Player Watch 2022 AFL National Draft Discussion - read the pinned post

[Strapping Young Lad]

National AFL draft Monday November 28(first round only).
All other selections to be held on Tuesday November 29.
The pre-season and rookie drafts will then take place at 3pm (AEST) on Wednesday November 30.

 

[RIOLINWITPUNCHS]

What were the question marks on Phillipou again? Was it his consistency within games?

Being nearly a year younger than many of the other draftees this year this might be something that comes next year and beyond.

 

[Brant]

What were the question marks on Phillipou again? Was it his consistency within games?

Being nearly a year younger than many of the other draftees this year this might be something that comes next year and beyond.

I feel this is something we'd take into consideration that many other clubs wouldn't.

 

[Teamwork Talks]

What were the question marks on Phillipou again? Was it his consistency within games?

Being nearly a year younger than many of the other draftees this year this might be something that comes next year and beyond.

I like Phillipou.
The main question mark on him appeared to be that Knightmare absolutely loves him.

 

[MJA33]

Mattaes Phillipou​

Height: 191cm
Weight: 83kg
D.O.B: 27-12-2004

Great size for a Mid / Forward. Late DOB also still 17 until end of December. Very close to being in next years draft.

 

[TDS7]

What were the question marks on Phillipou again? Was it his consistency within games?

Being nearly a year younger than many of the other draftees this year this might be something that comes next year and beyond.

His contested ball winning and kicking consistency were the big ones, I'm warming to him but I still think he needs to be more present in games with his midfield time. He is flashy and a highlight machine, but I'd rather he get his hand on the inside more often. At the moment he plays as a receiver from D'Aloia in the majority of his games rather than an in-and-under clearance winning mid. It could come with another year of development, but he isn't a pack crasher and seems to take knocks pretty hard. Nothing really major, but at the top end you have to nitpick.

Ultimately he has his strengths, but stacking up against the top end he still needs consistency. To compare him with the other three mids who roll forward in our range:

Mackenzie is more consistent, wins the contested ball more, and is a better kick under pressure, but he has far less forward nous than Phillipou.

Humphrey is leagues ahead in contested footy and forward craft and is consistent whether playing through the midfield and as a forward, but is a worse field and set shot kick by a decent margin.

Clark is a better ball winner, tackler, ball user, and in my eyes, a better mark (and with the hops to play deeper than I thought at first), but is limited by his height and burst speed. He's also a fierce competitor and a likely candidate for the leadership group.

It's a conundrum I'm not really qualified to answer, but right now I'd rank them:
Clark
Mackenzie
Humphrey
Phillipou

With Clark the standout and the other three very, very close together.

 

[KermitJagger]

I like Phillipou.
The main question mark on him appeared to be that Knightmare absolutely loves him.

The only problem with picking him up is that the club will probably get Dipper in as a heritage connection sort of thing and it'll probably be a smidge cringeworthy. I mean I love Dipper but... yeah.

 

[killerspud]

The only problem with picking him up is that the club will probably get Dipper in as a heritage connection sort of thing and it'll probably be a smidge cringeworthy. I mean I love Dipper but... yeah.

Pretty sure Dipper is Italian (he's in their team of the century) and Phillipou looks more like a greek name - I could be wrong but then again I'm Sri Lankan and everyone thinks I'm Indian - I'd be pretty shat if they got Ravi Shastri or Wasim Akram to do a spot with me

 

[TylerDurden]

Pretty sure Dipper is Italian (he's in their team of the century) and Phillipou looks more like a greek name - I could be wrong but then again I'm Sri Lankan and everyone thinks I'm Indian - I'd be pretty shat if they got Ravi Shastri or Wasim Akram to do a spot with me

It's Greek.

 

[KermitJagger]

Pretty sure Dipper is Italian (he's in their team of the century) and Phillipou looks more like a greek name - I could be wrong but then again I'm Sri Lankan and everyone thinks I'm Indian - I'd be pretty shat if they got Ravi Shastri or Wasim Akram to do a spot with me

That's true! My bad.

 

[Sixpence]

Dipper is probably busy anyway commenting on all the shirtless CJ pics highlighting the "number 9 rig"!

 

[TDS7]

It's Greek.

On a side note, Phillipou's nickname has got to be Winnie right?

 

[eldorado]

Pretty sure Dipper is Italian (he's in their team of the century) and Phillipou looks more like a greek name - I could be wrong but then again I'm Sri Lankan and everyone thinks I'm Indian - I'd be pretty shat if they got Ravi Shastri or Wasim Akram to do a spot with me

I wouldn't care if I got to meet Wasim Akram...

 

[Changa10]

On a side note, Phillipou's nickname has got to be Winnie right?

Scud maybe after the great tennis player?

Think I’d rather that than being named after Winnie the Pooh, lol

 

[TDS7]

Scud maybe after the great tennis player?

Think I’d rather that than being named after Winnie the Pooh, lol

Here's the master plan:
Draft Bailey "Humphrey B. Bear" Humphrey with pick 6.

Trade our future first to Port, draft Mattaes “The Pooh” Phillipou at 10.

Get them both only training on kicking goals from the corner of the 50 and the boundary until they are essentially automatic off a step.

Nickname that corner "Pooh Bears Corner"

Make the three other Canberrans who follow afl chuckle.

Profit.

 

[mustang]

Mattaes Phillipou​

Height: 191cm
Weight: 83kg
D.O.B: 27-12-2004

Great size for a Mid / Forward. Late DOB also still 17 until end of December. Very close to being in next years draft.

Being that age if his good is a good pick as he will go around again and could be a high pick with another year in the under 18 or could even grow another few cm’s and end up around 193 or 194

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

Phillipou reminds me of the Bont
He was seen as a reach at the time too from memory.
Been a year younger than everyone else as well. Huge ceiling.

 

[burner1]

Phillipou reminds me of the Bont
He was seen as a reach at the time too from memory.
Been a year younger than everyone else as well. Huge ceiling.

Yep. Think he might be the one.l (if available). Size/athleticism/skill/class. Yep not as consistent as others but as you point out a fair bit younger - and a lot of guys improve a lot from their underage to draft year.

Still need some in and under grunt but can’t fix everything at once.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

What were the question marks on Phillipou again? Was it his consistency within games?

Being nearly a year younger than many of the other draftees this year this might be something that comes next year and beyond.

I believe inconsistency was the main one, which I personally believe is probably the easiest to work on.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I like Phillipou.
The main question mark on him appeared to be that Knightmare absolutely loves him.

He liked Ward and MacDonald too

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Humphrey or Phillipou are the picks for mine.

Hopefully George sneaks down the order and we can snag him too.

I love the idea of having midfield depth that can also rotate forward and have an impact there - Moore, Newcombe and Wingard can.

Maybe Day and Butler will be able to as well in the future.

And if we can bring Bruhn in then there's another player who can rotate through the HFF with JOM and MacDonald.

 

[TDS7]

I wouldn't be discounting Mackenzie quite yet, especially considering he was the best on in the first quarter just then. His kicking under pressure and movement in packs is as clean as I've seen this year, a few times he burst out of the centr clearance and hit up a player in goal range. Definetly a big option for us.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I wouldn't be discounting Mackenzie quite yet, especially considering he was the best on in the first quarter just then. His kicking under pressure and movement in packs is as clean as I've seen this year, a few times he burst out of the centr clearance and hit up a player in goal range. Definetly a big option for us.

I think that's the beauty of this draft - there are four options (rated around our range) that seem perfect fits for us, and we should really have acess to at least three of them.

And if for some reason they aren't available that would likely mean that one of the big four have dropped down to us.

 

[number23]

His contested ball winning and kicking consistency were the big ones, I'm warming to him but I still think he needs to be more present in games with his midfield time. He is flashy and a highlight machine, but I'd rather he get his hand on the inside more often. At the moment he plays as a receiver from D'Aloia in the majority of his games rather than an in-and-under clearance winning mid. It could come with another year of development, but he isn't a pack crasher and seems to take knocks pretty hard. Nothing really major, but at the top end you have to nitpick.

Ultimately he has his strengths, but stacking up against the top end he still needs consistency. To compare him with the other three mids who roll forward in our range:

Mackenzie is more consistent, wins the contested ball more, and is a better kick under pressure, but he has far less forward nous than Phillipou.

Humphrey is leagues ahead in contested footy and forward craft and is consistent whether playing through the midfield and as a forward, but is a worse field and set shot kick by a decent margin.

Clark is a better ball winner, tackler, ball user, and in my eyes, a better mark (and with the hops to play deeper than I thought at first), but is limited by his height and burst speed. He's also a fierce competitor and a likely candidate for the leadership group.

It's a conundrum I'm not really qualified to answer, but right now I'd rank them:
Clark
Mackenzie
Humphrey
Phillipou

With Clark the standout and the other three very, very close together.

I agree 100%. With Clark you know exactly what you are getting every day of the week. He's the model of consistency and his leadership skills should also be considered. That's something that isn't easily trainable. MacKenzie and Humphrey are good second choices while Phillipou is a cherry on top but we need to build the base and I think that Clark is the lowest risk option. We can hunt for Bont type in the 2023 draft when the talent pool is meant to be deeper and once we have put a year into Clark and another into Ward, another leadership candidate.

 

[killerspud]

I wouldn't care if I got to meet Wasim Akram...

I actually did get to meet Wasim Akram - at a bar no less - lovely guy and easily the best left arm bowler I've seen

 

[TDS7]

Some stats from today's games:

Gippsland Power v Sandringham Dragons

Will Ashcroft - 1.1 32d: 15k 17h, 3m 7t 8i50s
Harry Sheezel - 2.3 14d: 6k 8h, 2m 3t 1i50s
Cameron Mackenzie - 22d: 10k 12h, 3m 2t 5i50s
Charlie Clarke - 3.1 19d: 16k 3h, 3m 3t 6i50s

Bailey Humphrey - 1.0 14d: 8k 6h, 4t 3m 0i50s
Archer Reid - 3.1 11: 9k 2h, 4m 6t 5i50s

Very frustrating game from Humphrey today, seemed out of it after quarter time and a bit too focused on accounting for Ashcroft than winning his own footy. Archer Reid is King Bro's next product line to hit the market, kid was hitting spin moves and boundary snaps while taking big pack marks and crunching tackles. Very mobile for a 201cm 16-year-old, one to watch very closely next year. Cam Mackenzie was a star, it doesn't show on the stat sheet but his composure in packs and dash from packs won them the game. He's firming as my favorite right alongside Clark for our pick, and he could still catch him. Just doesn't have a bad game and likely misses out on racking up the big numbers out the back like Ashcroft. I like the look of him, he plays really well with other elite players and can either feed runners or receive on the edge of a pack. Charlie Clark could be a smokey with a later pick for us, he kicks goals and works hard all over the ground. He needs to work on his disposal around the ground, but I'd say he fits right in as a MacDonald/Butler-type half-forward who we can build toward. Ashcroft and Sheezel stars, but they are not heading our way any time soon.

Tasmania Devils v Dandenong Stingrays

Coby McKercher - 0.2 23d: 10k 13h, 5m 4t 4i50s
Lachie Cowan - 22d: 17k 5h, 5m 2t 4i50s 5r50s

Despite big outs for Dandenong, the Rays were able to get the one-point win. Unfortunately not a lot of draft-relevant players for us. Cowan would be great if we didn't have any running half-backs but alas, we have too many. Coby McKercher was a star on the wing, one to watch for next year as a potential one for our pick if we have one in a similar range.

While I'm here, I'll give a little top 10 for us to watch next year. However, when it comes to draft stuff I'd default to Davo-27 on pretty much everything, especially for non-current drafts.

1. Harley Reid | 185cm 82kg | EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE - Explosive, hard-working, agile mid-forward-backman who is just about the perfect prototype of a player. The only downside is he's a cats fan. I'm very sad Essendon is going to be close to picking him up.

2. Nate Caddy | 192cm 82kg | Centre Half Forward - Medium forward who has had some very good games further up the ground. His midfield craft needs some work, but if he puts it all together you have a Gunston-type forward and a Fyfe-type mid all in one. Great mark, great body work, good at ground level, excellent mop of hair.


3. Archer Reid | 202cm 85kg| Full Forward - I've talked about him already, but this kid is the real deal. Reads the ball well in flight, knows how to use his body to leverage his slender-man arms in contests, and has the agility of a forward half his height. He can play as a back, but his efforts up forward are rather remarkable. Definitely a project player, but watching Sam Darcy and Max King

12

Max King

Age

24

Ht

202cm

Wt

100kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.3

2star

K

4.7

2star

HB

2.6

2star

M

2.7

3star

T

0.7

3star

G

1.4

5star

D

7.3

2star

K

4.7

2star

HB

2.6

2star

M

2.7

3star

T

0.7

1star

G

1.4

5star

D

8.0

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

2.8

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

0.6

3star

G

1.4

5star

have field days against us, he's a player worth putting a development season into.


4. Zane Duursma | 188cm 73kg | High Half Forward - Zane is a very exciting half-forward who has the foot skills and agility to thrive anywhere on the ground. He can be deadly as a deep forward and he has been slowly building his mid craft to elite levels. Reminds me a bit of Rozee in his early days, funnily enough, someone with good goal sense and the skills to play in the guts after a bit of development. Needs to join Day and DGB in a bulking season for the ages though.


5. Colby McKercher | 181cm 72kg | Outside Mid - Colby is a speedy little mid with a penchant for hit-and-run dashes through packs, coming in from 20 meters away and ending up with the ball in hand and sprinting forward in the blink of an eye. He has those little fast hands that get the ball moving quickly, and a decent-sized kick for someone of his rather light frame. Another who needs to get on the protein shakes, his athleticism and drive will see him end up somewhere on a footy field, but with an extra bit of bulk, he could be a great clearance mid.


6. Ashton Moir | 186cm 77kg | Utility - Moir is a truly special player. Hops, burst, good hands, reads the ball well as both a forward and a back, and can kick pretty well on either foot. He's x-factor personified but doesn't keep up the production through the whole game. I'd never compare him to Cyril, but he has the same kind of impact in a game where he can be best on off 17 touches. If he builds his tank and brings a bit of consistency, the league will shudder. For now, he's a player to keep a very close eye on.



7. Jack Delean | ???cm ??kg | Half Forward - I have not seen a ton of Delean, but from what I have seen he is a star. All the x-factor and class you could ask for, with the scope to play that mid-forward role that is so in vogue these days. I've only had limited vision on him, I can't even find his height and weight, but with a better look next year he could cement himself as a Phillipou-style classy dash mid with a decent heaping of forward nous.


8. Nick Watson | 169cm 69kg | Small Forward - Look, let's get the elephant out of the room early. Nick Watson will be an AFL player. He has too much skill, too much fight, and too much drive to not make it. But I can't see him being anything more than a lively forward who cuts deep and snags a few goals. He isn't a player you build around, he won't make a decent team good or a good team great, but he's a player who makes a great team an excellent, dynastic one. That being said, if we are happy with our midfield next year and think we have the next-gen core all set up, the Wizard would slot right in as a game-winner and highlight machine. I can easily see him kicking game-winning snaps from impossible angles. He just might need a good team to get him there.


9. Sam Frangalas | 187cm 84kg | Half Forward - Another forward-mid with the hands and nous to be a target and the disposal and tank to play through the guts, Frangalas is a clean, strong midfielder with silky smooth hand in packs and a penchant for one-on-one contests. He isn't the most athletic, he hasn't got the hops and bursts of some of the others higher up the list, but his production is always solid and his disposal is always a consistent "good but not great".


10. Will McCabe | 196cm 75kg | Tall Utility - McCabe won't be this high up, but with he is definitely one to keep an eye on for Hawks fans. An agile, speedy tall with great hands and a knack for marking contests, McCabe has all the potential in the world. There are plenty of questions regarding his frame, accumulation, disposal under pressure, and the quality of opposition, but just keep an eye on him and hope he doesn't play too well. He's a player I can see spending two seasons developing at VFL level and coming out the other side a genuine superstar. To borrow some Collingwood flogs analogy style, it'll be a long road to get there but he's on the highway with plenty of gas.

Edit: I realised I didn't explain, but there are others who might be up there. However, I haven't watched enough of Koltyn Tholstrup and the WA kids, Philactides and Daniel Curtin are defenders we don't really need and Walter is a Gold Coast Academy, and honestly good for them to get a top talent out of their academy for once.