne - Luke Partington

26. North Melbourne - Kieran Lovell

44. North Melbourne - Will Snelling

62. North Melbourne - Jack Agostino

80. North Melbourne - Oleg Markov

North's midfield is one of the better ones in the competition, but they don't seem to fire in big matches and they tend to be one paced. They also tend to be on the more experienced side. I thought that they should be thinking about the future more than stealing old timers from other teams. So I thought about how I could improve it.
[1] I went for Partington because he gives North something they have very little of: a pacy, skilful mid. He is a guy I rate highly. He couldn't have done much better for SA and he already plays senior footy.
[2] With pace settled I went for someone who can run all day, get lots of the ball but still has X-Factor about him: Lovell. He wasn't high on the horizons before the Champs. If he isn't now, then the pros are not doing their jobs.
[3] The I brought in a tackling machine to give hardness. Snelling has leadership and hardness written all over him.

After that I wonder about where else North was less than perfect. They have plenty of tall forwards and a few tall defenders. They have a ruckman or 2, but they depend almost exclusively on Goldstein.
Not much to be found there. Giving North an extra tall forward would be redundant and giving them a tall defender when they have been shedding them not a lot better. That doesn't mean their defence can't be improved. But the taller guys are probably 1st round picks. The ruck? Good question. There are not many good young rucks going around and they won't get a lot of senior experience unless Goldstein goes down with a serious injury. And if he does go down, they are screwed.
So I went with a guy who can play on small forwards or mids in Agostino. And I went for a mid forward with X-factor in Markov.

Feel free to disagree, but that was where I was coming from.

 

[BlackGun1]

Because Keays doesn't defend like most other kids in the academy (in short, he floats around kick chasing instead of being accountable around the ground) he was regularly in a 'first receive' position in miles of space outside the contest to receive a cheap one. The occasions where he won inside ball he struggled to transition that win into an effective disposal like he did in the champs last year and this year as a result of the extra physical pressure.

Why do you rate him faily highly then? From what you've posted around the forum and your profile on him it seems like you don't rate him at all.

 

[Skippos]

Why do you rate him faily highly then? From what you've posted around the forum and your profile on him it seems like you don't rate him at all.

I rate him lower than the groupthink. But I still like him; he's a good prospect. He's hyped up as an elite prospect and his deficiencies aren't covered. By now I think most would realise I comment on negatives far more than most on here, so I won't exclude him from that. He's small, he lacks a defensive game, his kicking is average (and overrated) and i believe he's less athletic than people have made him out to be.

I still rate him because, with the right mindset, a defensive game can be learnt. The scope is there to improve his kicking. If he makes the grade, he'll never be a pure athlete but it won't be a deficiency, merely not a strength. And he hits the scoreboard and is smart with how he runs. If he doesn't make it in the middle I think he can be a handy forward, which helps. But no prospect is perfect, commenting on their negatives is just part of proper analysis. Doesn't mean I think they're rubbish. Unless you're Jacob Weitering I'm going to find negatives. Certainly don't think he's gifted on the inside atm, and that's where i seem to differ from the other analysts on here.

 

[LemmingMaster]

This will be interesting come the main phantom draft, but I thought I would look back at the picks I liked and maybe disliked the most from each round. (Other than my picks)

Disliked - Only because I don't have enough information myself to rate them properly.
9. Geelong Cats - Charlie Curnow
11. Adelaide Crows - Ryan Burton

Liked - Personal favourite player of mine in this draft.
16. Sydney Swans -Keiran Collins

Disliked - This round really showed to me the difference in thoughts we all have. I just picked the first name that stood out to me. This guys kicking is interesting and I am worried about his ability at AFL level.
23. Essendon - Callum Moore

Liked - I almost feel alone here with my rating on Clarke. I actually in my own mind have him very high in the rankings. It was one game that mainly stood out but I thought he looked really explosive.
30. Western Bulldogs - Ryan Clarke


Disliked - Just not a huge Wagner fan, in saying that I really liked many of the picks in this round (for where they were taken)
38. Gold Coast Suns - Corey Wagner

Liked - I was so close to picking this kid up, I rate him highly and think this is a very good get.
46. GWS - Bailey Rice

Disliking players passed this point is pointless.

Liked - Thin draft and Brown is a very good chance to get picked up, great selection.
59. Essendon - Mitch Brown

Liked - Late round flyer, certainly worth a punt. There are a number of other names that really have me interested and could go a lot higher.
77. Essendon - Daniel Rioli

 

[BustingPacks]

Any know of any Bendigo Pioneers boys being a chance to go National or Rookie?

 

[getgaff]

Any know of any Bendigo Pioneers boys being a chance to go National or Rookie?

Thomas Cole probabaly the first Bendigo player to go in the draft and IMO would be no later than a second round pick, Aidyn Johnson highly likely to be a later national draft pick and Lachie Tardew as a later national or rookie draft pick as well.

That's three names for you that I've got as "in the mix" to be drafted. Are you involved in the club there or a supporter?

 

[BustingPacks]

Thomas Cole probabaly the first Bendigo player to go in the draft and IMO would be no later than a second round pick, Aidyn Johnson highly likely to be a later national draft pick and Lachie Tardew as a later national or rookie draft pick as well.

That's three names for you that I've got as "in the mix" to be drafted. Are you involved in the club there or a supporter?

Just a supporter from the region who keeps a keen eye on the team.

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

Thomas Cole probabaly the first Bendigo player to go in the draft and IMO would be no later than a second round pick, Aidyn Johnson highly likely to be a later national draft pick and Lachie Tardew as a later national or rookie draft pick as well.

That's three names for you that I've got as "in the mix" to be drafted. Are you involved in the club there or a supporter?

I had Melbourne in the BF Phantom and took Cole at pick 22 - so I saw him as an early second round pick. I can see some fun and games here as who knows what the Academy teams are going to be doing?

 

[Bishop]

Any know of any Bendigo Pioneers boys being a chance to go National or Rookie?

Aidyn Johnson and Tom Cole should go top 30. (Second round)

Tardrew deserves a chance from what I've seen of him, but more likely a rookie at this stage.

 

[getgaff]

Just a supporter from the region who keeps a keen eye on the team.

Good stuff. I don't have a real real in depth knowledge of how TAC Cup zones work so I'm assuming the Pioneers have struggled this year being a team located outside the Melbourne CBD area in comparison to the larger metro clubs?

As an keen observer of the Pioneers do you see any future draft talent in the ranks there and will they look to push higher towards the top 8 next year?

 

[getgaff]

I had Melbourne in the BF Phantom and took Cole at pick 22 - so I saw him as an early second round pick. I can see some fun and games here as who knows what the Academy teams are going to be doing?

22 is about the right bracket for him come draft night I think. I've got him pick 20 to the Suns in my mock draft but is certainly an accumulator of the ball.