List Mgmt. 2016 AFL Draft

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Quigley also has our man Banfield rated at 47 - Monocle AsterixTheGaul Godfather32

Still think he'd be a canny pickup with one of our late picks

47. Bailey Banfield

Banfield was not overly noticeable at the Champs but was one of those guys who took what he learnt from the Champs and improved week on week in the second half of the year. He was always a big ball winner in the Colts but it was encouraging that he was able to bring similar ball winning ability to the Reserves when he got the chance. He played a couple of WAFL games at the end of the year and debuted with a 26 possession game at the top level. He went back to the Colts for the finals and was part of Claremont's premiership team. In the Grand Final he had a significant influence on the result with his hard running and his 32 disposals and 6 tackles.

From all reports Banfield is a very professional young guy who is meticulous in his approach to preparing for games and improving in general. His kicking remains something which needs work but he has shown improvement on the year and there is no reason to suggest that will not continue. It is interesting to look at his kicking efficiency percentages over the year. As he progressed through the WAFL levels he improved his kicking efficiency at each jump up in class. Usually with less time, a player’s kicking comes under more pressure and their efficiency goes down. It is the opposite with Banfield and a testament to the work he has put in. He is a left footer and most of his issues I think are to do with a tendency to just pump it long indiscriminantly rather than taking an extra second to look for a target. This is pretty common when a guy is used to playing with less skilled players and field position is important. I think drills in an elite environment will go a long way to getting that out of his game.

Banfield has the build most teams are looking for in a mid, standing 189cm tall and weighing a toned 84kgs. He was not invited to the National Combine instead tested at the State Combine where he had some very impressive results. His vertical jump would have placed him second in the Combine and his running left foot jump in the top 5. His 24.88 would also have put him in the top 5 in the repeat sprint and his 8.30 in the agility test would have put him just outside of the top 10. His 20m sprint time of 2.96 was also pretty good. With guys doing all of their testing on the one day the State Combine participants often suffer in the beep test and return lower scores than those at the Combine and so his 12.9 time was less of a concern for me than it would have been if he had done it at the Combine. I would equate that to about a 13.5 all things being equal. Overall Banfield tested very impressively and combined with his size he is a very interesting package.

Banfield is an inside out mid who wins a high percentage of contested ball. As he improves his tank I would like to see him work harder on the spread and get to space a bit more. Even when he is working on the outside he has guys in close proximity too much for my liking. On the inside Banfield moves through traffic well and he manages to get his hands on the ball a lot. He could be a bit quicker to get it away and he does tend to get scragged a bit. He keeps his arms free in tackles nicely but he is going to get done a lot for holding the ball early in his AFL career as he learns to adjust. It is much the same on the outside where he cruises a bit and moves east west looking for what to do with the ball rather than having the pedal to the floor and going north south whilst he assesses what is on offer. He has the pace he just needs to learn to work at a high cruising speed and attack a defence a bit more.

Defensively Banfield works pretty hard and gets up and down the park better than a lot of mids in this draft. He is also a willing tackler and even if he is not impacting the game in other ways he mucks in and tackles.

Overall I would have no trouble taking a punt on a big possession winning, good athlete who has a good attitude and shown really nice development over the year and I think there will be a couple of teams out there that would agree with me.
 
wraglesweb said:
Most likely a rookie selection then ?
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Nope, he will go top 20 because of his leadership and athletic attributes. Tall, high endurance, good mark, so has a lot to work with. I hope he excels, but I don't rate him super highly based on his 2016.

Nipped over to the draft board and had a look at some of the opinions, Quigley seems to have a similar view and Knightmare rates him 29 on his rankings.

I will admit, the only TAC footy I see is casually, since I live just near where the Oakleigh Chargers play and exercise where they train. Plus a few of my uni mates and the subbys at work played/play TAC and VFL. Not as much as some so called draft experts, but more than most and some good footy chatter.

14. Jarrod Berry

There were a few bottom agers from last year who were really expected to kick on this year, who disappointed a bit this year. Berry would be one who would fall into that category for most I would suggest. He is still likely to be taken in the teens, so he has not fallen too far, but he is not seen as the can't miss prospect he was at this stage last year. A big selling feature for him has always been his character and that continues to be the case despite having a less than ideal year. He was the Vic Country captain and won the medal at the AFL Academy for the player who best epitomised the academy ideals. Character is valued higher than ever in the AFL at the moment and that helps Berry get picked higher than guys who had comparable seasons.

Berry had a shoulder reconstruction after last season and had an interrupted preseason as a result. He also had some issues with the shoulder over the year and that would concern teams as shoulders never get back to the way they were and it could affect his marking ability. Take Fyfe as an example of a guy who is an excellent mark but the shoulder issues just keep reoccurring. That could easily happen with Berry. Interestingly, Berry looked lighter to me this year than last year. Last year Berry looked a very developed bottom ager with some nice muscle bulk. This year he looked more slight and not as cut as he was last year. Despite his slight build I thought he showed some nice strength through the hips but it might have been that his shoulder injury has affected the amount of time he has spent in the gym.

The other concern for me is probably the lack of disposals he managed this year. He was mostly on the defensive flank but he did move around a fair bit in the TAC this year, spending time not only at the back but also through the midfield and some time up forward. In the TAC he only managed 16.8 disposals a game which is a bit low for a running flanker type. He seems smart enough and has the endurance to run his opponent into the ground but he did not seem to be getting to space enough. I am not sure exactly what was going on but the lack of production is a bit of a flag for me.

One area where Berry did improve quite a bit this year was with his kicking. I had serious concerns about his disposal skills last year but this year he looked much more solid. He seems to have cleaned up his kicking style, with less of an around the corner style and he has wound back the risk level on his kicks. When I have seen him this year he has taken the safer options most often and hit them. The touch on his kicks seems a lot better this year as well. Although I don't put a lot of store in the skills testing at the Combine it is worth noting he was in the top 15% in both the kicking and clean hands test. The goal kicking was a different story though where he was in the bottom 5%.

Overall Berry had a very good Combine with no real weaknesses being highlighted. He won the 3km with 9.46, a personal best, and was equal first in the beep test with 15.1. He was also in the top 10 in the agility test and the repeat sprint. His 20m was nothing to write home about at 3.01 but it was not a weakness by any means. He probably performed poorest in the jumps where he was average or below in each of the tests. Taken as a whole though, Berry demonstrated that he is a very impressive athletic package.

I see Berry as a back flanker at AFL level and I think he should do pretty well. Defensively he is quite good and does a job well. He has been a very good intercept marker and if that is not affected by his shoulder problems he could be a nice option as a loose option at the back. He does need to make better use of his run though. If I was asked for a comparison I would probably go with Nick Haynes of GWS.
 

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Keyser Soze said:
Quigley also has our man Banfield rated at 47 - Monocle AsterixTheGaul Godfather32

Still think he'd be a canny pickup with one of our late picks

47. Bailey Banfield

Banfield was not overly noticeable at the Champs but was one of those guys who took what he learnt from the Champs and improved week on week in the second half of the year. He was always a big ball winner in the Colts but it was encouraging that he was able to bring similar ball winning ability to the Reserves when he got the chance. He played a couple of WAFL games at the end of the year and debuted with a 26 possession game at the top level. He went back to the Colts for the finals and was part of Claremont's premiership team. In the Grand Final he had a significant influence on the result with his hard running and his 32 disposals and 6 tackles.

From all reports Banfield is a very professional young guy who is meticulous in his approach to preparing for games and improving in general. His kicking remains something which needs work but he has shown improvement on the year and there is no reason to suggest that will not continue. It is interesting to look at his kicking efficiency percentages over the year. As he progressed through the WAFL levels he improved his kicking efficiency at each jump up in class. Usually with less time, a player’s kicking comes under more pressure and their efficiency goes down. It is the opposite with Banfield and a testament to the work he has put in. He is a left footer and most of his issues I think are to do with a tendency to just pump it long indiscriminantly rather than taking an extra second to look for a target. This is pretty common when a guy is used to playing with less skilled players and field position is important. I think drills in an elite environment will go a long way to getting that out of his game.

Banfield has the build most teams are looking for in a mid, standing 189cm tall and weighing a toned 84kgs. He was not invited to the National Combine instead tested at the State Combine where he had some very impressive results. His vertical jump would have placed him second in the Combine and his running left foot jump in the top 5. His 24.88 would also have put him in the top 5 in the repeat sprint and his 8.30 in the agility test would have put him just outside of the top 10. His 20m sprint time of 2.96 was also pretty good. With guys doing all of their testing on the one day the State Combine participants often suffer in the beep test and return lower scores than those at the Combine and so his 12.9 time was less of a concern for me than it would have been if he had done it at the Combine. I would equate that to about a 13.5 all things being equal. Overall Banfield tested very impressively and combined with his size he is a very interesting package.

Banfield is an inside out mid who wins a high percentage of contested ball. As he improves his tank I would like to see him work harder on the spread and get to space a bit more. Even when he is working on the outside he has guys in close proximity too much for my liking. On the inside Banfield moves through traffic well and he manages to get his hands on the ball a lot. He could be a bit quicker to get it away and he does tend to get scragged a bit. He keeps his arms free in tackles nicely but he is going to get done a lot for holding the ball early in his AFL career as he learns to adjust. It is much the same on the outside where he cruises a bit and moves east west looking for what to do with the ball rather than having the pedal to the floor and going north south whilst he assesses what is on offer. He has the pace he just needs to learn to work at a high cruising speed and attack a defence a bit more.

Defensively Banfield works pretty hard and gets up and down the park better than a lot of mids in this draft. He is also a willing tackler and even if he is not impacting the game in other ways he mucks in and tackles.

Overall I would have no trouble taking a punt on a big possession winning, good athlete who has a good attitude and shown really nice development over the year and I think there will be a couple of teams out there that would agree with me.
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I hope we get banfield late in the draft/rookie

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TOA. said:
I dont think there is any doubt that Berry wasnt great in 2016. The question is whether this year was an abnormality due to injury etc
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Look, he could end up great, I just don't see him as filling a need and there are some genuine concerns.

12-15 is a good position as there may be a few genuine sliders, however the block of players rated 15+ to 30 odd are pretty even. Lots of good flankers and midfielders, however there are going to be queries on a few of them.

My ideal is Taranto, but he could be top 5.

Next Brodie, SPS or Scrimshaw, but all maybe gone by 10.

Logue will go just before our pick, but would be fantastic.

Then a group which is more likely including SPP, Simpkin, Venebles, Gallucci and Florent who are all reasonable pickups. Worth bidding on Perryman or Scheer.

Bolton would be good with a second but won't last.

There are a few I would rather us not take, but hope they succeed. Heaps of good WA players and at our second round if lucky maybe Fisher, Bolton or Rotham may be still in the draft.
 
Keyser Soze said:
Quigley also has our man Banfield rated at 47 - Monocle AsterixTheGaul Godfather32

Still think he'd be a canny pickup with one of our late picks

47. Bailey Banfield

Banfield was not overly noticeable at the Champs but was one of those guys who took what he learnt from the Champs and improved week on week in the second half of the year. He was always a big ball winner in the Colts but it was encouraging that he was able to bring similar ball winning ability to the Reserves when he got the chance. He played a couple of WAFL games at the end of the year and debuted with a 26 possession game at the top level. He went back to the Colts for the finals and was part of Claremont's premiership team. In the Grand Final he had a significant influence on the result with his hard running and his 32 disposals and 6 tackles.

From all reports Banfield is a very professional young guy who is meticulous in his approach to preparing for games and improving in general. His kicking remains something which needs work but he has shown improvement on the year and there is no reason to suggest that will not continue. It is interesting to look at his kicking efficiency percentages over the year. As he progressed through the WAFL levels he improved his kicking efficiency at each jump up in class. Usually with less time, a player’s kicking comes under more pressure and their efficiency goes down. It is the opposite with Banfield and a testament to the work he has put in. He is a left footer and most of his issues I think are to do with a tendency to just pump it long indiscriminantly rather than taking an extra second to look for a target. This is pretty common when a guy is used to playing with less skilled players and field position is important. I think drills in an elite environment will go a long way to getting that out of his game.

Banfield has the build most teams are looking for in a mid, standing 189cm tall and weighing a toned 84kgs. He was not invited to the National Combine instead tested at the State Combine where he had some very impressive results. His vertical jump would have placed him second in the Combine and his running left foot jump in the top 5. His 24.88 would also have put him in the top 5 in the repeat sprint and his 8.30 in the agility test would have put him just outside of the top 10. His 20m sprint time of 2.96 was also pretty good. With guys doing all of their testing on the one day the State Combine participants often suffer in the beep test and return lower scores than those at the Combine and so his 12.9 time was less of a concern for me than it would have been if he had done it at the Combine. I would equate that to about a 13.5 all things being equal. Overall Banfield tested very impressively and combined with his size he is a very interesting package.

Banfield is an inside out mid who wins a high percentage of contested ball. As he improves his tank I would like to see him work harder on the spread and get to space a bit more. Even when he is working on the outside he has guys in close proximity too much for my liking. On the inside Banfield moves through traffic well and he manages to get his hands on the ball a lot. He could be a bit quicker to get it away and he does tend to get scragged a bit. He keeps his arms free in tackles nicely but he is going to get done a lot for holding the ball early in his AFL career as he learns to adjust. It is much the same on the outside where he cruises a bit and moves east west looking for what to do with the ball rather than having the pedal to the floor and going north south whilst he assesses what is on offer. He has the pace he just needs to learn to work at a high cruising speed and attack a defence a bit more.

Defensively Banfield works pretty hard and gets up and down the park better than a lot of mids in this draft. He is also a willing tackler and even if he is not impacting the game in other ways he mucks in and tackles.

Overall I would have no trouble taking a punt on a big possession winning, good athlete who has a good attitude and shown really nice development over the year and I think there will be a couple of teams out there that would agree with me.
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So many good WA kids in this draft, I know in the past we've always complained about being too WAcentric with our drafting but this is one year where I wouldn't mind us going all WA with our picks. I also really wish we'd found a way to load up on second and third round picks.
 
mattyc75 said:
Anyone know if there is any truth to the Rumours that Bolton wants to stay in wa

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Not sure how much credibility to the rumour but I have heard it from 3 sources. If that is truly the case, he may be a slider and available at our 2nd pick (yes ladies and gentlemen, the pick just before the Lavenders).

#readytopounceat34
 
I look forward to Quigley's phantom draft as he comes from a different perspective and has good insights into draft prospects. As Molly said, do yourself a favour and have a read.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/quigleys-2016-draft-rankings.1152444/

Interesting to note he has SPS at 1, SPP at 11 and English at 27

Here is the start of his English write up (and yes it is not a quick shallow read)

27. Tim English

Call me old fashioned but I actually like my rucks to actually be able to ruck. Its great if they might qualify to be a C grade midfielder like English does but ultimately you want to the win the taps and English is poor in that aspect of the game. He is overaged and weak in the body and often does not even compete in the ruck contest. I usually rate rucks ahead of most people, including the AFL recruitment community, but I just am not onboard with English.
 
AsterixTheGaul said:
hey DivideandMultiply - you have some really strong views on some of the prospects. To help me understand where you are coming from, did you get so see many live matches? Did you get to see Simpkin prior to breaking his leg this year or going on 2015?
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Not that strong.

Without being too specific, I regularly see TAC and junior matches and training, simply due to proximity and using the same oval(s). I don't get out a clipboard and binoculars etc. though. The team I get to see train and play most regularly is the Chargers.

I also work occasionally with a potential draftee, another hopeful who played 15/16 TAC and country footy and a few uni friends play VFL/played TAC. So get a bit of feedback on some of the players.

I am not a serious draftee watcher by any stretch, and if I can be bothered next season will actually take the time to head to IKON Park and watch some of the finals games.

Honestly, there is nothing for you to understand. People form opinions from what they see live, recorded or others opinions. I simply don't understand the need for consensus thinking and why posters need rally and defend their favorites.

Every draft it happens, when I wanted Sheed or Duggan I couldn't believe how upset groups of posters got, who were in say team Acres or team Cockatoo etc. My broad view is that smarts and output are underrated, height and athleticism are overrated. People project what they want players to be, onto what they are, though thankfully the potential or upside buzzwords aren't used as often in 16. The dependable players, or high output mids, even developed ones regularly exceed expectations and often become the best players from a draft, yet they still get talked down in favour of the draftees with scope. Greene, Talia, Mitchell, Libba, Daniels, Lever, Sheed and so on are all good examples. Output plus footy smarts, winning combination and these guys tend to outperform hype. It is why I am so surprised Brodie has been talked about as a slider and why I am less keen on speculative talls or say Berry, who has the athletic side and is tough, but isn't the smartest or has a demonstrated high level output. If you can't win big numbers at TAC level, or have some standout games, it's rare to see a player be a ball winner in the AFL or match winner.
 
DivideandMultiply said:
Honestly, there is nothing for you to understand. People form opinions from what they see live, recorded or others opinions. I simply don't understand the need for consensus thinking and why posters need rally and defend their favorites.

Every draft it happens, when I wanted Sheed or Duggan I couldn't believe how upset groups of posters got, who were in say team Acres or team Cockatoo etc. My broad view is that smarts and output are underrated, height and athleticism are overrated. People project what they want players to be, onto what they are, though thankfully the potential or upside buzzwords aren't used as often in 16. The dependable players, or high output mids, even developed ones regularly exceed expectations and often become the best players from a draft, yet they still get talked down in favour of the draftees with scope. Greene, Talia, Mitchell, Libba, Daniels, Lever, Sheed and so on are all good examples. Output plus footy smarts, winning combination and these guys tend to outperform hype. It is why I am so surprised Brodie has been talked about as a slider and why I am less keen on speculative talls or say Berry, who has the athletic side and is tough, but isn't the smartest or has a demonstrated high level output. If you can't win big numbers at TAC level, or have some standout games, it's rare to see a player be a ball winner in the AFL or match winner.
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I can't say that I've necessarily agreed with everything you've posted today but this post makes a lot sense and couldn't agree more.
Well put.
 
AsterixTheGaul said:
I look forward to Quigley's phantom draft as he comes from a different perspective and has good insights into draft prospects. As Molly said, do yourself a favour and have a read.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/quigleys-2016-draft-rankings.1152444/

Interesting to note he has SPS at 1, SPP at 11 and English at 27

Here is the start of his English write up (and yes it is not a quick shallow read)

27. Tim English

Call me old fashioned but I actually like my rucks to actually be able to ruck. Its great if they might qualify to be a C grade midfielder like English does but ultimately you want to the win the taps and English is poor in that aspect of the game. He is overaged and weak in the body and often does not even compete in the ruck contest. I usually rate rucks ahead of most people, including the AFL recruitment community, but I just am not onboard with English.
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I expect us to draft him now
 

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DivideandMultiply said:
Not that strong.

Without being too specific, I regularly see TAC and junior matches and training, simply due to proximity and using the same oval(s). I don't get out a clipboard and binoculars etc. though. The team I get to see train and play most regularly is the Chargers.

I also work occasionally with a potential draftee, another hopeful who played 15/16 TAC and country footy and a few uni friends play VFL/played TAC. So get a bit of feedback on some of the players.

I am not a serious draftee watcher by any stretch, and if I can be bothered next season will actually take the time to head to IKON Park and watch some of the finals games.

Honestly, there is nothing for you to understand. People form opinions from what they see live, recorded or others opinions. I simply don't understand the need for consensus thinking and why posters need rally and defend their favorites.

Every draft it happens, when I wanted Sheed or Duggan I couldn't believe how upset groups of posters got, who were in say team Acres or team Cockatoo etc. My broad view is that smarts and output are underrated, height and athleticism are overrated. People project what they want players to be, onto what they are, though thankfully the potential or upside buzzwords aren't used as often in 16. The dependable players, or high output mids, even developed ones regularly exceed expectations and often become the best players from a draft, yet they still get talked down in favour of the draftees with scope. Greene, Talia, Mitchell, Libba, Daniels, Lever, Sheed and so on are all good examples. Output plus footy smarts, winning combination and these guys tend to outperform hype. It is why I am so surprised Brodie has been talked about as a slider and why I am less keen on speculative talls or say Berry, who has the athletic side and is tough, but isn't the smartest or has a demonstrated high level output. If you can't win big numbers at TAC level, or have some standout games, it's rare to see a player be a ball winner in the AFL or match winner.
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What's wrong with Acres or Cockatoo ?
 
DivideandMultiply said:
Low production, poor kick, lack of dominant or even good games, not an impact player, underutilises his athleticism and isn't a mid.

He is tallish, has a solid athletic base, and is a good guy/leader. Athlete>footballer without anything standout.
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But every expert rates him higher than SPP except for WA BigFooty posters who are in love with SPP?

Hey, I'm on th SPP train as well but I've still got two eyes open and are taking in what the experts are pretty well all saying. They could be wrong and they have been but they all rate about six players ahead of SPP........which isn't a lot really.

Our pick is actually quite a tricky spot, around that area there is always someone who was rated higher and has slid for whatever reason. And on here people are hoping we 'reach' 6>12 picks and take SPP. Then again what pick did Fyfe get taken?
 
DivideandMultiply said:
Not that strong.

Without being too specific, I regularly see TAC and junior matches and training, simply due to proximity and using the same oval(s). I don't get out a clipboard and binoculars etc. though. The team I get to see train and play most regularly is the Chargers.

I also work occasionally with a potential draftee, another hopeful who played 15/16 TAC and country footy and a few uni friends play VFL/played TAC. So get a bit of feedback on some of the players.

I am not a serious draftee watcher by any stretch, and if I can be bothered next season will actually take the time to head to IKON Park and watch some of the finals games.

Honestly, there is nothing for you to understand. People form opinions from what they see live, recorded or others opinions. I simply don't understand the need for consensus thinking and why posters need rally and defend their favorites.

Every draft it happens, when I wanted Sheed or Duggan I couldn't believe how upset groups of posters got, who were in say team Acres or team Cockatoo etc. My broad view is that smarts and output are underrated, height and athleticism are overrated. People project what they want players to be, onto what they are, though thankfully the potential or upside buzzwords aren't used as often in 16. The dependable players, or high output mids, even developed ones regularly exceed expectations and often become the best players from a draft, yet they still get talked down in favour of the draftees with scope. Greene, Talia, Mitchell, Libba, Daniels, Lever, Sheed and so on are all good examples. Output plus footy smarts, winning combination and these guys tend to outperform hype. It is why I am so surprised Brodie has been talked about as a slider and why I am less keen on speculative talls or say Berry, who has the athletic side and is tough, but isn't the smartest or has a demonstrated high level output. If you can't win big numbers at TAC level, or have some standout games, it's rare to see a player be a ball winner in the AFL or match winner.
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I think everyone would be happy if Brodie slid to our pick..........

You don't need to have big TAC cup numbers to make it in AFL

Nor does big numbers in the TAC cup guarantee them to become dominant at AFL level

Seriously a bit of backwards thinking AFL recruiters don't look at what a player is now more on what they can become

Bontempelli is a perfect example his u18 champs were poor etc etc
 
Keyser Soze said:
This is Quigleys assessment of SPP who has him ranked as the 11th best player in the draft. It's a fair description imo. I'll level it for others to decide for themselves of the merits of where he's been ranked

11. Sam Powell-Pepper

SPP was widely considered to be a top 10 pick at the start of the year but has fallen away for most people since that time. I am keeping the faith though albeit I have him just outside the top 10 here. SPP is the kind of superior power athlete that is made for the AFL and I see him as a Tom Bell type who can actually kick the ball (I acknowledge that some will be sceptical with this statement as to his kicking ability). He is very strong, has great endurance, is explosive off the mark and is elusive. That kind of package should be attractive to a lot of teams and I think he can become a weapon at the next level.

Lets deal with the two big perceived negatives first. The first is his kicking. I think a lot of the negativity about his kicking this year probably comes from game against Metro where he could not hit the side of a barn. He missed target after target that day. I acknowledge people should be worried by that game but for me that is an anomoly and is not reflective of how far he has come. He was very raw last year with his kicking and I think he has made great progress over the last 12 months ironing out the flaws. Now I think he has a well-balanced, uncomplicated kicking style that generally works well. There are still off days but there has been definite improvement and that was very evident in the All Star game where I thought his kicking looked very tidy. There is still room to improve but he is trending in the right direction and he is already better than most appreciate. I think the big weakness with his disposals is not with his kicking but with his handballing. He is very untidy by hand and it is something which still needs a lot of work. The kid will work though and I think he gets there.

The bigger issue for me is the simple fact that he does not find enough of the ball. For someone with his physical gifts he should find more of the ball. At the Champs he only averaged about 15 disposals a game and it was not like he was stuck in a pocket. He was on a flank mostly with significant time onball and on the wing. He improved on that a bit in the Colts and the WAFL but not enough to give me comfort that his feel for where to run to receive has gotten good enough. Most of his disposals are hard won and he does not get out and link up enough or find space for the cheap and easy possessions. There is going to need to be a fair bit or work done on his running patterns but if they can teach Tom Bell where to run I am sure SPP can be taught as well.

What SPP does better than anyone else in this draft is hit a pack at pace and come away with the ball. He is a big unit (already 90kgs) and opponents are reluctant to get between him and the ball. He is powerful, well balanced and has explosive pace and that makes him difficult to contain when he gets it. He also has a devastating sidestep which is going to be as effective at AFL level as it is at junior level. It is a big sidestep and he executes at pace which makes him very difficult to tackle even if he was not as big as he is. Unless you get your shoulder behind the tackle he will just brush through and come out the other side. Teams are going to want to get him the ball more than he is now as he can turn teams around. He might not have fantastic top end speed but he is not slow and he has recorded a 15.5 beep previously (he only managed 14.5 at the Combine where I think he was carrying a bit of extra poundage).

Speaking of the Combine, he was one of the stars there and certainly reminded teams of what he can do. In addition to the beep test he was also top 10 in the agility test with an 8.24 which is excellent for such a bulky guy. His 10m 28sec in the 3km was good and 3.00 for the 20m very solid. I am generally not the biggest fan of the skills test but it is worth mentioning that SPP lead the way in the goal kicking test with a perfect score and was in the top 10 in the clean hands. The one negative he had for the weekend was the repeat sprint which was quite poor for some reason. Overall it is hard not to be impressed with his performance given how many of those who played the week before in the All Star game, like he did, did not have good performances at the Combine.

Whether SPP succeeds at AFL level could very well come down to where he plays. If he is played in defence I think he could very well flop. In defence he tightens up with his kicking and turns it over a lot. He also tends to curb his natural attacking game and gets too conservative. Where he needs to be played is on a forward flank with some time on the wing. He is not the best mark of the ball but with the ball in hands he will attack a defence and can find a seam. He is a pretty good kick of the ball into 50 and can create opportunities. He has good penetration on his kicks and can kick them from outside 50 if needed. With the ball on the ground I think he has pretty clean hands (maybe not elite but good for a forward) and he can finish. He has been a consistent goal kicker in the west this year. He is particularly dangerous in contested situations up forward as he can use his big body to clear the way and create opportunities and his attack on the ball makes things happen.

SPP might be the best tackler in the draft this year. He tackles hard and often and opponents know when he is about and this can make things happen as they make sure they get it away quickly. To finish the year SPP had 7 tackles in the Colts GF and another 5 in the All Star game. He influences games with his defensive work and coaches will like that from a forward / midfielder. Speaking of the All Star game, I thought he was very influential in that one and looked like one of the better prospects out there. He again only managed 18 disposals but he was certainly an impact player. He is likely to start his career as an impact player off the forward flank but hopefully he learns to find more of it and he moves into the midfield. If he learns to find more of the ball he could be a very important player for a team.
Click to expand...

Lots of positives and negatives in that write up. You don't normally read as many negatives with someone rated at 11, read Duggan's for example.
 

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List Mgmt. 2016 AFL Draft

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