BigFooty Official Big Footy 2016 Phantom Draft - Trial Run

[Bishop]

Pick 60 Richmond:

Have a running defender, Key Forward- So we'll take an inside midfielder Luke Bunker.

Although he has flaws, hard to argue with his 22 disposal average in the champs.

Like a few left who I hope will get to the next pick- But cant ignore a midfielder here.

 

[Bishop]

Knightmare with Pies

 

[LemmingMaster]

Showed some great explosiveness out of congestion on the weekend too.

Is he getting more midfield minutes?

 

[DraftMe]

Is he getting more midfield minutes?

That's where he spends the majority of his time at Dandy.

 

[avishka5]

After reading this thread, i had a dream about it being draft night already. It quickly turned into a nightmare after after i realised Hawthorn had the first 10 picks in the draft lol. Thank God i woke up and realised it was just a dream.

 

[Snoop Dog]

Knightmare

# 61 Collingwood

Sean Darcy - Geelong Falcons / 201cm / 113kg

 

[Snoop Dog]

DraftMe your pick

 

[Quigley]

Pick 58 - Gold Coast - Elliot Himmelberg

Gold Coast select a project player here who has a lot of potential and a fair bit of upside who can be developed over time. I look at Himmelberg and think that he has a lot of the same skills that his brother had last year, they are similar athletes although Harry was more proven and had a better year. Elliot projects best imo as a key position defender, at 196cm he has the size and he definitely has the athleticism to succeed.

He has a reasonable U18 champs and played on some reasonably good players in the Champs and more than held his own. The first two things that you notice with Elliot are that he moves very well for a player his size and that he is clean both with picking the ball up or marking it overhead. He makes good decisions with the ball and his disposal looks to be reasonably good. He has the ability imo to be a good lock down defender who is strong overhead, a good intercept marker and provides some run out of defence. There is a lot of upside here and although he played for QLD he is not tied to an academy so is in the open draft.

It would not surprise me if he went in the second round and was rated highly by recruiters. Personally I think early third round is around his mark given his upside is offset by the fact that he is still somewhat of an unknown. I was very close to taking Declan Watson here and I rate both QLD key defenders quite highly.

Nice pick. This is one guy I expect the teams to really be monitoring. Really nice size and athleticism and he is a very disciplined defender. I also could easily see him going in the second round. I think he is a tier below Watson but then I rate Watson up there with any KPD in this draft.

 

[DraftMe]

Pick 62 (Melbourne) - Oscar Junker

Utility
191cm / 84kg

Versatile and high quality player from the Western Jets & Vic Metro. I wanted a 3rd tall defender for the Dees and Junker is one that can fill that role. He also has the added benefit of being able to be thrown forward and can contribute through the midfield as well.

I love the way he throws himself into contests and can take some big grabs (he's taken 14 contested marks so far this season).

Very skilled player as well with a lovely left foot kick. I can see him becoming a quality AFL player.

 

[Offsider]

Nice pick. This is one guy I expect the teams to really be monitoring. Really nice size and athleticism and he is a very disciplined defender. I also could easily see him going in the second round. I think he is a tier below Watson but then I rate Watson up there with any KPD in this draft.

I have both Watson and Himmelburg roughly equal and it was a hard choice separating them. I just felt that Himmelburg was slightly taller and a better kick of the ball. They both are in my top 40 players though.

 

[Quigley]

I have both Watson and Himmelburg roughly equal and it was a hard choice separating them. I just felt that Himmelburg was slightly taller and a better kick of the ball. They both are in my top 40 players though.

For me I see Watson as the better kick and pretty much elite for a KP. He took the kick ins for Qld and was great at picking out targets. Both are quick and it would be interesting to see the test results. I expect both to go under 3. Watson I see as the better judge of the ball in the air and the better intercept mark. Himmelberg the slightly taller of the two and the better one on one defender. Both I think will be quality defenders at the next level.

 

[AFLprospectss]

Back

Pick 62 (Melbourne) - Oscar Junker

Utility
191cm / 84kg

Reason/description to come...

Back to the drawing board I go....

 

[Wizard17]

Gee Dub

 

[Gee Dub]

Port Adelaide- Esava ratugolea

Just to keep it moving. Will add more later.

AFLprospectss

 

[AFLprospectss]

St Kilda Pick 64 - Kym LeBois
North Adelaide
175cm, 66kg

after a fairly quiet U18 champs, LeBois has come back into the U18 SANFL comp and been outstanding on the wing, showing his athletic strengths (speed and agility) to go along with his smart ball use. Since filtering back into the SANFL he has been getting more of the footy and having more impact on the games. i think he will start as a small forward in his first few years in the AFL before moving up onto wing. think he might be a steal at this pick considering i know some had him rated as low as 17. He is a relation to the Davey's (Aaron and Alwyn).

I really wanted Oscar Junker here but it was not to be, also thought of Jack Rolls due to his strong ball use but chose for the foot skills, pace and x=factor of Lebois. i am really hoping for a tall midfielder to complete my national draft at pick 82

 

[Wizard17]

Jack Package

 

[Snoop Dog]

Write up for Jake Waterman

# 53 GWS ...... Jake Waterman - Claremont / 189cm / 86kg

Was pretty impressed with Jake at the champs and whilst was looking probably to go another way on a needs basis just had to look at he and Brennan Cox who I thought were both really good gets at this stage. Went with Waterman as already landed Logue and whilst both Logue and Cox are flexible GWS have plenty of young tall kids to work with. Jake fills a role the club is a bit deficient in. He can play that third tall role and add something different to the Patton / Lobb / Cameron mix.

Been a terrific performer at every level he has played this year (and last year) and after 5 goals last weekend suspect we see a bit more of him in the WAFL seniors before season out. Moves well for his size and is happy to get on his bike and move up and down the ground to get involved and work his opposition over. His intensity around the contest is something that will appeal as he presents as a real competitor. Has sensational hands and is a terrific mark for his size. His hand and ball use is very good and I suspect the only thing that may hold him back a touch is the question around is "he to one dimensional" insomuch as unclear if can move into a midfield role at AFL level and probably not quite tall enough for key position. Time will tell but I think the kid has a lot of ticks in the important boxes and I suspect will go higher than this come draft day.

As mentioned looked at Cox as well as some small forwards but there are some talented kids left on the board and a couple in particular I would consider above filling a need even this late.

 

[Zach Package]

North select Declan Watson

Wizard17

 

[Wizard17]

66 - Western Bulldogs - Tyson Stengle

Thunderstruck

 

[Quigley]

North select Declan Watson

Wizard17

About time. This kid will be good. He has all the tools and having watched he and Macreadie play together and against each other I would struggle to say which one I would prefer.

 

[Wizard17]

About time. This kid will be good. He has all the tools and having watched he and Macreadie play together and against each other I would struggle to say which one I would prefer.

Would've picked him at 59 if I didn't already pick talls in the first two rounds.

Crazy he fell to where he has.

There is also another that hasn't been taken that I'm eyeing off at my next pick that I'm surprised to still not to see on the board.

 

[DraftMe]

Pick 62 (Melbourne) - Oscar Junker

Utility
191cm / 84kg

Versatile and high quality player from the Western Jets & Vic Metro. I wanted a 3rd tall defender for the Dees and Junker is one that can fill that role. He also has the added benefit of being able to be thrown forward and can contribute through the midfield as well.

I love the way he throws himself into contests and can take some big grabs (he's taken 14 contested marks so far this season).

Very skilled player as well with a lovely left foot kick. I can see him becoming a quality AFL player.

Junker write up.

 

[Snoop Dog]

66 - Western Bulldogs - Tyson Stengle

Thunderstruck

There he goes. Little surprised didn't drop earlier.

 

[Wizard17]

There he goes. Little surprised didn't drop earlier.

It was a nice surprise for him to still be on the board there. He really impressed me during the champs.

 

[Chris25]

Pick 57 Fremantle - Willie Rioli Jr

Proper write up coming later. But I'm a fan of the 21 year old small forward from Glenelg. As talented as they come.

I'm a firm believer in the value of a quality small forward. They can make a good forward line so much more dangerous. And as Walters and Ballantyne have shown in previous years, they can also make an average forward line look a lot better than it is. And I think clubs are coming around to this idea too. I think many will be moving away from simply playing midfielders in the forward half, in favour of the specialists.

The good thing, is that there are lots of promising ones in this draft - Tyson Stengle for example is one I considered here. But for a crumbing small, I'd find it hard to go past Willie Rioli for pure talent. He's one of the few mature aged players I'd consider in the national draft, but at 21 he's still young enough to be a long term player. He's having a very good season at Glenelg this year, he kicked 5 goals on the weekend and had another haul of 4 in the state game against the VFL. His performance suggest he could play next year, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone like GWS went early on him - for that exact reason. There's always risk in drafting small forwards, it's hard to predict how they'll fare at the top level. But Rioli has a big edge on the 18 year olds, given his performances at state level.

Rioli was a super talent in his draft year, but weighed 90kg (he's only 175cm) and was about as unfit as they come. But he's since dropped down to 74kg, gotten his skinfolds under control and he's a new player now. One thing he didn't lose though, is his trademark Rioli skill. He has sticky hands below his knees, creates something from nothing and can make any kick.

With Walters transitioning more and more into the midfield, Rioli would be a welcome addition to the Fremantle forward line.