Competitions Eagles Board Mock Draft

[Coinz]

Pick # 24

The doggy's will strengthen there tall with this selection.

Ben McKay (Gippsland Power)
Height: 200cm
Weight: 91kg
Position: Key defender/forward
Strengths: Contested marking, strength, agility, versatility
Weaknesses: Offensive game, kicking, positioning, disposal efficiency
Player comparison: Cale Hooker
First year impact: Long term prospect

Kicking: Average
Marking: Excellent
Endurance: Average
Speed: Average

 

[The Gtrain]

Pick # 24

The doggy's will strengthen there tall with this selection.

Ben McKay (Gippsland Power)
Height: 200cm
Weight: 91kg
Position: Key defender/forward
Strengths: Contested marking, strength, agility, versatility
Weaknesses: Offensive game, kicking, positioning, disposal efficiency
Player comparison: Cale Hooker
First year impact: Long term prospect

Kicking: Average
Marking: Excellent
Endurance: Average
Speed: Average

You know where this post is going.

Dammit

 

[Coinz]

You know where this post is going.

Dammit

haha lol.
Was gonna select Cyril i mean Daniel Rioli for the lolz. I had it typed out and everything. Last second change....

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Think it's ArdentEagle up?

 

[The Gtrain]

haha lol.
Was gonna select Cyril i mean Daniel Rioli for the lolz. I had it typed out and everything. Last second change....

They were both at the top of my list and I was being extremely optimistic about grabbing them late (Collins is a great pickup at 23)..I had 12 players on my list with 11 selections before mine, hopefully I have more than one option, although that will make it easier.

 

[eagles rule]

They were both at the top of my list and I was being extremely optimistic about grabbing them late (Collins is a great pickup at 23)..I had 12 players on my list with 11 selections before mine, hopefully I have more than one option, although that will make it easier.

I/Carlton were tempted to take Collins instead of Milera but the loss of Menzell and Yarren swayed me to add Milera and the dashing Tucker .

 

[paran]

Selection made and thought best to post as I will be tied up with work most of today.

Collingwood Pick 32
Josh Dunkley (9/1/1997. 189cm, 82kg. Gippsland Power)
Medium midfielder (loads of versatility can play forward and back)

I would like to tell you that this is a cunning plan directed by Eddie Everywhere to scupper the academy clubs and teach them a lesson. Actually this story is a lot simpler than that. Dunkley is consistently seen as a strong second round prospect with a general consensus that he is in the 20 – 30 best talents out there. Why not father and son with the Bondi billionaires? Word is that he wants to play AFL and not run around for 2 years in the Sydney reserves playing in a crap division. The competition at Sydney for inside midfield starting positions is massive, hence his reluctance to go north. Simply put, I could not have let this talent go past pick 32. Will fit brilliantly in at Collingwood’s midfield and could be the heir to Captain Pendlebury if they snag him.

AFL biography: Medium midfielder who is a prolific ball winner and a smart user of the ball. Is a very good mark overhead and can play in many roles within his team. Is a natural leader who regularly lifts his team mates within games. Is eligible under the father/son rule for the Sydney Swans, where his father Andrew was a star full-back. Was recovering from injury and missed early part of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships before playing two games and averaged 12 possessions in limited game time. Member of NAB AFL Academy.

Michael Ablett, AFL national talent football manager: "I liken Josh to Luke Parker. He's a tough inside midfielder who has the ability to play off half-forward and half-back, but predominantly you'd see him as a big inside mid with great leadership potential. He could captain an AFL club one day. He's an effective user without being brilliant by book, but he's has great hands and is really good overhead for his size. He's come back this year from a back injury and spent some time at Richmond playing there. Once he gets into an AFL environment he'll be a long way ahead of most kids are. He's learnt a lot this year about work off the ball, and general positioning and running patterns. I think that will hold him in really good stead."

Would be surprised if we didn't make a bid for him. Was very highly touted last year.

 

[Coinz]

I/Carlton were tempted to take Collins instead of Milera but the loss of Menzell and Yarren swayed me to add Milera and the dashing Tucker .

Very glad you decided this. I believe Collins at #23 is a very good pickup for the doggy's.

 

[avishka5]

I/Carlton were tempted to take Collins instead of Milera but the loss of Menzell and Yarren swayed me to add Milera and the dashing Tucker .

I would have taken Collins. By memory i dont think the blues have any decent key defenders. Good Key position players worth more than these flashy type players. Eagles are a perfect example of that and now only have one real flashy player.

 

[Suma Magic]

Rationale and profiles for Hawthorn's picks 16 and 21.

With all picks I will look to:
- take best available
- align to the characteristics that the Hawks look for (good skills and flexibility)
- keep in mind who may be retiring soon.

16. Harley Balic

I like the fact that he could move around a bit and play different positions. He sounds silky and midfield depth is needed once their greats start to retire.

Here is a write-up from the AFL website:

HARLEY Balic didn't want to choose between basketball and football at the start of last year, but knew he had to pursue one sport properly and leave the other behind.

Football, in some ways, chose him, when he was selected for the Sandringham Dragons' team early in the year as a bottom-aged prospect. Then he decided to quit a promising basketball career and focus on his aspiring footy career.

Balic did enough last year as a 17-year-old to win a spot in the level two NAB AFL Academy group, and this year represented his state for the first time at the under-18 championships.

A couple of standout games, including his 27-disposal effort in the opening round of the carnival, saw him named an All Australian before wrist surgery later in the year ruled him out of testing at the draft combine.

Balic is able to play in three different parts of the ground – as a dangerous half-forward, a smooth midfielder and an attacking half-back. At certain stages this season he was moved into all of those roles and showed exciting promise.

Generally, however, Balic is a half-forward who switches into the midfield. His versatility is an attribute, as is his capacity to mark well. Despite his wrist problem this year, which occasionally forced him to double grab marks on the lead, he still attacked the ball hard.

That's another thing Balic will bring to an AFL club: his desire to tackle, run hard at an opponent and give his all. He's able to make an impact as an inside player, and doesn't mind the physical nature of the game. He also played throughout the year with a wrist injury that required surgery, highlighting his resilience.

Although Balic has left basketball, there are still elements of his game that look to have been carried over to footy. He's agile in tight spaces, sees the game unfold really quick and makes things happen when he's around the ball.

Despite generally looking unhurried on the field, Balic isn't especially quick, so relies on his composure rather than his breakaway speed to get out of trouble. He is also learning to use his aerobic base more in games, having recorded a 15.3 beep test last year.

Balic has also spent significant time refining his kicking, knowing recruiters have seen it as an area for improvement. He tends to not take too many risks with his kicking, but throughout the championships he did show signs he was adding penetration and depth to his kicking, including a long 50-metre goal after the siren in round one.

With his stretch in marking contests, fight at ground level and competitive instincts across half-forward, Balic shares some comparisons to North Melbourne youngster Taylor Garner. In time both might move up the ground as their running continues to develop.

Balic looks likely to be a first-round pick in three weeks when names are called at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Some clubs have him among their top dozen or so selections, while others view him around the 20-25 range in their rankings.

Balic is an exciting prospect who can influence games. He offers clubs a slightly unique set of skills in this year's pool: he's versatile and agile, dangerous and dynamic, and can have a say on a contest without needing to find heaps of the ball.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2015-11-02/22-days-to-the-draft-meet-the-versatile-hardnut-harley-balic

And a video:
http://wel-cdn220-is-2.se.bponlinew...40/DT_HARLEY_BALIC_WEB_S_-1024-2550922051.mp4

 

[The Gtrain]

I would have taken Collins. By memory i dont think the blues have any decent key defenders. Good Key position players worth more than these flashy type players. Eagles are a perfect example of that and now only have one real flashy player.

McGinnity?

 

[Suma Magic]

21. Riley Bonner

Sounds just like Grant Birchall. Sounds perfect for the Hawks. With Gibson getting on, there is scope for him to push for that role, or for the 4th tall.

Afl site:

21 days to the draft: Meet the booming left-footer Riley Bonner
Callum Twomey
November 3, 2015 10:00 PM


• Draft order: Your club's provisional picks
• Get to know the next young guns at the NAB AFL Draft Hub
• Draft countdown: 30 future stars in 30 days

AARON Francis deserved all of his plaudits as a standout in South Australia's NAB AFL Under-18 Championships this year, but there was another defender alongside the top-10 prospect who kickstarted his rise up the draft board.

Riley Bonner was a key member of the state side and a vital part of its game plan during the carnival, with the powerful, long-kicking half-back given responsibility to set up his team's attacking forays.

He played the role well and won All Australian selection for his carnival, when he played all six games for his state.

Bonner has tasted the senior level of the SANFL this year with West Adelaide, but has spent the majority of the season in the club's reserves and under-18s sides. At under-18 level he averaged 23 disposals and six inside-50 entries a game, showing his class a little further up the ground.

Bonner generates lots of run. He bursts down the field from defence and sets up the play, but is more than happy to quickly track back and find his man. He is good at spotting a chance and going for it: he can see space, accelerate away and get his team moving.

By far Bonner's best trait is his long and penetrating left-foot disposal. In an instant he can have the ball in his team's forward half. He averaged 18 disposals at the championships at a disposal efficiency of 73 per cent, and makes the right decisions with the ball in his hands.

Bonner's size also gives him an advantage. At 191cm he can play against taller forwards or take on the smaller types, and in time he might also be stationed further up the ground on a wing. Bonner is deceptively tall and stronger than most half-backs also in first-round contention.

He can become more consistent with his one-on-one work in defence, as he occasionally finds himself out of position in marking contests. But that seems like something that will improve as Bonner spends more time in the backline, as he is relatively new to the role.

He didn't test at the NAB AFL Draft Combine as he nursed a foot injury in a moon boot, but that won't be a concern.

It's not hard to se why Bonner has drawn comparisons to Hawthorn premiership defender Grant Birchall. He's similarly sized and plays in the same spot off half-back, where he gives his drive. Like Birchall, Bonner can match-up on a range of different forwards.

Bonner is a possible top-20 pick at the draft. Because of his versatility and foot skills, he appeals as a damaging player. His name should fit somewhere in the 15-25 range of the draft.

It's easy to see why clubs like Bonner. He has the skill set to be able to cut through the game and make it look easy. Recruiters look at prospects wondering how they can fit into an AFL team. They wouldn't need to search for a spot for Bonner, because his left-foot is a serious weapon.

Video:
http://pie-cdn220-is-3.se.bponlinew...00516/DT_RILEY_BONNER_WEB-1024-2376525639.mp4

 

[eagles rule]

I would have taken Collins. By memory i dont think the blues have any decent key defenders. Good Key position players worth more than these flashy type players. Eagles are a perfect example of that and now only have one real flashy player.

Weitering and Collins complimented each other very well for VC in the Championships and was tempted to bring in Collins but with Jakchs and Rowe and now Plowman down back I elected to add more run and goal scoring power instead of 3 Talls with the first 4 picks .

 

[avishka5]

21. Riley Bonner

With Gibson getting on, there is scope for him to push for that role, or for the 4th tall.

not a key position player tho. ATM he lacks accountability and needs a bit of improvement in that area. he could end up moving into a wing.

 

[2006_Eagles]

Ew pick 28 with the F/S, forgot about that

 

[Suma Magic]

not a key position player tho. ATM he lacks accountability and needs a bit of improvement in that area. he could end up moving into a wing.

Yeah probably 4th tall, maybe 3rd tall though.

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

All the player's i had hoped might slide to the Eagle's are gone, Just seems we are a little far down the draft order.Doesn't give me much hope come the real thing, let's hope we can pick a diamond in the rough !! Now don't let us down acenuckles !!

This shallow draft is a funny one. Our first pick at #23, it feels more like a third round pick in the 2014 draft (even taking account of the academy picks dropping it back to 28-30). Good news - we got Jackson Nelson at pick 50 which is about the standard I see many of the available options at this year with our first pick like Cole, Tahana, Partington, etc. I would be happy with another pick like Jackson. I recall thinking he felt like a second rounder in prior years and his inclusion in our starting team in 2015 proved that.

So will we go tall with our first pick as there seems an evenness for mids from 26 to 40 whilst there are few quality talls left and I suspect likely to be taken before our second pick.

 

[avishka5]

This shallow draft is a funny one. Our first pick at #23, it feels more like a third round pick in the 2014 draft (even taking account of the academy picks dropping it back to 28-30). Good news - we got Jackson Nelson at pick 50 which is about the standard I see many of the available options at this year with our first pick like Cole, Tahana, Partington, etc. I would be happy with another pick like Jackson. I recall thinking he felt like a second rounder in prior years and his inclusion in our starting team in 2015 proved that.

So will we go tall with our first pick as there seems an evenness for mids from 26 to 40 whilst there are few quality talls left and I suspect likely to be taken before our second pick.

i rekon we will go for best available talent in this years draft than go for a particular type of player.

 

[avishka5]

Yeah probably 4th tall, maybe 3rd tall though.

maybe 4th tall/mid size forward. A lot of side have 3 good tall forward or 2 good tall forwards and handy forward ruckmen. You would want bonner to be playing an attacking role and the opposition put a negating forward on him, rather than him taking a forward.

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

i rekon we will go for best available talent in this years draft than go for a particular type of player.

We have stated we want a tall so I believe we will be going mid and tall combination with first 2 picks and possible a small for our third (small forward or small defender).

Best available is all well and good when there is clear daylight between the picks. Not sure there will be much of that this year at our picks when it comes to midfield.

Question - would you prefer Tom Cole and Dylan Smith as a picks 1/2 or Skinner and Tahana? From what I read, Cole or possibly Partington look like best available for our first pick (as per the mock we are doing) but I would probably want to secure Skinner above Smith and hence be prepared to drop a bit from Cole/Partington and take Tahana.

Personal preference and one that will divide recruiters.

 

[Aceknuckles]

We have stated we want a tall so I believe we will be going mid and tall combination with first 2 picks and possible a small for our third (small forward or small defender).

Best available is all well and good when there is clear daylight between the picks. Not sure there will be much of that this year at our picks when it comes to midfield.

Question - would you prefer Tom Cole and Dylan Smith as a picks 1/2 or Skinner and Tahana? From what I read, Cole or possibly Partington look like best available for our first pick (as per the mock we are doing) but I would probably want to secure Skinner above Smith and hence be prepared to drop a bit from Cole/Partington and take Tahana.

Personal preference and one that will divide recruiters.

Much prefer Skinner and Tahana. Really hoping we get a quality slider, maybe a Bonner/Clarke/Partington and Skinner still available at our next pick. That would be ideal for me. I do like Tahana and Redman though, and highly unlikely either of them would last to our third, so if there wasn't a quality tall available there I'd be happy picking one of them with our second.

 

[avishka5]

We have stated we want a tall so I believe we will be going mid and tall combination with first 2 picks and possible a small for our third (small forward or small defender).

Best available is all well and good when there is clear daylight between the picks. Not sure there will be much of that this year at our picks when it comes to midfield.

Question - would you prefer Tom Cole and Dylan Smith as a picks 1/2 or Skinner and Tahana? From what I read, Cole or possibly Partington look like best available for our first pick (as per the mock we are doing) but I would probably want to secure Skinner above Smith and hence be prepared to drop a bit from Cole/Partington and take Tahana.

Personal preference and one that will divide recruiters.

I like the look of partington and i also like his personality (from the bit of interviews i have seen). Jesse Glass-Mccasker seems like a good pick for our third round selection, however, he might go a bit higher i think.

 

[iLikeIt]

I think the most interesting thing about the upcoming draft is there seems to be such division about who the best players are (and likely to be picked and when) for the 2nd and 3rd rounds. It is such a mixed bag and I suspect any of the players outside the top 25 or so could go any time. It probably means a lot of teams probably won't pick anything close to the order we might expect them to. Just check out the phantom drafts on BF, they are all over the shop post the first 20-25 picks when compared and most of them have shifted around considerably in the past couple of months. That tells me the quality of the players will likely be relatively even across our 3 picks.

So I am confident we will pick up three solid footballers who certainly won't be superstars from the outset but we can develop and maybe two of three stay around and eventually crack in to our B22. Given our balance, depth and age profile I don't think we benefit much from picking players that are ready to go from day one - instead I think I'd prefer finding the Barrass types that are mutually willing to invest 3-4 years in development so when they debut they not only have the physique and skills but know the WC environment as second nature.

 

[avishka5]

I think the most interesting thing about the upcoming draft is there seems to be such division about who the best players are (and likely to be picked and when) for the 2nd and 3rd rounds. It is such a mixed bag and I suspect any of the players outside the top 25 or so could go any time. It probably means a lot of teams probably won't pick anything close to the order we might expect them to. Just check out the phantom drafts on BF, they are all over the shop post the first 20-25 picks when compared and most of them have shifted around considerably in the past couple of months. That tells me the quality of the players will likely be relatively even across our 3 picks.

So I am confident we will pick up three solid footballers who certainly won't be superstars from the outset but we can develop and maybe two of three stay around and eventually crack in to our B22. Given our balance, depth and age profile I don't think we benefit much from picking players that are ready to go from day one - instead I think I'd prefer finding the Barrass types that are mutually willing to invest 3-4 years in development so when they debut they not only have the physique and skills but know the WC environment as second nature.

Most key position players


I think most key position players taken outside the first round expect that it will take a few years for them to break into the side. It took Emac and schofield a few years to break into the 22 as well (they might have injuries as well).

 

[Aceknuckles]

thorne89 So what reserve selector are we using? I'm happy to give Ardent a bit more time but he's had almost the whole day