BigFooty Official Big Footy 2016 Phantom Draft - Trial Run

[Bicks]

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.

And he's the only "mature" aged player among the Invitees to the SA Draft Combine testing..

 

[TheSunGod]

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.

Love your work Offsider . If the Suns walked away on draft night with McLuggage, Bowes, Scheer, Simpkin, Berry, SPP, Witherden and Himmelberg that would be bigger than huge!!! Helps add much needed depth to our midfield giving us some bigger bodies in there, our defence with some size and skill and another small forward to increase the competition for spots. I think I'll start a petition for you to replace Scott Clayton obviously we won't have eight selections but it's nice to dream.

 

[Offsider]

Love your work Offsider . If the Suns walked away on draft night with McLuggage, Bowes, Scheer, Simpkin, Berry, SPP, Witherden and Himmelberg that would be bigger than huge!!! Helps add much needed depth to our midfield giving us some bigger bodies in there, our defence with some size and skill and another small forward to increase the competition for spots. I think I'll start a petition for you to replace Scott Clayton obviously we won't have eight selections but it's nice to dream.

I can't lie I am pretty happy with how the draft has gone so far for the Gold Coast. If you even consider that Jack Bowes slid to pick 8, in reality this would have been a dream scenario for Gold Coast as he would have been selected for a couple of second round picks and Scheer would be the same. This would mean that pick 8 could be used on a player like Josh Rotham. Coming into the draft I really wanted to pick some midfielders and other smaller types up.

I am not sure how many list spots are going to be open, and Josh Williams will probably be a late academy selection for Gold Coast. What type of players do you think Gold Coast need?

 

[Monocle]

# 68. West Coast.

Luke Strnadica . 199 cm 93 kg. KPF . East Fremantle.

I have been an unabashed fan of Strnadica for two years now and I am pretty happy to pick him up here at this point in the draft, the Eagles have a happy knack of drafting quality tall's late in the draft, or even rookies and I think whoever picks Luke up is going be very happy they did long term.

Look there is no way that you can hide from the fact that his 2016 production has been underwhelming by comparison with 2015. That said he has played in a pretty ordinary East Fremantle Colts side this year ( which is a comment that you don't hear very often, as East Fremantle have a top quality junior development program and most years, turn out a plethora of young talent that makes its way on to AFL list's ) the supply and delivery that he has had in the Colts has not been ideal.
However when he played in the WA side I thought he acquitted himself pretty well.
This time last year I had Strnadica pegged as a late first / early second rounder. Obviously his currency has dropped.

But.

What I liked about him last year is still present. He leads well and his accuracy at goals from a variety of distances is very good. The other component of his game that has impressed me from day one has been his ruck work, particularly at throw ins, where he sets up numerous opportunities for the small brigade to feast on. He has grown a bit since last year and history has taught me that tall kids in the midst of a growth spurt need to be cut some slack as it can take some time for the kinesiology to align properly. His marking has been a little off this year but his accuracy has been quite acceptable.

He is going to be a project player and thats fine , he still is "skinny as" and yet he is 93 kg. At 199 cm , even if he grows no taller , then you can assume he will add at least another 10 kgs to that frame and thats going to be a sizeable lump of a kid. Given his skill set I think he is well worth speculating on. Will he be a ruck or an genuine KPF ... at this point in time who knows ( I suspect a KPF ) but in the end it doesn't really matter as if he is good at either there will always be a role for him. I pick him here to bank a tall and give him 3-4 years to make his mark.

Had I not taken Rotham in the first round I would have pulled the trigger on Jarrod Korewha at this pick ,who I am surprised is still on the board. Maybe he suffers from being a twenner and mock recruiters not sure just where he will play at the next level. Oh and cut the "god awful" pony tail of him and I would like him a whole lot better.

Skippos your up mate.

 

[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

LeBois Profile is up

 

[Thunderstruck]

Not quite sure where my post when but did it on a mobile and have had issues so didn't realise didn't submit.

Pick #67 Adelaide - Jake Pitman Norwood 175cm 78kg

He's a small fella but am a big fan of what he can do on the footy field. Has dominated SANFL Under 18 and reserves and is now getting league football games and playing fairly well. Had a brilliant Under 18 championships and for mine was incredibly stiff not to be both SA MVP and AA Under 18. Was the most consistent midfielder from SA.

Pitman is a angry little man, has a strongly built frame for his height, some may say a little 'fat' which may be true to a degree, but is also a ball of muscle under that. Bit of a Luke Power type with perhaps some Viney like traits. Wins his own ball, very strong at getting his nose in and getting his hands on it and extracting and running away from said pack. Has a high number of clearances per game as a result. Can rack up large numbers and is a genuine busy bee all over the ground. Kicking is good and fairly flat and can hoof it when really required but otherwise prefers quicker smaller passes. Hands solid and likes 1 2's out of packs. Reads the play well and generally is a textbook rover who doesn't mind a goal or two.

Questions remain on size and ability to mix his style with bigger bodies and now is getting a taste of those bigger bodies at SANFL league standard and so far has been good without dominating as the step up from reserves is pretty big. Defensively he can tackle very, very well. He's one who might surprise, already I think he surprised a fair few at the champs.

 

[Zach Package]

11.Will Setterfield (NSW/ACT - GWS Academy)
Height, weight: 190cm, 79kg

On first viewing Setterfield strikes me as a bit of a Bontempelli clone, that lanky shape, the loping running gait, the way he frees the arms in congestion, sticks out his elbows and gives off handballs. What I don't think he's got is Bont's ability in the air and forward of centre (which separates the good from the great) but having said that I think he's got most, if not all of Bontempelli's midfield traits in varying degrees.
And they're traits that I think give him a pretty high floor as a big bodied clearance specialist with the potential to become quite a bit more given his effectiveness with the ball and ability to impact the play on the inside but also the outside.
For me he was the pick of the div 2 series, then didn't impress as much for the Allies so he's a slightly difficult one to get a read on but I think he's done enough you can be confident enough in to warrant top 10 consideration come the end of the year

North do well here, It's been a while since they've picked a genuine midfielder in the first round, and him being the best available makes this a natural fit. Going forward I can envision North using Ziebell in a more forward oriented role (given how good he is at it) and having someone like Setterfield along with Clarke and Anderson able to step in and fill some of that void going forward will be important for them IMO.

29. Will Drew (VIC)
Height, weight: 188cm, 78kg
Recruited from: North Ballarat Rebels

Another tall contested ball winning midfielder sees North solidify their midfield for the foreseeable future. With the two Will's it's a case of same but different. Drew is a more of a power athlete that bursts into and out of congestion with a strong first couple of steps to dish the ball to the outside.
Also seems a strong runner and willing overlapper, in games for Vic Country he'd often be involved 2 or 3 times in a passage of play moving down the field or be the one on the move down field to create an option going forward, which is a big thing for me as another string to the bow. Also showed the ability to run with the ball and hit targets when given a bit more space to operate.

Looks the goods as a powerful, contested ball winning tackle machine (tackle numbers for Rebels are absolutely top shelf) going forward at the very least, maybe something akin to Liam Shiels?

65.Declan Watson QLD (Brisbane Academy)
Height, weight: 194cm, 80kg

Strong marking, long kicking key defender that marks the ball. KPD's that can win the ball back in the air and then use it effectively are a hot commodity at the moment and these are Declan's main tricks. He's a bit of a different body shape to the young string beans that come through the system every year and I think when he fills out he'll be a bit of a tank and pretty hard to move. That, his ability to work off his man and impact the play and not be a complete liability when he's got ball in hand make for a nice project pick for anyone late in the piece. Might have even picked him in the 3rd round if I had one there but I think this presents real value. Combine invite indicates that he'll probably attract bids.

 

[Wizard17]

Anybody got Skippos pick so we can move on?

 

[Chris25]

Alright, Skippos can have Sam Walker instead then. Bulldogs are up.

 

[Wizard17]

Okay I was tossing up between to 190+cm athletic utilities here in Jordan Ridley and Jack Henry and have finally made up my mind.

Pick 70 - Western Bulldogs - Jordan Ridley

Snoop Dog

 

[Snoop Dog]

Okay I was tossing up between to 190+cm athletic utilities here in Jordan Ridley and Jack Henry and have finally made up my mind.

Pick 70 - Western Bulldogs - Jordan Ridley

Snoop Dog

Well that made that easy. Well done on Ridley had him a lot higher on my ranking.

# 71 GWS - Sam Fowler

On the run at moment write up to come.

 

[Wizard17]

Well that made that easy. Well done on Ridley had him a lot higher on my ranking.

I have him in the late 30's in my most recent rankings.

 

[Wizard17]

POULTERBEAR

 

[Snoop Dog]

Lets give until 7pm but if not done gets the next pick off Knighta list

 

[POULTERBEAR]

Pick 72 - Hawthorn
Cedric Cox - North Ballarat Rebels/Western Australia
DOB: 19/8/97 Height: 184cm Weight: 70kg
Position: Medium Defender

Another bolter being able to snatch up, Cedric Cox has come out and been one of the best users of the football in the TAC Cup in 2016. Originally from Falls Creek in WA (Same Hometown as SPS) he's now in Victoria and playing for the North Ballarat Rebels, and being based in Camperdown. He has the ability to also play not just on the wing, but also as a crafty half-forward. He doesn't gather much of the ball, but uses his silk and ball skills and is very damaging with only around 15 disposals a game. I am expecting him to go a little earlier than this on draft night, and having a national combine invite also helps that cause.

 

[getgaff]

# 68. West Coast.

Luke Strnadica . 199 cm 93 kg. KPF . East Fremantle.

I have been an unabashed fan of Strnadica for two years now and I am pretty happy to pick him up here at this point in the draft, the Eagles have a happy knack of drafting quality tall's late in the draft, or even rookies and I think whoever picks Luke up is going be very happy they did long term.

Look there is no way that you can hide from the fact that his 2016 production has been underwhelming by comparison with 2015. That said he has played in a pretty ordinary East Fremantle Colts side this year ( which is a comment that you don't hear very often, as East Fremantle have a top quality junior development program and most years, turn out a plethora of young talent that makes its way on to AFL list's ) the supply and delivery that he has had in the Colts has not been ideal.
However when he played in the WA side I thought he acquitted himself pretty well.
This time last year I had Strnadica pegged as a late first / early second rounder. Obviously his currency has dropped.

Monocle Strnadica a project forward post Kennedy possibly. Also nicely done getting him in before the Dockers

 

[Wizard17]

foj1

 

[foj1]

Pick 73 Essendon Kayle Kirby 184cm medium forward Bendigo Pioneers

This guy has a heap of talent and a heap of question marks.
He has an exciting burst of speed, raw physical power and above average hands. He has played mainly out of the square at tac level though he has started to play up the field a little more in the last month. Kayle is a natural goal kicker who always looks dangerous. He enjoys inflicting bone crunching tackles on opponents however there is a fine line between strong and reckless which he has crossed on a couple of occasions. I like the fact that he has some sh## in him. He will let opponents know he is around.

Kayle has some question marks.
His running base is going to need to be better. Endurance running is vital and talent will only get you so far. Ask hisham kerbatieh.
Kayle also has a tendency to get lost in a game and lose impact. This is systematic of being a one position player but he has to display greater consistency.
Kayle also has a tendency to do the undisciplined but you can work on that and you need some flair in your forward line I think.

Rationale
Kirby has some Byron Pickett and Lindsay Thomas qualities and talent but some real question marks as well.
However if you can smooth the edges you could be looking at a real steal this late in the draft. Unfortunately he didn't get a chance to shine at nationals due to poor form and suspension.
Other players I considered were Dea who has been solid this year as a top up player. Morrish who's some exciting qualities from half back. Caicos who has some natural ability and Gibbons and Fox from the VFL who both get plenty of footy but at this stage a wildcard wins and kirby has the talent to be a ripper.

 

[Quigley]

Pick 74 - Brisbane

Tom Stewert

If I am honest I know stuff all about Stewert at this stage but from what I have seen he is a mature aged medium defender who has some good tools. He is quick, strong and a good read of the ball in the air. His one on one defense is good and going the other way he can provide some good run. His skills seem neat enough. Overall a pretty decent package at this stage.

The Lions have an exceptionally young defense and can really use an experienced head or two leading them around the park. Stewert is 23 so old enough to have some experience but young enough to still have some development left in him. He has taken big step up to the VFL from South Barwon and the question is whether he has enough left in him to take the next big step to the AFL. Even if he doesn't I think he would be a valuable guy for hte Lions to organise the defense at NEAFL level and help the development of the youngsters around him. So basically a no lose situation for the Lions taking Stewert here.

 

[Lana]

Pick 74 - Brisbane

Tom Stewert

If I am honest I know stuff all about Stewert at this stage but from what I have seen he is a mature aged medium forward who has some good tools. He is quick, strong and a good read of the ball in the air. His one on one defense is good and going the other way he can provide some good run. His skills seem neat enough. Overall a pretty decent package at this stage.

The Lions have an exceptionally young defense and can really use an experienced head or two leading them around the park. Stewert is 23 so old enough to have some experience but young enough to still have some development left in him. He has taken big step up to the VFL from South Barwon and the question is whether he has enough left in him to take the next big step to the AFL. Even if he doesn't I think he would be a valuable guy for hte Lions to organise the defense at NEAFL level and help the development of the youngsters around him. So basically a no lose situation for the Lions taking Stewert here.

I'm not sure when you saw him last but he has been playing as one of those intercepting making KPD/3rd tall defenders for our (Geelong's) VFL team. He's around 190cm so he won't play as a KPP at AFL level. Having seen him play quite a few times this year, he is good defensively and at VFL level attacks in a style similar to Scarlett did at AFL, in that he is not afraid to run the ball out from our defensive 50, take bounces and kick it directly. I expect that he'd (Stewart) be a lot more restrained at AFL level but he is starting from a good point. Every once in a while his kicking can be off but for the vast majority of the time it is not an issue.

It's hard to say if he has a lot of improvement in him but IMO he has been better for our VFL team this than Ruggles was last year, he'd be a shoe-in for oru VFL BnF. He be joining the AFL system at the same age as Ruggles and we can all see the effect of a real AFL pre-season on him. A team wouldn't want too many of those kinds of prospects so I probably wouldn't draft him for Geelong but he is a solid pick up for any other club.

 

[Quigley]

Pick 74 - Brisbane

Tom Stewert

If I am honest I know stuff all about Stewert at this stage but from what I have seen he is a mature aged medium defender who has some good tools. He is quick, strong and a good read of the ball in the air. His one on one defense is good and going the other way he can provide some good run. His skills seem neat enough. Overall a pretty decent package at this stage.

The Lions have an exceptionally young defense and can really use an experienced head or two leading them around the park. Stewert is 23 so old enough to have some experience but young enough to still have some development left in him. He has taken big step up to the VFL from South Barwon and the question is whether he has enough left in him to take the next big step to the AFL. Even if he doesn't I think he would be a valuable guy for hte Lions to organise the defense at NEAFL level and help the development of the youngsters around him. So basically a no lose situation for the Lions taking Stewert here.

Yeah I had a typo in the first sentence referring to him as a forward rather than a defender.

 

[Chris25]

Pick 75 Fremantle - Max Lynch

I usually pick an unknown SA kid with my last selection, but not this time. I rate Lynch as a better ruck prospect than some who've already been picked.

 

[Offsider]

Gold Coast select Josh Daicos

 

[Snoop Dog]

LemmingMaster

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

# 68. West Coast.

Luke Strnadica . 199 cm 93 kg. KPF . East Fremantle.

I have been an unabashed fan of Strnadica for two years now and I am pretty happy to pick him up here at this point in the draft, the Eagles have a happy knack of drafting quality tall's late in the draft, or even rookies and I think whoever picks Luke up is going be very happy they did long term.

Look there is no way that you can hide from the fact that his 2016 production has been underwhelming by comparison with 2015. That said he has played in a pretty ordinary East Fremantle Colts side this year ( which is a comment that you don't hear very often, as East Fremantle have a top quality junior development program and most years, turn out a plethora of young talent that makes its way on to AFL list's ) the supply and delivery that he has had in the Colts has not been ideal.
However when he played in the WA side I thought he acquitted himself pretty well.
This time last year I had Strnadica pegged as a late first / early second rounder. Obviously his currency has dropped.

But.

What I liked about him last year is still present. He leads well and his accuracy at goals from a variety of distances is very good. The other component of his game that has impressed me from day one has been his ruck work, particularly at throw ins, where he sets up numerous opportunities for the small brigade to feast on. He has grown a bit since last year and history has taught me that tall kids in the midst of a growth spurt need to be cut some slack as it can take some time for the kinesiology to align properly. His marking has been a little off this year but his accuracy has been quite acceptable.

He is going to be a project player and thats fine , he still is "skinny as" and yet he is 93 kg. At 199 cm , even if he grows no taller , then you can assume he will add at least another 10 kgs to that frame and thats going to be a sizeable lump of a kid. Given his skill set I think he is well worth speculating on. Will he be a ruck or an genuine KPF ... at this point in time who knows ( I suspect a KPF ) but in the end it doesn't really matter as if he is good at either there will always be a role for him. I pick him here to bank a tall and give him 3-4 years to make his mark.

Had I not taken Rotham in the first round I would have pulled the trigger on Jarrod Korewha at this pick ,who I am surprised is still on the board. Maybe he suffers from being a twenner and mock recruiters not sure just where he will play at the next level. Oh and cut the "god awful" pony tail of him and I would like him a whole lot better.

Skippos your up mate.

Good call Monocle I did not expect Strnadica to still be available this late. Like you, I was impressed with his forward contested ruck work in the U18 games I saw. He was more impressive live than TV and he has already learnt to hold his position against larger opponents. What I liked was the way he was directing the knocks and not just competing. And this was against Sean Darcy who is about 20 kgs heavier.

I liked his work up front with Jake Waterman. Jake as 3rd tall and Luke as key tall forward seemed to have pretty clear communication and the forward structures were effective. It obviously helps with the U18 instructions to keep 2 from each side in the inside 50.

His 2016 production has been down from what I expected. That said, he has been more influential since returning from the carnival. I would be keen to see if the Sharks play him up a level before the end of the year. I expect both Freo and the Eagles have seen enough (he trained with the Dockers over the summer as part of the academy). I also expect both are keeping a low profile on him, hence he was not invited to the national combo.

In terms of East Fremantle, the WA squad was unusual with the lack of the Sharks representation. Ambrose Ryan was the only other inclusion which is a reversal on recent years. Things are not going so well at Moss St!