Usually try to do one every year, been a bit harder this year due to being overseas, but have managed to whip one up. May try to do another closer to the actual draft;
Round 1:
1. Gold Coast – David Swallow
DOB: 19/11/1992
Height: 186cm
Weight: 83kg
Club: East Fremantle (WA)
Bio: One of the standout #1 picks in years, Swallow will go straight into Gold Coast’s midfield and be the favourite for the Rising Star from round 1 onwards. Certain 200 game player and he could for mine be the best #1 player ever taken at a draft, which is pretty high praise, but I think he’s got the potential to live up to that sort of hype.
2. Gold Coast - Harley Bennell
DOB: 02/10/1992
Height: 180cm
Weight: 70kg
Club: Peel Thunder (WA)
Bio: Exciting midfielder in the mould of a Stephen Hill, Is very quick, agile, good skills and a smart player who will give Gold Coast’s midfield a bit of zip and run and carry alongside Ablett. Body wise probably not ready to make an instant impact, but watch out for him in 2 seasons as he could definitely burst onto the scene as a real quality player as Hill did this season.
3. Gold Coast - Sam Day
DOB: 06/09/1992
Height: 195cm
Weight: 90kg
Club: Sturt (SA)
Bio: Excellent KPP with big time potential. Excellent contested mark, very good size for a key forward and a long kick of the football. Potential AA CHF in the making if all goes well in his development. Doesn’t need to bulk up a whole heap either, so he should play quite a bit of footy for the Suns next season I would have thought.
4. West Coast Eagles - Andrew Gaff
DOB: 16/06/1992
Height: 183cm
Weight: 78kg
Club: Oakleigh Chargers (VIC)
Bio: This is where the draft starts to get interesting as there’s obviously a lot of possibilities where the Eagles can go here. Polac has been mooted with this selection as a Stephen Hill over Daniel Rich type of selection, but I think they’ll go best talent available, and that’ll be Gaff after the draft camp he had. Is a very good kick of the football which the Eagles midfield sorely needs, and he can run all day which obviously at Subiaco you need to have a good tank. Should play a lot of football in that midfield next season which needs a lot of class added to it.
5. Brisbane – Shaun Atley
DOB: 13/09/92
Height: 187cm
Weight: 82kg
Club: Murray Bushrangers (Vic)
Bio: First real surprise of the draft going to occur at #5 for mine. Everyone else seems to have Heppell, Gaff or Polac going here, but I’m going to go with Atley instead. Brisbane’s pretty light on for inside midfielders, especially with Black past his best and Rischitelli leaving. Rich will need as much help as he can get (since he’s getting tagged a lot more nowadays), and I think Atley will be a guy that really fills a need for them. Loves the contest, can play outside also, and can run all day, and Vossy will absolutely love the toughness that he will provide in close.
6. Richmond – Dyson Heppell
DOB: 9/01/1992
Height: 186cm
Weight: 82kg
Club: Gippsland Power (VIC)
Bio: Richmond will snap up Heppell at #6. Can play HBF and set-up the play allowing Deledio or even Newman to spend more time in the middle, or he can push into the midfield and help Cotchin, Martin and Foley going forward, as he’s a real classy type of midfielder. Good value pick here and all of a sudden Richmond has a quality young midfield they can build around for the next 5-10 years, which isn’t something they haven’t said for quite a long time.
7. Gold Coast - Jared Polac
DOB: 12/10/92
Height: 188cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Woodville W/Torrens (SA)
Bio: Gold Coast will take Polac who’s probably slated as a top 6 pick but has fallen through to #7. Goal kicking wingman with an excellent long left kick, who loves to run and carry, typical sort of midfielder that Clayton seems to target. Reminds me a little of Aaron Fiora pre draft before he turned into a spud at Richmond. With the likes of Ablett, Rischitelli, Swallow, Bennell and Polac, Gold Coast are probably going to have a top 3 midfield in the AFL 3 seasons from now.
8. Essendon – Daniel Gorridge
DOB: 02/06/92
Height: 198cm
Weight: 85kg
Club: Norwood (SA)
Bio: Essendon fans are probably going to jump all over me here on this pick. But Dodoro or Hird said a few weeks back that they’re going to go tall with this pick, and considering they have quite a few KPP’s already, they’ll go with Gorridge. He’ll take a few years to develop, but will be ready to take over from Hille in a couple of years, and also Ryder to settle in a key position who can pinch hit in the ruck instead of playing the majority of the game in the middle. Essendon fans will be hoping Gorrdige won’t be the next Jason Laycock v2.0 though (but that was a pretty poor draft anyways from memory).
9. Gold Coast – Tom Lynch
DOB: 31/10/92
Height: 196cm
Weight: 86kg
Club: Dandenong Stingrays (VIC)
Bio: Gold Coast have already taken a KFF in Day, but they’ll also go with Lynch at #9 as he’s rising up the draft boards in recent times. Fantastic work rate will present all day, and could become the important linkman / targetman between defence and attack allowing the likes of Day to stay deep in F50. Similar to Mitch Brown of Geelong from a couple of years ago who rose late to be a 1st rounder, but Lynch will be taken earlier and is probably a little more developed / better at ground level than what Brown was.
10. Gold Coast – Billie Smedts
DOB: 08/06/92
Height: 187cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Geelong Falcons (VIC)
Bio: A lot of people have Smedts going to Geelong at 15, but I think he’ll sneak into the top 10 as Andrew Moore did last season. Utility / jack of all trades player with a lot of upside. Can play pretty much anywhere except ruck / key position, and McKenna will love to have someone who’s so versatile who will do a job for him. I think he’ll end up being one of the top 5 players to come out of this draft actually, so whoever ends up with him, I think will have a real player on their hands.
11. Gold Coast – Patrick McCarthy
DOB: 11/03/92
Height: 194cm
Weight: 79kg
Club: Glenelg (SA)
Bio: Gold Coast will take McCarthy at #11. Can learn from Bock for a few seasons, and Clayton loves his tall defenders who can run and rebound in the Ryan Hargrave / Andrejs Everitt mould. Quick enough to play on small forwards in the way that Tom Harley did for Geelong late in his career, until he bulks up enough to play on the real key forwards.
12. Melbourne - Jack Darling
DOB: 16/6/92
Height: 191cm
Weight: 94kg
Club: West Perth (WA)
Bio: Melbourne has got an interesting draft this year. They’re already stocked with so many quality young players, I see them taking prospects with more of a higher risk / return ratio if you will. They’ll start off with Darling, who alongside Jurrah and Watts will give the Demons potentially the best forward line they’ve had for a long time if all pans out. Excellent mark of the football, excellent defensively which the Demons need in their forward line. Similar sort of build to what Russell Robertson was, but he’s more a complete / team player than what Robbo was.
13. Gold Coast – Brodie Smith
DOB: 14/01/92
Height: 188cm
Weight: 79kg
Club: Woodville W/Torrens (SA)
Bio: Gold Coast haven’t taken a lot of pure midfielders early, so they’ll go with Smith with this selection. Provides run and carry, bursts from stoppages, and although his kicking needs work, that’s something he can work on over time. People have compared him to Rhys Palmer a bit, I think he’s got a bit more speed and little more upside than that if all goes well.
14. Adelaide – Josh Caddy
DOB: 28/09/92
Height: 186cm
Weight: 81kg
Club: Northern Knights (Vic)
Bio: Adelaide will have probably wanted Smith here, but they’ll take the next best midfielder off the board here which is probably Caddy. Excellent inside in the clinches, and can go forward and kick a goal, which is something that Adelaide’s midfield probably needs more of. Even though Bock has left, I don’t see Adelaide going after a prospect like Watson here considering they’ve drafted Phil Davis and Daniel Talia with their last 2 1st round picks.
15. Geelong – Jayden Pitt
DOB: 07/10/92
Height: 187cm
Weight: 70kg
Club: Geelong (VIC)
Bio: Geelong in recent times have taken kids with excellent disposal skills who they can mould into their system. Menzel last season who had one of the best results at Buckley’s draft camp kicking test being 1 example. Pitt’s a local boy, who’s nowhere near ready body wise, but the Cats can stick him in the VFL for 2 seasons, and he’ll be ready to go hopefully when the likes of Corey and Chapman are just about done. Long – term prospect but one with quite a bit of upside, basically a midfield version of Andrew Mackie at similar ages.
16. Port Adelaide – Luke Parker
DOB: 25/10/92
Height: 182cm
Weight: 82kg
Club: Dandenong Stingrays (VIC)
Bio: Tough inside midfielder with good leadership ability, I see the Power going for the best available midfielder here, since they have quite a few young ruck / KPP’s already, and that’s probably Parker at this stage of the draft. Certainly won’t be the best player to come out of the draft, but should play early and fill a need in Port’s midfield as a hard, tough inside midfielder who should at least plat 100 games for them if all goes well.
17. North Melbourne – Mitch Hallahan
DOB: 23/08/92
Height: 183cm
Weight: 78kg
Club: Dandenong Stingrays (VIC)
Bio: Interesting pick here, as the Roos can go a few ways. With the concern on Swallow potentially going to GWS from 2012, I think the Roos will go with the best inside midfielder they can get, and that’s Hallahan. If Swallow stays, then Hallahan will really add to their young midfield mix anyway alongside the likes of Cunnington and Bastinac.
18. Carlton – Matthew Watson
DOB: 16/07/92
Height: 194cm
Weight: 99kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: Carlton will definitely snap up Watson here. It’s no secret they see Bower more of a rebounding 3rd tall defender, and Thornton doesn’t have much of a future there, so they want a real strong KPP to help Jamison, and Watson is the perfect pick in the draft for that need. With his body, he’s ready to go from round 1 next season. Offers good leadership ability as well and can play on the gorilla KPF’s from the get go.
19. Hawthorn – Josh Green
DOB: 24/08/92
Height: 179cm
Weight: 76kg
Club: Clarence (TAS)
Bio: Probably would have liked Watson to slide down here, but obviously not the case. Joel Wilkinson was mooted at this pick, but the Gold Coast have snapped him up as a zone selection. They obviously need more speed in the midfield to help free up the likes of Rioli and Young more, and Green will be their choice here. Can play midfield / forward, excellent speed, and can probably replace Hooper or Peterson in the forward line in his 1st season, before Hawthorn mould him into a midfielder long – term.
20. Fremantle – Lucas Cook
DOB: 03/03/92
Height: 194cm
Weight: 82kg
Club: North Ballarat (VIC)
Bio: Fremantle will go for the best available tall here, and that’s Cook. Pavlich is obviously getting on, and they don’t have a lot of key forwards in the pipeline after him, Mayne’s more of a flanker long – term. Cook’s got a good size about him, AA CHF in the U18’s, and he’s athletic enough to present all day at Subiaco which will definitely appeal to Freo.
21. Sydney - Warrick Andreoli
DOB: 28/02/92
Height: 182cm
Weight: 70kg
Club: South Fremantle (WA)
Bio: Sydney have targeted speedier midfielders in recent times, and I think they’ll continue the trend 1 more time here with Andreoli, since they were targeting a similar sort of player in Sherman through the trade period. Warrick’s a left footer, quite skinny but an excellent user of the football, will take a couple of seasons in the gym to bulk up, but in a few years, it’ll be pretty exciting to watch the likes of Rohan, Jetta and Andreoli run and carry through the middle of the SCG.
22. Western Bulldogs - Mitch Wallis
DOB: 24/10/92
Height: 185cm
Weight: 79kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: F/S selection, Wallis is an inside midfielder who probably would have gone around pick 15 or so if he was available in this draft. Excellent in the clearances and good disposal skills. Will probably play quite a bit of football next season as well. Will have 2 great inside midfielders in Boyd and Cross to learn off as well.
23. Geelong - Reece Conca
DOB: 12/08/92
Height: 182cm
Weight: 76kg
Club: Perth (WA)
Bio: Geelong can go a few ways here, could easily go for a KPP, considering I’ve got them taking Pitt at 15. But I decided they’ll go for another midfielder / forward here in Conca, because I think Scott will want Byrnes and Varcoe to spend more in the midfield, so there’ll be an opportunity for the likes of Conca and Mitch Duncan to get a spot in the forward line. Reminds a lot of people of Ryan O’Keefe in terms of he doesn’t do anything too flashy, but he does a lot of stuff well. Very team orientated, which will obviously appeal to Geelong also.
24. St. Kilda - Kieran Harper
DOB: 05/06/92
Height: 187cm
Weight: 78kg
Club: Eastern Ranges (VIC)
Bio: No question that St. Kilda need a medium forward who can kick a few goals to help take the strain off Riewoldt, Kosi, Milne and Schneider. Harper could easily go top 20, so he’s good value here. Can also play midfield if need be, good size, will need to bulk up a little, but he’s just what the Saints need to add to the mix going forward. They may decide to move Gilbert to a HFF after his grand final performances, but Gilbert just doesn’t kick well enough to hurt you on the scoreboard, not yet anyways.
25. Brisbane – Jed Lamb
DOB: 19/10/92
Height: 181cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Gippsland Power (VIC)
Bio: Brisbane will also go for a small / medium forward in Lamb here. Obviously they have Banfield who burst onto the scene last season, but besides him, Brown and Fev, the Lions don’t have a lot of goalkickers. Lamb’s a guy who could kick 30-40 goals a season in a few years, which is something Brisbane will need when Fev and Brown eventually retire.
Priority Pick:
26. West Coast – Scott Lycett
DOB: 26/09/92
Height: 202cm
Weight: 95kg
Club: Port Adelaide Magpies (SA)
Bio: Interesting choice here, but Cox is getting on at 29 now, and the Eagles don’t have a lot of backups behind him and Nic-Nat, so I have them taking Lycett here. Athletic ruck who’s very competitive, good disposal for a tall, and will allow for Nic-Nat to play a bit more forward if need be. Definitely tall enough for a ruckman but good enough to compete at ground level with the midfielders also, which has become very important for ruckmen these days e.g Blake vs. Mumford.
Round 2:
27. Brisbane - Seb Tape
DOB: 06/08/92
Height: 189cm
Weight: 78kg
Club: Glenelg (SA)
Bio: Tape’s a defender who can play against tall or smalls and provide good rebound. Brisbane may want Drummond to play more in the midfield going forward, so Tape could easily be a guy who could take his spot in the back six and give them a similar sort of output, just not as good offensively but Tape’s more a defensive defender than Drummond is regardless.
28. West Coast - Jarrod Ninyette
DOB: 23/03/87
Height: 186cm
Weight: 74kg
Club: Claremont (WA)
Bio: West Coast have obviously said they want a good small forward to add to the mix. Ninyette is a bit taller, but he’s a local boy who kicks goal and provides a bit of excitement. Also has good agility and an excellent work rate, which he’ll need playing at Subiaco. They took a similar sort of player in Weedon last year in the draft, so they’ll be hoping that at least 1 of those 2 can become a quality crumbing forward at senior level at some stage.
29. Richmond – Blayne Wilson
DOB: 26/01/92
Height: 188cm
Weight: 86kg
Club: Peel Thunder (WA)
Bio: Richmond will take Wilson here, adding to their defensive mix. Good user of the footy, can play against small’s and shut them down and rebound well from defensive 50. Along with Heppell it gives Richmond options in terms of the players they want in defence and midfield. Should get the opposition’s best medium forward every week to help free up Newman and Deledio more if his development goes to plan.
30. Essendon - Aaron Young
DOB: 6/12/92
Height: 188cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Eastern Ranges (VIC)
Bio: Young could easily go earlier than this, but I have him sliding down to 30 for no particular reason, and the Bombers will happily snap him up here after taking Gorrdige at 8. Young is a tall midfielder who’s athletic, reminds me a bit of Joel Corey but not as prolific, but he goes hard and tough at the footy which is exactly what Hird is looking to add to Essendon’s midfield mix going forward.
31. Brisbane - Ben Newton
DOB: 08/08/92
Height: 182cm
Weight: 70kg
Club: South Fremantle (WA)
Bio: Brisbane will pick up another midfielder here in Newton. Can play in a variety of positions in midfield, good mark of the footy and uses the ball well. Nothing really stands out with him, but he should become a solid player over time, which at this stage of the draft you can’t really argue with.
32. Melbourne – Isaac Smith
DOB: ?
Height: 187cm
Weight: 75cm
Club: North Ballarat (VFL)
Bio: Will be very interesting to see where Smith goes in the draft. The way his stock has risen, it wouldn’t surprise me if he somehow snuck into the 1st round, in the vain of Harry Taylor a few seasons ago (albeit Harry played more senior footy in the WAFL back in 2007). As I said earlier with Melbourne, I think with their draft they can afford to take a few risks and Smith is no exception here. Tall midfielder with excellent athletic ability, and he’d be well suited to running around on a wing at the G. Will be fascinating to see what type of player he develops into over time as he could be a real good one or a spud.
33. Carlton - Luke Mitchell
DOB: 28/2/92
Height: 196cm
Weight: 96kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: Carlton will take another tall here, this time a key forward though in Mitchell. I think they see Henderson more a lead – up half forward, so they’ll probably want another tall to play deep, Setanta seemed like the man but obviously something has happened behind the scenes there. Mitchell’s a good strong mark and played very well at the end of the U18 season after a few injuries early, and he’s big for a KPP with a body developed enough to play senior footy from next season I would have thought.
34. Port Adelaide – Dion Prestia
DOB: 12/10/92
Height: 175cm
Weight: 82kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: Have Port taking another midfielder here in Prestia. Obviously not the biggest draft prospect of all time, but as you’ve seen with the likes of Jarryd Blair, if you’re good enough it doesn’t matter what height you are. Prestia can learn off David Rodan and add to Port’s midfield mix to give them a real toughness at the clearances to help free up the likes of Boak more going forward.
35. Port Adelaide – Patrick Karnezis
DOB: 23/04/92
Height: 191cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Oakleigh Chargers (VIC)
Bio: Port’s forward line developed very well late under Primus, obviously Schulz burst onto the scene and Stewart improved late. But I think they’d still like to have a medium / tallish prospect who can present up the ground but is clever enough to kick a few goals, and Karnezis fits the bill here. Could go earlier, so this is pretty good value here. Obviously with the issues Motlop has had this is probably a need area for them, although they may be after a small forward as well if they want Robbie Gray to play more in the midfield going forward.
36. Geelong – Callum Sinclair
DOB: 23/09/89
Height: 200cm
Weight: 95kg
Club: Port Melbourne (VFL)
Bio: Sinclair’s been mooted to the Cats since the end of the season from what I’ve read on a few boards. Obviously Blake seems to have 1 trick to his bow and that’s his ruckwork, while Hawkins just doesn’t have the size and aggressiveness to compete against the monsters in the ruck. With Ottens getting on, adding Sinclair who’s pretty much ready made gives Geelong some more options. Had a good season in the VFL from all reports and at 22 from next season he could easily play AFL from the get go.
37. Hawthorn - Sam Crocker
DOB: 12/03/92
Height: 180cm
Weight: 73kg
Club: Oakleigh Chargers (VIC)
Bio: Hawthorn will go for another outside midfielder here in Crocker. Obviously not a tallish player, but he goes in hard for the footy which will appeal to Clarkson and co, and he has good speed and the versatility to play a few different positions either in the midfield, small defender or small forward.
38. Gold Coast – Tim Milera
DOB: 09/03/92
Height: 170cm
Weight: 75kg
Club: Port Adelaide (SANFL)
Bio: My riser of the draft if you will. Could easily not get drafted at all, but I think the Gold Coast need to draft at least 1 crumbing forward in this draft so Ablett can play 100% in the midfield, and since they didn’t take the likes of Green or Lamb earlier on, I’ve got them taking Milera here. Skilful player in the Brad Dick / Eddie Betts mould with good speed, who as we’ve seen with those sort of players have become quite valuable with their speed to separate from defenders and defensive pressure they can apply.
39. Sydney - Ben Jacobs
DOB: 09/01/92
Height: 186cm
Weight: 82kg
Club: Sandringham Dragons (VIC)
Bio: Sydney will draft Jacobs at 39. Good rebounding defender with a long kick which will appeal at the SCG. Kennelly is getting on a bit, and Shaw can play in the midfield / forward line if need be, so they’ll probably adding another medium defender somewhere in this draft, and that’ll be Jacobs here. Can also play forward if need be as well, so he’s quite versatile in that regard.
40. Western Bulldogs - Thomas Liberatore
DOB: 16/05/92
Height: 182cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: 2nd F/S for the Dogs here. Similar to Wallis he’s another inside midfielder, who’s very good at the clearances and his disposal is underrated. With the likes of Boyd, Cross, Ward, Wallis and Liberatore going forward, the Dogs could arguably have the best inside midfield in the AFL in a couple of seasons.
41. Carlton - Cameron Guthrie
DOB: 19/08/92
Height: 186cm
Weight: 79kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: Guthrie is a prospect who could go anywhere in this draft (from late 1st round to the 3rd round), but I have him at 41 for Carlton. He’s a very team orientated player, who can do a tagging job in the midfield allowing Joseph to play against the best small forward on opposing teams which I think he’s probably more suited to. But he’s got good enough skills to be more than a tagger as well.
42. St Kilda - Alex Fasolo
DOB: 08/06/92
Height: 182cm
Weight: 80kg
Club: East Fremantle (WA)
Bio: Fasolo’s an inside midfielder, who’s good at the clearances which will definitely appeal to Ross Lyon and St. Kilda. With Hayes getting on now at 31, St. Kilda don’t have many good quality young midfield prospects, so Fasolo will definitely fill a need for them here, as I think St. Kilda need to try and get at least one good midfield prospect with one of their first two picks.
43. Fremantle – Kieran Butcher
DOB: 2/3/92
Height: 183cm
Weight: 80kg
Club: Peel Colts (WA)
Bio: Butcher’s a local boy who’s a good tough midfielder but also has the disposal skills to play outside, which seems to be a requirement now in Harvey’s midfield (if you look at how the likes of Palmer and Schammer didn’t play much this season). Good leadership qualities and will add to Freo’s midfield depth.
44. Collingwood - Aaron Mullett
DOB: 23/02/92
Height: 183cm
Weight: 71kg
Club: Eastern Ranges (VIC)
Bio: Collingwood obviously don’t have any weaknesses on their list at all right now after the trades bringing in Tarrant, Krakouer and Ceglar. So I’ve got them taking Mullett here for no real reason, he’s an inside midfielder but has pretty decent speed and skills also, so I figure Collingwood can mould him into Ben Johnson’s replacement in a few seasons.
Round 3:
45. Collingwood – Ariel Steinberg
DOB: 26/08/92
Height: 191cm
Weight: 84kg
Club: Bendigo Pioneers (VIC)
Bio: Again Collingwood can go a lot of ways here, but I’ve got them taking a riskier prospect in Steinberg at 45. Reminds me a bit of Sean Rusling a few years ago, who obviously had all of those issues with his shoulders. He’s a tall forward who’s very quick on the lead and has a very good leap, 2 major requirements for a key forward these days. He’ll take time to develop, but the Pies can easily stick him in the VFL for a few seasons to mature.
46. Richmond - Brandyn Grenfell
DOB: 09/05/92
Height: 198cm
Weight: 84kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: Got Richmond taking at least 1 ruckman in this draft to replace Simmonds, and that’s Grenfell here. Graham obviously came on last season, and Vickery is a good prospect still, but they don’t have much depth after those 2. Could turn into a tall forward over the long term or a hybrid in the David Hale mould which can take the pressure of Riewoldt a little as well.
47. Essendon - Jamie Cripps
DOB: 23/04/92
Height: 180cm
Weight: 71kg
Club: East Fremantle (WA)
Bio: If there’s 1 thing Essendon sorely needs besides tough inside midfielders to help Watson, it’s a small defender who can actually shut down his opponent, as Dempsey obviously isn’t suited to play there, and Hocking’s more of a defensive midfield tagger (don’t rate Slattery myself). Cripps could turn into a midfielder long term with his speed, but I think Essendon should stick him in defense and give him the task of playing on the best small forward going forward.
48. Gold Coast - Cameron O'Shea
DOB: 13/03/92
Height: 190cm
Weight: 88kg
Club: Eastern Ranges (VIC)
Bio: O’ Shea’s a tall defender / midfielder who’s very team orientated and can win his own footy. Clayton loves his tallish players who can play in a variety of positions as I’ve said before, and although O’Shea needs to work on his skills a bit, he’s a prospect who could be a good player over time.
49. Melbourne - Viv Michie
DOB: 23/02/92
Height: 185cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Oakleigh Chargers (VIC)
Bio: Michie's probably the best midfieler / forward left on the board here, so that's where Melbourne will go considering they've gone pretty tall so far. Probably most similar to poor man's Nick Dal Santo, needs to work on the defensive side of his game, but there is something to build with there with him.
50. Richmond - Nathan Ahmat-Watkins
DOB: 18/02/92
Height: 186cm
Weight: 75kg
Club: West Adelaide (SANFL)
Bio: Medium sized half forward / midfielder who is very team orientated. Richmond probably need another mid sized goal kicker although Morton came on late in the season. Ahmat-Watkins is very good defensively, so I could see him developing into a good defensive half forward for the Tigers, which is something every team really needs nowadays.
Round 1:
1. Gold Coast – David Swallow
DOB: 19/11/1992
Height: 186cm
Weight: 83kg
Club: East Fremantle (WA)
Bio: One of the standout #1 picks in years, Swallow will go straight into Gold Coast’s midfield and be the favourite for the Rising Star from round 1 onwards. Certain 200 game player and he could for mine be the best #1 player ever taken at a draft, which is pretty high praise, but I think he’s got the potential to live up to that sort of hype.
2. Gold Coast - Harley Bennell
DOB: 02/10/1992
Height: 180cm
Weight: 70kg
Club: Peel Thunder (WA)
Bio: Exciting midfielder in the mould of a Stephen Hill, Is very quick, agile, good skills and a smart player who will give Gold Coast’s midfield a bit of zip and run and carry alongside Ablett. Body wise probably not ready to make an instant impact, but watch out for him in 2 seasons as he could definitely burst onto the scene as a real quality player as Hill did this season.
3. Gold Coast - Sam Day
DOB: 06/09/1992
Height: 195cm
Weight: 90kg
Club: Sturt (SA)
Bio: Excellent KPP with big time potential. Excellent contested mark, very good size for a key forward and a long kick of the football. Potential AA CHF in the making if all goes well in his development. Doesn’t need to bulk up a whole heap either, so he should play quite a bit of footy for the Suns next season I would have thought.
4. West Coast Eagles - Andrew Gaff
DOB: 16/06/1992
Height: 183cm
Weight: 78kg
Club: Oakleigh Chargers (VIC)
Bio: This is where the draft starts to get interesting as there’s obviously a lot of possibilities where the Eagles can go here. Polac has been mooted with this selection as a Stephen Hill over Daniel Rich type of selection, but I think they’ll go best talent available, and that’ll be Gaff after the draft camp he had. Is a very good kick of the football which the Eagles midfield sorely needs, and he can run all day which obviously at Subiaco you need to have a good tank. Should play a lot of football in that midfield next season which needs a lot of class added to it.
5. Brisbane – Shaun Atley
DOB: 13/09/92
Height: 187cm
Weight: 82kg
Club: Murray Bushrangers (Vic)
Bio: First real surprise of the draft going to occur at #5 for mine. Everyone else seems to have Heppell, Gaff or Polac going here, but I’m going to go with Atley instead. Brisbane’s pretty light on for inside midfielders, especially with Black past his best and Rischitelli leaving. Rich will need as much help as he can get (since he’s getting tagged a lot more nowadays), and I think Atley will be a guy that really fills a need for them. Loves the contest, can play outside also, and can run all day, and Vossy will absolutely love the toughness that he will provide in close.
6. Richmond – Dyson Heppell
DOB: 9/01/1992
Height: 186cm
Weight: 82kg
Club: Gippsland Power (VIC)
Bio: Richmond will snap up Heppell at #6. Can play HBF and set-up the play allowing Deledio or even Newman to spend more time in the middle, or he can push into the midfield and help Cotchin, Martin and Foley going forward, as he’s a real classy type of midfielder. Good value pick here and all of a sudden Richmond has a quality young midfield they can build around for the next 5-10 years, which isn’t something they haven’t said for quite a long time.
7. Gold Coast - Jared Polac
DOB: 12/10/92
Height: 188cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Woodville W/Torrens (SA)
Bio: Gold Coast will take Polac who’s probably slated as a top 6 pick but has fallen through to #7. Goal kicking wingman with an excellent long left kick, who loves to run and carry, typical sort of midfielder that Clayton seems to target. Reminds me a little of Aaron Fiora pre draft before he turned into a spud at Richmond. With the likes of Ablett, Rischitelli, Swallow, Bennell and Polac, Gold Coast are probably going to have a top 3 midfield in the AFL 3 seasons from now.
8. Essendon – Daniel Gorridge
DOB: 02/06/92
Height: 198cm
Weight: 85kg
Club: Norwood (SA)
Bio: Essendon fans are probably going to jump all over me here on this pick. But Dodoro or Hird said a few weeks back that they’re going to go tall with this pick, and considering they have quite a few KPP’s already, they’ll go with Gorridge. He’ll take a few years to develop, but will be ready to take over from Hille in a couple of years, and also Ryder to settle in a key position who can pinch hit in the ruck instead of playing the majority of the game in the middle. Essendon fans will be hoping Gorrdige won’t be the next Jason Laycock v2.0 though (but that was a pretty poor draft anyways from memory).
9. Gold Coast – Tom Lynch
DOB: 31/10/92
Height: 196cm
Weight: 86kg
Club: Dandenong Stingrays (VIC)
Bio: Gold Coast have already taken a KFF in Day, but they’ll also go with Lynch at #9 as he’s rising up the draft boards in recent times. Fantastic work rate will present all day, and could become the important linkman / targetman between defence and attack allowing the likes of Day to stay deep in F50. Similar to Mitch Brown of Geelong from a couple of years ago who rose late to be a 1st rounder, but Lynch will be taken earlier and is probably a little more developed / better at ground level than what Brown was.
10. Gold Coast – Billie Smedts
DOB: 08/06/92
Height: 187cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Geelong Falcons (VIC)
Bio: A lot of people have Smedts going to Geelong at 15, but I think he’ll sneak into the top 10 as Andrew Moore did last season. Utility / jack of all trades player with a lot of upside. Can play pretty much anywhere except ruck / key position, and McKenna will love to have someone who’s so versatile who will do a job for him. I think he’ll end up being one of the top 5 players to come out of this draft actually, so whoever ends up with him, I think will have a real player on their hands.
11. Gold Coast – Patrick McCarthy
DOB: 11/03/92
Height: 194cm
Weight: 79kg
Club: Glenelg (SA)
Bio: Gold Coast will take McCarthy at #11. Can learn from Bock for a few seasons, and Clayton loves his tall defenders who can run and rebound in the Ryan Hargrave / Andrejs Everitt mould. Quick enough to play on small forwards in the way that Tom Harley did for Geelong late in his career, until he bulks up enough to play on the real key forwards.
12. Melbourne - Jack Darling
DOB: 16/6/92
Height: 191cm
Weight: 94kg
Club: West Perth (WA)
Bio: Melbourne has got an interesting draft this year. They’re already stocked with so many quality young players, I see them taking prospects with more of a higher risk / return ratio if you will. They’ll start off with Darling, who alongside Jurrah and Watts will give the Demons potentially the best forward line they’ve had for a long time if all pans out. Excellent mark of the football, excellent defensively which the Demons need in their forward line. Similar sort of build to what Russell Robertson was, but he’s more a complete / team player than what Robbo was.
13. Gold Coast – Brodie Smith
DOB: 14/01/92
Height: 188cm
Weight: 79kg
Club: Woodville W/Torrens (SA)
Bio: Gold Coast haven’t taken a lot of pure midfielders early, so they’ll go with Smith with this selection. Provides run and carry, bursts from stoppages, and although his kicking needs work, that’s something he can work on over time. People have compared him to Rhys Palmer a bit, I think he’s got a bit more speed and little more upside than that if all goes well.
14. Adelaide – Josh Caddy
DOB: 28/09/92
Height: 186cm
Weight: 81kg
Club: Northern Knights (Vic)
Bio: Adelaide will have probably wanted Smith here, but they’ll take the next best midfielder off the board here which is probably Caddy. Excellent inside in the clinches, and can go forward and kick a goal, which is something that Adelaide’s midfield probably needs more of. Even though Bock has left, I don’t see Adelaide going after a prospect like Watson here considering they’ve drafted Phil Davis and Daniel Talia with their last 2 1st round picks.
15. Geelong – Jayden Pitt
DOB: 07/10/92
Height: 187cm
Weight: 70kg
Club: Geelong (VIC)
Bio: Geelong in recent times have taken kids with excellent disposal skills who they can mould into their system. Menzel last season who had one of the best results at Buckley’s draft camp kicking test being 1 example. Pitt’s a local boy, who’s nowhere near ready body wise, but the Cats can stick him in the VFL for 2 seasons, and he’ll be ready to go hopefully when the likes of Corey and Chapman are just about done. Long – term prospect but one with quite a bit of upside, basically a midfield version of Andrew Mackie at similar ages.
16. Port Adelaide – Luke Parker
DOB: 25/10/92
Height: 182cm
Weight: 82kg
Club: Dandenong Stingrays (VIC)
Bio: Tough inside midfielder with good leadership ability, I see the Power going for the best available midfielder here, since they have quite a few young ruck / KPP’s already, and that’s probably Parker at this stage of the draft. Certainly won’t be the best player to come out of the draft, but should play early and fill a need in Port’s midfield as a hard, tough inside midfielder who should at least plat 100 games for them if all goes well.
17. North Melbourne – Mitch Hallahan
DOB: 23/08/92
Height: 183cm
Weight: 78kg
Club: Dandenong Stingrays (VIC)
Bio: Interesting pick here, as the Roos can go a few ways. With the concern on Swallow potentially going to GWS from 2012, I think the Roos will go with the best inside midfielder they can get, and that’s Hallahan. If Swallow stays, then Hallahan will really add to their young midfield mix anyway alongside the likes of Cunnington and Bastinac.
18. Carlton – Matthew Watson
DOB: 16/07/92
Height: 194cm
Weight: 99kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: Carlton will definitely snap up Watson here. It’s no secret they see Bower more of a rebounding 3rd tall defender, and Thornton doesn’t have much of a future there, so they want a real strong KPP to help Jamison, and Watson is the perfect pick in the draft for that need. With his body, he’s ready to go from round 1 next season. Offers good leadership ability as well and can play on the gorilla KPF’s from the get go.
19. Hawthorn – Josh Green
DOB: 24/08/92
Height: 179cm
Weight: 76kg
Club: Clarence (TAS)
Bio: Probably would have liked Watson to slide down here, but obviously not the case. Joel Wilkinson was mooted at this pick, but the Gold Coast have snapped him up as a zone selection. They obviously need more speed in the midfield to help free up the likes of Rioli and Young more, and Green will be their choice here. Can play midfield / forward, excellent speed, and can probably replace Hooper or Peterson in the forward line in his 1st season, before Hawthorn mould him into a midfielder long – term.
20. Fremantle – Lucas Cook
DOB: 03/03/92
Height: 194cm
Weight: 82kg
Club: North Ballarat (VIC)
Bio: Fremantle will go for the best available tall here, and that’s Cook. Pavlich is obviously getting on, and they don’t have a lot of key forwards in the pipeline after him, Mayne’s more of a flanker long – term. Cook’s got a good size about him, AA CHF in the U18’s, and he’s athletic enough to present all day at Subiaco which will definitely appeal to Freo.
21. Sydney - Warrick Andreoli
DOB: 28/02/92
Height: 182cm
Weight: 70kg
Club: South Fremantle (WA)
Bio: Sydney have targeted speedier midfielders in recent times, and I think they’ll continue the trend 1 more time here with Andreoli, since they were targeting a similar sort of player in Sherman through the trade period. Warrick’s a left footer, quite skinny but an excellent user of the football, will take a couple of seasons in the gym to bulk up, but in a few years, it’ll be pretty exciting to watch the likes of Rohan, Jetta and Andreoli run and carry through the middle of the SCG.
22. Western Bulldogs - Mitch Wallis
DOB: 24/10/92
Height: 185cm
Weight: 79kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: F/S selection, Wallis is an inside midfielder who probably would have gone around pick 15 or so if he was available in this draft. Excellent in the clearances and good disposal skills. Will probably play quite a bit of football next season as well. Will have 2 great inside midfielders in Boyd and Cross to learn off as well.
23. Geelong - Reece Conca
DOB: 12/08/92
Height: 182cm
Weight: 76kg
Club: Perth (WA)
Bio: Geelong can go a few ways here, could easily go for a KPP, considering I’ve got them taking Pitt at 15. But I decided they’ll go for another midfielder / forward here in Conca, because I think Scott will want Byrnes and Varcoe to spend more in the midfield, so there’ll be an opportunity for the likes of Conca and Mitch Duncan to get a spot in the forward line. Reminds a lot of people of Ryan O’Keefe in terms of he doesn’t do anything too flashy, but he does a lot of stuff well. Very team orientated, which will obviously appeal to Geelong also.
24. St. Kilda - Kieran Harper
DOB: 05/06/92
Height: 187cm
Weight: 78kg
Club: Eastern Ranges (VIC)
Bio: No question that St. Kilda need a medium forward who can kick a few goals to help take the strain off Riewoldt, Kosi, Milne and Schneider. Harper could easily go top 20, so he’s good value here. Can also play midfield if need be, good size, will need to bulk up a little, but he’s just what the Saints need to add to the mix going forward. They may decide to move Gilbert to a HFF after his grand final performances, but Gilbert just doesn’t kick well enough to hurt you on the scoreboard, not yet anyways.
25. Brisbane – Jed Lamb
DOB: 19/10/92
Height: 181cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Gippsland Power (VIC)
Bio: Brisbane will also go for a small / medium forward in Lamb here. Obviously they have Banfield who burst onto the scene last season, but besides him, Brown and Fev, the Lions don’t have a lot of goalkickers. Lamb’s a guy who could kick 30-40 goals a season in a few years, which is something Brisbane will need when Fev and Brown eventually retire.
Priority Pick:
26. West Coast – Scott Lycett
DOB: 26/09/92
Height: 202cm
Weight: 95kg
Club: Port Adelaide Magpies (SA)
Bio: Interesting choice here, but Cox is getting on at 29 now, and the Eagles don’t have a lot of backups behind him and Nic-Nat, so I have them taking Lycett here. Athletic ruck who’s very competitive, good disposal for a tall, and will allow for Nic-Nat to play a bit more forward if need be. Definitely tall enough for a ruckman but good enough to compete at ground level with the midfielders also, which has become very important for ruckmen these days e.g Blake vs. Mumford.
Round 2:
27. Brisbane - Seb Tape
DOB: 06/08/92
Height: 189cm
Weight: 78kg
Club: Glenelg (SA)
Bio: Tape’s a defender who can play against tall or smalls and provide good rebound. Brisbane may want Drummond to play more in the midfield going forward, so Tape could easily be a guy who could take his spot in the back six and give them a similar sort of output, just not as good offensively but Tape’s more a defensive defender than Drummond is regardless.
28. West Coast - Jarrod Ninyette
DOB: 23/03/87
Height: 186cm
Weight: 74kg
Club: Claremont (WA)
Bio: West Coast have obviously said they want a good small forward to add to the mix. Ninyette is a bit taller, but he’s a local boy who kicks goal and provides a bit of excitement. Also has good agility and an excellent work rate, which he’ll need playing at Subiaco. They took a similar sort of player in Weedon last year in the draft, so they’ll be hoping that at least 1 of those 2 can become a quality crumbing forward at senior level at some stage.
29. Richmond – Blayne Wilson
DOB: 26/01/92
Height: 188cm
Weight: 86kg
Club: Peel Thunder (WA)
Bio: Richmond will take Wilson here, adding to their defensive mix. Good user of the footy, can play against small’s and shut them down and rebound well from defensive 50. Along with Heppell it gives Richmond options in terms of the players they want in defence and midfield. Should get the opposition’s best medium forward every week to help free up Newman and Deledio more if his development goes to plan.
30. Essendon - Aaron Young
DOB: 6/12/92
Height: 188cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Eastern Ranges (VIC)
Bio: Young could easily go earlier than this, but I have him sliding down to 30 for no particular reason, and the Bombers will happily snap him up here after taking Gorrdige at 8. Young is a tall midfielder who’s athletic, reminds me a bit of Joel Corey but not as prolific, but he goes hard and tough at the footy which is exactly what Hird is looking to add to Essendon’s midfield mix going forward.
31. Brisbane - Ben Newton
DOB: 08/08/92
Height: 182cm
Weight: 70kg
Club: South Fremantle (WA)
Bio: Brisbane will pick up another midfielder here in Newton. Can play in a variety of positions in midfield, good mark of the footy and uses the ball well. Nothing really stands out with him, but he should become a solid player over time, which at this stage of the draft you can’t really argue with.
32. Melbourne – Isaac Smith
DOB: ?
Height: 187cm
Weight: 75cm
Club: North Ballarat (VFL)
Bio: Will be very interesting to see where Smith goes in the draft. The way his stock has risen, it wouldn’t surprise me if he somehow snuck into the 1st round, in the vain of Harry Taylor a few seasons ago (albeit Harry played more senior footy in the WAFL back in 2007). As I said earlier with Melbourne, I think with their draft they can afford to take a few risks and Smith is no exception here. Tall midfielder with excellent athletic ability, and he’d be well suited to running around on a wing at the G. Will be fascinating to see what type of player he develops into over time as he could be a real good one or a spud.
33. Carlton - Luke Mitchell
DOB: 28/2/92
Height: 196cm
Weight: 96kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: Carlton will take another tall here, this time a key forward though in Mitchell. I think they see Henderson more a lead – up half forward, so they’ll probably want another tall to play deep, Setanta seemed like the man but obviously something has happened behind the scenes there. Mitchell’s a good strong mark and played very well at the end of the U18 season after a few injuries early, and he’s big for a KPP with a body developed enough to play senior footy from next season I would have thought.
34. Port Adelaide – Dion Prestia
DOB: 12/10/92
Height: 175cm
Weight: 82kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: Have Port taking another midfielder here in Prestia. Obviously not the biggest draft prospect of all time, but as you’ve seen with the likes of Jarryd Blair, if you’re good enough it doesn’t matter what height you are. Prestia can learn off David Rodan and add to Port’s midfield mix to give them a real toughness at the clearances to help free up the likes of Boak more going forward.
35. Port Adelaide – Patrick Karnezis
DOB: 23/04/92
Height: 191cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Oakleigh Chargers (VIC)
Bio: Port’s forward line developed very well late under Primus, obviously Schulz burst onto the scene and Stewart improved late. But I think they’d still like to have a medium / tallish prospect who can present up the ground but is clever enough to kick a few goals, and Karnezis fits the bill here. Could go earlier, so this is pretty good value here. Obviously with the issues Motlop has had this is probably a need area for them, although they may be after a small forward as well if they want Robbie Gray to play more in the midfield going forward.
36. Geelong – Callum Sinclair
DOB: 23/09/89
Height: 200cm
Weight: 95kg
Club: Port Melbourne (VFL)
Bio: Sinclair’s been mooted to the Cats since the end of the season from what I’ve read on a few boards. Obviously Blake seems to have 1 trick to his bow and that’s his ruckwork, while Hawkins just doesn’t have the size and aggressiveness to compete against the monsters in the ruck. With Ottens getting on, adding Sinclair who’s pretty much ready made gives Geelong some more options. Had a good season in the VFL from all reports and at 22 from next season he could easily play AFL from the get go.
37. Hawthorn - Sam Crocker
DOB: 12/03/92
Height: 180cm
Weight: 73kg
Club: Oakleigh Chargers (VIC)
Bio: Hawthorn will go for another outside midfielder here in Crocker. Obviously not a tallish player, but he goes in hard for the footy which will appeal to Clarkson and co, and he has good speed and the versatility to play a few different positions either in the midfield, small defender or small forward.
38. Gold Coast – Tim Milera
DOB: 09/03/92
Height: 170cm
Weight: 75kg
Club: Port Adelaide (SANFL)
Bio: My riser of the draft if you will. Could easily not get drafted at all, but I think the Gold Coast need to draft at least 1 crumbing forward in this draft so Ablett can play 100% in the midfield, and since they didn’t take the likes of Green or Lamb earlier on, I’ve got them taking Milera here. Skilful player in the Brad Dick / Eddie Betts mould with good speed, who as we’ve seen with those sort of players have become quite valuable with their speed to separate from defenders and defensive pressure they can apply.
39. Sydney - Ben Jacobs
DOB: 09/01/92
Height: 186cm
Weight: 82kg
Club: Sandringham Dragons (VIC)
Bio: Sydney will draft Jacobs at 39. Good rebounding defender with a long kick which will appeal at the SCG. Kennelly is getting on a bit, and Shaw can play in the midfield / forward line if need be, so they’ll probably adding another medium defender somewhere in this draft, and that’ll be Jacobs here. Can also play forward if need be as well, so he’s quite versatile in that regard.
40. Western Bulldogs - Thomas Liberatore
DOB: 16/05/92
Height: 182cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: 2nd F/S for the Dogs here. Similar to Wallis he’s another inside midfielder, who’s very good at the clearances and his disposal is underrated. With the likes of Boyd, Cross, Ward, Wallis and Liberatore going forward, the Dogs could arguably have the best inside midfield in the AFL in a couple of seasons.
41. Carlton - Cameron Guthrie
DOB: 19/08/92
Height: 186cm
Weight: 79kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: Guthrie is a prospect who could go anywhere in this draft (from late 1st round to the 3rd round), but I have him at 41 for Carlton. He’s a very team orientated player, who can do a tagging job in the midfield allowing Joseph to play against the best small forward on opposing teams which I think he’s probably more suited to. But he’s got good enough skills to be more than a tagger as well.
42. St Kilda - Alex Fasolo
DOB: 08/06/92
Height: 182cm
Weight: 80kg
Club: East Fremantle (WA)
Bio: Fasolo’s an inside midfielder, who’s good at the clearances which will definitely appeal to Ross Lyon and St. Kilda. With Hayes getting on now at 31, St. Kilda don’t have many good quality young midfield prospects, so Fasolo will definitely fill a need for them here, as I think St. Kilda need to try and get at least one good midfield prospect with one of their first two picks.
43. Fremantle – Kieran Butcher
DOB: 2/3/92
Height: 183cm
Weight: 80kg
Club: Peel Colts (WA)
Bio: Butcher’s a local boy who’s a good tough midfielder but also has the disposal skills to play outside, which seems to be a requirement now in Harvey’s midfield (if you look at how the likes of Palmer and Schammer didn’t play much this season). Good leadership qualities and will add to Freo’s midfield depth.
44. Collingwood - Aaron Mullett
DOB: 23/02/92
Height: 183cm
Weight: 71kg
Club: Eastern Ranges (VIC)
Bio: Collingwood obviously don’t have any weaknesses on their list at all right now after the trades bringing in Tarrant, Krakouer and Ceglar. So I’ve got them taking Mullett here for no real reason, he’s an inside midfielder but has pretty decent speed and skills also, so I figure Collingwood can mould him into Ben Johnson’s replacement in a few seasons.
Round 3:
45. Collingwood – Ariel Steinberg
DOB: 26/08/92
Height: 191cm
Weight: 84kg
Club: Bendigo Pioneers (VIC)
Bio: Again Collingwood can go a lot of ways here, but I’ve got them taking a riskier prospect in Steinberg at 45. Reminds me a bit of Sean Rusling a few years ago, who obviously had all of those issues with his shoulders. He’s a tall forward who’s very quick on the lead and has a very good leap, 2 major requirements for a key forward these days. He’ll take time to develop, but the Pies can easily stick him in the VFL for a few seasons to mature.
46. Richmond - Brandyn Grenfell
DOB: 09/05/92
Height: 198cm
Weight: 84kg
Club: Calder Cannons (VIC)
Bio: Got Richmond taking at least 1 ruckman in this draft to replace Simmonds, and that’s Grenfell here. Graham obviously came on last season, and Vickery is a good prospect still, but they don’t have much depth after those 2. Could turn into a tall forward over the long term or a hybrid in the David Hale mould which can take the pressure of Riewoldt a little as well.
47. Essendon - Jamie Cripps
DOB: 23/04/92
Height: 180cm
Weight: 71kg
Club: East Fremantle (WA)
Bio: If there’s 1 thing Essendon sorely needs besides tough inside midfielders to help Watson, it’s a small defender who can actually shut down his opponent, as Dempsey obviously isn’t suited to play there, and Hocking’s more of a defensive midfield tagger (don’t rate Slattery myself). Cripps could turn into a midfielder long term with his speed, but I think Essendon should stick him in defense and give him the task of playing on the best small forward going forward.
48. Gold Coast - Cameron O'Shea
DOB: 13/03/92
Height: 190cm
Weight: 88kg
Club: Eastern Ranges (VIC)
Bio: O’ Shea’s a tall defender / midfielder who’s very team orientated and can win his own footy. Clayton loves his tallish players who can play in a variety of positions as I’ve said before, and although O’Shea needs to work on his skills a bit, he’s a prospect who could be a good player over time.
49. Melbourne - Viv Michie
DOB: 23/02/92
Height: 185cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Oakleigh Chargers (VIC)
Bio: Michie's probably the best midfieler / forward left on the board here, so that's where Melbourne will go considering they've gone pretty tall so far. Probably most similar to poor man's Nick Dal Santo, needs to work on the defensive side of his game, but there is something to build with there with him.
50. Richmond - Nathan Ahmat-Watkins
DOB: 18/02/92
Height: 186cm
Weight: 75kg
Club: West Adelaide (SANFL)
Bio: Medium sized half forward / midfielder who is very team orientated. Richmond probably need another mid sized goal kicker although Morton came on late in the season. Ahmat-Watkins is very good defensively, so I could see him developing into a good defensive half forward for the Tigers, which is something every team really needs nowadays.
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